‘If I could be teleported to any beach, this would be it’: readers choose their favourite European beaches

Seaside idylls from Île de Ré to eastern Crete feature as our tipsters report that even popular destinations such as Menorca and Sicily have their quieter spots

A gentler side of the Dolomites: a summer break in Italy’s Adamello-Brenta natural park

Its peaks are a big draw for adrenaline junkies, but this natural park’s newer attractions offer more inclusive family activities

I’ve written about France for 20 years – here are my favourite places to visit

After a lifetime exploring the country’s cities, coast and countryside, our France expert chooses her personal highlights

My Rasta father showed me the real Jamaica. After he died, I wanted to share it with my kids

I had no idea where I was heading when we set sail from Jamaica in the 70s, but I’m glad I’ve returned with my children to remember their grandfather this way

Breathtaking: 24 secret beaches in southern Europe

Dreaming of warm seas and quiet, sunny shores? Our travel writers pick their favourite unheralded beaches in Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy and Portgual

‘Prepare for the sunset of a lifetime’: readers’ favourite beaches in southern Europe

From remote sandy coves in Galicia to bustling town beaches in the Cinque Terre, our tipsters dream of sunny climes and limpid waters

Share a tip on a beach in southern Europe – and win a holiday voucher

Tell us about your favourite south European beach – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

‘The old town is adorned with twinkling lights’: readers’ favourite Christmas breaks in Europe

Our tipsters revel in Christmas markets, seasonal tipples and live choral performances from Bath to the Black Forest

Steam and sparkle: six of the best Christmas railway journeys in the UK

From Santa Specials for excited children to a luxury Yuletide Evening Express for the grownups, these colourful trips will get you into the festive spirit

Activity breaks: 10 top ideas for a supercharged October half-term

Get moving in or outdoors then relax in one of our selection of hotels, lodges, manor houses or even a castle

Postcard from Bordighera: autumn sun on Italy’s Ligurian coast

Extravagant villas, wonderful food, exotic gardens and a calm beach attracted British expats to Bordighera in the 1880s – and it’s just as enticing today

The couple who bought a crumbling Scottish villa – by accident – and turned it into a holiday let

Cal Hunter and Claire Segeren spent four years, and acquired 300,000 Instagram followers, doing up a dilapidated house in Dunoon. Now it’s open to holidaymakers, you can see the results for yourself

Pews, picnics and pedalling: my cycle trip through Herefordshire – with a toddler in tow

Camping out in churches makes this family cycling trip along the Golden Valley Pilgrimage Way an adventure to remember

At every turn Etna loomed, smoke hovering above the crater: a family rail adventure from the UK to Sicily

A family heads to Sicily and takes in Palermo, Catania and the circular narrow gauge railway around Mount Etna

‘A magical event evoking times past’: readers’ favourite UK country shows

Rural traditions going back centuries can be seen at these fairs celebrating farming, food and landscape