holidays

THE Hilton Manchester Deansgate is the height of convenience for your next stay in Manchester, as well as providing guests with a seamless blend of comfort and sophistication.

Here’s everything you need to know about the hotel, from how much rooms cost to what to eat at the restaurant.

Where is the Hilton Manchester Deansgate?

The unmissable 23-storey building is just a 3 minute walk from Deansgate Station, providing an easy transport link to Manchester Piccadilly Station.

The hotel is also just a mile from the Manchester arena.

What is the hotel like?

The buzz and noise of Manchester are instantly left behind in the hotel lobby.

The foyer is sleek and modern, with an elegant spiral staircase at its far end. This atmosphere of class and sophistication is reflected throughout the hotel.

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What are the rooms like?

Yes, they are rather spacious, with huge, comfy beds, free wifi and a large TV.

My room had an armchair and a desk with a vanity mirror that was ideal for getting ready for a night out.

The ensuite bathroom had a large walk-in  shower.

But the best feature of the room by far was the grand floor-to-ceiling windows, offering amazing views of the Manchester skyline.

Double rooms starting from £117 per night. For more information, click here.

What is there to eat and drink there?

Make sure to book a table at the 2 AA Rosette Podium Restaurant, which offers relaxed fine dining.

My starter, the cured salmon, didn’t disappoint. I opted for the potato fried in peanut oil as a main.

The spiralised spud was soaked in a mushroom sauce and topped with nuts. It was totally hearty.

I tried to resist dessert but ordered a lychee sorbet wrapped in a thin layer of chocolate. To this day, I still think about all three dishes.

What else is there to do at the hotel?

Head to Cloud 23 on the hotel’s 23rd floor for a drink with a view. The spicy margarita packs a real punch.

If drinking is less your thing, opt for an afternoon tea at Cloud 23.

You can enjoy a Traditional afternoon tea, a champagne afternoon tea, or even a mocktail afternoon tea, all with a stunning view of the Manchester skyline.

Additionally, why not indulge in the hotel’s health club facilities, featuring a steam room, sauna, indoor pool and fitness centre.

Is the hotel family-friendly?

Yes, the hotel is family friendly, offering amenities such as interconnecting rooms to provide more space for families to allow for the most comfort during their stay.

Is there access for guests with disabilities?

Yes, the hotel is accessible, providing accessible rooms and facilities to its guests.

Looking for a place to stay? For more hotel inspiration click here.

WHEN it comes to Valentine’s Day, there is often a lot of pressure to do something worthwhile, but you don’t have to splash out on a fancy meal to have a special day.

Skip the five-star restaurant meal and head to something more memorable for a fraction of the price.

Under £50

Scavenger Hunt

Couples who love to explore together should head off on a scavenger hunt.

Available in various cities across the UK, Will Breaker offers a number of themed scavenger hunts from just £16.50 per person.

Each lasts around one-and-a-half hours and you get a photo memento at the end.

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See the new Wuthering Heights in the cinema

Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights finally hits our screens on February 13 – just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The steamy film, starring Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, will be shown at most major UK cinemas.

Tickets to see the new movie cost around £12.99 per adult, making it an affordable Valentine’s date.

Bouldering

For those who prefer a bit more of an active date, head bouldering.

The sport allows for lots of time chatting, but then also moments helping each other to reach the top of a climbing wall.

There are bouldering centres across the UK, so just search for the one neatest to you.

You can expect to pay around £10 for a pass, and if you need shoes and chalk a few more quid on top of that, per person.

Pottery Cafes

Pottery is booming at the moment and with The Great Pottery Throw Down currently on Channel 4, what could be a better excuse than to head on a pottery-themed date?

Across the country there are lots of pottery cafes where you can select an item to paint.

Each item usually has a price, with many starting from around £10-£15 per item.

You then get to paint before your item is fired, usually for a small additional fee.

It is the perfect activity for the creative, but also for chilling and chatting.

Some cafes will even let you bring your own booze…

Boom Battle Bar

Boom Battle Bar has venues across the country, and what is great about this attraction is that you can spend as little or as much as you want to.

Each bar has a range of activities including crazy golf, axe throwing, karaoke pods and shuffleboard.

You can either purchase a bundle to play multiple games and activities or pay as you go, with prices starting from £6 per person.

A trip to the seaside

Who doesn’t like to be beside the seaside?

Wherever you are in the UK, you are never more than two to three hours by car from the sea.

And Valentine’s Day makes the ideal excuse to jump in the car for a mini road trip to the beach.

Top spots include Brighton, where you will find a long pier full of fun activities, pebble beach and narrow alleys full of independent shops.

Alternatively, if in Cornwall or Somerset, why not explore the part of the South West Coast Path that runs through Devon.

National Parks

There are many things you can do across the UK for free as well, and one of those things is visiting one of our many National Parks.

For example, you could head to Dartmoor in Devon to discover disused quarries, explore tors and see wild ponies.

Some spots in National Parks even have free parking.

Or you could head to Kielder Forest, which is has a public observatory and organises over 700 events a year.

The Kielder Observatory is one of the best places to see the night sky as it sits in Europe’s largest Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park.

There are also lots of forests across the UK with biking trails too, such as Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.

The forest spans across 27,000 acres of woodland and sits between the Severn and Wye Rivers.

It was also England’s first National Forest Park and today is enjoyed for its hiking and cycling trails as well as attractions such as Puzzlewood.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to be expensive…

Under £100

Murder mystery train experience

For something truly unique, head off on a murder mystery dining experience on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway Steam Train.

Costing £100 for two people, you will solve crime while enjoying a meal.

The three-course meal is prepared onboard the train and over the duration of the journey you will see the Yorkshire countryside as you solve missions.

Fancy something more stationary? Then why not head to the stationary Victorian Train Carriage at Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration in London for a ‘journey’ on the Orient Express.

Over the course of 90 minutes, you will solve puzzles and enjoy cocktails and nibbles to unravel the truth behind a murder committed onboard.

The experience costs £80 for two people.

Valentine’s Silent Disco, Natural History Museum

On February 13, you can head to the Natural History Museum for a Silent Disco.

Dancing under Hope the Whale, you can listen to music via headphones and dance with your partner in crime.

The disco starts at 9pm and finishes at midnight.

Tickets cost £36 per person for members or £40 per person for non-members.

If a silent disco isn’t your thing, on actual Valentine’s Day you can head to a museum late event where you can sip on cocktails and learn from the museum’s scientists.

There are even dance classes hosted by Pineapple Dance Studios,

The event starts at 6:45pm and ends at 10:30pm, with tickets costing £36 for members or £40 for non-members.

The Big Bakes

Fan of Bake Off? Well, The Big Bakes might be the date spot for you.

The outdoor immersive 90-minute baking competition allows you to experience the thrill of a marquee just like the one from the TV show.

The Big Bakes has venues across London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool with only a few spots left for Valentine’s Day.

In teams of two, you will create a cake using the tools and ingredients supplied.

The experience costs from £47.99 per person.

ABBA Voyage

Unlike your usual concert, ABBA Voyage features digital ‘ABBAtar’ versions of the band as they looked when they performed in 1979.

The 100-minute show features the four members carrying out a concert as if they are actually on stage, with some of their biggest hits.

It truly is a mind-blowing experience, because you can’t believe the stars in front of you aren’t the real deal.

Seated tickets cost from £38.50 per person, but prices are higher on Valentine’s Day itself.

If you want to splash out extra, access to the Oceanbird Lounge costs £99 before the show and gets you unlimited food and drink.

One-night hotel stay

Why not check-in for the night at a special hotel?

Many hotels across the UK still have availability for Valentine’s Day with prices under £100 total.

For example, you could head to Furzen Farmhouse in Cirencester for £86.

Set in historic stone building surrounded by countryside, the farmhouse has a kitchenette, lounge and picnic area.

Or you could head to The Belfry at Yarcombe for £87 including breakfast.

The four-star B&B is in an old school building and sits in the Blackdown Hills area, making it a great countryside retreat with picturesque walks.

Each bedroom is unique with original features including stained glass windows.

Under £200

Murder Mystery break for two

Across the UK several venues host murder mystery breaks for couples wanting to tackle a challenge together.

For example, via WOWcher, you could book a murder mystery break for two people, with hotel, a three-course meal and breakfast includes at 100 hotels across the country.

