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WHEN you picture Wetherspoons, you probably think of cheap pints, even cheaper food, colourful carpets, and a lively Friday night.

But your night out at Spoons doesn’t have to end with an expensive taxi home – with dozens of hotels across the UK and Ireland, the budget pub chain is quietly offering some of the best value city breaks around.

I headed to Dublin to see exactly what a night spent in a Spoons hotel really entails.

Spoiler alert: this particular Spoons hotel feels like staying overnight in a museum, and the rooms are nicer than you might think.

There are 56 Wetherspoons hotels across the UK and Ireland, so I decided to try out a stay at Keaven’s Port, a unique convent-turned-hotel in Dublin.

Keaven’s Port sits on Camden Street, which is where you’ll find crowds of locals out for drinks in Dublin – away from the expensive pints of Temple Bar.

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This well-positioned pub hotel puts you on the same street as popular nightclub The Camden, which you’ll find buzzing on the weekends.

And as for daytime sightseeing, here you’re only a 20-minute walk from popular attractions like Dublin Castle and Trinity College.

Wetherspoons are known for repurposing unique historic buildings including former opera houses, corn exchanges and banks.

Not only does this guarantee some decent square footage for all those restaurant tables (as well as a prime spot in the town centre) but it makes for a pretty unique overnight stay.

This one I found to be particularly unique. Keaven’s Port hotel is made up of eight old Georgian townhouses as well as a chapel.

The collection of buildings used to belong to Ireland’s Little Sisters of the Assumption, a convent established in the 1890’s.

Now, the chapel has been restored and is part of the bar and restaurant area. I must admit, sitting in a confession booth under stained glass with a bowl of chips and a pint is a tad surreal.

Getting to the rooms takes weaving through a series of corridors and lounge areas, each of which are packed with historical artefacts that made this stay feel more like a trip to the museum.

Lining the walls were old dresses and textiles, painted portraits and more belonging to historic residents of Camden Street Upper, as well as information boards telling you all about the history of the building.

One lounge area sees a giant Guinness-style harp, cosy sofas and a chessboard, while another sees antique furniture, Renaissance paintings and a collection of battered books packed with fascinating old stories.

After making your way out of the maze, you’ll reach the main bar and restaurant area (which thankfully has its own entrance, too).

Everything about the restaurant screams Spoons – tiled floors, a very long bar, plenty of high tables with stools as well as booths and larger tables for groups.

Just when you think there’s more than enough space, a spiral staircase decorated with mirrors leads you down to an even larger restaurant, as well as courtyard for the summer beer garden months.

We all know Spoons pubs in the UK offer some great-value deals on food and drink, but can you get good value over in pricy Dublin?

It turns out you can. An Irish spice bag with a soft drink costs €10.50 (£8.86), and a small cooked breakfast is an unbelievable €2.95 (£2.49).

You can grab a pint of Abbott for €2.60 (£2.19), wine by the glass starts from €4.30 (£3.63), and cocktail pitchers from €9.95 (£8.39).

A hot drink will only set you back €1.70 (£1.43), and it’s free refills from then on all day.

But what are the rooms like? Once you make it out of the busy bar area through to the elevators, the noise of the bar soon disappears.

If I’m totally honest, I went in expecting a cramped room with stained furniture and some strange marks on the walls.

Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw when I stepped in.

First of all, these rooms are very spacious. The large double bed had crisp white sheets, and there was plenty of room surrounding it to open up your suitcase.

The spacious desk was laid with the usual tea and coffee facilities. Here you also get posh shortbread biscuits and water cartons decorated with pictures of Irish poet W.B. Yeats (I kept mine as a souvenir).

The bathrooms were pretty glam too with black marble, a large mirror and a surprisingly spacious tub and shower. All in all, not at all bad for the price point.

Inspired by the local history, I did a bit of my own research. Namely, I wanted to know, who actually was St Keaven?

The name supposedly comes from St. Kevin, a sixth-century Christian hermit and saint, with a church named after him in nearby Camden Row.

Little is known about the Irish saint, other than that he appears in Seamus Heaney’s poetry and that he is associated with the glacial valley of Glendalough in nearby County Wicklow.

If you fancy, you can actually take a day trip from Dublin city centre into Glendalough to walk beside its glacial lakes with Wild Rover Tours (from €43). If you want to see some of Ireland’s rolling green hills and sparkling lakes away from the city, I’d highly recommend giving it a try.

But if you’d rather stay in the centre and make the most of the cheap pints in the bar below your room, it’s a great place for pre-drinks before rocking up to The Camden.

Rooms start from €86 (£72) per night, or £36pp based on two sharing. Click here to book.

Prices correct at the time of publication.

The spot is famed for its cobbled streets, Norman castle and stunning architecture

Long hailed by poet John Betjeman as “the loveliest town in England,” Ludlow has also earned a global reputation as a premier food and drink destination. With over 500 listed buildings and a skyline dominated by a Norman castle, Ludlow effortlessly blends ancient, storybook charm with a modern appeal.

Winding cobblestone streets lead visitors to delis, bakeries, welcoming pubs and acclaimed restaurants.

Frequently dubbed the “food and drink capital of the Marches”, Ludlow’s thriving hospitality scene is fuelled by its impressive variety of locally sourced produce. In 2024, a Which? Travel survey of more than 9,000 people asked respondents to rate the food and drink in their favourite inland towns and villages.

Ludlow came out on top as the nation’s highest-rated destination for food and drink, standing as the only inland town to achieve a full five stars in that category, reports the Express.

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As Which? Travel put it, “Instead of a handful of high-end eateries, there’s a culture of local produce as well as numerous pubs and cafes, served by people who care about the food.”

This ethos is reflected on every plate, with an emphasis on fresh, locally sourced ingredients and menus that change with the seasons.

TripAdvisor currently ranks Old Downton Lodge as Ludlow’s finest restaurant, while waterside favourite CSONS is another beloved choice for relaxed, quality dining, along with Kin Kitchen and The French Pantry for café and bistro-style fare. Pub lovers are spoilt for choice with options including The Queens and The Boot Inn, both of which are highly rated on TripAdvisor.

Experts from Ludlow Distillery note that the town’s food and drink scene benefits greatly from a thriving network of local producers, ranging from artisan cheesemakers and bakers to craft brewers and distillers.

They stated: “The strength of this offering is best seen (and tasted) by a visit to the Local to Ludlow Market in the Castle Square (where growers and makers based within 30 miles of the town sell a range of high-quality and carefully selected produce), and the award-winning Broad Bean fine food delicatessen on Broad Street.”

The town proudly champions ‘Slow Food’, a global grassroots movement with thousands of members worldwide that brings together a love of good food with a commitment to community values.

In recent years, the movement in Ludlow has gone from strength to strength.

Slow Food Ludlow Marches offers activities throughout the year, including visits, talks, demonstrations, meals and Taste Workshops at Ludlow Food Festival in September.

Ludlow Food Festival ranks among the town’s most celebrated annual events, regularly drawing around 15,000 visitors to Ludlow Castle over three days.

Both locals and visitors alike can look forward to the Winter Festival at Ludlow Castle. Taking place between 27 and 29 November 2026, the event showcases local entertainment, mulled wine, and much-loved highlights from the Ludlow Food Festival.

Head along on the second or fourth Thursday of the month to discover the Ludlow Local Produce Market, a vibrant showcase of food and drink made within a 30-mile radius.

The stalls champion sustainability and seasonality, turning an ordinary shopping trip into a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon out.

Outside of Shropshire, Wells was named runner-up for inland dining by Which? Travel.

Other destinations receiving recognition include Lavenham in Suffolk, Llangollen in Denbighshire, Stamford in Lincolnshire, and Cartmel in Cumbria. Each offers its own distinctive flavour of a foodie escape.

BUTLIN’S is continuing its all-inclusive family breaks into summer 2026 and 2027 – and absolutely everything is included.

From food and drink to waterparks and swimming pools to the adventure playgrounds – there are no hidden surprises.

Called the ‘All Inclusive Bundles‘ these include accommodation, breakfast, dinner, and drinks, Splash Waterworld, unlimited fairground rides, live shows, playgrounds and soft play.

The price starts from £125 per person for a family of four – or £41.50pppn.

When it come to the bundle, families have four different dining plans to choose from.

There’s the Food Court Dining & Drinks which has an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast and dinner, DineAround, which offers a choice of restaurants across each resort.

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Premium Buffet Dining Plan which is the best of the buffets including live cooking stations and themed nights, and Hotel Dining Plan which has the variety of the premium plan but at your own hotel restaurant.

Meanwhile, the drinks package includes unlimited soft drinks, spirits, wines, cocktails, draught beers and ciders, as well as non-alcoholic choices and Costa Coffee.    

In 2027, there will be eight brand-new shows to enjoy too including Britain’s Got Talent which will take place during all school holiday breaks.

It will be hosted by a celebrity presenter and performers will take to the stage in an attempt to get the Golden Buzzer.

During February half-term, there will be the new DreamWorks’ Madagascar – A Musical Adventure on stage.

Other new performances include K-Pop Forever! which has hits from groups like BTS and Blackpink.

Animals Magnified by the Animal Guyz which is a family show perfect for anyone who loves animals from hippos to tiny insects.

A Billion Streams will be its new concert-style show where guests can hear some of the world’s biggest hits from the likes of Harry Styles and Dua Lipa.

The Skyline Gang will compete in a Battle of the Bands competition so get ready to hear incredible drum solos and guitar riffs.

The price of an all-inclusive bundle starts from £499 for a family of four – or £41.50pppn.

This is based on two adults and two children in a Comfort Room on an October Half Term three-night break with Food Court buffet breakfast and dinner, and the All Inclusive Drinks Package. 

During the 2027 summer holidays, a three-night break to Skegness from August 13-16 with a Food Court Dining & Drinks bundle costs £739.98 – or £61.66pppn.

Travel Writer Helen Wright checked out the all-inclusive last year where she enjoyed cocktails, including a ‘Butlin’s on the Beach’.

While her kids headed to all the free activities from go karting to the fairground and outdoor playground.

Jon Hendry Pickup, CEO at Butlin’s, said: “The cost of a family holiday doesn’t stop at the booking price.

“Meals and drinks can be harder to budget for in advance, so extending our All-Inclusive bundles to school holiday breaks gives families a much clearer picture of the overall cost before they arrive.”

BRITISH holidaymakers are increasingly planning their travel around music, sporting and cultural events, according to a study.

Whether considering a trip for a concert, music or food festival, exhibition or sporting fixture in 2027, 36 per cent now more likely to do so than they were this time a year ago.

This shift towards event-led travel is reshaping behaviour, with 45 per cent having already visited cities and countries they wouldn’t otherwise have considered.

Similarly, out of those who have stayed somewhere overnight for an event in the past four years, 62 per cent based their most recent travel plans entirely around it.

For sports fans, the commitment to being there for the moment can stretch well beyond a weekend.

The poll of 2,000 adults found 56 per cent would use annual leave to follow their team or country, while 31 per cent would travel abroad to see them play.

With hotels near almost every NFL stadium, Marriott Bonvoy, which is an Official Sponsor of the NFL, is helping travellers create a game plan for this season’s trips by appointing Efe Obada as its Check-In Coach.

