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FlixBus has rolled out its biggest-ever expansion, which will see significantly more cities and towns connected up by the green goliaths – including tourist hotspot Brighton

Forget the idea that coaches are just for seniors and students – travelling across the UK by coach is about to get a significant boost this summer with the introduction of more affordable fares.

FlixBus, with its distinctive green buses, is expanding its UK network, which already spans over 80 destinations, including Brighton. As of June 13, new coach services will connect Cambridge, London, Gatwick Airport, and Brighton, operating twice daily.

Prices are extremely competitive, with tickets between London and Brighton starting at £4.49 and those between Gatwick and Brighton available from £3.49. The journey from London to Brighton takes approximately two and a half hours – an hour longer than the train – but at a fraction of the cost.

FlixBus is also introducing a direct service between Cambridge and London, running four times a day, to cater to the growing demand for tourism.

Andreas Schorling, Senior Managing Director of FlixBus UK, expressed his enthusiasm for the new services: “Brighton is such a vibrant, inclusive city, especially during the summer, and we can’t wait to offer passengers the chance to visit for the first time on our network.”

“The people of Brighton will now have a fantastic service to central London, Cambridge and Gatwick. Known for its dedication to sustainability, it’s a perfect match for FlixBus.

“Londoners now have even more affordable, sustainable, and reliable travel options for weekend getaways, airport connections, and visiting friends and family this summer.”

Brighton has been named as one of Time Out’s top 50 cities in the world to visit in 2025, boasting attractions such as the iconic pier, the Royal Pavilion and its beach.

FlixBus has been busy throughout spring 2025, rolling out its largest expansion yet, adding new destinations including popular holiday spots like Bournemouth, Newquay and Truro.

The company now operates over 200 coaches across England, Scotland and Wales, providing nationwide travel that is sustainable, reliable and affordable. Tickets can be purchased at www.flixbus.co.uk or via the FlixBus app.

With a fleet of 200 coaches, FlixBus’ business is thriving, generating a turnover of £1.7 billion from 81 million passengers worldwide each year.

“This feels like a new golden age for coach travel”, says Schorling. “Over five million UK passengers have travelled with us since we launched three years ago and they keep coming back. By next summer, we’ll have over 200 vehicles on the road, more than twice the size of the Megabus network at their peak.”

According to TimeOut, FlixBus has managed to achieve something that Megabus couldn’t. It writes: “It’s made getting a coach – dare we say it – chic?”.

“It would seem unlikely that a bus could build and sustain a place in pop-culture” says Eglantina Becheru, Director of Brand & Creative at FlixBus. “But against the odds, Flix has created one.”

TUI has unveiled a brand new flight route, whizzing Brits over to a stunning country filled with intricate architecture, vibrant shopping scene and a rich history – and it’s just 3 hours from the UK

A tiny UK airport is slated for a huge boost after securing an exclusive new route with TUI.

The travel firm has announced it will debut direct flights from Newcastle Airport to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, later this year – just in time for the ski season. The service will operate once a week on Saturdays, with the first flight scheduled to depart on Saturday, December 20.

TUI says the new route, which will complement the existing London Gatwick, Dublin, Manchester and Birmingham services, will help connect the north-east to Bulgaria’s winter sports resorts – such as Bansko, Pamporovo and Borovets. The new flights are available on a flight-only basis, as well as part of Crystal Ski Holidays packages.

Sofia is a great budget-friendly destination for ski enthusiasts who don’t want to break the bank by visiting the ultra-expensive Alps. The city is surrounded by soaring mountains that you can hike in the summer – or race down in the winter in your salopettes.

If you’re looking for a more laid-back holiday, don’t worry. Sofia is filled with stunning architecture, a ubiquitous history, and plenty of cheap bars. History buffs will love St Alexander Nevski Cathedral, a Neo-Byzantine landmark renowned for its gold and green dome. The church was built as a memorial to the 200,000 Russian soldiers who died in the Russo-Turkish Liberation War and boasts an intricately beautiful interior.

