A family missed out on their dream vacation all because of a 1-centimeter tear in their son's passport

A few years ago, visiting Devon in a wet and windy summer, chef Margie Nomura, host of theDesert Island Dishespodcast, stumbled across Beachhouse cafe on a soggy dog walk at South Milton Sands.

* Sources: theguardian.com/i-came-by-train/2024/jan/12/i-came-by-train-sources-and-methodology

The memories of my first encounter with the California desert are so clear and intense that sometimes I wonder if I invented them, but I don’t believe so. I was hitchhiking across the States — it was the 1970s — and I was a young Englishman ‘on the road’, having read too much Jack Kerouac. My lift dropped me at a gas station near Barstow, a city in the Mojave Desert, in the south of the state. The car was air-conditioned and as I got out, I was hit by a wall of heat as strange and thrilling as anything I’d ever experienced. 

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is getting a major new connection to Europe just in time for summer.

Under orders from the European Commission to enhance competition, Google plans to change the way it displays flight search results in European Union countries. But a major flights seller said it “firmly rejects” Google’s plan as not going far enough.

Are you considering planning a trip to South America? Home to incredible natural wonders, including some of the oldest rainforests, the largest waterfall and the driest desert in the world, along with glaciers and the biodiverse Galapagos Islands, this continent has an allure all its own. 

On an out-of-season trip to Zakynthos, a Greek island famed for intoxicated British teenagers that also happens to be beautiful, we stumbled upon Xigia Sulfur beach on the east coast. We were first greeted by the smell of rotten eggs, because of its sulphurous springs. Despite the smell, it’s brilliant: the glistening turquoise waters are framed by the towering cliffs, and the sulphur bubbles out of the seabed. A dip on this beach is said to be good for the skin and generally therapeutic. There are other little coves nearby, linked by paths.Lucas

If you’ve rambled along La Rambla in Barcelona, climbed the Eiffel Tower in Paris and checked out Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, it’s tempting to tick Europe’s major cities off the list. But even in the most well-visited cities, there’s often a new and surprising angle to discover. We’d love to hear about the unexpected discoveries that made you see a European city in a new light, whether it be modernist architecture in Vienna, street food in Amsterdam or contemporary art in Rome.

With its myriad health benefits and thrilling sense of freedom, cycling is a great way to get out and explore, be it on a slow-paced ride through a city or a challenging climb through hilly terrain. Fortunately, Europe is crisscrossed with scenic routes to explore, from cycling through olive groves in Italy to pedalling past Portugal’s golden beaches and taking on Spain’s legendary Camino de Santiago. Here, five experts reveal where to go and why.

The passport you hold is a powerful tool when it comes to effortlessly visiting countries around the world.And some passports provide far more access than others, according to the Henley Passport Index.The just-released 2024 index shows that for the first time in 19 years of producing the ranking, six countries are tied for the top spot of having the most powerful passports.The countries leading the ranking are France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain—meaning citizens from all of these countries are able to visit 194 destinations around the world either visa-free or by obtaining a visa-on-arrival.The Henley Passport Index is the only ranking of its kind and is developed based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The index compares 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.While Japan and Singapore have made it into the number one slot for the past five years running, according to CNN, the European countries that are now also ranked number one on the list is a new development.

In the cruise industry, January through March is considered “wave season,” a time when cruise lines offer promotions, incentives and, often, their best deals of the year. Whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or a newbie, it’s a smart time to book trips.

Sitting at the Cave Bar at Rock House, on the Turks & Caicos Islands’ main island Providenciales, it’s easy to think that you’re on an island in the Cyclades: the resort is hilltop; built into a 75 foot limestone cliff; overlooking turquoise water and surrounded by walls composed of chiseled white stones. Mark Durliat, CEO of Grace Bay Resorts, of which this resort is a part, and his wife honeymooned in Greece, apparently, and transferred the romantic ambience (and Mediterranean cuisine) they encountered there to this nearly two year old resort. And it’s working: I checked in at the same time as a newlywed couple from New York and every day other couples were lined up by the pool, in the hideaway hillside terraces and on the 130 foot jetty decked out with loungers.