travel

Frontier Airlines is trying first class.

Even in an industry that’s constantly in motion, this is a departure not many would have predicted. Frontier has made its reputation as a low-fare carrier that relies heavily on extra charges for items including carry-on bags, boarding priority and airport agent assistance.

Yet for flights beginning March 5, 2027, the carrier will be offering a first class section in the first two rows of seating, with a seat-to-seat distance (known as seat pitch) of 37 inches. Frontier’s usual seat pitch is 28-31 inches. In addition, first class seating will be in 2-by-2 formation, eliminating the middle seat, and eventually, each passenger will have a USB-C power port.

A rendering of Frontier’s first class seats.

(Frontier)

In announcing the changes, Frontier said that the individual power ports and Starlink Wi-Fi — an addition the carrier announced in July — “will begin rolling out in 2027, with enhancements becoming available aircraft by aircraft throughout the year.” The idea, Frontier said, is to boost passenger comfort, choice and connectivity.

The airline is changing life in rows 3-8, too, charging extra-legroom prices while increasing the seat pitch there to 34 inches. Those seats, too, will have individual USB-C ports. Neither the first class not the extra-legroom seats include meals or snacks, unless you pay extra. Also, travel advice site the Points Guy points out that Frontier’s new first-class seats “don’t actually recline.” The airline says the seats “are pre-reclined for a relaxing experience throughout your journey.”

Frontier’s announcement comes about six weeks after Jetblue’s announcement that it would create a high-end category on domestic flights, Bluefirst, which will include wider reclining seats, an included meal, snacks, drinks and curb-to-carousel priority for baggage. Depending on the route, Jetblue’s flights with that new class will begin in December, January and February.

Frontier, founded in 1994 and based in Denver, flies about 170 aircraft to about 120 destinations in the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. The company has survived a bankruptcy reorganization (in 2008) and performance reports that ranked Frontier last among the 10 major U.S. airlines in 2022, 2023 and 2024. (Factors in those rankings included on-time arrivals, passengers denied boarding and customer complaints.)

To promote the new seating classes, Frontier is offering introductory prices for flights booked before Nov. 17 for travel from March 5 through April 5, with first-class, one-way fares starting at $129. As part of that promotion, one-way extra-legroom seats will start at $90.

The Jet2 Black Friday sale has also seen prices drop on flights for winter sun breaks to the Canary Islands, ski holidays, and summer 2027 getaways

There’s nothing to brighten up the cold and dark winter months like escaping on a magical mini-break to enjoy festive celebrations abroad. And Jet2 has just launched its Black Friday sale, offering up to 20% off flights to favourite Christmas market destinations – including to cities ranked the best in Europe for the occasion.

Those seeking a winter getaway can find flights to Prague from £38 in December, with direct flights from 10 UK airports to choose from with Jet2. Beginning on November 28, the famous Christmas markets of Prague are set against a backdrop of stunning historical architecture, with decorated huts selling local delicacies and handmade crafts alongside an open-air music stage, a nativity scene, and an ice rink.

Vienna is another popular destination, with flights now priced from £42 in the month of Christmas with Jet2 and 12 UK airports to travel from. The Austrian capital is transformed into a festive wonderland from mid-November, with more than 20 markets to discover across the city’s historic squares, palaces and gardens.

READ MORE:

£43 flights to ‘Europe’s best’ Christmas market

There are also Christmas markets to be found in Budapest, now on offer from £43 in December with Jet2 with the cheapest flights from Manchester and more direct options from Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, Glasgow Intl, Easy Midlands and Birmingham airports. Budapest, Vienna, and Prague are the top three ‘most beautiful’ European cities to visit for Christmas markets in 2026, according to Forbes.

Budapest’s Advent Bazilika, held in the city centre in front of St Stephen’s Basilica and running from November 13 until January 1, took the number one spot having been crowned the Best Christmas Market in Europe by European Best Destinations on multiple occasions. This year, the magical market will be home to more than a hundred stalls offering ‘unforgettable culinary experiences’ alongside unique souvenirs from ceramicists, designers, jewellery makers and more, as well as festive light displays and seasonal events and activities.

Shop the Jet2 Black Friday sale

From £39

Jet2

Choose your destination

Jet2 is offering up to 20% off flights in its Black Friday sale, including offers on winter breaks and ski holidays.

Winter ski breaks with £25 flights

The Jet2 Black Friday sale also offers holidaymakers the chance to book a winter ski break for less. The cheapest offers can be found in January for something to look forward to after Christmas, when flights to Geneva, Grenoble, Chambery and Turin are all available from UK airports from £25.

More airlines are offering winter breaks for less as Black Friday approaches, with easyJet having launched a sale on its package holidays with savings of up to £400 to be had, as well as flights from £32 to the likes of Malta, Cyprus, Morocco and Tunisia. The airline also offers exclusive flights from the UK to Akureyri in North Iceland, a prime spot for skiing with its snowy scenery, geothermal bathing, Northern Lights displays, and whale-watching opportunities.

TUI is also offering up to 40pp off return trips made between December and April, with 10kg hand luggage and an underseat bag included. Among the cheapest destinations are Marrakech, Malaga and the Canary Islands, with direct flights priced from £49 per person.

Escape the cold in the Canary Islands from £28

Back with Jet2, those who would prefer to ditch the chill for a winter sun getaway instead can jet off to the Canary Islands, known for its year-round warmth which means sun-lovers can enjoy a beach holiday in the depths of December. Flights are available from 13 UK airports, including London airports, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Flights with Jet2 have been reduced to as little as £28 to Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, with daytime temperatures across the islands averaging around 20-22°C in December and flight times from the UK standing at four to four-and-a-half hours. Rainfall in the Canary Islands is relatively low even at this time of year, and holidaymakers can typically look forward to six to eight hours of sunshine each day.

Those looking ahead to their next summer holidays can also lock in lower prices now this Black Friday, with Jet2 offering flights from £40 to the popular destinations of Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca for a budget-friendly break. The sale also includes discounts on flight add-ons such as bags, seats and meals to upgrade journeys for less, with more than 80 destinations to choose from.

The airline has earned an average rating of 4.3 out of five stars on Trustpilot, making it one of the most highly-rated companies to fly with from the UK. However, not everyone’s travel experience was smooth, with one person noting in a recent review: “Two-hour delay said to be due to technical issues. The plane that arrived was smaller and caused issues with seats and room for cabin luggage. “

Jet2 has been named a Which? Recommended Provider for the past 10 years running, with the consumer experts having named the airline as the best short-haul economy option available in its 2026 ranking. Which? noted: “Jet2 cancelled far fewer flights at the last minute than most rivals and clinched four stars for customer service, value for money and the booking process (simplified because there’s no need to add cabin bags).”

The Jet2 Black Friday sale is on now.

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

This week, we take a look at the Sri Lankan resort of Bentota and, with new British Airways launching just last month, BA destination manager Yasmin Jewels reveals her top tips.

MUST SEE/DO

Bentota beach is considered one of the best in Sri Lanka, a wide stretch of golden sand backed by palm trees on the south-west coast.

As well as perfect lounging territory, the calm waters of the Bentota River and lagoon are perfect for paddleboarding, kayaking, windsurfing and banana boat rides.

Hop aboard a boat to glide through lush mangroves along the river itself.

And don’t miss a visit to the Kande Viharaya Temple, a hilltop Buddist shrine dating back to the 18th century famous for its striking seated Buddha, one of the tallest in the world.

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HIDDEN GEM

Don’t miss Brief Garden, a lush paradise created by Sri Lankan artist Bevis Bawa.

Wander through shaded pathways, tropical planting and flower-filled courtyards with sculptures tucked away throughout the grounds.

BEST VIEW

Head to Bentota Beach at sunset for sweeping views across the palm-fringed sands and the Indian Ocean as the sun sets over the west coast.

RATED RESTAURANT

Malli’s Seafood Restaurant Riverside is a well-known Bentota favourite, known for its generous portions of seafood and authentic curries in a relaxed riverside setting.

The White Tree restaurant offers a more modern feel with lots of local dishes and of course, seafood.

And the Vintage Restaurant is a cosy, intimate spot with a pretty garden setting that mixes Sri Lankan favourites with international dishes.

BEST BAR

The Loft Bar at Thaala Bentota has great views of the Indian Ocean and a relaxed, lounge-style atmosphere perfect for sunset drinks.

The Tease Bar at the Taj Bentota Resort & Spa is great for music and evening cocktails.

For casual drinks with river views, Pier 88 is also a popular spot.

HOTEL PICK

For a stylish, 5* stay the Cinnamon Bentota Beach was designed by legendary local architect Geoffrey Bawa and sits between the Bentota River and Indian Ocean.

There’s four restaurants and a swim-up bar.

Seven nights’ B&B is from £1,799pp including British Airways flights from Gatwick on select dates in November and 23kg luggage.

Or for a great value stay, the 4* Hotel Riu Sri Lanka sits right on Ahungalla beach has 24-hour all-inclusive, three pools, spa and wellness centre and lots of entertainment for adults and kids.

Seven nights’ all-inclusive is from £1,299pp including Gatwick flights on select dates this November.

The Los Angeles County Flood Control District includes almost 500 miles of open channels. How much of it can be used for hiking and biking trails, green spaces and parks?

A coalition of L.A. County officials and local nonprofits is working together on a new initiative, known as Urban Natureways, to find out. Urban Natureways aims to develop L.A. County property, along rivers and other waterways, into community spaces for neighborhoods of color that have borne the brunt of high pollution and other environmental burdens.

