Annie McNamee

Sure, winter has its perks. Cosying up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate in hand is lovely. Big woolen jumpers are ever-chic. But there’s no warm, fuzzy feeling that comes close to feeling actual warmth. In our eyes, you just can’t beat the sunshine: sitting on a rooftop terrace, ice-cold cocktail in hand… bonus points if everyone back home is stuck with endless grey drizzle. There are plenty of places across the world still basking in glorious sunshine from October to February. Our list of the best winter sun destinations this year spans six continents and five months, giving you 20 recommendations for the very best places you can visit during the winter months. Whether it’s Thai beaches, African safaris or sunny city breaks in Europe, we’ve got you covered. The best winter sun destinations at a glance: 🏖️ Best for beaches: Thailand 🏙️ Best for a city break: Cape Town, South Africa 🌡️ Warmest in Europe: Tenerife, Spain 🐘 Best for wildlife: Namibia 🎭 Best for an arty break: Cartagena, Colombia 🍜 Best for food: Vietnam At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines and check out our latest travel guides written by local experts. RECOMMENDED:☀️ Europe’s 10 best winter sun destinations

This list is from 2024. Our latest ranking for 2025 is live here. In 2024, what exactly makes a neighbourhood cool? Craft breweries, natty wine bars and street art are well and good, but the world’s best, most exciting and downright fun neighbourhoods are much more than identikit ‘hipster hubs’. They’re places that reflect the very best of their cities – its culture, community spirit, nightlife, food and drink – all condensed in one vibey, walkable district. To create our annual ranking, we went straight to the experts – our global team of on-the-ground writers and editors – and asked them what the coolest neighbourhood in their city is right now, and why. Then we narrowed down the selection and ranked the list using the insight and expertise of Time Out’s global editors, who vetted each neighbourhood against criteria including food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavour. The result? A list that celebrates the most unique and exciting pockets of our cities – and all their quirks. Yes, you’ll find some of those international hallmarks of ‘cool’. But in every neighbourhood on this list there’s something you won’t find anywhere else. Ever been to a photography museum that moonlights as a jazz club? Or a brewery with a library of Russian literature? How about a festival dedicated to fluff? When communities fiercely support and rally around their local businesses, even the most eccentric ideas can become a reality. And that, in our eyes, is

On March 25, 1925, at London’s Selfridges department store in central London, Scottish inventor John Logie Baird made the first public demo of his latest creation: a way to broadcast visual information from a camera to a screen. A full century later, Baird’s discovery has led to perhaps the most vital, creative and popular mode of artistic expression in the entire world. But it’s only in the past 25 years that television has really fulfilled its artistic potential.  The result has been the so-called ‘Golden Age of Television’, a boom kickstarted roughly around the turn of the century with the rise of shows like The Sopranos and later Breaking Bad, and continuing with awards-winners from Succession to Shōgun to Slow Horses. So while our list of the 100 greatest TV shows may pay tribute to the unmissable programs of yesteryear, you’ll find that the majority hail from our own century – meaning there’s no excuse not to watch every single one. Paring the list down to only 100 was a painful process, so we decided to omit sketch shows, talk shows, news and non-fiction in order to focus on scripted drama and classic comedy. Time to go goggle-eyed. Recommended: 🔥 The best TV and streaming shows of 2025 (so far)🍎 The best shows to watch on Apple TV+ right now📺 The best Netflix original series to binge🎮 The best ‘90s TV shows

This bustling coastal city is absolutely steeped in history, maritime heritage, and of course, there's loads to see. It’s roots date back as far as the Stone Age, and its first ever museum (the Tudor House) remains a top attraction, with gorgeous gardens and guided tours on offer.  There’s plenty of modern-day action too, with a treasured football team, The Saints, and their fans bringing life to the city on match day. Southampton is also only a 20-minute drive away from the New Forest, or a ferry-ride away from the Isle of Wight, there's plenty going on that makes this city worth a visit. Check out our list of top picks for all the best things to do in Southampton.  RECOMMENDED:  🚆The best day trips from London⛰️ The best things to in the New Forest🏖️ The best seaside towns in the UK💕 The best things to do in the UK Annie McNamee is a writer at Time Out UK. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

This is about the time when the January blues start to hit pretty hard. It’s dark at 4pm, you’ve got no money left after Christmas and winter feels like it’s dragging on forever. But we’re here to tell you that things are looking up, because 2025 is going to be a corker of a year for the UK.  It turns out that 2025 is going to be a bit of a big one, with a number of landmark occasions being celebrated across Britain. There’s Jane Austen’s 250th birthday in Southampton, as well as the art-packed Folkestone Triennial, a celebration of 200 years of the British railway in York and Bradford’s 2025 City of Culture festivities. Then, there are up-and-coming foodie towns in Cornwall, music scenes that are popping off in Cardiff and Belfast, and the reopening of grand cultural insitutions like the Tate Liverpool.  If there’s ever been a good time to book a trip, it’s now (it might even help keep some SAD at bay). There is so much fantastic stuff happening across the country this year, so read our list curated by local experts of the best places to visit in the UK in 2025, and get stuck in.  RECOMMENDED: 🇬🇧 The 25 best new things to do in the UK in 2025📍The 12 most underrated city breaks in the UK 🏨 The UK’s 13 best new hotels opening in 2025👨‍👩‍👧 6 amazing places to stay with Kids in the UK

If people make Glasgow, music is what fuels it. The city's music scene was thriving long before the rest of it had caught up, with places like the Barrowlands and the Old Fruit Market offering locals good, cheap live music when general attitudes of Glasgow were, let's just say, less than favourable.  But those days are behind us, and Scotland's biggest city is now known across the UK for its vibrant cultural heritage, nightlife, and, of course, its music scene. Whether you're looking for an arena of people to scream along your favourite songs with, or a small makeshift stage at the back of a bar to find your new favourite band, Glasgow's got you sorted. Fair warning though: crowds here are famously rowdy. They're a lot of fun, but don't be surprised if you end up beer-soaked. Oh, and brush up on our local chants. You don't want to be the only person not shouting along with 'here we, here we, here we f'ing go!'. 

