Forget the Algarve – Portugal’s best winter escape is in the mountains

A century ago, the Serra da Estrela mountains were Portugal’s answer to the Swiss health resorts of St Moritz and Davos. Now, a historic sanatorium has been given a 21st-century makeover and is drawing people back to the hills

‘Swim, soak, switch off’: an off-grid cabin stay in the Scottish Borders

A cabin on a farm near Hawick, known for its whisky and woollens, offers wild seclusion – and a great base for exploring an overlooked region

Share a tip on a favourite family adventure in Europe

Tell us about a memorable trip where you tried something new as a family – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

Provence in bloom – exploring its flower festivals and the ‘perfume capital of the world’

Mimosas and violets are already out in the south of France, making it the perfect time for a pre-spring road trip

‘The most quietly romantic town we have ever visited’ – the enduring charm of Chiavenna, Italy

Writers from George Eliot to Goethe put this Lombardy town on the map, then it fell out of fashion. Today it makes a picture-perfect alternative to the Italian lakes

10 of the most romantic hotels, pubs, cabins and cottages for a cosy UK getaway

It’s an ideal time of year for snuggling up on a countryside break. We pick accommodation from shepherds’ huts in Somerset to a chateau in Wales

‘It feels as if I’m in a Richard Curtis film’: readers’ favourite romantic trips in Europe

Romance is in the air on a roof terrace in Venice, rowing across Lake Bled and a fairytale garden in Stuttgart

‘The intimate and the epic’: the best way to understand India is to travel by train

Being a passenger in this vast country is ‘a full-blooded immersion in the local’, says the novelist whose latest protagonist is lured by the romance of the rails

Saunas, safaris and silence in Norfolk: a winter weekend on a rewilded retreat

A transformative conservation project encompassing East Anglia’s large but secluded Fritton Lake has high-end hospitality and nature-rich experiences at its heart

Say no to fake snow: the Austrian ski resort that likes to keep it real

Like many Alpine areas faced with declining snowfall, Villach had to make a difficult choice: bring in the snow cannons or reinvent itself

Share a tip on your favourite under-the-radar places and things to do in Wales

Tell us about your favourite trip in Wales – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

Cool design and wild art on a city break in Metz, north-east France

The small city in the Lorraine region has been put on the map with the aid of two Parisian heavyweights – a loan from the Pompidou Centre and designer Philippe Starck’s quirky new hotel

Why western Sicily is Italy’s emerging arts hub

Art is helping to revitalise Sicily’s ghost towns and deserted urban spaces, with the earthquake-hit town of Gibellina becoming Italy’s first Capital of Contemporary Art

In the decade since my sons left home, walking has brought us together

The exodus of grown children mostly happens without fanfare. For Lisa Walker, hiking the Camino turned into both a goodbye and a glimpse at the future

The revived Sydney to London ‘kangaroo route’ costs $50,000 a ticket. But you can do it for less than $10,000

A travel company has recreated the 1947 journey with food and ‘refined residences’ included. We asked a travel agent to do the same itinerary on the cheap