Europe holidays

‘A shelter from the growling Atlantic’: our stay in lighthouse keeper’s cottage on Ireland’s west coast

We cross a narrow strip of land under vast skies and follow a slim road. It cuts a straight line through the heart of County Clare’s only peninsula –...

Great Dane: a tour of Denmark’s culture, countryside and coast

Don’t make small talk with strangers. Or talk about the weather. Or even ask people you know how...

Snowshoes and saunas: why Italy’s Bormio is perfect for winter sports and pampering

Viewed from the top of the 2,255-metre-high Stelvio piste, the town of Bormio far below looks like a...

Why encouraging cruise ships to dock at Amorgos would be a Greek tragedy

Imagine the perfect Greek island, a pristine enclave of slow tourism that’s remained unchanged for decades. Along the...

Clean air, crystal waters and carefree adventure in the Austrian Alps

We could feel the carefree spirit in the crisp air the moment we stepped off the train at...

It was genuinely healing to return to Ibiza, the place where I’d nearly died

The thing that might surprise you about Ibiza is the quiet. Even in August, there are pockets of tranquillity all over the island. Walking...

A beach as it might have looked 1,000 years ago: Sardinia’s north-west peninsula

People rave about La Pelosa beach in Sardinia’s north-west: it has “stunning white sand”, “clear turquoise water”, “breathtaking beauty” and is one of Lonely...

Austrian town gets its lederhosen in a twist over modern art

I’m walking through the town of Bad Aussee, in Austria’s alpine Salzkammergut region, where I’m expecting a vision of depravity to emerge through the...

Leaving the herd behind on a family trip in the peaceful southern French Alps

High above the Champsaur Valley, in the southern French Alps, the plateau is shrouded in cream-coloured froth. But it’s not clouds I’m surrounded by;...

Fjords and seaweed safaris: a new cycle trail along Denmark’s east coast

When I heard about Denmark’s “island of wild rabbits”, I knew I had to check it out. And the isle of Endelave did not disappoint. Rabbits...