The coalition’s first accomplishment will be celebrated Saturday at the grand opening of the project’s first mobility hub. Operated by ActiveSGV, a mobility justice nonprofit, the hub will offer free electric bike rentals on select weekends at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale.

Cyclists sign forms before renting electric bikes at the new mobility hub at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

In this week’s edition of The Wild, our weekly outdoors newsletter, I will introduce you to not only this new electric bike program but also to the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation’s new Urban Natureways initiative. Can L.A. County develop these green spaces that local residents want without opening the door for gentrification? We’ll dig into that too.

First, let’s talk about what Urban Natureways is.

Approved by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors last year, the initiative creates a coalition of L.A. County leaders and local nonprofits who meet monthly to discuss and plan projects and find funding for those projects. This includes developing linear parks, which are typically long and narrow, and other community outdoors spaces on county land.

“The County is uniquely poised to seize a transformative opportunity to reimagine its flood control and utility corridors as dynamic Urban Natureways that serve both people and the environment,” the motion reads. “… While [a flood control channel’s] primary function is to reduce the risk to life and property, in certain cases, these underutilized spaces can also become living infrastructure, linking neighborhoods, restoring ecosystems, and delivering environmental, health, and mobility benefits where they are needed most.”

Cyclists riding electric bikes rented from the mobility hub make their way through Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area bike trails.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Urban Natureways is focused on four project areas: the Pacoima Wash, the Emerald Necklace project along the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel rivers, Compton Creek and the lower L.A. River.

Thus far, eight projects have received $12.8 million for planning, design and construction.

Funded projects and future plans include a wellness loop, new trees and landscaping along the Compton Creek; public art, community gardens, a regional stormwater project, an e-bike library and multi-use trails at the Pacoima Wash; and a river gateway with trails, native landscaping, environmental education, along with a mobility hub and gathering spaces, at the Lower L.A. River.

Saturday’s grand opening is the first Urban Natureways pilot project, which García-González said shows how public land can be activated by a community-based organization, especially one that’s local and whose leaders are actively engaged in their community.

Geese prepare to land on the water at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Organizations like ActiveSGV “are very invested in their communities,” García-González said. “They’ve done a lot of work in regards to being the champions to what the community needs are.”

The mobility hub is at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, an 836-acre park with a 70-acre lake and several recreational opportunities, including swimming, fishing, kayaking and riding bikes.

The nonprofit ActiveSGV has operated the hub since September after being granted a 10-year lease from L.A. County. It offers Class 1 e-bikes to check out at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on select Saturdays and Sundays. Anyone can check out a bike for free by registering for a rental at ActiveSGV’s Eventbrite page.

“Even with these hot summers, some light showers and random weather, we’ve seen pretty good participation,” said ActiveSGV executive director David Diaz. “Tickets continue to be sold out. That’s been encouraging.”

Riders drop off and pick up e-bikes at the new mobility hub at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Other cyclists have stopped by the hub to simply rest and hang out after taking a long ride to the Santa Fe Dam, he said.

ActiveSGV’s next mobility hub will be at Peck Road Water Conservation Park in Arcadia.

Diaz said residents have shared that they don’t feel safe riding bikes alongside vehicle traffic. The mobility hubs help encourage people to enjoy cycling along car-free paths, he said.

“We want to be able to activate and provide opportunities for people to discover the Rio Hondo and the San Gabriel River and parallel and adjacent parks and areas in a positive way that is currently not available to them,” he said. “It’s really important to be able to provide opportunities for people to safely recreate and build community in the community that they live in.”

Although I am ecstatic over new opportunities for people to be outdoors, I still remain cautiously optimistic. One of my biggest questions for García-González was: How do you ensure these new community-led green spaces and projects don’t lead to gentrification?

Riders stand near the ActiveSGV e-bike they checked out through a new free bike rental program.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Part of it, she said, is learning from other projects’ mistakes.

A few years ago, a delegation of officials from L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation, the county Department of Public Works and the county Department of Economic Opportunity, which specifically works with small businesses and “high road” employers, traveled to Georgia to learn from leaders involved in the Atlanta Beltline. The project, organized over unused railroad lines, will be a 22-mile loop of trails and parks when complete, stretching through dozens of neighborhoods, “creating a vibrant public space for recreation, commerce, and cultural expression. Along the path, you can find new restaurants, breweries, art galleries, local businesses, and experience moving arts and cultural exhibits and programs,” according to the Beltline website.

The main criticism of the Atlanta Beltline has been how its leaders failed to effectively finance and build affordable housing within and around the project and how rents and property taxes skyrocketed, displacing Black residents who lived in and around the project area.

A cyclist takes an electric bike from ActiveSGV’s new rental booth at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area for a ride.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

The Beltline “lost its way from a transit and trails project to this transformative real estate development project,” Daniel Immergluck, a professor emeritus at Georgia State University who was a co-author of the 2017 study on home values, told the New York Times.

Development of green spaces along the L.A. River has raised similar concerns.

Times contributor Jireh Deng spoke to Jon Christensen, director of the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies at UCLA, who said river revitalization can be part of a “green gentrification cycle” as new development pushes out old communities.

Deng wrote that this creates a “chicken-and-egg paradox” where it’s difficult to discern which came first: “the amenities surrounding the L.A. River or the more affluent people seeking them.”

A drone photo of the Los Angeles skyline and Los Angeles River.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“When people are more connected to nature, they want to support nature more,” Christensen said of his studies on how people connect to the outdoors. “It’s really kind of a virtuous cycle there.”

García-González said gentrification was “front and center” for the L.A. County group when its members visited the Beltline.

She said part of what she learned from studying the project is that the Beltline evolved into more of an infrastructure project, and the private sector jumped at the opportunity to buy land, housing and businesses around the project, contributing to the gentrification of local neighborhoods.

That’s part of the reason that L.A. County is focused on small projects and not securing “huge infrastructure dollars,” García-González said, and is working with longtime community organizations, meeting monthly to discuss funding opportunities, project ideas and more.

A bicyclist rides on the L.A. River Path near Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park along the Los Angeles River.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“I will also say that a key piece is making sure there can be, in the future, land banking for housing and affordable housing that comes as we’re activating community spaces and utilizing these rivers,” she said, referencing the public L.A. County Land Bank.

As a journalist, I think it’s important to hold government accountable while also acknowledging when a government initiative seems to be on the right track. I hope to do both with the Urban Natureways project. I hope this project opens up opportunities for residents, regardless of ZIP Code, to have a green space near them where they can find reprieve from heat and are able to find joy in being outdoors.

3 things to do

Cyclists travel down a car-free street in Pasadena.

(CicLAvia Los Angeles)

1. Pedal through car-free Pasadena
CicLAvia will host a 2.7-mile car-free street festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday in Pasadena. Guests can walk or roll (or dance) along a closed segment of Colorado Boulevard, visiting local businesses and community organizations along the way. Only people-powered vehicles are allowed, with specific rules for e-bikes. It has been 11 years since CicLAvia had an event in Pasadena. Learn more at ciclavia.org.

2. Venture through history near Mountain Center
The Friends of the Desert Mountains will host a hiking tour of Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail corridor from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday around Mountain Center. Participants will hike short segments at various points of interest along Highway 74, learning about history, culture and politics along the way. Register at eventbrite.com.

3. Take field notes in Calabasas
The Santa Monica Mountains Fund will host an archaeology day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center (26876 Mulholland Highway in Calabasas). Guests will hear from Indigenous cultural leaders and can practice throwing an atlatl spear, view local artifacts and become a junior archaeologist (with a special patch). Register at eventbrite.com.

The must-read

(Kaitlin Brito / For The Times)

The winter holiday season is rapidly approaching. No, I haven’t bought any gifts either! If you’re already feeling behind, I have good news: The Times published its annual Gift Guide earlier this month, and it includes 24 recommendations that I put together, with my colleague Deborah Vankin, for the best gifts for hikers, walkers and campers. The list includes smaller items such as a loupe and “backcountry bidet” and bigger-ticket items including Topo Designs’ Klettersack, the backpack I take with me on most Wild hikes. As I mentioned in our guide: “Over the last four years, I’ve easily hiked over 100 miles with the Klettersack on my back — including once when I dropped it off the side of a mountain and into a river — and it was fine!”

And as a bonus: Check out our 2024 and 2025 outdoor gift recommendations, which we still stand by!

Happy adventuring,

P.S.

I camped in tents this past weekend in rural Oklahoma with several dear friends. The first night, the temperature dipped to the low 40s (maybe lower). After we went to bed, my friends started talking about how cold they were. I stayed silent, as I didn’t want to rub in how warm I was. In fact, I was a little hot. I’ve learned a lot since becoming an outdoors journalist about how to camp comfortably — after camping plenty of times uncomfortably (including one particularly frigid night near Weaverville while writing a guide to the Trinity Alps). I wanted to share a few quick tips as we head into winter. A common mistake people make is going to bed in sweaty clothing they’ve worn all day, including that day’s socks and underwear. I always save a fresh set of clothes when car camping that I will only sleep in. My tent pajamas usually include an ethically sourced wool long-sleeve shirt as my base layer, some fleece or wool base thermal underwear, and wool socks (usually these that I wrote about in the 2024 Gift Guide). I hope this information helps keep you cozy on your next camping trip!

For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.

