Thousand island blessing: the wonders of Croatia’s sun-soaked shores

Sunday day-trippers to Venice flashing their €5 entry ticket QR code to get through the turnstiles at the city’s main access points look bemused when football supporters simply show their match tickets instead. Attending a sporting event just happens to be one of the exemptions in the opaque regulations behind what locals see as an attempt to turn their town into a living museum.

Europe’s legendary libraries rank among some of the world’s most famous buildings.

Padua, in northern Italy's Veneto region, is the site of one of the world’s greatest art treasures that should be on every art lover’s bucket list. The Scrovegni Chapel houses the extraordinary 14th-century fresco cycle by Giotto that covers all the walls and ceilings. Despite having such a masterpiece and being a lovely small city, filled with history, culture and culinary delights, Padua is far less touristy than other Italian other art cities like Florence, Rome or nearby Venice. It’s a real hidden gem. And, at just 25 miles from Venice and easy to reach from Marco Polo airport, Padua is an easy day trip or addition to a Venice itinerary.

May is such a lovely month for many places around the world: for wildlife watching, optimum weather and arts and culture experiences – so figuring out where to go and what to see can be tricky.

In many ways, the Netherlands is a year-round destination, with each season offering its own charms. Spring sees fields full of tulips in bloom. Summer spells long days at sandy beaches along the coast and on the Wadden Sea islands, and as autumn turns to winter, the darkening chill invites you to embrace the Dutch quality of gezelligheid (conviviality, coziness) at atmospheric cafes. Cycling is a Dutch way of life, while festivals fill the calendar throughout the year.

It’s a Biennale time in Venice, aka the Art Olympics, an every-two-year event where La Serenissima’s 118 islands are almost entirely dedicated to contemporary art from countries and artists around the world. What started out as small art fair in the Giardini, Venice’s public park, has turned into a six-month, all-island, non-stop blockbuster art fest of exhibitions in palaces, galleries, public spaces, and, of course, the Giardini and Arsenale. This year’s 60th Venice Biennale Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere brings it on strong with 331 artists, 88 national pavilions and 30 collateral events, not to mention other pop ups. That’s a lot of art to take in, and a lot of ground to cover. After years of visiting the Biennale as press and also including time working at the US Pavilion, I’ve finally figured out the best way to navigatee Venice Biennale.

There’s a fairly high chance that you’ve never heard of Volotea. But it’s one of the quirkiest budget airlines anywhere on the planet. It’s also (usually) pretty profitable.

Looking for the best places to travel in Europe? So is the rest of the world.

With spectacularly diverse landscapes and beautifully unspoilt nature, Croatia offers a wealth of experiences in the great outdoors – from hiking and kayaking, to cycling, climbing and more. So come and take a walk on Croatia’s wild side – or peddle, paddle, swim – and discover just how much outdoor adventure this beautiful Adriatic country has to offer.

How far would you go – and how long would you take – to avoid flying and thoroughly embrace the idea of slow travel? In my case, it was 3,167 miles over three weeks. For nearly a decade I had wanted to do a road trip to Croatia, and to get as much out of the journey as the destination itself. Rather than bomb down the motorway for marathon stretches, the idea was to slow down and see new things.

Croatia’s fabulous mishmash of cultures – from ancient Greeks to Romans, Venetians, Austrians, Hungarians and Italians – has left a rich legacy all around the country. You’ll see it in the Venetian architecture of Rovinj, Korčula, Dubrovnik and Hvar, the Habsburg townhouses of Zagreb and Opatija, and the ancient Roman ruins of Istria and Dalmatia. You’ll taste it in the delicious cuisine where the Adriatic and central Europe meet and mingle.

As a travel writer, one of my greatest loves is experiencing a new country, region, or city with my son. But one place has always been our favorite: London.