Travel Desk

Cost: $21 to $27 for patio chairs. $32 to $36 for cushioned loveseat. Parking rates below the building range from $10 to $12.

Next film: “Saved!” on May 14, 8:15 p.m.

Other films: “Twilight,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” “Past Lives,” “10 Things I Hate About You.”

Food options: Outside food and drinks are not allowed. Concession stands carry popcorn, nachos, pretzels and other snacks. Full bar with cocktails, beer and wine.

Dog-friendly? Pets not allowed.

Things to note: Bring-your-own-blanket policy for cold nights. Age requirements vary; most showings are 16+, but select films are 18+ and 21+. If weather conditions become too extreme, showings may be canceled.

A pivotal moment early in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” arrives when Harry’s suburban house is swarmed and flooded with letters of acceptance for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry’s aunt and uncle have been preventing such dispatches from reaching the young wizard-to-be, but the boarding school’s messenger owls are having none of it.

Letters flood in from the fireplace, windows and nearly seem to cause the house to burst. And while watching the film recently at Inglewood’s Cosm, home to an all-encompassing high-definition spherical screen, I half expected a letter to fall upon my lap. Cosm specializes in sports, but has released three collaborations with Warner Bros. for what it deems “experiential film.” A framed screen displaying the original 2001 work from director Chris Columbus is untouched, but surrounding it are newly added digital animations designed to envelop guests.

And in this early “Sorcerer’s Stone” scene, letters were a-flying any which way I looked. Up, down, left and right — mail missives were rocketing toward the center screen. As the world closed in on Daniel Radcliffe’s Potter and family, it did so, too, at Cosm. I’ve seen Cosm’s take on “The Matrix” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” so I knew a letter wouldn’t come zapping my way, but one could be forgiven for protecting their cocktail — themed, of course — from being knocked over.

The famed “sorting hat” scene at Cosm’s interpretation of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

(Cosm)

Such is the power of Cosm’s curved screen, which brings a sense of dimension, and even at times movement, to the film. Think of Cosm, perhaps, as a mini version of Las Vegas’ Sphere, but smaller doesn’t mean any less sweeping. No, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in Cosm’s hands is often quite grand, as the first glimpse of Hogwarts Castle inspired cheers from the opening night audience, its cliffside towers, a romanticized spin on medieval architecture, towering above us in such a way that we will crane our necks. Only in Universal’s theme parks does the palace seem more real and welcoming.

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” arrives at Cosm during what is a big year for the franchise. It’s the 25th anniversary, of course, of the first film in the series, and later this year on Christmas Day a new television series based on author J.K. Rowling’s popular book series is set to premiere on HBO Max. This summer, Harry Potter: A Hogwarts Express Adventure will open at the Southern California Railway Museum for guests to experience the Wizarding World rite of passage aboard a real moving train in the Inland Empire.

All of this activity is happening as Rowling has become the center of heated debate for her controversial views on trans women. None of it, however, has seemed to curtail fan interest in the series. The 2023 video game “Hogwarts Legacy” became a massive hit despite calls for a boycott, and Universal Studios last year opened in Florida a brand new theme park land based upon the franchise at its Epic Universe park, with its centerpiece ride, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, often commanding some of the longest waits at the park.

At the film’s early May premiere at Cosm, Rowling was mentioned little, and wasn’t among the massive list of names being thanked by studio and Cosm execs. “Harry Potter” in 2026 is perhaps best viewed as a franchise that has outgrown its creator to take on a life of its own, and Cosm’s approach is that of a love letter to its many fans, recognizing that this is a magical, enchanting world that generations have long wished to find themselves immersed in.

A climatic scene in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is outfitted with additional effects at Cosm.

(Cosm)

To that end, I’d rank “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” as the most successful of Cosm’s three cinematic interpretations. Certainly the subject matter plays a role, and while Cosm has been successful in matching the high-energy of “The Matrix” or the trippiness of “Willy Wonka,” here Cosm and its partners — experiential firm Little Cinema and effects house MakeMake — can simply luxuriate in atmosphere. The train to Hogwarts, for instance, is especially well done, seemingly stretched to infinity. The famed “sorting hat” scene, too, as Cosm’s wizards contrast the internal anxiety of being assigned a role with the external one of doing so in front of an audience, bringing to exaggerated life the cavernous Hogwarts assembly hall.

Cosm works best when it’s able to use its venue to create the illusion of no longer being a spectator, when the space itself starts to feel like a living theater. Feel this, for instance, when Harry and pals traverse the moving staircase. The frame of the screen may move, creating a slight sense of disorientation as the stairs themselves shift. The portraits on the wall, whose characters occasionally come alive, start to envelop us. Cosm used some restraint here, keeping us guessing as to which framed pictures may seek to speak or nod our way.

If there’s any qualm in Cosm’s work it’s that at times there could be a tinge more self-control in order to let the film do its work. Stepping into the hidden magic nook of London’s Diagon Alley is a showcase moment in Columbus’ film, and at times it is in Cosm’s interpretation as well. Out on the street, the shops circle around us, further conveying the cramped nature of the neighborhood. It feels, more than ever, like a real-life space. Inside an intimate pub, however, filling out the scene with empty tables could distract from the hurried, nervous nature of the filmmaker’s original intent.

But we live in an immersive age. Art, increasingly, is maximized to encompass us, and Cosm understands this moment well. Once again, the venue has made the argument that cinema can feel like communal, live entertainment.

It’s all too easy to overlook the grilled cheese sandwich when ordering at a restaurant. It can feel like something that is best reserved for picky eaters and the kids menu. But a great version is so much more than bread sealed together with a generous layer of cheese — everything must work harmoniously together. When something is this simple in construction, each ingredient really matters, from the type of bread to the selection of cheese to any additional toppings.

Luckily, restaurants around Los Angeles are taking the grilled cheese seriously, whether leaning into nostalgic versions with American cheese and sourdough bread or experimenting with unexpected ingredients like spicy labneh and caramelized onions. The results are delicious and comforting. Here are nine of the best grilled cheese sandwiches to try in L.A.:

I have always longed to go to Yorkshire.

I was 10 when I first read “All Creatures Great and Small,” devouring each subsequent book that Alf Wight, under the pen name James Herriot, wrote about life as a veterinarian in his beloved Yorkshire Dales. I was a bit older when I encountered Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” which opens in the seaside town of Whitby, where cliffs overlook the sea in which the ill-fated ship Demeter meets its end. In my teens, I discovered the wild moors and ancient halls of “Jane Eyre” and “Wuthering Heights.” More recently, I have been entranced by the work of Sally Wainwright, whose string of critically acclaimed series — ”Last Tango in Halifax,” “Happy Valley,” “Gentleman Jack” and “Riot Women” — have made her the modern bard of Yorkshire, England.

So when a friend, planning a visit to her daughter at Durham University, proposed I join her for a side trip of our own, I jumped at the chance to travel to a land I knew only through the eyes of others.

The Dales of James Herriot

In mid-April, I joined my friend Nancy in York, a city often mentioned in Yorkshire-based literature. On a sunny Saturday, we took a train to Thirsk, where Herriot, alongside Donald and Brian Sinclair (known in the books as Siegfried and Tristan Farnon) lived and worked in “Skeldale House,” now the World of James Herriot museum.

Lambing season in North Yorkshire.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

The city sprawl quickly gave way to stone-walled fields full of dazzling yellow rape and spring-green grass dotted with sheep and frolicking lambs. April is lambing season, the perfect time to visit Herriot Country. “All young animals are appealing,” he wrote, “but the lamb has been given an unfair share of charm.”