Vitosha Boulevard is great for those wanting to admire the rugged mountains from afar. The pristine strip is filled with a ‘rich array’ of shops, eateries, and cafes and perfectly encapsulates the ‘spirit of the city’. Day trips to Rila Monastery – the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria – and the nearby Rila Lakes are also popular.

In a statement sent to the Mirror, TUI’s Chris Logan said the firm was ‘excited’ to introduce the new route following ‘strong customer demand’. “The Bulgarian ski resorts have always been a popular choice with Crystal customers, and we’re pleased to make the destination even more accessible for travellers from Newcastle and the North of England,” he added. “Boasting high quality hotels, excellent value for money, highly rated ski schools and lively nightlife, Bankso, Pamporovo and Borovets are brilliant ski resorts all easily reached from Sofia Airport with transfers included with Crystal Ski Holidays.”

Leon McQuaid of Newcastle Airport also welcomed the news, praising TU for ‘continuing to invest’ in the hub. “This exciting new destination gives our passengers even more choice to explore some of Europe’s best-value ski resorts and it’s another great addition to our growing winter schedule,” he added. “We look forward to celebrating with TUI Airways when the new route takes off in December.”

TUI is currently offering return flights to Sofa from Newcastle for just £293, which includes 15kg of checked-in luggage and 10kg of hand luggage per person.

*Prices based on passengers departing on January 10, 2026 and returning on January 17, 2026.

Londoners dreaming of escaping the bustling city during the UK’s ongoing heatwave can now travel over 50 miles to one of the country’s most popular seaside resorts for less than £5

Getting to the coast just got a whole lot easier (and cheaper) thanks to a handy new bus route.

With temperatures slated to hit a sweltering 38C, there has truly never been a better time to escape the Big Smoke and cool yourself down in crystal-clear water – even if it’s just for the day. Brighton has long been a popular coastal destination for Londoners due to its close proximity and eclectic offerings.

Famed for its Blue Flag golden sandy beaches, an impressive pier that stretches 1,722 ft into the English Channel, and its inclusive atmosphere, Brighton is one of the UK’s most recognisable resorts in the UK. It’s the perfect place to shop for vintage clothing, play in the arcades, and end the evening watching the sunset while gorging on fish and chips.

“Ever since royal party animal George IV fell in love with Brighton back in the 18th Century, the city has been a magnet for visitors in search of fun, frolics and fresh sea air,” hails Visit Brighton. “With its majestic Regency squares and crescents, iconic Royal Pavilion and famous piers, today Brighton is as well-known for being a welcoming and diverse city with a passion for culture, creativity and sustainability as it is for its historic landmarks.”

Earlier this week, FlixBus – which whizzes passengers to more than 6,800 destinations across more than 40 countries in its bright green coaches – revealed it was launching a new route, linking London to Brighton. The new connections, which will run twice a day, costing as little as £4.49 each way.

“Londoners now have even more affordable, sustainable, and reliable travel options for weekend getaways, airport connections, and visiting friends and family this summer,” hailed Andreas Schorling of FlixBus UK. “Brighton is an iconic British destination and we’re excited to offer a direct route from the capital just in time for the warmer months.”

The 53-mile journey takes around two and a half hours, which is its only downside. Travelling to Brighton by train is much faster, and takes between 58 minutes and one hour and 10 minutes depending on the route. However, single adult fares as almost double the price – averaging out at £8.

If you’re itching for a mini-staycation, there is a whole range of accommodation types in Brighton to suit your budget. For example, a weekend’s stay (Friday, July 4-6) at a ‘charming’ townhouse will set you back just £176. This is based on two adults sharing a double room with a shared bathroom. However, it’s worth pointing out that this property is located 1.6 miles from the centre.

For those wanting a more luxurious weekend, check out Leonardo Hotel. Conveniently located next to Brighton Railway Station, the four-star hotel is a 15-minute walk to the beach, and is within close proximity to the Laines, Brighton Dome, Theatre Royal Brighton and the Gardner Centre. Staying here, in a standard double room, on the exact same nights cost £409.

