Tell us about your favourite European garden – you could win a holiday voucher

With spring almost here, now’s the time for lacing up your walking boots and getting back outside. Whether it’s woodland strolls, day-long coastal walks or more challenging hikes, we’d love to hear about your favourite lesser known destinations which come into their own at this time of year.

“The house was already wonderful,” says Enrique Miró-Sans. He’s talking about the 17th-century residence that his family spent two years transforming into an intimate, lived-in hotel in the walled old city of Palma, Mallorca.

Any visit to Bangkok presents an overwhelming selection of activities for visitors, from dining and shopping to spas and temples—but sitting in traffic should not be one of them. There are numerous ways to experience the Thai culture—this is a two-day itinerary that includes the famed floating markets, cocktail classes, Michelin-starred dining, where to find Thai wines, and swanky hotel digs with rooftop pool—all without the traffic.

Decades ago, your vacation most likely began with a visit to a travel agent, who relied on a combination of expertise and connections to find the best deals on plane tickets, hotels, tours and more. Since then, the internet has turned most of us into our own travel agents, and artificial intelligence software is making research and self-booking even easier. But for some trips, that special insider knowledge can still make a big difference.

Solo travel is becoming ever more popular in 2024 and the right destination can make a vacation alone become the experience of a lifetime. Europe is the ideal place to try out a journey on your own thanks to safe and reliable rail networks, walkable town centers and plenty of group accommodation where you can make friends.

France was the most visited country in the world in 2023. Its capital, Paris, sits comfortably at the top of the league table of most desirable places to visit – a position that will only be strengthened when the city hosts the 2024 Olympics this summer. But away from tourist magnets such as the Eiffel Tower, Disneyland Paris and the teeming beaches of the Cote d’Azur, there are still plenty of places where you can experience “la France profonde”.

Memphis may be synonymous with live music and a raucous nightlife but there's more to the city than bar hopping and late-night revelry.

As the geologically oldest of the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai has had quite a lot of time to refine its natural beauty. From the deep crevices of the Na Pali Coast to the eroded layers of the Waimea Canyon to the hidden underwater tunnels, Kauai is a gem like no other place on Earth. 

There’s a palpable sense of the changing seasons at this time of the year – longer days, warmer weather, and the feeling that people are stirring from winter hibernation. The parks are getting busier, tennis courts are being used and pelotons of cyclists are starting to appear on our roads. There are so many ways of enjoying the great outdoors while keeping yourself fit and healthy. You may have enjoyed a kayaking trip, a hiking break, cycling through beautiful scenery or a wild swimming holiday. Whatever gets you up and out for an adventure, we’d love to hear about it.

This upcoming spring instead of just seeing historical sites in European cities, why not also stay in some cultural landmarks while you’re there. Major cities like Berlin, Zurich and Amsterdam have hotels in centuries-old buildings allowing you to immerse yourself in rich architectural details and notable surroundings. Here are four hotels to enjoy contemporary comforts and sleep in a piece of history:

Since moving from Seattle to Luxembourg for school, I've noticed a few things the European country does better than the US.

Checking a bag when flying with several U.S. airlines is, once again, getting more expensive. It’s been about five years since the major full-service U.S. carriers collectively raised checked bag fees to $30 and $40 for the first and second checked bags, respectively. Now, some airlines are back at it, making it costlier for passengers to access the plane’s cargo hold.