Black, Brummie and proud: a walking tour of the real Handsworth

The Birmingham neighbourhood is hugely significant in the Black British story – a history seemingly unknown to Tory MP Robert Jenrick – as revealed on a guided walk that remembers Nelson Mandela and Benjamin Zephaniah

‘Sweat, dirt and grape juice – it’s incredibly rewarding’: volunteer harvesting on a vineyard in France

Grape picking in the Côtes du Rhône wine region is hard physical work, but it’s steeped in camaraderie – which is why so many return every autumn to help out

‘It’s more than a pretty backdrop’: crime writer Ann Cleeves on the magic of Orkney in Scotland

With her latest book, the author moves detective Jimmy Perez from Shetland to Orkney, where she was inspired by the deep history, huge skies and warm people

Europe’s new biometric border checks: what do non-EU travellers need to know?

Visitors arriving in any of the Schengen area’s 29 countries will have their faces and fingerprints scanned under the new entry/exit system

Tell us about a country pub that serves great food

Tell us about a lovely UK country pub for a delicious dinner or proper Sunday lunch. The best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

Like a place in one of his fairytales: exploring Hans Christian Andersen’s homeland in Denmark

With turreted castles, quirky museums and offbeat art, the island of Fyn where the author grew up is a place of myth, magic and adventure

Six of the best autumn city breaks in Europe for an overload of culture and fabulous food

From Athens’ beach-studded – and still warm – coastline to the ancient food markets of Palermo

Autumn in Madrid: why Spain’s capital is city-break gold

The searing summer over, it’s back to business as usual in Madrid – which means dazzling blue skies and a bounty of cultural events

‘Like it had been put on Earth specially for me’: readers’ favourite European city breaks

From the later summer glow of Marseille to polar nights in Tromsø, our tipsters choose their favourite cities

‘I stayed in a manor fit for a Baltic baron’: exploring Latvia’s pristine coast and forests

West of Riga lies a wonderland of empty beaches, ancient castles and charming mansions for the price of a B&B

Savouring delicious food and autumn sun in Croatia

Kvarner is a European Region of Gastronomy for 2026, and the laid-back islands of Lošinj and Cres are great places to explore its cuisine

They were lost in the wild and on the verge of death. This is how they survived

Thousands of search and rescue missions are conducted in the US each year. Who perishes, who gets found, and why?

Deserted islands, seagrass meadows and endless ocean: kayaking in Sweden’s new marine national park

In Nämdöskärgården, in the Stockholm archipelago, low-impact tourism is helping visitors appreciate the region’s fragile ecology and ocean conservation efforts

Tell us about a great trip you’ve had since hitting 60

Share your favourite travel experience as an over-60 – the best wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

The Exmouth factor – exploring the south Devon beach town by bus, train and on foot

Easy to reach by rail and a seafood-lover’s paradise, Exmouth is a perfect place for decompressing, with walks and boat rides on the doorstep