Ran by Murder 57, guests can choose where they want to stay – with destinations including Cardiff, Nottingham and Manchester – with 60 different plot lines also to choose from.

For example, you could enter the world of Agatha Christie with A Midsummer Murder.

It costs from £92.99 per person.

Luxury break at The Belfry Hotel and Resort

A romantic getaway is a classic Valentine’s gift and for less than £200 you could head to the Midlands for a break at the Belfry Hotel and Resort.

The hotels’s Love & Luxury Break includes an overnight stay with a three-course meal in the evening including a glass of prosecco each and then a a full English breakfast in the morning.

There is live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights too and guests get full access to The Club for fitness and wellness.

It costs from £169 per room.

Amsterdam mini cruise

Fancy heading out of the country but don’t want to fly?

Well, if you happen to live near Newcastle you can head off on a two-night mini cruise to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.

Currently being offered on WOWcher for £92.99 per person, you could stay in a private two-berth cabin, get a glass of fizz each, have unlimited luggage allowance and get transfers to and from Amsterdam city centre.

The offer can be redeemed anytime until June 2026.

See a concert

While concert tickets do tend to sell out far in advance, sometimes people’s plans change and then tickets go on resale.

This is the case for some concerts on Valentine’s Day.

For example, you could see James Arthur at M&S Bank Arene Liverpool for £62.75 per person.

Or at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester you could see the Kaiser Chiefs for £51.75 per person.

Spa day

There are lots of different places in the UK where you can head off to for a spa day.

For example, you could head to Riverhills Spa in Ipswich, Suffolk, to experience refurbished facilities.

You can even grab the ‘Sweet Valentine Package’, which includes a 30-minute treatment of your choice, four hours in the spa, hot chocolate and homemade chocolates and a robe, towel and slippers for £85 per person during the week or £95 per person at the weekend.

Alternatively, you could head to Rena Spa at The Midland in Manchester for a spa day for two.

Costing £91 per person, you will receive a meal, spa access and a 50-minute Mud Rasul treatment.

You will also get a complimentary glass of prosecco.

For more ideas on days out, here are 15 attractions in the UK that have £1 per person tickets from huge castles to kid-friendly museums.

Plus, 10 days out in the UK that cost less than a pint from free-to-visit lidos to cheap cinema mornings.

It’s time to think about shaking off winter and looking forward to spring. Whether it was a coastal Mediterranean town without the crowds or a southern European city that comes to life at this time of year, we’d love to hear about places you’ve discovered on your travels that can be reached by rail. Tell us what you got up to and why early spring is a great time to visit.

The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website.

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DID you know the first package holiday was actually in the UK, nearly 200 years ago?

My boys aged 13, 11 and six are all big steam train fans and we’ve had some amazing days out on heritage railways around the country. 

But what we didn’t realise riding the rails here in the Midlands, is that we were retracing a route that replicates the one chosen by package holiday pioneer Thomas Cook for his first ever excursion, some 185 years ago.

The stretch of track he used became so popular in Victorian times that a new line was eventually built to get passengers about, and you can still board heritage trains on the Great Central Railway today.

Nowadays, holidays offered by tour operators are all about flying abroad, fun in the sun and food and drink on tap.

But back then, a train trip between Leicester and Loughborough launched the concept of paying once and having all your needs met.

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About 500 passengers paid a shilling each for the trip, which included travel, refreshments and entertainment from a brass band.

Booze was a no-no as Thomas Cook and his first tourists were part of the temperance movement – it’s safe to say that things have moved on a bit since that first package holiday in 1841…

One thing that remains the same is that the Great Central Railway still offers a great family-friendly day out, with steam and diesel trains running on its eight-mile line between Leicester North and Loughborough.

If you’re looking for something to do over February halfterm, it’s the perfect option as it’s fantastic fun in all weathers and for all generations.

It’s lovely getting all cosy inside an old-fashioned carriage, enjoying the great British countryside passing by your window.

Some of our best trips have actually been on rainy days as the train tracks run alongside fields, woodland and even Swithland Reservoir so there is lots of wildlife to spot, without getting wet.

There are several old stations en route where you can hop on and off to enjoy kids’ activities, model railways, cafes and lots of heritage touches that bring the golden age of rail travel back to life.

Kids can ride for a quid at some points throughout the year and last year there was also a cut-price ticket for locals, so if you time your visit right or live nearby, you can bag a bargain day out.

There’s a couple of things you’ll want to bear in mind if you do decide to head to the Great Central Railway.

It’s not open every day so check out the website to find which trains are running when and for ticket prices, which can change depending on the season and what’s on offer.

There are special events throughout the year, including character appearances from family favourites like Paw Patrol or the Snowman.

Parking at Loughborough is on the road outside the station, so it can be tricky to find a space on busy days.

We usually head to Quorn to catch the train up and down the line from there, as it’s got a big car park and often has kids activities in its marquee. The other two stations also have parking.

There’s a small branch line to Mountsorrel and Rothley Community Heritage Centre, which only occasionally has trains running on it.

But if you can time your visit to coincide with the branch line being open, the heritage centre itself is well worth a visit, with a playground, den-building, woodland trails, a narrow gauge railway where you can take a short ride and a model train track where visitors can have a go at the controls for Thomas the Tank Engine or one of his friends.

It’s exciting times for the Great Central Railway, which is in the middle of a multimillion pound project to reconnect two stretches of track.

passengers will be able to travel on heritage trains for 18 miles between Nottingham and Leicester North for the first time since the line was axed in the 1960s and a small part of the track was built over.

So it’s full steam ahead for this half term and beyond.

BRITS wanting sun, sea, sand have been swapping the UK for Spain for years – but its neighbour is fast gaining in popularity.

Portugal is increasingly becoming a more popular place for Brits to relocate to, thanks to its lower cost of living, great weather and beautiful beaches.

Portugal is a more popular place to move to than Spain according International moving company, 1st Move International.

It analysed UK Google search data to reveal which countries are seeing the biggest increases and declines in emigration-related interest – and Portugal is number six.

Historically, Spain has been one of the most popular destinations for Brits looking to relocate abroad – but Portugal has nabbed its spot.

Mike Harvey, managing director at 1st Move International said: “Mass tourism and the decision to impose taxes on foreign property buyers have affected affordability, making it more complex for retirees and long-term residents to move to Spain.

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“Spain’s interest among Brits has begun to dip, and neighbour Portugal may take Spain’s crown in the coming years.

“Portugal’s already firmly among Brits’ top 10 expat hotspots, and it’s creeping up the ladder with emigration searches increasing by 18.90 per cent year on year.”  

This has been backed up by data from the National Institute of Statistics (NIE) which revealed that UK expats living in Spain fell by 2.2 per cent in 2024, as reported by Spanish media The Olive Press.

UK resident numbers came to 266,462, down from 272,402 a year earlier.

It continued to reveal that ‘British expats now account for 3.9 per cent of all foreign residents, compared to 4.2 per cent in 2023’.

When it comes to competition between the two, there are lots of similarities – mostly their glorious weather which is much better than the UK throughout the year.

According to some weather sites Portugal is actually sunnier than Spain – but both have around 300 days of sun every year.

Portugal is slightly more mild in places like Lisbon along the western coast thanks to its cool Atlantic breeze.

Just like Spain, Portugal is pleasant during the winter months sitting at around 10C.

Of course most Brits move abroad to spend time nearer the coast and Spain has always been popular thanks to having over 3,000 beaches across 4970 miles of coastline.

As of 2025, 638 of these have Blue Flag status.

Portugal has less beaches as the length of the coastline is much shorter – around 1,115 miles – however it still has around 404 Blue Flag beaches as of last year.

After moving abroad, you’ll probably want a quieter place to relax – but of course both countries remain popular especially the summer holidays.

Portugal gets fewer tourists than Spain – although it did reach record highs in 2024 with around 31.6million visitors.

Meanwhile, Spain saw 94 million international visitors in 2023.

Both are likely to remain busy in the summer months – unless you head to less touristy areas.

Portugal tends to be cheaper when it comes to cost of living (and holidaying) too.

In Portugal you can get a meal for two at a mid-range restaurant €40 (£34.63) and a local beer can cost as little as €2 (£1.73).

The average price of a cappuccino is as little as €1.81 (£1.57).

When it comes to getting around, a one-way ticket on local transport is around €2 (£1.73).