Efe Obada said: “In the NFL, preparation gives you a strong starting point, but you’ve also got to trust your team and be ready to adapt when things change.

“I approach travel in the same way. If you’ve only got a few days in a city, be tactical, adaptable and make a game plan.

“Book your hotel, know how you’re getting to the main event and ask people who know the city for advice. That’s how to make the most of every trip.”

The research found many are embracing spontaneity, as 52 per cent said an unplanned discovery has gone on to become one of the highlights of their holiday.

While 37 per cent will only book their hotel, transport, and key activities in advance, leaving the rest flexible.

While spontaneity plays an important role, travellers still value a strong start to the day, with 52 per cent saying hotel breakfast is a non-negotiable part of their trip.

The study also uncovered four NFL-inspired travel personalities, revealing the roles travellers are most likely to play when travelling.

A quarter (25 per cent) identify as ‘The Quarterback’, the on-trip leader who brings everyone together, makes key decisions, and adapts the plan when things change.

The same number (25 per cent) see themselves as ‘The Coach’, the planner who has the logistics covered, from accommodation and transport to activities and timings.

While 24 per cent take the role of ‘Rookie’, the explorer who is experiencing a destination or event for the first time and turns to others for guidance and local recommendations.

Whereas 19 per cent were categorised as ‘The Receiver’, the spontaneous adventurer who spots opportunities, suggests unexpected detours, and helps create memorable moments.

Andrew Watson from Marriott International, said: “This research highlights what we see in our hotels, that travellers are increasingly planning trips around the things they are passionate about.

“Our partnership with the NFL is just one example of a wider commitment to helping our members pursue what they love.

Efe, who applied the strategy to his hometown, London, added: “London is one of those cities where every neighbourhood has its own personality.

“For a perfect weekend, I’d book at stay at citizenM Tower of London then grab a coffee at Qima Café in Covent Garden, walk along the Thames around Southbank or spend an afternoon at Hampstead Heath for unbeatable London views.

“For food, you can’t beat 2210 by NattyCanCook in Herne Hill or head to Passyunk Avenue in Waterloo for unmatched game-day vibes and a Philly cheese steak.”

EFE’S PLAYBOOK FOR A TACTICAL WEEKEND TRIP:

1. Do your pre-match analysis: Book your hotel early, check journey times and map out the key moments you don’t want to miss.

2. Kick off strong: Give yourself time to fuel up before heading out. A good game plan always starts with the essentials.

3. Teamwork is key: Local knowledge can make all the difference. Ask hotel staff for recommendations and insider tips.

4. Don’t be afraid to adapt: Leave room for unexpected discoveries – be that a bar, restaurant or neighbourhood. Sometimes the highlights aren’t part of the original strategy.

DEMONSTRATONS across France turned violent over the weekend with shops being looted and cars being set on fire – so is it still safe to travel to?

Here’s everything you need to know right now about travelling to Paris.

Where are the riots?

The riots in France began on Saturday with demonstrations against rising living costs and declining public services being held across the last two days.

Some spiralled out of control resulting in fires and looting – it’s been called ‘some of the worst violence the country has ​witnessed for decades’.

Local authorities said that around 550,000 people took part in protests across France on Saturday, however it’s predicted there were as many as 800,000.

Over the weekend, 2,400 people were arrested for violence and looting.

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In Paris, there was widespread damage to shops and businesses – protesters clashed with riot police, who turned tear gas and water cannon on the crowds.

Some groups lit fires in the street and torched vehicles.

On Sunday morning in Paris, the aftermath included smashed glass fronts of designer shops and clearing up rubbish and glass in the streets.

Other cities faced violence too like Marseille, Lille and Lyon, as well as Limoges where a 19th century town hall that survived the two World Wars was set alight and collapsed.

The French Prime Minister, Emmanuel Macron, is holding a crisis meeting today.

He said: “Those who looted will have to pay for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable.”

Is it safe to travel to Paris right now?

The travel advice for France remains unchanged.

The FCDO does warn however that “demonstrations, political gatherings, or marches can take place with little or no warning, particularly in cities. 

“Whilst most demonstrations are peaceful, if you’re near areas where they are taking place, you should remain aware of what is happening around you and follow the advice of the police and local authorities.”

Brits can continue to travel to and from Paris, but visitors should keep an eye on updates about the demonstrations and avoid large crowds.

Also allow extra time for possible road closures within the city.

Over the weekend, attractions like museums, and the Metro were limited, so check everything is open before planning visits.

Are flights and trains still going to Paris?

Yes, flights and train travel including the Eurostar remain scheduled as usual.

If you are due to travel and have concerns, it may be worth contacting the operator to check if services are running normally.

What if I have a holiday to Paris booked?

As the Foreign Office has not warned against travel to France, there are no special circumstances in place for holidaymakers to cancel their trip and receive a full refund.

Can I cancel my trip?

If you do choose to cancel your trip, it is best to contact your airline, train operator or holiday provider.

There is no obligation for companies to refund bookings unless government advice changes.

CHRISTMAS will soon be upon us, so it’s time to get those festive dates lined up in your calendar.

You don’t need to shell out a fortune for lifetime memories though – we’ve rounded up plenty of activities full of festive cheer that won’t break the bank. From free ice skating to festive illuminations – here are the top memory-making days out for you and your family…

Ice skating

Nothing says winter and Christmas quite like a festive ice skating rink.

Blackpool has a synthetic ice rink that stretches 20m long and is FREE to use, including free skate hire – all you have to do is show up and hand over your shoes for some boots.

Meanwhile, Caerphilly On Ice at Caerphilly Castle is selling early bird skate tickets from just £9. 

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland – the UK’s largest open-air ice rink is built around Hyde Park’s Victoria bandstand and has tickets from £9.35 for kids and £12.95 for adults, off-peak.

Stockeld Park in North Yorkshire has a festive ice rink set within its adventure park from November to February, with tickets from £14.

Boxpark Liverpool is bringing back its popular ice rink, with adult tickets from £10 and kids tickets from £8.

Dalkeith Country park has a Winterfest Skating Rink, with £11 tickets for adults and £9 tickets for children.

 Aviemore Ice Rink at Macdonald Highland Resort has adult ice skating tickets for £14 and kids tickets for £12.

Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland has ice skating tickets from £15 for adults and £12.50 for kids.

Ice Skate Birmingham at Centenary Square has early bird adult tickets from £9.50 and kids from £8.50, rising to £14 for adults in peak times and £12 for kids.

Nottingham’s Winter Wonderland has ice rink and sky skate tickets from £13.60 for adults and £9.60 for kids.

Bath on Ice has tickets from £16.50 for adults and £14 for kids, with an outdoor rink beneath the Christmas lights in Royal Victoria Park.

Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland – York’s original and largest open-air ice rink – returns for its 21st year, with adults tickets from £18.09 and kids from £16.99.

Skate Manchester in the city’s Cathedral Gardens has adult tickets from £16.80 and kids tickets from £15.40.

Light trails

Light trails such as RHS Glow Light Trails at Wisley cost as little as £7.50 per adult and £6 per child when booked for an off peak session in advance.

RHS Bridgewater’s celebration of light in Salford runs from 26 November to 30 December new Super Off Peak tickets starting at £9.25 for adults or £6 for RHS members, and £5.50 for kids.

Gulliver’s Theme Parks has their annual Land Of Lights running from October 24 to January 30, with early bird tickets from £12.50 for both adults and kids.

The Bay of Lights Illumination Trail returns from 28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with its biggest and brightest trail yet, on Torquay’s seafront.

The Winter light Trail through Trentham Gardens at Trentham Estate near Stoke On Trent is very affordable, with adult tickets from £17 and kids tickets from £12.50.

Lightwaves Salford is running from 23 November to 13 December 2026 and is free to enter, with  illuminated artworks along a 2km trail around MediaCity and Salford Quays.

Alnwick Garden light trail in Northumberland runs from 20 November to 3 January and has off-peak tickets from £18.15 for adults and £11 for kids.

The Christmas Light Trail at National Trust’s Dunham Massey in the North West costs from £19.50 for adults and £13 for kids.

For a rainproof option, try Noel – a Christmas light show at Liverpool Cathedral from 27 November to 5 December, priced from £10.50 for adults and £8.50 for kids.

For that post-Christmas lull, The Canary Wharf Winter Lights Festival returns from 19-30 January, 2027. It’s free with no booking required.

The Bristol Light Festival will return for its seventh edition from 18 February to 27 February 2027. It is free to attend, with no booking or ticket required.

Lantern parades

For the ultimate wholesome activity, why not take part in a local lantern trail with the kids.

For example, Burning the Clocks in Brighton will return this year with thousands of people making paper lanterns and carrying them through the city before burning them on the beach.

This years theme will be ‘Magicada’ which represents a symbolic rest followed by a noisy awakening – though a date for when it will take place is yet to be revealed.

In Devon, Totnes launches its late night Christmas shopping nights on December 8 with a free Carnival Lantern Parade through the town.

There will be handcrafted lanterns with live music and street performers alongside 70 stalls and 125 independent shops remaining open into the night.

In South London, a light procession takes place through Maritime Greenwich on November 18, ahead of the annual Christmas lights switch-on that evening. 

Winchester Cathedral Lantern Parade takes place on 23 November, with participants carrying recycled or homemade lanterns through the city streets – the theme this year is ‘Angel’s Message.’

Leamington Lantern Parade in Leamington Spa takes place on December 6, with participants carrying homemade lanterns to a backdrop of stilt walkers and carol singers.

Corn Exchange’s Festival of Light in Newbury town centre takes place on December 13, with lantern-making workshops available to the public in the run-up.

Christmas markets

The UK is home to some fabulous Christmas markets and most are free to visit.

Most towns have their own, and here are some of the biggest, oldest and quirkiest around the country.

Manchester’s Christmas Markets feature 200 wooden chalets across ten city centre locations, with a fairground and a huge Ferris wheel, craft stalls, a pop-up pub and an undercover ice skating rink.

Edinburgh’s Christmas market in Princes Street Gardens are easily some of the prettiest, with wooden chalets, fairground rides and a Ferris Wheel alongside a background of Edinburgh Castle.

York’s St Nicholas Fair looks like something from a Hallmark Christmas movie, with plenty of local traders selling local produce and crafts in wooden chalets.

Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market was named one of the best in Europe in 2024 – is the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Austria and Germany, with traditional arts and crafts plus German food and drink.

Oxford Victorian Christmas Market takes place from November 12 – 15, with costumed traders and Victorian-style street performers, alongside 50 stalls selling decorations, food and drink.

Portmeirion Welsh Christmas Market runs from 4-6 December in Portmeirion Village, Gwynedd, North Wales, featuring 120 stalls and live performances around along the village’s unique streets.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland is the biggest Christmas event in the UK.

The attraction returns to London’s Hyde Park on November 19 and will run until January 3, 2027.

Yes, there are plenty of activities and food stands that cost a fortune, but there are also ways to keep costs down and have a fantastic day out.

This year there are tonnes of £1 entry tickets, which are typically for weekday sessions.

Free activities once you’re inside include:

Visiting Santa’s Grotto in Santa Land is free and comes with a small gift.

Free live music at the Market Square and the Explorer’s Rest.

There’s a free Elves’ Workshop too, with interactive experiences and games for little visitors to enjoy.

