holidays

WHETHER you’re a plane enthusiast or simply like being in the heart of the action, at these airside cafes and pubs you can see it all.

Some visitors say you can feel rumbling beneath your feet and smell jet fuel in the air as they watch planes and helicopters take off in front of them.

The Aerodrome Café

At The Aerodrome Cafe in Elstree, you can sip on a coffee while watching planes take off in front of you.

The small cafe sits next to the Elstree Aerodrome which dates back to World War II and now serves light-aircraft and helicopters.

Inside the cafe, is a cosy log burner and as for the food, the kitchen is actually led by a Michelin-trained chef.

You can munch on all-day breakfasts and hot meals, including freshly made pizzas and Sunday roasts – or opt for an afternoon coffee with homemade cake.

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For those wanting to see the airfield, head outside for the best views where passengers say you can hear “plane noises” and actually see them land and take off.

The Airport Pub, Manchester

You’ll practically be on the runway at this pub (not really), but it’s only 50 feet away from where the planes take off at Manchester Airport.

Grab a pint, burger or pizza, take a pew and watch the jets take off. One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: “Kids loved watching the plane land and take off, even spotted a 787!”

Another said: “The location is great, right next to the runway which makes this pub excellent for plane spotting, if you’re an avid plane spotter or if you just want to watch planes take off or land while you’re having lunch.”

For kids, there’s even an airplane shaped playground with slides and monkey bars.

Quite often the pub holds events over bank holidays, and family fun events with face painting and glitter tattoos.

The Lookout, London

Aptly called The Lookout, this community cafe sits just outside of Biggin Hill Airport in London.

While you won’t see the landing of jumbo jets, the airfield is used for smaller planes and private charters.

In The Lookout Cafe, they serve up hot breakfasts – you can get pancakes or waffles with a choice of topping for £7.25.

For kids, there’s a Little Flyers menu which includes a lunchbox deal where you can get a sandwich, juice carton, small chocolate bar, a piece of fruit and packet of ‘Pombears’ crisps or popcorn for £5.45.

One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: “Be prepared for a whiff of aviation fuel and noise with your coffee but that’s part of the setting if you sit outside.

“Look out for the fancy jets, helicopters and, of course, the Spitfire – you can hear that coming before you see it.”

Hangar 9, Surrey

Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey has been a working airfield since the 1930s.

Its historic hangar was originally constructed and began operations in 1934 as part of the aerodrome – now inside it is Hangar 9 Cafe which serves breakfast and lunch.

Visitors have said not only does it serve up a tasty food, but it also has “brilliant views of the light planes and helicopters taking off on the field beyond”.

The airfield sees action with helicopter operations, charter services and even flight training schools.

The Apron Cafe and Bakery, Retford

Just outside of Retford, you can get a front row seat to see planes take off at Gamston Airport.

Rather than commercial planes, it’s an airfield for light private planes, flight training aircraft and small helicopters.

You can watch all the action next to the runway at The Apron Cafe and Bakery, which is open from 9am until 5pm every day for breakfast, and lunch from sandwiches to main meals.

On Sundays, you can even opt for roast dinners, and if you’re really hungry, enjoy the full three courses.

One visitor said: “The planes kept the children amused between courses.”

Another added: “Amazing breakfast. When you have the weather it’s nice to sit outside and watch the planes and helicopters.”

FORGET about home away from home, welcome to Rome away from Rome.

Millions of tourists visit Italy’s capital each year to marvel at the Colosseum, queue at other attractions and squeeze into the city’s packed squares.

But you can experience a slice of Roman history without the crowds and steep prices ­— in ancient Croatian city Pula.

On the southern tip of the Istrian Peninsula — comprised largely of Croatia but also Italy and Slovenia in the north — it is also a more peaceful alternative to the country’s party city, Split, and postcard-pretty Dubrovnik.

This gem on the Adriatic coast features heaps of history and fabulous food but moves at a gentle pace — and is under three hours from the UK.

The most obvious comparison between Rome and Pula is one remarkable building.

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Standing proudly in the latter’s city centre is the Pula Arena, one of the world’s largest and best-preserved Roman amphitheatres.

Built at the same time as the Colosseum — the daddy of all amphitheatres — it has a dramatically storied past.

Until the 5th Century, it was a place where Christians, criminals and slaves were executed and gladiators fought lions and bears.

In more recent years, it has hosted concerts by the likes of Robbie Williams and Dua Lipa — and was decked out in pink for a screening of the Barbie movie when that was released in 2023.

A day tour of Pula, just one of the many trips offered by Jet2 Experiences, will allow you to discover the city’s highlights.

As well as the amphitheatre, you will visit the Roman Forum, Temple of Augustus and Old Town, and sample ale and local charcuterie at the Kampanjola Brewery, home of Istria’s only organic beer.

The Istrian Peninsula is often compared to Tuscany in Italy because of its rolling hills, vineyards and medieval hilltop villages that feel a world away from Split’s busy beaches in summer.

But it is also home to a prized traditional delicacy — truffles.

Arriving in the remote hilltop town of Buzet, we were welcomed by a guide who owned, for my money, some of the world’s smartest dogs.

From a few months old, they have been trained to associate truffles with reward, and so learn an extraordinary ability to sniff out the forest fungi.

On our truffle hunt, we followed pooch Sky through the woods.

She stopped in her tracks and within moments was clawing at a patch of ground, nose covered in mud, before unearthing a large black truffle.

These finds do not look glamorous but are worth a fortune.

Black truffles can fetch more than £400 a kilo, and their rarer white counterparts up to five times that.

Our day ended in the best possible way with a generous, three-course truffle feast, also featuring cheese, salami, sweet treats and wine.

I tucked into a plate of fresh truffles shaved over scrambled eggs, as well as truffle-honey vanilla ice cream — all of it absolutely delicious.

Nature lovers are equally well catered for while visiting Pula.

A short boat ride from the coast awaits the Brijuni National Park, an archipelago once the summer retreat of former Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito.

Down the years, the islands have also welcomed many a world leader and celebrity, as well as royalty including, in 1972, our own Queen Elizabeth II.

Today, visitors can explore Roman villas, churches and archaeological sites.

You will also meet some more surprising residents — a herd of zebras as well as Lanka, the only elephant in Croatia.

The islands are also home to one of the most ancient olive trees in the Mediterranean — estimated to be more than 1,600 years old, and still producing oil today.

Our base was the fabulous 5H Valamar Marea Suites hotel in the coastal town of Porec, 45 minutes north of Pula.

The family-friendly resort is an aquatic paradise with four outdoor pools including a stunning infinity one overlooking the sparkling Adriatic.

It also sits on the sandy Val Marea beach with water ideal for adults and children to enjoy.

The hotel’s ultra-modern, spacious suites come with their own balconies, and direct access on to the beach means you can quickly unwind after spending a day chasing dogs through the forest and snaffling truffles.

The hotel’s Maro Club is a kids’ facility offering fun tailored to different ages and featuring soft play and multimedia game rooms, as well as evening entertainment and free soft drinks and ice cream.

The hotel buffet promises a 5H experience for lunch and dinner, with a massive variety of options and unlimited ice cream to cool down after time in the sun.

One of the standout features of the hotel, though, is its location.

A scenic waterfront promenade links the hotel to Porec’s beautiful old town.

Cobbled streets are alive with ice-cream parlours and gift shops — and in one of these I picked up a bobblehead of Croatia footballing legend Luka Modric.

If you really want to push the boat out, you can even walk from the hotel to the Porec seafront — and from there take a catamaran to Venice.

But Croatia’s treasures might well mean you are happy to miss the boat — and just chill out right where you are.

AUTUMN is a fantastic season for a cheap UK staycation – you just have to know where to look.

Luckily, our team of travel experts have banded together to reveal their favourite UK holiday spots for the season… and each is paired with an amazingly cheap holiday deal.

From coastal holiday parks with plenty of Halloween action for kids, to underrated charming Cotswolds towns, we’ve selected breaks that are even better in autumn.

Here’s our pick of affordable autumn UK holidays starting from less than a tenner per person.

Heacham, Norfolk

Travel Reporter, Jenna Stevens

North-west Norfolk might just be my favourite place to visit in autumn.

The royal estate of Sandringham is home to a 600-acre country park, where you’ll stroll down paths shaded by emerald evergreen trees and fiery red cypresses.

The blue and yellow walking trails are marked by giant sculptures of woodland animals. Make sure to also stop by the giant wooden playground with the kids, all for free.

In nearby Snettisham you can hand-feed deer on a Deer Safari at Snettisham Park (£13.50 per adult, £11.50 per kid) or settle down for a local pint by the fire in 14th century pub The Rose and Crown.

In the village of Heacham you’ll find Church Farm, where you can pick your own pumpkins to take back and carve (or simply pose for some family photos with their amazing hay bale displays). Drive a bit further to Brookhill Farm in Thursford and you’ll find a giant pumpkin house.

Base yourself at Parkdean Resorts Heacham Beach for a Halloween-themed October break with loads to do for kids, including rain-proof activities like indoor fancy dress contests, slime-making and a huge ‘Monster Ball’ party.

Plus here you’re only 15 minutes’ drive from Sandringham and Snettisham, and a short walk from Norfolk’s typical golden sands for a breezy beach walk.