Renting an apartment in one of the country’s city centres is around €943 (£816.34) per month.

Meanwhile in Spain, a meal for two at a mid-range restaurant is on average €50 (£43.29) and a local beer costs around €3 (£2.60), according to Wise.

The average price of a cappuccino is a bit more expensive too at €1.90 (£1.65).

Getting about in Spain is generally cheaper with a one-way ticket on local transport priced at €1.50 (£1.30).

Renting an apartment in one of Spain’s city centres is priced at an average of €950 (£822.40) per month.

In terms of logistics, Portugal is generally considered easier for British citizens to move to thanks to its D7 passive income visa for those who want to move there.

In Spain, expats will need a Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV), which requires more proof of income, and it has stricter residency rules.

One writer reveals why she ditched the UK for Lisbon…

Writer Lauren Clark moved from London to Lisbon in 2020 – and here’s everything about it she prefers…

“Socialising in Lisbon needn’t cost a fortune – in fact you can catch up with a friend over a glass of wine for the price of a coffee back home.

“A fruity ‘vinho verde’ from a quiosque or restaurant terrace, enjoyed in the sunshine, might set you back just a few euros.

“One of the reasons why the top-notch wine is so affordable – with a bottle of my favourite white costing around three euros in the supermarket – is because Portugal is covered in swathes of vineyards.

“Most of Lisbon is very walkable – at least, if you don’t mind a steep incline – and most places I need to get to are well within a 30-minute stroll.

“Throughout the month of June, the city erupts into a series of big, lively street parties at night to celebrate the Festas dos Santos Populares – with the 13th the most important date.

“Lisbon isn’t a beach-side city in the same way as Barcelona, however just a short train ride or drive away are some incredible coastal spots.

“This means that, if you finish work at 5pm, you could be taking a dip in the ocean by half past – although, be warned, it will be refreshing.”

For more on moving to Portugal, here’s how one woman did it and ditched the UK for sunny evenings and warm winters.

And one woman who was on A Place In The Sun bought my dream Spanish home for £45k.

OLBIA in Sardinia was recently named one of the ‘best places to travel to in 2026’ by Lonely Planet, and it’s arguably the easiest beach city break destination in the world.

Located on the northeast coast of the island, the city has a charming old town, ruins and white sandy bays, it also has one of the best transfer times – just 3 minutes drive from the airport to the town centre.

British Airways will soon launch a new service, with flights running twice a week on Saturdays and Sundays from London Stansted to Olbia – starting on May 23 and ending on September 27, 2026.

The journey takes two and a half hours and a one-way ticket starts from £127.

Olbia has a great mix of pretty beaches, Roman and Greek history, and plenty of bars and restaurants.

Be sure to try the local dish of bread lasagne,made of cheese and bread soaked in broth.

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Crispy Sardinian flatbread, mussels, stuffed dumplings and pecorino cheese also feature heavily on the menu, washed down with locally-made wine like Cannonau.

Late spring is a great time to visit, with highs of between 22 and 24C and rooms from £31pp a night.

For proper sunbathing weather, average highs reach the early 30s in July and August, when tourists head to the beach to cool down – two of the most beautiful are Costa Corallina and Porto Istana Beach, which has fine white sand.

Porto Istana also has views across to Tavolara Island which is a sought-after snorkelling spot where you’ll see shipwrecks and plenty of colourful fish.

Then, hop onto a boat for an excursion towards Figarolo and the Golfo Aranci for bottlenose dolphin-spotting.

Dolphin tours generally start at £30 per person.

For souvenirs as well as boutiques and gelato spots head down Corso Umberto which is the main shopping street that stretches from the train station down to the waterfront.

When it comes to staying in Olbia, you can book a seven-night stay at the Olbia City Hotel & Spa from May 23 to May 30, 2026 for £217pp – or £31 per night.

Just a five-minute drive from the city centre, the 4-star hotel has a garden, a bar, small swimming pool and air-conditioned rooms.

Lonely Planet named Sardinia as one of its best places to travel to in 2026 thanks to its “pristine beaches”.

Sardinia was also named as a Destination of the Year by Expedia Group’s Unpack ’26: The Trends in Travel report.

If you fancy exploring more of Sardinia, one must-see is the beach called Cala Goloritzè, which is two hours south of Olbia.

Cala Goloritzè is tucked away in-between enormous limestone cliffs and was awarded the title of being 2025’s best beach in the world.

For more inspiration, Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding headed to Sardinia last year where she ventured to the south side of the island.

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

“The south of the island and around Cagliari is full of quaint villages, rocky hills and breathtaking beaches. You can also do a number of activities from the resort, including a two-hour horse ride up into the island’s hills.

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

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THE comedian John Tothill has been appeared in pubs and gig venues up and down the country, performing his stand-up routine to thousands of strangers.

So he’s better qualified than most to judge where is the the most welcoming spot in Blighty.

It turns out, it’s a little seaside town called Wigtown in Ayrshire, Scotland

Fresh from his nomination for ‘Best Show’ at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards last year, John was back in Scotland to discover the country’s best hidden gems for a Channel 4 show called ‘Where To Next‘, with fellow comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri.

They quizzed plenty of Scots on the best lesser-known places to visit and ended up in Wigtown, after it was recommended by several people.

John told us: “Wigtown is probably the friendliest place I’ve ever been to in my life.

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“I didn’t meet a single person that wasn’t nice. It was full of enthusiastic people that loved living there.

“It’s a historic place, but of course it’s still modern because people live there. That’s why I think it’s a particularly lovely place to visit, it’s full of tourist attractions, but it’s not a museum.”

The town sits on the southwest coast of Scotland overlooking Wigtown Bay – Britain’s largest local nature reserve.

Wigtown’s claim to fame is that it’s Scotland’s National Book Town and has around 17 independently run second-hand bookshops.

This includes Reading Lasses which is not only a bookshop, but also a café with a selection of cakes which you can enjoy in front of a log-burning fire in winter, or in the garden area during summer.

There’s also The Book Shop which is the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland, with over a mile of shelving that holds 100,000 books.

The town holds a yearly book festival, which will be between September 25 and October 4 this year.

For a quirky way to spend a long-weekend, you can check into the flat above The Open Book and ‘play-bookshop’.

Holidaymakers can essentially manage their own bookshop during their stay, volunteer behind the till, make their own displays, and of course, read.

The experience is so in demand it has a two-year waiting list on Airbnb with the next available dates in January 2028.

It doesn’t come cheap either, four-nights at The Open Book for one person is £878.

If you’re happy to stay somewhere without the bookshop experience then head to Booktown Bunkhouse where rooms start from £59 per night.

While Wigtown sits along the coast, it’s actually surrounded by marshes, and the bay is a nature reserve for birds like osprey and waders.

But you can still get beautiful sea views from the town, or if you want to head to the beach some of the nearest are Rigg Bay at Garlieston and pretty Monreith Bay.

40-minutes away from Wigtown is what John calls a ‘must-do experience’ while in Scotland.

Kitchen Coos & Ewes in Dumfries & Galloway offers a ‘hands-on highland cow experience’ visitors are given tours around the farm, and you can even give the younger calves a groom in the play-pen.

John said: “There were so many cows, and they were beautiful, really gorgeous.

“What the farmer told us is that highland cows don’t tire of human contact – and they don’t leave you alone.

“You have to stop grooming them because they will never have enough, so you have to set boundaries.”

Here you can have a guided experience, a selfie with the cows, groom them, tea and a bite to eat for £46 per person.

There are other options like the walking tour around the farm for £28pp, and even an ‘Insta Coo Tour’ where there’s ample time to take some enviable pictures from £24pp.

40-minutes in the other direction from Wigtown is Kirkcudbright, where John claims to have had some of the best food of his life at Swally n’ Scran.

You can pick up two courses for £19.95 – which includes scallops, haddock or crab.

John added: “The seafood is all locally sourced. I tried scallops andthe monkfish was incredible.”

You can see everything John and Fatiha got up to on Channel 4’s YouTube.

If you want to explore John and Fatiha’s itinerary for yourself then head to VisitScotland where you can see everywhere they explored.

For more on staycations, Sun Travel has some suggestions from North Wales to Cornwall and our favourite hotels.

And here’s more on the most popular Scottish city to visit in 2026, with Traitors castles and an epic road trip route.