Situated between the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales national parks, Thirsk (known as Darrowby in the Herriot books) is a market town, organized around a great open plaza in which stands a clock tower that on this day was decorated with rather splendid floral creations by the Thirsk Yarnbombers, in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

Even so, it looks much as it must have when Herriot lived here — modern businesses housed in medieval and Georgian buildings. Surely the Ritz Cinema is the theater Herriot describes as he begins his courtship of Helen Alderson; a blue circle marker proudly declares its date of establishment as a picture house, 1912.

The entrance to the World of James Herriot in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

The World of James Herriot museum is a sudden splash of crimson and white signage on an otherwise ordinary, albeit charming, street; at the far end stands St. Mary’s Church, where Herriot married his actual wife, Joan Anderson. When we visited the church later that afternoon, they were cleaning up from a community tea and I spoke with a woman who remembered Herriot and especially his son Jim and daughter Rosie, who were the town vet and doctor, respectively, for many years.

The museum, on the first floor, is a re-creation of “Skeldale House,” down to the pint pot in which Siegfried kept the petty cash and the old central telephone. There’s a display documenting the evolution of the books — originally printed in the UK, beginning in 1972, under different names, until a struggling St. Martin’s Press published two of them with the title “All Creatures Great and Small” and helped turn Herriot into a franchise.

The old central telephone at the World of James Herriot museum in Thirsk.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

Various outbuildings now house a small screening room, where clips from a documentary on Herriot’s life play, as well as a re-creation of the TV studio and set on which the 1978 television series was filmed. The set from the current PBS series, which began in 2020, is in another part of the museum, which also includes an extensive exhibit of historic veterinarian instruments.

As we wandered through the town and the museum, Herriot the man came to life as lyrically as his fiction. A country vet, whose career began before the age of antibiotics and many now-commonplace vaccines, wrote, beginning at age 50, a series of semi-autobiographical novels that would become international bestsellers and launch several films and two series, one of which was filming 35 miles away in Grassington.

He never left the Dales, or stopped being a vet; during his lifetime, fans would line the street outside his practice, waiting for autographs and photos. Twenty years after his death, Thirsk remains both an ordinary Yorkshire town (the only Herriot memorabilia advertised is in the museum gift shop) and an enduring tourist destination. (If you go, may I recommend lunch/tea at Upstairs, Downstairs, where I got a life-changing Yorkshire rarebit with bacon and fried egg as well as a sack of the local sweet, cinder toffee.)

Grassington, North Yorkshire, becomes a film set for “All Creatures Great and Small.”

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

Deeper in the Dales, Nancy and I rented a “glamping pod” in Malhamdale. On our way, we stopped in Grassington, where the town was being transformed into Darrowby with period-and-place-appropriate signs, advertisements and community announcements. “Open as usual but dressed for filming” read a sign in the window of the Stripey Badger Bookshop, Coffee Shop and Kitchen.

Filming would take place in two days’ time, so we returned then to see the square come alive with extras in period clothing. Within the crowd of fellow onlookers, controlled by lovely but firm crew members, we watched as a scene between Siegfried (Samuel West) and Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) was filmed outside the Drovers Arms.

A breathtaking view and unique fractured “pavement” at Malham Cove.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

We had chosen Malhamdale because its limestone topography is considered the most stunning of the Dales. And that it most certainly is.

From the village of Malham we hiked to Malham Cove, which rose in near miraculous silver splendor among the sylvan greenery, and then ascended the nearly 500 steps to its top. There, a breathtaking view and unique fractured “pavement” has been used in countless films, including “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” and the 1992 “Wuthering Heights.” We followed the trail to the Gordale Scar, a glorious gorge and waterfall that is also a favorite filming spot, and thence to Janet’s Foss, a woodland waterfall and pool, beside a cave where the queen of the fairies is said to live.

Janet’s Foss, a woodland waterfall and pool.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

After just three days in the Dales, I clearly understood why no amount of money or fame had convinced Herriot and his family to leave.

Dracula town

Windswept Whitby sits on the east coast of Yorkshire, with its back to the North York Moors National Park and its face to the North Sea. It climbs either side of a valley created by the River Esk, as it joins the port where whalers once launched and Captain Cook first commandeered the HMS Endeavour.

On the west side, the street along the harbor is chockablock with venues catering to tourists and daytrippers come to enjoy the pier and small beaches. Families rent crab pots and put their catch in plastic buckets held by delighted children. Atop the cliffs behind, Georgian homes, hotels and guest houses stand in gracious testament to Whitby’s Victorian history as a popular spa town, as it was when Stoker visited in 1890. He stayed in a West Cliff guest house, gazing, as everyone must do, across the harbor where the remains of the 13th century Whitby Abbey dominate the East Cliff.

The harbor at Whitby, North Yorkshire.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

Even under a beaming sun, the ruins, aproned by the graveyard of the nearby Norman church of St. Mary’s, carve a formidable black silhouette against the sky. Beneath are the roofs and cobbled streets of the medieval Old Town, where ancient pubs stand among jewelers specializing in local jet. To reach the abbey, visitors must climb the town’s famous 199 steps that rise along the cliff.

“It is a most noble ruin,” Mina Harker writes in her journal in early chapters of “Dracula.” “Between it and the town there is another church, the parish one, round which is a big graveyard, all full of tombstones. This is to my mind the nicest spot in Whitby, for it lies right over the town, and has a full view of the harbor.”

Here Mina and her friend Lucy Westenra sit among the graves, sketching and talking, later, watching clouds gather for the storm that would bring the Demeter, and Count Dracula, to Whitby. Here too Mina would see, from the West Cliff, her sleepwalking friend half reclining on “our favorite seat” and for a moment “it seemed to me as though something dark stood behind the seat where the white figure shone, and bent over it.”

The remains of Whitby Abbey.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

We visited on a sunny day, and the wind blew hard as we traced Mina and Lucy’s steps through the tombs and along the path past the Abbey toward Robin Hood’s Bay. With its glorious views and picturesque harbor, Whitby is the antithesis of gothic horror. Still, it was here that Stoker, researching another novel, first read of Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula, and no doubt heard of the wreck of the Russian ship Dmitry, which had run aground beneath East Cliff five years before his visit.

And so the godfather of modern horror was born.

Brontë Country

It is difficult to imagine a fictional tale more gothic, inspirational and remarkable than that of three brilliant sisters who lived in relative isolation on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors, secretly battling their socially conscripted futures by writing poems and novels that they dared not publish under their own names.

The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, North Yorkshire.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

Two of those novels — ”Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë, are still considered masterworks, influencing subsequent generations and endlessly adapted for film and television. (In the ultimate Yorkshire crossover, Wainwright wrote the breathtaking two-part Brontë biopic “To Walk Invisible,” which everyone should see.)

The Brontë Parsonage Museum, and the town of Haworth which it overlooks, is very much a tourist attraction. An information annex, gift shop and public restroom have been added behind it, but once you enter the small garden that stands between the parsonage’s front door and St. Michael and All Angels’ Church, you are in another world.

In 1820, Patrick Brontë, recently appointed incumbent of St. Michael, moved his wife, Maria, and their six children into the parsonage where they all lived for the rest of their natural (albeit in most cases, short) lives. Maria died in 1821; the two older children, Maria and Elizabeth, died four years later after being sent to a typhoid-plagued school Charlotte would pillory as Lowood in “Jane Eyre.”

The museum is meticulously restored to reflect the years that the surviving children — Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell, the only son — were young adults. The dining room table, where the sisters wrote, is strewn with manuscripts, quill pens and tea cups; a bonnet and shawl bedeck a chair in the small kitchen. Patrick had his own study but it is difficult to imagine three women being able to write separate works, never mind classics, in such close quarters. Ironically, only Branwell’s room, papered with sketches and poems, looks like an artist’s refuge.

