Six of the best affordable UK country house hotels to beat the January blues

The festive season can stretch waistbands and wallets to breaking point. Here’s our pick of boltholes for a new year reset – each with a spa and rooms for under £160 a night

A perfect winter walk between two great pubs in Cheshire

This 14-mile section of the Sandstone Trail crosses an ancient landscape of hills, woods and ridges, bookended by two fine old inns

10 places to stay in the UK and Europe where you can travel back in time

From a Tudor manor in Wales to a swinging 60s hotel in Prague, these hotels and guesthouses are steeped in history

‘We stayed in a 500-year-old palazzo for €100’: readers’ favourite historic places to stay in Europe

Travel back in time at a folly in Scotland, a parador in Spain and a German castle

Sleigh rides, spas and snowshoeing: 10 of the best winter holidays in Europe

Ditch the skis – these winter breaks are all about stunning mountain scenery, cosy places to stay and fun activities

Kicking back in Catalonia: a new eco-retreat in Spain with yoga, ebikes and volcano hikes

Set within a volcanic nature reserve, this charmingly repurposed 17th-century farmhouse has all bases covered for a relaxing, rustic microadventure

30 of the best UK pubs for an autumn escape with great food

From Cornwall to the Highlands, here’s our pick of new or recently refurbished inns with cosy rooms, enticing menus and country walks from the door

20 of the UK’s best hotels, campsites and cottages right on the beach

The editor of Coast magazine shares her favourite seaside boltholes, from Argyll to the Isles of Scilly

25 of the best hotels, B&Bs and chateaux in France

From country houses and mountain chalets to seaside chambres d’hôte and cool city pads, our France travel expert picks her favourite boltholes

Heavenly stays: 10 of the best monastery breaks in Europe

From frugal retreats to luxury escapes, these convents and monasteries offer peace and spectacular locations for all faiths

A break from the accommodation mega-sites: the best alternative booking platforms

Airbnb and Booking.com are the market leaders but a new wave of smaller accommodation platforms are offering an alternative – and trying to give something back to local communities

‘A welcome sight after any journey’: readers’ favourite European railway hotels

From Galway to Venice, our tipsters choose their favourite places to stay which are near a train station

A foodie tour of Somerset and Wiltshire by train and on foot

By travelling car-free we became fully immersed in the area’s quieter attractions, with cosy stays and great food throughout

Peak luxury: how long can London’s grand hotel boom last?

From basement builds to rooftops, revamped Whitehall ministries and once-were embassies, the capital’s hotels are in an opulence arms race to lure exacting guests