An hour outside of Nantes I had a transformative experience. A place called Puy du Fou (pronounced pwee du foo) entices 2.26m visitors per year. It covers 55 hectares. It features performances and shows that top British newspapers call better than Disney’s. I’d heard all these things. But until I actually visited, I didn’t understandContinue reading “Puy du Fou: The best ‘theme park’ you’ve never heard of”
Category Archives: Europe
What to eat & drink in Costa Barcelona
For a long time I was woefully uneducated about food in Catalunya, the autonomous region of Spain. I knew about paella. I knew about grilled sardines on the beach (delicious, but you can’t spend all your life on the beach, no matter how you might wish it). But in recent years I’ve been luckyContinue reading “What to eat & drink in Costa Barcelona”
My great experience with an Olympic Holidays rep
Holiday reps — they carry yellow umbrellas, they corral you onto coaches that deposit you at tourist hotspots. They can be too cheerful or not cheerful enough. I arrogantly thought that their knowledge of a destination was comparable to what I could glean from the collection of pamphlets next to hotel reception desks. That wasContinue reading “My great experience with an Olympic Holidays rep”
3 great family hotels in Lanzarote
I’ve written before about Lanzarote and how much I like it as a destination for families. I visited on a trip sponsored by the Spain Tourist Board and was blown away by the array of things to do (beaches! Camel-riding! Volcanos! Cesar Manrique!). (See my top 10 things to do with children on the island.)Continue reading “3 great family hotels in Lanzarote”
10 top things to do in Lanzarote with kids
Yes, there are beaches. Yes, it is warm (average year-round temperature of 22 C /72 F). But Lanzarote is a great family getaway for a load of cool reasons. You can ride a camel in a natural park. You can explore underground caves created by huge lava flows. You can eat food cooked by aContinue reading “10 top things to do in Lanzarote with kids”
Top 11 reasons to go to Menorca with kids
In the past, this little sister of the Balearic islands (the name literally means “little island”) has taken a back seat to its siblings in terms of profile. Ibiza and Mallorca were the ones with glamorous beach scenes and party crowds (“Hey, Jade — see you at the finca later!”). As the baby of myContinue reading “Top 11 reasons to go to Menorca with kids”
8 hacks for a last-minute trip to Berlin
I went through a period recently — after travelling a lot for work — when I didn’t want to plot out my personal trips at all. I turned up on a few holidays completely footloose and fancy free, without the slightest idea of how I would fill my days. Onwards, Lady Luck! Hello, serendipity! Let the gods decide!Continue reading “8 hacks for a last-minute trip to Berlin”
15 pictures to make you want to visit Berlin #ad
We had air miles, we had a companion ticket that needed using and we had children who were away with friends for the weekend: It was the perfect opportunity for my husband and me to get away on a child-free weekend. But where to go? The list of places I want to go is long indeed. InContinue reading “15 pictures to make you want to visit Berlin #ad”
Cool, insider places to shop in Reims
This city of 200,000 – the capital of the Champagne Ardenne region – is a great place to visit. It has beautiful, harmonious but varied 18th century architecture, a cathedral that rivals Paris’s Notre Dame, and easy access to the Champagne houses of the region. On my recent weekend in Reims I also learned there areContinue reading “Cool, insider places to shop in Reims”