*Prices based on Trainline, FlixBus, and Booking.com listings at the time of writing.

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The budget airline has announced that it will be launching a new flight route to a little-known European city from October, with fares starting from just £15

Ryanair has unveiled plans to introduce a new flight route to the lesser-known European city of Rzeszów in Poland, starting from October. The budget airline will operate flights twice a week to and from the Polish city.

This development follows the cancellation of five flights from its Maastricht base, including Alicante, Bari, Girona, Porto, and Zadar, and the confirmation of the base’s closure after October 2025.

AirAdvisor experts have scrutinised these changes, suggesting that the airline is pivoting towards destinations with heavy diaspora populations and underused regional airports.

They elaborated: “Ryanair’s route reshuffle sends two clear signals: regional airports in the UK are getting more love, while underperforming bases like Maastricht are being cut loose.

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“For UK passengers, this creates more direct options from places like Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Norwich, but also leaves them exposed to short-notice route cancellations.”

The launch of this flight route in October provides the Polish community in Scotland with a more affordable alternative for flying back to Poland over the Christmas period.

Fares are set to range between £15 and £30, resulting in savings of approximately £20 to £50 compared to booking routes with connections, reports the Express.

Those planning to capitalise on cheaper routes for their winter holidays can also consider Rzeszów as a destination, complete with a charming Christmas market.

And the market square makes for a great historical and cultural destination even when it isn’t the festive season.

Taking to TripAdvisor, one visitor wrote: “The History of Market Square in Rzeszów dates back to the 15th century, but the current look of the market is much different from its original form.

“It is the result of a great fire which broke out in the 19th century. No matter what, it is nowadays beautiful as well, especially during early morning or evening.”

While another added: “Remarkable selection of things to eat and drink for dinner and dessert or appetiser for noshing while you sit and watch the world go by. Absolutely beautiful in all the seasons.”

The trail is short but steep, and it smells of sage. A few hundred feet below, I see moms with strollers on a path beside the San Diego River. Above, I see granite cliffs and hear the hollers of unseen climbers.

“Rope!” says one.

“Hey,” says another. “There’s a ram’s horn down here!”

A climber tosses rope near Kwaay Paay Peak.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

This is the Climbers Loop Trail at Kwaay Paay Peak, one of my new favorite spots in the biggest city park that you’ve never heard of: Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego.

No, this park is not downtown like its more famous sibling, Balboa Park. But Mission Trails, eight miles northeast of downtown and 15 miles from the beach, is the biggest city-owned park in California. Along with the trickling river and a dam that dates to the early Spanish missionary days, the landscape includes 65 miles of trails on more than 8,000 acres of rugged mountains, hills and valleys.

It looks like a healthy slice of Arizona, and it covers more territory than Balboa Park, L.A.’s Griffith Park, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and Irvine’s Great Park combined.

Also, it used to be my backyard. Throughout my teen years, my family lived on a cul-de-sac at the base of Cowles Mountain, the highest summit in the park and the city. The chaparral began 40 feet from my back door.

Almost as often as we loitered at the mall and ogled the guitars at American Dream Music, my friends and I wandered the mountain slopes, wading through the sagebrush and nosing around the granite boulders, sidestepping coyote scat, and generally walking that fine line between high jinks and delinquency.

Officially, the park was younger than we were, having been established in 1974. But it contained such deep and obvious history, even the teenage me could appreciate it.

For millennia before the Spanish showed up and built a dam to serve their first Alta California mission, the Kumeyaay lived in these hills.

The Old Mission Dam dates to the early Spanish missionary days.

During World War I, the Army used the area, known as Camp Elliott, for tank and artillery training. During World War II, the Marines did the same, leaving plenty of ordnance behind — including some that exploded in 1983, killing two boys. (Even now, after various cleanup efforts, signs warn that unexploded shells “might still exist.” If you see something suspicious, report it and don’t touch it.)

