holiday

Dec. 23 (UPI) — U.S. consumers showed steady confidence this holiday season, with retail spending up 4.2% from last year, according to preliminary data via Visa released Tuesday.

Despite ongoing economic challenges, shoppers continued to buy especially tech and personal items. The analysis — based on Visa payments data from Nov. 1 over a seven‑week period — excluded auto, gas and restaurant categories and wasn’t adjusted for inflation.

Michael Brown, principal U.S. economist at Visa, said the “underlying surprise” was that U.S. consumer spending “is holding up reasonably well in light of softer consumer confidence than we had this time last year and a number of headwinds and concerns about inflation.”

In-store purchases made up 73% of total spending, though online sales rose by 7.8% and were the main source of growth fueled by convenience and early holiday deals.

Brown said the 2025 holiday season signaled a clear change in shopping habits, driven in part by artificial intelligence reshaping how consumers discover products and compare prices.

“We are seeing consumers use AI in a big way in comparison shopping and then helping to narrow down that perfect gift,” Brown told CNBC.

Electronics saw the strongest gains, with sales up 5.8%, driven by demand for newer, high-powered devices linked to the AI boom.

Apparel and other accessories rose 5.3% and general merchandise retailers offering one-stop shopping recorded a 3.7% increase.

But home-focused categories lagged. Spending on building materials and garden supplies slipped 1% and furniture and home furnishings were nearly flat edging up just 0.8%.

Although overall retail growth appears solid, the figures are not adjusted for inflation, meaning actual inflation‑adjusted gains were likely smaller once Consumer Price Index data was fully factored in.

Meanwhile, a recent survey found that 41% of Americans intended to cut back on holiday spending this year, which was up six points from 2024.

“This is the first holiday shopping season where roughly half of the consumers in that survey responded that they are going to leverage AI for one of those two tasks,” Brown added.

A NUMBER of popular holiday destinations loved by Brits are about to be much cheaper to fly to.

Wizz Air is launching six new flight routes from a London airport – and one is a UK first.

The budget airline has gained new slot at London Luton Airport, replacing TUI Airways.

From summer 2026, a new destination will connect London to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

This will be the only direct flight route from the UK.

Five flights a week will operate to Alicante in Spain, as well as another four to Faro in Portugal.

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Three flights a week will connect the airport to booth Turin and Lyon, with two a week to Corfu.

The cheapest fares will be for Faro, Turin, Lyon and Alicante, all starting from £17.99.

Flights to Corfu start from £45.99 while Yerevan is £36.99.

Wizz Air UK’s Managing Director Yvonne Moynihan said: “With the launch of our 15th based aircraft at London Luton Airport, we’re delighted to deliver a festive surprise by introducing six exciting new routes, including the first-ever direct connection from London to Armenia.”

“Our focus on growth continues, having delivered two new aircraft and nearly 20 new routes from the UK during 2025, reinforcing Wizz Air UK’s position as Luton’s local carrier. “

Yerevan is one of the one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, and called “up-and-coming” by Lonely Planet.

Most of Armenia is deemed safe to travel, apart from its border with Azerbaijan.

It’s borders with Turkey and Georgia are also safe to visit, as well as the capital Yerevan.

As part of Asia, Armenia is often overlooked as a holiday destination for Brits.

This is despite having a number of beautiful churches, as well as pink-stoned buildings, leading to its nickname the Pink City.

It also has a lot of street art, and amazing food.

There are lots of new flight routes launching new year.

Air France will operate a London Gatwick to Paris route.

EasyJet is launching new flights from London Southend to the island of Ibiza.

And here are 16 other new routes easyJet is launching next year.

THE Holiday is one of the UK’s favourite Christmas watches – and who hasn’t wanted to step into the magic of the film?

From the Cotswolds to Yorkshire, here are five of the best villages that will make you feel like you’re Cameron Diaz exploring England for the very first time.

Shere, Surrey

Of course first up is Shere in Surrey which fans of The Holiday will know that it was actually used as a filming location.

Found in the Guildford district, the pretty village is considered to be most photographed of all Surrey towns.

You can actually have a pint in the pub where Amanda (played by Cameron Diaz) and Graham (Jude Law) have their first date.

The couple visit The White Horse, a cosy pub that serves up hearty breakfasts, Sunday Roasts and lunches.

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You can also pop into The Dabbling Duck cafe, or take a hike around the nearby Surrey Hills.

The Holiday isn’t the only film to have set scenes in Shere – it’s also been the backdrop of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, and The Wedding Date.

Kettlewell, Yorkshire Dales

The Yorkshire village of Kettlewell is filled with classic stone cottages – just like Iris’.

But there’s also traditional tea rooms, and a quaint High Street and incredible views of the countryside – perfect for a weekend walk.

The village has three pubs, The Blue Bell Inn – a homely spot which serves up tasty home-cooked food by its crackling fire.

Or check out The King’s Head and The Falcon Inn.

Elterwater

Elterwater is a village in the Lake District, Cumbria.

The village lies half a mile north-west of the lake of Elter Water – where it gets its name.

It’s tiny with around 100 residents, some of whom live in its charming slate or stone cottages along the narrow roads.

The local pub is The Britannia Inn which serves seasonal food by its log fire – and during the summer has a pretty beer garden.

The village has incredible views of the Langdale Pikes which are famous mountains in the Great Langdale Valley.

You can also go for a stroll along the River Brathay or go further afield and you might even spot a waterfall or two.

Burford, Oxfordshire

The Cotswolds is an obvious choice when it comes to pretty English villages – and Burford is a very charming spot.

It has the classic pretty stone cottages and a very traditional feel to it.

Along the High Street are antique shops, tea rooms and pubs like The Angel at Burford, The Prince Of Burford and The Lamb Inn.

The oldest pharmacy in England can be found here, and there’s a medieval bridge that crosses over the River Windrush as well as a Grade I listed church.

And for even more magic from The Holiday, actress Kate Winslet used to live very nearby.

Stanton, Gloucestershire

Another very English-looking Cotswolds village is Stanton.

40 minutes up the road from Burford is Stanton, which looks very ‘The Holiday’ with its limestone and half-timbered cottages.

The village is on the smaller side so there isn’t too much to do, but it makes for a charming trip – and there will be great photo opportunities.

Nearby you can hike the Cotswold Way or visit Snowshill Manor, and if you fancy it, you can even book to go horse-riding through Stanton.

