London travel tips

Britain's London Luton Airport has suspended all flights until 1400 GMT on Wednesday after a fire in a car triggered a huge blaze. It led to the partial collapse of one of its multi-storey car parks.

The best part of vacationing is the food.

East London wasn’t always the cool, urban kid it is today.

A multi-stop itinerary from London to Barcelona – via Paris and the Pyrenees – is a train lover’s dream.

Today, London is a bustling, metropolitan city, and the same could be said about the city 100 years ago. 

There's nothing quite like a long line at airport security to seriously dampen the excitement of a trip or a vacation. To get through airport security as quickly as possible, you can try your best to avoid peak travel time, pack efficiently, pre-bag your liquids, and make sure your electronic devices are easily accessible until the cows come home. But at the end of the day, the power is out of your hands.

Tucked off a busy street in Holborn, and found in its own serene courtyard, some guests might be confused at first as to how they exactly check into Rosewood London. But, this is all part of its charm. Since its launch some 10 years ago, the hotel has become a staple on London’s luxury hospitality scene, regardless of its under-the-radar location, beloved by “in-the-know” Londoners and out-of-towners alike.

The V&A’s new blockbuster exhibition is the first in the UK dedicated to the French couturier Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel – and it is selling out fast. The show is fully booked until Christmas, but at the time of writing there was still plenty of availability in January and February. The exhibition charts the history of the House of Chanel, from the opening of Coco’s first millinery shop in Paris in 1910 to her final collection in 1971, and her legacy today. There are almost 200 looks on show, including a piece from 1916 and outfits designed for Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich, plus accessories, jewellery and perfume. Until 25 February, £24 adults/£16 children/under-12s free, vam.ac.uk

I’m skipping traditional methods of trip planning in favour of guidance from my planetary alignments.

An iconic cornerstone of London’s landscape, the city’s Old War Office building is set to settle into a brand-new identity this month. Sold to the Hinduja group in 2016, the building is opening its doors to the public once again, this time revamped into the Raffles London at The OWO. This will be Raffles Hotels & Resorts’ first location in the United Kingdom. Rаffles’ hotels are known for bringing together impeccable hospitality, design, and exclusive environments, and The OWO is no exception. Storytelling and preservation are the focus here, and Raffles properties allow guests to spend their trip basking in history.

London’s Gatwick Airport is facing more flight disruption this week - but this time, it’s not down to strikes.

Low-cost Icelandic airline Play is making a fall or winter European getaway more affordable with 30 percent off flights to popular destinations across the continent.

Step into the new Pavyllon London restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Laneand it is like stepping into the light – in more ways than one. For foodies, this, the first London restaurant from lauded chef Yannick Alléno, represents the ultimate culinary address in the capital right now– the holy grail in fine dining, if you will (as you step into the bright space, you half expect a heavenly choir to welcome you.) One of the most awarded chefs in the world – with an incredible 15 Michelin stars to his name – Alléno is renowned for his innovative, precision cookery, retelling French classics into decadent plates of beautifully-executed, and absolutely delicious, works of art.

Greece will again have a high profile at World Travel Market London (November 6-8, 2023) – the world’s most influential travel & tourism event – as the destination will showcase their ambitious sustainability plans after renewing the sponsorship of the International Media Centre.

As summer holidays come to an end, 50 Best has compiled its list of the World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2023.

Biannual fashion extravaganza London Fashion Week has just wound up after a packed schedule of menswear and womenswear shows, spread across all corners of the capital. Highlights included established designers like Burberry, Paul Costelloe, Molly Goddard, David Koma and Malan Breton’s final show, plus a new crop of designers from BFC NEWGEN and Fashion Scout. London proved its credentials once again as the world’s most innovative fashion hub, with wildly creative designs that included flower pots and bags made from discarded sneakers, laser cut dresses, suits made from upholstery fabric, repurposed army shirts and football jerseys and much more.

One of the fruits of getting on a train is that it makes me want to chat. So instead of gazing at Kent as we proceed to Paris from London, I talk to my neighbour. Martha grew up in San Francisco, studied in Oregon, and puts syrup on everything. When we part ways on the concourse of Gare du Nord – she to lunch with a friend from Wisconsin, me to amble around before continuing towards Turkey – she says the best things about the US are Taylor Swift and meatloaf. It’s good to talk.

For Europeans, fall in America looks like the stuff of wanderlust, with fiery trees and pumpkin spice lattes à la Gilmore Girls. 

This weekend, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A), pioneer of global art, design and performance, celebrates the unveiling of Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto. This exhibition is the UK’s first dedicated solely to Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, the iconic French couturière, who redefined the art of fashion. Spanning styles from her first Parisian boutique in 1910 to her last collection in 1971, the exposition vividly traces Chanel’s evolution and unparalleled contribution to fashion.

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.

One day in 2021, Megan Clawson was walking home from a night out when she was inspired to record a video on her phone.