Ian Fleming travel tips

There are many historical properties turned into luxury hotels.

Holidaymakers seeking the cultural satisfaction of a city break and the relaxation of a beach break can find both in Lisbon. Portugal’s vibrant capital is packed with fascinating attractions, but when visitors are ready to swap sightseeing for sea, sand and sun, there’s a host of beaches in easy reach via public transport. Here, the team at Visit Lisboa (www.visitlisboa.com) pick out six stretches of sand with unique charms, all of which can be accessed for free on trains and buses with the money-saving Lisboa Card.

It’s been a busy year for the capital’s luxury hotel scene. A string of high-profile, and often high-priced, openings was crowned this autumn when the long-anticipated Raffles London at the OWO flung open its doors, taking over the building that once housed the Old War Office. Beyond such headline-grabbing launches, the accommodation offering in the city remains in rude health, with plenty of character available for travellers looking beyond the very top end of the market. There are boutique hotels squirrelled away in Georgian townhouses, budget pads in the midst of Piccadilly and huge complexes offering a world of bars, restaurants and entertainment across multiple floors. 

It’s been hidden from public eyes for more than a hundred years. But in a few weeks time, the former Old War Office in London, Whitehall will finally open its doors after a multi-million-dollar transformation.

Overlooking the English Channel is a small resort town bedecked with freestone facades and half-timbered houses. English is heard everywhere, from the Art Deco Westminster hotel to the lighthouse, which, on the occasion of the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, was lit up with Her Majesty's favourite colours. The bells of city hall chime in an echo of Big Ben, and it was just announced that the town's airport will soon be rechristened after Queen Elizabeth II.

Did you know that before James Bond famously ordered his shaken-not-stirred martini or his negroni that the British secret agent was sipping on a Classic Americano? That inaugural drink order was in “Casino Royale,” when Ian Fleming introduced the world to Bond, arguably one of the first spirits influencers who went on to shape cocktail culture.

As autumn collections go, it’s looking pretty spectacular. On September 12, the Peninsula opens its doors in London for the first time. The position is superb - overlooking Hyde Park corner, close to Buckingham Palace. Architect Peter Marino has opted for a calm and considered approach in the 190 rooms and suites; they are as large and well-designed as you'd hope from their price tag, from £1,300 a night.

With the Rugby World Cup taking place in France this September, rugby fans from across the world are descending on the land of Liberté, Egalité and Fraternité for the biggest event in rugby. Each of the 20 teams participating in the world cup has chosen a basecamp at a different location across France. For the UK and Ireland, Scotland is based in Nice, Wales in Versailles, Ireland in Tours, and England in the glamorous coastal resort of Le Touquet.

For five days of the year each summer, the somewhat soulless exhibition centre in Earls Court is transformed into a giant pub (pictured above). Or at least that’s what it feels like. Gone are the trade stalls and suited delegates, replaced by an army of (mostly bearded) volunteers manning hundreds of kegs, dispensing beers few people have ever heard of to thousands of squiffy punters – a lot of whom are wearing traffic-cone hats or sombreros for no apparent reason.