TRAVEL

THE new EES is officially underway – and the new system has already been causing long wait times at certain airports.

Passengers at Brussels Airport have complained about waiting for up to three hours to get through border control this week.

One passenger spoke to The Brussels Times about her ordeal getting through border control at Brussels Airport claiming she waited for more than three hours.

Rebecca Wells who was travelling with a US passport, told the publication that the queue for those arriving outside of the EU was much longer than the one for EU passports.

She added: “There was nobody there to brief you or tell you what was going on.”

And when it came to the new EES system, it wasn’t used. Rebecca explained that her passport was “stamped like normal”.

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Despite there being a spot to take fingerprints, it wasn’t used.

Another disgruntled passenger took to social media taking a picture of the queue and remarked that just two out of the five customs booths were open during “peak time”.

However, another passenger who also spoke to The Brussels Times on an EU passport said it was “all digital” and she had no issues going through.

When The Brussels Times approached Brussels Airport for comment, they could not confirm whether the long wait times were due to the EES system.

A spokesperson for the Federal Police, which is responsible for the airport’s border control, told the publication that the long wait time was due to “a combination of factors”.

The new EES rules began the first phase of the rollout on October 12, 2025.

For travellers, it means having fingerprints scanned and photo taken at European borders.

The new system is being rolled out across Europe gradually and is set to be completely operational at all external Schengen border crossings by April 10, 2026.

At Dover, the new EES is required by coach drivers and won’t apply to other passengers until November 1.

Meanwhile, Eurostar has started with just business travellers, and the Eurotunnel will begin with coaches and lorries before moving to cars.

The first time you travel and will be required to use the EES system, you’ll need to register at a special machine called a kiosk.

You’ll scan your passport, then the machine will take your fingerprints and a photo.

Kids under 12 will not need to give fingerprints.

You will also answer four quick questions on the screen about your trip, such as where you are staying and confirming you have enough money for your holiday.

Once registered, your details are stored for three years, and on future trips, you’ll just need a quick face scan to verify it is you.

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Here’s more on the new EES rules and how it will affect your travels.

And here’s more information on the ETIAS – set to be in place from late 2026.

Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane has expressed interest in running trains between London and Paris with a stop in the southeastern county of Kent, meaning an extra direct train route to Europe

A new train service would provide a second direct route from the UK to Europe.

At the moment, if you want to get from the UK to Europe by train (and you aren’t in your own vehicle), the only option is to go on the Eurostar from St Pancras International in London.

Eurostar trains used to make stops in Kent, but service was halted in 2020. Services stopped operating at Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International because of the coronavirus pandemic, but they never returned when international travel did.

Earlier this year, Eurostar said just 4% of passengers travelled from Ashford, or Ebbsfleet, which is also in Kent. At peak times, it says there were 50 passengers from Ashford on each 900-seat train.

READ MORE: EasyJet launches new routes for autumn breaks with flights from £14.99

OPINION

Milo Boyd

That hasn’t stopped the Kentish people from expressing their dismay at the scrapped service. Around 80,000 of them have signed a petition to get their European link back. Jean-Claude Cothias, a Frenchman who moved to Ashford due to its connections with the Continent, has even considered leaving the town now that Eurostar doesn’t stop there.

“That connection, if it’s not there, it is hugely detrimental to the economic environment in the town and to its attractiveness,” he told the BBC.

It seems that their protests have worked. Italian operator Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane has expressed interest in running trains between London and Paris with a stop in the southeastern county.

The competitor is one of several train companies competing to run a cross-Channel route. Its plans include a £1 billion investment into the British economy, and the construction of an ‘innovation hub’ at Ashford station, according to the Times.

Virgin, German-owned organisation Deutsche Bahn, and startup Evolyn have been gearing up to make bids for access to the Channel Tunnel.

A Virgin Group spokesperson said: “Virgin is talking to Kent County Council and other stakeholders about stopping at both Ebbsfleet and Ashford as it set out in its ORR submission. Reopening the stations to be able to accommodate international services requires commitment and resources from all parties and potential competitors involved – but if the stations are opened, Virgin will stop in Kent.”

In January Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “keen” to see international services reinstated to Ashford “as soon as possible”, when responding to Ashford MP Sojan Joseph’s question in the House of Commons. Like Ashford and Ebbsfleet, Eurostar no longer stops at Calais’s international station – Calais Frethun.

Ashford Borough Council invested £25m for the infrastructure of the town’s international station, which opened in 1996. It also spent £8.5m more to upgrade signalling in 2020, so newer Eurostar trains could access the station.

Council leader Noel Ovenden has been a vocal critic of both Ashford International and Ebbsfleet stations lying unused by direct European services. “We want it open now, not in another five years. We need to keep banging the drum, louder and louder, and push hard to get this station reopened,” he told the BBC.

UNIVERSAL has revealed further plans for yet another theme park which is due to open next year.

Set to open in Texas, America, Universal Kid’s Resort will be solely focused on children’s attractions.

The park will feature seven lands in total, all based on popular children’s shows and stories.

The lands will include Shrek’s Swamp, Puss in Boots Del Mar, Minions vs Minions: Bello Bay Club, Jurassic World Adventure Camp, TrollsFest, SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom and Isle of Curiosity.

Visitors will enter through the Isle of Curiosity where they will be able to meet Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse and enjoy a dance party together.

Then in Shrek’s world, which Universal describes as a “waterlogged paradise”, guests will be able to meet Shrek and Fiona, as well as grab a photo at the onion carriage.

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The land will have two interactive play areas as well – Shrek’s Swamp Rompin’ Stomp and Shrek’s Swamp Splash & Smash.

For kids who prefer Puss in Boots, they can meet the character themselves as well as Mama Luna and Perrito from Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

The land will also have a series of carnival-themed games and concept arts suggest there will be a swing carousel.

One of the main attractions in the Minions land, where Yellow Minions battle Purple ones, will be a water ride that snakes around the world.

Onlookers can participate in the fun too, by using water pistols to spray those on the ride.

Aspiring paleontologists will get the opportunity to see a newly hatched baby dinosaur in the Jurassic World Adventure Camp as well as climb up Lookout Towers in a play area.

Concept art also reveals a rollercoaster and drop tower ride.

In the Trolls land, visitors can once again meet characters such as Poppy and Branch and experience two play areas – Poppy’s Playland and Trolls Critter Crawl.

In addition, some of the concept art shows that the land may also have a rollercoaster, hot air balloon-themed ride and a netted climbing area.

Heading ‘undersea’ to SpongeBob’s land, kids can head to Mussel Beach and also see SpongeBob’s iconic pineapple house.

Across the park, there will be multiple sensory gardens with different touch, sound and colour attractions as well.

For families looking to stay close-by, the theme park will have a colourfully-themed 300-room hotel.

Molly Murphy, president of Universal Creative said: “Universal Kids Resort embodies the spirit of igniting thrill that drives everything we create — designed to bring our youngest guests and families together through play, creativity, and beloved characters and stories.”

Brian Robinson, executive vice president and chief creative officer at Universal Creative said: “We envisioned this park through the unbridled creativity of kids where infinite imagination, curiosity and free-spirited play were core to our design philosophies.

“It produced a park that’s pure joy and an absolute celebration of what it is to be a kid.”

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In other family attraction news, a new theme park with world’s fastest and tallest rollercoaster to finally open this year.

Plus, the UK’s best value theme park has been named and tickets are buy one get one free this week.

THE NEW series of The Traitors is in full swing backstabbing and scheming amongst popular celebs for the very first time.

But where exactly is the famous castle? Well, you’ll find it on the outskirts of this very quiet Scottish town.

Called Alness, the Scottish town in the Highlands is home to just under 6,000 residents and is slightly inland of Cromarty Firth.

It’s not overly well-known, but millions have seen its nearby Ardross Castle on-screen as it stars on The Traitors.

The 19th-century building sits on the outskirts of the town set in formal gardens and over 100 acres of parkland.

As for Alness, the Highland Guide describes it as a ‘charming highland town’ known for its “friendly community, and scenic beauty”.

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In fact, Alness stop on the North Coast 500 (NC500) route – a popular 516-mile scenic road trip in the Scottish Highlands.

Around Alness you get great views as it’s close to the Cnoc Fyrish hill, and the Cromarty Firth which is home to seals and bottlenose dolphins.

One of the best views is up near the Fyrish Monument, a stone ruin high up on the hillside that overlooks the Cromarty Firth.

For anyone driving through on the NC500, or visiting, make sure to make Dalmore Distillery one of your stops.

It’s one of Scotland’s most famous whisky producers and Dalmore Distillery has been making single malt Scotch whisky since 1839.

The site has said it will re-open to visitors in 2026 with a “new experience” for whisky enthusiasts.

Very near the distillery is Dalmore Farm Shop & Restaurant, the town’s locally run farm where you can pop in for a bite to eat.

The farm shop won a Travellers‘ Choice Award in 2025 for its consistently high reviews, particularly for its cakes.

But they also serve up breakfast from eggs benedict and the ‘breakfast stack’ to lunch, like steak flatbread to scampi and chips.

For anyone wanting to hunker town in Alness, the two hotels on the high street are the Commercial Hotel with rooms from £80 per night.

Or at the other end of the high street is the larger Station Hotel with big rooms around £110 per night, and there’s a pub underneath.

Nearer to Ardross Castle is the Kildermorie Estate, a traditional Scottish Highland Estate open throughout the year.

