Cycling, art, mines and vineyards in Belgium’s Limburg province

This area of Flanders has long been a paradise for cycling enthusiasts, but now it offers cutting-edge art and great culinary experiences too It feels strange to be cycling along a sunken path, my head at the same level as the ducks and swans swimming on the still waters of the pond beyond the walls. But Cycling Through Water, part of a biking trail in the Bokrijk forest, is another surprise on a trip to Belgium’s Limburg province. Close to the border with the Netherlands, this unspoilt area is less than two hours’ drive from Brussels. Soon after picking up a car at Brussels Midi, I’m driving through luxuriant countryside passing dense woodland, cornfields and shaded lakes. With about 1,250 miles (2,000km) of paved, mostly car-free trails, Limburg is a paradise for bike enthusiasts – and easily navigable thanks to a clearly numbered junction system on its innovative cycle network. Difficult even for amateurs like me to get lost. Continue reading...

Do you know a great station restaurant or bar? You could win a holiday voucher

Tell us about a favourite station bar or cafe you’ve visited on your rail trips in Europe including the UK – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break France may have some of the most renowned and glorious station pitstops but you may equally have enjoyed the fare, ambience and design of a renovated station building in the UK, a Swiss chalet on a mountain railway, or a tiny locals’ bar by a rural Spanish halt. Wherever you’ve enjoyed a handy bite and tipple by a railway station, please divulge the details! Continue reading...

Dalí, Darwin and Doodle Boy: an arty weekend in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

It’s the last week to catch the annual summer arts trail, but there are year-round attractions in this medieval market town Shrewsbury, a gorgeous medieval market town, was put on the art map in 2021 with the launch of the Shrewsbury Arts Trail. The event goes from strength to strength: this year it boasts three sculptures by Salvador Dalí. Two are outdoors: the 5-metre-tall Surrealist Piano startles visitors to the castle grounds and Homage to Terpsichore dominates the courtyard of the Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery. Inside the gallery, the Dalínian Dancer is part of the Inspirational Exhibition, which also includes work by LS Lowry, Man Ray, Barbara Hepworth, Damien Hirst and Banksy. Continue reading...

A riot of colour and life: rediscovering Nice

The famous resort town on France’s Côte d’Azur is a vibrant haven for foodies and art lovers Lunchtime on a warm spring Saturday on the Cours Saleya – Nice’s famous flower market, tucked away just one row of elegant fin de siècle buildings from the sea – and it’s hard to see how any business can be open in town, apart from restaurants and cafés. Everyone, it seems, is here; every table taken beneath the canopies and parasols, queues forming outside the most popular eateries, every bench taken with families tucking into paper-wrapped socca – a salty chickpea pancake – or gelati. It feels like high summer; the sky is a vivid blue, the palazzos and mansions beneath blazing butter yellow and warm, burnished terracotta. It’s years since I’ve visited Nice, and the grand dame of the Côte d’Azur has certainly had a facelift in the intervening time. The town’s grandiose squares have been repaved, frontages repainted and a new tram system has gone some way to calming the gridlocked traffic. Palm trees billow in the breeze; on the Promenade des Anglais, neat lines of deckchairs are all taken, rows of faces tipped towards the sun. After the grey drizzle of home, it’s like stepping into an Insta-filtered world; a riot of colour and life. Continue reading...

FAA Issues Safety Warnings to Airlines to Prevent Ground Staff Injuries

“Separation” is the aviation safety watchword — whether in the skies or on the ground — to avoid terrifying runway mishaps. -Amrita Ghosh

‘The star was the teriyaki oxtail doughnut’: readers’ favourite restaurants and tapas bars in Spain

From a farm restaurant near Santiago de Compostela to a veggie-friendly Málaga diner, our tipsters share their gastronomic Spanish finds If I had to recommend one place to eat tapas in Spain, it’s Bar Poë in Granada, not only for the food, but for the atmosphere. It’s always bustling (come early to guarantee a seat) with a local and international crowd. Run by a friendly husband-and-wife duo, every drink comes with a free dish, and, unusually, you can choose your tapa. International and big on flavour, the menu includes Portuguese piri piri dishes, salt cod, curries and more. Jason Rich Continue reading...