You can book a three night weekend break from October 15 in a Bronze caravan sleeping six for £139 total. That works out to £7.72pp per night – plus the Halloween activities will already be up and running.

Witney, Oxfordshire

Deputy Travel Editor, Kara Godfrey

A hot chocolate, comfy walking boots and a stroll through the countryside to the pub is my idea of heaven in autumn.

And where is more beautiful that the Cotswolds? But skip the busier towns and head to Witney, often overlooked in favour of the nearby Burford and Bourton-on-the-Water.

The best coffees are found at Coffeesmiths, while a slice of cake from Hunter’s Cake Cafe is a must.

While it has a crazy amount of pubs (the Hollybush is my favourite), there is one that is worth the walk.

Then follow the river for an easy 2hr30 walk through the fields, ending at The Rose Revived Pub where you can warm up with a fantastic roast dinner.

Then hop in a taxi back to Witney and stay at The Blue Boar, a converted 16th century former coaching inn which recently underwent a huge makeover with rooms from around £64.

Salisbury, Wiltshire

Assistant Travel Editor, Sophie Swietochowski

Autumn is, in my opinion, the most magical season for glamping. Nature is at its finest: woodlands are carpeted in crunchy golden leaves and there’s a brisk chill in the air that makes golden hour feel even more cherishable.

And there’s no better place to take advantage of all this than Liba Vineyard in Salisbury, home to just three cosy wooden cabins, sleeping up to four.

Buried in rugged countryside on a working vineyard, each bolthole comes with floor-to-ceiling windows offering spectacular views of the scenery, while bedrooms come with sky lights for night time observing.

You’ll actually feel grateful for the brisk weather here as that means you can take advantage of the wood-fired hot tubs and roaring outdoor fire pits (don’t forget to pick up some marshmallows for toasting)

While you can’t yet drink the wine from the vines grown outside your door, it’s still the perfect spot for hunkering down with a glass of red and a board game.

Cabins cost from £34.75pp (or £139 in total) per night.

North York Moors

Travel Reporter, Jenna Stevens

The North York Moors National Park is best explored in the autumn, with waterfall walking trails, miles of heather moorland and quaint coastal towns that are far quieter than in the summer.

The Falling Foss walk takes you on a peaceful loop through ancient forests to reach a 30-foot waterfall, while the Mallyan Spout in Goathland is a more challenging route, but this waterfall is the tallest (70 feet).

Whitby is also a must-visit, with the spooky Whitby Abbey ruins to explore as well as plenty of Dracula history. Dip into the UK’s best fish and chip shop Trenchers for an award-winning lunch.

One of the best ways to take in the views is aboard the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which covers 24 miles of scenery, stopping at pretty villages such as Goathland and Pickering and ending in Whitby. Day Rover tickets start from £42.70pp with one child going free per adult.

There’s even a theatrical ghost train with a complimentary local G&T on select dates for Halloween (£40pp).

Book a cosy three-night cottage stay in Whitby for £17.94pp per night with this deal from cottages.com.

Peak District

Head of Travel, Lisa Minot

Discover the dark side to the Peak District’s stunning countryside on a new guided walk launching this autumn that brings stories of plague, murder and highwaymen to life.

Dark Tales of the Peaks is a new experience that brings to life the tragic history of the village of Eyam – where the entire village isolated itself during a devastating plague in 1665.

Hear tales of the doomed lovers separated by the outbreak and learn about notorious highwayman Black Harry at Carlswark Cavern.

You’ll also follow ancient roads to Stoney Middleton and discover its historic Roman Bath House before enjoying a hearty meal inspired by food of the period at The Cupola Kitchen including pottage with flatbreads and Bakewell pudding.

The four-hour experience is from £85pp.

And for a stunning stay nearby, Glenhurst in Holmesfield, Derbyshire is a five-bedroom modern country home sleeping up to ten.

The star of the show is the stunning view over the huge garden – and open countryside beyond – from the terrace that sits just outside the vast open-plan kitchen, living room and dining room.

Three nights’ self-catering this autumn is from £115pp, based on ten sharing.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Travel Reporter, Cyann Fielding

Not many cities in the UK are prettier than Edinburgh in autumn and for families, it is full of exciting spots to explore.

Wannabe wizards should visit Greyfriars Kirkyard – while yes, it is a graveyard, you’ll find headstones with lots of the most famous characters’ names including Potter, McGonagall and even Tom Riddell.

Much-loved Victoria Street has Harry Potter-themed shops too, as well as colourful architecture.

For history buffs, Edinburgh Castle is definitely worth exploring and if you want a bit of exercise, head up Arthur’s Seat and take in the spectacular view.

For a gentler walk, gander long the river to Dean Village – a neighbourhood full of stone house that look as if they have been ripped from the pages of a fairytale.

It’s also worth getting lost in the National Museum of Scotland for an entire day, exploring thousands of objects across several grand galleries – for free.

Meninger Hotel Haymarket has funky family rooms with a double bed and a bunk bed, ensuite bathroom and free WiFi from £125 per night.

Anglesey, Wales

Travel Reporter, Alice Penwill

For crowd-free breaks filled with nature-watching and windy beach walks, I don’t think you can do better than Wales.

This year Anglesey has been named ‘unfashionable’ but ‘lovely’ by The Telegraph for the summer holidays, however I happen to think it’s pretty perfect for autumn.

My favourite beach on Anglesey is Traeth Lligwy which I discovered on a hike around the coast which is glorious in the summertime.

If you visit on the weekend, pop into the Lligwy Beach Cafe to pick up a hot chocolate to keep warm on the beach stroll and tuck into a pasty.

If you fancy a quaint village-stay, I’d suggest staying in Moelfre which is a short 20-minute drive to Beaumaris.

Don’t expect lots of entertainment or activities, but there’s a pub to to hunker down in called the Kinmel Arms, and my favourite spot is the cute little coffee shop called Ann’s Pantry.

I loved the cottage we stayed in called Bryn Awel and it sleeps up to six people.

With seven nights costing £567 (or £13.50ppn each), it’s snug with a cosy woodburner to fire up during the chillier months and views across the beach.

Being in Wales, take a rain mac and an umbrella to have on standby, because you never know when the weather will turn.

London city break

Deputy Travel Editor, Kara Godfrey

I love a trip to London in autumn, as the summer crowds have gone, but it is still warm enough that you don’t need a huge coat when walking around, that becomes a pain to carry each time you step inside.

And there are so many ways to do it on a budget.

After all, it is one of the world’s best museum capitals when it comes to them being free, meaning you could visit the British Museum, the V&A and the Natural History Museum without paying a penny.

And while there are loads of good restaurant deals, my hack to trying all those viral bakeries is getting a Too Good To Go bag which, if you’re quick, means you can try some of the capital’s top snacks while spending a fraction of the price.

When it comes to how to stay cheaply, I have stayed in my fair share of absolute bargain hotels. 

The ultimate budget stay is Zedwell Tottenham Court Road, where the underground rooms start from £71 (so around £35 each). But if you fancy a window, you can’t go wrong with a stay at The Drey, which has rooms under £100.

Take a deep breath in Hollywood’s Kimpton Everly Hotel and you may catch a whiff of sandalwood, leather, fennel, cardamom, violet and cedar.

And if you sniff the lobby of downtown Los Angeles’ Ritz-Carlton, you may detect “bright effervescent notes … layered with soft florals,” a custom fragrance known as Champagne & Shimmer.

For years now, hotels have been spending more and more on signature fragrances to woo and hook guests. But what if they make some people sick instead? Would those visitors be victims of discrimination?

One California law firm says yes, and has filed a barrage of lawsuits this year, targeting hotels in California and elsewhere over synthetic fragrances in common areas. (The Kimpton Everly and downtown Ritz-Carlton are not named.)

The conflict highlights an emerging debate about synthetic scents: Many hotels use them, but some sensitive guests consider those aromas as welcome as secondhand smoke.

For better and for worse, smells “can trigger so many things,” said Juliana R. V. Tkatch, an assistant professor at the Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, who specializes in experience design, events and theme parks.

Tkatch added that there’s nothing new about using scent as a marketing tool, at least not since the first time “the owner of a restaurant cooked a pie and put it on the top shelf.”

The difference now, Tkatch said, is more advanced technology, making it easier to widely circulate synthetic fragrances and natural scents in a way that’s discreet and constant. Doing so can strengthen customer loyalty, she said, but “it’s a good practice to let people know up front.”

The current controversy began in May and June, when the Oakland-based law firm Cole & Van Note filed a series of class-action lawsuits representing California hotel customers with fragrance sensitivities and targeting major hotel chains.

Some cases, including a May 8 filing that targeted Marriott International Inc., have already been dropped. Others, including a June 4 filing that named Hyatt Hotels Corp., remain in early stages.

In general, the lawsuits allege that artificial fragrances used in many hotel public rooms violate the federal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, because those fragrances make it dangerous or impossible for some people to share the space.

Attorney Scott Cole, founder of Cole & Van Note, described a recent visit to Las Vegas. “At least 95% of the places that I visited had some kind of fragrance or heightened VOC [volatile organic compound] levels,” Cole said. “I was shocked at how widespread it was there.”