It’s around 19,000 acres with plenty to do for those looking for activities from fishing in the lochs to bird watching and hiking up the Carn Chuinneagh mountain.

There’s accommodation on the estate too from cottages that sleep two to the lodge that can host up to 20 guests.

As for Ardross Castle, it’s sadly not open to visitors.

But if you’re up for a hike, some fans of the show have said you can get views of the front of the castle across the valley at Wester Lealty.

Others say you can hike along the coastal path where you can spot the castle in the distance.

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Here are 7 castles you can stay in to feel like you’re on The Traitors…

Leasowe Castle
Leasowe Castle is nestled along the Wirral seaside and is a 15 minute drive from Liverpool city centre. The castle has basic twin, double and master bedrooms with four-poster beds. It also has suites in the castle including one in the tower and one in the turret. Historically, Leasowe dates back to the 16th century, and has a unique octagonal tower.

Tulloch Castle Hotel

Tulloch Castle is a 12th-century-castle set against the landscape of the Highlands of Scotland, and is a five-minute drive away from Dingwall. The hotel is dog friendly, and nature fans can explore the North Coast 500 route too. The castle retains many of its period features, including the 250-year old panelled entrance hall, and restored original fireplaces and ceilings.

Castle Bromwich Hall

Castle Bromwich Hall really gives off Traitors vibes thanks to its gothic appearance. The mansion on the outskirts of Birmingham is a Grade I listed building and has retained many original features from the 1700s, including the huge entrance hall and grand staircase. The bedrooms are kitted out with traditional looking furniture, from four poster beds to chandeliers and claw foot bath tubs. You can even stay in their ‘Bridal Suite’ which was used in by Queen Elizabeth I.

Cave Castle Hotel

Cave Castle Hotel has over 350 years of history with original turrets and stone features. The huge castle in Hull has 71 rooms, some with four-poster beds and modern features in the newer wings. Cave Castle also has offers like Galentines, which for a girls night away includes Prosecco on arrival and treatments at the spa. The hotel has got ratings of 4 out of 5 on Tripadvisor with guests “impressed” by the “spectacular” building and “picturesque” grounds.

Walworth Castle
Walworth Castle, in the Tees Valley countryside, dates back to 1189, and is set in 18 acres of lawns and woodlands. It’s a good choice for anyone who has an interest in the paranormal as the castle its said to be haunted, with murder mystery evenings too. They offer four poster tower suites with double Jacuzzi baths as well as an also an award winning restaurant and farmers bar.

Lumley Castle Hotel

Surrounded by parklands and overlooking the River Wear is the Lumley Castle Hotel in County Durham. Lumley Castle Hotel was built in 1388 and converted into a hotel in 1976. The most impressive room is the King James Suite which has a 20ft high four-poster bed, its own reception room and Jacuzzi bath.

Ruthin Castle Hotel and Spa

The four star castle hotel is found within the Clwydian Range in North Wales and has been dubbed “romantic” by guests. Ruthin Castle has rooms from standard to deluxe suites as well as on-site spa with mud room, woodland hot tubs and massages, body scrubs and facials. Guests on Tripadvisor were particularly impressed with the gardens and the “peacocks on the grounds”. They also have garden games like croquet and giant chess.

Here’s more on the Scottish Highlands from one Sun Writer who went on the UK road trip that felt more like New Zealand – with white sand beaches, rugged mountains & magical islands.

And another stayed in a historical former monastery in Scotland that felt like something from Harry Potter.

Kilian Jornet, one of the world’s most accomplished mountaineers, did something this month that left even other elite athletes gasping: He climbed all 72 summits in the contiguous United States that stand over 14,000 feet tall.

In 31 days.

That’s like climbing California’s Mt. Whitney — the nation’s tallest mountain outside of Alaska — two-and-a-half times per day, every day, for a month.

But reaching so many summits, so quickly, was only half the battle. In fact, it was “the fun part,” a surprisingly rested-looking Jornet said in a Zoom interview from Seattle earlier this month, three days after summiting Mt. Rainier in knee-deep snow to complete the grueling journey, which he started in early September.

The hard part was negotiating the spaces in between.

Spanish mountaineer Kilian Jornet treks through the Sierra Nevada range known as the Normans 13, which connects 13 summits over 14,000 feet.

(Andy Cochrane)

“If you’re driving, you see the landscape,” Jornet explained. “But you don’t feel it.”

OK, how do you feel it?

By running the hundreds of miles of remote mountain ridges, and biking the thousands of miles of desolate highway, that separate the towering summits scattered across Colorado, California and Washington.

In total, Jornet covered 3,198 miles under his own power. He biked 2,568 miles. He ran 629 miles. He climbed 403,638 vertical feet.

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Tommy Caldwell, arguably the best technical rock climber of his generation and the first to climb Yosemite’s nearly impossible Dawn Wall, followed Jornet’s progress on Instagram. When the Spaniard finished, Caldwell posted, “my mind is officially blown.”

Like many elite climbers, Jornet, 37, slips into a stoic, been-there-done-that voice when describing mountain conditions that would terrify mere mortals. But he broke character, briefly, talking about climbing the summit of Mt. Shasta in Northern California.

As often happens on that free-standing volcano, a howling gale struck just as Jornet approached the 14,162-foot summit.

Shaky video shot by a climbing partner shows Jornet’s trekking poles flailing and his feet sliding around on the ice as he struggles — and fails — to remain upright in what sounds like a hurricane.

“It was crazy,” he conceded, “probably the windiest day I have ever had in the mountains.”

Asked why, exactly, he puts himself through so much agony, he snapped back into aw-shucks mode. He sank into his comfy seat, smiled with the confidence of a man who has parried that question a thousand times, and said:

“Why not?”

Spanish mountaineer Kilian Jornet climbed 72 summits over 14,000 feet in the contiguous U.S. in 31 days.

(Nick Danielson)

In an age saturated with professional outdoor athletes competing for social media attention and lucrative sponsorships — and in a world where the most iconic summits have been climbed, the biggest waves have been surfed and the wildest rivers have been run — one fashionable way to stand out is by setting a fastest known time, or “FKT.”

Jornet’s jaunt over and between those 72 summits, which he dubbed “States of Elevation” and gorgeously documented for his 1.8 million followers on Instagram, was, by all accounts, the fastest known time. It was also the only known time. Apparently, nobody else has tried to link all of those summits together in a single, human-powered push.

“Yes, it’s hard,” Jornet said with a laugh when asked if the constant, grinding pain was worth it. But after a while, “you get used to the discomfort, it’s just part of it, it doesn’t really bother you.”

The finale of Jornet’s 72-peak feat was a 14,441-foot volcano covered with glaciers, one of the broadest and most visually imposing mountains on the planet. Few people even attempt to climb Mt. Rainier this time of year because the weather can be so brutal.

As Jornet pedaled closer to the peak, it started to rain down in the flats, so he knew that meant snow on the mountain.

Crossing the glaciers with their immense, yawning crevasses hidden by fresh snow would have been too dangerous, so Jornet chose a steep and challenging rock route known as Success Cleaver. But even that was buried in knee-deep snow.

After summiting Mt. Rainier, Jornet posted that his U.S. journey was, “never about just the numbers, but rather a deep connection to wild places, and true test of resilience in body and mind.”

Anyone else claiming that might have been met with eye rolls, but Jornet is one of the few outdoor athletes who probably doesn’t need to pad his resume: He cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats long ago.

Spanish mountaineer Kilian Jornet hikes in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado in September.

(Nick Danielson)

Born just outside of Barcelona in 1987, he grew up in a ski area in the Pyrenees where his father was a mountain guide. He climbed his first mountain over 10,000 feet when he was 5.

At 20, he won the first of six titles in the Sky Runner World Series, an international competition consisting of long, high-altitude foot races that test speed and endurance on steep mountainsides.

At 26, he set FKTs for climbing Switzerland’s Matterhorn and France’s Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in Western Europe. A year later, he broke the speed record climbing the bitterly cold and deadly Denali, in Alaska, the tallest mountain in North America.

A few years after that, he climbed Mt. Everest twice in one week without supplemental oxygen.

In addition to all of the technical mountaineering, Jornet has been one of the most successful ultramarathoners in history, winning the prestigious Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, a 100-mile race through the Alps, four times.

After his early career dominating distance races in relatively cold climates, Jornet showed up at Northern California’s Western States ultramarathon in 2010. It’s a 100-mile race that starts near the shore of Lake Tahoe and descends to the Sacramento suburbs in late June, when the sun and temperatures can be unforgiving.

He was comically unprepared. “I didn’t do any heat training,” Jornet recalled, “so when I arrived I was like, ‘Should I have brought water for this race?’” Still, he came in third, then returned the next year to win.

In June, he went back to the Western States 100 for the first time in 14 years. The event has evolved since then: The field is fitter and more professional. But even at his relatively advanced age, Jornet came in third, dropping more than an hour off his winning time in 2011.

Back then, he relied mostly on raw talent, Jornet said. “I train much better now, I know I need to prepare specifically and put in the work.”

But does he ever just kick back and spend a weekend sprawled on the couch, a remote in one hand and a bowl of ice cream in the other?

“For me, that’s not relaxing,” he said, recalling the time he and his wife, Emelie Forsberg, also a world champion runner and skier, tried to take a normal vacation.

They had just completed a race on Reunion Island, off the coast of Madagascar, when they decided to spend a week on the nearby tropical island of Mauritius.

