These sustainable stays offer the chance to share mountain views with bears, sleep easy in a low-carbon hotel and wellness experiencesThe Holenberg forest is the gateway to the Maashorst nature reserve, a rewilding pioneer in North Brabant, home to roa…
Golden slumbers: 10 glorious woodland retreats for an autumn break
With our forests about to burst into colour, we pick cosy woodland cottages and eco-cabins for making the most of a British autumnGlamping is an understatement for these two spacious, well-equipped forest boltholes: one lodge and one safari tent, surro…
‘Sleepy, leafy and lusciously bucolic’: France’s best towns and villages by readers
Our tipsters go beyond the expected names to hail the charms, cultural and culinary delights of places from Pas-de-Calais to ProvenceI really loved the peacefulness of Saint-Nectaire. The local cheese is enough to put it on any list but it also has woo…
Crunch time: the 10 best places to celebrate Apple Day in Britain
As harvest time arrives, here are the top destinations for apple harvests, tastings and other core activitiesIf there is a cider capital of the UK it’s arguably Herefordshire, where the rolling hills are covered with orchards. The Big Apple is an assoc…
10 of the best October half-term family breaks in Europe
With overseas travel opening up again, we have family ideas for cities, coast and countrysideSlovenia is cooling down in October, but it is a spectacular time to see Lake Bled’s woody fringes burst into flames of colour. Hilltop Bled Castle towers over…
Britain’s 10 most glorious autumn gardens, as chosen by readers
Ancient oaks, faerie trails, abbey parks and deer feature in our readers’ favourite places to watch the vivid autumn coloursFor a feast of autumn colour visit Calderstones Park, in south Liverpool. This large park boasts a collection of native and exot…
10 of the best island adventures around Britain
From Anglesey to Jersey, escape from everyday life and find dramatic landscapes with a trip over the water from a new book on island baggingEnjoy the last of the season’s warmer waters with a swim from the golden sands of Kynance Cove around the jumble…
Warriors, cathedrals and carnivals: Spain’s best smaller cities, chosen by readers
Medieval plazas, fortresses like film sets and seafood straight out of the net feature in your pick of these lesser-known destinationsI stopped in Salamanca for lunch when driving from Madrid to Lisbon and ended up staying there for a week, caught up i…
Volcanoes, gelato and canals: Italy’s great small cities chosen by readers
Baroque architecture, clifftop views and culture without the crowds feature in your pick of Italy’s lesser-known treasures A little piece of my soul was left in Polignano a Mare, a beautiful slice of real Italian life in Puglia. Pretty houses perchin…
California in Norfolk: British destinations that sound like foreign holidays
Fancy a trip to Moscow, or maybe Melbourne? For British travellers our picks offer the exotic, without the actual overseas bitThis charming Georgian market town owes its name to the Victorian prime minister William Lamb (2nd Viscount Melbourne) rather …