St. Michael and All Angels’ Church in the town of Haworth.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

Unlike his three sisters, Branwell, his artistic career stunted by alcoholism and an opium addiction, never published. He died of tuberculosis in 1848 at 31.

If any place should be haunted, it is the Brontë parsonage. Shortly after Branwell’s funeral (and just a year after “Wuthering Heights” was published), 30-year-old Emily also died of tuberculosis, expiring on the sofa that stands beside the dining room table. A few months later, after the publication of her second novel, “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall,” Anne, 29, succumbed to the disease in nearby Scarborough, just south of Whitby.

Charlotte, who wrote two more novels after “Jane Eyre,” was the only sister to be celebrated during her lifetime. She married and then died at the parsonage in 1855 at 38 of complications from her first pregnancy. Only Patrick lived to old age — 84 — dying in 1861 in the home where he had served for 41 years.

The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, North Yorkshire.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

But it is not a sad house; instead visitors are left to wonder at the genius, resolution and audacity that roiled the quiet rooms and halls where the sisters secretly wrote and sent out their manuscripts, all initially under the the names of Currer (Charlotte), Ellis (Emily) and Acton (Anne) Bell.

The steeply descending main street of Haworth is filled with tea shops, pubs and stores clearly dedicated to pleasing Brontë pilgrims, but its basic form, including the original stationery store where the sisters once bought their paper, remains the same.

As do the moors that stretch behind the parsonage. On a walk to the Brontë Waterfall (more like a small but still lovely rill) and Top Withens, the ruin of a 16th century farmhouse believed to have inspired “Wuthering Heights,” the wild silence and sweeping vistas are even more transporting than the parsonage. One imagines not the ghost of Cathy or Heathcliff, but a trio of women, very much alive and striding through the heather, their minds alight with the stories they would tell, set among similar terrain.

Wainwright’s Way

Our final accommodation on this literary sojourn was Holdsworth House, a manor hotel near Halifax where screenwriter Wainwright and her casts often stay during filming, and where Alan (Derek Jacobi) and Celia (Anne Reid) were married in “Last Tango in Halifax.”

Holdsworth House, a manor hotel near Halifax.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

With creaking floors, fireplaces, a first-class restaurant, mullioned windows and a lovely garden, Holdsworth House would be glorious even without its famous connections (including a 1964 stay by the Beatles). Plans for at least two weddings were being discussed by staff during our sojourn.

On our way there, we stopped in Heptonstall, a tiny town above Hebden Bridge, where Sylvia Plath is buried in the St. Thomas A’ Becket churchyard. Her husband, Ted Hughes, was born in the nearby town of Mytholmroyd and though they were estranged at the time of her death, he was her next of kin and chose the site, and the stone, on which the poet is identified as Sylvia Plath Hughes above an epitaph that reads: “Even amidst fierce flames, the golden lotus can be planted.”

Heptonstall, a tiny town above Hebden Bridge, where Sylvia Plath is buried in the St. Thomas A’ Becket churchyard.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

There are no signs directing visitors to Plath’s resting place; we relied on Apple Maps and my memory of a brief glimpse of it in Wainwright’s “Happy Valley” (Becky, the daughter of main character Catherine Cawood [Sarah Lancashire], is buried nearby). Looking for the piles of pens that once adorned Plath’s grave didn’t help; it is now blanketed in planted flowers. A few pens have been left on the headstone, which has been replaced at least once; generations of fans have attempted to obliterate “Hughes.”

Down the hill in Hebden Bridge, Wainwright’s world comes miraculously to life — the canals with their longboats, on which Catherine battled Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton); the Albert pub which proudly announces on a placard that it is the Duke of Wellington in “Riot Women”; even the public car park where Alan had his car stolen while meeting Celia for the first time in “Last Tango.”

The canal at Hebden Bridge.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

While driving around Hebden Bridge and towns surrounding nearby Halifax, I more than once imagined I was Catherine Cawood and marveled at Wainwright’s loyalty to this land, its cities, towns, farms and moors. Her series are inevitably female-centric and like the Brontës, who wrote 200 years and a few miles away, her work excavates the drama of daily life and the tension between good and evil that sings below any surface.

The sisters, I believe, would be very proud.

THE UK’s largest dinosaur themed adventure park is set to open its longest ride yet – and it’s just in time for summer.

Families will be able to enjoy the new attraction from July onwards.

ROARR! theme park in Norfolk has revealed a new 105-metre long attraction, dubbed the site’s “longest ride to date.” 

The Fossil Falls experience will allow visitors to soar down a winding slope, set inside the park’s 85 acres of natural woodland.

The course also features a launch platform, brake ramp and 12-metre tunnel, which riders will be able to glide down inside of an inflatable ring.

The £250,000 investment marks the latest addition to the adventure park’s 25 other attractions.

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Other rides include the Swing-o-saurus and Dippy’s Raceway, with an off-peak day pass priced at around £60 for a family of four.

Ben Francis, park director at ROARR!, told Eastern Daily Press: “Fossil Falls is a fantastic new addition to ROARR! and one we’re really excited to open this summer.

“At 105 metres, it’s our longest ride to date, and we think it’s going to be a real highlight for families visiting the park.

“We’re always looking at ways to invest in and improve the ROARR! experience for our visitors, and Fossil Falls is a brilliant example of that – adding real value for the families who choose to spend their day making memories with us.”

The Dino adventure park is located in just off the A47 and A1067 near Lenwade, and can be reached in just 25 minutes from Norwich by car.

It also holds a variety of activities suitable for children aged zero to 12 years old.

The park will be open from 10am to 5pm, seven days a week, in July and August.

A BRAND new lido could be coming to one of the UK’s most beautiful cities under new plans.

A formal bid has been made to transform an old leisure centre into a prime swim spot in the city of Winchester.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

Winchester’s River Park Leisure Centre, which closed in 2021, would instead have an outdoor swimming pool, as well as lido a splash pad and food and drink stands.

The lido designs have been created by Design Engine Architects, with previous projects including university campuses and private homes across the UK.

The bid has been put to Winchester City Council by Sea Lanes which runs the lido in nearby Brighton and Hilsea Lido in Portsmouth.

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Harry Smith, director of Sea Lanes, said: “We submitted our bid as part of the consultation for the site. We worked with the (Winchester Lido) community group, which really supported the bid.

“We’re really excited to bring a lido to Winchester. I think the decision will be soon, if it’s still on track, and then we will be working with the city if we get the opportunity to pursue the project.

“There’s huge community support for the lido. We have worked with the community group, which contacted us about the site. It is something that has been bubbling around for a while.”

The plan has been met with positivity from locals.

On a Facebook post announcing the news, one said: “Absolutely stunning! Can’t wait to hear more about it!”

Another wrote: “Hard to imagine how this would not be good for everyone in Winchester. Wonderful first visual.”

A third added: “I swam in Hilsea Lido the other day – fantastic. This would be great.”

There was previously an open-air swimming lido in Winchester on Worthy Lane, which opened in the 1930s and closed in the late 1970s – since then, Winchester hasn’t had a lido.

Nearby Hilsea Lido had been closed since 2022 but reopened on May 2 after a £7.6million revamp.

New showers and toilets, including a Changing Places toilet, and a sauna were added as part of the upgrades.

Formerly a saltwater pool, the 220-foot lido now uses unheated chlorinated fresh water.

The lido served as a training centre for the Team GB diving team ahead of the 1936 and 1952 Olympics, and it also featured as a filming location for The Who’s 1975 film Tommy.

The holidaymaker revealed how he enjoyed a week-long holiday at a budget price

A social media user has wowed travel fans after sharing how much he spent on a week’s holiday in Mexico. The holidaymaker explained his bargain travel hack in a TikTok post shared under the username @Byseyi.