Christmas day out at the National Railway Museum

In York, you can visit the National Railway Museum for free and its upcoming Christmas event is also free.

Free Christmas activities include writing a letter to Father Christmas, exploring winter science activities and designing a 2027 calendar.

You can upgrade your experience to meet Father Christmas aboard the Guard’s compartment on a train for £15 per child.

The event runs from December 2 to 23 and each child will get a small gift as well as a hot chocolate.

National Trust Santa Visits

The National Trust is an excellent location for the annual family festive day out.

The buildings are already beautiful and look great spruced up with some decorations, they often have winter trails through the large gardens and many of them feature their own Santa’s grotto.

When booking an activity, you actually get a lot of festive fun for the price of your ticket.

For example, Father Christmas at the Farm, at Tatton Park in Cheshire, features a nativity scene, live music, festive entertainers, a grotto, make-your-own reindeer food and a Christmas pop-up cafe. Adult tickets are £12.50 and kids tickets are £14. Runs from November 21 to December 24.

Father Christmas at Sunnycroft in Telford, Shropshire lets visitors step into the world of The Wind in the Willows with a 20-minute journey through the homes of Mole, Ratty, Badger and Mr Toad, that ends with a visit to Father Christmas.

One child and one accompanying adult costs £25. Runs from December 4-13.

Storytelling with Santa at Kingston Lacy in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, lets kids enjoy a story read by by Father Christmas, plus a gift and a photo opportunity. Tickets cost £15.50 per child and includes one accompanying adult. November 28 – December 23.

Visit Father Christmas at Gibside Stables in Gateshead lets visitors join playful forest elf Happy Holly Berry and Father Christmas for a festive story, then receive a small gift and a photo opportunity. Kids tickets tickets cost £18 and the adult is included in the price. Runs from November 29 to December 23.

Find out more about the National Trust Santa visits here.

Coca-Cola Christmas Truck

The Coca-Cola Christmas Truck tours each festive season, offering free drinks, festive photo opportunities and interactive games.

Admission is free and you don’t need to buy tickets or book in advance.

Coca-Cola usually reveals the tour schedule around mid-November, featuring around 15 stops across the UK.

The stops usually run from around midday to 8pm, between late November and Christmas.

Day Out With The Kids has their own truck tracker, which they’ll update when the 2026 dates come through.

Christmas light switch-ons and parades

Across the UK there are also a number of Christmas light switch-ons and parades that don’t cost a penny to watch.

For example, you could head to Carnaby Street’s Christmas lights switch-on in central London, which will take place on November 4, with the theme ‘Press Play on Christmas’ and neon lights inspired by 1990s nostalgia.

Neighbouring Covent Garden has its Christmas lights switch-on on November 12, featuring more than 300,000 lights and free festive entertainment around the piazza.

Also in the area is Regent Street’s Festive Spirits switch-on on November 5, with a traffic-free event, family entertainment and in-store experiences.

Newcastle Christmas Light Switch-On is on November 12 and features live entertainment, panto stars and festive games.

Darlington Town Centre Christmas switch-on takes place on November 15, hosted by radio DJs and starring pantomime characters, plus a fireworks display after the switch-on.

Rochdale Town Hall hosts Ignite Fire Festival – with a magical trail of fire, lights and sound from November 20-22 that ends with the town’s Christmas light switch-on.

Preston’s Christmas Lights Switch-On returns to the Flag Market on November 21, with East 17 headlining an evening of live music, entertainment, magic, football, pantomime and plenty of festive fun.

The Blackpool Illuminations Switch-On took place on September 4 and the lights will run nightly until january 3 – six miles of illuminations along the Promenade from Starr Gate to Red Bank Road.

ONE island in Greece is scheduled to close its only airport for four months for major work to its runway.

Chios Airport is set to suspend all flights from November 15 until March 15 2027.

The island is the fifth biggest in Greece with around 50,000 residents – but it is set to be shut off to visitors for four months.

Work includes extending and upgrading to be ready for the tourist season next summer, according to the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA).

Currently the runway is short at 1,511 meters long which means that wide bodied aircraft cannot land here.

It only takes smaller propeller planes or narrow-body aircraft.

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So to get to the island, tourists including Brits, need to fly to Athens or Thessaloniki before taking a smaller connecting plane over to the island.

However, this is set to change as work on the runway will see it extended to be 1,799m long which means that it will be able to accommodate much larger types of aircraft.

During the works, emergency flights will be permitted to land, which includes medical evacuations, search and rescue.

However, there is some opposition to the plans.

President of the Chios chamber of commerce Pantelis Legatos said: “The early closure will seriously affect the economy and society of the island, especially during the holiday season (Christmas, New Year), when people have planned trips, family visits and medical appointments.

“Chios, as a border island 5 miles from Turkey, depends on the air connection with the capital for health, entertainment and freedom reasons.”

The original plan was to close the airport on January 15 which is months later than the current schedule.

The National Geographic’s ‘Around the World by Private Jet’ trips take in some of the world’s most amazing destinations including Kyoto, Seoul, Singapore and many more places, but they come at a cost

National Geographic’s new private jet trip is the most expensive holiday I’ve ever seen, and possibly the most ridiculous.

The 23-day private jet trip is a wildlife adventure through Asia and Africa, starting with a welcome dinner in Singapore. You’ll then fly to Borneo to meet orangutans and sun bears before cruising the Kinabatangan River. In India, the journey continues to Jaipur, then Ranthambore National Park to search for tigers.

Next come safaris in Sri Lanka’s Yala and Bundala parks, then the Maldives, and jetting on to Madagascar where Nosy Be offers lemurs, chameleons and snorkelling. In South Africa, Phinda Private Game Reserve brings Big Five safaris, and in Rwanda, guests trek to see mountain gorillas. The trip concludes in Rome before guests are jetted back home.

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

And all of that for the low, low price of $144,995 (£108,700) per person, or $6,304 (£4,726) a day. As well as needing more disposable cash than most people will enjoy in a lifetime, there is another big issue with the trip – which is one of five private jet itineraries Nat Geo offers.

Each passenger onboard the chartered Boeing 757, which has been modified to cut the standard 233 seats to 80 business class spots, is responsible for 7,851 kg CO2e (calculated using the Travel Impact Model). By some calculations, the annual “carbon budget” is as low as 700kg CO2e per year. The average Brit produces 8,000kg of CO2e over a year.

As this record-breaking hot and dry summer has made abundantly clear, the Earth is in a perilous position. We’re not just edging but moving closer, rapidly, to breaching and then going well past the 1.5C global warming level set out by the Paris Agreement. This doesn’t mean hot summers on the beach; it means climate breakdown, droughts, famines and heat deaths.

As the UN warns: “Exceeding 1.5°C could also trigger multiple climate tipping points, such as breakdowns of major ocean circulation systems, abrupt thawing of boreal permafrost, and collapse of tropical coral reef systems, with abrupt, irreversible, and dangerous impacts for humanity.”

The Nat Geo trip appears at odds with the company’s own corporate responsibility policy, which states: National Geographic activities, products, and services should be designed in such a way as to minimise negative environmental impacts and optimise positive environmental impacts. This commitment is reflected in the “Sustainability Guidelines” set forth in the Brand Standards Guidelines.

National Geographic did not respond to requests for comment.

Flying is a particular problem, as currently, most people don’t fly. 80% of people have never flown. As the world gets richer and more people step aboard a plane, emissions will soar. As other sectors decarbonise, aviation keeps growing and polluting more.

The independent Climate Change Committee projected that aviation’s proportion of UK greenhouse gas emissions will increase from 7% in 2022 to 9% in 2025, 11% in 2030 and 16% in 2035.

Katie Thompson, CEO and founder of environmental aviation charity Bumprints, is a former commercial jet pilot and private jet industry worker who now refuses to fly.

“I started looking at climate and everything changed. No one talks about it in the aviation industry; it’s a complete elephant in the departure lounge. You study a lot to be a pilot, but the whole time, climate was never mentioned. You know a lot about weather, but the whole topic of climate change is completely absent,” Katie told the Mirror. “It’s easier not to talk about it. You fall in love with the world by travelling in it, but then you have to protect it.”

Katie argues that the National Geographic private jet trip is at odds with the organisation’s ethos. “If you really care about wildlife, you need to think about what’s happening to their habitats. It’s 100% human-induced warming that’s causing devastation and the sixth mass extinction. Then you connect the dots between your life choices and what’s happening. If you added up the carbon of just that trip, it would blow through hundreds of people’s annual budgets,” she said.

“Booking this kind of holiday is so completely out of line with that. It’s really hard to justify this. I am jealous because I want to go on this trip, but I couldn’t. Some people are still living as if we’re in the 1970s and this felt like a future problem.”

Katie urged people to be more conscious passengers, in part by checking the predicted emissions of different services on Google Flights. These can vary considerably on the same route, with some three times lower than others.

Need to know

HM Passport Office has issued an update

HM Passport Office urgent alert to UK passport holders – what you need to know:

• HM Passport Office (HMPO) has issued an alert to British passport holders, urging those who have lost their passport to act “as soon as possible”.
• HMPO shared the warning on X, formerly Twitter, stating: “Lost your passport? Report it as soon as possible. Doing so helps protect against misuse and allows you to apply for a replacement.” GOV.UK guidance adds that reporting a lost or stolen passport straight away will “reduce the risk of anyone else using your passport or your identity”.
• It’s worth knowing that your passport never truly belongs to you. It remains government property and can be revoked or withdrawn at any point. A passport can also be withheld or confiscated if the holder is under suspicion of a serious crime, on bail, or has been repatriated to the UK at the government’s expense without repaying the sum.
• For those who urgently need a replacement, a one-day service is available for adult passport renewals at a cost of £239.50, with the new passport ready to collect four hours after your appointment. Note that the earliest you can get an appointment is two days after applying, and you must surrender your old passport at the appointment.
• Those who find themselves abroad without valid travel documents can apply for an emergency travel document, which will automatically cancel any existing passport as part of the process.

READ THE FULL STORY: ‘As soon as possible’ alert as UK passport holders told to ‘reduce risk’

They bought a one-way ticket to Sri Lanka and have been travelling ever since

A couple say they have saved around £36,000 by ditching the UK to travel the world with their children while living out of two suitcases on a budget of just £30 a day.

Ruth and Steven Rowe “sold everything” they owned and bought a one-way ticket to Sri Lanka back in 2023 and have been travelling ever since. They decided to embark upon their globe-trotting adventure after wanting more time with their two children before they started nursery and school.

Ruth was also not a fan of the cold and wet British weather, so the pair are now world-schooling their kids, Aurora, four, and Atlas, three, in exotic locations instead. The family have already been to 17 different countries, ticking off bucket-list destinations such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Indonesia.

Saving thousands of pounds a year

They stay four weeks at a time in Airbnbs and have visited the likes of Thailand, Malaysia, Cyprus, USA, Colombia and Peru – all while saving around £12,000 a year. They have spent the last five months living and travelling around India and next year they plan to tour 10 more countries across Europe in a campervan.

Ruth, 34, and Steven, 35, had been renting a barn conversion in the village of Eardisley, Herefordshire, and had both children during the Covid-19 pandemic. But they had always thought about travelling full-time, so they sold “pretty much everything” on Facebook Marketplace or via car boot sales and set off with a couple of suitcases of clothes and a few toys.