“We said we’d just sit on the beach and read books, and that’s all,” Jornet said. But by the end of the first day they looked at each other and wondered if they should change their flight to get back to running and skiing in the mountains. “It was like, yes, yes, yes for both of us,” Jornet said.

Spanish mountaineer Kilian Jornet in the Sierra Nevada range known as the Normans 13, which connects 13 summits over 14,000 feet.

(Andy Cochrane)

After years living in Chamonix, France, a hard-partying resort in the Alps regarded as the mountain sports capital of the world, Jornet and Forsberg moved to a house by a remote fjord in Norway. It’s a quiet place to raise their three young children, grow their own vegetables and train in the surrounding mountains, some of which have no names.

“Sometimes when you’re climbing Everest, or Mont Blanc, or Mt. Whitney, it’s like you’re climbing the famous name,” Jornet said. As he matures, he prefers climbing mountains simply “because they’re beautiful.”

But he still craves big challenges.

Last year, he climbed all 82 summits in the Alps over 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) in 19 days, traveling the 750 miles between them on foot and bicycle.

“This was, without any doubt, the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life, mentally, physically, and technically,” he wrote on social media. “But also maybe the most beautiful.”

That got him thinking even bigger, trying to imagine the most “aesthetic line” for a similar expedition in the United States.

After landing in Denver last month, he went straight to the trailhead for 14,256-foot Longs Peak. “But I really felt like crap,” he said, blaming a combination of jet lag and the air being so much drier in Colorado than in Norway.

For the first week, he wondered if he should just quit. But then, somewhere along the way, his body switched, “from fighting to adapting,” and he settled into a comfortable rhythm.

After summiting 56 mountains in Colorado, Jornet hopped on his bike and pedaled 900 miles to California, where 15 more high peaks awaited. At times, the headwind was so brutal he slowed to a maddening crawl, even when going downhill.

He’d also lost 10 pounds in the mountains and, at 5’7” and about 130 pounds, his slender frame has nothing to spare. So he spent much of his time on the bike shoveling calories — even spiking his water bottles with generous helpings of olive oil — to replace lost fat.

His long slog on the bike ended in Lone Pine, a dusty town four hours north of Los Angeles, where the Eastern Sierra rise 10,000 feet, like a solid granite wall, from the desert floor.

Jornet had covered nearly 200 miles that day, and faced a 6,000-foot climb to the Cottonwood Lakes trailhead, where he would sleep before starting the toughest part of the whole trip.

The road up to Cottonwood Lakes is 23 miles of harrowing switchbacks, with vertigo-inducing views of the valley below at almost every turn. The drive, alone, freaks out a lot of people.

“It was cool that I arrived there in the dark,” Jornet said, undaunted by the prospect of pedaling off the side of a cliff. “Nice to do the climb when it wasn’t so hot.”

The next morning he started running “Norman’s 13” — a baker’s dozen of 14,000-foot summits along the Sierra Crest between Lone Pine and Bishop, the most remote and punishing alpine terrain in California. He made astonishing time: cruising over 14,032-foot Mt. Langley and 14,505-froot Mt. Whitney like they were speed bumps.

But for all their imposing altitude, the standard routes up Langley and Whitney don’t require any special skills, they’re just long hiking trails with very little exposure to deadly falls. Things changed when Jornet reached a section called the Palisades Traverse, just up the hill from Big Pine.

There, a ridge of jagged granite rises like an upside down saw’s blade over one of the last remaining glaciers in California. There are no hiking trails, just daunting towers of shattered and jumbled rock, where seemingly any misstep can lead to a thousand-foot fall.

Only the most committed mountaineers go there, and they tend to take their time, waiting for good weather and climbing with ropes and harnesses.

But when you’re on a mission like Jornet’s, you don’t get to “choose your weather,” he said. You just start and then you’re committed, you have to take what comes.

What came the day he reached the traverse was a surprising, early-season blizzard. It covered the usually reliable, grippy granite with about 4 inches of snow and ice. The storm made climbing “more complicated,” Jornet said, and more miserable.

It was cold and “I was completely soaked,” Jornet said. But with the help of Matt Cornell, a well-known climber from Bishop, he was able to keep going and finish the 100 miles of Norman’s 13 in 56 hours, shaving more than 19 hours off the previous record.

He only slept once during that span, he said, for about an hour and a half, lying in the middle of a trail.

When speed climbing over peaks, Jornet traveled light, carrying only the bare essentials to stay nourished and protected from the weather.

When possible, he was accompanied by photographers and videographers, most of whom had to be exceptional athletes to keep up.

He also stayed in contact with his press team and social media producers, and he sometimes slept in a support RV at the trailheads.

But after the frigid Palisades Traverse he indulged in a bit of luxury, pizza and a glorious night in a hotel bed in Bishop. The next morning, he hiked 14,252-foot White Mountain and then hopped on the bike for the 500-mile ride to the unexpected ordeal that awaited him on Mt. Shasta.

Having survived that with no serious damage, he biked through Oregon, finally with a tailwind, and then surmounted Mt. Rainier.

When he finally descended, instead of popping champagne in front of cameras and an adoring crowd, he and a few close friends spent a quiet night in an RV, swapping stories from the road and sharing shots of pickle juice — an inside joke that started somewhere during the trip.

“I’m not a big celebration guy,” Jornet explained.

He wouldn’t say what his next project will be, but several times he returned to the idea of climbing without crowds or fanfare.

“I do these things because I love them, because they bring me joy and happiness, not because I think they’re very important.”

One place he can sit quietly is at home in Norway, looking out the window, across the fjord to the nameless, snowcapped mountains in the distance.

He lets his eyes linger on their faces, settling on pretty lines to climb up or ski down.

Are you eating out less? Is it starting to feel like a sit-down dinner, even at a casual restaurant, can set you back what you might have paid for a big celebratory meal not too long ago?

Daytime is one thing, with lunch deals or happy hour discounts coaxing more consumers out for a bite. But at prime dinnertime lately, getting the check can come with sticker shock.

Industry trends show diners are getting more selective about dining out as inflation worries wallop U.S. consumers. In a 2025 survey from global accounting firm KPMG, 85% of respondents said they are eating at home more often to save money due to budget limitations. As a result, U.S. restaurants and bars saw one of the weakest six-month periods of sales growth during the first half of 2025 — even weaker than during the COVID pandemic when lockdown orders were in place, according to a CNN analysis of Commerce Department data.

In Los Angeles, the added factors of the 2025 wildfires, ICE raids, and rising rental and labor costs make the trend feel especially acute.

But with a little strategy, it’s more than possible to have a standout meal at some of L.A.’s most exciting haunts right now without breaking your budget. For this guide, the Food team challenged ourselves to find 50 L.A. restaurants where you can dine for $50 or less per person, including tax and tip.

A nice dinner out translates differently for everyone, so we set a few parameters before beginning our search:

• The pre-tax total should be no more than $38 per person, in order to account for a roughly 10% sales tax and 20% tip. Sometimes it needs to be even less if a restaurant includes a mandatory service fee.
• The restaurant doesn’t have to offer table service, but there must be seating available to enjoy your food on-site.
• It must be open until at least 9 p.m.
• You must be able to order at least two menu items, whether that’s a starter and a main, an entree and a dessert, or a large plate and a cocktail.

The final list ranges from places ranked on The Times’ annual 101 Best Restaurants guide that require specific hacks to stay within budget, to more casual options where $50 lets you sample a wide swath of the menu. And just in case you’re bringing a date or a friend, we share suggestions for how to approach this challenge as a duo.

Note that the prices outlined below are accurate as of our most recent visits but may change based on which location you visit, whether you’re ordering in person, for pickup or delivery and other factors.

A seasoned globetrotter has visited more than 90 countries and has one ‘soulless spot’ he has no desire to revisit – and its not just the culture that has put him off

A well-travelled explorer who has visited more than 90 nations spanning six continents has revealed which region he considers his worst destination.

Gabriel Morris, a globe-trotting YouTube content creator, has spent over three decades travelling the world.

To be precise, Gabriel has visited “97 United Nations member states plus the three disputed countries of Kosovo, Northern Cyprus, and Taiwan which do not have UN member status.”

Yet, there’s one ‘soulless spot’ from his vast travels that he has pledged never to return to.

With 613,000 subscribers on YouTube, Gabriel’s travel content regularly garners substantial attention and engagement from fellow explorers and enthusiasts keen to learn about his adventures, reports the Express.

In his latest video titled ‘I’ve Been to 100 Countries – Which Place is the Worst?’, the YouTuber revealed that the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf) ranks as the most disappointing location he’s experienced.

Speaking to his viewers, Gabriel explained: “I’ve seen a fair amount of the world and many of those countries I’ve been to over and over and travelled around a lot. I’ll just tell you at the beginning here, my least favourite part of the world is the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf).”

It’s worth noting Iran refers to it as the Persian Gulf, whilst the nations situated on the southern and western shores of the Gulf call it the Arabian Gulf.

So, why does Gabriel find the Persian Gulf region less appealing?

The content creator explains: “Now, I haven’t been to Iran, and Iran looks absolutely incredible. And so I’m not including Iran in this. I don’t know that along the Persian Gulf there is anything especially nice to see there.”

Gabriel has travelled to countless destinations around the Persian Gulf, including Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh and Jeddah, where he rented a vehicle for a day to explore beyond the urban limits, plus Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, encompassing Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Yet none of these destinations particularly enchanted him.