In court filings, Cole’s firm asserts that 26.8% of adults suffer from asthma or asthma-like conditions and 27.5% suffer from chemical sensitivity. He contends that when hotels circulate synthetic fragrances through scent dispersion machines, they may be spreading toxic chemicals, potentially causing respiratory problems, headaches, skin irritation and gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and cognitive problems among vulnerable guests.

As his firm’s campaign has evolved, Cole said, some of the dropped federal cases are being refiled in state courts. He said he expects more filings outside California in coming months.

A spokesman for the California Hotel & Lodging Assn. said its members “work hard to create safe and accessible spaces” and that the industry “consistently reviews best practices to ensure guests are welcomed, comfortable, and safe.”

Representatives for Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Intercontinental Hotels Group and Loews hotel chains, all targeted in the first volley of lawsuits, did not respond to requests for comment. Nor did the American Hotel & Lodging Assn., the industry’s leading trade group.

But the association’s website asserts that the Americans With Disabilities Act “has been used as a weapon by scheming lawyers seeking to extort easy settlements … after alleging ambiguous violations of the law.”

This debate turns on several questions, including what constitutes a disability under ADA, what responsibilities businesses should shoulder and how the U.S. regulates fragrances.

Many of the companies that supply hotel fragrances belong to the Switzerland-based International Fragrance Assn. (IFRA), which sets voluntary guidelines for ingredients. But the U.S. government frequently doesn’t require disclosure of fragrance ingredients because blends are often trade secrets.

“It’s outside of the [Food and Drug Administration’s] domain and so the regulatory framework becomes much less stringent,” said Alexander M. Spokoyny, professor and chair of UCLA’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Outside the courtroom, a broader conversation simmers on social media.

“It’s honestly time all these scents are banned the same way smoking has been banned pretty much everywhere,” one traveler complained on Reddit.

Another, citing their allergies, wrote that “it’s REALLY hard to find a place that doesn’t stink.”

Yet another responded that “I’m very sensitive to scents and never noticed this.”

Hotel industry veterans note that if guests call in advance, many hotels are able to prepare guest rooms without artificial scents. And some hotels with green leanings, like those in the Laguna Beach-based boutique Soul Community Planet (SCP) Hotels chain, use essential oil diffusers, which rely on plant-based ingredients instead of synthetic ones.

Meanwhile, sales figures suggest that strategic scents, synthetic and otherwise, are helping businesses win over travelers and other consumers. By one estimate, the global scent-marketing business now adds up to $4.1 billion yearly.

The Marriott chain sells candles and diffusers with “the signature scent of your favorite hotels,” including subsidiary brands Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, Westin, Sheraton and Courtyard. You can even order up the scent of a Fairfield by Marriott, often favored by travelers on tight budgets.

Scentair, a scent-marketing company based in North Carolina, claims customers in 119 countries, including many hotels, and says its creation was “inspired by a Disney Imagineer’s Idea in 1994 to add scents to attractions.”

Another scent company, Australia-based Air Aroma, has created fragrances for Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (“notes of blackberry and Damascan Rose”), for DoubleTree properties (“uplifting notes of lemon, white tea, and freesia, and warm comforting notes of cedar and musk”) and for the Hilton Curio Collection’s Starling Atlanta Midtown (“ginger flower, orange, coriander, ivy, and lavender”).

Scent is “memory, mood and emotion, distilled into something you can’t see but never forget,” Air Aroma said in a Facebook post earlier this year.

Yet among skeptics, questions and doubts remain on the safety of chemical entities, fragrances included.

“Even if something might be natural, if you aerosolize it and spread it across buildings, it’s not necessarily great,” UCLA’s Spokoyny said. “I do think it requires more thorough public scrutiny. … You just don’t know what you don’t know.”

DOES everything feel a bit much at the moment? If so, I can let you in on the perfect way to escape the turbulence of 2026.

My family and I have just taken a step back in time to a bygone era — The Black Country Living Museum in the West Midlands.

This gem is genuinely one of the most fascinating attractions I have ever experienced with my boys Wilf, nine, and Jasper, six. And it is a masterclass in escapism.

The open-air attraction spans 26 acres and is packed with history.

It’s so much more than your average museum, though. This is an extremely immersive way for families to experience, first-hand, the Black Country — a region in the West Midlands with a history of coal mining, ironworking and brickmaking.

There are life-sized streets, dockyards and blacksmiths, laid out as they would have been at the height of the Industrial Revolution.

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Visitors can wander among more than 80 original shops, houses and buildings, with actors recreating what life was like inside — and the historic characters will chat to you as if they are really in the past.

It will take at least three hours to get around, but I would give it five.

Our day began with a double-decker bus taking us down the winding, cobbled streets as the old-time conductor gave my boys authentic tickets for their journey.

To make the experience more exciting for the lads, I brought along their grandad, Dave Watkins, 70, a Brummie who has lived and worked in the Black Country his whole life — and supports local football team, West Bromwich Albion.

In one shop, he was delighted to find the brand of cigarettes his dad used to smoke. But it’s not just the sights of history you experience, it’s the tastes, too.

We ordered lunch at the Hobbs & Sons fish and chip shop — a reconstructed 1930s store that originally stood in this very town.

It was, hands down, the best cod and chips any of us had ever had.
Chefs follow a traditional recipe and the novelty of eating from chip paper on a picnic table beside the canal that runs through the museum got extra wow points, too.

If you’re not a fan of a chippy supper, you can bring your own picnic — or there’s the Workers’ Institute Cafe, where we grabbed a cheese sandwich for the boys to share on the car journey home.

There’s also the T. Cook’s sweet shop, where costumed staff weigh out classic sweets, like mint humbugs, into paper bags.

Next-door is the cute Veal’s bakery, where the boys gobbled down a brownie.

The museum captures authentic smells, too. The industrial scent of coal filled the air, the homes you can go inside smelled authentically lived-in and even the outdoor lavvies were stinky, which my boys obviously found hilarious.

As is the way with primary school kids, the lads were delighted to hear the gross facts the dressed-up characters cheerily shared.

The barman in one of several old-fashioned pubs was happy to answer their questions about why there was sawdust sprinkled on the floor (it was, disgustingly, to soak up the spit of the working men).

Wilf thought the best part was the tour of the faithfully-rendered boat docks — the dock worker was so charismatic.

Jasper, on the other hand, was most enamoured with the historic fairground filled with a few of the beautiful, vintage rides (which cost an extra £2.50 each), as well as the Blacksmith’s Workshop, where we all enjoyed watching an extremely engaging demonstration of chain-making in a furnace.

Fans of Peaky Blinders will get a thrill walking round the museum as its historic streets and buildings have been used as filming locations in all six series of the BBC show.

There really is so much to fit in that we didn’t have time to try the retro putting green or join in with an authentic Edwardian school lesson — we were kicking ourselves for only allowing ourselves three hours.

But the bonus of the Black Country Living Museum is that if you buy a day ticket, you have unlimited return visits for 12 months.

Grandad Dave and I vowed to have a pint together when we return.

These old-fashioned pubs really are the perfect place to distract yourself from the modern day.

OUR Spotlight On column shines a light on the best things to see and do in popular holiday destinations, and some spots that are relatively under the radar.

This week we head to the Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic and the coastal town of Miches.

Often said to be one of the cheapest islands in the Caribbean, it is also 30C in winter and beers are under £1.80.

eurochange has predicted where Brits will be jetting off to in 2026 thanks to recent money transactions – and it’s the Dominican Republic.

Laura Evans Fisk, Head of Digital & Engagement at eurochange said: “As we’ve seen transactions for the Dominican peso surge this year ahead of any other currency, we can definitely expect to see the Dominican Republic at the top of travel bucket lists for UK tourists in 2026.”

Direct flights make it easy to get to as well, taking around nine hours from London (both British Airways and TUI fly there) so here are some of our top tips.

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MUST SEE / DO

Playa Esmeralda is Miches’ showstopper. This vast ribbon of golden-white sand on the Dominican Republic’s northeastern coast stretches for miles, backed by coconut palms.

The water shifts from turquoise to deep emerald blue, giving the beach its name.

Unlike busier Caribbean resorts, it’s entirely possible to walk for half an hour here without seeing more than a handful of people – no fight for the sun loungers here!

Nature lovers shouldn’t miss Laguna Limón. This peaceful freshwater lagoon surrounded by tropical vegetation is home to dozens of bird species.

Boat tours glide through the wetlands while guides point out herons, pelicans and other wildlife.

Nearby, the crystal-clear pools of Caño Hondo offer a refreshing alternative to the beach, with natural pools cascading through lush forest.

HIDDEN GEM

The town itself and surrounding coastline – a place where emerald mountains tumble into palm-fringed beaches, humpback whales cruise offshore in winter, and brand new luxury hotels sit alongside sleepy fishing villages.

Unlike many Caribbean destinations, Miches still feels wonderfully undiscovered.

You can spend the morning hiking to panoramic viewpoints, the afternoon kayaking through mangroves and the evening watching the sun disappear over miles of virtually empty sand.

In recent years new resorts have arrived, but developers have taken a more low-key approach than elsewhere in the Dominican Republic, keeping much of the coastline untouched and embracing the natural surroundings.

BEST VIEW

But the Instagram-worthy swings of Montaña Redonda have become one of the Dominican Republic’s most recognisable photo spots.