The Mount Inn pub is the only pub in the village and has incredible views of the Malvern Hills.

For more, here are 10 UK locations featured in iconic Christmas movies that you can visit this festive season.

And even more filming locations in the UK that you can visit with movie tours. 

For decades, American families have gathered to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve.

The 1946 Frank Capra movie, about a man who on one of the worst days of his life discovers how he has positively impacted his hometown of Bedford Falls, is beloved for extolling selflessness, community and the little guy taking on rapacious capitalists. Take those values, add in powerful acting and the promise of light in the darkest of hours, and it’s the only movie that makes me cry.

No less a figure of goodwill than Pope Leo XIV revealed last month that it’s one of his favorite movies. But as with anything holy in this nation, President Trump and his followers are trying to hijack the holiday classic.

Last weekend, the Department of Homeland Security posted two videos celebrating its mass deportation campaign. One, titled “It’s a Wonderful Flight,” re-creates the scene where George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart in one of his best performances) contemplates taking his own life by jumping off a snowy bridge. But the protagonist is a Latino man crying over the film’s despairing score that he’ll “do anything” to return to his wife and kids and “live again.”

Cut to the same man now mugging for the camera on a plane ride out of the United States. The scene ends with a plug for an app that allows undocumented immigrants to take up Homeland Security’s offer of a free self-deportation flight and a $1,000 bonus — $3,000 if they take the one-way trip during the holidays.

The other DHS clip is a montage of Yuletide cheer — Santa, elves, stockings, dancing — over a sped-up electro-trash remake of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.” In one split-second image, Bedford Falls residents sing “Auld Lang Syne,” just after they’ve saved George Bailey from financial ruin and an arrest warrant.

“This Christmas,” the caption reads, “our hearts grow as our illegal population shrinks.”

“It’s a Wonderful Life” has long served as a political Rorschach test. Conservatives once thought Capra’s masterpiece was so anti-American for its vilification of big-time bankers that they accused him of sneaking in pro-Communist propaganda. In fact, the director was a Republican who paused his career during World War II to make short documentaries for the Department of War. Progressives tend to loathe the film’s patriotism, its sappiness, its relegation of Black people to the background and its depiction of urban life as downright demonic.

Then came Trump’s rise to power. His similarity to the film’s villain, Mr. Potter — a wealthy, nasty slumlord who names everything he takes control of after himself — was easier to point out than spots on a cheetah. Left-leaning essayists quickly made the facile comparison, and a 2018 “Saturday Night Live” parody imagining a country without Trump as president so infuriated him that he threatened to sue.

But in recent years, Trumpworld has claimed that the film is actually a parable about their dear leader.

Trump is a modern day George Bailey, the argument goes, a secular saint walking away from sure riches to try to save the “rabble” that Mr. Potter — who in their minds somehow represents the liberal elite — sneers at. A speaker at the 2020 Republican National Convention explicitly made the comparison, and the recent Homeland Security videos warping “It’s a Wonderful Life” imply it too — except now, it’s unchecked immigration that threatens Bedford Falls.

The Trump administration’s take on “It’s a Wonderful Life” is that it reflects a simpler, better, whiter time. But that’s a conscious misinterpretation of this most American of movies, whose foundation is strengthened by immigrant dreams.

Director Frank Capra

(Handout)

In his 1971 autobiography “The Name Above the Title,” Capra revealed that his “dirty, hollowed-out immigrant family” left Sicily for Los Angeles in the 1900s to reunite with an older brother who “jumped the ship” to enter the U.S. years before. Young Frank grew up in the “sleazy Sicilian ghetto” of Lincoln Heights, finding kinship at Manual Arts High with the “riff-raff” of immigrant and working-class white kids “other schools discarded” and earning U.S. citizenship only after serving in the first World War. Hard times wouldn’t stop Capra and his peers from achieving success.

The director captured that sentiment in “It’s a Wonderful Life” through the character of Giuseppe Martini, an Italian immigrant who runs a bar. His heavily accented English is heard early in the film as one of many Bedford Falls residents praying for Bailey. In a flashback, Martini is seen leaving his shabby Potter-owned apartment with a goat and a troop of kids for a suburban tract home that Bailey developed and sold to him.

Today, Trumpworld would cast the Martinis as swarthy invaders destroying the American way of life. In “It’s a Wonderful Life,” they’re America itself.

When an angry husband punches Bailey at Martini’s bar for insulting his wife, the immigrant kicks out the man for assaulting his “best friend.” And when Bedford Falls gathers at the end of the film to raise funds and save Bailey, it’s Martini who arrives with the night’s profits from his business, as well as wine for everyone to celebrate.

Immigrants are so key to the good life in this country, the film argues, that in the alternate reality if George Bailey had never lived, Martini is nowhere to be heard.

Capra long stated that “It’s a Wonderful Life” was his favorite of his own movies, adding in his memoir that it was a love letter “for the Magdalenes stoned by hypocrites and the afflicted Lazaruses with only dogs to lick their sores.”

I’ve tried to catch at least the ending every Christmas Eve to warm my spirits, no matter how bad things may be. But after Homeland Security’s hijacking of Capra’s message, I made time to watch the entire film, which I’ve seen at least 10 times, before its customary airing on NBC.

I shook my head, feeling the deja vu, as Bailey’s father sighed, “In this town, there’s no place for any man unless they crawl to Potter.”

I cheered as Bailey told Potter years later, “You think the whole world revolves around you and your money. Well, it doesn’t.” I wondered why more people haven’t said that to Trump.

When Potter ridiculed Bailey as someone “trapped into frittering his life away playing nursemaid to a lot of garlic eaters,” I was reminded of the right-wingers who portray those of us who stand up to Trump’s cruelty as stupid and even treasonous.

And as the famous conclusion came, all I thought about was immigrants.

People giving Bailey whatever money they could spare reminded me of how regular folks have done a far better job standing up to Trump’s deportation Leviathan than the rich and mighty have.

As the film ends, with Bailey and his family looking on in awe at how many people came to help out, I remembered my own immigrant elders, who also forsook dreams and careers so their children could achieve their own — the only reward to a lifetime of silent sacrifice.

The tears flowed as always, this time prompted by a new takeaway that was always there — “Solo el pueblo salva el pueblo,” or “Only we can save ourselves,” a phrase adopted by pro-immigrant activists in Southern California this year as a mantra of comfort and resistance.