He said: “There’s a little bit more to see in the desert outside of the cities, but not very much. Mostly it’s just flat desert. Basically, I am thinking of the main cities on the Persian Gulf, and then including the cities of Saudi Arabia, which aren’t near the Persian Gulf but do border it. I just find these cities to be devoid of anything particularly interesting as a traveller. I find them to be very boring and stale.

“The streets are practically empty of people other than those in their cars. You don’t get the bustling, busy marketplace experience. All of those cities are built in a very similar style of massive skyscrapers. It makes for an impressive skyline, but then you get there on the ground and it’s big, wide streets that can be almost impossible to cross. There’s lots of traffic, massive distances, and not really anything that I want to do there. You can go in malls, you can go to some restaurants. Alcohol is banned for the most part, so that’s another drawback.”

Branding them as “soulless”, Gabriel added: “I just find them to be kind of soulless and not unique in any way. You could drop me in any one of those cities and not tell me which one it is, and unless you had a view of, say, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai or some particular landmark, if you were in a typical neighbourhood you couldn’t distinguish it from any of the others. They’re all built exactly the same and just super boring. Now, they aren’t bad places to live necessarily or to raise a family. They are safe, they’re clean, and they’re hassle-free. There’s no hustling, scams, or anything really to worry about.”

Apart from Qatar and Dubai, which Gabriel ranks as his top two destinations respectively, Gabriel reckons that of all the places around the world, he has “no desire to go back to that part of the world”, though he admits the culture is “certainly fine”.

Nevertheless, Gabriel thinks there’s another problem at hand.

He explained: “Most of the people you’re going to interact with aren’t even the local Saudis, Emiratis, Qataris, Kuwaitis, or Bahrainis, because the local populations in all those countries are actually a minority. The majority of people you’ll encounter are workers from South Asia – Indians, Pakistanis, lots of Bangladeshis – who are working in restaurants, malls, hotels, and other service positions.

“The locals, as I understand it, receive paychecks from oil revenue and don’t really have to work, at least not in the typical service jobs. Maybe that’s not true in every country, but in general, if they are working, it’s more likely to be in business or professional roles, so you’re unlikely to interact with them as a visitor. That’s just one more thing that makes the experience feel kind of watered down – you don’t really get much of a local cultural experience. So, it’s nothing personal against the people,” Gabriel concludes. The digital creator had a rather unnerving encounter in Kuwait City when he was stopped and questioned for filming.

Recalling the incident, Gabriel shared: “I think it was in Kuwait City where I got questioned for filming. I was filming near one of the palaces – or something like that – and I had made a point of not filming one particular place that I thought could be a problem.

“But then I started filming something else, and a security guard waved me over. At that point, you definitely don’t want to run or try to avoid them, because that just makes things worse. So I walked over, and I believe he spoke English. He asked me what I was filming for, asked a few questions, and then let me go. But despite the relatively harmless outcome, it was still a very harrowing experience in the moment – being questioned by an authority figure without knowing how it’s going to play out.”

Reflecting on the potential outcomes of the encounter, Gabriel added: “They could easily say, “I want you to talk to my superior,” and then you’re being taken into some office where they’re suspicious of you and start asking more questions. It’s always a pretty traumatic experience, and it basically makes you want to leave. That’s exactly how I felt afterward-I just hoped I could get out of there without any more hassle. So that was one more drawback.”

ANOTHER 800,000 seats are being scrapped by Ryanair this winter.

The budget Irish airline has already cancelled millions of seats earlier this year across Spain.

And it has since confirmed that more flights will be now cancelled across Germany later this year, affecting 24 routes.

This affects the cities of Berlin, Hamburg and Memmingen – many popular Christmas Market destinations.

The airports of Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig will also remain closed over winter.

The airline claims high airport taxes are the reason for their departure, calling for them to be lowered.

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Ryanair CMO Dara Brady, said it was “disappointing” that the new German government have failed to reduce the aviation tax and access costs, and that the “German air travel market is broken”.

He added: “As a result, Ryanair has been left with no choice but to reduce our Winter ’25 capacity by over 800,000 seats and cancel 24 routes across 9 high-cost German airports (including Berlin, Hamburg, and Memmingen), in addition to maintaining our closures of Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig.

“This completely avoidable loss of connectivity will bring our capacity below Winter ’24 levels and will have a devastating impact on German connectivity, jobs, and tourism.”

High airport taxes is also the reason for pulling thousands of flights in Spain as well.

Back in August, Ryanair confirmed that two million seats would be axed to a number of Spanish airports.

This also included the cancellation of all routes to Tenerife North, Vigo and Santiago.

The pulling out of Vigo means there will no longer be any direct routes from the UK to the Spanish city.

And another 1.2million seats were confirmed to be cancelled next summer across Spain.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary explained: “If the costs in regional Spain are too high, I will fly elsewhere.

“We are better off flying at the same cost to places such as Palma [on the island of Majorca] than flying to Jerez.”

In recent months, the airline has been adding flights in other destinations, with a huge expansion across Morocco. 

Other cities which are getting more Ryanair flights include Alicante, Valetta and Warsaw.

And new rules are being rolled out which Ryanair passengers need to be aware of.

From November 12, passengers will no longer be able to print their boarding passes out at the airport.

Instead, only digital boarding passes will be accepted via the app.

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Some airports in Morocco and Albania will still require a physical copy, which passengers will have to print out themselves.

And here is what you need to know about the new Ryanair baggage size rolled out last month.

Upper Slaughter is a peaceful spot in the Cotswolds, cherished by its few residents, and is bursting with golden-stone buildings, a flowing river and luscious green spaces – a village straight out of a fairytale

Upper Slaughter, a tranquil Cotswold village, is a picturesque haven with its golden-stone buildings, meandering river and verdant green spaces – it’s like stepping into a storybook.

Adding to its allure, the area offers plenty for visitors seeking a quintessentially British adventure amidst stunning countryside. Despite its secluded location, the village is easily accessible by car and provides two main parking areas for day-trippers.

Just 80 miles from London, it’s an ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. In less than two hours, you can find yourself in this charming village, taking in the fresh country air.

Locals suggest parking around the Square (GL54 2JE) or looking for additional spaces down the hill in Lower Slaughter.

What makes Upper Slaughter even more fascinating is its history. Home to approximately 181 residents, it was one of the few English villages that didn’t lose any men during both World Wars, reports Gloucestershire Live.

The village hall proudly displays rolls of honour, listing 25 individuals who served in the First World War and returned safely.

Things to do

Enjoy a leisurely stroll around the village

There’s nothing quite like a peaceful stroll around the idyllic village of Upper Slaughter. Although it shares similarities with its Cotswold neighbours, this charming spot is renowned for its beautiful Lutyens cottages.

Echoes of medieval times can still be found scattered throughout the village, where once a grand castle stood, now only a mound remains as a testament to its existence.

There are plenty of walks to enjoy in the area, including a short 2-mile trail that takes you from Upper Slaughter down to Lower Slaughter. However, according to TripAdvisor, the top-rated activity in the area is to embark on the Warden’s Way trail.

One TripAdvisor review reads: “Wardens’ Way is one of the many beautiful walking trails in the Cotswolds area. It features easy paths that lead through very scenic countryside.

“We walked alongside small rivers and waterways, across meadows and farmland, and passed through charming villages with honey-stone cottages. The trail runs between Bourton-on-the-Water and Winchcombe, and if you were to do the whole thing, it is a 22 km walk.”

Upper Slaughter Manor is another must-see. This stunning manor house, steeped in history, draws visitors with its Elizabethan-style architecture and gorgeous gardens.

While the current manor, featuring Tudor and Jacobean influences, was developed from the 15th century, its roots go back much further. In fact, its existence was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, linking it back to the Saxon era.

Visitors can book a stay at the manor, which now operates as part of a hotel and restaurant complex.

One TripAdvisor reviewer shared their experience, writing: “How lovely to visit a private house where it is evident that the owners have such a pride in their home and gardens.

“A delight to visit, lovely peaceful gardens with a wildlife walk. Enjoyed refreshments in the well-kept garden. The house tour is interesting, and how fabulous to have such great philanthropists in this country.”

St Peter’s Church

This ancient church stands at the village’s centre and welcomes visitors every single day, whether they’re attending services or simply curious to look around.

Historical records suggest a church has occupied this exact location since the 12th century or possibly even before, with documented evidence dating back to 1251.

A TripAdvisor user said: “The church is perhaps the most significant building in the tiny village of Upper Slaughter. It is a characteristic medieval church with two naves and a crenellated bell tower, with some forms of Saxon and Norman origin.

“Around you have the classic cemetery park. The place is well-kept and less frequented by mass tourism; we reached it on foot from the nearby village of Lower Slaughter through the path that crosses the countryside.”

‘We can talk about culture, churches, monasteries, whatever, but the main thing here is eating and drinking.” My guide, Loreto Esteban Guijarro, is keen to ensure I have my priorities straight. I’m with Loreto to discover the food and wine culture of Spain’s Burgos province, a high-altitude area ringed by distant mountains. In summer the days are hot, and at night temperatures plummet. To thrive in these extremes, the food, the wine, and even perhaps the people, are robust and straight-talking.

I’m staying deep in wine country at the rural Posada de Pradoray, built as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Lerma in 1601. The thick stone walls, dark polished wood and heavy doors leading to simple rooms with vineyard views suggest little has changed in this landscape for centuries. Burgos is part of the Ribera del Duero wine region which stretches for 71 miles following the Duero River through the provinces of Burgos, Segovia, Soria and Valladolid.