Travelodge hotels sold out for Taylor Swift’s 2024 UK Eras tour

Hotel chain says rooms in Edinburgh, Liverpool and Cardiff already fully booked ahead of pop star’s summer performances Taylor Swift fans have already booked out hotels near several of the venues for the UK leg of the Eras tour next summer. The budget hotel chain Travelodge said all of its hotels in Edinburgh, Liverpool and Cardiff were sold out for the days around the concerts in June 2024. A number of its hotels near Wembley Stadium – where Swift will perform on six nights in June and August – were also sold out on those dates. “We have seen very strong demand from all corners of the UK for our hotels that are close to the venues where Taylor Swift is playing next year,” Travelodge said on Thursday as it reported that this year’s Beyoncé and Harry Styles concerts had helped it achieve “record-breaking [financial] results” in the six months to the end of June. Continue reading...

I ventured out of busy central Berlin – and it rose to the occasion

As the city grapples with over-tourism, a new initiative aims to promote its lesser-visited outer reaches, where a mix of funky culture, historic gems and untamed greenery awaits “A cable car? Here in Berlin?” The man cooking my burger at Piri’s – a self-proclaimed dive bar diner in Neukölln, an inner-city neighbourhood in the south-east of the city - is sceptical. “Yeah,” says his Kiwi colleague. “My parents did it. There’s a garden or something.” Both cooks have lived here for upwards of 10 years. They refer to Neukölln, affectionately, as “the ghetto”, seemingly oblivious to the presence of an 18th-century castle, Shloss Britz, and the 220 lush acres of Britzer Garten in the immediate vicinity – let alone the cable car, in the north-eastern district of Marzahn, a 45-minute train ride away. Continue reading...

Share a tip on solo travel – you could win a holiday voucher

Tell us about your favourite solo trip in the UK or elsewhere in Europe – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break We’d love to hear about your solo trips and how it felt to set off on your own, whether it was a city break, a walking trip, a yoga stay, an art study week, or just a beach holiday. A solo trip need not be lonely – you may have joined a group of similarly independent-minded travellers. If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words that will be judged for the competition. Continue reading...

‘The mountains soothed the soul’: a long walk in Spain’s Pyrenees

On a 52-mile hike in Catalonia between five refuges, we found chamois, griffon vultures, rare butterflies, an ultra-trail running legend – and very few people “You’ve brought the rain with you! Thank you! It hasn’t rained here for two months!” Jordi, piebald-bearded guardian of the isolated Prat d’Aguiló refuge, greeted my companion and me with such effusive smiles and enthusiastic handshakes we almost wondered if he held us personally responsible for ending his local drought. We had long wanted to go hiking in the Pyrenees and, at just 52 miles, the Cavalls del Vent trail seemed an ideal way to cut our teeth. The circular path winds around Catalonia’s Cadí-Moixeró natural park, uniting eight mountain refuges that open for walkers during the summer (from 12 May to 14 October in 2023) when the snow has gone. Continue reading...

Ask Skift: Are Low-Cost Carriers Always Cheaper?

Travelers have increasingly turned to low-cost airlines in recent years in the hopes of finding less expensive ways to fly, but are they really saving money? Here's what we found on the matter. -Rashaad Jorden

Trek to the source of the Wharfe: a riverside adventure in Yorkshire

Inspired by an Edwardian guidebook, our writer walks the 65-mile length of the county’s most famous river The swaying trees closed ranks in the darkness, obscuring my route. In theory a public footpath led through them: the next stage in my quest to walk the entire length of the River Wharfe. I hunched over my Ordnance Survey map, trying to protect my phone’s light from the blowing rain and lamenting my lack of a headtorch. When I looked up, every sweep of my light made the slightest open area look like a footpath. So I decided to cut my losses and leave the river behind. Nearby, a quiet B-road would be mostly deserted at this hour, and would convey me straight into my destination – the Yorkshire Dales village of Appletreewick, where a warm, dry pub awaited me. Continue reading...

Lakes, mountains and distant isles: 15 of the most tranquil places to visit around the UK

From sculpture gardens to ancient woodland, windswept hills to deserted beaches, here’s where to really escape from it all Fifty square miles of untouched countryside with just one road, come for lochside walks, cherry-hued sunsets and magnificent views across the Sound of Mull from Ben Hiant, the peninsula’s looming mountain. Unique Cottages has a range of self-catering properties, from £495 a week; unique-cottages.co.uk Continue reading...