Cameron Mofid completed his quest to travel to all 195 UN-recognised countries and territories in 2025, and has now named three standout cities from his travels

A man who’s visited all 195 countries in the world has named a European city akin to a “living crossroads of history” as one of his favourites. San Diego’s Cameron Mofid set off on a quest to travel to all 195 UN-recognised countries and territories while struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

On April 3, 2025, Cameron completed his journey by visiting his final destination, North Korea—often referred to as the “hermit kingdom.” With this, he achieved his goal of travelling to every country in the world, all by the young age of just 25.

Cameron, who previously discussed some of his favourite countries with The Mirror, has also recently shared a list of three cities around the world that he particularly loves, including one located in Europe.

In a first-person piece for Business Insider, Cameron revealed that he has a particular fondness for the vibrant city of Sydney, Australia, and the breathtaking Krabi in the sun-drenched Southeast Asian nation of Thailand.

For those who might feel discouraged by the long journeys required to reach these two far-flung destinations, Cameron has also suggested an alternative favourite, which is much more accessible for Brits: Valletta, Malta.

Cameron wrote in Business Insider: “Valletta felt like a living crossroads of history from the moment I arrived. Sitting at the centre of the Mediterranean, the city reflects centuries of Italian, Arab, British, and North African influence, all packed into a compact, walkable capital.

“I’d walk past waterfront cafés and, minutes later, find myself standing on the city’s fortified walls, looking out over waters once travelled by Phoenician traders, Ottoman fleets, and British warships.

“What surprised me most about Valletta was how under-visited it felt compared to much of southern Europe. Even during peak season, it never felt overrun. A short ferry ride away, I spent time on the island of Gozo, where life moved even slower.”

Cameron detailed how he visited temples older than the pyramids in Egypt and experienced villages where fishing and farming continue to “shape daily life”, but travelling to the island also served to make Valletta feel even “more special”.

In further remarks about the European city, he went on to describe how the “historic” capital offered simple access to what he termed the “quieter, older side of the Mediterranean”.

Located south of Sicily in the central Mediterranean, Malta is an archipelago boasting a rich history. Over the centuries, it has been occupied by the Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians, and even France and Britain.

Some of the highlights in Valletta include St John’s Co-Cathedral, the National Museum of Archaeology, the stunning Upper Barrakka Gardens, and St Catherine’s Monastery.

The Met Office states that Malta enjoys “typically Mediterranean” weather, with hot and dry summers with temperatures hitting 32C in July and August and falling to 15 to 17C in December to February.

If you’d like to take a trip to Malta, you can expect an average flight time of 3 hours, 19 minutes (London Gatwick to Malta International Airport in Valletta), according to Booking.com.

This huge park that’s 2.5 hours from the UK is already among the largest in Europe, and visitors arriving in 2026 will have two more thrilling experiences to enjoy including a one-of-a-kind ride

One of the largest theme parks in Europe, which is popular with Brits on holiday, has announced two huge new attractions for the summer season.

PortAventura World is already a vast theme park set in a popular part of Spain. The resort includes PortAventura Park, the main theme park, which is split into six worlds including China, Mexico, and even Sesame Street. There’s also the separate Ferrari Land, which is themed around the luxury car; and PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park, a large water park which has a range of waterslides, a lazy river, and more.

The first new attraction will be found in Caribe Aquatic Park and is named Coral Bay: The Lost Legend. It’s set to be a 6,000 m² family area themed around a pirate bay that has risen from the depths of the water.

READ MORE: ‘I’m a flight attendant – there’s a reason why I bring my own snacks on board’READ MORE: British expat in Benidorm issues important advice to anyone holidaying in Spain

At Coral Bay, visitors will be able to make a splash on a water coaster, which PortAventura claims will have a unique twist that’ll be a first in Europe. This is in addition to an adventure pool, featuring a fun obstacle course for kids to take on. The new area will also include more waterslides and new food and drink options for visitors.

The second addition is Makamanu Jungle: The Adventure Trek. The attraction will be added to the Polynesia area of PortAventura Park. Guests will experience exploring the deepest jungle, with secret walkways, hanging bridges, and obstacles and challenges for both “children and their companions”.

The adventure park will join existing rides in the Polynesia world, including Tutuki Splash, a water ride that’s popular on hot sunny days as it includes a cooling splash at the end, and Kontiki, a pirate ship-style ride with a Tiki theme.

PortAventura confirmed that both attractions will open to the public by summer, although it didn’t give exact dates.

PortAventura is close to the popular tourist town of Salou, and just a short drive from Reus Airport, which has seasonal flights to the UK from easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, and TUI throughout the summer months. It’s also just under 90 minutes from Barcelona, and a popular day trip for those staying in the city.

If you want to spend longer exploring PortAventura, one option is to stay in the resort’s hotels, six of which can be found on-site and include unlimited visits to PortAventura Park. Packages also include one-day access to Ferrari Land, and discounted tickets to Caribe Aquatic Park, so you can enjoy all that this vast resort has to offer.

Four-star Hotel PortAventura is a popular option for guests as it offers direct access to the park through its Mediterrània area, home of Europe’s fastest rollercoaster, Furius Baco. Themed around a charming Mediterranean village, the hotel has its own pool, games room, and entertainment. Guests can also opt for half- or full-board stays, with buffets and an on-site restaurant.

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Another fun-themed hotel is the Hotel Gold River, which is close to the park’s cowboy-themed Far West area. Designed to look like a Wild West town, the hotel has its own saloon and an upmarket Victorian-style restaurant. It also has three pools open for the summer season, so you can cool off after a day exploring the park.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

DO YOU love theme parks? Well, you could visit numerous across the UK for the price of just one ticket.

Merlin attractions has introduced an offer where guests can stay at one of their resorts and will receive an Essential Merlin Annual Pass (MAP).

Guests need to book between February 3 and March 1, for a stay at one of Merlin’s onsite hotels for anytime between now and June 26 and in return will be given a pass to visit Merlin attractions for free, for a year.

For example, you could stay onsite at Legoland Windsor Resort, Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park or Warwick Castle.

Known as the ‘Stay For A Night, Play For A Year’ offer, each guest will get a year-long pass to over 20 attractions.

Stays at many of the resorts are themed and often include breakfast as well.

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If you wanted somewhere unique to stay, you could head to Alton Towers’ Stargazing Pods, which are set around a village green and have telescopes to see the night sky.

A one-night stay in one of these pods for a family of four costs from £160 and includes free parking.

Alternatively, if you want to visit Legoland Windsor Resort, there is the Woodland Village, Resort Hotel and Castle Hotel.

Inside the Castle Hotel guests can experience a world of magic, with rooms themed around knights, wizards and kingdoms far far away.

Some attraction accommodation sites also have exclusive perks such as nine-hole golf at Alton Towers Resort or events such as Legoland Windsor Resort’s 30th birthday bash.

When looking for a place to stay, make sure to book through the direct resort booking portal only as the offer is not available on third-party websites or with non-Merlin owned hotels.

For example, Chessington World of Adventures’ portal shows Hilton hotels nearby, but the offer will not apply to stays at these hotels.

Instead you should stay at the Azteca and Safari Resort Hotels onsite, which are especially ideal for fans of Julia Donaldson as there is a Gruffalo themed room.

More recently, PAW Patrol-themed hotel rooms opened at the resort.

The MAP allows guests to visit Merlin attractions across the UK for 339 days.

And it isn’t just theme parks…

You could also see breathtaking views of the capital on the London Eye or venture into the past at The London Dungeon.

Alternatively, head to Cadbury World in Birmingham, where visitors can head on a self-guided tour, learning about chocolate-making and the brand’s history.

In total, the experience has 14 interactive zones.

Passholders will also get 10 per cent off of Fastrack products, as well as food and drink.

What’s it like to stay at Legoland Windsor Resort?

SUN REPORTER Owen Anslow stayed at Legoland Windsor Resort and here’s what he thought…

Tucked away in the trees of Legoland Windsor Resort is the wonderful new Woodland Village, home to 130 lodges set in cute cul-de-sacs, all with their own mini playgrounds.

This charming cabin retreat, amid lush greenery, was our home for the weekend (my wife, myself and our very own woodland critter, aged eight).

Set against the backdrop of theme park craziness, the Woodland Village is a calm oasis where parents can recharge batteries – and refill wine glasses.