Since the appellation was recognised in 1982 the region has seen huge changes, with the number of wineries increasing from nine to more than 300. Now, there’s a wine route to help explore villages, wineries, restaurants and visitor experiences across the region, with plenty of sampling. My hotel is just outside Aranda de Duero, the main town in the region (population 33,000), 62 miles east of Valladolid and 102 miles north of Madrid. From here I’m following the river on day trips to get a taste of what’s on offer.

Bodegas Portia is built on the edge of the tiny town of Gumiel de Izán, eight miles (13km) north of Aranda. Designed by Norman Foster, it’s one of the new wave of wineries in the region, with a futuristic trefoil shape, like a spaceship that’s landed in these sun-scorched fields. It’s built partly underground to meld into the landscape but also in recognition of the area’s unique winemaking traditions.

Later, I meet the mayor of Gumiel de Izán, Jesús Briones, at his home – a tour with Loreto opens many doors, she knows everyone. “You’ve seen the wine cathedral [as local people refer to Portia], now see the caves,” he says. Jesús invites us into his garage from which, between tins of paint and boxes of faded Christmas decorations, stone steps twist underground. A single bulb illuminates a rough hewn cave full of barrels, dating back hundreds of years. Traditionally, wine in this region was made and stored in deep, hand-dug caves where the temperatures are stable.

Jesús’s basement isn’t unusual: underneath these streets is a warren of caves, some used, some forgotten. Down here glasses are eschewed in favour of a porrón, a glass jug with a long, narrow spout designed for sharing wine. To drink from it is a leap of faith, pouring wine above your mouth, avoiding speckling your face and clothes with crimson Tempranillo and without the porrón touching your lips. I manage it (mostly).

Gumiel de Izán has seen a recent uptick in visitors thanks to a National Geographic article that noted visual similarities between the baroque facade of the town’s Iglesia de Santa Maria, and “the treasury” rock-cut tomb in Petra, Jordan. Gazing up at the intricate sandstone carvings from the village square, I’d say here’s definitely a resemblance, and it’s helped to put the town on the map. “Anything that brings visitors,” says Jesús. “We need reasons for young people to stay.”

At Nabal winery a few miles along the road I meet one young person who’s done just that: Luz Briones studied translation but became fascinated by wine in her early 20s. She leads us through vineyards ranging from 30 years old to more than a century. “We believe in the power of time,” Luz says. “Time in vineyards, time in barrels, time in bottles.” Grapes have to work hard here, developing thick skins to cope with temperature fluctuations and creating rich, tannic wines. In the storeroom, Benedictine chanting is played to the maturing barrels, an acknowledgment of centuries of wine-making by monks. Luz says security guards report lights and music turning on when the building is empty and shows us a large stain that has appeared on the wall resembling, if you squint, a monk drinking wine. The angels’ share perhaps?

We travel downstream, the Duero snaking just out of sight, its presence marked by rippling valleys covered in vines, all benefiting from the river’s proximity. Early in the year the land looks barren, with spiky bare vines and cracked red earth, but in summer fields of lavender and sunflowers create a colourful patchwork with the green of the grapes. In the village of Moradillo de Roa, south of Aranda, we meet Paola González Ortiz carrying a porrón. She’s part of a young team offering tours of a tiny winery museum, demonstrating the heavy labour and huge weights once needed to crush grapes. The village is famed for its grassy hillocks full of wine cellar entrances, often compared to Tolkien’s The Shire. Ducking low, I follow Paola down winding steps into the hillside (being Hobbit height would help). As we share wine from the porrón, a little light filtering through the air vents, Paola says she hopes increased tourism, whether for food and wine or scenic lookalikes, will help create more year-round jobs here. Moradillo de Roa has 157 wine cellars, and a population of 162. To attract young people, the village has started hosting porrón singles nights in the town square.

I end my tour back in Aranda, with a final wine cellar, this one beneath Don Carlos wine shop. Through a dynamic tasting, Cristina López Nuñez tells stories of wine and winemakers, and why the region needs both traditions and youthful innovation. “It’s like wine. Younger grapes have more energy but fewer stories like children,” she says. “The older grapes have less energy but much better stories, like older people. The old vines with deep roots give complexity, the younger vines with shallow roots are juicy. We need both.”

When I emerge back above ground, the sleepy town has transformed. Before I saw only old men sipping coffee and smoking at wine-barrel tables, and a gaggle of children chasing a football past the imposing gothic churches. At dusk, everything changes as the bars switch from coffee to wine. “We never entertain at home,” says Loreto. “Why would we?”

At El Lagar de Isilla, the bar fills with people of all ages in office attire, hi-vis jackets, or dressed for a night out. We feast on bechamel-topped salt cod, gildas with fat olives and anchovies, and octopus cooked with potatoes and sweet paprika. The wine is cheap and delicious, straight from the restaurant’s own vineyard, and the atmosphere is lively. Loreto is satisfied: “I told you, it’s about eating and drinking – and who you share it with.” I can drink to that.

The trip was provided by the Ribera del Duero Wine Route. Double rooms at La Posada de Pradoray from €80 B&B, including wine on arrival

This seaside town has a reputation for being one of the country’s most expensive but I was forced to second-guess my assumptions

When I arrived at this seaside town, I expected the usual trappings of a millionaire’s coastal enclave: quiet streets, immaculate homes and the faint sense that everything is just a little too polished. After all, this New Forest harbour town is one of the most expensive coastal spots in Britain, with average house prices more than double the national average at £600,000, Express reports.

I was expecting it to be the kind of place where second homes outnumber locals, where the shops sell handmade dog treats, and where residents drive the kind of cars that never seem to gather dust. But as I wandered its cobbled streets and Georgian lanes, it became clear that Lymington in Hampshire doesn’t fit that stereotype.

For all its quiet wealth and picture-perfect charm, the town felt unexpectedly alive. What surprised me most wasn’t the grandeur of the homes or the sparkle of the Solent. It was the sense of community that seemed to ripple through everything. Even in a place where many doors stay closed for much of the year, there’s warmth and connection that you can feel as soon as you arrive.

Taking a stroll down the High Street on market day, the stretch of road transforms into a bustling corridor of colour and conversation. Locals chat across stalls piled high with artisan bread, handmade soaps and the day’s catch from the nearby quay. There’s the smell of roasted coffee from one of the independent cafes and the sound of a busker’s guitar drifting between the Georgian facades.

Down by the quay, children crouch on the old stone walls, dangling lines and bacon rinds into the water in hopes of catching crabs. The chatter of families mixes with the clang of yacht masts in the marina. Behind them, pubs like The Ship Inn and The Mayflower are full with people swapping stories over pints, as they’ve done for generations.

A few streets away, tucked behind the main road, small galleries and bookshops hum with quiet trade. And that’s the contradiction that makes Lymington fascinating. There’s no denying that many homes sit empty for large parts of the year. Walk along Captain’s Row or past the elegant townhouses near Bath Road, and you’ll spot drawn curtains and pristine gardens with not a footprint in sight. Yet somehow, the town refuses to feel hollow. Residents talk about the issue openly.

“It’s frustrating,” admits Adam Stote, 55, who recently downsized to a smaller property near the river. “We all wish more homes were lived in full-time. But the people who are here, we make up for it. There’s a real community and everyone looks out for each other.”

Part of that may come from the setting itself. The Solent glitters on one side, the New Forest rolls in from the other, and in between, Lymington feels cocooned, almost self-contained. It’s a place where the pace slows, where people stop to talk, and where heritage feels more like a habit than a history lesson.

Unlike other luxury coastal enclaves, the flash of Sandbanks, the celebrity polish of Salcombe, Lymington’s wealth whispers rather than shouts. Residents here seem to gladly trade glistening supercars and infinity pools for sea salt-dusted climbing ivy on weathered bricks. This difference adds to the town’s traditional character, from the quirky antique shops to the long-running St Barbe Museum and community theatre. Even the famous seawater baths, dating back to the 19th century, are run by locals who fought to keep them open.

Of course, Lymington isn’t perfect. The housing market prices out young families and parking is an eternal headache. As I walked back toward the train station, the tide was slipping out of the harbour and the sky had turned gold over the masts. It may be one of the most expensive seaside towns in Britain, but it’s also one of the few that still feels like a community first, and a postcard second.

Garry Beach, in the north of the Isle of Lewis, has been named the most underrated beach in the whole of the UK by Boat Booker. Milo Boyd went to see what everyone has been missing

Milo Boyd is a Digital Travel reporter who covers aviation news, the environment, the cruise industry and much else including travel tips, bargain holiday suggestions and inspirational global trips.

Far, far away – perhaps as far away as you can get from Greggs in the UK – is the country’s most underrated beach.

The Outer Hebrides may not be home to a single outlet of the beloved sausage roll franchise, but it does have Garry Beach. It sits high up on the largest of the Western Isles, Lewis.

Garry has just been named the most underrated beach in the UK by Boat Booker. Studying Google Maps beaches tagged as “secluded” and “secret,” and then ranking those with fewer than 100 reviews, the firm highlighted those coastal spots with pristine waters and dramatic scenery where relatively few have trodden.

Scotland dominates the rankings, with six locations in the top 10. Spots on islands such as Mull and Barra are high up. Porth Trwyn in Wales is the highest-ranked non-Scottish beach, coming in at four.