It’s the heart of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and the opposite of Trump’s push to make us all dependent on his mercy. He and his fellow Potters can’t do anything to change that truth.

On the Friday night after Thanksgiving, a hotel room on the 17th floor of the Hotel Indigo in Downtown Los Angeles was transformed into a leather dressing room. About a dozen friends crowded around a king-size bed, cracking open Tecates, vibing to techno house music from a portable speaker, and adjusting each other’s harnesses.

The flash of a digital camera went off like a strobe as Yair Lopez documented his friends before their night at an afterparty. They were all there as part of the L.A. iteration of CLAW: a national leather and kink convention that offers workshops, parties and community spaces for people interested in BDSM culture. Founded in 2002, the convention started out in Cleveland, but has also held events in in L.A. since 2021.

As others spent their Thanksgiving holiday with blood relatives at the dinner table, this particular gathering was dubbed “Leather Thanksgiving” — a celebration of chosen family, cobbled together from various corners of L.A.’s queer nightlife. For Lopez and his friends, that sense of belonging is only growing.

“This chain was gifted to me from a friend,” Lopez said as he adjusted the silver around his neck. “Chains with a lock represent that you have a dom and the other person has the key. I’m still waiting for the lock,” he added jokingly, glancing at his boyfriend.

Leather enthusiasts pre-game ahead of the release party for the film, “Encuerados,” on November 28th at the Hotel Indigo in Downtown Los Angeles.

(Yair Lopez / For De Los)

It was a big day for Lopez. Earlier he showcased three of his photos as part of a leather art gallery and attended a screening of “Encuerados,” a short documentary he appeared in, which shadowed a group of Latino men carving out space in L.A.’s leather community. An “Encuerados” afterparty would soon follow.

For Lopez and his friends, leather is less about fetish and more about kinship, safety and visibility, in a city where queer Latino spaces remain scarce.

Lopez has become a visible force in L.A.’s leather underground scene, building community through both his art and the spaces he helps create. He has self-published his work through photos and zines; he also founded Contramundo, a Latino leather night at the Bullet Bar in North Hollywood. His community work even led to a third-place finish in the 2023 Mr. L.A. Leather competition.

He started shooting a decade ago, moving from street scenes and hikes to L.A.’s queer nightlife. That work eventually led him to the Eagle, where he found a muse and a community he didn’t know he needed.

“I grew up in a pretty religious Mexican household in the San Fernando Valley. I was made to feel ashamed of who I was, even my own body, so finding this felt so needed,” he recalled.

Located in Silver Lake, the Eagle is a legacy leather bar that has anchored L.A.’s kink scene for decades. It is also one of the few remaining spaces for this corner of queer nightlife. And while Lopez did feel seen through the leather community, there was still a piece missing.

“It is no surprise that a lot of gay spaces are predominantly white, so finding gay brown community is hard. But that changed when I started meeting other like-minded Latinos in leather,” Lopez said.

One of those Latinos was Leonardo Iriarte, the first Latino Mr. L.A. Leather and co-founder of Payasos L.A., a nonprofit that organizes events and mutual aid efforts to support Latino visibility in the leather world.

The group of friends ran into Iriarte as they made their way to the 18th floor, where he was DJing for the night in a large, dimly lit conference room.

Dressed in black leather pants and boots, Iriarte had “Mr. L.A. Leather 2011” embroidered across the back of his vest. The Michoacán native also happened to be the protagonist of the “Encuerados” documentary and host of the “” afterparty.

“When I moved to the United States in 2001, I didn’t move for the classic American dream of looking for a better life financially,” said Iriarte. “My purpose of moving here was to be free as a gay person.”

Latinos in leather pose ahead of the “Encuerados” screening during the CLAW L.A. convention on November 28th at the Hotel Indigo in Downtown Los Angeles.

(Yair Lopez / For De Los)

And while Iriarte did find that freedom he hoped for, he was not prepared for the racism he would encounter in the leather scene — especially after winning his title.

“I remember a hate campaign and even death threats after I won,” he said. “It was scary, but it opened a door for other Latinos, and this space has grown so much since.”

As it gets closer to midnight, the dark conference room swells with bodies moving to Iriarte’s pulsing techno. Partygoers poured in sporting leather chaps, chest-hugging harnesses, and even tejana hats for a vaquero-leather twist.

Lopez put down his camera to circulate and greet friends from over the years. He bumped into Orlando Bedolla, director of “Encuerados,” who first met Lopez four years ago while filming the documentary.

“I learned about his photography, the zine he was making, all of it,” Bedolla said. “I found him interesting because he is literally a Latino increasing Latino representation in the leather community.”

Bedolla recalled attending CLAW L.A. in 2021 and going to his first Latino party there after getting an invite from Payasos L.A. Inside, he found a room full of mostly Latino men in jockstraps, harnesses and leather. He was struck by the energy of an underground community he didn’t realize existed. That night would become the seed for the film.

On the dance floor, colored lights flashed across Lopez’s visage as he tried to keep track of his room key. His friends borrowed it to run upstairs to their shared room for more drinks — and he wondered aloud about how messy it would be after their two-night stay.

These spaces, low-lit yet overflowing with camaraderie, offer the community something harder to find anywhere else, especially during the holidays: the freedom to be fully themselves.

“When I step into spaces like this, I don’t just see leather,” Lopez said, taking a sip of his vodka soda. “I see people reaching for some kind of joy and connection we’re constantly told is wrong. But we all want to feel touched and seen — and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

New York City, United States – Since the recent termination of the nearly decade-old trade rule called “de minimis,” United States consumers and businesses have been exposed to slower shipping, destroyed packages and steep tariff fees on international goods – foreshadowing what could make for a chaotic holiday shopping season.

For major international carrier UPS, navigating the latest regulatory changes has proved more fraught than for its competitors FedEx and DHL.

Matthew Wasserbach, brokerage manager for Express Customs Clearance in New York, a firm that assists importers with documentation, tariff classifications, valuation, and other federal requirements, has witnessed the fallout as UPS customers seek his firm’s assistance to clear packages entering the US.

“Over the last few months, we’ve been seeing a lot of UPS shipments, in particular, becoming stuck and being lost or disposed of … This all stems from the ending of the de minimis,” said Wasserbach. “Their [UPS’s] whole business model changed once the de minimis was ended. And they just didn’t have the capacity to do the clearance … a lot of people are expecting to receive international packages, and they’re just never gonna get them.”

