Trip tips

One family's Disney World vacation is sparking debate about how much preparation is needed to enjoy the theme park.

When it comes to building the ultimate travel wardrobe, no closet or carry-on should be without a pair of the best white sneakers. Comfortable and versatile, white sneakers go with practically any outfit, and look good in nearly any environment (maybe trade ’em out when you’re hitting the trails, though). Whether you're wearing a pair of jeans, activewear, or a dress, one go-to pair is all you need. Below, we've rounded up 20-plus options that will take you from the airport to the museum to dinner with ease, from brands you know and love: Everlane, Allbirds, Rothy's, Nike, Adidas, and more.

“Being able to watch the journey out of the cabin window, seeing France fade away and Spain come into view, you experience the travel and the journey itself as part of the trip, rather than it being a means to an end. We both really love that,” says Katie Nicholson, who recently became a digital nomad, setting sail with Brittany Ferries from the UK to Spain on a new adventure with her partner, Ciaran.

The Blue Lagoon is undoubtedly one of Reykjavik’s hot spots (pun intended). Yet it can be on the receiving end of criticism: its regular coach-load drop offs and steep entrance fees (compared with other spas) isn't necessarily what everyone envisages when it comes to visiting an Iceland lagoon. However, the Bláa lónio (its Icelandic name) shouldn’t be knocked: it opens early, closes late, and provides a great introduction – or farewell – to the country. In this article, Aimee White takes a look at whether the Blue Lagoon is worth a trip or not.

Boats have been ferrying people up and down the River Niger since 1964 and, although these days you are likely to see more goats than people on board, there is no better way to get close to Malian life as you slip past villages clinging to the cliff side and sand dunes reaching down to the water’s edge. It takes six days to drift from Koulikoro to Gao, a total of 1300km, but the benefit of taking a boat is the time spent with locals, sharing stories and exchanging views.

After a road trip through Uruguay , Greg Dickinson discovers the joys of self-drive.

When entertaining the thought of travelling in the USA and all its many options, there's one that never fails to produce a frisson of excitement: a road trip through California. The Golden State has everything you'd imagine and more: beautiful beaches, expansive deserts, canyons and mountains, and of course San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge – but that's not where the colour ends. Vibrant cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego are home to a bursting array of bars and history; rolling peaks are covered with spring blooms and summer greens, giving way to the trails of snowboarders and skiers. Pacific waves welcome energetic surfers while tranquil, turquoise lakes are speckled with paddleboarders. The best way to see all that Cali has to offer is with your own set of wheels – but which path to choose? Here are some of the best routes for your California road trip.

Iceland is a world unto itself. From black beaches and glacial lagoons to Martian landscapes and science-fiction-worthy geothermal craters, it runs the gamut from the reassuringly familiar to the barely believable.

The opportunity for kids to meet their idols when they’re young are abundant. There are princesses at EuroDisney and Emmet at Legoland, and every summer fete or Christmas fair seems to have a Spiderman or a Peppa Pig. A toddler’s face as she meets Elsa and Ana is one to behold. When young kids meet the person or thing of their current obsession, open-jawed, interested, it’s parenting sorted. Tick.

We left the trees far behind as we climbed up to Bolivia’s Altiplano, but this was no place for them anyway. The dryness would be fatal, and even if they could find water, the ferocious winds wouldn’t allow them to stand. On this high-altitude plateau, life has had to make some extreme adaptations to survive, finding ways to eke out water and nutrition over 4,250 metres above sea level. Trees are yet to find a solution.

In late 2018, we launched Rough Guides tailor-made trips, a unique travel marketplace where we connect you to local tour operators in over 70 countries worldwide. These local experts create a travel itinerary and book personalised trips for you, packed with personality and stimulating adventure.

Forget review sites and apps, local tips and even (whisper it) guidebooks – maybe the best way to find your perfect destination is to spit in a tube. Not just any tube, of course, but one you send to a genetic testing company, who will then analyse your DNA and tell you where in the world your genes come from. And what more rewarding way to travel than to connect with your roots?

You’ve got a backpack and your passport is ready to receive some serious stamping. All that’s left for you to decide is where you’re headed, and what you’re going to do when you get there. Studying a few maps will help with the first problem, but won’t do much for the second – so allow us to provide a dash of inspiration.

Heidi Fuller-love heads out on the trail of Spain's most exclusive Jamon.

Australia's largest open-air art gallery is so vast that you'll need a car and a map to explore it. Deep in Victoria's farming country, the Silo Art Trail consists of grain silos adorned with epic portraits, spread across a distance of more than 125 miles.

Travelling is about education: learning about the world, yourself and life in general. The lessons are endless no matter where you are in the world, so if you've ever been backpacking, you'll know what we're talking about. Here are fourteen things every backpacker learns on their first jaunt around the world:

Pack your stuff, throw it in a camper van along with a surfboard and don’t look back… This might be an old cliché but it’s one for good reason: Australia really is one of the best places on Earth for a road trip.

Sri Lanka is deceptive. On a map of the world it appears to be tiny, but the moment you arrive you’ll realise that within its diminutive borders it packs in an astounding array of attractions, landscapes and climate zones – with countless activities to boot.

Subtropical heat, golden beaches, craft distilleries and spicy curries: Durban is an intriguing mix of urban South Africa and the Indian subcontinent, with a generous sprinkling of hipster culture thrown in. From surf to spirits, we reveal six reasons you should make time for this sunny city.

Always wanted to be a travel writer? Well you’re in luck. Last year we ran our travel writing competition and the winner, Steph Dyson, has become one of our regular contributors. This year, we’re opening it up again to seek out the best untapped travel writing talent.

There’s nowhere quite like Scotland. This epic land of mighty mountains, plunging glens and surging rivers offers a sweep of experiences that you just cannot find anywhere else.