OPINION

Milo Boyd

OPINION

Milo Boyd

It is easy to understand why the Hebridean seaside might be underrated, given how remote and difficult most of it is to get. And this particularly goes for Garry Beach.

I spent two days, about eight hours of driving, a three-hour ferry, and a five-hour train, getting to the Isle of Lewis, before another hour on the road north of Stornoway to Garry Beach. I did so in a hefty Range Rover which I borrowed from the kind people at Turo rental car.

If the journey 668 miles from London to Stornoway doesn’t put you off, then the 15 miles from Stornoway to Garry Beach might. I’d argue it’s among the dullest, bleakest stretches of countryside in the UK.

Sitting in the back of the spacious Sport 2020, my Swedish in-laws kept muttering about just how bleak a destination it was. But, when we arrived, North Lewis’s less fetching roads were quickly forgotten. The beach itself is lovely.

A small car park holding around five vehicles was situated a short two-minute walk from the water’s edge. From there, we wandered over a grassy knoll onto the sandy bay, which stretches several hundred metres on either side.

Like many of the more remote Scottish beaches – and particularly the sandy ones that can be found in the Hebrides and Shetland – the water is a brilliant blue that feels like it’s been lifted by a fire-fighting plane straight out of a rum advert filmed in the Caribbean and dumped several thousand miles away for the benefit of a handful of dog walkers and a lone fisherman.

The beach sits on the eastern edge of Lewis, meaning it is not treated to the dramatic waves and salty spray of the island’s Atlantic coast. Things are a little more gentle here. Rather than smashing them in a froth, waves lap around the intriguing rock formations that stick up from the sand. Several have been eroded to create excellent climbing platforms and archways into the surf.

Beyond the fact that the Isle of Lewis is miles away from all but the 20,000 or so people who live there, Garry Beach has another major issue: the weather.

The hottest temperature ever recorded on Lewis was 26.3 °C, back in 1999. Unless you’re incredibly lucky, this beach requires a serious raincoat and the ability to withstand Hebridean gales.

During the high season of July, sunseekers can expect 12 days of rain and the mercury to hit average highs of 16C. That is roughly 7C colder than the southern coast of England.

Unless you are made of incredibly stern stuff, this is not a beach for lounging on the sand for hours on end or frolicking in the waves. It is a beach that combines the beautiful and the bleak of the British Isles’ coastline in a way that few other places anywhere can.

If you like the sound of what Garry is offering, but don’t think you can face the mammoth journey, then there are some slightly closer options. One of my personal favourites is Sandaig, a beach several miles from the beautiful Scottish village of Glenelg.

The peaceful spot was immortalised as Camusfearna in ‘Ring of Bright Water’, a book written by Gavin Maxwell about his life living alongside pet otters.

Not only is the water sparkling and very tempting for those who can handle the intense chill of a Scottish sea loch, winding paths lined by little bushes and tree run between craggy rock towers, creating the perfect arena for a game of Flags or 40:40. If the weather does close in a little, then there’s plenty of driftwood lying around that can be used to warm a chilled party huddled in one of Sandaig’s natural rock alcoves.

TWO popular holiday destinations will have Free Child Places for the first time with TUI holidays.

From 2027, families will be ale to make the most of the free places when travelling to Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

TUI has more than 30 hotels across the two holiday regions, with 10 of them being included in the offer.

Which hotels will be included is yet to be confirmed.

However, both destinations are also about to be easier to get to.

From April 2026, TUI will launch a new fortnightly service from Cardiff to Cancun.

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And from June 2026, new TUI flights will run from Belfast International Airport to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

There also thousands of Free Child Places across existing holiday destinations including Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, as well as Turkey.

And last year, Free Child Places were added to Florida holidays.

Chris Logan, Commercial Director of TUI UK&I said: “We’re thrilled to be the first major tour operator to extend our free kids’ places programme to Mexico and the Dominican Republic, responding directly to the growing demand we’ve seen for long-haul family adventures.

“With thousands of free kids’ places available across our Summer 2027 programme, we’re making bucket-list family holidays more accessible than ever before.

“For Summer 2027, we are excited to be offering our widest range of destinations with free kids’ places, the convenience of flying from 23 UK regional airports, and the exceptional service of our UK accredited TUI staff who run kids’ clubs across more than 120 hotels.”

Free Child Places are when a child can go free on a holiday, when staying with two-fully paying adults, at no extra cost.

Most accept children to be under the age of 16 to get the free place.

Generally, a free child place can only be claimed if there are two full-paying adults on a holiday booking. It means that when a pair of adults book a room, one child can stay for no extra cost.

The cut-off for a free child place is 16 years old with most holiday companies.

It includes the return flight, as well as accommodation, transfers and any food board.

Some of the current Free Child Place TUI deals on offer include a week in Majorca for £362pp,

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Despite a handful of popular Día de los Muertos events facing cancellation due to community fears surrounding ICE operations, many annual celebrations throughout Southern California will continue to honor the dearly departed as planned.

Organizers for the Oct. 18 El Sereno Día de los Muertos Festival are working with Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado and her team to ensure the safety of its attendees during a precarious time for immigrant communities. Others, like the Museum of Latin American Art’s Day of the Dead Family Festival on Oct. 26, are placing an added emphasis on resilience.

This year, De Los is hosting a free community celebration to commemorate the holiday on Oct. 25 from 2 to 10 p.m. at the Las Fotos Project. Attendees can enjoy a community altar, a skull decorating workshop, face painting and more.

De Los will also be accepting submissions for our annual digital altar from Oct. 15 to Nov. 2. Community members can submit a photograph or memento to honor the memory of their dearly departed — pets included.

Here is a list of other Día de los Muertos observations and events taking place across Southern California.

Karen Garcia contributed to this reporting.

WINTER sun can be hard to come by in the Mediterranean, but Sun Travel has found some very popular destinations that are still hot in November.

With travel time less than five hours, highs over 20C and flights for £19.99 or less – here are the places you should look to book for winter getaway.

Marrakech, Morocco

A flight to Marrakech takes up to four hours and is well worth it thanks to the November temperatures of 22C.

The city is known for its souks, historic palaces and bustling medina – so there’s plenty to do on your break even if its not by the beach.

Lisa Minot, Head of Sun Travel, filled us in on her recent trip to the Moroccan city. She said: “I’ve just returned from a wonderful long weekend in Marrakech and the city is as exciting as ever.

“We were sunbathing on the roof of our riad in the Medina in glorious 22 degree temperatures – and I loved the amazing desert landscapes just 40 minutes from the hustle and bustle of the souks.

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“Tourism is booming in the city and while the streets are as colourful and chaotic as ever, the influx of visitors has brought some gorgeous new bars, restaurants and stunning hotels.”

Lisa explored the cuisine of Morocco three-hour food tour of the Medina with Get Your Guide for just £35 per person.

Just an hour outside of the city is the Agafay Desert where you can zoom over sand dunes in buggies and see camels.

Not only are temperatures mild, but Marrakech gets around seven hours of sunshine per day and little rainfall.

In November you can fly from Birmingham, Manchester and London Stansted with Ryanair for £14.99.

Valletta, Malta

The capital of Malta, Valletta, is three and a half hours away; it’s known for its pretty Baroque architecture and the Grand Harbour.

While Valletta doesn’t have beaches per se, it does have great waterfront views, and you can enjoy them in weather that reaches highs of 21C in November.

SEO Editor Nuria Cremer-Vazquez revealed more about the island on her recent trip to Malta, she said: “This tiny Mediterranean country is smaller than the Isle of Wight, which goes some way in explaining why its food goes under many people’s radars; the limited land area means Maltese produce is barely exported, so you have to try it at source.

“One dinner, we could taste the different cultures that have called Malta home over the centuries — Italian in the ricotta parcels and focaccia, Arabian in the date-based sweets and bigilla (a hummus-like dip made from beans), Spanish in the bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled in olive oil.“

Nuria also enjoyed €4 Aperol spritzes and explore the city’s hidden underground tunnels.

Flights from Birmingham start from £14.99 during November with Ryanair.

Brits can also fly directly from Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Norwich, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bournemouth, Nottingham, Bristol and Leeds.

Paphos, Cyprus

While it might not technically be the hottest place in Cyprus during November, it’s much cheaper to get to Paphos than its neighbours Larnaca and Limassol.

Paphos is on the southwest coast of the island of Cyprus and throughout the year has plenty of sunshine – even in November.

It sees around seven hours of sunshine per day with daytime temperatures averaging around 22C, so it’s even warm enough to go sea swimming.

One writer who visited Paphos revealed that the city will really appeal to Brits, he said: “Here, everyone drives on the left and even the cabbies obey the speed limit.

“It’s things like that, along with 300 days of glorious sunshine a year and no real language barrier (and even the fact Cyprus uses the UK three-pin plug!), that make the island so popular with us Brits.

“Paphos’s bars and boutiques are worth checking out but make sure you eat at the fantastic Agora Tavern, a family-owned place on a hill overlooking the sea.

“There are just two things on the menu, the small meze and the large one. Choose your size and enjoy this fabulous array of local delicacies all chosen for you.”

Flights to Paphos start from £14.99 if travelling from Manchester and London Stansted in November and takes around four hours 30 minutes.

Seville, Spain

Seville is the capital and largest city of Andalusia and known for its historic buildings, busy streets full of cafes and ice cream parlours.