UPS did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

Suspending tariff exemptions

Since 2016, the de minimis trade exemption determined that packages worth $800 or less were not subject to taxes and tariffs. According to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number of shipments entering the US claiming the exemption increased by more than 600 percent from 139 million shipments in 2015 to more than one billion in 2023.

In August, this all changed. President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending de minimis treatment for all countries, spiralling US imports into a new landscape of paperwork and processes, subject to duties and tariffs based on their place of origin.

Just a month after de minimis ended, while shipping products with UPS, Tezumi Tea, an online Japanese tea and teaware company that sells its products online and through meetups in New York City, fell victim to the tariff backlog at US customs. Tezumi lost roughly 150kg (330lbs) of matcha, totalling about $13,000.

“We responded by increasing buffers in our supply planning across the dozen farms that we partner with,” said Ryan Snowden, a cofounder of Tezumi. “Even with those adjustments, the loss had a severe effect on a number of our cafe customers who suddenly needed to switch to another matcha blend.”

Now, UPS is no longer accepting shipments from Japan, and Tezumi has switched to shipping supplies through alternate carriers such as DHL and FedEx.

Disposing shipments

Wasserbach has witnessed similar instances of UPS losing imports.

“When a UPS package goes uncleared, it’s just basically sitting in a UPS facility, uncleared for a certain period of time,” said Wasserbach. “Then UPS indicates in their tracking that they’re disposing of the shipments without making, really, any effort, from what I’ve seen, to contact either the sender or the receiver, to get information they need to do to get the clearance.”

Wasserbach shared email chains with Al Jazeera from UPS customers who looped in his firm to their customs clearance UPS debacles.

In one exchange, UPS customer Stephan Niznik responded to a notice from the UPS Alternate Broker Team that their packages had been “destroyed”.

“The tracking says on multiple instances that UPS attempted to contact the sender (me), but this is false; aside from a request for more information on September 5 (which I responded to immediately), UPS never attempted to contact me,” wrote Niznik. “It is absolutely disgraceful that my package was mishandled – clothes and children’s toys were destroyed at the hands of UPS.”

In another email chain, UPS told customer Chenying Li that their package was released following an email from Express Customs Clearance stating that the shipment was cleared.

A week later, Li’s package was still showing as “Pending Release”, and when they asked for an update on the shipment, UPS responded, “At this time we are unable to provide an ETA,  as volume is currently backed up and awaiting delivery due to the De Minimis impact.”

‘Impose additional pressure’

In addition to the customs backlog, Virginia Tech associate professor David Bieri says cost prevention may provide one explanation for UPS choosing to dispose of packages rejected by US customs rather than return the shipments to senders.

“All these additional rules and regulations impose additional pressure on already relatively tight margins for these companies – UPS, FedEx, DHL and so forth,” said Bieri. “They need to make money, and sometimes it’s easier not to fulfil a service than to take on the additional cost of customs clearance and making sure that it gets to its final destination.”

Bieri added that UPS resorting to package disposal may indicate that they believe themselves to be in “a sufficiently strong monopolistic position that they can do such horrible practice – unilateral nonfulfillment of contract”.

Wasserbach told Al Jazeera that “with FedEx and DHL shipments, we aren’t seeing these problems”.

When asked whether FedEx has disposed of packages stuck in customs, a spokesperson wrote, “If paperwork is not complete and/or rejected by US Customs and Border Protection, FedEx actively works with senders to update paperwork to resubmit to CBP or return shipments to senders. In some cases, shippers can request that packages be disposed of if they would prefer not to pay to return to sender. In those rare cases, recipients are notified at the direction of the shipper. This is not a common practice. We remain business as usual.”

Final cost of delivery at your doorstep

But FedEx and DHL are encountering some of the same challenges as UPS. Since August, when de minimis ended and small packages were suddenly subject to taxes and tariffs, anyone who ordered from abroad was susceptible to unexpected fees on imported goods.

Without de minimis protecting packages worth $800 and less from import fees, the consumer essentially becomes the importer.

“You might order something you find a bargain abroad, and you don’t pay attention to where things are shipped from … and it might be shipped from China, and you might be in for a rude awakening once that thing arrives at your door,” said Beiri. “You paid the price and thought that this was it. But your deliverer is saying, no, actually, we’re passing that cost on to you. Because you’re acting as the importer.”

These fees could cost equal to or more than the item you ordered itself. “You’ve got to pay extra attention to small prints,” said Beiri.

With looming costs and lost packages on the horizon, Beiri says shoppers will likely make “substitution questions” – are you renovating or are you going on vacation? Are you splashing on Christmas gifts, or are you treating yourself to dining out?

“I think these are interesting times of having to make choices and asking yourself what can we do given that we have an affordability crisis, rent, insurance, making ends meet,” said Beiri. “That’s what’s currently going on.”

In order to better handle evolving trade policy, Wasserbach says that UPS will likely aim to hire a massive number of entry writers to assist with necessary documentation for legal transportation of goods across international borders. However, now that it is the busiest time of year in terms of delivering people their Christmas shopping, Wasserbach doubts an influx of hiring could make much of a difference, given the amount of training required.

The company’s revenue has already taken a hit on account of Trump’s policies. Tariffs on China and the elimination of the de minimis rule saw imports from China, UPS’s most profitable route, drop reportedly 35 percent earlier this year.

“I would assume it’s gonna get better next year,” said Wasserbach. “But as for solving this problem before Christmas, I don’t think that that’s gonna happen.”

IT’S almost January, known by many as the most depressing month of the year.

So why not sack off the UK for one of these seven incredible destinations, all within four hours from the UK with very affordable flights.

Barcelona, Spain

Can you really go wrong with a trip to Barcelona?

A city break blended with beautiful beaches, not to mention it’s very flat and walkable.

There are plenty of cultural and historical attractions and of course the the iconic architecture like the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell.

Don’t forget to stop by Sant Pau a former hospital turned historical attraction, which is minutes away from the famous cathedral in the city centre, but much lesser-known.

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Our own Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding loves Las Ramblas – the iconic street that’s 1.5km covered in market stalls.

Some of her favourite spots are Casa Beethoven – essentially Harry Potter’s Ollivanders but for sheet music not wands, and La Boqueria market.