WANT to know where’s hot (not literally) this winter? Expedia has just revealed its top trending destinations.

From far-flung islands in The Bahamas to famous UK university cities, all of these spots have seen a surge in interest, and for good reason.

Expedia has used data from lodging searches made on its website between July and October 2026 for travel this winter, compared to the same period in 2025, to find the rising spots.

The top trending international destination this winter is Exuma in The Bahamas, which is up 115 per cent from last year.

Exuma is made up of over 365 islands and cays – the largest being Great Exuma, which is only 37 miles long.

The islands which sit at around 25C in winter, are surrounded by bright blue waters and are well-known for having spots where you can swim with pigs.

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In second spot is Quebec City in Canada, where interest is up 75 per cent.

The French-speaking destination is much cooler in the winter months with average highs during the day of around -5C.

But there’s plenty to do including wrapping up warm to explore its enormous castle called Fairmont Le Château Frontenac.

Or take a walk through historic Old Quebec which makes for a pretty picture spot thanks to its cobbled streets and historic buildings.

In third spot is the city of Malmo in Sweden which is up 45 per cent.

It’s considered a quieter alternative to Stockholm and has an enormous Turning Torso skyscraper as well as pretty castles.

Thanks to its Lebanese and Palestinian immigration history, Malmo has a thriving falafel street food scene too giving it the nickname ‘Falafel City’.

It’s not just far-flung destinations either, there’s plenty of close cities for Brits to visit that have seen a surge in interest.

At the very top of the list of trending places in the UK is Cardiff, which is up 45 per cent.

The capital of Wales is regularly voted the UK’s best city and has a thriving restaurant and nightlife scene.

There are lots of independent eateries, or head to Cardiff Market filled with stalls selling fresh Welsh cakes and cheeses.

The second on the list is Oxford which is up 35 per cent.

The city is steeped in history and one popular activity is to take a tour of Oxford University – after all, it’s one of the most prestigious in the world.

Riverboat cruises are popular, and for any Harry Potter fans, check out the tours which go behind the scenes of some of the locations you’ll recognise from the films.

Also on the list are Harrogate, the Cotswolds and Torquay.

Here’s the full list of Expedia’s trending destinations this winter…

International

1. Exuma, The Bahamas (+115%)
2. 2. Quebec City, Canada (+75%)
3. Malmo, Sweden (+45%)
4. Hakone, Japan (40%)
5. Curaçao (+40%)
6. Phu Quoc, Vietnam (+30%)
7. Martinique (+30%)
8. Zakopane, Poland (+20%)
9. Ocho Rios, Jamaica (+20%)
10. Turin, Italy (+20%)

Domestic

1. Cardiff (45%)
2. Oxford (35%)
3. Harrogate (30%)
4. Cotswolds (30%)
5. Torquay (20%)

PREMIER Inn is set to build a new £10 million hotel in a major boost for a UK market town.

Britain’s largest hotel chain has announced plans to transform the site of a former factory.

The new hotel in North Walsham, Norfolk, will feature the chain’s latest bedroom designs, and will be built on the former Crane Fruehauf site on the outskirts of the town.

Lucy Shires, a Liberal Democrat councillor for the area, celebrated the brand coming to the town.

She told the BBC she hoped it would attract more visitors and boost jobs.

Councillor Shires said: “A national company like Whitbread choosing to invest about £10 million here is a real vote of confidence in our town’s future.

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“The hotel will bring the prospect of permanent jobs and more visitors spending money in local shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants, with benefits for the surrounding area too.”

At the initial planning stage, North Norfolk District Council heard objections about the hotel‘s designs.

The council’s conservation officer had complained about its “architectural quality”, believing it would appear “overly dominant”.

The officer also described the plans for the hotel as “box-like”.

However, district officials ruled the benefits outweighed concerns about the design and approved the plans, although it is not yet known when construction will start on the site.

Whitbread, owner of Premier Inn, operates 850 hotels across the UK and Ireland.

EVERY holidaymaker knows the pain of the airport gate: battling for a single plug socket, sad soggy sandwiches and expensive pre-flight pints.

Luckily, this travel trick lets you skip that dread entirely, letting you kick back in a glamorous lounge with complimentary food and booze instead.

Bag 30% off a Standard Priority Pass membership in the Black Friday sale

The key to bagging yourself a luxurious lounge pass for cheap is by signing up to Priority Pass.

Now’s the perfect time to bag a bargain, too, with 30 per cent off standard memberships in their early Black Friday sale.

The membership gives you access to over 1,900 airport lounges around the world, which means no more painfully stuffy airport gates.

With so many lounges under one roof, it immediately solves the problem of signing up for one specific lounge brand, then having to hope they have one wherever you go on holiday.

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85% of the world’s top 100 airports are covered by Priority Pass, so chances are you’ll be sorted.

In the lounge you can help yourself to free food, drinks (including alcohol) and relax on comfy sofas that are worlds away from those hard plastic chairs.

Depending on the airport you fly from, you could even be taking advantage of hot showers, quiet zones and private sleep pods to catch up on rest after that gruelling early morning alarm.

The VIP perks also extend beyond the buffet and lounge experience.

Priority Pass members get access to Be Relax spa treatments at participating airports, meaning you can treat yourself to a pre-flight massage or a fresh manicure to show off on your hols.

You also get a takeaway freebie to use at home: complimentary access to the WithU Fitness app.

Bag 30% off a Standard Priority Pass membership in the Black Friday sale

This freebie workout app is worth £79.99 a year, and creates you a personalised exercise programme to use in the gym or even your living room.

This means that for one yearly price you’ve got all your glamorous travel and fitness plans taken care of, so you can live that luxurious lifestyle on a budget.

The Priority Pass Standard membership normally costs £69 per year, but the Black Friday sale shaves 30 per cent off this plan.

That drops your year-long membership fee to just £48, which works out at £4 per month.

When you tot up how many expensive airport meals and pints you can rack up over only a few holidays a year, then £48 becomes totally worth it.

Once you are signed up to the Standard membership, you pay a flat £24 entry fee each time you visit a lounge.

When you factor in the sky-high prices of standard airport bars and restaurants, that £24 easily pays for itself through the complimentary food and free-flowing alcoholic drinks available inside.

All Priority Pass member benefits

Priority Pass members get access to the following:

• Complimentary food and drinks at ALL lounges

• Sleep pods and showers at select lounges

• Be Relax spa treatments at select airports

• Bring along a guest (£24 Guest visit fee)

• Discounts on more airport dining and extra spa treatments

• The option to re-book selected lounges for a supplementary fee

• Free membership to the WithU Fitness app (worth £79.99 per year)

Bag 30% off a Standard Priority Pass membership in the Black Friday sale

Prices correct at the time of publication.

George Lucas’ original 1977 film “Star Wars” is being reimagined for its 50th anniversary. The pop culture phenomena that started an empire is coming to Inglewood’s Cosm, home to a high-definition spherical screen that wraps around audiences.

“Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope” is the first in a multiyear, multifilm agreement between the Walt Disney Co. and Cosm. The film will begin screening in March 2027. Cosm has previously screened films such as “The Matrix,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” all from Warner Bros.

“We are thrilled obviously to be a part of the 50th anniversary,” said Alexis Scalice, vice president and head of Cosm Studios. “There are definitely going to be moments and effects that you haven’t ever seen before at Cosm.”

The El Segundo-based Cosm has been making more inroads in Hollywood of late. It was recently announced that Sony Pictures will invest $100 million and take a minority stake in the company.

Cosm’s entertainment offerings present the original film untouched in a frame that may shift around the screen, but accentuates it with supplemental, CGI content that helps flesh out environments. Cosm also has theaters in Dallas, Detroit and Atlanta, with a location in development for Cleveland. Cosm, which first drew attention for presenting live sports, shares its content among all its locations.

“Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope” will open at Cosm in March 2027. Artist Shepard Fairey designed the poster for the event.

(Cosm / Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Co. )

While “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope” hasn’t been immune to tinkering and enhancements over the years, the Cosm treatment will be a step in a different direction. Cosm’s domed, 87-foot-diameter wraparound screen surrounds audiences and represents today’s hunger for collective, so-called immersive experiences that place attendees in fantastical environments. Cosm refers to its productions as “shared reality,” a term that in part is a nod to their communal nature.

Cosm will be screening the 2019 edition of “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope,” a remaster to coincide with the release of streaming service Disney+. The film will be displayed in its original 16:9 format on the Cosm screen. Cosm is partnering with Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and visual effects house MakeMake on the release, and worked with artist Shepard Fairey on a poster for the event. Like past entertainment offerings at the venues, Cosm will create a themed food and drink menu inspired by the film.

“I always say it’s like a best-hits album, where you have got to deliver,” Scalice said when discussing Cosm’s approach to embellishing original cinematic content. “You’ve got to deliver on light speed. You’ve got to deliver on moments.”

Over the decades, there have been efforts to expand the moviegoing experience, be it the on-and-off flirtation with interactive cinema, a brief trend in the ’90s that lived again on Netflix a few years ago (see “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch”), to more recent 4-DX theaters with movement-enabled seats (see the light, water and wind effects of “Twisters”). Cosm, like the bigger, more live music-focused Sphere in Las Vegas, seems to have a different pitch: an all-encompassing screen that can provide previously unexplored vantage points, at times even creating a theme-park-ride sense of movement.

