Somerset’s growing cycle network bears fruit: a ride on the Strawberry Line

Mostly traffic-free and flat, this route between Yatton and Cheddar takes in old stations and views across the Levels to the Bristol Channel – and it’s being extended to form part of the 76-mile Somerset Circle

How did I avoid paying Venice’s new ‘entrance fee’? By joining the local Venezia FC fans

Fans heading to the waterside stadium don’t have to pay the €5 tourist fee. And with the team fighting for promotion to Serie A, the atmosphere at the last home game of the season is electric

Share a tip on an unsung UK seaside town – you could win a holiday voucher

Tell us about your favourite under-the-radar coastal town – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

Why clubbers are raving about Germany’s cross-country Techno Train

With DJs, bouncers and bars, the Nuremberg train offers a complete clubbing experience for hundreds of ‘clubbers’– and some lovely views of the Bavarian countryside …

Europe’s best beach holidays: Cadaqués, Spain

Forget what you think about the Costa Brava: this whitewashed town on a horseshoe bay was ‘the best place in the world’ for Dalí – and is still pretty much perfect today

Europe’s best beach holidays: Arcachon, France

A buzzy town prom, plates of moules with chilled rosé and cycle rides to sandy beaches on Cap Ferret add up to happy holidays on the Atlantic coast

10 UK stays that take tranquillity to the next level

From a hideaway with star-gazing spectacular enough to keep you off your phone to a ‘burnout’ retreat and a reimagined coastguard lookout

Europe’s best beach holidays: Peniche, Portugal

There’s a great restaurant and bar scene in this surf mecca, plus birdlife and snorkelling on peaceful islands a short ride away

Europe’s best beach holidays: Pesaro, Italy

Pizzas, aperitivos and a big sandy beach add to the offbeat charm of this Adriatic resort town

10 of the best beach towns in Europe, with places to stay

From the Turkish Riviera to the Île de Ré, we select quiet and unspoilt places to stay for sun, sand, snorkelling – or just snoozing

Europe’s best beach holidays: Donoussa, Greece

This quiet island in the Small Cyclades has one small town, several wild sandy bays and a plethora of panoramic walking and running trails

‘If I could be teleported to any beach, this would be it’: readers choose their favourite European beaches

Seaside idylls from Île de Ré to eastern Crete feature as our tipsters report that even popular destinations such as Menorca and Sicily have their quieter spots

A trail of two cities: an alternative guide to Salford and Manchester

Sunday’s Sounds from the Other City festival is a joyful celebration of Greater Manchester’s leftfield culture

Where Odysseus threw a barbecue: exploring Sicily’s Favignana island

The Egadi isles are said to have inspired the mythical islands in the Odyssey. Today, the largest of the group is a quiet place of blissful beaches, fresh fish, neon seas and ice-cream breakfasts

‘It’s not the Zambezi, but the Tweed has its moments’: canoeing in the Scottish Borders

A 30-mile route has opened up along this spectacular river that’s great for beginners but has challenges for more experienced paddlers too