You can get to Barcelona for as little as £14.99 with Ryanair if you fly out on January 25, 2026 from London Stansted.

Baden-Baden, Germany

You won’t be getting January sun here, but Baden-Baden in southwest Germany is a great option for a city break.

The spa town is in Germany‘s Black Forest near its French border – and is famous for its thermal baths – and THAT summer in 2006 when England’s WAGS were arguably as famous as their footballer husbands during the World Cup.

Baden-Baden sits on top of a natural mineral-rich hot springs that bubble up from deep underground and you can enjoy them at the likes of the Caracalla Spa or the Friedrichsbad Spa.

At both, you can go swimming, check out the saunas, steam baths and treatment rooms.

For the more active, take a wander through the Lichtentaler Allee park, casino or take Germany’s steepest funicular railway up the Merkur Mountain.

You can fly from London Stansted to Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden for £15 on January 30, 2026, with Ryanair.

Poznan, Poland

Poznan, the fifth largest city in Poland it sits by the Warta River and boasts a pretty colourful Old Town.

When you get there, wrap up warm and take a wander around the city starting at the Old Market Square, also known as Stary Rynek.

At noon, head over to the town hall where mechanical Billy Goats emerge from the clock tower and butt heads.

Ostrów Tumski is a huge cathedral which gives visitors an insight into how the region started in Poznań.

It’s home to some quirky things too, like a croissant museum which one Sun writer visited and even made his own version of the pastry.

While you’re there, have a taste of a Penerskie, which is a local beer made from potatoes.

With Wizz Air you can fly from London Luton to Poznan for £14.97 departing on January 19, 2026.

Sofia, Bulgaria

The capital of Bulgaria is in the west of the country and is filled with incredible landmarks like Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Rotunda of St. George.

You can take time to sightsee, take a break on Vitosha Boulevard which is filled with shops, cafes and restaurants or head up Vitosha Mountain on a hiking trail.

The city can be as little as three hours and 10 minutes from the UK, so it’s no wonder one man even took an extreme day trip to Sofia after bagging a return flight for £43.

He spent the day exploring the city using a self-guided tour on his phone and picked up local treats like a pastry called a banitsa and stopped for a sit down meal too.

You can fly to Sofia in Bulgaria from London Stansted on January 20, 2026 from £16.99

Carcassonne, France

The city of Carcassonne in France is famous for its citadel and castle

that look like it belongs in the medieval period – it’s even said to be one of the best preserved medieval ensembles in the world.

Inside the old town are winding old streets and grand Château Comtal and Basilique Saint Nazaire.

To learn more about the history of Carcassonne, visitors can take tours during the day and at night.

There’s also the new town to explore called Bastide Saint Louis which has an impressive local wine scene, museums and plenty of shops.

Brits can fly directly Manchester to Carcassonne on January 26, 2026 with Ryanair from £16.99.

Naples, Italy

Naples, the pretty southern city in Italy known for its pretty ruins, vibrant street life and more importantly, pizza.

The city is considered the birthplace of pizza – it evolved from simple flatbreads sold to the working poor in the 18th century to the tasty meal we know today.

When one Sun writer visited the city, she discovered you can buy margarita pizzas for as little as £3.

Naples also has a Spanish quarter where you can see sites like Piazza del Plebiscito and Castel Nuovo and try some different cuisine.

If you fancy a longer trip or heading out to the city, from Naples you can easily reach destinations like the historical Pompeii, Capri, or the Amalfi Coast.

You can fly from London Stansted to Naples on January 10, 2026 from £15 with Ryanair.

Bratislava, Slovakia

Bratislava in Slovakia is pretty small for a European capital, but that doesn’t mean there’s any less to do.

It has bright pastel coloured buildings along small cobbled roads lined with cafes and restaurants.

One of the most famous buildings to visit in the city is Bratislava castle.

It has four corner towers and stands on an isolated rocky hill of the Little Carpathians, directly above the Danube river.

Tourists can also check out the Gothic St. Martin’s Cathedral, Blue Church, plus enjoying Slovak food like Bryndzové Halušky which are potato dumplings with cheese and bacon.

You can fly to Bratislava on January 11, 2026 from Manchester from £16.99 with Ryanair.

All prices are correct as of December 22, 2025.

Plus here are eight affordable holidays with four times more sun than Britain in January.

And if you fancy fleeing Budget chaos then are are affordable holidays on offer right NOW from £22pppn where you can buy cheap booze & fags.

After days of deliberation and faced with a forecast getting soggier by the day, Santa Anita officials have decided to postpone opening day of the 2025-26 race meeting from Friday until Sunday, Dec. 28.

It’s just the second time since 1976 that Santa Anita will not open on the day after Christmas. The other time was in 2019 for the same reason: wet weather. More than eight inches of rain are projected to fall between Tuesday night and Friday at Santa Anita.

“With the amount of rain being forecast, it’s important to make this call as early as possible to give everyone advance notice,” Santa Anita general manager Nate Newby said in a statement. “Everyone looks forward to opening day as it’s traditionally one of our biggest days of the year, so it’s not a decision we make lightly. But after speaking with our stakeholders, adjusting the racing schedule at this time provides the best opportunity to have a great opening to kick off the season.”

There is no state rule against running in the mud or on a softer turf course, but protocols put in place after the 2018-19 winter-spring meeting, when 30 horses died during racing or training at Santa Anita, often result in the track postponing or canceling race days.

Opening day usually draws the largest crowd of the year at Santa Anita. Last year’s announced on-track attendance was 41,562, the highest total on a non-weekend or holiday on opening day since 1990. Total mutuel handle was more than $21.4 million, the third-highest ever on the first day.

The 11 races scheduled for Friday now will be run two days later, with first post at 11 a.m. There are six stakes races set for opening day, three on turf, with Santa Anita officials hoping that waiting until Sunday will allow the grass course to dry enough to allow racing.

Tickets purchased for opening day will be honored Dec. 28, with full refunds available on request. The revised schedule for the opening two weeks will feature racing Dec. 28 and 29, then every day from Wednesday, Dec. 31, through Sunday, Jan. 4.

It’s odd the moments you remember after someone’s gone.

Scrolling through a seemingly infinite number of clips featuring Rob Reiner being compassionate and kind, scenes from his movies that feature a bone-deep empathy for the ways human beings struggle and strive to be better, I kept thinking back to a little wink in “This Is Spinal Tap,” the 1984 mockumentary Reiner directed and co-starred in, playing filmmaker Marty DiBergi.