Audience members watch the “Seek” immersive show at Cosm in 2024. The dome-like screen can create a sense of movement, making the venue feel akin to a living space.

(Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)

Cosm’s interpretation of “The Matrix,” for instance, a collaboration with experiential creative agency Little Cinema, envelops audiences from its opening action sequence when a nighttime view of a city skyline seemingly places us on a rooftop. Elsewhere, an office building becomes a maze of cubicles. The film’s centerpiece red pill versus blue pill moment centers the frame among oversized, glowing capsules. When Keanu Reeves’ Neo awakens, we are lost amid mountainous, industrial pods.

“My favorite compliment from fans is, ‘I’ve seen this movie 100 times, but I feel like I’ve seen it for the first time today,‘” Scalice said. “That’s our biggest compliment because we don’t want to take away the authenticity of it.”

Cosm has worked best when it’s able to use its venue to create the illusion of no longer being a spectator, when the space itself starts to appear like a living theater. Feel this, for instance, in “Harry Potter” when the young wizards traverse a moving staircase. The frame of the screen may move, creating a slight sense of disorientation as the stairs themselves shift. The portraits on the wall, whose characters occasionally come alive, start to envelop us.

It’s moviegoing fit for a theme park, a medium in which “Star Wars” has long been familiar.

AFTER a summer of lengthy European airport queues while signing up to the new EES system, Brits were beginning to hope they could look forward to a calmer summer next year.

But it turns out there’s a whole host of new problems on the horizon – as computers are failing to log when a British holidaymaker returns to the UK.

On my recent trip to Sweden, I was stopped at the border and told I had overstayed my stay in the Schengen Area by 145 days – automatically, I was facing a travel ban and potential fine.

I was blissfully unaware of the EES error until I handed my passport to border control who to my horror said: “Your passport says you’re still in France“.

I was pretty floored because I hadn’t been to France recently. But it turned out my exit hadn’t been recorded from when I took the Eurostar to Paris back in March.

Considering I was entering Sweden in early November, that took me well over the allowance of 90 days within any rolling 180-day period.

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It totted up to 235 consecutive days.

If I was unlucky like some, I could have been turned away at the gate and put straight back on a plane to the UK or fined up to €10,000 (£8,300).

However, the lovely staff member at Stockholm Arlanda Airport simply asked me how long I had stayed for and luckily for me, took my word for it.

I had only stayed for two days in Paris, rather than the over 200 it had recorded.

With a few clicks the border control officer corrected my online EES record and sent me through without so much of a second look.

The entire situation could have been so much worse – as experienced by lots of Brits whose exits have been wrongly recorded by EES machines… or in some cases, not recorded at all.

In one recent case, famous author Jojo Moyes was threatened with a fine and ban on travel into Europe after being labelled an ‘overstayer’.

Jojo Moyes’s ordeal happened on her way home from a five-day trip to Marseille in October.

She was stopped at the border and told she had overstayed in the Schengen Area.

However, the writer had only spent 23 days in Europe in the last six months – what had happened is that her departure from Portugal in May had not been logged.

She told Which?: “The clock had been ticking ever since. Under Brexit rules, I was now an overstayer.

“The border control senior officer at Marseille warned me that I should not attempt to re-enter Europe until it is sorted out, or face a €10,000 (£8,300) fine and a two-year ban.”

Another British woman I know professionally was also stopped from entering Finland after a trip to Rome.

She told me: “I was stopped at the border in Finland last November by border control who said my record was showing I was still in Italy.

“While I had registered with EES going into Rome, it hadn’t recorded me leaving.”

She added: “After a lot of back and forth with border control officers and around 45-minutes of waiting, it was recognised as an error and I was let into the country.”

One of the worst cases though, was of Mrs Paula Pugh – who was essentially deported from Italy shortly after arriving on a family holiday.

Paula had just landed in Italy when she was told at border control that she had overstayed her 90 day limit and as a result she was escorted out of Italy.

Talking to The Telegraph, Paula explained that she had only taken three short visits to Spain and one to France before her Italy break – which totted up to 22 days.

However, the system hadn’t recorded her last exit from the Schengen Area, and Paula was put back on a plane by police on the same day.

Her passport was even given to the captain for the duration of their flight.

How can you avoid these problems?

If you’re worried that you’ve not been logged out of the EU’s Schengen Area properly, there is a way to do so.

Before travelling, I’d advise you to check the days left on your record with an EES online tool from The European Commission.

You just need to fill in the details from your passport, where you’re headed next, and it will reveal how many remaining days you have left.

But note: this does not include any stays recorded before April 10, 2026.

If you have spotted an error in the number of days, you will need to contact the Data Controller for the country in which you believe the error was made.

Your email explaining the mistake will need to include a passport scan and proof of your exit which can be a boarding pass for a flight, train or bus ticket from the Schengen zone.

The list of Data Controllers is available here.

Has this happened to you? Get in touch by emailing alice.penwill@thesun.co.uk

What’s the issue with EES?

EES was fully rolled out on April 10, 2026 – the system was designed to make travel for Brits quicker and easier through the Schengen Area.

The electronic system replaces the need for passport stamps by recording entry and exit through fingerprint scanning instead.

When you arrive at the destination the scan will record your entry, and when you leave, it will record the exit – or it should.

However, the issue with EES is that at the moment, Brits are still registering at the special machines which have resulted in huge queues at airports.

On occasion, EES machines have been turned off entirely to ease congestion – but this means that not everyone will then be recorded correctly.

In some cases glitches with the EES system means it could be turned off – passengers could then be manually stamped out, but this won’t appear on the system.

BA CityFlyer will cut all of its flights from London Stansted by April 2027.

British Airways told The Sun that customers can book BA CityFlyer Stansted services until next spring when its aircraft will be deployed elsewhere.

The airline has been at the airport for the last decade but it is pulling out of its hub entirely.

BA CityFlyer is an owned subsidiary of British Airways that flies short-haul routes to and from the UK.

Talking to Sun Travel, British Airways said: “We continually review our network and will no longer operate BA CityFlyer weekend services from London Stansted following the end of the 2026/27 ski season.

“Customers can continue to book and travel on BA CityFlyer Stansted services until 11 April 2027. We regularly review where we deploy our aircraft to best meet customer demand and will invest this capacity elsewhere across our network.”

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Five routes were initially set to fly from London Stansted during weekends over the summer, but have been axed for 2027.

No longer available will be routes to Bergerac, Nice, Florence, Olbia and Majorca.

Without BA CityFlyer serving the routes, there will be no direct link from London Stansted to Florence next summer.

But BA CityFlyer is scheduled to continue operating this route during the winter season.

Luckily, the other four routes will be served by other airlines during the summer 2027 season.

For those wanting to fly to Bergerac, Ryanair will go there five times a week next year.

Olbia in Italy will be served by both Ryanair and Jet2 twice a week.

Palma de Mallorca in Spain will have links from London Stansted with Ryanair, Jet2 and TUI.

There will also be daily flights to Nice in France with Ryanair from the airport.

Currently, the BA CityFlyer is running weekend flights to Florence, Chambéry, and Geneva as part of its winter schedule.

BA CityFlyer will continue to fly out of London City Airport, which is its larger hub to over 20 destinations.

LOOKING to book your holidays for next year already? Then TUI has a load of hotels opening across the year to explore.

Whether you want to head to the Mediterranean or the Red Sea, plan a busy family break or relax in an adults-only oasis of calm – there is something for everyone.

Several of the new hotels are TUI BLUE properties that have hundreds of free activities included for guests to explore as well as Blue Guides who are on-site local experts that act as personal concierges with insider tips.

Chris Logan, TUI UK’s Commercial Director said: ”These new hotels mean even more choice for our customers, in some brilliant destinations across Europe and North Africa. 

“What makes a TUI holiday different is that we take care of so much of the experience ourselves, from our own hotel brands, like TUI BLUE, to flights and kids’ clubs, activities and experiences.”

Here’s the full line-up of TUI’s new openings for 2027:

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TUI BLUE Diane

Set to open in summer 2027, TUI BLUE Diane sits directly on a pebbled beach on the island of Brac in Croatia.

The hotel will initially have 120 rooms, which will increase to 155 in 2028.

A number of rooms also have a plunge pool or access to a shared pool.

Guests can enjoy a seafront swimming pool, all-inclusive restaurant with a sea-view terrace and weekly themed dinners.

Nearby, Supetar town centre features shops, restaurants and a pretty harbour.

For example, guests can head for a walk along Supetar’s harbour which is peppered with ice cream parlours and palm trees.

Make sure to visit a konoba (family-run taverna) and try grilled Adriatic fish or black risotto.

Right outside the resort is also Tri Mosta and Banj Beach, which is ideal for families with a shallow entry from the sand.

Prices for a family of four travelling from London Gatwick airport in July start from £883 per person on an all- inclusive basis. 

TUI BLUE Calheta Beach

Over in the ‘Hawaii of Europe’ aka Madeira, Portugal, TUI BLUE Calheta Beach will also open in summer 2027.

Calheta sits in Madeira’s warmest and sunniest microclimate as well, making it the ideal place to soak up the sun.

The hotel will have 153 rooms and sits directly by the beach.

There’s a sea-view pool, three restaurants, a spa and evening entertainment for guests to enjoy.

There’s plenty for families with a kid’s club, table tennis, cooking and cocktail classes and evening dance shows.

All-inclusive stays are also available.

From the hotel, guests can relax on the beach or head off on a number of hiking trails to explore the coastline and surrounding mountains.

