From cool Marseille to a photo-feast in Arles – an art trail through Provence

The French cities of Marseille, Aix, Avignon and Arles boast a wealth of museums and festivals showing work by contemporary artists. Here’s how to make the most of a dazzling cultural summer

Micro-staycations: why are people holidaying an hour away from home?

Mindful of steep airfares and global uncertainty, more and more UK holiday-makers are staying close – very close – to home. Does this mean Milton Keynes is the new Malaga?

Send us a tip about a memorable Greek holiday experience

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

On the road with the kids: a family driving holiday in Spain and France

Can a long road trip work with children? I set out to relive a classic journey from Bilbao to Saint-Malo I did in my freewheeling 20s

From Sussex to Scotland, my road trip through four centuries of British holidays

A 1,600-mile journey to the wild peaks of Scotland, via Llandudno’s Victorian promenade and the bright lights of Blackpool proved an eye-opener in more ways than one

Journey into the midnight sun: my solo road trip to the top of Norway

I found cinematic landscapes, wild freedom and thousands of miles of perfect solitude on my campervan adventure through the Nordic countries

Hairpin bends and bears on the highway: readers’ favourite European road trips

From Iceland to Italy, you share your best adventures behind the wheel

‘I’m hoping to meet a river goddess’: a wild journey through Britain’s mythic waterways

Follow the folklore and you will discover a landscape full of wonder and powerful women – from a fearsome Scottish warrioress to the first queen of a united England

An epic bikepacking trip on west Sweden’s newest cycle trail

Affordable, family-friendly and largely flat, the Lelångenleden is a gateway to an otherworldly wilderness with wild swimming, canoes and cabins as part the ride

How Porto’s gritty, industrial neighbour became a cool coastal hotspot

Matosinhos was built on fish, but today its retro seafood restaurants and canneries sit alongside great art spaces, museums and landmark architecture

Share a tip on your favourite hike in Europe

Tell us about a memorable hiking trip – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

West Ireland’s magical landscape: where limestone rivers, Hollywood legend and Irish myth converge

The newly designated Joyce Country and Western Lakes Unesco Geopark in Galway and Mayo celebrates a 700-million-year geological history that has produced a unique terrain and rich cultural heritage

‘I don’t think we’ve ever felt closer’: five writers on their most memorable family holidays

Rallying the kids can be chaotic and frustrating, but from Interrailing all the way to Turkey to Vespa rides in Naples, these trips brought families together

A family holiday on the hoof: donkey trekking in the Spanish Pyrenees

A week-long mountain trek with two young children felt like an ambitious undertaking – but they loved every minute

Watersports, biking and island escapes: readers’ favourite family holidays

From boat trips on Lake Garda to zip-wiring in Wales, you share your favourite family-friendly breaks in Europe