Porto city guide: what to see plus the best hotels and restaurants and bars
It’s most famous for its ruby tipple and a strident football manager, but Porto is shaking off its fusty image with buzzy places to eat, drink and hang out
Cosima Spender on the thrills of Siena’s Palio
The Siena-born director of a compelling new documentary about the historic Palio horse race on the passions, plots, food and sights of her Tuscan hometown • The Palio in pictures
Hitchhiking Amsterdam-style: hail a lift with a local cyclist
The new Yellow Backie scheme encourages locals to offer tourists a ride on their bike racks – and show them the city beyond the cliches
What to do in the desert: send us your tips
We’re searching for the best things to do in the desert, wherever it may be in the world. Send us your tips – and you may just win a £200 hotel voucher
Sailing off Iceland … is no holiday
‘Sail with us and you might not have a shower for a week’ says the yacht’s skipper. But orcas, coastal waterfalls and sense of real adventure more than compensate
Be a farmer for a day in Crete
An organic farm near Rethymno in the island’s north-west, teaches visitors traditional skills. Our writer mucks in
The great eastern European road trip, part six: Poland
In the final instalment of his road trip, Kevin Rushby visits Poland’s Baltic seaside finding pine-backed beaches, wilderness and a lot of pizza
Bavaria and Munich: send us your tips – and you could win a £200 hotel voucher
We want to hear about the best places to visit when in Bavaria and its capital Munich, including bars, museums, sites, plus places to stay and eat on a short break
Mucky strike: what happened when a Florentine gambler defaced the Virgin
The dung mark left on a Florence fresco can still be seen, reminding us of the seamier side of life in the 16th century
10 of the best ways to enjoy Prague … on a budget
It’s one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, which means plenty of overpriced tourist traps. Here’s how to avoid them, and save a few koruna
Tiree: Scotland’s chilly St Tropez
The island of Tiree, off the west coast of Scotland, is windswept and treeless. But venture there in August and you will bump into famous artists, Britain’s best chefs and a slew of politicians. Bella Bathurst heads to the smart set’s Hebridean hideaway
A Spanish road trip – by Vespa
The empty roads north of Madrid are perfect for this fun new group tour. And with great restaurants and atmospheric places to stay along the way, it gives a great a flavour of the region, too
The foodie traveller … drinks orange wine in Italy and Slovenia
The revival of orange wine has reconnected vineyards with ancient modes of production – but what does it taste like?
Holiday guide to Alsace, France, including Strasbourg
A part of France with a hint of Germany, this region’s forests and hills shelter beautiful cities and villages, superb vineyards and cosy restaurants and hotels
The great eastern European road trip part five: Slovakia
A trek to Slovakia’s Tatra mountain peaks presents tough challenges for Kevin Rushby and family