In the viral video, Byseyi revealed he spent £360 per person on a last-minute holiday to Mexico. He said: “So this is one travel tip that I don’t really hear that many people talk about. And this is actually how me and my wife travelled to Mexico for a week for around £360 per person, and that’s flights and accommodation.”

The TikTok creator claims: “So if you’re able to travel last-minute, go and look at TUI’s last-minute flight deals on the flight section of their website. Because what happens is they’re trying to get rid of some of these last-minute flights and not have empty seats going. So we ended up booking a flight for two people to go to Cancun, Mexico, for £538 for both of us.

“Managed to find some good accommodation in Tulum that was cheap for £185. And even right now, if you go on the website, you’ll see a flight to the Dominican Republic for £384 if you’re able to travel in the month of May.

“So it’s really just for those people, maybe you had a holiday that got cancelled and you’re trying to plan a new thing, or you have the flexibility to just travel last minute. So it doesn’t apply to everyone, but for those that it can work for, you can get something good for cheap.”

The video gained over 115k views and 14k likes on TikTok. Replying to the video, a viewer said: “Thanks for reminding me being fully remote is a win.” A second comment read: “A digital nomads dream lol …let me go check out TUI.” A third social media user wrote: “Yep! TUI got me to Aruba for £196 return, directttt! best!”

Someone else shared: “I always like these deals but they don’t work for people who like to explore more than one city in a country. But I think it’s great when you are simply looking for anywhere to go to.”

Another response said: “How close to the departure date did you book?” The travel lover replied: “Booked on the 23rd of Feb, flew out 3rd of March.”

Passengers looking for last-minute flights can browse deals on TUI’s website, where there’s a section dedicated to cheap flights. Customers can filter their search by departure date, with options ranging from within seven days to three months. Alternatively, customers planning further ahead can refine their search by month.

Chris Logan, Commercial Director at TUI UK and Ireland, said: “If you’ve got a bit of flexibility, our last-minute flight deals can be a brilliant way to grab a great-value getaway. Flying from over 20 airports across the UK, making it easy to pick a date, pack a bag and set off from a nearby airport. There’s a great choice of destinations on offer too – from European favourites like Spain and Greece, to long-haul escapes across the Caribbean, including Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, as well as Florida.

“These direct flights include 10kg of hand luggage as standard, with the option to add more, upgrade for extra space or enjoy a more premium travel experience. It’s always worth checking back – you might find something that gets you away sooner than you think.”

NEW rules being rolled out this summer will make it much easier for families with young kids to get through the airport.

Airport eGates will be lowering the age of passengers who can use them from 12 to eight.

Confirmed by the Home Office, kids will need to be at least 120cm (3ft11) to be able to use them, as they require them to be able to see the biometric screens.

Currently, only families with kids aged 10 and over can use them – any younger and they have to go in the standard (usually much longer) queue.

It is expected to help as many as an extra 1.5million children use the eGates.

This will affect 13 airports across the UK that currently use eGates. These are:

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• London Heathrow
• London Gatwick
• London City
• London Luton
• London Stansted
• Manchester
• Birmingham
• Bristol
• East Midlands
• Newcastle
• Cardiff
• Edinburgh
• Glasgow

The new rules will also affect a number of non-British residents including those from the US, Australia and Japan, along with non-Schengen countries in Europe.

Chief executive of AirportsUK Karen Dee said she welcomed the change, saying: “It will give more families the ability to take advantage of this technology, speeding up the border process and reducing waiting times for many.”

“Airports work very hard with border authorities to ensure the UK’s front door is both secure and welcoming, with those coming home and visiting enjoying a smooth experience.”

Brits are currently facing problems travelling via Europe, however, as new EES rules are resulting in massive queues, some even missing their flights.

Requiring biometric checks, only Greece has currently paused the new rules for Brits.

Industry leaders have not ruled out fuel shortages this summer

Airlines will not be able to continue “absorbing the cost” of disruption caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the long term, according to the director general of the International Air Transport Association. Willie Walsh told the BBC there was no need to panic over potential jet fuel shortages, but warned rising fuel prices would inevitably feed through into higher ticket prices.

He said: “There’s just no way airlines can absorb the additional costs they’re experiencing. There may be some instances where airlines will discount to stimulate some traffic flow… but over time it’s inevitable that the high price of oil will be reflected in higher ticket prices.”

While Mr Walsh did not think there would be widespread cancellations, he added: “I think the concern will be that if sufficient alternative supply isn’t sourced, there may be some shortages when we get into the peak summer period.”

Last week, British Airways’ parent company IAG warned its profits will be hit as it expects to spend about two billion euro (£1.72 billion) more than planned on fuel this year. Chief executive Luis Gallego said IAG does not believe there will be “any interruption for the summer” in terms of jet fuel supplies.

Earlier this month, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said summer holiday plans will not face major disruption because of shortages. She revealed that more fuel has been imported from America, and UK refineries have upped their production.

The Government has also introduced a temporary rule change allowing airlines to group passengers from different flights together onto fewer planes to save fuel. It comes amid data that showed airlines have increased the number of flight cancellations for May.

Aviation analytics company Cirium said that as of Tuesday, airlines have axed 296 departures from UK airports this month, equivalent to 0.75% of the total. That is up from 120 cancellations six days ago.

Figures for the peak summer months show week-on-week schedule reductions are currently limited. The number of outbound flights planned for June is 48 lower than a week ago, after 0.2% of flights were cancelled.

For July the week-on-week reduction is 31, while the figure for August is just four. Airlines avoid being liable for compensation if they axe a flight with at least two weeks’ notice, meaning they can delay decisions on summer cancellations and still avoid payouts.

The price of jet fuel has more than doubled since the start of the war in the Middle East, as Iran continues to have a stranglehold on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. A Government spokesperson said: “UK airlines are clear that they are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel.

“Aviation fuel is typically bought in advance and airports and suppliers keep stocks of bunkered fuel to support their resilience. We continue to work with fuel suppliers, airports, airlines and international counterparts to keep flights operating.

“We are also consulting on measures to help airlines plan realistic flight schedules which will avoid last-minute disruption and protect holidays.”

How often do you look down and wonder who created the path your feet are following? Or ask the cause of its curves and dips? Formed over thousands of years, paths form an “internet of feet” – a web of bridleways and hollow ways, drove roads and ridgeways, coffin tracks, pilgrimage trails and city pavements. Whether you’re hiking a National Trail or pottering along a National Trust footpath, there’s a good chance you’re following ancestral steps.

It’s thoughts like these that led me on a journey to track the evolution of British paths for my book, The Path More Travelled. Eleven thousand years ago ice age hunter-gatherers arrived from Europe’s heartlands, moving through the wilderness along broad “routeways”, that later widened to tracks when horses and then wheels were adopted in the bronze age. For more than 2,000 years, traffic moved no faster than the speed of a horse, until the internal combustion engine drove pedestrians off the road just over a century ago.

In search of the capillaries that gave life to every community in Britain, I revisited coast paths, tramped shepherds’ trails and followed the serpentine curls of rivers. Here are a few of my favourite paths that bring history to life.

Sweet Track, Somerset Levels

The hunt for prehistoric paths took me deep into the wetlands of the Somerset Levels, where the Sweet Track was discovered in 1970. Built nearly 6,000 years ago (3806BC) by early farmers who needed access to an island, the collapsed boardwalk was preserved in peat. But a short walk from the Avalon Marshes centre (with an excellent cafe and open-air museum), woodland paths explore Shapwick Heath nature reserve, where a replica section of the Sweet Track teeters through the reeds. Visitors can walk in single file along this narrow, timber causeway and imagine the world of the Neolithic pioneers who colonised Somerset’s reflective waterways long before they were drained and converted to farmland. For modern versions of the Sweet Track, visit the Norfolk Broads and Norfolk coast path, where stilted, planked boardwalks wend their way through reedbeds, salt marshes and swamp woodland known locally as alder carr.