I’ve seen this movie so many times that I could probably act out the whole thing upon request. It provided a soundtrack to a family trip to Stonehenge several years ago. But thinking about Reiner in the wake of the horrible news that he and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their home on Sunday night, their son Nick subsequently charged with their murders, I randomly landed on the scene where DiBergi talks with Spinal Tap lead singer David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) after guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) leaves the band.

St. Hubbins blithely insists he won’t miss Nigel any more than insignificant band members who played briefly in the group. DiBergi is stunned. He loves Spinal Tap and fears for its future. Reiner plays the moment with such sincere heartbreak, partly in character, but mostly I think because that’s who he was. Reiner couldn’t help it. He felt things deeply and spent much of his life working to make things better for those on society’s margins. He will be missed in so many ways.

I’m Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times and host of The Envelope newsletter. How to describe this week? None more black will do. But Christmas is coming, and that Vince Guaraldi song never fails to make me smile. Let’s look at some good news for those who made the Oscar shortlists this week.

Voters, consider these

The film academy announced shortlists for 12 categories at the 98th Oscars, whittling down the list of contenders and offering a few indications about what films are scoring early points with voters.

Ryan Coogler’s critically acclaimed, genre-defying blockbuster “Sinners” picked up eight mentions, as did “Wicked: For Good.” Both movies placed two songs on the original song shortlist and both were cited in the newly created casting category.

Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” followed with six mentions, and “One Battle After Another,” “F1” and “Sirât” each scored five.

The bounty for “Sirât,” the Oliver Laxe thriller that is unquestionably one of the most memorable movies of the year, offered an indication that the word of mouth on this movie is strong enough to land it a spot among the nominees for international feature.

Can it do better than that? It should. Here are five suggestions for voters, including “Sirât,” as the lists are narrowed ahead of Oscar nominations on Jan. 22.

Cinematography: ‘Sirât’

“Sirât” contains so many surprising twists and turns that when asked to describe the plot, I simply tell people that it’s about a father who shows up at a rave in southern Morocco with his young son looking for his missing daughter. The long desert journey they end up taking is astonishing, and cinematographer Mauro Herce, shooting on 16mm film, captures every treacherous mile in dramatic detail.

Original score: ‘Marty Supreme’

Voting with the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn., I cast my ballot for Kangding Ray’s hypnotic score for (you guessed it) “Sirât.” But that was just one of many soundtracks that found its way into my life this year. Hans Zimmer’s synth-heavy “F1” score makes for propulsive listening while pedaling on an exercise bike and ranks among the celebrated composer’s best work. And I share Times film editor Josh Rothkopf’s enthusiasm for Daniel Lopatin’s throwback electronic beats in “Marty Supreme,” a delight for anyone who grew up listening to the ethereal soundscapes created by Tangerine Dream.

Casting: ‘Weapons’

I’m highlighting Zach Cregger’s horror-mystery “Weapons” here partially because of its inexplicable absence in the makeup and hairstyling category. I guess voters knew it was Amy Madigan in that bright red wig all along. That omission aside, “Weapons” is a prime example of what a great casting director can do, making use of familiar faces (Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Madigan) in unexpected ways, finding the right child actor (Cary Christopher) to deliver big emotional moments and elevating emerging talent (Austin Abrams) to unexpected heights. Allison Jones, one of the greats, belongs among the casting category’s inaugural set of nominees.

Original song: ‘I Lied to You’

I mean, you saw that scene in “Sinners,” right?

Documentary: ‘My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 — Last Air in Moscow’

Julia Loktev’s five-hour chronicle of the chilling Russian crackdown on independent journalists has won documentary honors from both the Los Angeles and New York film critics. The doc begins in 2021, when the journalists, mostly women, are forced to label themselves as “foreign agents” simply for doing their jobs, covering Putin’s regime in a factual manner. Things intensify after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, turning “My Undesirable Friends” into a cautionary tale about the perils of bending to an autocrat. It goes without saying, but this is essential viewing.

FUELLED by a glass of Moet from the 24-hour champagne bar, I sleepily made my way to the resort’s palm-lined beach club, nibbling on a golden chocolate-covered strawberry as I plodded.  

So far, so Dubai . . .  except I am actually in Turkey at the Cullinan Belek hotel. 

Which means, after a short four-hour flight from the UK, I was swept into the kind of luxury you would expect from one of the 5H properties on The Palm Jumeirah — only without the seven-hour journey, or the jet lag.  

Plus, it meant I was feeling fresh enough to go from the plane to the party in minutes. 

Cullinan Belek’s Galapagos beach bar was pumping as masked dancers beckoned in revellers with their flaming torches and a live DJ played Balearic-style beats. 

Its troupe put on two original shows a night – one more family-friendly piece in the main auditorium and a more progressive, late-night number for the adults, like tonight’s, which took its inspiration from Moroccan belly dancers.  

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A waiter served me a freshly-shaken, personalised cocktail from his cart, and before long, I was dancing barefoot on the beach.  

Cullinan Belek won the Luxury All-Inclusive Resort gong at the World Travel Awards in 2024, but if I needed further proof of its prestige, I found it back at our Superior Duplex room. 

There’s a pillow menu, top-of-the-range tech to control lights, curtains and air, plus divine Bvlgari toiletries in the two bathrooms.  

But the real treat is the swim-up infinity pool which lapped my second-floor terrace, overlooking the main resort.  

A quick plunge shook off last night’s cocktails and a trip to the hotel’s C’Espace spa beckoned. 

Somehow the hotel’s gym even managed to make sweating feel refined as it is among the best I’ve ever used — yes, it even beats those in Dubai. 

As well as the usual equipment there is a Pilates reformer stand, yoga room, decent set-up for weight-lifters, plus even an indoor and outdoor Hyrox zone for those seeking an on-trend workout.  

And if you’re after something more relaxed, I’m told the Cullinan’s golf course is the best in Belek, which has become known as the heartland for the sport with the hotel offering special packages for enthusiasts.

There are 14 sections to browse for breakfast, ranging from your standard pastries and fry-ups to Indian cuisine, Mexican breakfast burritos and a juice bar.  

Instead, I signed up to play sport-of-the-moment padel — as made popular by the Princess of Wales — and was immediately hooked, as it had all the fun of tennis without as much running.  