There are thousands of street-planted bitter orange trees and you don’t have to walk far to see some authentic flamenco dancing and great tapas.

In November, Seville has average high temperatures of 20C and averages out at having just five days of rainfall.

Deputy Travel Editor, Kara Godfrey who recently went to the city, revealed how to get free tickets to attractions around the city. She said: “The Royal Alcázar of Seville, a palace dating back 1,000 years, offers limited free tickets on Mondays between 6pm and 7pm.

“Or for Seville Cathedral, there are 100 free tickets a day between 2pm and 3pm.”

Flights from Edinburgh to Seville with Ryanair start from £16 in November – and it’s just a two hour 45 minutes journey.

Palermo, Italy

In just over three hours, you can ditch the dingy UK for the beautiful island of Sicily which has highs of 20C in November.

Palermo is the capital of the Italian island of Sicily and thanks to its seaside location, has the best of both worlds – city and beach break.

One woman who lives in Palermo described the city as the “beating heart of Sicily” and revealed more spots to explore.

She told us: “The capital city still remains authentically Sicilian – only 30 per cent of people there speak English.

“Head to the Via Maqueda where new and exciting cocktail bars sprout up on a daily basis.

“Walk along Via Vittorio Emanuele (the main pedestrian street) until you’ve reached the beautiful Cathedral.

“The entire street has some of the coziest aperitivo spots in the city – whether you like seafood, pizza, or pasta, there’s a bit of something for everyone.”

If you’re after a beach holiday, then head to the village of Mondello or the town of San Vito Lo Capo.

Flights from London Stansted to Palermo in Italy start from £19.99 with Ryanair and takes around three hours.

Funchal, Madeira

Described as the “Hawaii of Europe”, Madeira is a must-visit. It has incredible views, fab beaches and it’s under four hours away from the UK.

The capital of the archipelago is Funchal which is on the main island’s south coast – and where you can fly directly to from the UK.

In November, Funchal has high temperatures of 23C, so it’s pleasant for walking or exploring the beaches.

You won’t get any soft golden sands here though, it’ll be black thanks to its volcanic surroundings – Funchal has a few small beaches, including Praia Formosa and Praia de São Tiago.

For fun, tourists can hike up to the village of Monte, and then take a toboggan down to the city centre.

If you don’t fancy the walk or the toboggan, take the cable car where you’ll get incredible views over Funchal.

When you get into the city, make sure to explore the old town and busy Lavradores market.

Flights from London Stansted to Funchal in November start from £14.99 with Ryanair.

Tenerife, Canary Islands

Heading to Tenerife may take a little longer on the plane, around four and a half hours, but you’re likely to get warm weather and plenty of sun.

Temperatures in Tenerife can be as high as 24C in November.

The Canary Islands are generally hot year-round because of their location – it’s on the same latitude as the Sahara Desert.

The most popular places in Tenerife its beaches, when Sun Travel chatted to some locals, they revealed the spot where the locals hang out.

Rick Cosgrove who lives and works on the island said: “La Tejita, near the airport in the south of the island, is the largest sandy beach in Tenerife and used mainly by locals (also one of the island’s windiest, it is popular with windsurfers).

“Two of the favourite black sand beaches among locals are Playa san Juan, up the coast from Costa Adeje, and Las Galletas beach, not far from Los Cristianos.”

Here are lots more ways to enjoy the island from cheap bars serving €2 pints to the ultimate hidden gems.

Flights starts from £14.99 from Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Bournemouth and Manchester.

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Plus, this is one of the hottest islands in Europe with highs of 27C this month… and flights from £25.

ONE European island with dreamy beaches and a crowd-free city has been named as a top destination for 2026 holidays.

Whilst it is part of Italy, Sardinia is actually located closer to Africa than mainland Italy and as a result, it boasts warm temperatures and exotic fauna and flora.

And now it has been named as a Destination of the Year by Expedia Group’s Unpack ’26: The Trends in Travel report, which gathered data from millions of visitors and revealed that searches for Sardinia holidays have risen by 63 per cent.

Having recently visited, I know exactly why – Sardinia is a Mediterranean gem unlike any other.

Most travellers head to Olbia in the north of the island, but Cagliari in the south – the capital of the island – is also a great destination to explore.

The south of the island and around Cagliari is full of quaint villages, rocky hills and breathtaking beaches.

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I stayed in a small village called Chia, which is home to two Hilton hotels.

The resort has a number of pools to enjoy and there are two hidden beaches resort guests can access, both with crystal-clear warm waters and hardly any people.

Rooms at one of the hotels – the Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia – start from £257 per night, for two people including breakfast.

You can also do a number of activities from the resort, including a two-hour horse ride up into the island’s hills.

It was such an amazing way to see the island and experience a bit of local life.

And from the resort, it took me less than an hour to reach Cagliari.

The city is small, but even on a sunny Saturday at the end of August, its streets were quiet from hordes of tourists.

As well as sitting on the coast with panoramic views of the sea, the city has a great blend of culture and history.

One of my favourite spots in the city is Bastione di Saint Remy – a neoclassical fortress made from white and yellow limestone.

While you do have to climb tens of steps, once at the top of the monument you are treated to spectacular views of not only the city, but the islands stretching coastline.

For a while I just sat enjoying the blazing sunshine and the views, with boats whizzing in and out of the port accompanied by the sounds of bustling cafes on the city’s streets below me.

Around Bastione di Saint Remy, there are many winding streets with quaint shops and cafes to explore, which form the city’s historic quarter.

Prices in the shops and cafes are cheap too, with coffees setting you back around 87p to £1.74.

Food didn’t set me back much either, with a salmon and avocado brunch setting me back less than a tenner at Ex Tipografia.

Cattedrale di Santa Maria, Cagliari’s main cathedral is also worth exploring.

It features a mix of different architectural styles and has a stunning crypt inside – just remember if you are visiting to cover up as this is a place of worship.

Make sure to not miss The Underground Cagliari Tour – this unique activity takes you to three different underground sites across the city.

Stops include the Salesian Institute Tunnel-Shelter, which was used by a school as a shelter during heavy WWII bombings.

The entire tunnel is also lit by candles when you visit.

The second stop is at the Crypt of Santa Restituta – it is a natural cave that has been expanded over centuries and has also served as a place of worship.

Finally, you head to the Archaeological Area of Sant’Eulalia, which sits beneath the Church of Sant’Eulalia in the Marina district and reveals the remains of a Roman road.

The tour costs from £26.61 per person.

If you want to enjoy the Mediterranean weather, make sure to explore Orto Botanico.

It is a huge garden with lots of different varieties of plants and Roman archaeological remains and it costs less than £4 to visit.

Return flights to Cagliari cost as little as £38 in November from London with Ryanair.

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If you are looking for more inspiration for an Italian getaway, then check out this tiny Italian island set to be ‘turned into an oasis’ to escape hordes of tourists.

Plus, the brilliant five-star Italian campsite with beautiful beaches, affordable restaurants and activities for the whole family.

A MAJOR cruise line has revealed it will be launching a 124-day voyage around the world in 2028.

The Epic World Explorer will be one of P&O Cruises longest-ever world voyages.

The cruise line’s Arcadia ship will set off from Southampton on January 6, 2028 and finish back in Southampton on May 10, 2028.

The 124-night cruise – which is exclusively for adults – will focus on the Far East with stops in South Korea and Thailand.

It will also call into Japan for the first time since 2019, with a new overnight stop in Tokyo with calls to Kagoshima and Nagasaki.

Other top destinations include San Francisco in the USA, Cape Verde and Sydney in Australia.

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In fact, there are over 30 destinations on the voyage.

Prices for the cruise start from £11,199 per person.

On board the ship, which features an Art Deco domed roof and can accommodate up to 2,094 guests and 866 members of crew, there are 15 bars and restaurants, five entertainment venues and two swimming pools.

Included in the price of the cruise, guests get access to the Palladium, which is a three-tiered theatre that hosts live entertainment.

Shows include Magic Moments – it tells the story of Burt Bacharach’s life and music.

Or you could watch magic show, Unbelievable.

Also included is the Screening Room, which is a 30-seat cinema that shows the latest blockbusters.

For a bit of gambling, passengers can head to the Monte Carlo Casino with classic table games such as blackjack, roulette and poker.

Fancy some late night entertainment? Then there’s The Globe – a circular bar with live music, game shows and ballroom and Latin dance events.

Passengers don’t need to worry about missing the pub either, as they can enjoy The Rising Sun with interiors just like a British country pub.

There are cosy booths, a jukebox, darts, karaoke and even live sports screenings.

For travellers wanting to stay fit during their voyage, there are plenty of opportunities to do this.

In addition to a fully-equipped gym, there is also a sports court on board where passengers can play football, basketball, tennis or cricket.

There are even complimentary fitness classes too.

If treating yourself is more your thing, then there is The Oasis Spa and Salon, complete with a hydrotherapy pool, sauna and steam room.

Guests can also grab a number of treatments like haircuts, massages and facials.

The ship has a number of pool areas as well – one of which has a retractable roof for all-weather enjoyment.

When it comes to food onboard the ship, travellers will never be short of choice.

At breakfast, The Belvedere offers a casual dining spot with an all-day buffet.

For a lighter lunch or fast food, there is the Neptune Grill which serves hot dogs and classic fish and chips.

Alternatively, you could grab some small plates at the Meridian Restaurant.

Steak lovers should then check out Marco Pierre White’s Ocean Grill.