The £35million development is Legoland’s first carbon-neutral accommodation – a fact emphasised by the wooden keycards you collect at check-in.

And in true Legoland fashion, our cabin is gloriously childish and bright in its design – like a giant version of something my son would craft from the avalanche of bricks strewn throughout the house.

The standard lodges sleep five people, with a double bed in the main room and the kids’ area next door – complete with your standard Lego-making pit, TV and bunk beds.

Premium lodges are slightly bigger and sleep seven, with a mezzanine area overlooking a lounge section, and around the back of the village are 20 trendy glamping barrels.

The clever Woodland Village AR Experience kept our boy busy for a while, bringing to life plants and animals on the cabin walls, while Mum and Dad snuck in some downtime on the decking outside.

Everything in the Woodland Village is so enchanting that you’d be forgiven for wanting to stay there all weekend instead of heading to the theme park.

One night’s B&B at Legoland Woodland Village is from £69pp, based on four people sharing a Woodland Barrel and including entry to the Legoland Windsor theme park and a round of Legoland Adventure golf.

In other theme park news, one of Europe’s most popular theme parks to open new pirate water coaster, adventure pool and jungle trail.

Plus, UK’s oldest rollercoaster to close for GOOD after 106 years.

A Brit in Benidorm has given important advice to anyone who may be crossing the road when they’re in Spain, sharing things to look out for and why you should always be vigilant

A British expat in Benidorm has given some travel advice to people crossing roads in Spain, saying that he sees “so many people getting this wrong”. Wherever you are in the world, it’s important that you’re aware of your surroundings at all times and cross the road safely – even if you’re on holiday. We all had it drilled into us from being young that you’re supposed to stop, look both ways, and listen before stepping off the curb.

However, Frank, who lives in Benidorm, has expressed his concern that people who have come from the UK are not crossing properly, and it’s putting them at serious risk.

He said that he’d noticed people who are from the UK looking in the wrong direction, reminding people that they need to “look left” rather than right in order not to get run over.

TikToker @frankthestagman said: “A lot of people look the wrong way, and that can cause problems. And then of course, when you’re crossing the other way, you’re looking the other way”.

Frank said that “if you’re not sure,” you need to “look both ways” and then “nothing’s going to happen” when you’re crossing the road.

“The other thing as well is it’s really sad because sometimes you’ll see people crossing the road, they don’t quite understand that when they’re crossing over, you know, sometimes there’s people in the middle of the road, and you get Spanish drivers, or drivers here in Spain, and what they’ll end up doing is honking at them and all that. A bit unfair, but it is what it is,” Frank continued.

He urged Brits not to “wave your arms round arguing” and just focus on crossing the road safely to “get where you’re going”.

Frank warned that sometimes “the traffic will speed up” when someone is crossing, labelling it as “a bit unfair,” but people need to just ensure that they’re being as careful as possible.

He also said that if you’re a driver in Spain, don’t necessarily expect a thank you if you let people cross. While people from the UK are overtly polite, Frank said, sometimes Spanish people cross the road without ‘letting on’.

Frank reckons that you can always spot a Brit or someone from Ireland because they’ll give a thumbs up and a “cheers” when you’ve been let across the road.

In the comments, someone said: “I actually love the Spanish pedestrian crossings cos they actually have the countdown to when the lights are changing”.

How do you cross the road as a Brit in Benidorm?

Your first look should be to your left, not your right, because that’s where traffic will be coming from. It’s easy to forget this, especially on quieter streets or when you’re distracted, so make a conscious effort to pause and look left first.

Pedestrian crossings in Spain are usually marked by white zebra stripes, much like in the UK, but the rules and driver behaviour can be quite different. In the UK, drivers are generally required to stop for pedestrians waiting at zebra crossings, and most do so reliably. In Spain, while the law also requires drivers to yield to pedestrians at marked crossings, in practice, drivers may not always stop unless you are clearly about to step onto the crossing, or already on it.

You might notice that Spanish pedestrians often assertively step onto the crossing to signal their intention to cross, rather than waiting for cars to stop first. As a Brit, you might be used to waiting until every car has stopped, but in Spain, you sometimes need to show your intention more clearly. However, always make eye contact with approaching drivers to ensure they’ve seen you, and never assume they will stop automatically.

Everyone told me how spectacular Las Vegas would be, with its mega resorts, huge entertainment venues and bustling casinos, but there was something no one warned me about

Mega resorts towered over me as I walked along the iconic Las Vegas Strip, the echo of country music seeping from a four-storey bar, colourful signs flashing in every direction and the Bellagio fountains taking centre stage every 15 minutes.

Inside the sprawling resorts, I was met with the vibrant, blinking slot machines, elaborate interior themes and celebrity restaurants, along with impressive nearby venues that make up ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’. This was everything I expected from the city of Nevada, and so much more.

With its bustling, energetic and chaotic atmosphere, it felt as though I had stepped into a parallel universe. After all, I was at the heart of America’s playground. Yet, amid all of the expected madness, there was something that completely took me by surprise during my first time in ‘Sin City’.

OPINION

Amy Jones

OPINION

Amy Jones

Las Vegas is situated in the Mojave Desert, the smallest and driest desert in North America. Beyond the glitz of the Strip, you can see the rugged mountains and sprawling golden desert that make up this striking landscape. But what I didn’t factor in was how dry the air would feel.

Of course, I knew deserts were dry, offering hot days and cold evenings, but it was nothing like I had experienced before, especially while walking around such a built-up city. It left me constantly thirsty, made my knuckles crack, and my lips were as dry as the Mojave Desert itself!

I needed to constantly carry a bottle of water around with me to quench my thirst at any given moment, moisturise my knuckles multiple times a day, and apply lip balm as if my life depended on it. I panicked when I accidentally left my lip balm in my hotel room one day, and saw my knuckles become redder and redder as the days went on.

It bewildered me how much it affected my skin and thirst. I could feel the dry air around me, even though it was only around 20C during the day, and I can only recall the air feeling fresh once during my five-day trip. Yet, it only added to the experience and reminded me that I really was in the heart of a desert.

While I was taken aback by the climate change, it appears that other travellers are familiar with the Las Vegas air. One shared on TripAdvisor: “I have a real problem with dry skin in Vegas and always take crack cream. Seems to help.”

Another advised: “HYDRATE – you cannot drink enough water. This is your best defence. (If you are enjoying those wonderful free cocktails while gambling, ask for a bottle of water with each drink.)

I had another encounter with the desert during a guided hiking tour through the Valley of Fire with Love Hikes, just a few hours’ drive away. Here, I was instantly amazed by the dramatic orange rock formations and miles of golden floor as I wandered through towering valleys.

Notably, the majestic desert in the state park has been used as a movie filming set, including for Transformers, Star Trek: Generations, The Professionals and Viva Las Vegas, which starred Elvis Presley. While it’s a far cry from the casinos, you can still find some glamour in the rugged terrain.

Yet, there was something else that surprised me during my trip, and that was how much smaller Las Vegas felt than I had expected, even while wandering around the iconic Strip. I thought it would feel like a gigantic city, but the span of the Strip, despite its enormous towering resorts and gigantic landmarks, was more compact than I had imagined.

There was so much to see and explore, but with its Strip measuring approximately 4.2 miles, you could easily walk its length, something I really didn’t think about until I saw it for myself. Although it would take around two hours to walk the extent of it, it felt like nothing compared to the streets of New York or London.

The population of Las Vegas was 641,903 at the 2020 census, but is thought to have increased since then. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas metropolitan area has an estimated 2.4 million residents across an estimated 7,891 square miles. This is in contrast to New York, which has an estimated population of 8,478,072, as of July 2024, spanning across a whopping 300.46 square miles.

However, while I think the Strip was more compact than I had expected, the city stretches far beyond the glitz with neighbourhoods scattered across the desert right to the edge of the mountain backdrop.

To book your trip, you can check out the Visit Las Vegas website or find direct flights with Virgin Atlantic.

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

Interiority is a concept that multimedia artist Sarah Sze has been fixating on lately.

“So much of what we experience is actually interior,” Sze said in a recent video interview. “We’ve become so exterior focused. We’re so outward looking.”

At a time when it’s all too easy to consume a never-ending stream of social media images, the celebrated New York-based artist is more interested in scrolling through the images stored inside her own mind.