Street of the Dead, Iona

Writing this book led me to the far west of Scotland and the tiny island of Iona, where, after decades of tramping Britain’s paths, I walked for the first time along Sràid nam Marbh, the Street of the Dead. Across Britain, coffin roads, or corpse ways, were used by remote communities to convey their dead to cemeteries. Iona’s is no more than a few hundred metres in length, and most of it takes the form of a narrow, kinking lane leading from the ancient landing beach of Port nam Mairtear (Martyr’s Bay) to the site of a monastery founded in 563. Along this ancient road came the bodies of great Gaelic lords, bound for burial close to the monastery. For many, it’s a “thin place”, where the space between this world and the next narrows. You pass the ruins of an Augustinian nunnery established in around 1200, and the MacLean’s Cross, whose intricately carved floral and animal motifs and outstretched Christ captivated pilgrims. Then the abbey appears and the Street of the Dead, angling across the grass, the final section a short avenue of red granite slabs, sunken by the weight of time into the turf of the abbey precinct. There are very few roads in Britain where you can place your feet on to slabs that have been trodden by so many generations.

Bure Valley Path, Norfolk

One of my favourite walks traces the banks of the River Bure between the market town of Aylsham and the railway village of Hoveton. It’s a typical, gentle Norfolk valley of slow meanders, cascading willows, kingfishers and herons. It was like this 100 years ago, when huge timber sailing barges, wherries, used to glide silently upriver to Aylsham’s mills. Close to the river ran a steam railway line linking Hoveton and Aylsham. Today, the nine-mile Bure Valley Path is a shared walking and cycling route that follows the course of the old railway, now relaid as a narrow-gauge steam line, the Bure Valley Railway. Cycling the path is fun, but a superb walk awaits those who take the steam train from Hoveton to Aylsham then walk back towards Hoveton on the Bure Valley Path for about two miles, where a footpath on the left drops down to the waterside church of St Mary’s in Burgh-next-Aylsham. From here, riverside footpaths head downstream past white-painted watermills and old navigation locks while occasional steam locomotives contribute to the sylvan backdrop. At Coltishall, you can rehydrate at The Rising Sun, stroll along Anchor Street where wherries were built, and then return to the Bure Valley Path for the final two miles back to Hoveton. I know of no other walk so closely related to the eras of wind and steam.

The Ridgeway, Hertfordshire to Wiltshire

The Ridgeway runs for 87 miles from Ivinghoe Beacon high in the Chiltern Hills to the prehistoric stone circle at Avebury in deepest Wiltshire. On its rolling heights, you can walk back to the iron age, when formidable hill forts commanded the vales. The ghosts of warrior-farmers can be sensed most powerfully on the western end of the Ridgeway, where the chalky trail climbs past the ramparts of Uffington, whose banks and ditches – once braced with timber and chalk rubble – enclose an area twice the size of a football pitch. Right beside the fort, a 110-metre long white horse gallops across the down, cut deep into the turf during the late bronze age or early iron age. One mile to the west, the Ridgeway passes the chambered long barrow known as Wayland’s Smithy, which once contained the remains of 14 people dated to between 3590 and 3550BC. The Ridgeway’s knack of time travel has long appealed to writers and photographers, from Thomas Hardy and Richard Jefferies, to Richard Mabey and Fay Godwin, whose book The Oldest Road: The Ridgeway (1975), unravelled the path connecting deep history with a modern national trail.

Holloways, Surrey Hills

A holloway is a sunken path, an old way worn into the land by centuries of feet and hooves. Holloway walls can be almost vertical, cut back to raw rock and roots. Some are like ravines. Others are virtual tunnels, roofed with living trees. Some appear unexpectedly as gentle troughs in the landscape. They occur most dramatically in softer geologies like chalk, sandstone and greensand. Most are just a few minutes’ walk in length, but there are parts of the country where exploration will produce some very enjoyable clusters. There are three modest holloways right beside the White Horse of Uffington on the Ridgeway, cut perhaps in prehistoric times by cattle being moved from their winter quarters in the vale to the summer grasses of the high downs. In Holloway (2012), Robert Macfarlane wrote so poetically of a buried path in the Chideock valley of south Dorset that it’s become a cause of pilgrimage for those of us who look for these places. The Surrey Hills are laced with secretive holloways. Among my favourites are the sunken tracks on the greensand of Leith Hill and farther west, the old holloways of Hascombe Hill and Hydon’s Ball. It’s along these semi-subterranean trackways that you’re most likely to detect the steady plod of Saxon cattle. Or Hobbits.

The Mass Trespass Walk, Derbyshire

The story of countryside access is written in the grit of Kinder Scout, whose frowning sandstone forms the highest point in the Peak District. In April, 1932, an excited gaggle of hikers climbed the footpath from the Derbyshire village of Hayfield up towards the brow of Kinder Scout, where they clashed with squads of gamekeepers intent on preventing public access to the moorland. Legislation followed and today the path up William Clough is described on the National Trust website as the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass Walk. A vigorous eight-mile loop along the crags and back down to Hayfield, it offers the full Pennine repertoire in a single outing, from glittering reservoir to whispering moorland and monumental rocks. It includes Kinder Downfall cascade and a section of the Pennine Way, the earliest of Britain’s national trails. I walked the trail one blustery December day, ambushed by snow flurries and sunshine that spotlit Manchester like spilt crystals on the dark plain. I’ve climbed Kinder from many directions, but this is the route that tells the best story.

Nicholas Crane’s new book, The Path More Travelled, The Secret History of Britain’s Footpaths, is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson (£25). To support the Guardian, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

This source explores the historical and cultural significance of the holiday honoring Saint Peter de Regalado, celebrated annually on May 13th in Valladolid, Spain. It details the life of the 15th-century Franciscan monk, highlighting his reputation for charity and performing miracles which eventually led to his canonization. The text places this celebration within the geographical context of Castile and León, identifying it as the largest autonomous region in the country. Additionally, the document functions as a digital news digest, surrounding the religious history with contemporary headlines regarding global politics, sports, and technology. By blending hagiography with modern reporting, the  … 

THE best family-friendly campsite in the country has been revealed, and it has a heated outdoor swimming pool and games room.

Trefach Holiday Park tucked away in Pembrokeshire topped the ranks when it came to the most family-friendly campsite in the UK – and it’s not hard to see why.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel. 

Pitchup.com, the UK’s leading outdoor accommodation website, has found the best campsites for families across the country.

The rankings are based on ‘child-friendly’ ratings from nearly 200,000 customer reviews. 

Trefach Holiday Park is tucked away in the Pembrokeshire valley, but is well-worth a visit for any families this summer and scored 9.3 for ‘child-friendliness’.

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When it comes to entertainment during the summer, Trefach Holiday Park’s star of the show is definitely its swimming pool.

The outdoor that’s heated pool makes for a refreshing dip in the summer and is open between May 25 and September 4.

Adults can watch as their children splash about from the courtyard terrace.

One visitor said: “The pool was a big hit with the kids and kept them entertained for hours.”

Another described the campsite as a “little gem” which was great for their “family trip.”

On-site is its own restaurant and cafe which in the high season (July and August) is open every day from 10am until late for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

It also has a play area, games room, TV room, laundrette as well as toilet blocks and showers.

Location-wise, the campsite is close to the hills of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park so it’s a great base for those who like to take scenic walks or want to explore seaside villages.

The nearest fishing villages are the likes of Tenby and Fishguard, it’s also close to the town of Cardigan.