They currently have no plans to return full-time and want to continue world schooling – while spending around £2,000 a month, compared to £3,000 back in the UK.

Ruth said: “We had travelled before and for us it got to the stage where we were going to put the kids into nursery and it just didn’t feel like the right time. We wanted more time with them as we know those early years are precious, so we thought, why not just do it? So we did.

“We sold pretty much everything we owned, which was an exhilarating experience – we mainly sold it through Facebook Marketplace and car boot sales. So our car, our furniture, everything but a couple of memory boxes with some of the children’s things inside and a few clothes.

“We set off at the start with two big suitcases – a medium and a small one – and a stroller. And since then we’ve downsized to just two suitcases – it is really surprising how little you really need.

“Possessions don’t make you happy, life experiences do. We bought a one-way ticket to Sri Lanka not knowing if or when we were coming back and we haven’t stopped since.

“We’ve been travelling full-time ever since, slow-exploring the world as a family, while my husband runs his coaching business remotely and we embrace world schooling on the road. It’s been beautiful, chaotic, challenging and incredibly freeing.”

Children educated along the way

The couple say their children are now educated through “life experiences” – whether that be picking up Spanish in Latin America or learning about volcanoes while hiking in Peru. They say giving the kids no screen time whatsoever on their travels has helped them to become more patient and creative.

Ruth added: “They are also learning counting through things like paying a tuk-tuk driver in different currencies and the first time Aurora ever wrote her name was in sand on a beach with a stick. We give them no screen time at all, which I think has taught them patience on their travels and to be more creative when they are bored sitting on a bus.

“They thought the TV back home was a radio, as we’d only use it for Spotify, and we think that’s allowed their imagination to flourish. I have just seen their confidence grow so much and of course there’s no way of really telling how they would have been at home, but they are just so open and talk to anyone – young and old.

“I will sit down and teach them some reading and phonics and writing, but we’re not rigid with it and it’s still very much about learning through playing. It wasn’t a case of we hated the UK – we just love the world. But I was never a fan of the cold and rain, so that is something I don’t miss. The only thing I miss is friends and family and also British chocolate.”

How they support themselves on travels

The couple also support themselves financially via Steven’s online coaching business, which he can still run wherever they are in the world.

Steven said: “These positive environments have brought such positive developments so far in our children. Atlas was swimming independently at two.

“This way, they get one-to-one without being part of the larger school system, which we have no issue with, we just see the benefits from doing it this way. We make sure the children are at the centre of what we do, we always research kids’ clubs and activities wherever we stay.

“They are loving learning about all the wildlife too – we had iguanas and sloths outside our doors in Costa Rica. Aurora had surf lessons in Bali and will be sandboarding in the Peruvian desert, it’s magical for them. We use Airbnbs mainly, but I’ve been working out of little cupboards in some places – it has been challenging at times, but we’re in a fortunate position.”

The countries they have visited so far

Sri Lanka

Indonesia

Thailand

Malaysia

Cyprus

USA

Guatemala

Costa Rica

Colombia

Ecuador

Peru

Bolivia

Brazil

India

Nepal

Portugal

Morocco

Follow their travels via Instagram.

Amanda Cannon was taken ill while on holiday with her daughter

A British nan is fighting for her life in Turkey after suffering a heart attack while on holiday as her family faces a £25,000 hospital bill.

Amanda Cannon, 58, was rushed to intensive care after collapsing during a trip with her daughter Marisa White on October 10. The grandmother-of-nine from Redhill, Surrey, reportedly went without oxygen for 10 minutes after suffering what doctors believe was an epileptic seizure and cardiac arrest.

She is currently on life support in a private hospital in Antalya, Turkey. Relatives say her treatment is costing around €3,500 (£3,000) a day, with the bill already reaching €30,000 (£25,000).

Hannah Cooper, the mum of Amanda’s grandchildren, flew to Turkey with her five-year-old daughter after receiving a distressing call from Marisa. She said Amanda suddenly “jolted backwards”, turned blue and stopped breathing. Marisa immediately began CPR before paramedics arrived and took over.

No travel insurance

But because she has no travel insurance, her former daughter-in-law Hannah said Turkish medics would not stop treatment for religious reasons. They fear the mounting costs could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds if her condition does not improve.

Hannah, 33, from Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, told Talk to the Press: “She’s now in a deep coma. She’s got kidney failure, liver failure. They said there’s a 20 per cent chance that she’ll wake up and if she does, she’ll be in a vegetative state.”

She added: “I got a phone call from her daughter saying that she just suddenly jolted backwards, went grey, purple, blue, started foaming from the mouth and stopped breathing. Her daughter gave her CPR. Then when the ambulance got there, they took over. She went without oxygen for about 10 minutes.”

Doctors later told the family Amanda had suffered what appeared to be a seizure as well as a heart attack. She was placed on life support and remains in coma.

Amanda travelled to Turkey with daughter Marisa, who Hannah said suffered from many severe physical and mental health conditions. Concerned she would struggle to deal with the crisis alone, Hannah booked flights and travelled out to support her.

She said: “She doesn’t have the mental capacity to cope with what’s going on. The language barrier is so hard. We have to keep going on Google Translate to speak to the doctor because he doesn’t understand us and we don’t understand him.”

Medical costs stacking up

As the family tried to come to terms with Amanda’s condition, they were shocked to learn of the mounting medical costs. Hannah said she received a phone call asking for £5,000 shortly after Amanda was admitted.

She said: “I said to them that I don’t have £5,000, but I’d be flying over to Turkey. Since then, I’ve had several emails asking for payment.”

Hannah later discovered Amanda’s stay in the private intensive care unit was costing around €3,500 every day. She also revealed that the hospital wouldn’t release her to a public one until they cleared half of the bill.

Hannah said: “I’ve asked for a transfer to a state hospital where it would still cost money, but not like this.”

The family launched a GoFundMe appeal with an initial target of £15,000, but now fear the total bill could be far higher. Despite no longer being with Amanda’s son, Hannah said the 58-year-old has remained a huge part of her life.

She said: “She’s been like a second mum to me for 17 years. She’s always been my biggest supporter.”

Toll on family

The ordeal has also taken a toll on Amanda’s grandchildren.

Hannah said: “My eldest is asking a lot of questions and is upset. My little girl just keeps saying she wants to see her nan.”

She said doctors would either wait until Amanda was biologically dead or keep her alive. Hannah and her daughter are set to return to the UK on Sunday, October 18, while Marisa plans to fly back to Turkey after collecting medication.

Hannah concluded: “We’re upset, shocked and confused. We just don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

The fundraiser can be found on GoFundMe.

Wide skies, gentle footpaths through gold and copper wooded hills, thatched cottages, cosy pubs and quirky shops: the Lincolnshire Wolds have all the ingredients for the perfect autumnal mini break. Victorian poet Alfred Tennyson lived in the village of Somersby for most of his first three decades and the local landscapes echo through his verses. In The Lady of Shalott: “Long fields of barley and of rye / That clothe the wold and meet the sky …”

The Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape covers an area of 216 sq miles. On its southern boundary, halfway between Lincoln and the coast, the friendly market town of Horncastle bills itself as the “gateway to the Wolds”. With handsome brick houses, great cafes, a market on Thursdays and Saturdays and decent public transport links, it’s a perfect base for exploring the area.

Horncastle overflows with antique shops. Laurence Shaw, with half a century’s knowledge of the trade, runs an elegant wholesaler on the corner of East Street. In an old chapel across the road, the Trinity Centre has all kinds of ancient treasures piled in fantastical heaps under lancets of Victorian glass: porcelain milkmaids, jelly moulds, cotton reels, teetering piles of teacups and thick vines of jewellery. Round the corner in Stanhope Antique Centre you may find anything from a wooden decoy duck to a roulette wheel between chandeliers and grandfather clocks.

By the “Ducks Crossing!” sign opposite Tesco, mallards gather on the reedy River Bain. And in the 13th-century St Mary’s church there are gold angels in the rafters and lines from Tennyson’s poem Ring out, wild bells in stained glass. The new Riverscape Walk, launched last year, will take you past the canal basin, watermill and former leather tanning warehouses.

Take a hike

There are plenty of rewarding walks nearby and you don’t always need a car to reach them. The hourly 56 bus from Lincoln to Skegness stops in Horncastle and, 10 minutes later, in Hagworthingham, a peaceful Wold-edge village. From here, a six-mile loop of undulating lanes and footpaths takes in tiny Somersby, Tennyson’s birthplace, and Bag Enderby (which sounds straight out of Tolkien), where St Margaret’s church has an intricate 15th-century font, carved with religious symbols and medieval scenes. Bag Enderby’s -by suffix comes from an Old Norse word for village.

From Hagworthingham, you can also stroll through Snipe Dales nature reserve, where a 3-metre (10ft) wooden snipe, carved by local sculptor Nigel Sardeson, has just been installed on a wooded bank. The valleys here are fragrant with late meadowsweet and water mint and the trees are full of birdsong, from tiny goldcrests in the conifers to huge buzzards over the oaks. If you have time and energy to spare, the Viking Way long-distance walk – waymarked with horned Viking helmets – runs through Horncastle and the Wolds on its 149-mile journey from Rutland Water to the Humber.

Don’t miss

In Horncastle, the Joseph Banks Centre multitasks as a tourist info point, local museum and natural history hub. Banks, a botanist and Horncastle’s most famous inhabitant, sailed with Captain Cook and oversaw the creation of Kew Gardens. The museum courtyard is bright with hydrangeas, which Banks helped introduce into Britain.

The Edwardian village of Woodhall Spa, six miles from Horncastle, has wide leafy avenues and smart black-and-white buildings; even the public loos next to the Tory club are half timbered. Nineteenth-century entrepreneurs, digging for coal, found instead a source of mineral-rich water, a magnet for the era’s wellness-seekers. I meander past the Dambusters memorial and mural, the thriving Kinema in the Woods, opened in 1922, the nearby Tea House and Cottage Museum, then back to Horncastle along the sculpture-dotted Viking Way.

Where to eat

Horncastle’s top lunch spots include the cafe at Myers Bakery, fragrant with spice and yeast, where you can buy Lincolnshire plum loaf. Round the corner, the spacious and welcoming bike-themed Pedal and Paws serves pizzas, salads and cakes. No 8 Coffee Shop, which opened in March 2026, is already popular for inventive hot drinks such as cinnamon-bun matcha and pistachio hot chocolate.

Montebello, in the former Angel Inn, serves home-cooked Italian food, while Magpies offers refined white linen and candlelight dining, with dishes such as Grimsby crab linguine or loin of Lincolnshire lamb. Magpies also has rooms, in cottages next to a Tardis-like guitar shop.

Where to stay

The cheerful, timeworn Admiral Rodney Hotel is right in the middle of Horncastle, with affordable rooms and details you might see in pricier places: speedy wifi, retro radio, Twinings teabags. It offers great veggie breakfast options, fresh fruit and pastries, served in a big glass-walled conservatory with peacock fanlights. Dinner dishes such as pan-fried sea bass with pickled fennel, or sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce, chicly garnished with edible flowers and micro-herbs, make a celebratory end to days spent hiking through the Wolds.