Perched hundreds of metres above sea level, the hill offers spectacular 360-degree views over lagoons, rainforest and the Atlantic Ocean.

Take a seat on the swing that stands at the end of the viewpoint and push out over the incredible green landscape.

RATED RESTAURANTS

Away from the resorts, Miches town offers a glimpse of local life. Small family-run restaurants serve freshly grilled fish, lobster, coconut rice and sancocho, the Dominican Republic’s famous hearty stew.

Try out Rajanoris in town, it’s an unassuming spot not often visited by tourists but it’s a good bet for meeting the locals and tasting mofongo, a savoury pork and plantain dish with lots of garlic!

BEST BAR

Rancho Lounge Miches has a casual atmosphere and lively music and serves up ice cold beer and of course, lots of rum!

WHERE TO STAY

The Zemi Miches All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton is set on it’s own 800-metre stretch of sand, with nothing but palm trees and mountains for company.

Even though it’s secluded, there’s a wealth of things to do.

There are four different pools, including a kids pool, 11 bars and restaurants, and a swish spa for some pampering.

As for activities, there’s everything from a bowling alley to a padel court! See hilton.com.

Seven nights’ all-inclusive is from £1,569pp including flights from Manchester on November 17, 20kg luggage and transfers. See tui.co.uk.

Between the treetops, I can see the towers of a distant mist-shrouded castle. Is it possible I could make contact with the spirit of the great Welsh hero Owain Glyndŵr so soon, at the very start of our hike? We are not even on the actual trail of Glyndŵr’s Way. I’ve had to make a detour to find accommodation that takes dogs, as Stevie the terrier is with me. The Castle Inn at Knucklas is a mile off the route, and two miles or so from the pretty border town of Knighton – where the 135-mile (217km) Glyndŵr’s Way officially begins.

The towers slide away behind trees and a railway viaduct emerges. The medieval castle ruins, it turns out, are believed to have been plundered to build the viaduct in the 1860s, and the builders dropped in a couple of crenelated towers to honour the origins of the stone. I fear this may be an early omen: the spirit of Glyndŵr will be as elusive as the man himself was in his lifetime.

IF you love fantastic food and hotels that make you feel like you’ve stepped into Pride & Prejudice, we have just the place for you.

Here’s everything you need to know about staying at The George In Rye in East Sussex.

Where is The George in Rye?

Slap bang in the middle of town, you won’t miss The George in Rye – the Georgian House is painted in an easily-spottable salmon pink.

What’s it like?

The Grade II listed building dates back to 1575, welcoming three previous King Georges.

And the hotel has masterfully toed the line of restoring its heritage while modernising just enough.

Think old wooden staircases and low beamed bars next to trendy cocktail menus.

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What are the rooms like?

The exterior of the hotel doesn’t betray the maze of the building which saw me go down stairs, up stairs and through courtyards to find my tucked away room.

Bold pattern wallpapers and vintage furniture were offset by brushed brass lights and DAB radios.

My king-size bed was deliciously sink-into-able, while the lounge area was the best spot for a cup of tea and a biscuit, all complimentary.

The larger rooms – I was staying in their Junior Suite – have roll top baths, so you better believe I hopped straight in, making the most of the free Verbon toiletries.

It even has a tiny outdoor patio and table and chairs for you to have a coffee in the warmer months.

If you’re on a budget, opt for their Cosy Rooms which are more compact but just as gorgeous. Rooms start from £125 a night. See thegeorgeinrye.com.

What is there to eat and drink?

The restaurant is a must, even if you aren’t a guest at the hotel.

The Grill is the epitome of cosiness with deep red walls, low lighting and the perfect level of lo-do music.

And it has a delightfully concise menu – I hate having too many options.

My smoked salmon salsa to start was refreshingly zingy and fresh, and just light enough to line my stomach before devouring their rib eye steak. 

My dessert was the star of the show, with super sweet macerated strawberries offset by kalamata ice cream and marshmallow.

If you want to swap the pudding for a cocktail, The Dragon Bar has a great menu which also includes wines and beers.

Try the drink of the season – a Sarti Spritz – or my favourite, the aptly named Dragon Mojito.

(Come back for breakfast too – my Mimosa and Hastings Kipper went down a treat).

What else is there?

As tempting as it is to stay at the hotel, the town of Rye needs to be explored.

Grab a decadent hot chocolate from Knoops, before walking the cobbles paths of Mermaid Lane, which look straight out of a fairytale.

Beach days aren’t far away either, with Camber Sands beach just down the road too.

Is it family friendly?

The hotel has some rooms that are perfect for kids, with the Luxury Rooms and Junior Suites able to fit kids beds

Is it accessible?

There is an accessible room which can be accessed by the ground floor lift, which can also take you to the ballroom.

However being such an old building, there may be some issues with getting around the rest of the hotel.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled in a union dispute that could affect thousands of passengers

A ‘massive’ EasyJet cabin crew strike has resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights in a popular British tourist destination – and could jeopardise Christmas plans for holidaymakers.

The initial 5-day industrial action is expected to ground approximately 500 scheduled flights across Lisbon, Porto and Faro airports. And the festive period is also set to be disrupted.

The strike began this Friday, October 2, in Portugal and is the first of two walkouts planned for this year. The affected flights involve all domestic airports, but mainly Lisbon and Porto.

The EasyJet cabin crew strike goes on until Tuesday, with 443 flights from the Lisbon, Porto, and Faro bases already scrapped as of this morning, according to the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC). “80% of flights involving the Lisbon, Porto, and Faro bases” between October 2 and 6 have already been cancelled, union official Ana Dias told local news agency Lusa. They noted that “the impact has already been massive.”

EasyJet, meanwhile, said 55% of flights were set to operate over the five-day strike period. The National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC) reported strong participation on Friday, the first of five scheduled strike days for EasyJet cabin crew, adding that only minimum services are being maintained.

EasyJet has confirmed that two return flights from Manchester Airport to Portugal have been axed in the coming days due to industrial action, the MEN reports. The walkout was announced by the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel and is set to impact flights from Lisbon, Porto and Faro airports, all served by EasyJet from Manchester Airport.

Sic Noticias reports that the union has said other currently scheduled flights could still be disrupted by the strike, although some may be operated by aircraft and crews from other European bases. An official EasyJet source told Lusa on Thursday that the airline anticipates operating approximately 55% of its schedule during the strike period. The source explained that, in addition to “minimum services” (representing about 22% of its Portugal-based operations), the airline is maintaining flights to and from the country operated by crews from other European bases.

The company says these operations are being conducted “in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations,”. The SNPVAC union deems the use of workers from other bases to replace striking staff “illegal” and is considering taking the matter to court.

EasyJet said it was “extremely disappointed” that the strike was taking place, despite its “ongoing efforts to maintain a constructive dialogue and reach an agreement.” It expressed regret over the disruption caused to passengers.

An EasyJet spokesperson said: “We are extremely disappointed that the union representing our Portugal-based cabin crew has announced an industrial action from 2 to 6 October, despite our willingness to continue a constructive dialogue and reach an agreement to meet our employees’ requests and protect the sustainability of EasyJet business in Portugal.

“We are sorry for the impact the unnecessary action will have on our customers, and are doing all we can to minimise disruption, including cancelling two return flights from Manchester in advance to allow our customers to rearrange their travel plans. Customers have been informed directly and offered options including a free transfer or a refund.

“We advise customers travelling to or from Portugal between 2 and 6 October to check the status of their flight via our Flight Tracker.”

A EUROPEAN theme park that is a great Disney alternative has revealed it is opening a grand new hotel in just months.

Park Asterix in France, which is cheaper than Disneyland Paris and is under 19miles from the centre of Paris, is opening a themed hotel for up to 750 guests in March.

Opening on March 26, The Odyssey will be the park’s fourth hotel and boast 301 rooms across four themed sections.

The hotel will have a more “mineral theme”, designed around Asterix’s travels to the Orient.

The hotel will be inspired by caravanserais – typical fortified buildings used as a lodging by merchants and their animals in the likes of Egypt.

The hotel will have four facades surrounding a central courtyard with a number of common areas on the ground floor and bedrooms then on the upper floors.

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In the courtyard, there will be four areas around a central oasis.

Each will be a garden with a different theme including Persian, Phoenician, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian.

And then the interior of each facade will correspond with one of the four themes.

In the Mesopotamia area, for example, there will be different artisans.

Then in the Phoenicia area, the theme will centre around welcoming merchants.

And finally the Egyptian section will transport guests to the banks of the River Nile.

The entire roof of the hotel will then also feature lots of plants.

When it comes to the bedrooms, each will have a double bed that can be separated into two single beds if needed and an alcove with a bunk bed in.

Rooms will be able to host between three and six people.

And if you fancy something a little more lavish, there will be four suites and large terrace on the second floor as well.

The four-star hotel will be twice the size of the other three hotels at the park.

When it comes to dining options, there will be two all-you-can-eat restaurants – La Table des Rois (The Kings’ Table) and La Table Gourmande (The Gourmet Table).

A bar is also in the plans, at the centre of the gardens.

The new hotel was first announced in October last year when the park was also revealed to be the second most visited theme park in France.

And the hotel is part of a wider €250million (£212.6million) investment project to expand the park by 2030.

This year, the park transformed its Egypt area including the re-theming of the Oxygénarium attraction to become The Descent of the Nile.

