Travel

Where to go and what to know

Welcome to The Independent’s travel section, here to provide everything you need to plan your perfect trip. From inspiration for your next beach holiday, off-the-beaten-track adventure or city break to the practical information you need to save money when booking a getaway, our team of experts is here to help.

Check out our reviews of the best hotels to ensure you bed down in style, browse our deals to bag a bargain, or select a destination and start daydreaming, whether it’s in the UK, Europe, USA, Asia, South America, Africa or Australasia.

The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder is on hand to share all the latest travel news, plus his top tips and advice for travelling on a budget, while environmentally conscious travellers can discover greener ways to see the world in our sustainable travel section. Planning an urban escape? Don’t miss our City Guides and Microguides, revealing the best places to eat, drink, shop and stay.

Latest travel

<p>Larger-than-life vistas in Bryce Canyon National Park</p>

How to do the great American road trip: Idaho and Utah

<p>The mountains are calling with this new train service to Cortina, northern Italy</p>

The most exciting new train journeys across Europe

<p>Flights of fancy: air travel can be stressful for parents of small children, who risk the ire of other passengers</p>

I’m a mum – ‘child-free’ zones on flights sound like a great idea

<p>Which way now? Simon Calder on the Lantau Trail</p>

Simon Calder’s 2023 travel year in review, plus where to go in 2024

Europe

Expert travel guides and best European destinations to visit on your next break.

<p>Lake it easy: Immerse yourself in the water of Lake Annecy</p>

Embracing life in the slow lane on a summer holiday to the Alps

<p>North Macedonia’s Lake Ohrid at sunset</p>

Why you should swap Lake Como for North Macedonia

<p>Creta Maris resort opens up onto a pebble and sand beach </p>

How an all-inclusive hotel helped me rediscover how to holiday

<p>A new promenade has given Calais a boost</p>

How Calais got cool: this much-maligned port city has had a glow-up

Think you know the formerly down-at-heel booze cruise hub? Think again, writes Claire Naylor

<p>Meyers i Tårnet offers smørrebrød in impressive surroundings </p>

The ultimate foodie guide to Copenhagen

The Danish capital is packed to the gills with world-class gourmet spots, from Michelin-star joints to cheap yet chic restaurants. Destination expert Suzanne King rounds up the city’s must-eats for every budget

USA

Expert travel guides and best American destinations to visit on your USA holiday.

UK travel

From hotel reviews to city guides and best offers, our experts guide you through the best UK staycations.

<p>Tresco, one of the Isles of Scilly </p>

The best things to do on the Isles of Scilly

How to make the most of a trip to the sub-tropical archipelago

The best things to do on the Isles of Scilly

How to make the most of a trip to the sub-tropical archipelago

<p>Tresco, one of the Isles of Scilly </p>

<p>Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales and one of the Three Peaks </p>

The 9 best UK adventure holidays for 2023

<p>We’re all staying on a lovely holiday: Mermaid Beach in Folkestone</p>

Taking a staycation is the only way to guarantee a relaxing holiday

<p>A view over Exmouth Beach </p>

How Devon’s original seaside resort is making a comeback

<p>The garden at the Double Red Duke, Cotswolds</p>

England’s best foodie hotels and pubs

<p>The garden at the Double Red Duke, Cotswolds</p>

England’s best foodie hotels and pubs

<p>Inverness is a chilled-out summer city break destination</p>

Choose Inverness for a laid-back, low-impact summer city break

<p>Beddgelert, in the heart of Eryri/Snowdonia National Park, Wales </p>

The prettiest UK towns and villages to visit

UK hotels

<p>Home to a top-of-the-range spa and a Michelin-starred restaurant </p>

The best country hotels and manor houses in the UK

Channel your inner aristocrat at some of the UK’s finest country and manor houses

The best country hotels and manor houses in the UK

Channel your inner aristocrat at some of the UK’s finest country and manor houses

<p>Home to a top-of-the-range spa and a Michelin-starred restaurant </p>

<p>South Lodge in Horsham, West Sussex, features an indoor infinity pool, outdoor hydrotherapy pool, and a wild-swimming pond </p>

The best spa hotels in the UK: Where to go for a relaxing staycation

The Rosewood London, housed in a Grade II-listed building, was formerly the headquarters of the Pearl Assurance Company

London hotels 2023: The best places to stay

<p>The finest hotels in this preposterously pretty part of England</p>

Best Cotswolds hotels 2023: From dog-friendly finds to luxury stays

<p>Brighton draws streams of visitors, whatever the weather </p>

Best hotels in Brighton 2023 for unique stays near the sea

<p>Brighton draws streams of visitors, whatever the weather </p>

Best hotels in Brighton 2023 for unique stays near the sea

<p>The capital's parks are perfect places for kids to burn off energy</p>

The best family-friendly hotels in London 2023

<p>Take your pick from grand 18th-century facades to mullion-windowed coaching inns and romantic cottage-style boltholes</p>

Best hotels in Oxford 2023 for location and culture

<p>It’s time to explore the Scottish capital </p>

Best hotels in Edinburgh for location and value

Long-time Edinburgh resident Mike MacEacheran rounds up his favourite hotels

Best hotels in Edinburgh for location and value

Long-time Edinburgh resident Mike MacEacheran rounds up his favourite hotels

<p>It’s time to explore the Scottish capital </p>

<p>Choose from rooftop soaks to spas that offer the full package </p>

Best hotels in London with hot tubs: Escape the city in these oases

Why go abroad when you can enjoy paradise in the northwest?