Next to the resort is Calheta Marina with waterfront cafes and several seafood restaurants.

A short walk away guests can also visit a Sugar Cane Mill for free and see the old steam-powered machinery crushing sugarcane for local rum and sugarcane honey.

Day trips from Calheta are popular as well, such as heading on a boat trip to see bottlenose and common dolphins, pilot whales and sperm whales.

Prices for two adults travelling from Manchester airport in June start from £1,245 per person on an all- inclusive basis.

TUI BLUE Vistama

Egypt is set to get two new hotels with the first being TUI BLUE Vistama, near Safaga in the Hurghada region.

The adults-only hotel set to open in summer 2027 has its own 300-metre beach, as well as two pools, three restaurants, four bars, daily watersports and a spa.

Watersports sessions include diving and snorkelling in the Red Sea, directly from the resort.

As for the rooms, guests can choose to have a swim-up room.

Nearby, visitors can drive 10 minutes to Safaga Port Town and see its famous black sand dunes as well as a number of local markets.

For a day trip, guests can head on a boat trip to Tobia Island, which is a flat sandbar island with shallow coral gardens.

Prices for two adults travelling from East Midlands airport in July start from £1,048 per person on an all- inclusive basis.

TUI BLUE Makadi Oasis

The second hotel to open in Egypt will be the TUI BLUE Makadi Oasis also in Hurghada, with four pools and loads of family activities.

The hotel also has a private sandy beach around a five minute walk away.

This spot is perfect for families as guests of the hotel all get access to a nearby waterpark – Makadi Bay Water World – with more than 50 slides.

The waterpark is one of the largest in Egypt with specific slides including the Black Hole Slide where you travel through the darkness in an enclosed tube with funky neon lighting and the Uphill Slide, where you hop in a two-man raft and travel along a slide with twists, turns, drops and hills.

There is also a free shuttle between the hotel and the waterpark.

Other spots to explore in Makadi Bay include the Souk just 300 metres from the hotel – inside it is lined with boutique shops and small cafes.

From the jetty in the bay you can also go snorkelling and spot sea turtles, clownfish and rays.

For a day trip, visitors can hop on a daily yacht or catamaran trip from the jetty to either Giftun Island and Mahmya or Orange Bay to see white beaches and turquoise lagoons.

Prices for a family of four travelling from London Luton airport in July start from £873 per person on an all- inclusive basis.

TUI Magic Life Agadir

TUI Magic Life Agadir in Morocco will be the group’s 500th own-brand hotel project.

At a Magic Life hotel, everything is all-inclusive – so for this hotel you will get evening entertainment, watersports like windsurfing and catamaran sailing, child care, food and drink.

It is set to open in summer 2027 and is at a 16th century property that will be the first Magic Life club in Morocco.

The resort will feature 427 rooms in total, three swimming pools, three restaurants and four bars.

Agadir enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year and has several amazing beaches to explore such as Agadir Beach, which is a huge crescent shaped beach backed by a promenade.

To explore the local culture, head to Agadir Oufella (The Old Kasbah) via a cable car.

The hilltop fortress boasts panoramic views of the bay.

You can also go to Souk El Had which is one of North Africa’s largest markets, with more than 3,000 stalls selling handwoven rugs, leather goods, pottery and spices.

Other TUI hotel openings

TUI Suneo hotels are value-focused three and four-star sun and beach hotels with buffets and simpler rooms and the brand’s first Malaysia hotel will open in 2027.

The first set for 2027 will be the TUI Suneo Mount Kiara, which will then be followed by TUISuneo Langkawiii.

Tui will also open a new hotel in China – TUI Suneo Qinzhou – which will have 250 rooms and open in the summer.

Across Europe TUI Suneo has several openings as well including TUI Suneo Compass in Varna, Bulgaria, which will be a family-friendly all-inclusive hotel with 145 rooms.

There will then also be TUI Suneo Torre de Sevilla in Spain, with 150 rooms.

And finally TUI Suneo Side in Turkey.

It has been transformed for the festive season

Christmas markets are an ideal place to get into the festive spirit and soak up the joyful atmosphere. They have been popping up in towns and cities across the UK.

Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham have seen their Christmas markets open in recent days. Now, another city is joining the list.

York is widely considered one of the most beautiful cities thanks to its Medieval streets and Gothic architecture. At Christmas time, it becomes even more magical as visitors can shop, sightsee and enjoy seasonal treats.

York Christmas Market sees 75 stalls line the city streets selling independent gifts, food and drink. Alpine chalets showcase the products, with over 80% of traders coming from Yorkshire.

Where is York Christmas Market?

The market is on Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square in the centre of York. The area has been filled with local traders, and is close by to shops and restaurants which will be decorated for the season.

York residents can get a 10% discount at all traders when presenting a valid York Card or ID that proves York residency.

What are the opening times?

York Christmas Market opens on Thursday, November 12 and will run until December 21. It is open Wednesday to Monday, 10:30am until 7pm, with a rest day on Tuesdays.

If you are visiting York on a Tuesday, the rest of the city will offer a festive experience. You can explore York’s shops and historic streets as well as looking out for other festive events across the city.

On the final day, the market will close slightly earlier at 5pm on December 21.

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How to get there

The market is accessible by train as York Station is around a 14 minute walk away. Visit York recommends using York Park and Ride with travel for an adult being £4 and up to three children travel free. There will be more buses put on throughout the festive season.

What traders are at the market?

Food and drink:

• Beth Bakes Cakes
• Blueberry Hill Preserves
• Brew York
• Brown & Blond Brownies
• Bullion Chocolate
• Caroline’s Fudge & Sweets
• Casa Mia
• Charlie & Ivy’s
• Chilli Jam Man
• Cooper King Distillery
• Crumbles Desserts
• Cryer & Stott Cheesemongers
• Deborah Bakes
• Fairfax Distillery & Chocolatiers
• Filey Bay Yorkshire Single Malt Whiskey
• Florian Poirot
• Herbie’s
• Johnson’s Toffees
• Kettlesing Distilling Company and Farrah’s Harrogate
• La Focaccia
• Lily-Betts Luxurious Handcrafted Fudge
• Loaded Hash Browns by Ate O’Clock
• Lottie Shaw’s
• Lucia Restaurants
• Millers Street Food
• Moody Mare Patisserie
• Nashville Nuggs (by Mills Chicken)
• Northern Brownies
• Raisthorpe Manor
• Rhucello
• Shambles Kitchen
• The Crusty Pie Company
• The Cut & Craft – Mulled Wine
• The Cut & Craft – Steak & Chips
• The Fruity Kitchen
• The Gourmet Scotch Egg Co.
• The Hooting Owl Distillery
• The Irish Spice Bag
• The Sawley Kitchen
• The Twisted Curry Co.
• The Yorkshire Kitchen
• Tommy’s Pie Shop
• Villains Rum
• Whitby Distillery
• Wren & Berry Group
• York Cocoa Works
• York Gin
• Yorkshire Heart Vineyard & Brewery

Christmas gifts:

• Artifactually
• Crafty Bubble
• Keepsakes
• Nutty’s Emporium
• Paper Starlights
• The Festive House

Gifts:

• Amber & Orange
• Avorium
• Bags and Gladrags
• Beyond the Shelf
• Black Yak
• Bowbrook Studios
• Coaster Corner
• Colin Williamson Prints
• Copper & White
• Cosy Cottage
• Hop Skip & Flutter
• Hand Turned Pens
• Hollie Tree
• IdeaPOT
• Just Be Socks
• Katherine Sheard Designs
• Luke Horton Art
• Luminology
• Lush York
• Made With A Smile
• M.J. Braithwaite Fine Arts
• Mervyn Tay Art
• MS Unique Gifts
• Rainbownames
• Redleb Jewellery
• Staves Art
• Sarah Garbutt Accessories
• Socktopus
• Sunny Soap
• That Doggy in the Window
• The Cat Gallery
• The Library of Flowers
• The Vintage Model Company
• The Yorkshire Candle Company
• Traditional Wooden Games
• Victoria Prints GB
• Viking Drinking Horns
• Wacky Wax
• York Lucky Cats
• Indie York

Homeware:

• Blossom Gifts
• Luna Resin Wood Art
• Marbletree
• Rowbert
• The Ambient Company
• Wild Wood Gifts
• York Terrariums

Lifestyle:

• Celtic Knitwear Company
• HempWell
• Herd & Hive
• Nox
• Shea Alchemy

BRITISH Airways has announced its line-up for summer 2027 including flights to a breathtaking destination with towering mountains.

The airline has announced that it will be launching flights to the ‘City of Seven Mountains’ – Bergen in Norway – as part of its summer 2027 schedule.

The flight – which takes just under two hours – will head off from London Heathrow five times a week to the destination, between April 15 and October 30, 2027.

Bergen earns its nickname from the seven mountains that frame the city and it is the ideal base for exploring coastal fjords such as the Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord.

While it is known as one of Europe’s rainiest cities, it means that lush greenery surrounds the city.

For example, there is Mount Fløyen and Mount Ulriken, which are reached via the Fløibanen Funicular or hiking trails with panoramic views of the city below.

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Also check out Bryggen Wharf – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – where there are brightly painted wooden Hanseatic buildings, lining the edges of the harbour.

British Airways offers a fly-drive holiday package to Bergen from £349 per person between May 1 and 31, 2027, including return flights.

The airline is also moving around a couple of its flights.