Les Chaises Volantes then also became The Flight of Ibis and the Le Cirque restaurant became Le Comptoir d’Epidemaïs.

In 2027, the park will also open a new Greek zone with two family attractions, a playground and a restaurant.

And in 2028, there will be a Londinium Zone which will be an indoor area inspired by Asterix in Britain comic books.

Veronica Lorraine , Gardening Editor and Associate Head of Features, who recently visited the park, said: “With more than 50 attractions, there really is a ride for everyone, regardless of age, or fear factor — you definitely need more than one day if you want to get round all of them.

“Disney certainly has the monopoly on world-renowned characters and a blow-out budget to create that real wow factor, all of which seems impossible to compete with — yet somehow Parc Asterix does.

“The tickets are cheaper, the food is better, the shows are spectacular and the rides are a total revelation.

“Add in a sprawling protected countryside backdrop just 30km outside Paris, with three separate hotels within the grounds at very reasonable prices, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

“It’s pure escapism, based all around the cherished world of Asterix — the man who, in famous French comics, protected France from the Romans.”

Paul McAuley took a trip to a US city known for its altitude, passion for the natural world, and mad passion for sports, finding a lot of difference with the UK and a lot of things to love

Off the plane. Bam. Clouds. Not the miserable grey blanket you roll your eyes at every time you leave home back in the UK, but the kind that looks like they’ve been lifted straight out of Toy Story.

They’re so close you feel like you could reach out and squeeze them – heck, even taste them if you’re that way inclined. It’s a pretty spectacular way to be welcomed to the Mile High City, and the first clue that Denver operates on a slightly different level. Both physically and metaphorically.

Perched 5,280ft above sea level, it’s home to as much altitude as it is attitude, a feeling that only gets stronger the more time you spend in the state capital. I flew from London Heathrow to Denver with British Airways to discover what the city and surrounding region had to offer, experiencing the best of Colorado on an ultimate city break with a Rocky Mountains twist.

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

Nature

In many cities, nature is something you have to seek out. In Denver, it’s constantly sitting in the background, waiting for you to notice it. I ticked off a few parks – notably Civic Center and Confluence – on a breezy 12km run that felt fitting to finish at Target, and that sums up Denver in a nutshell.

You can spend the morning surrounded by nature and, an hour later, you’re wandering around one of America’s biggest shops buying something you absolutely don’t need. In my case, Kourtney Kardashian’s Lemme. I quickly noticed how active everyone is. And who can blame them? For most of the trip, the weather was amazing.

Shorts, socks and sandals were the uniform, right up until a lightning storm rolled in on Saturday night and delayed the women’s soccer match between Denver Summit FC and Seattle Reign FC. Even the altitude becomes part of the experience.

I knew Denver is the Mile High City before I arrived, but I found it out properly when I went up Mount Blue Sky for the morning. The higher I climbed, the more ridiculous the landscape became. Wildlife appears, the air feels cleaner and, once again, you’re back within touching distance of those clouds. I didn’t spot Frank the Tank – reportedly the biggest moose on record – but I did see marmots, famous to me for shouting “Allan” in the viral video.

The night before we visited, Lily Allen headlined the amphitheatre, performing West End Girl in its entirety. Yet you’d never have guessed. There wasn’t a whiff of the night before. No evidence of thousands of people drinking and dancing until late.

Instead, just hours after the concert, people were running, doing yoga, lifting weights and generally behaving as though exercising among enormous red rocks was the most normal thing in the world. Here, outdoors is a lifestyle, not an activity.

Nightlife

For all of Denver’s obsession with fresh air, mountain views and early-morning exercise, the city doesn’t shut down too early. Denver just has a different relationship with going out than in the UK. I was told people can start clubbing at 6pm and be home by 1am, meaning the morning is saved.

That sounds horrifying to anyone accustomed to a UK night out. But somehow, Denver makes it work. Even hotel bars are busy, with people actually going there simply for drinks. Imagine asking your mate to meet you in the Premier Inn bar before heading into town.

Culture

Parts of Denver feel like they’re in the middle of a rapid transformation. Old buildings sit alongside polished new restaurants, expensive smash burgers and bars with endless taps, while colourful street murals cover walls that feel like they’re constantly being reinvented.

Take the River North Art District for example. The vibrant neighbourhour prides itself on being “where art is made” and certainly lives up to its nickname – you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to Instagram backdrops. Here you will find Denver Central Market, where I ordered a chicken Caesar salad bagel from Call Your Mother before sitting outside to bask in the heat. Around us, people wandered past in Doc Martens and oversized T-shirts.

Denver has a strong sense of itself – “a blueberry sitting proudly in a bowl of raspberries” as one of our tour guides put it. It was my first time in America, and I’ll hold my hands up and admit my perception wasn’t the greatest. I’d spent far more time associating America with Donald Trump and the endless political noise around the country than thinking about the hundreds of miles of landscapes, cities and completely different ways of life that exist beyond it.

Denver was a reminder that America is a lot bigger, stranger and more varied than the version you can sometimes from a viral TikTok clip.

Sport

Denver doesn’t have the Liverpool and Everton divide. There is one NFL team in the city and you stick with them through the good and the bad and, in the case of the Broncos’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a lot of penalties. The Broncos fanbase is something else, with a waiting list stretching around 20 years for season tickets. So when game day finally came around, the sense of occasion was hard to miss.

A white horse, fireworks, 28 cheerleaders, a remix of Take Me Home, Country Roads and a devilish attempt to get inside the opposition’s head all came into play before the first plays even graced the freshly painted grass.

It was clear the experience was as much about what happened off the field as on it, with 76,472 fans at the centre of everything. The noise was ridiculous. At one point, it was so loud the game had to stop for a jokingly named “fan assistant” timeout.

And this isn’t simply a football ground, either. Much of the stadium is owned by the Walton family behind Walmart, but its identity stretches far beyond the Broncos.

It has hosted everyone from Taylor Swift and The Weeknd to AC/DC, as well as monster trucks and countless other major events. Even if American football isn’t your thing, it’s the sort of place where you can understand why people want to experience it.

Growing up in the UK, drinking is hugely intertwined with sport. In Denver, drinking feels more like an addition to the experience. At Broncos games, designated drivers can enter a lottery, with one lucky fan winning a $150 gift card for agreeing to stay sober.

I couldn’t help wondering what Linda Bolejack bought with her winnings. It’s a tiny detail, but it says a lot about the cultural differences you notice when you stop and look.

So why go?

It’s not one single thing that makes Denver memorable. It’s the collision of all of them: the mountains rising behind skyscrapers, the NFL stadium surrounded by fans, the bars filling up earlier than you’d expect, and the sense that adventure is never particularly far away.

For a few days, it becomes surprisingly easy to slip into that rhythm and forget it isn’t your everyday life.

Book it

More information at visitdenver.com

Touchdown Trips offers a nine-night, four-game American football trip, including Denver Broncos vs Seattle Seahawks at Empower Field at Mile High, from £4,895pp. The package includes flights, transfers, game tickets and three all-inclusive tailgates.

Denver is home to seven major league sports teams: the Colorado Rockies (baseball), Colorado Rapids (men’s soccer), Colorado Mammoth (lacrosse), Colorado Avalanche (hockey), Denver Broncos (football), Denver Nuggets (basketball) and new Denver Summit FC (women’s soccer). British Airways and United Airlines fly direct daily from London Heathrow to Denver. Rooms at Limelight Denver start from £150 per night, excluding taxes and fees, based on two sharing a Deluxe King room.

It takes between 15 and 20 minutes to drive across

The Passage du Gois, in France, is one of the most popular underwater roads connecting the Île de Noirmoutier to the French mainland. The 2.6 miles road vanishes under the sea twice every day, turning a scenic drive into a journey that must be timed around the tide.

High tides submerge the Passage du Gois under 1.5 to four meters (five to 13 feet) of Atlantic Ocean water most of the day. Drivers have to carefully plan their journey as they can only cross during a short window of about three hours.

Nine raised refuge markers stand along the Gois for people caught by rising water. Officials warn that the road should never be treated as passable when it’s flooded, just because another vehicle has entered it.

Alternatively, visitors can use the Noirmoutier bridge to reach Île de Noirmoutier, located 5.3 miles from the Passage du Gois.

Travel experts at Lapland Famille warned drivers and holidaymakers to plan their trips carefully. Alex Dyer, managing director at Lapland Famille, said: “A tide window can look generous until a meal stop runs late or a child needs an unexpected break.

“I’d keep the bridge route ready and treat the Gois as a bonus, because that removes the pressure to race the final minutes with the sea already on its way back in.”

On TripAdvisor, a visitor described the road as “absolutely unique”. They said: “I have known the Passage du Gois since I was a little girl; it is absolutely incredible and unique in the world.

“This road is revealed every six hours, depending on the tide. Of course, you absolutely must know the tide times and coefficients to know how much time you have to be able to cross it and not be caught off guard by the sea.

“The island of Noirmoutier was connected for years only by this passage before the bridge in 1971.

“Many people stop there for shore fishing. Magnificent photos can be taken, and every year, there is a race organised against the clock on the Passage du Gois.”

Other famous underwater roads in Europe are the Lindisfarne Causeway and the Strood, both in England.