Her new show, “Feel Free,” champions the mind’s eye, in all its random, fragmented glory. It brings a collection of new paintings and two immersive video installations to Gagosian Beverly Hills.

Sze is known for her unconventional sculptures and large-scale paintings, which she’s shown in such venues as the Museum of Modern Art, LACMA and the U.S. Pavilion at multiple Venice Biennales. In 2023, she left her mark on both the inside halls and the exterior walls of the Guggenheim Museum, and her public sculptures have transformed a grassy hillside as well as a pine grove and an international airport.

Sarah Sze’s Gagosian Beverly Hills show “Feel Free” is meant to feel intimate.

(Ariana Drehsler/For The Times)

At the Gagosian show, Sze leaned into the intimate and fragile, while continuing her signature experimental streak.

In one of her newest pieces, “Once in a Lifetime” — part sculpture, part video display — precarious clusters of bric-a-brac form a mechanical marvel that appears to defy gravity.

A stack of small projectors is cradled inside of a fantastical tower fashioned out of crisscrossed tripods, metal poles and ladders festooned with an assemblage of toothpick structures, empty cardboard containers that once held crayons and Lactaid, dangling prisms, arts & crafts scraps, and paper cut-outs of deer and wolves (figures that appear throughout the show).

The bare gallery walls surrounding the monument flash with rotating projections of construction sites where buildings are being erected and demolished, clouds drifting across tranquil blue skies, and city lights twinkling then slowly dissolving into floating fractals. The Dadaist piece is every bit as off-kilter and fascinating as the Talking Heads song that inspired its title.

“Once in a Lifetime” is part video display and part sculpture, made of tripods, toothpicks, lights, cardboard boxes and projectors that flicker images on the gallery walls. (Ariana Drehsler/For The Times)

“The most important thing about my show is that I hope it’s really challenging and exciting and gives young artists license to do what they want to do,” Sze said.

“When they come in and say, ‘Wait … I didn’t know you could put up toothpicks going to the ceiling and throw a video through it and make it into a movie. I didn’t know you could put a pile of things on the floor in front of a painting.’ It’s like, ‘OK! Yes, you can!’”

Meanwhile, large canvases in the main gallery space are covered with oil and acrylic paints and printed backdrops dotted with an assortment of images: sleeping female figures; hands pointing, drawing and flashing peace signs; the sun at different stages of setting; birds in flight; wolves and deer in their natural habitats. Layered on top are paint splotches and streaks, as well as taped-on paper and vellum, blurring and obscuring the collage of figures underneath.

“Escape Artist,” left, “White Night” and “Feel Free,” are new paintings by Sarah Sze at Gagosian Beverly Hills.

(Ariana Drehsler/For The Times)

“One of the things I was thinking about was when we dream and then we wake up, there’s this extreme, fleeting moment where you’re trying to grasp the dream,” Sze said. “The dream is disappearing at the same time, and you’re trying to re-create those images.”

She went on to describe “a landscape turning into a different landscape, and then you’re falling, and then you’re turning, and then someone appears that you didn’t expect to be there.”

In addition to this spree of the subconscious, the artist offers glimpses of her creative process. Pooled on the ground below the canvases (and even dangling from the rafters above) is an assortment of the tools of her trade — from tape measures to paint scrapers. Brushes, pens and pencils lie next to the ripped cuffs of cotton workshirts, and drops of blue and white paint are splattered on the floor, extending the artwork beyond the wall.

Sze spent five days installing the show inside the gallery and the commonplace supplies incorporated into the pieces are what she dubbed “remnants of the workspace.”

“Sleepers,” a video installation Sze debuted in 2024, plays with the light entering through a gallery window. Images of sleeping heads and forest animals play amid the sound of cello notes and deep breathing.

(Ariana Drehsler/For The Times)

If the paintings act as snapshots of dreamscapes, “Sleepers,” the video installation she debuted in 2024, sets those images in motion. Dozens of hand-torn paper fragments connected by rows of string become miniature projection screens, each flashing with images of the same sleeping heads, busy hands and forest animals. These are interspersed with flashes of TV static and ocean waves, all set to the sounds of humming, disjointed cello notes and deep breathing.

Directly in the center, a slender vertical window — part of the gallery’s architecture — illuminates the otherwise darkened room with a pillar of natural light, further contributing to the ethereal nature of the piece.

Viewed at the right angle, the piece resembles a giant eye. It’s the perfect visual cue to get visitors thinking about what we see and how we see it.

Emigrating to sun-kissed Lanzarote might sound like a dream come true, but one British couple have confessed that they miss quite a few things from back home – including the weather!

Taking early retirement and leaving the soggy British winters behind forever is an impossible dream for many of us. But designers Richard and Tarnya Norse-Evans managed to do just that when they sold their business and relocated to the Canary Islands.

While they don’t regret making a new home for themselves in balmy Lanzarote, where the temperatures rarely drop into single figures, Richard and Tarnya say there are a few things they miss about chilly, rain-lashed Britain.

“When you live on a small island you need to see and do something different, because here you don’t get to go to the art galleries, visit people, go to the city or eat in different restaurants,” Richard told the i Paper.

He added that, while Lanzarote’s weather makes for a nice easy life there’s something to be said for a good old-fashioned chilly day. He said he sometimes feels nostalgic about the idea of “putting on a coat and Wellingtons and getting out in a forest for a good stomp and an English pint in a pub”.

While that’s a rare treat these days, it’s still a possibility. Because the cost of living in Lanzarote is much lower than in the UK, Richard and Tarnya can afford to splash out on an occasional flight back to Blighty for a taste of what they missing.

The pair also noted the struggles with the language barrier, and highlighted challenges in Spain with paperwork that meant long wait times for permits.

According to the most recent figures, between 6,200 and 6,500 British people are officially registered as residents in Lanzarote, making them one of the largest foreign populations on the island.

That number’s swelled massively in the summer, of course, when thousands more flock to the sun-kissed islands. Because the climate is so mild, there’s no real “low season” on Lanzarote, and holidaymakers are arriving at the island’ airport at any time of year. Tourism is the single biggest of the island’s economy.

Holiday rentals on Lanzarote grew by by 113% between June 2023 and December 2025. While there have been a few reports of extreme, violent anti-tourist hostility, they tend to be exaggerated, and the island remains generally welcoming to holidaymakers.

Richard and Tarnya have become part of that thriving industry, with a luxurious-looking Airbnb to supplement their lifestyle. “We certainly do not live a permanent holiday,” Richard said. “Work life still goes on regardless of the weather.”

They also own a vineyard that produces around 7,000kg of grapes a year, which they sell to a local wine producer.

And there are many kinds of business that simply aren’t available on Lanzarote – with Richard bemoaning the lack of variety when it comes to the arts and entertainment.

But luckily, he says there’s always the option of popping home for a taste of what he’s missing. He added: “With a four-hour flight we can be back in London quickly and enjoy the best of both worlds.”

LIKE theatre, gigs and festivals but hate the price tags that go with them?

There are plenty of little-known sites that offer heavily discounted or even FREE tickets to top-name events to fill empty seats. This even includes recordings for TV shows that have audiences.

With London West End shows easily setting two people back £100, heading to the theatre may seem possible only once in a blue moon.

But thanks to the following sites, you could save hundreds on tickets – we’ve tested all of them, and got incredible tickets to some huge shows for a fraction of what everyone else is paying.

TodayTix 

If you don’t already have the TodayTix app, you should download it now. 

It is an app for booking theatre and stage shows, including the London West End performances. 

It’s especially great for anyone looking for last-minute shows.

There is a feature called ‘Rush Tickets’, which offers a chance to get discounted tickets on the day of a performance. 

Shows this offer is applied to include MJ The Musical (£30), The Producers (£30), Titanique (£30), Stranger Things The First Shadow (£25), Back to the Future (£29.50), Six (£25), The Book of Mormon (£25) and Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap (£25). 

I recently watched The Mousetrap on a £25 Rush Ticket and managed to get the first row of the upper circle – a seat that usually costs considerably more than £25. 

The app also has a ‘lottery’ feature for some shows, where you can enter a lottery for tickets from as little as £10.  

Under this feature, you do have to be resilient, as the likelihood of getting lottery tickets is slim.