Flights to Perugia, Italy will be moved from London Heathrow Airport to London City Airport and will operate five times a week between May 1 and September 28, 2027.

Skiathos, Greece, flights will move from London City Airport to London Heathrow Terminal 5 and will operate three times a week between May 20 and September 11, 2027.

BA Cityflyer will also launch new weekly services from Glasgow to Nice, France and Edinburgh to Split, Croatia.

Flights between Glasgow and Nice will take off once a week between May 15 and October 3, 2027.

And flights from Edinburgh to Split in Croatia, will operate once a week between May 15 and June 19, 2027 and then again from September 4 to October 2, 2027.

Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Chief Planning and Strategy Officer, said: “We’re delighted to be expanding our European network with new routes and convenient airport moves, offering customers even more ways to explore some of Europe’s most exciting destinations.

“From Norway’s spectacular fjords and the beaches of Skiathos to the rolling countryside of Umbria, the glamour of the French Riviera and Croatia’s stunning Adriatic coast, these additions provide greater choice and connectivity for customers planning their next summer trip.”

REVELLERS travelling to a famous Bonfire Night event this weekend will be forced to change their plans ahead of a train station closure.

Those heading to the Sussex town of Rye on Saturday (November 14) for the bonfire celebrations will have to make alternative travel plans because the station will close at 3pm.

The decision has been taken to shut the station early to prevent ‘trouble-causing youths’ who in previous years have travelled in from other areas to make mischief.

Those coming in by train will need to arrive before 3pm, as services after that will run straight through Rye to the next station without stopping.

Southern Rail area manager Paul Wyborn explained: “As with previous years, Rye railway station will be closed for reasons of public safety, from 3pm on the day of the town bonfire celebrations.

“Community organisers and members of the local multi-agency Safety Advisory Group have helped us reach this decision.”

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He added: “Trains will run through Rye without stopping until the normal start of service next day, Sunday 15 November, and online journey planners such as nationalrail.co.uk have been updated with this revised timetable.

“Please consider your alternatives if you’re planning to travel that day.”

James Foster, chair of Rye Bonfire Society, echoed his comments.

“We support Southern’s decision. The closure of Rye station limits the numbers coming from out of town and prevents an influx of youths who, in the past, have caused trouble,” he revealed.

“It has a noticeable positive impact on crowd behaviour, and this is clearly demonstrated by the reduction in police incidents.”

Other towns with proud bonfire traditions, like Lewes in East Sussex, have brought in similar measures to control crowd flow and reduce the risk of violence.

Lewes, which each year hosts a massive event for all of the local bonfire societies, closed its station from 5pm on Thursday, November 5.

Chief Inspector Sarah Taylor of Sussex Police added: “To ensure public safety, a decision has been made to close Rye Station during the bonfire event.

“Police officers will be working closely with partners to maintain order, prevent crime, and respond swiftly to any incidents.”

Rye’s bonfire celebrations will kick off with a pagaent procession starting out from Mason Road on the Tilling Green Estate at 7pm.

The procession route will go down Ferry Road to the Crown Inn then turn left into Cinque Ports Street.

It will then head down Tower Street, through Landgate Arch to Hilders Cliff, then into High Street down to The Mint, where it will turn right into Wish Ward.

The final part of the route is back on to Cinque Ports Street, down Tower Street, left down Landgate, right into Bedford Place and then on to the bonfire site, where ‘Rye Fawkes’ will light the fire at 8pm.

The grand finale will be the dazzling fireworks display starting at 8.15pm on the same site.

Those thinking of driving in to Rye on the day have been warned that all streets on the processional route will be closed to traffic from 5.30pm until around 10pm, and there is to be no parking on the route from 4pm.

Any vehicles parked on the route are likely to be removed by tow trucks, the organisers said.

And dogs should be left at home in case they are spooked by the loud bangs of firecrackers, drums and fireworks.

“This is a traditional custom, not a carnival or ordinary fireworks display, it can be loud and frightening, there will be fire and very loud bangs,” the organisers added.

“Keep children with you and do not push them to the front. If you are nervous, worried, or have a medical condition, we respectfully suggest you keep away.”

IT’S GOOD news for Disney fans as a much-loved family attraction is set to open in just two months.

Disney World in Florida, America, has announced that Typhoon Lagoon will reopen on January 27.

The upgraded lagoon will have a surf pool where guests can swim and ride waves.

There’s also Conquer Crush ‘n’ Gusher – a raft ride that heads down a water coaster with twists and drops.

There is also Castaway Creek to float along and a children’s adventure area at Ketchakiddee Creek.

For those who want to kick back and relax there is also a large lagoon pool with sandy beaches and tropical hideaways.

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On the same day as the reopening, Blizzard Beach will close for seasonal refurbishment.

Visitors can buy a seasonal pass to make the most of both water parks now.

The Disney Water Park Seasonal Pass is valid for visits between now and May 15, 2027.

Each passholder can visit as many times as they like – so could head to Blizzard Beach over the next month and return to visit Typhoon Lagoon in January after the reopening.

The pass costs £66.88 per child aged 10 or older and £62.37 per child aged between three and nine-years-old.

The website currently states: “Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park is currently closed for refurbishment. During this time, we encourage Guests to enjoy Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park will reopen on January 27, 2027. Please check back for more information.”

It’s only 15 minutes away from the Dutch capital by train, but Haarlem feels a million miles from Amsterdam, and perhaps provides a more typical glimpse of the Netherlands than trailing around the well-worn tourist trail of Van Gogh, coffee shops and red lights. An attractive city of cobbled streets, gabled houses and canals, Haarlem is, as the Dutch would say, a gezellig sort of place – cosy, convivial, and full of intriguing nooks and corners. I’ve been coming here for years, and it seems odd that Haarlem is not better known, at least to UK visitors.

This winter there’s the added draw of an exhibition devoted to the works of a local boy, the 17th-century painter Frans Hals, and his better-known contemporary Rembrandt in the city’s Frans Hals Museum (until 28 February 2027). No one really knows whether these two titans of the Dutch Golden Age of the 16th and 17th centuries ever met, but seeing their work hung together like this is powerful and compelling. The museum used to be the Oudemannenhuis (Old Men’s House), a retirement and care home where Hals lived out his final penniless years.

The Hals-Rembrandt exhibition is perfectly in tune with Haarlem itself, in both its (relatively small) size and the historical insights it provides into the Golden Age. There are commissioned portraits of 17th-century merchant bigwigs, all beards, black gowns and ruffs, so-called tronies (portraits of ordinary people, including Hals’ informal paintings of fisherfolk, and Rembrandt’s sensitive, affecting study of his young son Titus) and both artists’ remarkable group portraits. A final room shows Rembrandt’s dynamic De Staalmeesters (The Wardens of the Amsterdam Clothmakers’ Guild) from the Rijksmuseum, alongside Hals’ depiction of the trustees of the Oudemannenhuis itself.

Like many of the works in the rest of the museum, the faces in these paintings stare powerfully out at us from the 17th-century gloom. Above all, don’t miss Hals’ stirring and evocative Haarlem civil guard portraits of local militias, and a couple of 17th-century depictions of the city showing streets virtually indistinguishable from those you can explore today.

Start exploring with a stroll to Peuzelaarsteeg, a nondescript street in itself, but where Hals is said to have had a studio, though there’s nothing here now apart from a graffitied image of one of his paintings. Afterwards, take a peek into the former home of the Cloveniers, the citizen militia or schutterij that Hals painted, on nearby Gasthuisstraat. Look for the two crossed muskets above the gate (part of it is now a municipal library). Walk from there through the pretty, ivy-draped streets of the Vijfhoek neighbourhood to the Proveniershuis, where an otherwise ordinary door opens on to perhaps the grandest of Haarlem’s many hidden courtyards – once the base of another schutterij. A crossbow over one of the doors gives it away.

Hals was buried in the city’s magnificent Grote Kerk (Big Church). It’s like stepping into a 17th-century Dutch painting of a church interior: a vast, unadorned gothic space focused on a magnificent baroque organ at the western end: one of the largest in the world, and said to have been played by Handel and Mozart.

The Grote Kerk is on the attractive Grote Markt (Big Square), flanked by cafes and restaurants, and the perfect point from which to launch yourself into Haarlem’s web of streets. Two minutes away is the Corrie Ten Boomhuis, where a family of Dutch Christians hid Jews and resistance fighters during the Nazi occupation – an alternative to Amsterdam’s Anne Frank House without the queues. Among several other museums worth seeing is Teylers Museum down by the river, a treasure chest of fossils, crystals, scientific instruments and late 19th-century Dutch paintings. It claims to be the country’s oldest museum, and its galleried, wood-panelled interior is alone worth the admission price.

Perhaps the best thing to do is just amble and get lost: many of Haarlem’s historic streets look similar, with secret doors into sheltered courtyards or hofjes, and the streets are refreshingly free of global chains. There’s an excellent market on Grote Markt on Saturdays, and any number of stylish indie stores to browse in nearby, whether you’re looking for vintage clothes (Yenvi) or new ones (Stitch), chocolates at Pierre or Dutch liquorice at Dropje van Haarlem.

Cyclists vastly outnumber cars in this city. Rent a bike (try Green Bikes by the train station) and head out to the Zuid Kennemerland national park, west of the city centre, a protected area of dunes, forests and lakes that gives way to the glorious sandy beaches of the North Sea coast.