The Lindisfarne Causeway is a three-mile paved road connecting the Northumberland mainland to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, as the North Sea tides cover the road twice daily. The Strood, in Essex, is covered by water during high spring tides, temporarily cutting access to Mersea Island.

SEVERAL new passenger rights are set to come into force across the UK and Europe.

It’s good news for Brits as there are new passenger rights coming into force that could save families hundreds.

From parents being allowed to sit with their child for no extra cost to new luggage rules, travellers won’t have to fork out as much for hidden extra costs.

Here’s a rundown of all the new rules coming into force across the UK and Europe:

Sitting with children

Under the new rules, airlines can no longer charge for certain extras including parents wanting to sit with their child.

According to the Government, a parent and child are charged up to £104 on a return journey for sitting together.

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Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Charging parents just to sit with their children is a rip-off, plain and simple.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Parents should not have to feel the pinch just to sit next to their child on a flight, or for amending a simple booking error.

“That’s why we’re scrapping these unnecessary charges for all airlines.

“Another everyday fix to help put money back in people’s pockets and give households more breathing room.”

Booking error corrections

Another rule being introduced means that passengers will have greater flexibility to correct name errors on bookings for free.

If you needed to correct something on your booking before, such as a spelling mistake in your name, then it could have cost you as much as £40 to change.

Andy Burnham added: “Being hit with a hefty fee for a simple spelling mistake on a booking form isn’t right.

“People are fed up with these little charges that add up, so I’m putting a stop to them.

“This is what our everyday fixes are all about.

“Giving people room to breathe by tackling the small irritations that catch people out, waste their time and cost them money.”

Luggage fees – Europe only

The EU is looking to make hand luggage free as part of a major overhaul of passenger rights.

Back in June, the European Parliament and EU member states agreed on new air passenger rules, which would include allowing passengers to have two pieces of hand luggage free of charge.

This would be one small personal item that usually fits under the seat in front of you and a larger cabin bag weighing up to 7kg.

The new rules are expected to come into force in October 2027 at the earliest.

However, for Brits, the rules won’t apply on outbound journeys – say from London to Majorca, in Spain.

It will apply to UK passengers on their return leg, though from an EU country, so theoretically if you wanted to do lots of shopping abroad you won’t have to pay for that extra case on the way back home.

Airlines, such as easyJet, are currently reviewing their luggage rules though and the UK Government could also make the same rule in the future.

With easyJet for example, if you want a cabin bag measuring up to 56 x 45 x 25cm, you’ll need to pay extra for it and the price varies depending on demand, the route, your flight date and the time of booking.

Though if you get to the gate and haven’t paid for a cabin bag but have one with you, you will be charged £60.

For Ryanair, if you want a cabin bag measuring up to 55 x 40 x 20cm, then it will cost you between £12 and £36 at the time of booking, or between £20 and £60 when at the airport.

For a family of four, this could cost as much as an additional £240 per way, so £480 per return flight.

A TINY island off the coast of the UK has closed earlier than expected amid fears of incoming bad weather conditions.

Caldey Island is a short, 20-minute boat ride from Tenby in Wales, with just 40 people living there.

However, in the summer months, tourists flock to the island when it reopens from Easter to the end of October.

Yet the island has since stopped boats almost a month early, citing upcoming weather concerns including high pressure and fog.

The island, owned by a group on monks, explained on social media: “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close Caldey Island for the remainder of the 2026 season.

“With the weather forecast for October looking particularly challenging, we feel it is the right decision to bring the season to a close a little earlier than usual.”

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They added that it had been a “record-breaking season,” having been open for 64 days in a row from July to August.

The island will now stay closed until next year, likely opening in spring 2027.

But if you are planning your trip there next year, there is lots to do for a day trip to the ‘paradise’ island.

It is one of the UK’s holy islands, having been owned by monks for more than 1,500 years.

Priory Bay is the beach that is open to tourists, with the golden sands often devoid of crowds.

The island also has a chocolate factory to explore, along with a cafe, tea garden and gift shop.

Along with five walking trails (where you can spot rare red squirrels), a playground and a lighthouse attraction, a new Visitor Centre is also set to open.

If you want to stay, there are three options – St Philomena’s, with full-board stays costing £75pp and St Teilo’s cottage which is £65 a night.

Otherwise there are some rooms in the Monastic Guesthouse, which is only for men, and must work with assisting the monks.

To visit the island, it costs £24.95 for adults and £12.95 for kids, with reduced rates for seniors and families.

There is no love like municipal infrastructure love.

It was late in the 20th century when my wife, Mary Frances, and I moved into Los Feliz. Quickly we learned that our corner of the neighborhood was known as Franklin Hills, and that just about every eastward outing would take us across a funny little bridge with eight pointy turrets. That bridge was the Shakespeare Bridge.

As a teacher at nearby Ivanhoe Elementary, Mary Frances crossed the bridge twice every school day for more than 20 years. As a student there, our daughter Grace crossed it for six years, usually with me as chauffeur.

We’ve crossed it at all hours in every kind of weather, on foot, on bikes and in cars, talking about school, work, family and, lately, the fractured state of the nation and world.

Now that bridge on Franklin Avenue at St. George Street is near its 100th anniversary and an Oct. 10 neighborhood celebration is in the works, complete with a street party and procession. As the day approaches, I keep thinking about how large a funny little bridge can become in the lives of its neighbors.

This view looks westward across L.A.’s Franklin Avenue Bridge, also known as the Shakespeare Bridge.

(Library of Congress)

Originally it was the Franklin Avenue Bridge, designed by J.C. Wright of the city’s civil engineering department in the mid-1920s, when a twenty-something cartoonist named Walt Disney was new to the neighborhood and the Vitagraph Studios, a block away, were transitioning from silent films to talkies.

Paid for by a controversial city assessment of neighbors, the bridge is 262 feet long and 30 feet wide — a pipsqueak compared with landmarks like Pasadena’s Colorado Street Bridge or the 6th Street Bridge between Boyle Heights and downtown L.A.’s Arts District. Its three open-spandrel arches were made using Portland cement.

Nobody knows where the Shakespeare nickname came from, but city officials designated the bridge as L.A.’s Historic-Cultural Monument No. 126 in 1974 and retrofitted it in the 1990s to better withstand earthquakes. Crucially, city staffers preserved those charming and entirely unnecessary turrets, which deserve their own sonnet, if you ask me.

“Back then, people put some thought into these things,” City Council aide Tom LaBonge told this newspaper in 1988, years before he became councilman (2001-15) for the district that includes the bridge.

Since 2017, neighbors have tended a Shakespeare Bridge Garden beneath the span. The neighbors (a.k.a. the Franklin Hills Residents Assn.) also pay to keep up the landscaping on the nearby traffic island.

When the bridge went up, L.A. “was becoming a city,” said Alison Wallace, president of the FHRA. “We were trying to look legit, and people were adding all of these amazing public works.”

The result, Wallace said, was a span that eased connections between neighborhoods and “helped us become a community.”

This view looks from below the Franklin Avenue Bridge, also known as the Shakespeare Bridge.

(Library of Congress)

Many architectural sources call its style Gothic Revival. Some see Moorish influence. Researcher Tiger Shankman has hailed its “perky, anachronistic beauty.” In “An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles,” authors David Gebhard and Robert Winter suggest that the ornate ends of the bridge “cry out for sculptured saints.”

Instead of saints, however, the bridge has seen a lot of actors and film crews. The bridge turns up in the movies “Dead Again” (1991) and “I Love You, Man” (2009), the Netflix series “Nobody Wants This” (in 2025) and the HBO series “I Love L.A.” (also 2025). My favorite clip is a chase sequence from a 1971 “Mannix” episode — excruciatingly slow-paced by 2026 standards, and shot long before the FHRA tore out the city’s blacktop median and planted greenery.

Given all of its neighborhood fame, it surprised me to hear how few Angelenos know about the bridge. When Charlie Ryan and Thom Vest started offering LA Explained walking tours early this year, they expected the Disney history would be a popular part of their Los Feliz itinerary, but the bridge quickly emerged as another central element.

Because most of those who sign up for the Los Feliz tour live elsewhere, they have never crossed the bridge “and don’t know it’s there,” Ryan said. “Out of all the tours that I do, it’s the one that brings the most surprise to people.”

An aerial view of the Shakespeare Bridge, formally known as the Franklin Avenue Bridge, in the Franklin Hills area of Los Feliz.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

But plenty of those who live nearby have deep connections with the bridge, including Charley and Shirley Mims, who got married there on Oct. 21, 2000.

To open the ceremony, Shirley strolled from the west end of the bridge to the east, where Charley was waiting. (They still live in the neighborhood and plan to be at the centennial party.)

“When you see the bridge and cross it,” my neighbor Dave McDonald said the other day, “you feel like you’re home. It’s like a welcoming beacon.”

“It’s a real local’s way of getting around,” said Matteo Chizzola, who moved to Los Angeles four years ago and settled in Los Feliz two years ago. Last year, when Chizzola decided to start selling matcha from a sort of grown-up street-corner lemonade stand, he chose a patch of sidewalk at Franklin Avenue and Talmadge Street, two blocks from the bridge.

A jogger crosses the Shakespeare Bridge.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“It is beautiful and it’s weird. If you go at the right time of day, at sunset, it’s an incredible view,” he said.