European Summer Travel Hit by Strike-Related Disruption

The industry is jittery, but there isn't actually any strike action set for the remaining weeks of summer. -Sean O'Neill

‘At last the climax, a nerve-racking step over a vast space’: my Anglesey adventure

Brimming with natural beauty and renowned for its sea kayaking and climbing routes, Anglesey is perfect for a multi-activity break. Sometimes you have to travel far to understand what you’ve left behind. Fifteen years ago, on a granite slab in the Rockies, a local climbing guide turned to me and said, “Ever heard of a place called Anglesey?” We’d ascended to a pinnacle under an azure sky. The soaring rock giants of the American west stood sentinel all around. I was a beginner in rock climbing, but this looked about as good as it could get. He sighed. “Anglesey. I’ll go before I die.” He looked away with a thousand-yard stare, and added, gnomically, “A Dream of White Horses.” Continue reading...

Planning Travel With Artificial Intelligence

Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at AI travel planning, Chinese tour group resurgence, and American Air’s new European routes. -Rashaad Jorden

Wish you weren’t here! How tourists are ruining the world’s greatest destinations

Overtourism has long been a problem – and besieged cities are fighting back. But can angry locals stop the tide of stag parties, ‘anus burners’, noise and graffiti? Ivan Bera, 24, has always loved the feeling of being naked. He says that when he was about 17, he “ decided to try it in public”, with his then girlfriend. Since then, “I have been very busy with the associations in Catalonia,” he tells me. The Catalan naturist-nudist scene is rich, decades-old and organised. Bera is a member of Joves Naturistes, which is for 18- to 35-year-olds; last week the all-ages Naturist-Nudist Federation of Catalonia made a public appeal for tourists wearing swimsuits to stay away from their beaches. “Legally, we can practise it everywhere: there is no law against nudism in Spain,” Bera says. “But most naturists prefer to practise it in secluded areas with a tradition of it. Those areas are being invaded, mostly in the summer months, by tourists who not only wear swimsuits, but also have a very disrespectful manner to nudists. We feel displaced in our own spaces and we fear losing them.” Continue reading...

Airbnb, Booking and Expedia Generate Strong Cash Flow

Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at online travel agencies’ cash flow, Saudi Arabia’s tourism investments, and Virtuoso’s sales boom. -Rashaad Jorden

‘My steak frites is soggy’: how I holidayed in the Dordogne – without leaving East Anglia

I was hoping for vineyards, kayaking, flea markets and beautiful weather. Unfortunately, I was stuck with a classic British summer In the midst of the summer washout, thoughts inevitably turn to warmer evenings abroad. My last trip away pre-Covid was to Bergerac in south-west France, and memories of it kept me going through many a dark day of lockdown. I have since moved to rural south Norfolk, where recreating a French holiday actually feels very achievable: we have locally produced food, hot-air balloons and brocantes (flea markets). Sussex has been compared to Provence, so surely the Waveney Valley is the new Dordogne. Why bother with queues at Dover when everything you need is on the doorstep? Continue reading...

Seals, hot tubs, overpriced beer: how I holidayed in Iceland – without leaving Hastings

Can you get a taste of the land of fire and ice without leaving the English seaside? I put on my horned helmet to find out Despite my Turkish heritage, I cannot handle hot holidays, so a trip to Iceland is my dream, combining two of my favourite things: nature and jumpers. I have long been fascinated with this small, otherworldly country on the edge of the Arctic Circle. What natural wonders it has! Auroras, whales and bearded men. How friendly Iceland must feel when everyone is referred to, officially, by their first name. When I was in labour with my second child, it was to the stirring sounds of Sigur Rós, as if I was a rare mammal on a BBC nature documentary. In 1975, Iceland’s women went on strike; inspired by these women, forged in fire and ice and battles with trolls, I too rarely do any housework. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to Iceland but, failing a trip, is it possible to live my own Icelandic saga from home? Continue reading...