There’s no shortage of choice for great places to eat and drink. For breakfast or lunch, La Maru on Koningstraat is a great bakery, or try the sandwiches, salads and flammkuchen (sort of Dutch pizzas), at Meneer Frans in the historic centre. Alternatively, enjoy a pickled herring at the fish stall on Grote Markt.

Another Haarlem pleasure is to stop off for a pils at one of its many cosy bars. Lively In den Uiver on Riviervismarkt – a typically Dutch “brown cafe”, housed in a former fish shop – offers a choice of 35 gins and 35 speciality beers. Or the Jopenkerk brewery tap, in a former church, is a five-minute walk from the Grote Markt. For dinner, there can be no more bizarre place than DeDakkas, in a greenhouse-like structure on the top of a multistorey car park near the river. It serves a sustainable, locally sourced menu, with superb views.

There are plenty of places on Grote Markt to watch the world go by. Among the best is historic Grand Café Brinkmann. Or walk five minutes down Koningstraat to Botermarkt, on the edge of the Vijfhoek quarter, where Café De Roemer is one of a number of bar-restaurants with a covered terrace.

Finally, there can be no better place to wake up in Haarlem than in one of the corner dual-aspect room at the 17-room ML hotel (doubles from about €119 room-only), right by the Grote Kerk, which has two good restaurants and a sleek bar. Across the road, the Amrâth Grand Hotel Frans Hals is a large, slightly cheaper alternative, while the Staats Hotel, on a quiet street two minutes from the station, offers cool, spacious and contemporary boutique rooms from €165 room-only, and also has its own bar and restaurant.

The trip was provided by Netherlands Board of Tourism. Martin Dunford is one of the founders of the Rough Guides travel guide series and wrote the first editions of the Rough Guide to the Netherlands

There is a huge Christmas tree and ice rink

Christmas markets are popping up across the UK as the festivities get underway. Lights, decorations and festive spirit are taking over towns and cities.

Multiple Christmas markets have already opened their doors this year, with another now added to the list. Nottingham’s Winter Wonderland has opened today (Thursday, November 12) and features an ice bar, a toboggan slide, and many stalls.

Visitors can enjoy food and drink from the small wooden chalets, and can pick up gifts and personalised items. The Christmas market has plenty to do, as thrill seekers can take a ride on the big wheel and a sky skate ice path.

What is on?

Along with over 60 stalls to wander by and explore, Nottingham’s market has plenty of attractions. In the middle of the market, visitors can skate on an ice rink before heading up to the Sky Skate Ice Path.

The path is elevated above the market, giving skaters views of the Christmas tree, lights and festivities. An ice bar serves up drinks surrounded by ice sculptures, and you can even sip out of an ice glass.

The big wheel offers a chance to head into the sky to soak up the atmosphere and city skyline. Meanwhile, the toboggan slide sees visitors head down a slope in an inflatable ring.

More food and drinks can be enjoyed at the Altitude glass chalet bar, ski chalet and Helter Skelter bar.

Where is Nottingham’s Christmas market?

The Winter Wonderland takes over Nottingham’s Old Market Square, which sits in the heart of the city. It also extends out onto Long Row.

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When is it open?

The market stalls will be open until December, 24, from 10am to 6:30pm, Sundays to Thursdays, and from 10am to 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays. After December 12, the opening hours will extend to 7:30pm Sunday to Thursday and 8:30 pm Friday and Saturday.

Many of the other attractions will remain open until New Year’s Eve. The Sur La Piste and Altitude bars are open 11am until 11pm Monday to Friday, 10am until 11pm Saturdays and 10am until 10pm on Sundays.

How to get there

The Winter Wonderland is in the centre of Nottingham and is around a 12-minute walk from the train station. The Old Market Square is served by trams, with seven park-and-ride spots across the network.

Nottingham City Transport buses run regularly into the centre of Nottingham. Nearby car parks include Lace Market, Trinity Square, Broad Marsh, Victoria Centre, Q Park Talbot Street, and Crowne Plaza Wollaton Street.

Drivers are advised it is likely to be busy, especially closer to Christmas. Broad Marsh car park is now £4.50 for all-day parking on Saturdays and Sundays until February 2027.

AMERICANS planning to travel for Christmas and New Year’s are cautioned to book flights now to avoid higher prices as the holidays approach.

New data has revealed the best days and times for customers to buy tickets, so they can take advantage of deals and snag the lowest prices before the holiday rush, especially as fuel prices keep rising.

Google data shows travelers should buy their tickets as soon as possible to save money, particularly if they are headed to destinations in Mexico or Europe.

An analysis from the previous five years found that Christmas prices typically reach their peak around 56 days prior to departure for domestic flights.

Fortunately for travelers, several major airlines are offering holiday-season deals to help customers save on their travel plans.

While not Christmas-specific, Southwest Airlines is one of the few companies promoting sales this time of year, as most airlines look to capitalize on increased spending.

Southwest currently offers one-way flights for as low as $59, but customers must act quickly, as these deals run only from November 10 through the 12th.

Elsewhere, American Airlines is also offering vacation deals, with some advertised flights targeting the week of Christmas itself, such as Dallas to Los Angeles for $247 round trip.

As with any flight, customers should always check with the airline before clicking purchase to confirm rates and see if they include baggage fees and other charges, which could increase the final charge.

Finding a good deal is half the battle when traveling for the holidays, and choosing when to fly is often just as important.

Google found departing on a Monday and returning on Tuesday or Wednesday could be 14% cheaper, with domestic travelers potentially saving as much as 20% by avoiding Sundays altogether.

For Christmas, departing closer to the holiday could also offer great savings, according to travel company KAYAK.

December 21 and December 22 offer some of the season’s best deals for domestic flights, and those flying international should aim for December 23 or even Christmas Eve.

Travelers returning immediately after Christmas should consider departing after December 27 to get the lowest price.

For Americans traveling for the holidays, waiting until the last minute could hurt your wallet in a big way.

With bookings in full swing, travelers may have little time to secure the best deal.

THIS week we’re shining a light on the sure-fire winter sun winner of Kololi Beach, one of The Gambia’s most popular and lively stretches of sand.

Temperatures of 32C, six hour TUI flights – what more could you want? Here are some of our top tips.

MUST SEE / DO

Lined with palm trees and beach bars, Kololi Beach is perfect for sunbathing, swimming, or trying water sports like jet skiing.

In the evening, head to the nearby Senegambia Strip, the heart of Kololi’s nightlife and dining scene.

Here you’ll find a buzzy mix of restaurants, live music venues, craft markets and street performers, offering a real taste of local culture alongside international flavours.

HIDDEN GEM

Just a short drive away, Bijilo Forest Park (often called the “Monkey Park”) offers a peaceful escape from the beach crowds.

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Wander through shaded walking trails where you’ll spot green vervet and red colobus monkeys, colourful birds, and towering baobab trees.

It’s a calm, refreshing contrast to Kololi’s lively atmosphere and a great way to experience The Gambia’s natural side without venturing far.

BEST VIEW

For sunset views, Kololi Beach itself steals the show.

As the day cools, the sky turns shades of gold, pink, and deep orange over the Atlantic.

Grab a seat at one of the beachfront spots, watch local fishermen pull in their nets, and enjoy the gentle rhythm of the waves as the sun slips below the horizon – simple, beautiful, and unforgettable.

RATED RESTAURANT

Darboe’s Bar & Restaurant is a Kololi favourite for authentic Gambian cuisine served with warmth and character.

The menu features local classics like domoda (peanut stew), benachin (one-pot rice), and freshly grilled fish, all prepared with traditional spices.

The relaxed setting and friendly service make it an ideal place to experience genuine local flavours.

BEST BAR

Senegambia Beach Bar is the go-to spot for laid-back drinks with a view.

Set right on the sand, it’s perfect for cold beers, tropical cocktails and live music sessions as the evening comes alive.

With the sound of the ocean in the background and a lively yet relaxed crowd, it’s an easy place to settle in and let the night unfold.

HOTEL PICK

Seaview Gardens Hotel is a beachfront retreat in Kololi, offering a peaceful escape with a touch of luxury.

Set within lush tropical gardens, the hotel blends contemporary style with relaxed coastal charm.

The onsite restaurant serves fresh dishes inspired by local and international cuisine, all just steps from the Atlantic shoreline.

Seven nights B&B at Seaview Gardens Hotel is from £876pp including flights from Gatwick on select dates in February, 2026.

IT’S a very, very long time between now and being able to enjoy T-shirt weather here in the UK.

So if you’re finding the prospect of several months of dark afternoons and cloudy skies a bit depressing – we’ve found some VERY cheap sunshine holidays to break up the grey.

I’m a holiday expert who spends all day searching through customer reviews, hotel prices and live holiday bookings – and when I’m not doing that I’m on the ground, reviewing all inclusive hotels.

So here I am, sharing what I’ve learnt about some of the best places to go for a cheap bit of sun between now and late spring.

I’ve picked my favourite five-night escapes every single month, from November 2026 through to April 2027, that all cost less than £150pp.

The £150 covers the flights and accommodation, so you’ll still need spending money, but it’s an incredible starting point.

I’ve found the deals and made sure to mix in places where there’s plenty to explore with somewhere to slow down, get by the sea and enjoy a change of scenery.

Something different each month, with the next trip already waiting when you get home. Here’s how I’d do it…

November: Marrakech, Morocco, from £105pp

I’d kick things off somewhere that feels a very long way from a British November.