Getting there and around

The 56 bus heads to Horncastle from Lincoln bus station hourly and takes 50 minutes. The less frequent 30 bus takes 10 minutes longer and winds through warm-stoned villages. Local buses include the new B617 from Horncastle to Woodhall Spa. The coast is 20 miles away, on a bus with top-deck views across the Wolds.

Accommodation was provided by the Admiral Rodney, doubles from around £100, room only. Train travel was provided by LNER

The work will take four months and see the airport shut over the festive period with local authorities and business owners urging the for the dates of the work to be changed

A Greek airport will close for four months as major runway upgrades are completed.

Chios Island National Airport in Greece will close between November 15, 2026 and March 15, 2027 for the work to take place.

The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority say the project will extend the runway to 1,799 metres to accommodate larger aircraft ahead of the 2027 tourist season.

The work will see all commercial flights canceled. Emergency operations, including medical evacuations and search and rescue flights, however, will continue using helicopters operating from the parking apron.

As well as extending the runway to the north, the upgrades will also see an overall improvement of the airport’s operational infrastructure.

Originally the work was expected to take five months but it is now scheduled to only take four.

The plans have been strongly objected to by local authorities and business leaders, who see the winter closure as ‘economic strangulation’ for the small island.

They have come up with an alternative timeline that allows the airport to remain open during the Christmas and New Year Holiday.

The mayor of Chios, Giannis Malafis, said it was crucial the island’s airport remained open during the festive period.

He insisted that any decision on the future of the project should be taken in consultation with local bodies and Chios society.

Island representatives are still seeking clear answers on the duration of the shutdown and how this is expected to impact the local economy.

The contractor has pledged to make every effort to speed up the works, with the aim of getting the project done by 28 February.

However, this does not make any difference to the holiday season that is creating concerns for locals.

The HCAA notes that its goal is to limit the runway closure to the shortest possible period.

This charming seaside village is just as beautiful in autumn as it is in summer

Summer may be behind us, but that’s no reason to abandon a trip to the seaside. While taking a dip in the sea might not be on the cards, the British coast still has a great deal to offer.

There’s one spot in particular that locals affectionately call ‘God’s pocket’, owing to its mild microclimate that brings warmer, sunnier weather than the surrounding towns. And even if it’s simply too chilly for a swim, this gorgeous location boasts a bustling high street brimming with independent shops, cafés and pubs.

That magical place is East Wittering, tucked away along the shores of the Manhood Peninsula in West Sussex.

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While it draws the crowds during summer, it’s equally as charming during the cooler months. Take a stroll along the pebbled beach and, at low tide, wander out across the exposed stretches of soft golden sand.

After soaking up the ocean views and breathing in the fresh sea air, head into town for a spot of exploring. Kick off your morning with a coffee from Ground, just a stone’s throw from the beach on Shore Street, before making your way to The Boulevard for a proper sit-down breakfast.

With a full stomach, you can throw yourself into some serious retail therapy. One of East Wittering’s greatest draws is its remarkable array of independent shops.

From vintage clothing and fashion at Let’s Go Back, to locally handcrafted art and jewellery at The Artisan Shoppe, there truly is something to suit every taste.

For those who love the great outdoors, there’s Wittering Surf Shop, while art enthusiasts can head to V. A Design Studios.

The latter is operated by local artist Victoria and stocks everything from large-scale paintings to hand-drawn cards.

Naturally, no weekend browse would be complete without a swift pint before heading home – and East Wittering has plenty of those too.

The Shore Inn is a firm favourite, tucked right beside the main beach entrance. It’s bustling, dog friendly and boasts outdoor seating if you fancy soaking up some of the early autumn sunshine.

There’s also regularly live music to enjoy while you sip on your drink.

Slightly further afield in West Wittering (roughly a 10 minute drive away) sits The Lamb Inn – an 18th century country pub brimming with character and featuring a gorgeous beer garden.

Halloween at Kew is back for its third year and it’s even more spectacular than ever

Kew Gardens – the world famous botanical garden nestled in West London is famed for its serene and tranquil atmosphere.

Nothing can beat whiling away the hours, meandering through the vast open space with some of the oldest, most impressive and most endangered plants, trees and flowers on the planet.

The calm that befalls people when they amble into the Palm House, soon to undergo an incredible multi-million transformation where every pane of glass will be replaced, or the Temperate House, should be bottled and sold – it would make the world a far nicer place.

However, as soon as October hits and darkness falls, Kew Gardens is transformed into a terrifying Halloween wonderland of ghouls, witches, Egyptian mummies, spectres and monsters – and it’s genuinely both awe-inspiring and a little bit terrifying.

The younger sibling of the botanical gardens Kew at Christmas, Halloween at Kew first burst onto the light trail scene two years ago and is so popular it’s definitely here to stay.

Running for two weeks until November 1, the trail is suitable for all ages and comes in three time slots – warning, I’m a fully grown adult and the later slot definitely sent shivers up my spine.

There are daylight sessions for little ones (or those not keen to be spooked) with the absolute bare minimum of scaries, a twilight slot between 6pm and 7.30pm where things are certainly getting a little spookier as the sun starts to disappear and the moonlight session from 7.30pm onwards, where everything is completely dark – and scarier.

Now, full disclaimer, I am an absolute wimp. I will not watch horror films because I get so frightened I start to cry and even cartoons have been known to make me jump.

With this in mind, one of the more intense Halloween experiences on offer around the country is definitely not something I want to be experiencing, but having been an avid fan of Christmas at Kew, there was no way I was passing up the chance to see what the brains behind the stunning light trails could cook up for Halloween – and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

From the very off it’s both magical and just the right side of spooky – a stunning tree, bedecked in ghoulish green lights with a real cloaked horseman (with his head I must say) guarding it, onto an enchanted tunnel of pumpkins and a witch cooking up spells in the front garden of a cottage in the woods.

Next up is the Egyptian section. You are warned before entering – this light trail is very interactive – things could get a little spooky. A mummy (don’t worry, yhey don’t touch you) growls at walkers as they make their way through. Even though I knew this wasn’t real, I have to confess I jumped about six feet in the air when he popped up.

What makes Kew at Halloween so spookily magical isn’t just the huge array of lights, concepts and scary scenes before you… it’s also the music and soundtrack as you walk through the black as night garden.

From ghostly moans, to creaking doors in grave yards, to a sinister and chilling sound track as you move through woodland filled with chilling cloaked figures, you really feel totally immersed in the whole experience.

From vampires putting on shows, the pumpkin patches with a real life dancing Mr Pumpkin head and haunted tractors, from giant disco skeletons (these have to be seen to be believed) to pagan gods lining the walkways, there really is nothing that hasn’t been thought of and whoever dreamt this up is an absolute genius.

We took part in the moonlight walk and there were many moments where I was genuinely unsettled and at times really frightened. If you’re parents to younger children – and there were a few on the walk in our time slot – I would recommend taking them to an earlier one. There were plenty of tears in the pitch black spooky world.

But this really is a family friendly experience. The interactive characters along the way add enormously to the fun and there are plenty of places to stop for food, a hot chocolate, or to toast marshmallows (and even something stronger if you feel your nerves need it).

So, yes, Kew is already a magical place in daylight hours, make sure you run don’t walk to get your tickets for Halloween at Kew to see this incredible offering after dark.

Tickets for Halloween at Kew start at £19.50 and family tickets are available.

SANTA VISITS, festive pantomimes, bauble making and parties every day – these holiday parks offer the ultimate Christmas experience without the price tag.

Parkdean is opening a number of its resorts over the festive season and a whole family can stay for less than £150.

Parkdean Resorts has officially opened its bookings for Christmas with festive getaways available across eight UK holiday parks.

These are:

• Camber Sands Holiday Park, Sussex
• Cayton Bay Holiday Park, Yorkshire
• Vauxhall Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth
• Trecco Bay Holiday Park, Wales
• Ty Mawr Holiday Park, Wales
• Warmwell Holiday Park, Dorset
• White Cross Bay Holiday Park, Lake District (limited activities)
• Fallbarrow Holiday Park, Lake District (accommodation only)

Each of the holiday parks will be open throughout December including Christmas and the New Year with a whole host of activities.

STAY CHEAP

Bargains at Butlins & manor stays… incredible value UK hols from £2.50pp a night

BE-LEAF IT

Perfect autumn attractions from £1.95 per kid from pumpkin patches to waterparks

Winter Wonderland which will have over 30 Christmassy activities is available at Camber Sands, Cayton Bay, Trecco Bay, Ty Mawr, Warmwell and Vauxhall.

White Cross Bay and Fallbarrow will be open during the festive period – but these won’t hold the Winter Wonderland programme.

But for the ones that choose to enjoy Winter Wonderland, the events vary from park-to-park and some will have Search for Santa where youngsters are invited to help the elves find Santa with clues and songs.

There will be creative activities too like bauble and Christmas card making as well as festive pot painting.

Family-friendly pantomime performances will take to the stage with some famous faces like Jenny Ryan from The Chase.

There will be ice skating, Christmas parties and sing-alongs – for those there on Christmas Eve, there will be a special show to countdown to the big day.

Along with the Christmas activities, the holiday parks will also have their usual offerings like swimming, adventure activities and live entertainment.

One writer visited the Vauxhall holiday park in Great Yarmouth which recently underwent a £5million makeover.

Here, he watched entertainment like a knife-throwing magician, a Taylor Swift tribute act, karaoke, bingo and stand-up comedy. 

Other activities at Vauxhall include the high and low ropes course, Bear Grylls escape rooms, an inflatable bounce park, a swimming-pool obstacle course, pottery painting, off-road rangers and an adventure playground. 

He added: “We’ve taken our children to Dubai, Turkey, the Netherlands and Disneyland, to name a few — but they feel they’ve hit the jackpot on this quintessential Great British caravan-park holiday here in Norfolk.”

A four-night stay at Vauxhall holiday park from December 7 in a Sandpiper/Buzzard Apartment which sleeps up to six starts from £159 – or £6.62pppn.

If you want to stay for five-nights from December 23 in a Goose Apartment which sleeps four, this starts from £599 or £29.95pppn.

Trecco Bay in Porthcawl is the UK’s largest holiday park which has over 2,000 lodges and caravans.

It has Pirate Crazy Golf, a high ropes course, splash pad, archery, hoover boards and bumper zorbs.

There’s also a bowling alley and the Next Level Gaming Arena which has over 25 consoles including PS5 and Xbox.

Four-night breaks from December 14 in a Bronze Caravan which sleeps up to six starts from £159 – or £6.62pppn.

The six holiday parks with the Winter Wonderland programme have all-inclusive add-ons on certain dates, so there won’t be hidden surprises.

It includes three meals a day which are served directly to the table so there are no queues either – there’s also unlimited drinks and Costa Coffee.

This starts from £100 per adult and £40 per child (under 12) per break.

Anthony Reilly, Marketing Director at Parkdean Resorts, said: “We know that the festive period can be a stressful time for families looking to plan a getaway that’s great value, feel-good and has something for everyone.

“That’s why we’re so excited to bring back festive breaks, bigger and better than ever. Booking early means families can relax knowing they have secured their festive tradition for 2026, leaving the Christmas stress behind – and start unwrapping the excitement now.”