Chizzola said he isn’t getting rich running the stand, Fridays through Sundays, but “it has become something that puts a huge smile on my face.”

He’ll be on hand for the bridge’s centennial parade, along with invited local luminaries including Victor the fruit guy (who worked a corner near Marshall High School for more than a decade) and Dora Herrera of the much-loved Yuca’s restaurant on Hillhurst Avenue.

A pedestrian crosses the Shakespeare Bridge,which was completed in 1926.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Sometimes, when Mary Frances and I are on a neighborhood walk, we stop mid-span. In the distance to the south, you see the downtown skyline. In the arroyo below the bridge (officially the Arroyo de Sacatela) you see the private homes and yards along Monon Street and Myra Avenue. You also see the Los Feliz campus of the International School of Los Angeles (1960), the only school designed by modernist architect John Lautner.

Then there are the decorations. Every few months, in a tradition started by departed neighbor Chris Boutelle, Mary Frances joins a team of FHRA board members and other volunteers who put up hearts for Valentine’s Day, shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day, Pride and Juneteenth flags in June, American flags and bunting in the lead-up to July 4, and so on.

Most of these costume changes are seamless. But in June 2023, someone tore down the Pride flags. Neighbors quickly replaced them. They came down again. Neighbors replaced them again. The back-and-forth went on for weeks. A suspect was arrested, released, then re-arrested.

Shakespeare Bridge in Los Feliz was the site of controversy in June 2023, when someone repeatedly stole Pride flags from a bridge display. Neighbors replaced the flags and police made an arrest.

(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

“It was almost every day for a month. People really came together,” said Wallace. The vandal surely didn’t mean to, but Wallace contends that he wound up uniting the neighborhood as never before.

The Oct. 10 bridge celebration, organized by the FHRA, will begin with a noon procession to the bridge from Marshall High School (another neighborhood Gothic Revival landmark), featuring a marching band, several vintage cars and a costumed dog parade.

At the end of that short walk, there’s a party planned from 1-5 p.m. at the end of Monon Street , right under the bridge. There will be snacks, drinks, live music, kid crafts, a bouncy house, a handful of actors in Shakespearean garb and scads of neighbors being neighborly.

I’ll be there for all of it. In times like these, every bridge needs celebrating.

Shakespeare Bridge, formally known as the Franklin Avenue Bridge, spans a ravine in the Franklin Hills with downtown Los Angeles in the background.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Actor Wilmer Valderrama, who plays Special Agent Nick Torres on CBS’ long-running procedural “NCIS,” has chased bad guys all across Los Angeles. While he appreciates the geographic diversity of the region, Valderrama says his love for the city is actually tied to “the gift of being an immigrant.”

Valderrama moved to L.A. in 1994 from Venezuela with his family. He remembers how scary it was to come to the City of Angels, not knowing how to speak English. The family arrived “right before the Northridge earthquake, so that was our welcome to L.A.,” he says, adding that his family was living nearby in Van Nuys.

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

But growing up in Los Angeles, he found a sense of belonging in a multicultural community that gave him an appreciation for different cultures, cuisines and music. “There are so many different cities and ZIP codes here that make for a multifaceted and multi-heartbeat city,” he says.

Valderrama, who starts his 10th season on “NCIS” on Tuesday, founded the production company WV Entertainment, which released the documentary “Suárez,” about the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race, in September on FS1. He also launched WV Sound, to help curate iHeartMedia’s slate of Latin-focused podcasts, and is active in numerous philanthropies, such as co-founding Harness with America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities.

Today, Valderrama lives in Tarzana with his wife, model and PADI divemaster Amanda Pacheco, and their two children, Nakano Oceana, 5, and Wolf Monte, 1. He was finishing “That ‘70s Show” in 2006, when he noticed that Chuck Norris was selling his house in Tarzana. “I was 26 years old and realized I didn’t know if I was ever going to work as an actor again,” Valderrama says. “I bought this little house and the kids were born here. So it’s been kind of a dream to be here long enough to see that happen.”

Here’s a look at the actor’s ideal Sunday with family.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.

7 a.m.: Wake up and go for a walk

My son wakes up and Nakano starts asking for mac and cheese. Instead of mac and cheese, we go for a walk to our favorite coffee shop, Laidrey Coffee Roasters in Tarzana. They roast their own coffee beans and have an amazing pastry selection. Everybody’s in their sweats and pajamas, we hang out with some of our local baristas, and have a good time. I’m obsessed with coffee. My grandfather was a coffee farmer in Pereira, Colombia. I grew up with a level of appreciation for coffee that was just insane. For me, coffee is as good as tasting different types of wines. I love going to places that put a lot of emphasis on the curation of their coffee beans and the essence and the blends. How they serve their cappuccino is really important to me. I think it’s a perfect blend of broth and roast. And if the barista wants to add an artistic element, then they have successfully elevated my cappuccino experience. A kiss of hazelnut as a finishing touch too.

9 a.m.: Naps and playtime at the playground

As soon as it hits 9ish, my son needs a nap, so while he sleeps, Nakano and I go to a little playground, and I just let her run off some of her morning energy.

11 a.m.: Brunch at the beach

Then, we’ll go to the Malibu Farm Pier Cafe, and have a really great brunch. I like their chorizo burrito, and I add bacon and avocado to it. Their hot sauce is ridiculous. Nakano gets the Swedish mini pancakes, and Amanda loves the Surfer’s Rancheros.

1 p.m.: Paddleboarding in the Pacific

At this point, we just walk the beach, and maybe paddleboard around the pier. The waters are pretty calm around that time. My wife is a mermaid. She’s a divemaster, so the ocean is something that’s very important to her. So we’ll always try to find ourselves at the beach. We have our own paddleboards, but there are tons of shops where you can rent boards on PCH.

3 p.m.: Time for a snack

Around that time, I’ll get hungry again, and everyone’s like, how can you be hungry? We just ate. We’ll go to Neptune’s Net, which is a nice little coastal drive north on PCH. Neptune’s was famous for being in “The Fast and the Furious.” It’s a really great spot for burgers, fish and steaks, so we’ll just go there for a little snack, and I’ll be the only one eating, because everyone’s still full. I get the fried fish and chips.

4 p.m.: Fun on the Santa Monica Pier

We’ll go for a little drive after that. Sometimes, we’ll take Nakano to the Santa Monica Pier. She loves playing the games, and doing the roller coaster stuff. It tends to be pretty fun and lively.

5 p.m.: Slow drive back to the Valley

Then we slowly snail pace across PCH, and go over Topanga Canyon to get back into the Valley. At that point, the kids are taking a major nap in the car. By the time we get back to the Valley, I’ll probably pitch what dinner is. And they’re like, how can you still be thinking about food?

6 p.m.: Early dinner means Korean barbecue or sushi

We usually end up at this Korean barbecue place called the House of Galbi in Encino. It’s my favorite. They have a great all-you-can-eat menu with really great meats and an assortment of sauces and condiments. They have a prime rib that is phenomenal. Ask for the house hot sauce. It’s probably one of the best things to go with any piece of meat and seafood there. On a Sunday, normally there’s certain games, and they have big TVs in there, so you can watch the game while you’re having family time. I completely overeat on a Sunday.

If not there, we’ll go to Okumura in Encino. A young Japanese man trained these amazing Mexican guys to be incredible sushi chefs. The place is wonderful. It’s been my sushi place for a very long time. There’s a lot of fancy sushi places, but these little hole-in-the-walls are the ones you kind of hang on to, right? They know your usual dishes. They know how to make something up, right? They do this blue crab hand roll and they add some jalapeno and give you a ponzu sauce to dip it in. It’s really special.

8 p.m.: Head home and relax

We get back to the house, and by then, my daughter’s like a bobblehead, trying not to fall asleep. My son is out, so we just take the kids in and put them down. We’ll have a little us time, so we’ll just sit together and chat, talk about the week ahead. We try to watch something together and have movie night as much as we can on Sunday. Sometimes we’ll just pass out on the couch because we’re so tired. We’ll wake up at 2 in the morning and zombie our way to bed, you know?

DITCH the rock-hard plastic airport seats and those wildly overpriced soggy meal deals – you don’t need to spend thousands on a first class plane ticket to kick off your next holiday in style.

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Here you can tuck into a complimentary buffet, sip on free alcoholic beverages or even have a quick nap in a private sleep pod.

The secret to this pre-flight luxury is bagging a Priority Pass. Right now, Sun readers can slash 20% off the annual membership fee by clicking here.

Priority Pass members get access to over 1,900 airport lounges across the globe, including those in popular UK airports like London Heathrow, Gatwick, East Midlands, Manchester and Birmingham.

Lounges available depend on which airport you are flying from, but they include the luxurious Aspire Lounge with complimentary food and alcoholic drinks, as well as No. 1 Lounges, Skylife Lounge, Escape Lounges and more.

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A standard membership normally costs £69 a year, but our discount for Sun readers drops the price to just £55.

Once you have your pass, you simply pay £24 each time you want to visit a lounge.

And with all the complimentary food and free-flowing drink inside, you can easily make your money back with all your savings from skipping pricey terminal restaurants and bars.

Beyond the free food, the lounges offer high-speed Wi-Fi, plenty of charging points, comfy sofas and quiet zones.