A car-free jaunt to the Lake District to hike a stretch of the coast-to-coast trail

Great public transport in the Lakes means easy access to the famous trail – and handy alternatives to walking when the rain comes down Alfred Wainwright’s coast-to-coast trail through Cumbria and North Yorkshire over mountains and moorland is one of the UK’s most popular long-distance walks, with an estimated 6,000 people completing the whole 197 miles each year, and lots more walking shorter sections. In August 2022 the government announced it would become England’s newest national trail. About the same time, the Borrowdale Royal Oak hotel in Rosthwaite, near Derwentwater and right on the route, reopened after a £1.3m refurbishment with a sustainable focus (and free cake). The Lake District has excellent public transport compared with most of rural England so I head to Rosthwaite and back by train, bus, boat and foot. The eight miles of the trail between Borrowdale and Grasmere are considered a scenic highlight. Wainwright, a celebrated writer and fell walker in the postwar period, describes one stretch nearby as “a walk in heaven”. Continue reading...

China-U.S. Travel Restrictions Are Easing, but These Hurdles Limit a Full Recovery

China lifting group tour restrictions and more flights to the U.S. represent real progress. But air service is still limited and visa backlogs remain. -Dawit Habtemariam

Hot tubs, cycling and cosy cabins: a woodland stay south of Calais

Chic boltholes set amid towering pines make a relaxing base for families to explore wild beaches, chateaux and Boulogne’s fishy attractions The Japanese concept of forest bathing – or shinrin-yoku – has been embraced by Europeans for some years now as a way to get back to nature, away from the demands of daily life. It’s not supposed to involve actual bathing in a hot tub decorated by fairy lights while sipping Crémant de Bourgogne, but who am I to say “no” if that’s on offer? This is Bain de Forêt, a pair of smart cabins set between the towering pines of Hardelot-Plage, just 45 minutes’ drive south of Calais. Each cabin has a Nordic bath set under its own little wooden gazebo; the site is so peaceful, it is ideally suited to a romantic getaway à deux. But seeing as both the A-frame-style La Cabane and the lower-rise cabin Le Refuge (where we are) sleep four, we couldn’t really leave the two kids (aged nine and 11) behind. As we arrive on site for our three-night stay, everyone seems happy. My husband puts the fizz in the fridge to cool, the kids take the wooden cover off the Nordic bath, and I gaze up into the verdant canopy and breathe a huge sigh of relaxation. Continue reading...

From Normandy to the Dordogne: readers’ favourite spots in France

Atmospheric villages, friendly surf and a walk in Napoleon’s footsteps are among our readers’ favourite French connections Sun, sea, surf, sand and a sleeper train to Paris: Hendaye has it all. Nestled in this less-discovered corner of the Bay of Biscay, bordering Spain, Hendaye has a quaint old centre with cobbles and cute little cafes. Head to Le Palmier for great pizza. Over the road a lovely little artisan market sells local crafts and tasty treats. If you’re more adventurous, Hendaye’s sheltered bay offers the perfect playground for beginner surfers. Sleeper trains between Paris and Hendaye mean sustainable travel is possible. Lie back, watch the world pass by and wake up in Paris for breakfast. Hannah Continue reading...

China Resumes Outbound Group Trips to U.S., UK, Japan

How long will we have to wait before China's outbound tourism sentiment is revived completely? -Amrita Ghosh

‘The police wave us off like old friends’: cross-border kayaking from Montenegro to Albania

A six-day water-borne adventure takes paddlers through the Balkans to the Adriatic coast, with camping and homestays along the way “Hello, over there in Albania!”, my kayaking guide Gigo shouts across the water as he paddles along effortlessly. He doesn’t really need to shout, because although we’re in Montenegro, we’re only a few metres away from the Albanians. We’re on the Buna (Bunë) River, a 40km stretch of water which divides the countries and is so tranquil that every sound is amplified, from the dip of our paddles to the rousing tones of the Muslim call to prayer. I’m on a six-day kayaking adventure, following a 70km route that crisscrosses the border. Starting in Lake Skadar (Liqeni i Shkodrës), which spans both countries and is the largest lake on the Balkan peninsula, at about 400sq km, our aquatic odyssey traces the Montenegrin side of the lake, crosses to its Albanian shores and then follows the Buna all the way to the Adriatic. With a mix of wild camping, homestays and waterfront cabins, it’s the kick out of my urban cocoon that I have long craved. Continue reading...