Around Cardigan Bay, visitors can take boats out to do some dolphin-spotting.

Pitch types vary from electric grass tent and touring pitches to electric gravel motorhome pitches. Tent pitches can sleep up to six people for £46 per night – or £7.60pppn.

THE UK has some incredible beach lidos, but this one in the south of England is now award-winning.

Just inland beyond Saltdean Beach in Brighton is its beautiful art deco pool that previously underwent a revamp – and has just won a prestigious prize.

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Saltdean Lido has been open since 1938 to keen swimmers and has undergone significant upgrades throughout the years.

But in 2010, Saltdean Lido began a major revamp, preserving original features, restoring the building and upgrading the café, library, ballroom and an exercise space.

It cost an estimated £11million which was paid for by donations and National Lottery funding.

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After 14 years, it was finally completed in 2024 and now, it is one of six winners in the South East division of the 2026 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Awards.

The prestigious architecture award celebrates design innovation and social impact of buildings around the country.

Along with the other winners, Saltdean Lido was praised as being “exceptional.”

Saltdean Lido is a 40 metre outdoor heated pool and remains open all year, even during the winter.

It has a kids’ splash pool and grassy area making it a popular spot in the summer months.

In the lido building is a café which recently rebranded as the Reading Room, which serves up snacks, toasties and drinks.

On-site is also a gym, as well as saunas and plunge pools designed to increase circulation and boost immune systems.

Classes are held at the lido too, from yoga to Pilates, tai chi and dance – it’s also home to a public library.

There’s a huge ballroom too where events are held and it can even be hired out for weddings.

Events take place throughout the year; coming up in a few months is ‘Dogtember’, which is dubbed the ‘biggest dog swimming event in the UK’.

It runs for four weekends where dogs and humans alike will take to the pool in 90-minute sessions.

Built in the 1930s, the lido was considered such an innovative design of its time.

However, it was forced to close just two years later due to the war and remained closed for the next 19 years.

It was even nearly bought by Butlins in 1958 when it was derelict but this plan was scrapped.

The lido reopened in 1964 after being bought by the Brighton Town Council.

IF you’re an over-packer who constantly battles to zip your suitcase shut, this Amazon find is a game-changer.

Shoppers are rushing to buy these compression packing cubes that do far more than just organise your holiday outfits – they actively squeeze your clothes down into compact bundles, too.

While regular packing cubes can save you around 15% luggage space, compression cubes can save you up to 50% – effectively giving you another half a suitcase to fill.

Travel Compression Packing Cubes, £19.99 (was £29.99)

The cubes are slashed to nearly half-price on Amazon, where you can snap them up for just £19.99 – 33% down from the usual £29.99.

These compression cubes come in handy for all sorts of holidays, whether you’re heading off backpacking or want to pack as many Ibiza party outfits as possible.

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They even have a waterproof compartment to separate any dry and damp clothes from after your travels.

One pleased shopper said “These travel compression packing cubes were a game changer when I was travelling around Thailand with just a backpack.

“The sizes are really well thought out, making it easy to separate clothes, keep everything organised, and maximise space”.

Another shopper said “Really good packing cubes for the price I paid.

“Makes packing much easier and more organised. I wish I had bought them years ago!”

Travel Compression Packing Cubes, £19.99 (was £29.99)

These packing cubes have rip-resistant double stitching and zip smoothly, even when you’ve stuffed them full.

Plus you’re even doing your bit for the environment by picking these cubes, as they’re made from recycled plastic bottles.

The compression packing cubes come in six different colours: grey, beige, blue, black, green and red.

As well as condensing down your clothing into tightly-packed bundles, packing cubes can be a great organising tool.

You can pick an item to bundle into each section – t-shirts, trousers, dresses, socks, toiletries – then pick a cube to pop each of them into.

That way when you need to grab something on holiday, you won’t be rummaging around in your suitcase – you’ll know exactly where to find it.

Travel Compression Packing Cubes, £19.99 (was £29.99)

Prices correct at time of publication.

As the promise of better weather gets us all anticipating some sunshine, it’s a great time to plan a trip to the beach. Here are five stunning sandy spots in the UK that’ll make you feel like you’re abroad

Nothing beats a day at the beach when the weather is warm, and with 27C temperatures potentially hitting the UK at the end of May, many of us will be planning a jaunt to the seaside.

The UK has many beautiful beaches, some of which wouldn’t look out of place in the Caribbean or the Med. And if you want to avoid the hassle of finding a parking space on a busy bank holiday, there are lots of beaches that are easy to reach by train, so you can enjoy a more relaxed day out.

Here are five beaches that could make for the perfect staycation trip once the weather gets warmer.

1. Nairn Beach

Set in the Scottish Highlands, Nairn Beach gets more sunshine than any other beach in the area thanks to its microclimate. While the west side of the beach has more traditional seaside vibes with fish and chip shops and ice cream stalls, head east and there are soft sand dunes, light sands, and turquoise seas.

To add to the Caribbean vibes, you can sometimes spot a colony of Bottlenose Dolphins just off the coast, so be sure to bring binoculars. Nairn Beach is about a 15-minute walk from Nairn’s train station, which connects with Inverness, so despite its unspoilt coast, it’s easy to reach.

2. Herne Bay

Herne Bay in Kent is a classic seaside town with Victorian landmarks, and along the coast you’ll find the ruins of Reculver Towers offering stunning views across the water. The beach has calm, shallow waters, ideal for taking a dip, and you may spot some mussel beds under the surface.

The beach is sand and shingle, giving it a rugged, unspoiled vibe, and at the heart of it all is the Victorian pier, where you’ll find amusements, fish and chip shops, and funfair rides. You can reach Herne Bay by train from London Victoria, with the journey taking just over 90-minutes and the station less than a mile from the beach.

3. Bridlington South beach

If you like your beaches a little more secluded, head to Bridlington South Beach in Yorkshire. Overlooking Bridlington Bay, it has warm, calm waters, dog-friendly sections, and areas for kids to paddle. Walk along the promenade or jump on the land train to enjoy the clifftop views while you chug along.

You can find both bustling and quiet stretches along this long, golden sand beach, and Bridlington’s train station is just a short walk from the northern tip. Services run regularly from York and enjoy views across the countryside as you head towards this coastal retreat.

4. Porthmeor Beach

Porthmeor Beach in St. Ives in Cornwall brings a little bit of the Caribbean to the West Country, offering light golden sands and Atlantic surf protected by rocky headlands. It’s incredibly popular in the summer months, thanks to its surf school and general family-friendly vibes. If the sun gets too hot, you can even head into the cool atmosphere of Tate St Ives, a gallery just steps from the beach. Visit later in the day and enjoy the west-facing unobstructed views of the Atlantic that make this a popular spot for watching the sunset.

You’ll find the beach just a 15-minute walk from St Ives train station, where the railway line runs along the coast, connecting with St Erth, where you’ll find direct trains to London.

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5. Troon Beach

Troon Beach in Scotland is set around a crescent-shaped bay, making the waters shallow, calm, and perfect for paddling. You can even see the Isle of Arran just across the water on clear days, and if you wait until sunset, you’ll see the sun disappear behind the island. While the beach has golden sands and soft green sand dunes, it also has a rugged feel, and incredible views of the Firth of Clyde.

At one end of the beach, you’ll find the famous Royal Troon Golf Club, and as you wander along the coast, you’ll spot a wide variety of wildlife, including seabirds, waders, and even seals swimming close to shore. The sands are less than 10-minutes from the train station, which has regular services to Glasgow Central, making it a well-connected seaside escape.

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Holiday park’s across the UK have been ranked by the best for child-friendliness and the top 10 showcases sites with incredible facilities from outdoor heated pools to highly rated kids’ club

Fresh rankings have unveiled the top family campsites across the UK, and their locations hidden in the most peaceful corners of the countryside make them a tempting treat.