Once military officials decided they didn’t need the land, local leaders stepped in and began putting together a park in the 1960s and ‘70s. The city added Cowles Mountain in 1974. The visitor center followed in 1995. The Cedar fire of 2003 burned about 2,800 acres, which have long since regrown.

The park’s visitor center includes educational exhibits and a gift shop.

I had a great time brushing up on that history and wandering Mission Trails for two days this spring — my longest spell in those hills since high school. Overnight I slept in a cabin at Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, about two miles east of the park, where several recycled-water lakes are surrounded by well-kept fishing spots, walking paths, playgrounds and a campground.

Also, I have to note that I was in Mission Trails for more than three hours before I saw any graffiti. I’m not sure that’s doable in Griffith Park.

The Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, which includes cabins, is two miles from San Diego’s Mission Trails Regional Park.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

It’s unlikely many people outside San Diego County know this place exists. But local hikers and birders turn out in force. Climbers like Kwaay Paay Peak (elevation: 1,194 feet) and mountain bikers, equestrians and anglers have their own favorite park territories. You can camp at Santee Lakes or, on weekends, put up a tent in the park’s Kumeyaay Lake campground.

Kumeyaay Lake.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Mission Trails has the highest peak in the city (Cowles Mountain at 1,591 feet). It has the compact Kumeyaay Lake and the larger Murray Reservoir (a.k.a. Lake Murray), which has fishing, kayaking and canoeing about three miles south of the park visitor center.

But many would say the park’s Main Street is Father Junipero Serra Trail, a paved path that runs alongside the San Diego River, mountains rising on either side.

Father Junipero Serra Trail runs alongside a stretch of the San Diego River.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

The long, flat Father Junipero Serra Trail is a great, easy hike for beginners.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

“I just started coming in the last few weeks,” hiker Sumeya Sayd, 23, told me one day as she stepped off the Serra Trail. Like me, she had hiked Cowles Mountain as a youth and overlooked the rest of the park.

Now, inspired by a Muslim American Society group chat, Sayd has been hiking the Serra and Climbers Loop trails more often and thinking about the Mission Trails five-peak challenge — five peaks in the park, each over 1,000 feet.

You can walk or pedal on the Serra Trail, which stretches 2.6 miles and connects the park visitor center to the Old Mission Dam. (Ordinarily, there’s a lane open to vehicular traffic, but because of a sewage-line improvement project, cars will be banned until summer of 2028.)

“This is Desert Wishbone-bush,” I overheard Justin Daniel saying one day along the trail. Daniel, who held aloft a purple flower, was leading a group of about 15 people from the California Native Plant Society.

Soon the group moved on to the California Buckwheat and Daniel added that “we have the most native plants in California for one county,” along with “more native bees than you can shake a stick at.”

How urban is this urban park? Not very. No museums, no zoos, no restaurants. Still, its busiest trail gets an estimated 780,000 hikers a year. That’s the route to the top of Cowles Mountain from Navajo Road and Golfcrest Drive.

When I lived in the neighborhood, many people still called Cowles Mountain “S Mountain,” because just about every fall from the 1930s into the 1970s, San Diego State freshmen used lye and white paint to make a big S near the top, 400 feet high and visible for miles.

Now the S is long gone, but through the years I’ve seen foot traffic grow. I’ve hiked it solo, with my daughter and with a friend facing a profound loss. Even though the route to the top from the Golfcrest trailhead is just 1.5 miles, every time it’s a bit more challenging than I expect — 950 feet of elevation gain, irregular steps, crumbling rocks. In the old days, I used to get up and down in 90 minutes. Nowadays, my knees complain and the round trip takes two hours.

Fortunately, the view from the top still hits me like a surprise every time: the hills of Mexico to the south, the coastline to the west, the miles of undeveloped slopes and valleys to the north. In a perfect hiker’s world, maybe there would be no line of utility towers slicing through the Fortuna Mountain portion of Mission Trails and no humming radio towers atop Cowles Mountain. But this is a city park after all. In this vast expanse of nature, that’s easy to forget.