And Marrakech does that in heaps: spice stalls, colourful courtyards, rooftop cafés and the bustle of Jemaa el-Fna.

You can spend hours exploring the souks, watching craftspeople at work and trying to convince yourself you’ve got room in your luggage for that Moroccan lamp.

With average daytime highs around 23C in November, there’s a very appealing prospect of sitting outside in the sunshine while everyone back home is discussing whether to put the heating on.

The deal I found is five nights, room only, at Hotel Aday from £105pp, including direct return flights from Manchester on November 28, 2026.

The hotel is in the medina, a few minutes from Jemaa el-Fna and, for this trip, that’s where the value lies: you’re staying close to the action, with the markets and historic centre ready to explore.

I’d spend the first day getting my bearings, then work through the souks and sights at my own pace, then come evening, I’d find somewhere overlooking the square and watch the city put on its show.

At £210 for two people, including flights, that’s quite the opening act.

December: Bugibba, Malta, from £110pp

December’s escape is Malta, where five nights gives you time to combine a seaside base with some brill days out.

I’d use Bugibba as the starting point, then head into Valletta for a day in the capital and make another trip to Mdina (both are accessible by bus from Bugibba, so you can get a good taste of the island without hiring a car).

There’s something particularly satisfying about spending a December afternoon having coffee outside with the sea nearby, and Malta gives you the opportunity to do exactly that, with sightseeing to fill the rest of the diary.

The deal I found is five nights, room only, at Topaz from £110pp, including direct return flights from Bournemouth on December 7, 2026.

One hotel feature I especially like for these dates is the indoor pool, available during the colder months.

There’s also a lounge with a small library for anyone whose holiday ambitions include finally finishing their book.

That’s £220 for two people, including flights, for five nights away before Christmas.

So leave space in your suitcase as it’s a great place for some Christmas shopping too.

January: Naples, Italy, from £110pp

January needs a better plan than sitting around, waiting for payday, and my ideal plan would involve Naples and a considerable amount of pizza – for just over £100.

This is the month I’d definitely lean into a city break: beautiful churches, delicious coffee stops and the only decision to be made is which pasta dish to try on the menu.

Five nights gives you time to get beyond the first few sights and start finding your own favourite corners.

The deal I found is five nights, room only, at Royal Art House H Duomo from £110pp, including direct return flights from London Stansted on January 9, 2027.

The property is on Corso Umberto I, putting you close to the historic centre, although its transport connections also make Pompeii or Herculaneum very possible additions to the itinerary.

January’s typical daytime temperatures are around 12–13C, which suits a trip where you’re out exploring rather than planning everything around a sunlounger.

Catch a bright afternoon and I’d make time for an outdoor cocktail between sights.

I’d explore Naples itself for a few days, then consider one bigger excursion – there’s no need to rush back after a single night when five nights and the flights cost £220 for two.

February: Alanya, Turkey, from £135pp

February takes us to Alanya, where I’d make the most of the mix of history, Turkish food and decent weather in a gorgeous location.

The castle is the obvious place to start, with the harbour and town giving you plenty more to explore.

It’s a holiday where you can do something interesting in the morning, then spend the afternoon deciding how much or how little you fancy doing next.

Average daytime highs are around 15C in February, giving you some welcome mild-weather potential for getting out and about.

The deal I found is five nights, room only, at Villa Sonata Hotel from £135pp, including direct return flights from Manchester on February 23, 2027.

Villa Sonata is one of a villa complex, and there’s an on-site restaurant for meals at a modest extra cost.

It has the sort of setting I’d enjoy returning to after a day exploring: somewhere to sit down, order something and declare myself finished for the afternoon.

For £270 for two people, including flights, you’ve got five nights to enjoy Alanya’s sights, sample Turkish dishes and take February at a much more agreeable pace.

March: Lloret de Mar, Spain, from £145pp

For March, I’d head to the Costa Brava and give Lloret de Mar a go – and the Santa Clotilde Gardens would be high on my list.

They’re perched above the Mediterranean, with terraces, greenery and sea views that make a very convincing case for taking your time.

If you watched House of the Dragon, you might even recognise the setting as scenes were filmed here!

The deal I found is five nights, self catering, at Els Llorers Apartments from £145pp, including direct return flights from London Luton on March 14, 2027.

The apartments have kitchens with a fridge and microwave, so breakfast, snacks and cold drinks are easy to sort yourself – that leaves more of the spending money available for the things you actually want to do.

I’d build this trip around exploring the town and making the most of bright spring afternoons by the sea.

Having your own apartment also makes the slower days easy: breakfast when you fancy it, a book and no pressing reason to check the time.

All for just £290 for two people, including flights. Crazy deal!

April: Albufeira, Portugal, from £145pp

I’d finish the six-month run soaking up the sun in the Algarve.

Albufeira gives you beaches, an old town to explore and plenty of choice when it comes to eating out – Fishermen’s Beach sits directly in front of the historic centre, so you can combine a morning around town with an afternoon on the sand.

With average daytime highs around 20C in April, this is one where I’d be hoping to get plenty of use out of the sunglasses.

The deal I found is five nights, room only, at Areias Senses (Adults Only 16+) from £145pp, including direct return flights from London Luton on 25 April 2027.

There’s an outdoor pool with sunloungers, giving you somewhere to settle on those sunny afternoons.

And the room only basis also means you can try different places for breakfast and dinner rather than organising the day around set mealtimes.

I’d mix exploring Albufeira with beach time and a couple of afternoons doing very little around the hotel.

Plus, by holiday number six, I’d expect to be quite accomplished at that. And for £290 for two people, including flights, it’s a very, very tempting finish.

FLORIDATIX have launched their mega Black Friday sale early – and our code saves you an EXTRA 25% off your dream Florida holiday.

The travel website sell tickets to attractions like Walt Disney World, Universal Resort and Legoland Florida Resort.

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The Black Friday sale sees up to 20 per cent off Disney 14-day magic tickets and 25 per cent off Universal Orlando Resort – but our code bags you even more savings.

If you use code BF25 when checking out, you’ll save an EXTRA 25 per cent on top of your booking. This applies to all bookings sitewide!

So if you’ve been thinking about planning that bucket list family holiday, now’s the time to get it locked in for cheap.

You can buy a Universal Orlando Resort 14-Day Ticket from only £35.36 per day, and a Disney 14-day Magic Ticket from £39.43 per day.

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If you want to tick off multiple parks on your Florida trip, you can also save up to 25 per cent on combo tickets, which puts together multiple attractions into one deal.

The Disney and Universal Combo starts from £74.19 per day in the sale, and includes 14-day attraction tickets for both parks.

You can also save on popular attractions like Legoland Florida Resort, Madame Tussauds Orlando and the Kennedy Space Centre.

But it’s not just the big names you can save big on, there are some unique experiences on offer, too.

One of which is Medieval Times: an 11th century-themed dinner show with live jousting that has recently been doing the rounds on social media.

Here you can dine on a royal banquet as you watch six knights battle in authentic sword fights.

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You can even save on tickets to go and watch an Orlando Magic basketball game, and soak up the electric atmosphere of an American sports game.

Another attraction you can use the discount code for is Island H2O waterpark, the perfect place to visit to cool off from the Florida heat and keep the kids entertained at the same time.

You can even use the discount code to save on hotels, and if you’ve been wanting to try out a Disney Cruise, there’s discounts on those.

Using the discount code BF25 even gets you two extra freebies, too.

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The Magic Pack contains theme park guides, planners, and lots of information about the attractions to help you plan your big trip properly.

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There are lots of happy holidaymakers who have booked their dream trip through Floridatix, and have praised the affordable deals as well as the customer service.

Holidaymaker Rebecca writes “I have just booked our Disney and universal tickets with the Black Friday deal.

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Prices correct at the time of publication.

HEADING off to Europe before Christmas to fill up your suitcase with goodies? Make sure to check what you can and can’t bring back into the UK first.

New rules that came into play last year stop Brits from bringing some festive favourite foods back into the country.

As of April 12, 2025, an updated ban was brought in on bringing certain food items back into the UK due to the presence of foot and mouth disease in the EU.

Whether you travel by car, ferry, train, air or even foot – these rules still apply – so what is on the no-go list?

The GOV.UK website details all of the food restrictions which include milk and dairy products.

If you had planned on bringing back some tasty brie, camembert, Comté or Roquefort for the Christmas cheese board, it’s a no-go.

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Other tasty treats containing dairy won’t be allowed either.

If you head to Italy for some cannoli, this won’t be able to be brought back as it contains ricotta and or fresh cream – both of which are banned.

If you’re desperate, then bring back the empty pastry shells and add cream once back in the UK.

This also counts for fresh filled pastries like doughnut or eclairs if they have cream or custard in the middle.

Popular pastel de nata’s are a treat that will have to be enjoyed whilst in Portugal as the flaky pastry shells are filled with rich egg custard.

Filled choux buns which usually come from Germany are also off the menu – unless they aren’t filled with the fresh cream.

It isn’t just dairy, meat products are banned too.

Products like sausages, ham, prosciutto and chorizo which appear on festive plates, are also not allowed back into the UK.

Other meat products like pâté can’t be brought back either.

Anyone bringing back prohibited goods into the UK could face penalties and have the products destroyed.

So, passengers should check labels carefully before packing gifts, particularly those containing sauces or creamy fillings which might include dairy.

From the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland you can bring in other food items like fish, poultry, eggs and honey.