That felt like more than enough activity for one day, but it turns out another challenge lay ahead.  

The Mare main restaurant is an epic buffet set-up, larger than any I’ve seen before — yes, even larger than those in Dubai.  

There are 14 sections to browse for breakfast, ranging from your standard pastries and fry-ups to Indian cuisine, Mexican breakfast burritos and a juice bar.  

Variety might be the spice of life, but at that hour of the day, the choice was sometimes overwhelming and the crowds and queues tricky to navigate.  

Away from the throng of the buffet, though, is where the Cullinan Belek really excelled. 

The resort has two Italian restaurants as well Greek, Asian, teppanyaki and a steakhouse plus a number of snack bistros, a patisserie and an in-house chocolatier. So I got to work.  

In the evening, some of these carry an additional charge on top of the all-inclusive package but each time it felt worth it. 

Great value 

I particularly enjoyed the beef in hot sauce from Nori Asian, which, for an extra €25 per person, allows you to dine to the sounds of live music as you sit among the petal design of the Azure pool.  

Meanwhile The Beef Grill puts its succulent steaks at the centre of the action, with the cuts displayed in a huge chiller spanning the length of the restaurant, and an open kitchen grill.  

The real jewel in the hotel’s crown, however, is the huge water park which offers an oasis for families, alongside a football pitch, splash pool and tons of beach games…

The €55-per-person surcharge felt great value when the signature starters of Meat Sushi and Onion Blossom were prepared at our table by an intrepid server with a blow torch.  

The real jewel in the hotel’s crown, however, is the huge water park which offers an oasis for families, alongside a football pitch, splash pool and tons of beach games as well as indoor bowling alley and games consoles. 

The offering for children is impressive — but all the more so because these facilities somehow nestle unobtrusively alongside the chic, laidback aspects, just like at the super hotels in Dubai. 

Which was ideal for me, lazing by the adults-only pool as I awaited my next cocktail from the roller-skating waitress. 

If Cullinan Belek is a Dubai dupe, then honestly, who needs the real thing? 

IF you’re dreaming of going somewhere picturesque and peaceful, there’s a certain stunning cottage calling your name.

Residing in one of Wales‘ beautiful peninsulas, the white-washed home – known as Bwthyn Trehilyn – is incredibly popular for holiday bookings.

This isn’t only because it boasts six bedrooms, scenic views and the perfect step away to disconnect from the hubbub of busy, daily life.

It just so happens to be owned by a famous TV star.

Comedian, actor and television presenter Griff Rhys Jones took ownership of the now-beautiful cottage when it was in a rather derelict state.

It was once part of a collection of stone properties that collectively formed a working Pembrokeshire farm.

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But now Bwthyn Trehilyn is enjoying a new lease of life as a holiday rental, thanks to becoming the fifth property renovated by Griff.

Under the Thatch, a company who curate collections of the most refined holiday homes in Wales, announced Bwthyn Trehilyn as the top-selling accommodation for 2025.

Visitors adored the charm of the building, as well as its thoughtfully updated interiors including its adjoining servants’ wing, a former mill, and a granary.

Interior designers did their best to keep some of the interior’s original character, incorporating vintage furniture relevant to the period and restoring wooden ceiling beams.

Though one of the main sells for travellers was its location, being only a short walk away from the Abermawr beach.

The beach features a private lake, ideal for watching a stunning rural sunset melt into the water or an evening of fishing.

It only took a stroll through the area back in 2004 for Griff to decide he just had to snap up the cottage and return it to its former beauty.

MAISIE Williams stripped down to nothing in a new post this week as she shared snaps of her bare body while skinny dipping with pals.

The Game Of Thrones star, 28, can be seen walking into the sea fully nude in a video clip taken from behind during a trip to Sardinia, Italy.

Joined by a group of friends, the trio all posed naked for pictures in the stunning blue sea before jumping off a nearby cliff into the water.

A far cry from Winterfell, and the crisp UK weather, Maisie shared a slew of pictures of the beautiful Italian surroundings.

She captioned the post: “Summer is so over but life is still happening in a big way x”

In the comment section, fans were quick to leave plenty of Game Of Thrones references.

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“So winter is no longer coming?” said one follower as they joked about Maisie’s lack of clothes.

Another said: “Did I just get flashed by Arya Stark”.

Maisie is known for portraying Arya in Game Of Thrones, a role she finished up in 2018.

While the popular series may not be returning, Maisie recently teased a new project with the show’s creator George R.R. Martin.

The author shared a post earlier this year which detailed how he met up with Maisie over the summer.

He said: “We also got together with Maisie Williams for pizza and pasta, and talked about… well, no, better not get into that, do not want to jinx it. But it could be so much fun.”

Maisie is yet to speak out on any potential collabs with her former colleagues.

She has appeared in a number of TV shows since GOT, including portraying Second World War resistance fighter Ginette “Catherine” Dior in The New Look.

While she also starred in Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols series, Pistol.

The six-parter is based on guitarist Steve Jones’ 2018 memoir, Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol.

WE all know Wowcher is good for offers, but did you know you could go on holiday for just £89 and it is all-inclusive?

Holidays really can add up – by the time you book flights, airport transfers, and accommodation, you may have already spent hundreds.

Then add in the costs when you are there, like eating and seeing paid-for attractions.

Often, holidays aren’t cheap.

But this is what makes all-inclusive so appealing, as it takes away that stress.

And Wowcher now has deals as cheap as £89 for an all-inclusive break away.

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For example, you could head to a four-star all-inclusive resort in Tunisia.

The package includes return flights, two nights at a four-star hotel and all your meals and drinks.

The hotel is the Occidental Sousse Marhaba, which has recently been refurbished according to Wowcher.

At the hotel, guests will find two outdoor pools, a wellness centre, direct beach access, kids’ pools, on-site bars, and a sauna and hammam.

Rooms at the hotel include en-suite bathrooms, Wi-Fi, and either have a garden or sea view.

When it comes to food and drink, you get your daily meals, snacks and drinks included.

One recent guest said: “Lovely hotel, good choice of food, staff very pleasant.

“Evening entertainment was good. We paid extra for a sea view and it was well worth it.

“Five min walk through the grounds to the beach. Has a lovely pool.

“You can book trips out by speaking to the lovely Lee who explains the trips in detail. We did the Sahara Explorer, it was amazing.