However, after a few months of entering the lottery every week, I managed to bag £40 tickets to both parts of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child – tickets which can usually set you back over £400 for the stalls or dress circle. 

Other shows that have lottery offers include Hamilton, which, if you won, you’d only pay £10 for. 

Some shows also have their own offers on the app, for example, Moulin Rouge offers Bohemian Seats, which are reduced tickets (£30) for same-day performances. 

Applause Store 

Applause Store claims to be the world’s best television audience company and gives out tickets to a range of shows. 

I have been using Applause Store for about four years now, and in that time, I have seen a couple of shows, including QI.

The one major downside, though, is that you get tickets and then queue for a long time and don’t necessarily get in. 

This has put me off using Applause Store as frequently, though it is great if there is a show you really want to see being filmed for TV. 

For example, at the time of writing, Applause Store is booking tickets for the BAFTA Awards fan areas, something that I would love to see, and so I have applied for two tickets. 

Other shows often available include Britain’s Got Talent, Love Island Aftersun, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and Ant and Dec’s Limitless Win. 

Tickets are free, but just because you get tickets doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed entry, so if you are desperate to see the show, make sure you get there early. 

SRO Audiences 

SRO Audiences is similar to Applause Store.

For SRO Audiences, you don’t need to sign up – simply head onto the website, look at the shows available and request tickets. 

Current shows available include The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Mock The Week and The Jonathan Ross Show. 

Similar to Applause Store, tickets do not guarantee entry, so it is best to get there early on the day.

Central Tickets 

Central Tickets is primarily for London theatre events – and by this I don’t necessarily mean London West End shows.

You have to sign up, but it is free of charge to do this, and then you get access to heavily discounted or even free tickets to shows.

Before Christmas, I nabbed two free tickets with a £6.50 admin fee (so £13 total) to see Burlesque: Unwrapped instead of a minimum of £45 per person. 

The festive-yet-saucy burlesque performance was, of course, adults only and featured performers twirling around and undressing to Christmas tunes – I’m talking Rudolph nipple tassels and lots of glitter. 

It was no London West End show, but for £6.50, my friend and I had a great laugh and a fun evening out.

A lot of the events and shows will most likely be things you haven’t heard of before, but all have a description, meaning you can learn what the show is about before booking. 

Sometimes there are some real gems, though; for example, at the time of writing, you could head to Phantom Peak’s immersive experience for £10 instead of £35, or you could head to Sabrage, “featuring international circus elites and theatrical misfits”, for £15 instead of a minimum of £30. 

Show Film First 

Similar to Central Tickets, Show Film First offers heavily discounted tickets to shows and events.

You do have to sign up for an account, which is free, and their newsletter to get the offers.

Some of the current offers include seeing the London Lions basketball team playing against the Niners Chemnitz team, and you would only pay the access fee. 

They have also had tickets to top London day festivals, featuring international popstars as headline acts – for an access fee of just £7.95 (but we won’t say who, to spare their blushes).

Other offers include travel conferences and comedy shows. 

Age-bracketed tickets

When living in London, it is often easy to forget that theatres, cinemas, and so on offer age-related discounts, and it isn’t necessarily always for youngsters.

For example, the National Theatre offers 16-25/18-25 tickets.

The Young Vic then offers £12 tickets for under 25s, and the Barbican and Almeida Theatre both offer £5 tickets for 25s and under.

A bit older than that? Well, if you are under 30, joining the mailing lists for the Royal Albert Hall and Donmar Warehouse allows you to grab £20 tickets.

At The Royal Albert Hall, past events have included Barbie: The Movie in Concert, Video Games in Concert and BBC Proms: The Traitors. 

There is also Kids Week, which usually takes place in the summer, and allows children under the age of 18 to visit many West End shows for free with a paying adult.

Restricted view

One way to get cheaper tickets at pretty much any show is by opting for the restricted-view seats. 

Sites like SeatPlan and A View From My Seat help to show what sort of view you would get, so you can always check a restricted seat’s view before actually booking it. 

If you do book this kind of ticket, you can expect to save between 30 and 50 per cent compared to a seat with a non-restricted view. 

Standing tickets 

It is unusual to find standing tickets but Shakespeare’s Globe in London does. 

Whilst this offer isn’t available at the moment, it will be in the summer again, every Friday at 11am when tickets are released for the following week. 

And each ticket only costs £5. 

Last summer I watched The Winter’s Tale on a standing ticket.

Half of the show was conducted inside, where I did stand but had a barrier to lean on, and then the other half was outside, and thanks to the show not being fully booked, I got a seat. 

It is worth checking the length of the show and thinking whether you can stand for that long, though, before committing. 

Disney discounts

If you head to the ‘Disney Tickets’ website, you can grab tickets to Disney’s West End shows for less than usual. 

For example, you can grab tickets to The Lion King and Disney‘s Hercules on Mondays at noon for that week’s performances for £29.50.

Known as Magical Mondays, it means you could see The Lion King for considerably less than the usual ticket price, which sits around the £70 to £110 range.

All you need to do is create a MyDisney account, which is free to do.

For more cheap days out, here are 10 days out in the UK that cost less than a pint, from free-to-visit lidos to cheap cinema mornings.

Plus, here are four savvy ways to enjoy cheap days out with the family in summer 2026.

The Banshees of Inisherin was nominated for eight Academy Awards – and much of it was filmed on one island

On one enchanting Irish island, visitors can discover dramatic coastlines featuring white sand and expansive lakes, whilst treading the same paths as the characters from an Oscar-nominated film.

Martin McDonagh’s 2023 film The Banshees of Inisherin secured eight Academy Award nominations – including Best Picture – while collecting numerous other accolades, inspiring many to explore its stunning landscapes.

For those eager to experience the spectacular scenery firsthand, there’s welcome news: the majority was shot on a single island.

Achill Island, situated off the County Mayo coast, is accessible by car, linked to the mainland via the Michael Davitt Bridge and readily reached using the N59 from Westport to Mulranny, followed by the R319, according to Achill Tourism.

On the island’s south-eastern side, Cloughmore served as the backdrop for JJ Devine’s pub Jonjo’s. Regrettably, the structure was purpose-built for production and subsequently dismantled, meaning it’s no longer visible today.

Nevertheless, it remains a beloved birdwatching location and merits a visit for its sweeping coastal panoramas, reports the Irish Mirror.

Heading westward from Cloughmore along the shoreline, you’ll discover the spot used for the fork in the road, distinguished by a statue of the Virgin Mary in the film.

In reality, no fork exists at this location, and the production team positioned the Mary statue there specifically for filming. This site was also used for the sequence in which Colm (Brendan Gleeson) escorts Pádraic (Colin Farrell) home following a beating in the village.

The notorious opening sequence of a cheerful, contented Pádraic wandering into frame against a vividly coloured, rainbow-tinged landscape was filmed at Purteen harbour, situated between Keel and Pollagh.

The production team transformed the site into a harbourside street scene featuring the island’s post office. The shop – O’Riordan’s – was built specifically for the film, whilst the row of fishermen’s cottages was merely a front.

Keem Bay is a breathtaking beach, boasting white sands and gorgeous turquoise waters – establishing it as one of Ireland’s most beloved coastal destinations. It also serves as the location for Colm and Pádraic’s closing scene – the structure, which is privately owned, wasn’t purpose-built and remains standing, though the actual scene was filmed on a studio set.

Corrymore Lake provides the backdrop for Dominic’s (Barry Keoghan) and Siobhán’s (Kerry Condon) heartbreaking exchange and his demise.

St Thomas’s Church, located in Dugort, is a 19th-century Church of Ireland structure that functioned as the setting for the Catholic Mass sequences in the film. It remains an active church and isn’t accessible to visitors outside of service times.

Open sandwiches (smørrebrød), meatballs (frikadeller), crispy pork belly (stegt flæsk) … There are many must-eat dishes for food lovers visiting Denmark, though perhaps nothing springs to mind as readily as the Danish pastry. But how are you supposed to choose from the countless bakeries on offer? And once you have decided which to visit, which pastry to eat? As a long-term resident of Copenhagen and pastry obsessive, I took on the Guardian’s challenge to find the best Danish pastry in town.