Snoring, slobs and splitting the bills: 19 ways to holiday with friends – without falling out

From budgeting to itineraries, travel can stretch the limits of even the closest friendships. Here’s how to avoid disaster Lots of us are choosing to holiday with friends rather than family. According to a survey by Expedia of 24,000 adults across 17 countries, 65% of people planning to travel in the next 36 months will be doing so with friends. Holidaying with your mates is great fun – but the sudden change from casual socialising to spending 24/7 together can be challenging. Here’s how to navigate some common sources of stress – and ensure you’re all still speaking to each other when you get home. Continue reading...

Tell us about your favourite place to eat in Spain – you could win a holiday voucher

Share details on a great meal, restaurant or market Spain – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break The Spanish coast around Cádiz has become a magnet for foodies but where else in Spain is serving up dishes that delight? Whether it’s a tangy gazpacho or an authentic paella or a no-nonsense plate of tapas, we’d like to hear about your favourite places to dine on Spanish favourites, whether it’s a restaurant, tapas bar, cafe, market or food stall. If you have a relevant photo, please send it in – but it’s your words that will be judged for the competition. Continue reading...

Five of the best walks on England’s South West Coast Path

How better to celebrate 50 years of the stunning West Country network than walking one of these Cornwall, Devon or Dorset sections Glittering seas, spectacular cliffs, tranquil farmland and vast skies – whether you stroll, walk or hike the South West Coast Path, the scenery is some of the most beautiful in the UK. The country’s longest trail stretches for 630 miles from Minehead in Somerset, along the Devon and Cornwall coast to Poole Harbour in Dorset. This year is the 50th anniversary of the creation of the South West Coast Path Association, when a group of walkers, having tackled the Pennine Way, decided to create something similar in the West Country. “It was quite a task,” says Althea Mays of the SWCPA, “and it took five years: linking paths, talking to landowners about rights of way, getting the trail designated – almost like putting a giant jigsaw together.” The trail remains one of the UK’s most popular routes, with more than 600 different walks to choose from. “We suggest a 52-day itinerary if you want to do the whole thing,” says Mays. “But many people come and do a section each year, making it an annual weekend with friends or family. Walking is such a companionable thing, and the pandemic really reinforced the importance of immersing ourselves in nature and taking time to enjoy the outdoors.” Continue reading...

United Buys Land in Denver for $33 Million to Expand Pilot Training Center

Is the plan a part of United's broader strategy of moving its headquarter operations from Chicago to Denver? Let's wait and watch. -Amrita Ghosh

Planning a UK mini-break? See how the price has gone up – from hotels to fish and chips

That seaside staple is up by more than 50%, while car hire is up 75% … add an item to our visual tool to see how costs have risen in the past five years It’s enough to make you drop your chips – official figures show that over the past five years the price of a takeaway fish supper has risen by more than 50%. A portion of fish and chips isn’t the only British summer break staple that has become far more expensive since then: hotel, restaurant and bar bills have also all shot up. Continue reading...

Middle East Aviation: Less Conflict, More Growth – New Skift Research

Can massive investments and improving geopolitics in the Middle East propel the aviation industry in the region to new heights? Should Middle Eastern carriers be concerned about India's ambitions goals for its aviation industry? Skift Research digs deep to find answers. -Ashab Rizvi

Uber Records First Operating Profit, Tests UK Tour Operator Market

Concerns that Uber's expansion of its in-app travel booking services would cannibalize its core offering appear to be easing, with the company reporting a boosted overall performance. -Selene Brophy

Tourists Opting for Private Tours in Lesser-Known Cities

In a shift away from traditional tourist hubs, private tour guides nurture small group experiences in less-popular cities to grow their business organically. -Selene Brophy

Wild camping allowed on Dartmoor again after court appeal succeeds

Dartmoor National Park Authority had appealed against January high court ruling that outlawed practice Wild camping is once again allowed on Dartmoor after the national park won a successful appeal against a ruling in a case brought by a wealthy landowner. Camping had been assumed to be allowed under the Dartmoor Commons Act since 1985, until a judge ruled otherwise in January. It was the only place in England such an activity was allowed without requiring permission from a landowner. Continue reading...