“Would return to this hotel. Sousse is a beautiful place.”

Nearby you can explore the medina of Sousse, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There are a number of souks as well, such as Sousse Medina Souk.

One recent visitor said: “Needs at least a couple of hours to soak up the atmosphere and wander.

“I love wandering around a souk. This one is easy to navigate and not overlarge.

“Also very pretty in parts as this is a very ancient medina area, where people have been trading and living since ancient times.”

History lovers should head to the Ribat of Sousse, a small fort that was built in the eighth century and has a tower boasting panoramic views.

Or head to the Sousse Archaeological Museum, where you can explore a collection of mosaics and statues, as well as sit in a pretty courtyard.

There is one date left in January, from January 18 to 20.

But there are several dates still available in February, including February 1 to 3, 8 to 10, 23 to 25 and 25 to 27.

Or for £99, you could head off on February 24 for two nights.

Prices then rise from March onwards.

Alternatively, you could head to Majorca in Spain, staying at the Bluesea Mediodia for £99 for two nights.

The hotel includes meals, snacks and unlimited drinks and your flights will be from either London Gatwick, London Stansted, London Luton, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol or Edinburgh.

At the hotel, there is a swimming pool, restaurants and beach access.

One recent guest said: “Considering the price and the services offered, I was very satisfied!

“The hotel is in an excellent location, very close to the beach. The food is varied and can satisfy both those with simple tastes and those who are more demanding.

“The rooms have air conditioning, which is a great plus during hot days.”

The hotel is just a 16-minute drive from Palma, so is a great spot for exploring the city, but also soaking up sunshine on the coast.

Dates available for the £99 offer include January 19 to 21, and the 26 to 28.

Or if you travelled in February, you could go on the 4 to 6, 23 to 25 or 25 to 27.

Prices then rise from March onwards.

For more getaway inspiration, there’s an all-inclusive hotel that’s just been named best in Europe with ten swimming pools, free childcare and Jet2 flights.

Plus, 10 winter sun holidays for all budgets – with 7 nights from £193pp.

In the style of the hit festive film, The Holiday, Matt Bailey and his wife Sophie Addyman, swapped their London flat to spend Christmas in Germany, before flying to Bangkok the following year

The Holiday has become one of the most beloved Christmas movies in the UK. It follows the journey of two women played by Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, who opt to swap their Los Angeles mansion and cosy countryside cottage during the festive season. For obvious reasons, it’s an enduring festive smash.

For two viewers, the film provided more than a merry thrill. It inspired them to find their own house swap, just like Cameron and Kate, for a Christmas like never before.

Matt Bailey, 47, and his wife, Sophie Addyman, 47, had been watching The Holiday, and the next thing they knew, they were signed up to a house-swapping website, looking for somewhere to spend the festive season. “We were in a flat in London, and it was primarily because we wanted to get away for Christmas,” Matt exclusively told the Mirror.

“We didn’t want to pay extortionate accommodation fees for nice places that we wanted to go.” Soon, the couple found a house swap available in the medieval fairytale town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, which Matt described as “one of the most Christmassy towns in the world”.

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Through Love Home Swap, now known as Home Exchange, Matt and Sophie swapped their London flat in Earlsfield with another couple who had a flat that was built into the ancient walls of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. “It was small and cosy, it was just what we wanted,” Matt, a commercial director, said of their accommodation.

Through the direct home swap, they flew out to Germany on December 21 and stayed until December 31. “They have a year-round Christmas museum there, and it was absolutely magical,” Matt shared. “It was like a little chocolate box town.”

In terms of what they got up to during the trip, Matt continued: “We spent a lot of time wandering around. They had a lovely little Christmas market in the town, and we’ve still got a couple of baubles we bought in the Christmas shop there. In Germany, they tend to have their big celebration on Christmas Eve, so we went out for dinner on Christmas Eve, and then on Christmas Day, we just had a nice, chilled day relaxing.

“We wandered around the town while everything was shut. It’s quite a touristy place, so it was lovely to be over there during Christmas time, and we were the only ones wandering around the town and taking pictures.”

When asked if it felt a little strange not being in the UK for Christmas, Matt confessed that “it did a bit”, but they felt “at home straight away” during the house swap and “were able to ease into German life very easily”.

Having completed their first successful house swap, the couple were keen to broaden their horizons and, the following year in 2013, jetted off to Bangkok for Christmas. Matt explained that they managed to get in touch with a couple from Bangkok that had grown-up children living in London, so they were keen to stay in the city over the festive period.

This saw them swap their southwest London flat for a Bangkok apartment in a tower block right in the centre of the bustling and vibrant capital of Thailand. “It was incredibly well located, and it had a shared swimming pool – it was really nice,” Matt said.

“They don’t celebrate Christmas over there at all, so Christmas Day was just a normal day, but we’d arranged to go on a food-based walking tour around Bangkok.

“It was strange though, as we rang home and everyone was there, sitting around having Christmas dinner, whereas we went to a rooftop bar, had a couple of glasses of champagne on Christmas Day. We later met up with an Australian couple we had met during the food tour and went out for drinks with them to celebrate.”

He added: “It was really quiet at first on Christmas evening, but we were told to go to this really lively place, and before we knew it, six or seven like VW camper vans pulled up, opened the doors and bang, it’s a cocktail bar on the street. Everyone’s just sat on the street, drinking these cocktails from these little vans, which were ridiculously cheap and crazy strong as well.

“Then you had a few food trucks outside, so you got street food, and it just sort of seemed to emerge organically that this whole street just became a party.”

Following their Christmas street party, they then flew to one of the Thai islands on Boxing Day for three days, before returning to Bangkok for the New Year, which Matt described as “absolutely mental.”

The couple have since moved out of London to Lincolnshire and welcomed two children, William, 10 and Jack, six, but are still making the most of being able to house swap. Last year, the family went to Bruges, Belgium, on December 27 for a week to celebrate the New Year, and this year they’re heading to Bonn in Germany.

And that’s not all. The family also uses Home Exchange to plan their half-term holidays, with trips to Portugal, France, Spain, Denmark, Iceland, and Wales.

Matt estimates that they’ve used Home Exchange for 12 trips in total, seeing them only needing to pay for their transport and food during each stay, rather than forking out for accommodation costs. They’ve even used Home Exchange as a way to test out an area before moving, with others doing the same.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com