THE spooks and the ghouls are gathering, and this half-term is gearing up to be spine-chillingly fang-tastic.

Superb Halloween events for all the family are being held across the UK, including in city centres, holiday parks, castles and lots of amazing attractions.

Here, Trisha Harbord shares her selection of 13 of the most magical and monstrous activities taking place in the coming weeks.

MAZE MADNESS

DO you have teenage monsters? They’ll love screaming their way through horror mazes at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

The attraction’s Journey To Hell features three new mazes: Eternal Abyss, a network of tunnels; The Veil, a house steeped in grief; and Deadline, with its nightmarish corridors.

Other frightening encounters include riding ICON: Into The Void blindfolded, and a ghost train.

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Journey To Hell tickets, including mazes, start from £50. See blackpoolpleasurebeach.com.

Screamfest at Staffordshire’s National Forest Adventure Farm is celebrating 15 years with its most terrifying attraction. Cortex 17 is a psychic trial set in a 1960s hospital, featuring 20 weird actors.

It’s among seven chilling experiences with thrill rides and roaming characters until October 31, from £34pp. See screamfest.co.uk.

HOLIDAY PARK HELL

HOLIDAY parks across the UK have cut-price half-term deals. Butlin’s Spooktober is landing at Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness, with discounted three-night breaks from £66 per person.

Fairgrounds have become scaregrounds and there are special Halloween shows, eerie silent discos and crafts as well as Splash Waterworld, TV’s The Masked Singer and Maximum Pro Wrestling. See butlins.com.

If you’re in Scotland or the north of England, Verdant Parks has 11 sites in beautiful coastal and countryside locations where Halloween is being celebrated, with three-night family stays from £259.

You could choose Riverside, on the banks of Wooler Water in Northumberland, which has a pool, wellness area, soft play, arcade, entertainment, bar and restaurant.

Kids can get involved in pumpkin carving and zombie battles. See verdantparks.co.uk.

MONSTER MAYHEM

MANCHESTER’s MCR Monsters are back for their tenth anniversary. The giant, inflatable creatures will appear on famous buildings and landmarks such as The Royal Exchange and Corn Exchange from October 24 to 31.

On the first weekend, the free event features real-life characters roaming the streets, plus party games and DJs.

There’s also a new Paul Horror-wood Monster Bake-Off on New Cathedral Street, where you can win a “handshake” and pick up free party bags of sweets. Kids will love the spooky storytelling at the monsters’ library in the Arndale, too.

Dancing puppets, stilt walkers and a brass band will lead a procession to the city centre for a spectacular anniversary party.

All week, the Science And Industry Museum is holding interactive activities about Halloween aliens. See halloweenmcr.com.

PUMPKIN PICKING

GET your wellies on and hitch a ride on a tractor-trailer to pick your own pumpkin. This year, Stockeld Park near Wetherby, Yorkshire, has grown their own to add to their half-term activities from October 24 to November 1.

Enter Halloween fancy dress competitions, complete a forest trail with the help of woodland witches who will share their mischievous skills, explore the Mummy Maze, with a few surprises along the way, and battle it out in the Laser Zombie Experience.

Stockeld also has six playgrounds, a multi-storey playhouse and tree climbing. Tickets from £28pp. See stockeldpark.co.uk.

Still not had enough? There are pumpkins galore – hundreds of thousands to be precise – to be collected at Rougham Estate near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. You’ll also find food trucks, face painting, pedal tractors and ice cream, too! See roughamestate.com.

CHOCCIE HORROR SHOW

HALLOWEEN comes with a sweet twist at Cadbury World. The Birmingham attraction has a new gameshow-style challenge where visitors must guess the characters hiding behind a Trick Or Treat door.

And there’s Freddo’s Spooktacular, with games, songs, magic and chilling surprises, as well as chocolate pumpkins and afternoon tea. Explore 14 zones with activities and a 4D movie. Runs until November 1, tickets from £24. See cadburyworld.co.uk.

Until November 1 at Sea Life Birmingham, sea witch Serafina asks kids to become ocean defenders by following a spellbinding trail. They will tackle challenges, solve puzzles and complete Serafina’s missions to discover life under the sea.

Walk through the UK’s only 360-degree ocean tunnel to see turtles, sharks, rays and hundreds of tropical fish. From £19. See visitsealife.com.

HIGH-SPEED THRILLS

TEENS’ hearts will be racing when they get to ride their favourite rollercoasters after dark at Alton Towers.

And new scare maze Final Exhibit will have visitors running for their lives to avoid becoming part of a creepy display.

Younger thrill-seekers will prefer a visit to Trick O’ Treat Town and Amigos In The Afterlife, where they’ll meet friendlier characters.

Scarefest runs until November 1 on selected dates, and tickets cost from £37 for day entry or £80 including all four scare mazes. See altontowers.com.

If after-dark thrills are more your thing, Thorpe Park is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Fright Nights with more spine tingles than ever before. Its new scare maze Tenement will have adrenaline junkies looking for the exit in the pitch black. Entry from £39. See thorpepark.com.

SPOOKY WOOKEY

GET your best Halloween togs on and you could win a year of magical adventures.

The show caves at Wookey Hole, near Wells in Somerset, have been transformed into a spellbinding world of pumpkins, monsters, magic and family fun.

Every family in fancy dress who take a photo there will be entered into a draw to win a year’s membership to the attraction, including access to the new Winter Wonderland.

The Halloween event, which runs until November 1, includes a journey through the caves, where immersive projections bring the story of the Witch of Wookey Hall to life.

Vampires and monsters are taking over the circus, there’s a spooky 4D film, a pumpkin trail and surprises. Adult tickets cost from £24.64, child tickets from £19.54. See wookey.co.uk.

CASTLES IN THE SCARE

STAY in a castle and seek out characters from Horrible Histories. Performers will bring the gruesome stories from the kids’ books to life at Leeds Castle near Maidstone, Kent, until November 1.

Follow a ghost-getter’s trail, uncovering tales of royal spirits, witch trials and strange superstitions. Two nights’ B&B for a family of four in a castle bedroom costs £500, including tickets and free evening meals for kids. See leeds-castle.com.

Warwick Castle will also be full of family frights, including haunted hollows and lurking goblins from October 24 to November 1. But on selected nights, the scares are turned up a notch – with spine-tingling sleepovers including three terrifying ghostly experiences, circus acts and a silent disco. B&B and tickets cost from £85pp. See warwick-castle.com.

HOWLS AND OWLS

WANNABE Harry Potters can learn spells and meet some owls at The Welsh School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry.

It can be found at the British Bird Of Prey Centre, in Carmarthenshire, which has been transformed for a week of mischief from October 26.

Kids are encouraged to wear magical costumes for classes including wand-making, creating potions and spells. Then, they can try being a falconer and fly an owl or a red kite.

Tickets cost from £14 per adult and £8.50 per child. Flying sessions are from £10. See british birdofpreycentre.co.uk.

If you’re further south, a wizard school is also being held at Southampton’s Tudor House on October 26 and 27, costing £8. The house has a free Halloween open day on October 30, with crafts, facepainting, haunted tales and guided ghost tours. See visitsouthampton.co.uk.

THE HAUNTED WOODS

THINGS aren’t just going bump in the night down at BeWILDerwood outdoor family adventure parks in Norfolk, Cheshire and the Lake District.

There’s a whole host of spooky events in the daytime, too. The woodland attractions are asking young visitors to don their scariest outfits to enjoy the play trails and whoosh along zipwires.

There’s also a Twig Or Treat trail until November 1 – where youngsters will be tasked with uncovering characters and collecting letters to discover the scrambled word and claim their prize.

Then, stick around until nightfall to see the Glowing Light Trail twinkle. Tickets cost from £26.50 per adult and £24.50 per child over 92cm.
Families can bag 12.5 per cent off when they book online in advance. See bewilderwood.co.uk.

CREEPY CAPITAL

LONDON is crawling with creepies this half-term. Halloween characters, including the stilt-wearing Peculiar Sisters, are trailing around spookily-decorated shops and houses on Kensington High Street from October 23 to 31.

And on the last day, Holland Park will be transformed into The Playful Park Of Peculiar with live entertainment. See highstreetkensington.co.uk.

London Dungeon has the three-part immersive show Curse Of The Mummy until November 1. From £29 per adult and £23.50 per child. See thedungeons.com.

The dungeon is included in National Rail’s discounted entries to attractions, saving a third off the price. Other offers include Ghosts And Legends at the Tower of London and the Haunted Halls Of Hampton Court Palace. See daysoutguide.co.uk.

BRICK OR TREAT

LEGOLAND Discovery Centres in Birmingham and Manchester have been overtaken by minifigure monsters this Halloween.

Until November 1, budding builders can join creative workshops, bringing their own creations to the Brick Or Treat mosaic boards and testing their skills with glow-in-the-dark Lego bricks.

There are also scavenger hunts, pumpkin carving and dance parties. Tickets cost £19pp or £51 per family of four. See legolanddiscoverycentre.com.

And at Legoland Windsor, half-term sees Lord Vampyre’s Creepy Crypt Trail promising treats across the park, as well as new a harbour show, Monster Rocker’s Pumpkin Trail and the Haunted House Halloween Monster Party. Tickets from £39pp at legoland.co.uk.

LORDS OF THE MANOR

GRAB yourselves a bit of luxury. Kids under 13 can stay at the five-star Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, for free.

It costs from £123 per night for a family of four, Monday to Thursday, until October 31 – and that includes use of the health club and spa. There are free Halloween crafts and games, while other activities, such as pottery painting and cupcake decorating, can be booked.

If you’re not into spooks, kids are still entertained – there’s archery, laser combat, high ropes, adventure golf, axe-throwing and swimming. And there’s lots of space for biking or walking. The resort has 2,000 acres of grounds and woodland trails.

Larger families can book self-catering Hunter Lodges, with hot tubs and saunas, sleeping up to eight adults and two children. See celtic-manor.com.

A HISTORIC town will host a festive wonderland with real reindeers for just one day.

The UK’s largest single-day Christmas market is returning with more than 120 stalls this December.

The Beverley Festival of Christmas will return on Sunday, December 13, bringing thousands of visitors to the East Yorkshire town for one of the country’s biggest festive events.

Shoppers will be able to browse more than 120 stalls selling everything from handmade gifts and Christmas decorations to jewellery, homeware and locally produced food.

The market will spread across Beverley’s historic Saturday Market, Wednesday Market and North Bar, with independent traders offering plenty of inspiration for anyone still searching for Christmas presents.

The day will kick off with a spectacular parade at 10am, setting off from Wednesday Market and travelling along Toll Gavel towards Saturday Market.

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Santa Claus will lead the procession alongside his reindeer, with live music, comedy acts, Steampunks, majorettes and Bernese mountain dogs also expected to take part.

After the parade, Father Christmas and his reindeer will remain in Saturday Market until mid-afternoon, giving families the chance to see them up close and take photographs.

Visitors can also expect traditional Victorian fairground rides, face painting, birds of prey displays and ice sculptures throughout the day.

Brass bands, carol singers and dancers will provide a festive soundtrack as shoppers explore the town centre.

The festival will be running from 10am until 4pm and the entry is free.

