Rachel Dixon 

Travel news roundup: Travel Photographer of the Year and new car-share scheme

Plus touring the northern lights in a moving hotel, York's new cool hostel, and an airline seatbelt that's actually a, erm, belt
  
  

Kumbh Mela religious gathering, Allahabad, India
This image, by Italy's Roberto Nistri, of the Kumbh Mela, one of the world's biggest religious gatherings, in Allahabad, India, won best single image in a portfolio at the Travel Photographer of the Year awards Photograph: Roberto Nistri

Escapism

Travel the world without leaving the country at the Royal Geographical Society in London. Its Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition showcases images of myriad destinations, from a mud mosque in Mali to the Kumbh Mela religious gathering in India.
11 July to 17 August, tpoty.com, free entry

Travel start up

Tripndrive is a new car-sharing initiative for travellers: you leave your car at the airport when you go on holiday and someone else hires it. You get free parking and a fee for every kilometre driven; they get up to 60% off usual car hire prices.
• Now at major French airports, coming soon to other European countries and railway stations, tripndrive.com

Hotel for the stars

A new "travelling hotel" makes it easier for aurora hunters to chase the northern lights in Iceland. Tatra Photography's modified six-axle truck has 10 bedrooms, a dining area and Wi-Fi.
• From £2,295pp for a six-day trip, including aurora photography masterclass, full board and flights from Gatwick

Travel trash

If the journey is more important than the destination to you, relive it every day by wearing a Fly-Belt. This airline seatbelt, redesigned as a "fashion" belt, is a visible reminder of the joy of flying – and a "been there, done that, bought the belt" style statement to boot.
• €39, fly-belts.com

Cheap date

Safestay, the luxury hostel in Elephant & Castle, London, is opening a second branch in York. Micklegate House in the city centre is a Grade I-listed Georgian building with 160 beds, including dorm rooms and doubles.
Dorms from £16, doubles from £80, open now but being refurbished until August, safestayyork.co.uk

How much?!

A new private jet tour of Istanbul makes it easy to blow three grand in four days there. If you have more time and money, Captain's Choice also offers longer jet-powered trips, including a 22-day circumnavigation of the globe for £35,000.
From £2,975 for a four-day trip to Istanbul in September, captainschoice.co.uk

Activity

For something more wholesome to do in Reno, Nevada, a new boutique, non-gaming hotel boasts the world's tallest climbing wall. BaseCamp's outdoor wall scales the Whitney Peak hotel's 50m exterior, and there is also a huge indoor bouldering park and a kids' climbing area.
• Doubles from $129; day climbing passes $17 adults/$12 concessions, whitneypeakhotel.com

 

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