‘Humans are designed to connect outdoors’: community hiking in Slovakia’s High Tatras
A walking holiday with a group of strangers to the highest range in the Carpathians promises adventure, stunning views and camaraderie
‘Pasta windows’: a charming Italian restaurant tradition – or the sign of a terrible tourist trap?
A woman ostentatiously making her own pasta in an eaterie in Florence or Rome might seem the height of authenticity. But travellers, beware ...
Exploring Germany’s East Frisian islands: mudflats, marshes and millions of birds
The seven inhabited isles off the North Sea coast, part of a Unesco world heritage site, are a sanctuary for wildlife – with great hotels and restaurants too
Tell us about your favourite river or canal in the UK or Ireland
Share your tip on a fun or fabulous waterway activity – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break
A Canterbury trail: my pilgrimage from the cathedral to the white cliffs of Dover
After exploring the cathedral city, I battled the heatwave while walking to the Kent coast on the Via Francigena
No car? No problem! Six cheap family days out in England by bus
With bus fares capped at £3 and free for kids in August, it’s the ideal time for wildlife watching, woodland walks, world-class art and more
20 brilliant UK family days out for summer
From 100,000 sunflowers in Gower and cosmic art in Galloway to a bat safari and messing about in boats, there’s enough here to keep you and the kids busy till September
‘Adventures with a touch of magic’: readers’ favourite family days out in the UK
From a boat tour in Northern Ireland to a farm with great ice-cream in Surrey, you share your top tips for day trips
Where tourists seldom tread, part 21: two northern powerhouses on the rise once more
Preston and St Helens were heartbeats of the industrial age, but their power faded. In the last of our series, we discover how their legacy is finally being celebrated
A modern odyssey: the archaeologist following Homer’s route on a bicycle
As Christopher Nolan’s star-studded adaptation is released, Australian archaeologist and cyclist Sam Wood has recreated Odysseus’ journey on two wheels
Sail away to the Côte d’Opale: a watery adventure in northern France
A catamaran service from Dover to Boulogne is the perfect start to a trip exploring the Pas-de-Calais and marshes of Saint-Omer by bike, boat and kayak
A family group walking holiday in Exmoor: steam trains, tree climbing and lashings of ice-cream
Would walking buddies convince reluctant children that hiking can be fun? A group trip with an Enid Blyton vibe proved a hit with the whole family
Share a tip on a book that inspired you to travel
Tell us about a favourite read that led you to visit a new place or go on an adventure – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break
My search for the perfect ruin bar in Budapest
These cool, cheap bars in old abandoned buildings became popular in the 2000s – and then tourists moved in. I went hunting for the bohemian spirit of the originals
Denmark’s ‘Cold Hawaii’: the artfully cool surf zone on the Jutland coast
Surfers nicknamed it in the 90s, but this rugged coastline is becoming a hotspot for contemporary art lovers too