Travel in city Santa

If you are still making your list and checking it twice, we found a few gift ideas in Santa's workshop that are sure to please you and the lucky recipient.

Don’t be deceived by the opulent Renaissance palaces, the gold jewelry shining from Ponte Vecchio’s storefronts and the high-end brands lined up on Via Tornabuoni – Florence doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Anyone who appreciates fine wine is spoiled for choice in California.

Authorities in Venice have been accused of transforming the famous lagoon city into a “theme park” as a long-mooted entrance fee for day trippers comes into force.

Beachfront living is a dream for many people, but prohibitively high prices in the United States mean that it’s a reality for only a select few.

Pulling into the Santa Lucia train station in Venice on Thursday morning, passengers were told via an overhead announcement that they might have to pay a 5-euro fee to enter the city’s historic center. Failure to pay could result in a fine from 50 to 300 euros, the announcement said.

Wandering hand-in-hand through the medieval streets of Bologna, my boyfriend and I were in awe of the sweeping porticoes and distinctive rust-red brickwork of the city. It was our first holiday together. We’d wanted to find somewhere beyond the obvious that would marry our respective interests in architecture and history. Bologna was the perfect fit.

Sitting comfortably along the banks of the Arno River, Florence has been welcoming tourists since the early days of international tourism, building a global reputation that is hard to match.

With its compact size and abundance of architectural landmarks, navigating Florence is hardly a challenge.

This week, The St. Regis Venice welcomed an enticing new arrival. But not the kind you might imagine. The chic hotel’s newest resident is not a Hollywood celebrity, but an ultra-exclusive Rare Cask Cognac from LOUIS XIII by Rémy Martin.

Welcome to Santa Barbara, where the sun, sea, and mountains create a coastal paradise like no other. The Chumash people initially inhabited the town for thousands of years before Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century. Today, Santa Barbara still reflects its Spanish colonial heritage with Mediterranean-style buildings and red-tile roofs, which perfectly complement the natural backdrop of the San Ynez Mountains. 

Tucson, Arizona is one of our Best Places to Go in the North America for 2024, part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2024—find more travel inspiration here.

Sandra has recently returned from her native Azores, where she was researching the upcoming Pocket Azores guidebook, out in October 2024. Here she shares her local knowledge of the archipelago to help you choose the best island for your trip.

There aren’t many people who can claim to have seen a snowman fly over their house. It may sound fantastical, but every Christmas I settle down to watch The Snowman, Raymond Briggs’s best-loved work, and watch as the red-haired boy and the plump, tangerine-nosed snowman swoop over the downs that surround the village where I live before gliding above the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Pier and on out to sea.

Recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1982, the historic center of Florence boasts a vast collection of medieval and Renaissance art and architecture, despite its relatively compact size.

This Mother’s Day, forget about gifting a typical bouquet, and instead opt for one of these long-lasting floral fragrances. Ideal for travel lovers, each one is inspired by a far-away land and one spritz will bring back memories of beautiful destinations spent with loved ones.

Many of Florence’s most iconic sights are iconic precisely because they haven't changed in hundreds of years.

Florence has been a key destination on Italian itineraries since the Grand Tour days, when British and German aristocrats traveled through the peninsula to enrich their cultural baggage and gain status. While much has changed since the 17th and 18th centuries, the Tuscan capital remains a major draw, as proven by the thousands of people who reach the city every day.

The luxurious Aguas de Ibiza Grand Luxe Hotel reopens for the 2024 season with a new Peruvian group dining proposition to complement its existing eco-wellness offering. Ideally located in the vibrant Santa Eulalia region, the 5-star hotel comprises 145 airy and spacious rooms and suites, many of which offer breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea. The pet and family-friendly hotel embraces a holistic approach, rooted in Feng Shui interiors based on natural elements. Characteristic seashells and iridescent tiles feature across the hotel’s rooms and shared spaces, said to eliminate bad energy and restore harmonious balance.

Puglia, the heel of the great Italian boot, packs in just about everything we love about Italy: olive groves and vineyards, picturesque hill towns, extraordinary art and architecture, superb food and wine. But it all comes with a Puglian twist and a host of unexpected influences. This region was, after all, once the stomping ground of the ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Angevins and Spaniards, whose legacy is still keenly felt in the architecture of its churches and towns. Add to that 800km of beaches fringing Italy’s easternmost coastline, and you have a region that is forever upending expectations.

Sitting pretty between Spain, Tunisia, the French Riviera and the Italian mainland, Sardinia is one of Europe's most alluring Mediterranean getaways. With its splendid white sands and translucent turquoise waters, the island is justifiably famed as a beach holiday destination – but it's well worth digging deeper to discover Sardinia's walking trails, urban attractions and unique cultural heritage. 

The Mediterranean island of Sardinia is home to some of Italy's most off-the-beaten-track beaches, archaeological sites and culinary experiences, many of which are inaccessible by public transport.