Depending on the airport, you can even find dedicated workspaces, hot showers, and sleep pods to refresh yourself.

The VIP perks also extend beyond the lounge doors. Priority Pass members get access to Be Relax spa treatments, meaning you can treat yourself to a pre-flight massage or manicure at participating airports.

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You also get a brilliant freebie to use at home: complimentary access to the WithU Fitness app, which is normally worth £79.99.

The app creates you a personalised exercise program for the gym or home, complete with guided audio workouts coached by professionals.

So not only are you travelling well-fed and well-rested, but you’ve now got a fresh manicure to show off on holiday and a free workout program to take home and on your travels.

Does travelling in style get any better than this?

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Prices correct at the time of publication.

IT’S GOOD news for travellers in the north as a regional airport left abandoned for four years is set to reopen.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport closed back in 2022 after becoming “commercially unviable” and has been left empty since.

But now the airport is set to reopen to passengers in 2028 as part of a £193million project.

The airport is home to one of the longest runways in Europe, measuring 2,893 metres, which means it could host big jets for long-haul routes.

Before it closed, the regional airport acted as a gateway to Europe for those living in the north.

Airlines that used to fly from the airport included TUI and Wizz Air.

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However, no airlines have been confirmed for the airport yet.

Christian Foster, Director of FlyDoncaster – the company set up to manage the airport – told Sun Travel: “It does feel like the world has changed post-Covid, whereas people were focused two weeks in Spain or Greece, nowadays we’re seeing a lot of people keen to take city breaks.

“We’d love to fly to places like Croatia, and other destinations that are a bit more quirky like Azerbaijan.

“We’re keen to look at emerging places to visit as well, like India.“

Inside, there are plans to fill the airport terminal with local businesses instead of your usual Costa or Starbucks.

There would be a mixture of restaurants, bars and shops.

Back in July, the airport also gained approval was given by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to move forward with a public consultation.

During the public consultation, locals can express their opinions on the reopening of the airport before October 4.

In the airport’s latest update, three fire appliances have also been ordered for the airport ahead of its reopening next year and before welcoming passengers in 2028.

While many may flock to the huge French resorts of Val D’isere or Chamonix, for a more intimate romantic ski getaway one hidden Austrian getaway scoops the title

There are ski resorts built for thrill seekers, and there are ski resorts built for those searching for glamour. Then there is the Gastein Valley in Austria, a place that seems designed for something else entirely – romance.

Hidden deep within the Alps in the province of SalzburgerLand, the valley’s twin spa towns of Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein combine sweeping mountain scenery, healing thermal waters and classic wooden ski huts that ooze quintessential Austrian charm.

While German may not be known as a romantic language, the Austrian alpine culture all but makes up for it with its cosy wooden lodges with roaring fires, extremely good local wines (I promise it’s not just Riesling), and let’s not forget about the fondue. Something I indulged in for the first time on a recent trip, surrounded by a roaring fire in said cosy lodge, at Bellevue Alm Gastein. Washed down with a good quantity of schnapps, of course.

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

OPINION

With plenty of lodges to curl up in, it’s clear why the region has quietly gained a reputation as one of the Alps’ most romantic winter destinations. The resort of Bad Gastein itself is unusual. Rather than spreading gently across a valley floor like most Alpine resorts, it clings dramatically to the side of a steep gorge.

After a walk around the town during golden hours on a brisk February evening, looking at the mountain views and the marvels of architecture that surrounded me, it hit me – I’m in a Wes Anderson film. The streets were lined with grand pastel coloured hotels perched perilously onto the mountainside, just like in one of my personal favorite films, The Grand Budapest Hotel. I walked through the flakes, feeling as though I had just stumbled onto a film set with Ralph Fiennes and Bill Murray.

But this wasn’t just a figment of my imagination. The cult-classic director is said to have traveled to Bad Gastein, seeking alpine inspiration for the Oscar-nominated hit. Clearly, he found it. It is especially easy to spot when looking up at the façade of the Grand Hotel de l’Europe. The hotel looks out over a cliff, a gentle waterfall crashing below, with all but a bright pink 19th-century funicular distinguishing it from the film itself.

As I continued my wander, the noise of the waterfall offered its own theatrical backing track – and one that becomes even more magical in winter, when mist from the waterfall freezes into crystals and snow dusts the pastel-coloured buildings. This is a magic that has been enchanting people for centuries, with the town having inspired many Romantic composers.

Franz Schubert and Johann Strauss found musical inspiration from the valley, while it is said Mozart himself was born in Bad Gastein before his pregnant parents moved to the nearby city of Salzburg.

Today, that historic grandeur remains, giving the resort a slightly surreal atmosphere that feels part Hollywood and the perfect place for a day together on the slopes.

Book it

Ryanair gave an update on Friday morning

Budget carrier Ryanair has issued an update, confirming that it cancelled 1,000 flights.

It partly attributed the recent “collapse” of Britain’s air traffic control system for the scrapping more than 1,000 flights in September. The Irish airline said the cancellations stemmed from two separate air traffic control (ATC) failures within a fortnight of one another last month, alongside ATC strikes in Belgium and widespread disruption across Europe caused by volcanic ash clouds from eruptions at Mount Etna.

The head of Britain’s National Air Traffic Services (Nats), Martin Rolfe, has faced mounting calls to quit following a string of air traffic failures that led to thousands of flight cancellations across the industry last month, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded.

The most recent incident was triggered by a “connectivity issue” at its Prestwick centre in Scotland, which was unrelated to an ATC software fault on September 8 that sparked widespread travel chaos.

Ryanair has been among those demanding Mr Rolfe’s resignation, while Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has arranged a meeting with Nats chairman Sir Warren East, the former chief executive of Rolls-Royce, in the coming weeks to address the ongoing issues.

Latest Ryanair figures

Ryanair’s most recent traffic statistics revealed the airline operated over 111,700 flights last month, carrying 20.1 million passengers, a rise of 4% year on year. Wizz Air also released passenger data showing a 24% increase year on year in passengers flown last month, reaching 7.78 million, with capacity up 25.3%.

Yet Wizz announced recently it would slash its flight schedule by 5% over the second half of 2026 owing to broader Iran war pressures on the travel sector and spiralling fuel costs.

Following the latest disruption, easyJet said it “calls into question the resilience of Nats’ systems” and Jet2 said customers and airlines need “action, accountability and proper resilience”.

Calls to resign

On September 21, chief operations officer for Ryanair Neal McMahon said: “Martin Rolfe has presided over repeated system failures, repeated passenger disruption and repeated failures to deliver an effective back-up system.

“Enough is enough. Martin Rolfe should resign today.”

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of industry body Airlines UK, said ATC was “critical national infrastructure” which “must be resilient enough to keep people moving”.

He added: “Yet another Nats failure is causing delays and disruption for passengers and airlines alike, and comes just days after its report into the most recent major outage. Passengers and airlines deserve better and the independent CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) report, together with the forthcoming Civil Aviation Bill, must address the underlying weaknesses in the system so that these failures stop happening.”

​Winning tip: History, buns and Italianate porticoes in Münster

In an often overlooked corner of Germany, near the Dutch border, Münster is an absolute gem. Covered porticos will convince you you’re in northern Italy, gothic churches will remind you you’re in Mitteleuropa and the buns from Zeit für Brot will insist you’re in heaven. Nature-lovers can take in the Botanical Gardens and relax by the Münstersche Aa river. Those of a historical bent can peek into the room where the Treaty of Westphalia was signed in 1648 and mull the report card of nation states in the nearly 400 years since. But really, it’s a great place just to drop-anchor and lose a few days.
Jeremy

Germany’s highest railway bridge, near Düsseldorf

In the verdant countryside near Düsseldorf, the 129-year-old Müngsten Bridge, the country’s highest railway bridge, rises 107 metres above the River Wupper. The impressive iron and steel structure is billed as Germany’s answer to the Eiffel Tower (yes, really!) and if you’ve got a head for heights, you can don a harness and make the exhilarating climb to the highest point. You’ll be rewarded with incredible views across the valley, especially if you steel yourself (!) for the nerve-racking walk across the narrow beam that spans the top of the bridge. Eat your heart out, Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Bex

A wild North Sea island made for cycling

Sylt is more than a North Sea island to us. My German grandmother met my British army grandfather, and Sylt became my mother’s childhood island. It feels made for cycling, with peaceful paths winding between grassy dunes, sweeping beaches and little villages. Spend the day riding, watching the surfers and eating warm Nutella crepes by the sea, before settling into a traditional hooded Strandkorb (hooded beach chair) to listen to the waves. Bike hire costs €8-€10 per day. It is wild, windswept and magical, somewhere our family history becomes real every time we return.
Fay

Tour the country for a month for €63

Get the Deutschlandticket! An entire month of public transport for €63 – buses, trains, trams, ferries … The only thing that isn’t included is faster long-distance trains, but you can figure out how to get from A to B using the Deutsche Bahn website, which has a special “Deutschlandticket only” filter; the need to change trains means you’ll end up discovering places you wouldn’t otherwise visit. It’s worth it just for a week, or, if you do want to travel long distances quickly, just for inner-city transport. Use the German public transport app Mopla to buy one at any time.
Joseph

Cologne’s world-class cocktails bars