The event was first established in 1995 by local shop owner John Bird, who brought Beverley’s traders together to create a special day of Christmas shopping.

It has since grown into one of East Yorkshire’s best-known festive traditions, with 2026 marking its 30th year.

AS rooms with a view go, my vista from the seventh floor of Gary Neville’s Hotel Football is hard to beat.

Well, for a Manchester United fan anyway.

From here I can almost reach out and touch the legendary Old Trafford, aka The Theatre of Dreams.

It’s a shivers-down-your-spine moment for me and my lad Reggie, who often make the trip to follow our team — but never in such style.

Usually, we’re forced to leg it from the stadium to be squashed into a tram in order to make the train back down south.

This weekend, we’re not in a rush as there’s no game on, but that’s why we’re here.

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On non-match days, footie fans can nose about the stadium, which has sat on this site since 1910 and holds just over 74,000 fans.

Enjoy it while it lasts. United plan to build a new 100,000-seat stadium — just a David Beckham free-kick away — by 2035.

For around £30 you can spin round the museum and visit the Reds’ trophy room, giving a glimpse of past glories.

It also tells the club’s story from its Newton Heath beginnings, through the Busby Babes and the Munich air disaster, to the 1968 European Cup and Sir Alex Ferguson’s Treble winners.

You can walk along the edge of the new, state-of-the-art “hybrid” pitch (96 per cent grass, four per cent artificial fibres), relaid this summer for the first time in 14 years, and sit in the dugout.

You also get access to the dressing rooms and plush directors’ box.

The guided tour lasts around 70 minutes and takes in the players’ tunnel, too.

We filled our faces back at the hotel in Cafe Football, where classic pub grub — fish n’ chips, burgers, pizzas and salads — is on the menu.

It’s decent enough to fill a hole and portions are immense (the loaded fries are enough for eleven players and a few subs).

It has a well-stocked bar where you can sink a few pints while you watch whatever game is showing.

While the theme of the hotel is football — did you guess? — it’s not limited to United.

The brightly-lit dining room — not a spot for romance — is decorated with photos of players as diverse as Peter Crouch and Kevin Keegan.

Upstairs, the rooms are perfectly comfortable, as befits a four-star hotel that’s part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio.

We had one of the fancier ones, which was dedicated to United’s Class of ’92 players, like Gary Neville and his Hotel Football co-owners Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Philip Neville, who opened the hotel in 2015.

It’s a cute touch and will delight young fans.

The compact bathroom squeezed in a bath and a rainforest shower.

My only gripe was that the pillows were too big, so I woke up with a stiff neck and a new double chin.

Up on the roof is Heaven, a five-a-side pitch with views across Old Trafford and the city, which can be booked for kickabouts and parties.

And if anyone needs a break from football, the Imperial War Museum North is close by, with The Lowry arts centre just across the Manchester Ship Canal at Salford Quays.

On paper, Hotel Football looks a bit out of the way if you’re planning to be in the centre of town (it’s a 15-minute tram ride from Piccadilly).

But for us, the United faithful, it’s definitely worth a schlep.

COMBINE fantastic campsites that feel more like holiday resorts with bargain prices, and you have Eurocamp.

With more than 400 parks in Europe, there are three brand new ones opening in the UK next year – here are the ones to book ready for summer 2027.

Camping l’Ardéchois, France

New to Eurocamp will be Camping l’Ardéchois – Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, although the resort isn’t new itself.

This is one made for toddlers, with a massive outdoor playground and kids paddling pool, along with a kids club.

That’s not to say there isn’t enough for adults, with two huge pools and a spa area too, completely with saunas and hammams.

Otherwise expect on-site restaurants, live evening shows and even it own nautical centre.

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It’s from here you can go on a ‘canoe safari’ on the riverside beach, otherwise go for some yoga, tennis and padel.

On-site are 230 pitches, making it one of the smaller, more manageable resorts.

Choose from standard two-bedroom cabins (sleeping five), or premium, three-bedroom holiday homes that are slightly bigger.

It is set to open on April 23, 2027, and will be open all summer until September. Prices start from £416 – working out to just around £11.80 each a night.

Delta Open Air Resort, Italy

A brand new resort in Italy, Delta Open Air Resort is right on the Adriatic.

You won’t want to leave – it has a huge 4,000sqm aqua park with pools and splash zones for kids.

There are two restaurants (expect fantastic Italian food) as well as a bar and gelato store. Or you can head to the supermarket to buy your own stuff.

Cycle paths along the coast are one for the sport-goers, along with loads of sports facilities on-site too.

Otherwise you can head straight to the nearby beach for some sunbathing time.

It is by some gorgeous Italian towns too if you want to explore the area.

This resort is considered “extra large” with a whopping 1,20 pitches ranging from cabins to premium holiday homes.

The park opens on May 22, 2027 and will be open until October. Prices start from £410, or £11.60 each a night.

hu Eraclea Mare, Italy

Also a brand new resort, hu Eraclea Mare is on the Venetian Coast which is expected to be one of their five-star resorts.

The on-site waterpark is the star of the show – it has 15,000sqm of lagoons, indoor pools, Olympic pools, waterslides and even a solarium.

Even outside of this, there is an insane amount of things to do, from tennis, football and volleyball to yoga, pedalos and canoeing.

How about a game of paintball, or even a few hits on the 18-hole mini golf?

Then there is the tree experience and zip line – which they claim is the biggest ever built at a holiday village.

Evenings come in the form of 30 food and drink spots, and a 1,500 seat outdoor theatre.

It is right on the beach, and it’s Blue Flag, to expect clean, safe sands and waters.

This is the biggest resort on the list, with 3,000 pitches ranging from two to four bedroom properties.

The resort opens May 5, 2027, and stays open until September.

Prices start from £313, which is £8.80 each – the biggest bargain on the list.

Kalkan, Turkey

A Kalkan sunset is always a beautiful thing – the horseshoe-shaped bay deepening to azure blue against an apricot-rose sky – but, in October, when the light is low and the sun drops early, it’s almost transcendentally lovely. In some Turkish resorts, you’d be sitting watching it surrounded by quiet streets, half-empty bars and that melancholic sense that another season is over. In Kalkan, it still feels like summer; the harbourfront restaurants throng with visitors, the day gulets (wooden boats) still putter in and out of the bay and you don’t have to wait an hour to get a taxi back to your villa.

For me, the best thing about an autumn break – besides the sunsets – is that I can visit some of my favourite places that just get overrun in summer. The glittering beach at Kaputas, sandwiched into a triangular gap on the mountainous Kalkan-Kas road, has become a victim of Instagram; from May to September, it’s impossible to get near. In October, the waters are still warm and the beach – although still busy – has plenty of space for a dip and a laze.

About 20 minutes’ drive inland, the mountain village of Bezirgan, which used to serve as a summer retreat for wealthier Kalkan residents, settles back into complete peace in autumn, save for the woodpeckers battering away at the bark of the almond trees and the squirrels skittering through the leaves. The Lycian Way weaves through the village, past Ottoman-era grain stores, with the lush gardens of the Pirha Köy Sofrası restaurant a great bet for a plate of traditional manti (dumplings in yoghurt) or kofte (meatballs), before setting off for a hike (they do fantastic breakfasts too).

Back in Kalkan, it’s always cocktail hour somewhere; often on a roof terrace, with a jazz soundtrack floating out above the streets of the Old Town. This year, the Fountain Terrace Cocktail Bar has been popular, but I still love sitting in the Merkez Cafe, a Kalkan institution since the early 1990s, smack-bang in the heart of the village and a prime spot for people-watching when the evening begins.

And because the season’s end is in sight, all the restaurant owners and waiters are cheerfully giddy, and the whole place swings with an end-of-term vibe. Sitting at the Blue Marlin (tucked away beneath the Pirat hotel) with a cold Efes beer and a selection of the town’s best meze, the only thing that makes me rueful is that it will be several months before I’ll be back here again.

White House has doubles from £120 B&B

Annabelle Thorpe

Agua Amarga, Spain

Along Spain’s wild Costa de Almería are a handful of exquisite little towns and villages. San José is probably the best known, put on the map by its most famous inhabitant, the late Joe Strummer, but 25 miles east is the real jewel of the Almería coast. Agua Amarga is a typical Andalucían fishing village moonlighting as a stylish low-key holiday destination, perfect for late-season sun-seekers.

Its location, on a crescent bay, makes for spectacular sunrises and sunsets over the arid headlands that bookend the 500-metre-long beach. In the narrow, whitewashed streets, a lush palm grove and splashes of pink bougainvillaea remind you that north Africa is just a short hop across the Mediterranean. In the summer, Agua Amarga’s unspoilt sands and turquoise waters attract plenty of visitors, but the vibe remains relaxed. There are a handful of restaurants and bars around the main plaza, and a few eateries on the beach, including Los Tarahis, a traditional chiringuito (beach bar) where you can enjoy dishes such as arroz negro con bogavante (black rice with lobster) with your toes in the sand. In winter, the town goes into hibernation, but in autumn the sun and sea are still warm and the bars and restaurants are still open for business.

Agua Amarga is not the place to go to party. It’s a world away from the overdeveloped costas to the west and north, but it is the perfect base to immerse yourself in nature. Hiking trails lead from the village over the cliffs to a string of isolated coves and the ruins of 18th-century forts dotted along the headlands. And if you tire of following the shimmering sea, you can strike out inland to explore the Cabo de Gata nature reserve, with its winding ramblas (dry riverbeds), prickly pears and eerie abandoned goldmines.

This corner of Spain is famous for its movie locations, notably Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns and Hollywood blockbusters including Lawrence of Arabia and Conan the Barbarian. For UK cinephiles, British gangster classic Sexy Beast was filmed in Agua Amarga, and Ray Winstone’s swanky villa is available as a holiday rental (minus the boulder in the swimming pool).

The name Agua Amarga translates as “bitter water”, dating back to the 19th century and the contamination caused by mining iron ore. Those days are gone, and now Agua Amarga couldn’t be sweeter.

Hotel Las Calas has doubles from £80

Lois Pryce

Cascais, Portugal

As many of Portugal’s southern resorts prepare to hibernate for winter, Cascais’s green-fingered municipal workers set to work on the town’s well-manicured flower beds, ensuring a seamless seasonal rotation. Violas, primroses and cyclamen furnish pops of purple, magenta and orange below tall palms lining a promenade punctuated with palatial homes and pockets of golden sand. Even in late autumn, the semi-tropical scene banishes the blues.

My happy place when the off-season rolls around, Cascais has enough energy and atmosphere to entertain, and is arguably at its finest after summer’s beach throngs and Lisbon day trippers (Cascais lies 20 miles west of the city, a 30- to 40-minute train ride from Cais do Sodré station) have receded.

Once the summer retreat of Europe’s nobility, Cascais is now Portugal’s year-round crowd-pleaser – and come autumn, accommodation prices are far less aristocratic. There are stately manors and spa hotels aplenty, but my pick is Casa Vela, a surprisingly spacious sidestreet bolthole. Its sauna, shrouded in tropical gardens imported by the owner and his grandfather, brings joy even on the chilliest days. And if rains do come, there are a clutch of cultural attractions in the town, including the pyramid-shaped, terracotta-hued Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, featuring works by the acclaimed Portuguese-British artist.

