The top 10 day trips from Barcelona, from divine sights to beautiful beaches

A new attraction: The Tower of Numérobis, a brand-new musical: C’EST DU DÉLIRE!, new characters, a new float for the Gaulish Parade… for 2024, Parc Astérix has a whole host of new attractions to surprise its visitors as it celebrates its 35th anniversary. C’EST DU DÉLIRE ! THE FIRST EVER GAULISH MUSICAL

After some gentle winter sunshine to warm your skin and soothe your soul? Take a trip to Gozo, an island with wonderful coastal scenery a short ferry ride from Malta. Walk along the coastline; swim in untouched waters on secluded beaches and admire the neo-Romanesque architecture of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu. Spend the evenings eating freshly caught fish with a glass of Maltese wine, which rivals its Mediterranean neighbours in quality. Laura B

Spain now has the world’s most powerful passport, according to a new index.

Portugal is an ideal destination for a scenic road trip. The roads are generally in good shape, and the nation’s relatively small size allows you to see a diverse array of attractions, even if you have only a few days to spare. Throw together an Iberian soundtrack, and you're all set to hit the open road in Portugal.

With busy airports, full flights and the ending of most travel restrictions, 2023 marked a return to travel, mostly as we knew it before the pandemic began. Nearly every peak travel period in 2023 broke air travel records, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. An estimated record-breaking 4.7 billion people are expected to travel in 2024, according to the International Air Transport Association.

For many travelers, a Florida vacation means one of two things: white-sand beaches or Mickey Mouse. But if you drive north of many of Florida’s most famous coastal resorts, and continue on past Disney World, you’ll find Ocala, where streets are lined with majestic oak trees draped in Spanish moss, and rolling farmlands are edged with gleaming white ranch rail fencing. Everywhere you look, there are reminders of the area’s biggest business: horses.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is known for its vibrant, spirited events like Carnival — and beautiful beaches like Barra da Tijuca, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon. Visitors can admire landmarks like the Christ the Redeemer Statue, visit Tijuca National Park, or check out the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro — among other attractions. Here’s where to spend the night in this spirited city.

I think we all can agree: traveling is stressful. While I consider myself a frequent flier, finding my way to an airport on average two-to-three times each month, my biggest fear has been (and always will be) losing my luggage.

Europe is home to 63 of the top 100 city destinations in the world, according to a new ranking.

Global market research company Euromonitor International has released its annual rankings of city destinations based on tourism, sustainability and economic performance. Europe dominates the field. Paris was crowned the most attractive city destination in the world in the Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023, with seven European destinations landing in the top 10 and the continent owning 63 spots in the top 100 overall. Nadejda Popova, Senior Manager (Loyalty) at Euromonitor International, said: “Paris has retained the title of the world's leading city following exceptional performance across the Tourism Policy and Attractiveness, Tourism Infrastructure and Tourism Performance pillars.” Paris was followed by Dubai in second place, Madrid in third, Tokyo in fourth and Amsterdam in fifth. The top 10 was rounded out by Berlin (6), Rome (7), New York (8), Barcleona (9) and London (10).  

The holiday season is just around the corner, and that means you probably need to secure a few great gifts for the incredible women in your life. Whether you're shopping for your mom, your wife, your sister, or any other fellow traveler you know and love, you'll want to give them something meaningful that they don’t already have but know they'll appreciate.

The aroma of a tapas bar is an incongruous sensation when dressed in ski kit, but it’s the end of a long day on the slopes, and plates of grilled squid, spicy patatas bravas and plump green olives are on offer, along with a bargain glass of Rioja (€3.50/£2). It’s 6pm and the lifts have only just shut in Sierra Nevada, Europe’s most southerly ski resort. The mountain town in Andalusia enjoys lots more sunshine than most ski areas in the Alps. This, admittedly, is accompanied by a fairly functional assortment of accommodation spread along a steeply winding road. Unless you’re staying right in town, walking home while carrying your kit takes quite an effort at this altitude. The resort’s hub, Pradollano, sits at 2,100 metres, while the ski area’s 65 miles of pistes extend up to 3,398 metres: the chilly summit of Veleta, Spain’s third-highest mountain.