As more families ditch overseas holidays in favour of budget-friendly breaks closer to home, outdoor getaways have surged in popularity. But with young children in mind, not just any campsite will do — parents often seek out sites with top-notch facilities and plenty of entertainment to make the trip that little bit smoother.

A standout site in Pembrokeshire has been crowned Britain’s finest, according to new data from Pitchup.com, which analysed nearly 200,000 verified customer reviews to compile its top ten list.

The rankings reveal that the highest-scoring site for ‘child-friendliness’ is Trefach Holiday Park in Mynachlog-ddu, Clunderwen, Pembrokeshire, which earned an impressive 9.3/10 from guest reviews.

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One delighted visitor wrote: “I was recommended this site by a friend and we were not disappointed. It has a heated pool which we all thoroughly enjoyed on our stay. Fantastic food there. The whole site was so clean and tidy, and it was a very peaceful site. I would highly recommend it, and we will definitely be returning next year for a stay.”

What sets the park apart as a premier destination is its outdoor heated pool, where parents can unwind on the terrace with a cold drink while watching the kids splash about. For those looking to keep little ones occupied, there is also a highly regarded kids’ club alongside a wealth of entertainment facilities, including a play area and games room.

Also featuring on the list of the UK’s finest family-friendly campsites is Jubilee Camping in Hampshire at number two, and Panoramic Camping and Glamping in Swansea at number three. The Swansea site is a peaceful, rural retreat just a 10-minute stroll from a local pub, offering a back-to-basics camping experience. It also features its own bar and pizza oven on site.

Another standout, on the other end of the UK to the winners, is Riverside Holiday Village in Somerset at number 10, with a score of 8.7 for its child-friendliness.

The campsite is beloved for its tranquil setting along the river’s bend in Bleadon, and its convenient location, set a mere 10 minute drive from the bustling seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. Another being the huge amount of fun and entertainment for children with a games arcade and a heated indoor swimming pool on site.

It’s evident that the UK is brimming with outstanding camping destinations, with family-friendly sites spanning the length and breadth of the country — from Somerset and Devon to Swansea, Cheshire and Wiltshire.

Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup.com, said: “Camping and glamping holidays continue to be a popular choice for families looking to spend quality time together outdoors, particularly as more people seek flexible and affordable UK breaks. The sites featured in these rankings stood out for creating welcoming, family-friendly experiences that give children the freedom to explore while helping parents relax and unwind.

“We’re seeing families place increasing value on outdoor space, nature and simple shared experiences, whether that’s wildlife watching, campfires or easy access to beaches and walking routes. The variety of sites featured across the UK also shows there’s strong demand for family-friendly stays in every corner of Great Britain.”

The UK’s best family friendly campsites

• Trefach Holiday Park, Pembrokeshire
• Jubilee Camping, Hampshire
• Panoramic Camping and Glamping, Swansea
• Little Thornham Holidays, Wiltshire
• Magical Malpas PYO Farm, Cheshire
• Auchingarrich Wildlife Park, Perthshire
• Puddleduck Glamping, Lancashire
• South Ford Farm Camping, Devon
• Poplar Grove Farm Caravan Park, Lancashire
• Riverside Holiday Village, Somerset

Beer lovers prayers have been answered as this Coach firm has just launched a 250-mile-long pub crawl starting early at 9:15am from Dolgellau and taking in many famous Spoons along the way

Nobody loves an organised pub crawl more than the Brits – but this one may have just topped them all.

While some make pilgrimages to a significant place or worship or set out on a journey to deepen their spirituality, this particular tour will have travellers doing less thinking and more drinking.

Lloyd’s Coaches has launched the ultimate ‘Spoons Pilgrimage’, a 250-mile round journey visiting a whole load of JD Wetherspoon pubs throughout North Wales, and venturing slightly beyond the border as well. The route begins and ends in Dolgellau.

It’s such a brilliant idea that other travel companies are likely kicking themselves, wondering why they didn’t come up with the scheme first. Yet the concept is pretty simple.

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For the very reasonable price of just £20, not including any drinks bought along the way, passengers can embark on a day trip like no other.

Departing nice and early from Dolgellau, Wales at 9.15am, the coach will head towards the inaugural Spoons in Oswestry, known as the Wilfred Owen. It’s expected that the coach arrives at noon, with attendees given a 45-minute stop to knock back a pint or two.

Then it’s time to get back on board and head on towards The Castle Hotel in Ruthin, under an hour’s drive away. Here they’ll have another 45-minute stop, before carrying on to The Picture House in Colwyn Bay, a further 45-minute drive.

It’s shaping up to be a long day on the road already, but fortunately, it’s a shorter drive this time around to the Palladium in Llandudno: the most impressive of all the establishments on the route. At this point, six county boundaries have been crossed, but there’s still plenty more to go.

Perhaps feeling a little bit giddy from all of the drinking thus far, punters will head to Tafarn y Porth in Caernarfon, then Pen Cob in Pwllheli for 7.30pm, for the final drinking stop.

Lloyds Coaches announced in a statement: “Ready for a legendary day out without the ‘who’s driving?’ debate. Grab your mates and hop aboard for the Lloyds Coaches Wetherspoons Tour. We’re hitting some of the most iconic pubs across North Wales and the border. Whether you’re in it for the affordable ales, the legendary breakfasts, or just to check the carpet patterns, this is the trip for you!”

The never-before-seen Wetherspoons Tour is set to be held on Saturday, June 27, and with the initial Facebook post gaining so much traction, who knows, it could go on to be a regular event.

Full of excitement, the travel firm later added: “We’re filling up faster than a pint of Ruddles on a Tuesday. At this rate, we’re seriously asking ourselves: ‘Do we need to add another coach’.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Lloyds Coaches added a second coach on the same day, after the first sold out.

Travellers to the continent may soon be able to board a new direct route to Europe on Eurostar, removing the need to change trains and cutting the journey time by around two hours overall

Eurostar could soon offer a new direct route from London St Pancras to three European cities, offering a faster and easier way to get to central Europe.

The plans were unveiled in a press release by Eurostar, confirming that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed between Eurostar, SBB (Swiss Federal Railways), and French-operator SNCF Voyageurs to potentially offer a direct connection between London and Switzerland.

The move was described as “an important milestone” in the planning of the new route, which could see services from London to Zurich offered direct with a six hour travel time, direct trains to Basel taking five hours, and a route to Geneva which would take around five-and-a-half hours.

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Currently, passengers can book London to Switzerland trains with Eurostar, although this currently necessitates a change at Paris Gare du Nord, and means travelling across the city to Paris Gare De Lyon to get a connecting TGV train. Not only is this less convenient, as it means taking your luggage on the metro, it also adds an hour or more to most journey times between London and Switzerland.

Eurostar’s press release explained: “The signed MoU is an important milestone. The next step is to analyse potential timetables and operational concepts. Based on this, the key steps and milestones for the potential introduction of such a direct connection from London to Switzerland.

“The three partners aim to offer the potential direct connection to London as soon as possible and are continuously driving the project forward.”, adding: “Implementation would be feasible at the earliest sometime in the course of the 2030s.”

Eurostar currently offers direct trains from London St. Pancras to five destinations: Paris, Brussels, Lille, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. However, passengers can book connecting trains to more than 20 destinations, including cities in Germany, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.

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Eurostar has previously raised the possibility of running longer direct routes from London, with Marseille in the south of France and Milan in Italy mentioned among potential expansions of its rail routes.