Cowles Mountain is the highest peak in the park.

Where to hike

Mission Trails Regional Park has nearly 65 miles of trails. Here are some to try.

• If you’re looking for an easy hike and you’re a newbie, start with the long, flat 2.6-mile Father Junipero Serra Trail. Two other easy routes, well suited to kids, are the Kumeyaay Lake Nature Trail (1 mile around the lake; full of birdsong in the mornings) and the 1.5-mile Visitor Center Loop Trail.
• For a longer, mostly flat hike with ample shade, try the park’s Oak Canyon Trail, where a little seasonal waterfall materializes among the rock formations near the far end of the 3.4-mile out-and-back route. That trail has only 240 feet of elevation gain; park rangers call it a “moderate” challenge.
• It’s 1.5 miles to the top of Cowles Mountain from the trailhead at Golfcrest Drive and Navajo Road. If you start instead at Big Rock Park in Santee, it’s a 2.5-mile climb to the top. Rangers classify both routes as difficult.
• For a stiffer challenge, you can try climbing to the South Fortuna or North Fortuna peaks. (Distances vary, depending on route). Also, there’s the brief, steep Climbers Loop Trail (rated difficult, with 400 feet of altitude gain in a 1-mile round trip).

Down the road, there may be new challenges, because the park is still growing. In the last year, Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation executive director Jennifer Morrissey said, the park has added more than 100 acres through a pair of acquisitions at its northern edges. Eventually the park may also add a safe river-crossing near the visitor center — a possibility rooted in tragedy. In early 2021, 21-year-old trailrunner Max LeNail died in a sudden storm while trying to cross the San Diego River near the visitor center. His family is hoping to build a footbridge in his memory, but for now, the nearest crossing is several miles away.

The Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve includes 10 cabins.

Where to stay

• The Kumeyaay Lake Campground (2 Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego; [619] 668-2748) is part of Mission Trails Regional Park. It includes 46 dry/primitive campsites, open Friday and Saturday nightly only. No RV hookups. Rates begin at $26 nightly.
• Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve (9310 Fanita Parkway, Santee; [619] 596-3141) includes 290 RV spots, about 12 tent-camping sites and 10 cabins. The RV and tent camping spots rent for $62-$111 nightly. Cabins go for $137-$265. There’s plenty of fishing and boating, but no swimming in the recycled water of the lakes. The preserve has a space set aside for a lakefront restaurant with ample deck, but two concessionaires have closed there since 2021 and 2024. Preserve management has said another restaurant will open soon.

The view from atop Cowles Mountain at Mission Trails Regional Park, San Diego.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Denise McKinney says she has probably somewhere close to half a million matchbooks tucked away inside her Riverside home.

She’s been collecting for years and will typically pick up whatever strikes her fancy, no pun intended. She has specialties now, like matchbooks with animals on them or matchbooks that advertise radio and TV stations, but she says her biggest collection by far is books from Southern California, including vintage motel matchbooks.

The motel turns 100. Explore the state’s best roadside havens — and the coolest stops along the way.

The president of the Angelus Matchcover Club says she likes matchbooks because of how they reflect a region’s history. She’s grabbed books that tout Route 66 attractions or places from her Orange County hometown.

Matchbook collectors Olivia Frescura, Robert Donnelson, Denise McKinney and Cheryl Crill.

(Amanda Villegas / For The Times)

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the motel, a concept that originated with the Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo (later renamed the Motel Inn). Though it didn’t become widely known until after World War II, “motel” is essentially a portmanteau for “motor hotel,” or a lodging place where the rooms could be entered through the parking lot rather than through a central lobby.

To get travelers in the door, motels used gimmicks to stand out among the stiff competition, like neon signs and themed decor, but also promotional materials like free postcards and pocket-sized matchbooks. With the 100th anniversary in mind, we wanted to look back at some of Southern California’s motel history as seen through collectors’ matchbooks. These books represent just a small fraction of the thousands of motels that have operated in the region but are a great place to start.