For a special treat, once a week on sea days the Arcadia serves typically British afternoon tea with cute sandwiches, sweet treats, warm scones and unlimited tea at the Meridian Restaurant.

The speciality restaurants onboard the ship are Marco Pierre White’s Ocean Grill, which serves a number of steaks and fresh seafood dishes and Sindhu, which combines Indian and British cuisine.

There are five types of cabins on board including inside, sea view, deluxe balcony, mini suite and suite.

The most basic cabin, which is inside, is simply inside with a comfy bed, tea and coffee making facilities and White Company toiletries.

There of course is also a TV with free movies and TV shows on.

Sea view cabins then have the added benefit of a window or port hole.

In the deluxe balcony cabins, guests can enjoy a sea breeze in their own private outdoor space.

Mini suites then have an additional lounging area and at the top end, suites have a dedicated butler service as well as spacious accommodation and a large bathroom.

Guests in suites can also enjoy breakfast each day in an exclusive restaurant.

And at the end of your 124-day cruise, if you want to take home a souvenir to loved ones there are plenty of shops on board including jewellery, cosmetics, perfume, clothes and art and collectibles stores.

The sailing has been announced as part of P&O Cruises’ new winter 2027 and spring 2028 programme, which also includes a 75-night Grand Tour of South America.

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The island was named the sunniest place in the UK by the Met Office – and it gets more sunshine than parts of Italy during the winter months

You don’t need to jet off to far-flung destinations for a dose of winter sun – there’s a UK island that boasts more sunshine than parts of Italy.

The Isle of Wight has been crowned the sunniest spot in the UK by the Met Office, outshining even Milan and Geneva during the winter months.

According to research from Isle Escapes, the island enjoys an average of 78 hours of sunshine per month between November and February.

That’s a staggering 12 percent more than Milan’s 70 average hours, 15 percent more than Geneva’s 68 hours, and 20 percent more than Paris’ 65 average winter sunshine hours.

This balmy climate could be due to the warming effect of the Solent – the strait that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England, reports the Express.

The island benefits from its own micro-climate, which means it typically avoids extreme weather conditions like heavy snowfall and thunderstorms during the winter season.

Not only is it the sunniest place in the UK, but this is particularly noticeable during the winter, when the Isle of Wight basks in 42 percent more sunshine hours than the rest of the country.

If you’re keen to soak up some of this sun for yourself, the Isle of Wight offers a fantastic island getaway without straying too far from home.

Located just off the coast of Hampshire, the island is renowned as Britain’s dinosaur capital, with the remains of over 20 species discovered on the island.

The Isle of Wight is a top-notch destination for cycling enthusiasts, boasting numerous tracks and paths that crisscross the island.

For those up to the challenge, you can cycle around the island in a day – a well-signposted route of approximately 105km.

While mostly flat, there are some inclines that will give your thighs a workout, and it can get breezy, so be prepared.

If you’re after a more laid-back holiday, the Isle of Wight has plenty to offer. There’s a host of family-friendly attractions, including the Monkey Haven animal sanctuary, home to meerkats, gibbons, and even snakes, all cared for by keepers who love to chat about their work.

History buffs can visit Osborne – Queen Victoria’s country retreat and family home, now open for tours. After her first visit to Osborne, Queen Victoria wrote: ‘It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot’, and she wasn’t wrong.

A trip to Osborne offers something for everyone. Inside the house, you’ll get a glimpse into Royal life as you explore private apartments and grand reception rooms filled with beautiful furnishings and artworks from the Royal Collection.

And if the sun is out (which it likely will be), you can stroll through flower-filled gardens and relax on the beach where the Royal children learnt to swim.

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If you’re yearning for a trip to the Isle of Wight, it’s easy to reach from mainland UK. Daily flights depart from Heathrow and Gatwick, or you can opt to fly to Bournemouth or Southampton before hopping on one of the 150 ferry connections to the island which take as little as 45 minutes.

Since the Isle of Wight is part of the UK, there’s no need for your passport – just pack your bag and perhaps a sunhat.

Anyone who has a holiday in Rome coming up has been issued a warning. One holidaymaker who has just been to the Italian capital told people to be on ‘high alert’ when visiting

A holidaymaker in Rome has issued a stark warning to fellow tourists heading to the Italian capital after enduring a horrifying experience during her break. Caroline Jansson turned to TikTok to reveal she had been “robbed of all of her personal belongings” and urged others visiting the city to stay alert to their surroundings.

“I’ve just been with the police and they told me they [thieves] specifically target tourists,” she began in a video. She went on, explaining that those with hire cars should stay especially watchful after learning at the police station that numerous others had fallen victim to luggage theft straight from their rented vehicles.

“I talked to one woman who turned around to take a picture and she had her handbag stolen,” Caroline continued.

“There was another man who had his wallet and passport stolen out of his hand – so be very vigilant and look out for each other and each others’ suitcases because literally everything we had with us for the trip is now gone.”

Caroline revealed that consequently, she had lost numerous valuables including her iPad and two laptops in the European hotspot. Luckily one of those was a MacBook, enabling her to trace and find it inside one of the pinched bags – only to discover it had been abandoned in a ditch with no trace of her other belongings.

“We’re going to continue talking to the police and see how it goes,” Caroline said, before issuing a heartfelt plea to her followers to keep an eye out for her luggage if they happen to be in Rome.

In response, another tourist shared their own experience of theft in Rome. “We were robbed in the Rome train station,” they revealed. “Luckily an officer noticed this guy with a bag that didn’t match his look and we got it back. We were so lucky.”

A second person also revealed: “We were robbed, had our van smashed and they stole phones, iPads, handbag, money, camera. Police not interested. We were in a secure patrolled car park.”

Whilst a third TikTok user warned: “A group of three tried to pickpocket me and my husband on a very crowded bus. Just be careful and keep your belongings close to you and be aware.”

The UK government’s foreign travel advice section offers the following guidance for those visiting Rome, meanwhile.

“Thefts from parked cars happen in Rome, particularly in the Colosseum area, Ostia, Milan and Pisa. Thieves also target coastal areas and towns, and motorway service stations. Avoid leaving luggage in your vehicle – even out of sight in the boot – for any length of time.

“Thieves may use a variety of methods to distract you or encourage you to stop your car, including asking for help or directions or pointing out a fictional fault with your car.”

To reduce your personal risk:

• keep sight of your belongings at all times
• beware of thieves using distraction techniques
• avoid carrying all your valuables together in handbags or pockets
• leave spare cash and valuables in a safe place such as a hotel safe

A secret flight tip could help ensure your luggage is among the first pieces to appear on the carousel once you’ve landed, and it doesn’t involve ‘fragile’ stickers

Airport journeys can be riddled with anxiety, from the nail-biting security queues to the dread of misplaced luggage that only subsides once you spot your case on the conveyor belt. Whilst keeping a watchful eye ensures nobody mistakenly grabs your bag, a clever hack could see you retrieving your suitcase ahead of the crowd after landing.

Travel experts at Escape.com have shared a cunning strategy: check in your luggage as late as possible without risking missing your flight. Airport ramp worker and gate agent Thomas Lo Sciuto revealed the insider knowledge: “Your best option is to be one of the last passengers to check your bags.

“This is because bags will always be loaded front to back on the bag carts.”

Yet timing alone doesn’t guarantee success. Occasionally, it’s down to the way you pack your belongings, reports the Mirror US.

If leaving check-in until the eleventh hour fills you with dread, SmarterTravel discloses that some carriers – such as Delta at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 3 – organise luggage by dimensions to achieve proper weight balance aboard the aircraft, suggesting an alternative approach worth considering.

Hand over your case at the check-in desk and curious about its journey afterwards?

Your luggage is sorted into large containers, or “cans”, which can carry multiple bags for easier transport.

As per travel site SmarterTravel: “In other words, how far back your bag ends up depends on the weight of the can and the needs of the plane, not when you check it.”

It’s worth noting that single-aisle planes usually store checked luggage in a holding area before being loaded onto the aircraft shortly before take-off. Thus, suitcases are likely to be loaded in the order they were checked in.

However, checking in early may actually work against you – your bag could be put at the back of the storage space and loaded last, although it would probably be the first to be unloaded.

Want to avoid a lengthy wait at the baggage carousel?

Marking your suitcase as “fragile” could do the trick. News site news.com.au suggests that labelling your suitcase “fragile” can result in ground staff loading your bag last, which means they could unload it first.

Suitcases are also more likely to be processed in batches, meaning the order may not always be the same.

But remember to remove any old “fragile” labels from a previous trip.

You can also jazz up your luggage with ribbons, brightly coloured labels, or a unique name tag so it’s easily spotted.

Travelling with only hand luggage is the quickest way to breeze through the airport.

However, to avoid having to check your bag in, make sure it meets the airline’s specific requirements.

A personal item, often referred to as a small bag, should fit under the seat in front of you and typically shouldn’t exceed 40x30x20cm.

Hand luggage must be stowed in the overhead locker. They usually weigh up to 10kg and are no larger than 56x45x25cm.

Among UK airlines, British Airways typically offers the most generous free hand luggage allowance on its basic fares.

Passengers are allowed to bring one 23kg hand luggage bag (56x45x25cm) and one smaller personal item (up to 40x30x15cm) free of charge.

Jet2 and Virgin Atlantic also allow a free hand luggage bag (10kg, 56x45x25cm) and a personal item. Always double-check with individual airlines before you travel.