It’s also announced that it has ordered up to 50 Celestia double-decker trains, which will be introduced onto its routes from May 2031, allowing it to offer increased capacity along popular routes. Eurostar also unveiled ambitious expansion plans last year for St Pancras International. The plans could allow the station to handle 5,000 passengers per hour by 2028.

By 2030, it’s expected that arrivals will be moved upstairs to increase capacity. At the time, Richard Thorp, chief operating officer at London St. Pancras Highspeed, said the station was ‘delighted’ to be joining forces with Eurostar to expand its capacity. “With growing passenger demand for international train travel, it is important that St. Pancras International station is future-proofed and optimised to accommodate this.”

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In some cases, people could be hit with hefty fines

A UK airport has issued a warning as travellers may be unaware they could be risking a £5,000 fine after taking sandwiches on board a flight. Many passengers purchase food at airports, or pack their own, and carry it onto planes without any trouble.

However, London Luton Airport has highlighted what the law actually states. And if you’re heading abroad anytime soon, it’s well worth taking note.

A post on X from the airport’s official account reads: “It is illegal to bring meats such as lamb, pork or beef or dairy products from the EU into GB in your luggage. This means items such as cheese, cured or raw meats, sandwiches and milk, including duty free purchases.”

The guidance applies to all airports across England, Scotland and Wales. Should you be caught carrying any prohibited items – including sandwiches containing meat or dairy – and fail to declare these to Border Force officers at customs, you could face prosecution, or a £5,000 fine (in England only).

Rules around bringing in meat, dairy, fish and other animal products differ depending on the country of origin. If you are travelling back from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, you are banned from bringing in any of the following:

• cheese, milk and dairy products like butter and yoghurt
• pork
• beef
• lamb
• mutton
• goat
• venison
• other products made from these meats, for example sausages

You can bring in the following for personal use:

• fish
• poultry, for example chicken, duck, goose and any other products made from these meats
• other animal products, for example eggs and honey

You may also bring in up to 2kg per person of powdered infant milk, infant food, or special food required for medical purposes. This is only allowed if it does not require refrigeration before use, and is in branded, unopened packaging (unless currently in use).

If you are travelling from a country outside the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, you are prohibited from bringing any meat or meat products, or milk or milk-based products, with the exception of powdered infant milk, infant food or special food needed for medical reasons.

You are, however, permitted to bring in up to 2kg per person of:

• honey
• powdered infant milk, infant food, or special food (including pet food) needed for medical reasons – you can only bring it in if it does not need to be refrigerated before use, and is in branded, unopened packaging (unless in current use)
• live mussels or oysters
• snails – these must be preserved or shelled, cooked and prepared
• frogs’ legs – these must be the back (hind) part of the frog with the skin and internal organs removed
• insect protein

You may bring in up to 20kg per person in total of fish, including:

• fresh fish – must be gutted
• fish products
• processed fish – must be dried, cooked, cured or smoked
• lobsters
• prawns

Europe’s cheapest destination for solo travellers is also rated one of the safest countries in the world according to the Global Peace Index

As flight prices soar amid the Middle Eastern conflict, holidaymakers face mounting challenges when booking their next getaway. Yet fresh research from Solo Female Travelers has uncovered more affordable destinations where the cost of living is significantly lower for a weekend break.

Researchers examined data from Numbeo covering 49 European destinations, excluding Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict and unreliable data. Crown Dependencies such as the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar, and the Faroe Islands were also omitted, as they are not sovereign states. The team then worked out a daily solo basket spanning six spending categories.

The six categories included – an inexpensive restaurant meal, coffee/cappuccino, bottled water (0.33L), local transport (return), a cinema ticket, and a one-bedroom city-centre flat (per night).

The study revealed that a solo traveller could enjoy a weekend in North Macedonia for just €52.38 (£45.33).

Skopje serves as the capital and largest city in North Macedonia, boasting a population exceeding 500,000. The landlocked Balkan nation shares borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the north.

A meal at a budget-friendly restaurant in Skopje would set you back €6.51 (£5.63), a regular-sized cappuccino would cost €1.92 (£1.66), and a 0.33L bottle of water would cost €1.05 (£0.91).

Direct flights from London to Skopje are priced at roughly £90 for a weekend trip or approximately £49 if you’ve got flexibility with your dates. According to World Population Review, North Macedonia also ranks among the “safest countries in the world”, with a low risk level based on the Global Peace Index.

Coming in second was Bosnia and Herzegovina, where a solo weekend would run you €54.66 (£47.30). Meanwhile, a weekend in Moldova would cost slightly more at €54.93 (£47.53). Rounding out the top four is Serbia, where a weekend will set a solo traveller back €61.65 (£53.35).

Remarkably, the top four combined would nearly match the priciest destination for solo weekend travel.

Liechtenstein’s weekend cost is 4.25 times higher than the cheapest option, at €222.66 (£192.68). For a combined total of €223.62 (£193.51) – virtually identical to a single weekend in Liechtenstein – travellers could experience all four cheaper alternatives.

Liechtenstein narrowly edged out neighbouring Switzerland €221.70 (£191.85) by less than one euro. Liechtenstein’s daily basket of €74.22 stands as the highest in Europe, with dining expenses exceeding accommodation costs.

Dining in Liechtenstein runs 20% higher than Switzerland at €27.13 (£23.48) and more than double the European average of €14.98 (£12.96).

Mar Pages, co-founder of Solo Female Travelers, commented: “Liechtenstein may be small, but its costs are anything but. What’s interesting is that the premium isn’t driven by accommodation – it’s the everyday spending, from a simple meal to a coffee, that pushes it to the top.

“For solo travellers planning a European trip, this data is a powerful reminder that cost differences across the continent are enormous and the destination you choose makes all the difference.”

Travellers have been told ‘not to panic’ if they have flights planned for the summer

Many travellers are worried that their summer flights may be at risk as the jet fuel supply disruptions have left some airlines cancelling and rescheduling flights. Now, hantavirus has also trigger some anxiety as passengers fear they may be facing the same disruptions they experienced during the Covid pandemic.

While health experts have been assured the public that hantavirus is “not like Covid”, according to BBC’s Dr Xand, a travel expert explained exactly what rights you have if your flight is cancelled for these reasons.

Hannah Mayfield explained: “If your flight is cancelled because of a global health emergency or another major disruption outside the airline’s control, passengers are still entitled under UK261 to either a full refund or alternative flight.

“That obligation remains firmly with the airline, even in extraordinary circumstances. What may not apply, however, is additional compensation.

“We saw significant confusion around this during the coronavirus pandemic.”

The travel money expert with specialist travel insurance comparison website PayingTooMuch, urged people to learn the “crucial” distinction between these two as some travellers mistakenly believe that if they aren’t entitled to compensation then they aren’t entitled to anything.

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Ultimately, the expert assured everyone with upcoming flights: “The key message for travellers this summer is not to panic, but to understand where responsibility sits before problems arise. Knowing your rights in advance makes it much easier to act quickly and avoid unnecessary stress or expense if your faced with disruptions.”

She continued: “Airlines are responsible for passenger rights linked to the flight itself, including refunds, rebooking, and assistance during disruption.

“Travel insurance, by contrast, is there to protect against wider personal financial risks such as cancellation due to illness, emergency medical treatment abroad and repatriation as well as things like baggage lost items and in some cases irrecoverable costs that cannot be recovered from airlines or travel providers depending on the cover.”

Checking your travel insurance and how you paid for the flight before you leave can also add some extra protection. The expert urged: “It’s equally important to read the travel insurance policy carefully before travelling.

“Many people only discover exclusions relating to pandemics, wider disruption, or government travel advisories when they come to make a claim.”

Hannah explained that if you used a credit card to pay for your flight, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act can “provide valuable additional protection in some instances”. While those who paid with debit cards may have “less robust” protections.