The best boutique hotels in the Lake District

<p>There’s something for everyone – including a few themed options</p>

Best afternoon tea in London 2023

<p>I’m lucky enough to call Dublin my home, and this is my hotlist of favourite spots in the city</p>

Best hotels in Dublin 2023 for stylish city-centre stays

<p>I’m lucky enough to call Dublin my home, and this is my hotlist of favourite spots in the city</p>

Best hotels in Dublin 2023 for stylish city-centre stays

<p>Nottingham has a diverse choice of characterful crash pads, ranging from the opulent to the alternative </p>

Best hotels in Nottingham for art and culture

<p>This is a real locals’ city – living, breathing, thrumming with creatives and entrepreneurs</p>

Best hotels in Birmingham for a stylish city break in 2023

Winter sun

<p>Paradise found: Barbados boasts turquoise sea and white sand </p>

Central America Caribbean

Best things to do in Barbados and where to stay

This Caribbean island has far more to offer than just beautiful beaches

Central America Caribbean

Best things to do in Barbados and where to stay

This Caribbean island has far more to offer than just beautiful beaches

<p>Paradise found: Barbados boasts turquoise sea and white sand </p>

<p>Much of southern Spain basks in temperatures near 20C during certain parts of winter </p>

Spain’s best winter sun spots

<p>There’s more to the holiday hotspot than winter sun and mouthwatering kebabs </p>

The best things to do in Turkey

<p>The south of Turkey is home to some of the warmest winter weather in Europe </p>

Turkey’s best winter sun spots

<p>All-inclusive resorts can be an affordable way to spend Christmas abroad </p>

The best all-inclusive Christmas breaks

<p>All-inclusive resorts can be an affordable way to spend Christmas abroad </p>

The best all-inclusive Christmas breaks

<p>Celebrate Christmas on the beach with one of these trips </p>

8 of the best Christmas holidays for festive winter sun

Summer can bring sweltering temperatures

6 best all-inclusive Dubai holidays and package deals 2023/24

Partner content

TUI’s 2024 trending destinations from Greek isles to Florida

<p>Whether you’re looking for adventure or relaxation, Malta has it all </p>

Malta adventure guide: from high octane fun to zen vibes

Stargazing among the rugged landscape

Queensland: 4 reasons to visit Australia’s paradise state

<p>From desert adventures to beach breaks and glittering city life, Dubai has an appeal for all </p>

From winter fun to summer sun: your seasonal guide to diverse Dubai

Simon Calder

<p>Face forward: Smart Gates at Dubai International Airport</p>

Travellers will not need to show passports to enter UK in new trial

<p>France Travel Eurostar</p>

NYE travel chaos as trains cancelled and passengers told not to travel

<p>Going places? Some of the thousands of stranded passengers at London St Pancras </p>

Travel chaos as all Eurostar trains cancelled due to flooding

<p>Waiting game: Eurostar passengers at London St Pancras International on Saturday 30 December, when all trains to Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels were cancelled</p>

Eurostar chaos: How can I get home and what are my rights?

Trendwatch

<p>Slower, lower-impact transport options such as ferries and trains will become more visible </p>

The top travel trends for 2023

Expect ferries, sleep pods and virtual reality hotels to loom large on this year’s cutting-edge travel landscape, says Lucy Thackray

<p>The Caravan Agafay camp between Marrakech and Morocco’s Atlas Mountains</p>

Blank canvas: The remote tented camps springing up all over the globe

<p>Queues at peak check-in and -out times are just one reason to end the rigid timings</p>

Trendwatch: Why hotels are axing traditional check-in times

<p>Kayaking in Albania: a three-hour flight from the UK </p>

Adventure travel

The rise of ‘adventures on our doorstep’

Sustainable travel

<p>Pioneer flight: Sir Richard Branson beside Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner before the first sustainable aviation fuel transatlantic flight from London to New York</p>

Is sustainable fuel the answer to aviation’s environmental damage?

<p>Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world </p>

Heathrow accuses ministers of stalling over greener jet fuel

<p>Carbon labels could help us take greener holidays</p>

Sustainable travel

Is carbon labelling the big future travel trend?

<p>Snow go? Report predicts Lapland holidays could be affected climate change </p>

Travel as we know it on the brink of extinction by 2040, warns report