Still, with about 300 sunny days a year, Cascais’s main off-season pull is for those who like to be active outdoors. Blue-sky mornings see waterfront joggers pass pretty squares carpeted in black-and-white calçada portuguesa (the distinctive patterned pavement mosaics), the hulking 15th-century citadel, and a mustard-hued palace overlooking a cove. Swimming is bracing, but kayaking on the calmer waters where the Tagus River meets the Atlantic more than compensates.

Better still, hire a bicycle and trace the craggy coastline, which grows wilder as it arches north-west, with sheer cliffs appearing in the distant haze. Praia do Guincho is the star, a glorious dune-backed beach battered by winds that keep surfers of all stripes well sated.

A half-hour bus ride from Cascais, Sintra’s iconic palaces and quintas unfurl across the forest-clad mountains. Summer in the town will test your patience. But with fewer crowds in the off-season, the essence of this former elite enclave and trove of European Romantic architecture returns. Hiking the hewn stairs to the Moorish Castle in thick fog is magical, while the vibrant burgundy-and-yellow facade of the fairytale National Palace of Pena brightens the greyest of days.

As the nights start to draw in, you can chase the dwindling sunlight by heading to windswept Cabo da Roca at Portugal’s far western tip. Not only are the sunsets here spectacular, for much of autumn and winter they are the latest in mainland Europe – a sweetener for the shorter days.

Casa Vela has doubles from €79 room-only

Daniel James Clarke

Senigallia, Italy

Velvet Beach (Spiaggia di Velluto) is the alluring name for the miles of fine sand that fringe the town of Senigallia, in Italy’s Marche region. But from May to September, that golden loveliness all but disappears under the umbrellas and sunbeds of beach clubs.

Italians love the place, some returning every summer for decades, but in high season it is probably best left to them. However, Senigallia has an allure beyond the beach that can be enjoyed year-round – and autumn is particularly rewarding.

It’s known in Italy as the “five-star town” for the number of Michelin stars its top two restaurants hold between them. At Uliassi (three stars) and Madonnina del Pescatore (two), ambitious locally born chefs have kept one another on their toes for decades, and their fame has encouraged other restaurateurs to up their game.

If Uliassi’s famous €280 tasting menu is beyond your budget, Senigallia has plenty of innovative, quality places that are more affordable. It’s hard to eat badly here, but fish fans will relish the exquisitely prepared raw stuff at Cuoco di Bordo (two courses from €34) on the seafront. The more rustic Rimante (two courses from €27), in the cobbled centre, offers super-friendly service, great pasta and a roast goose speciality. For pizza nights, nearby O’sarracin has superlative margheritas (€8.50) and tasty ragù-filled arancini to start.

Pizza al formaggio, by contrast, isn’t pizza at all, but a sort of savoury panettone, flavoured with parmesan and pecorino cheese, maybe with chunks oozing out of a warm slice. It’s usually an Easter treat, but bakery Pandefrà makes it from October until May. Autumn in Senigallia also brings amazing fresh produce (chestnuts, persimmons, grapes and pomegranates; pumpkins, greens and radicchio) to chefs and market stalls.

And, of course, it brings the olive harvest, with new oil to taste in local delis and at the Festa dell’Olio Nuovo (6-10 November) in Scapezzano, three miles inland, reached by a pleasant hour’s walk up the quiet Strada di Fontenuovo (there’s a bus back).

With so much eating, you do need to work up an appetite. Hiking the Heron Trail along the Misa River will help, and offers downy oaks in their autumn finery, but the best walk for me starts at the splendid Rotonda a Mare gallery on its 1930s pier, heads inland on quiet lanes to Gabriella and Montignano villages, then descends to the coast for a sunset stroll back along that – now peaceful – Velvet Beach.

Al Foro Annonario has doubles from €80 B&B

Liz Boulter

Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France

Tucked away in the corner of France just before the Basque coast runs into Spain, Saint-Jean-de-Luz hangs on to the warmth of summer a little longer than the rest of the west coast. Its enticing crescent beach is sheltered by two headlands and so, as the Atlantic crashes against the rest of the coast, you can dig your toes into the golden sand as the sea gently laps the shore and truly feel as if you’ve escaped the world.

The town makes for a great introduction to the French Basque Country, with its traditional red or green timber-framed architecture, adorned in many cases with strings of the local espelette chilli pepper – its gentle heat infuses many of the local dishes. Pick up a pot at the local market hall, which is a good place to find other hero products of the local cuisine, such as Ossau-Iraty cheese and black cherry jam.

Elsewhere, the patisserie Maison Adam is the place to find the local almond macaron called the pare gabea (it means incomparable in Basque), which was first made in 1660 to celebrate the marriage of King Louis XIV and Marie-Thérèse of Spain. Their nuptials took place just round the corner at the Saint-Jean-de-Baptiste church – half-built at the time – which has an extraordinarily detailed gilt altarpiece that was installed in 1669, as well as a three-tiered gallery for the congregation. Meanwhile, a votive ship hanging from the ceiling is a nod to the town’s close relationship to the sea, with small fishing boats departing the neat harbour to fish for hake, a local speciality.

You can venture out on to the seas too, with a boat trip on the small cruiser Nivelle V (€20), which goes along the coast towards Spain, first passing the 17th-century cylindrical fort at Socoa and its sea wall that juts across the bay. As you cruise past the Flysch cliffs, which look like layers of diagonally stacked cardboard, you might spot a few silver flying fish jumping out of the steely blue Atlantic.

On arrival back at port, take the short walk across the bridge that spans the River Nivelle to the neighbouring village of Ciboure. It’s a warren of red and green Basque townhouses that overlook narrow streets winding up the hill. Between them sits the restaurant Chez Mattin (mains from €28), a local institution, where chef Michel Niquet serves his signature dish, ttorro, a fish stew that was invented by his grandfather.

The Madison has doubles from €125. For more information, see saint-jean-de-luz.com

Carolyn Boyd

All accommodation prices are for October/November and were correct at the time of publication

THE sound of bugles, trumpets and tubas fills the street as a parade of horses trot towards The Royal Palace.

I always thought Buckingham Palace’s changing of the guard was impressive, but shiny silver helmets off to the Swedish Army who, decked out in pristine blue uniforms, have us completely captivated for a full 45 minutes.

“It’s like being in a movie!” my five-year-old son Raffy shouts above the beat of kettle drums halfway through.

And he’s right. In the picturesque setting of Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s historic old town, it is an incredible spectacle. And even better – it doesn’t cost a penny. Or krona, rather.

I like big buns

Your wallets will, however, take a hit in Gamla Stan’s winding, cobbled streets, which are brimming with gift shops, such as Liten Amanda with its Nordic home decor (Litenamanda.se), plus bistros like Petit Pastis (Pastis.se) and confectioner Konfektyr & Glass offering an eye-boggling array of treats.

We search for the tiny Iron Boy statue hidden in a courtyard, before ordering a sizeable cinnamon bun, coffees and hot chocolates with lashings of cream for £28, at Kaffekoppen in Stortorget Square (Cafekaffekoppen.se), then chancing upon vintage H&M and antique glassware at charity shop Stockholms Stadsmissions nearby (Stadsmissionen.se).

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Stockholm city consists of 14 islands connected by bridges. On Djurgården, we all stand in awe as we first set eyes on Vasa, a 17th-century warship that sank on its maiden voyage, its intricate carvings painstakingly restored.

A bonus for my teen self (in the temporary exhibition) is seeing Rose’s dress and Heart of the Ocean necklace from the film Titanic, while learning about director James Cameron’s 2012 deep-sea expedition 10,000 feet down to the ocean floor, and squeezing into a replica capsule. Adult entry costs £18.50, under-18s are free (Vasamuseet.se).

Mamma Mia!

The kids’ favourite outing is the neighbouring ABBA Museum. Poppy, seven, adores the greatest hits album (thanks to her Yoto music player), and despite being a tad overpriced, it’s undoubtedly a super-fun interactive space with lots of opportunities to dress up and perform like – and even alongside – the band (in hologram form), pose for an album cover, rock out in a silent disco and ogle the showstopping stage costumes.

Adult entry costs from £20.50, kids over seven from £8.50 (Abbathemuseum.com).

On one of our days on Djurgården, we tuck into shrimps piled atop egg mayo and syrup bread, £18, while the kids scoff pancakes with cream and jam, £7.50, bathed in sunshine on cafe Skroten’s terrace.

There’s free bread, butter and lingonberry juice on offer, too (Skrotens.se). Later, we hit Skansen, home to a farm, zoo, funfair and a historic town with glassblowers, pottery studio and bakery.

The children are wide-eyed at both the playful bears and the molten glass being transformed into chic confetti lampshades. Adult entry costs £23.50, under-12s are free (Skansen.se).

Viking vibes

At dinner that night, a roar fills the dining hall as our host announces the arrival of more guests – this time from the US – with a horn and a bellow.

I pause devouring my crawfish and prawn soup, £13.50, to join in the hollering.

We’re at Viking restaurant Aifur, and while it may be touristy, Raffy again gets all the film-set feels when he’s declared a “baby Viking” and presented with a giant sword to look after.

Thinking his night couldn’t get any better, and just as a musician begins playing the hurdy-gurdy (Google it!), the waitress presses souvenir coins into both his and Poppy’s palms (Aifur.se).

Continuing the theme, the next morning we learn how to fight and write like a warrior at the Viking Museum, which is worth a stop, even if it’s just to lunch at its restaurant Eld.

Highlights include Ukrainian gnocchi with smoked feta, £22, deer medallions with black garlic and potato gratin, £22.50, and the pretty harbour views (Thevikingmuseum.com).

Isle be back

The sweet spot for visiting Sweden with kids is balmy mid-August, just after the Swedes return to school. Keen to get a taste of the Stockholm Archipelago, home to more than 30,000 islands, we take the 43X train from Stockholm City station to Västerhaninge, catch the 846 bus to Årsta Brygga and then hop on the 21 boat to Utö.

Although it sounds complicated, it’s super-simple, and for our transport-mad kids, the hour-and-a-half journey in itself is thrilling.

But Utö, all rugged landscapes, pine forests and sparkling sea, is the real thrill. Photos really don’t capture its beauty.

We kip in one of hotel Utö Värdshus’ sweet self-catering cottages, which cost from £101 per night, and at the restaurant that evening, we dine on buttered kingfish with potato, leek and cheese pie and crayfish broth, £29, while the kids wolf down steak with Béarnaise sauce and fries, £10.50 (Utovardshus.se).

Holidaying on the island is all about hiking, biking and the wonderfully wild beaches.

One afternoon is spent picnicking at Barnens Bad beach, not far from our cottage – its crystal-clear shallow water is perfect for kids, and we’re joined by only one other family, who stylishly arrive and depart by kayak.

The next day, we set off on a 11km bike ride (daily hire costs £15 per adult, £11 per child).

We pass colourful wooden houses and breathtaking vistas to Stora Sand, a wide expanse of white beach, which again we only have to share with one other couple.

Sandcastle building and chasing waves makes for a blissful few hours, topped off only by a wild moose deciding to clumsily gallop across our path on our ride home.

I fear that the kids’ tales of this trip may sound a little far-fetched when they get back home and share them with friends. But Sweden really has proved super (trouper).