Let’s get started with the shocking fact that Danish pastries are not actually Danish. In Denmark they’re called wienerbrød (Viennese bread) and made using a laminated dough technique that originated in Vienna. There’s also no such thing as a “Danish” in Denmark – there are so many different types of pastry that the word loses meaning. What we know as a Danish is a spandauer – a round pastry with a folded border and a circle of yellowy custard in the middle. Then there’s the tebirkes, a folded pastry often with a baked marzipan-style centre and poppy seeds on the top; a frøsnapper, a twist of pastry dusted with poppy seeds; and a snegl, which translates as “snail” but is known as a cinnamon swirl in English.

I decided to compare bakeries based on their snegl – partly because they are my favourite but mainly because you can find one just about everywhere. I’m also clear on what constitutes a good one: it should have a crisp outer circle and a squidgier middle, which Danes regard as the best bit, and should taste of cinnamon and sugar.

With a steady stream of often international pastry chefs leaving the city’s high-end restaurants to open their own bakeries, new outlets are popping up nearly every day. There’s a low-key fight going on between old and new, but in this Instagram age it’s not a fair one. While the more traditional bakeries are marked out by the golden kringle, a sign like a pretzel, hanging outside their shops, the boutique-style bakeries have nearly always got better lighting and more vibrant displays.

For me, it’s a classic story of modernisation and renewal: some adaptations may go too far, but others make traditional pastry taste even better, so why not? I explored both types: the traditional bakeries imbued with hygge and historic charm, and the chic, patisserie-style places. Try them both – it’s fun!

Famous for its “Wednesday snegl”, Sankt Peders is the oldest bakery in the city, dating back to 1652, and it looks the part: on a cobbled Old Town street, it has a golden kringle hanging outside, and the scent of cinnamon perfumes the air. I ask for their classic pastry and am handed a cinnamon snegl. It’s round, rather flat, and decorated with a splodge of white icing. I bite into its crisp outer edges and find a soft inner section. It’s good, but the lack of height – along with the teeth-achingly sweet icing – means it won’t be in contention for a top spot.
30 kroner (£3.50), 5/10

Hipster vibes abound at Brød, a small modern bakery on Enghave Plads in the vibrant Vesterbro district. Babies are sleeping in prams outside and a man wearing a teeny-weeny beanie pulls up on a cargo bike as I arrive. The young baker serving me is very proud of Denmark’s pastry expertise and advises me to try a snegl, a spandauer and a tebirkes to get a fully rounded idea of what they do. How can I say no? The spandauer and tebirkes are good, not too sweet, but I’m a particular fan of the tall cinnamon swirl and its deliciously squidgy middle.
30 kroner, 7.5/10

This has been consistently rated one of the best bakeries in the city since it was opened by the Swedish baker and ex-Noma pastry chef Emil Glaser in the Østerbro district in 2017. I drop in to try their classic cardamom bun, but there’s nowhere to sit so I take it to work. It’s beautiful to look at, delicately plaited and dusted with sugar and black flecks of cardamom. It’s sweet, slightly chewy and very moreish. At this point I think I should be more like Prue and Paul on Bake Off and just eat a morsel of each pastry to avoid the ensuing sugar crash that will derail my day. But I find I can’t stop myself.
34 kroner, 9/10

Before I tell you to shell out for one of the city’s more expensive pastries, I have a responsibility to make sure cheaper versions are represented here. So I visit a local supermarket, Discount 365, and buy a thin, flat and cold snegl from the bakery cabinet, topped with a circle of white icing. It’s crisply crunchy nearly all the way through and lacks a soft middle. There’s not much in the way of cinnamon taste and there’s absolutely no lingering flavour, except for maybe margarine. Pay more: you’ll thank me. 12 kroner, 1/10

They are still rolling up the shutters of the Torvehallerne food hall when I arrive, but a decent queue is already forming at Albatross & Venner. I count 10 different types of pastry as I wait: next to fat cinnamon swirls, there are chia swirls, feta and spinach swirls and other savoury options. I opt for a cinnamon snegl, which they make with coffee syrup. The thick, uneven rolls are a little clumsy, but it’s glazed, soft and delicious. There’s no real definition between the outside and the inside so it’s not in the elite league. But it is hearty.
35 kroner, 6.5/10

Although I’m a big fan of independents, it would be remiss to not mention the city’s bakery chains. Lagkagehuset is a classic, with a modern concrete and marble interior, and reliable options from a counter that offers everything from great sandwiches to glossy cakes and quintessential pastries. Bakery snobs despair at their mass-produced goods but I remain a fan. I plump for a direktørsnegl, a big chocolate-topped cinnamon swirl, which is messy with an oozy centre. If you don’t love really sweet things you may find it too sickly – but that’s not how I roll. 27 kroner, 8/10

Run by Italian chef Chiara Barla, this neighbourhood bakery near Nørreport has a chic minimalist interior and is known in Copenhagen for serving the best tebirkes in the world. I watch the bakers roll out and shape pale dough behind the counter as I try their pastries. After weeks of tasting, I can say hands down that this is the one. The plaited, sticky, orange-glazed cinnamon snegl is a feast for the eyes and a party for the mouth; the lightly lemony vanilla custard of the spandauer is exquisite; and the tebirkes is like the most delicious love child of a traditional tebirkes and a doughnut.
35 kroner, 10/10

Laura Hall is the author of Modern Scandinavian, a Substack about life in northern Europe

Boasting a bigger population than some UK towns and even cities, one village still remains without official town status, despite its Gothic Chapel and train station

A picturesque village that has been deemed the ‘largest in the UK’ is so big that people think it’s a town.

Nestled along the Sussex coast is the large village of Lancing, home to around 19,000 residents. Situated between Worthing and Shoreham-by-Sea, it’s renowned for its shingle beaches and panoramic sea views.

The village offers a charming, peaceful life alongside the Sussex coast, with a close-knit community feel. It’s also perfect for a seaside day out, with coastal paths and along the seafront is its award-winning café, The Perch, which offers brunch, burgers, an ultimate sharing roast, and homemade desserts

It has its own train station, hotels near the beach, a Mermaid School, and impressively, the largest school chapel in the world at the Lancing College Chapel. Lancing also boasts the rare Widewater Lagoon, the tranquil Sensory Garden, and even its Premier League training grounds.

READ MORE: Beautiful British walking trail has ‘incredible’ views of mountains and abandoned railwayREAD MORE: Village with hidden ‘stunning’ pub visitors can’t stop raving about

With a population of around 19,000, Lancing is known as the ‘largest village in the UK’, with claims that it could be the biggest in Europe. Yet, it fails to gain recognition as a town, even though it’s larger than established towns across England, and even some cities!

The town of Winchcombe in Gloucestershire has a population of around 5,000, while the city of Wells in Somerset has an estimated 12,000 residents, give or take. However, it’s believed that the residents of Lancing are quite proud to have their status as the ‘UK’s largest village’.

James Brown, director at Robert Luff and Co estate agents, previously told Sussex Live: “I think a lot of people are surprised it isn’t a town. Although we are quite glad it maintains its village status, as it helps us, and people living here like having that title. But it is likely that it will become a town with new developments taking place, and if or when this happens, it could attract more businesses to the area.

“Lancing is especially popular with people moving out of Brighton & Hove who are looking to move somewhere a bit cheaper than Shoreham, so it becomes an obvious choice.”

Yet, the boundary between a village and a town is not as clear as you may think. While we might assume the UK would have established a firm definition by now, neither the National Planning Policy Framework nor the national planning practice guidance offers one.

“Instead, we’re left with a delightful mix of historical interpretations, local authority classifications, and the occasional dictionary reference,” noted planning organisation Land Tech.

The House of Commons Library’s research briefing City and Town Classification of Constituencies and Local Authorities (2018), sought to clarify the various classifications with the following population guides:

• Villages and small communities: Under 7,500 residents
• Small towns: 7,500 to 24,999 residents
• Medium towns: 25,000 to 59,999 residents
• Large towns: 60,000 to 174,999 residents
• Cities: 175,000+ residents

However, this isn’t a rigid system, as numerous cities have minuscule populations, including the famously compact St Davids in Wales. The progression from town to city is equally uncontroversial.

Despite its village status, Lancing still attracts visitors for a day out at its famed beach. One shared on TripAdvisor: “Great beach, very clean and tidy. Great for families and winter walks. Great views and very clean. Lovely beach huts to see as well.”

Another added: “A really good beach with plenty of facilities around for eating, exercising and for kids too. Great for dog walking. Good sea views.”

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