History has it that Pollokshaws Road was once home to a merry band of Flemish weavers – known as the ‘Queer Folk’ – who were brought over to work in the city during the 19th century by local landowners. These days it’s still a thriving creative hub, threading down Glasgow’s Southside and linking up the districts of Govanhill, Strathbungo and Shawlands. Rows of sandstone tenements loom over traffic separated by wide pavements, behind which stand ornate townhouses designed by Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson. There’s a juicy chunk of Pollokshaws Road where bars, cafés and boutiques jostle for space; pick it up from Allison Street and wander down past Queen’s Park. Since it’s a largely residential area, there’s a distinct feel of community – something that’s enhanced by the indie businesses that have popped up over the past few years. In particular it’s a brunch haven, with queues leaking out of living-room-sized cafés come rain or shine. You can also expect to find organic fruit and veg at Stalks & Stems, a fresh produce emporium with a florist next door, and (almost) a different coffee shop for every day of the week. It’s not all hipster territory, though. Punters tired of mustachioed baristas and bar staff will be cheered by the decent selection of old man pubs complete with smoked-glass windows. Recommended: Full guide to the best things to do in Glasgow

How easily could you be persuaded to shave off an eyebrow, or take a shot for every stair you climbed? Perhaps you’d feel more compelled if you were half a bottle of ‘Chicken Wine’ deep, 18, and surrounded by new friends that you were trying to impress? If you attended university in the UK you might have an uncomfortable feeling of deja-vu, perhaps being whisked back to the time you were ‘hazed’ as a first year student. If you didn’t, you’ve likely heard the rumours about former prime ministers getting it on with pigs, or rugby teams shoving carrots in places vegetables should never go. Hazing, or ‘initiation’ as it more commonly goes by this side of the Atlantic, is a practice which usually consists of ritualistically embarrassing rookie members of a given group in order for them to prove themselves. It’s also nothing new. There’s evidence of rowdy schoolboys dating as far back as 420 BCE when Plato recounted ‘practical jokes played by unruly young men’ which left both spectators and haze-ees injured. Somehow, this bizarre custom has survived the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the birth of Jesus Christ, several international plagues and found a home for itself in the modern age on university campuses. But for the past decade or so, hazing’s millenia-long reign has been threatened by a generation who supposedly care more about their physical and mental health than they do about banter and ritual humiliation. Today, hazing has met its match: Generation Z. So what do these

You might never want to leave Edinburgh, and we get it. The Scottish capital is loved the world over for its culture, restaurants and Fringe Festival (to name a few). But if you limit your time in Scotland to just Edinburgh, trust us, you’re missing out.  Scotland is full of gems, but the best part is a whole lot of them can be reached by train or car in just one day – with enough time left to get back in time for dinner. From hilly hikes to wide-open beaches and from pretty towns to full-blown city breaks, these day trips from Edinburgh are not to be missed. Here are our favourites.  RECOMMENDED:🌤️ The best things to do in Edinburgh 🎨 The best art galleries in Edinburgh🏰 The best attractions in Edinburgh🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Edinburgh This guide was updated by Edinburgh-based Arusa Quereshi, and Time Out editors. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

What words come to mind when we mention the Olympics? Prestige? Excellence? Medals? Or is it: ‘Grom’?  The Olympic games have been around for nearly three millennia. As the entire planet tunes in to watch as the top sports people compete for those coveted gold medals, there’s some stuff you’ll probably want to get your head around to make the most of your viewing experience: jargon for you normies to weave into your vocab that will have you sounding like proper Olympic pros in no time.  RECOMMENDED:How to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics in the UK for freeHere’s the full schedule and timings for the Summer Games We’ve done some digging and unearthed some 100 percent real words and phrases that will almost certainly be used by professional Olympians and commentators across the next few weeks. What’s more, there’s something inherently funny about words which sound out of place to the average Joe. There’s nothing worth giggling about hearing the word ‘jaeger’ at a bar (especially as it’s usually followed by a friend trying to convince you to neck a shot of sweet battery acid and gone-off liquorice), but watching it earnestly come out of the mouth of a world-class gymnast? Now that’s entertainment. So what are you waiting for? Brush up on your sporty lingo and drop these into convo next time you’re watching the Games to impress your mates. Skateboarding  ‘Goofy stance’: Refers to when a skateboarder has their left foot on the back of the board. Also used in surfing and snowboarding

You remember the days. Assuring your friend that she definitely looks like her older cousin’s co-worker, especially with a ponytail in. Hovering awkwardly around the corner from the off-license as your one 18-year-old pal does God’s work for the rest of you. The pit in your tummy as you recite a fake birthday to the bouncer of a sticky-floored nightclub – remembering your star sign, memorising your imaginary postcode – and the elated relief when he lets you in with a raised eyebrow and a reluctant nod. Finding increasingly inventive ways to get around age-restrictions was half the fun of being 17, but today’s teens seem to be going off going out altogether. ‘You definitely see fake IDs less than you used to,’ says one bouncer at a popular student nightclub in Bristol. When he started working at the venue a decade ago, he’d encounter a load of fakes on any given night – but not so much anymore. ‘The worst one I ever saw had the back on upside down,’ he says. ‘The ones we do see are getting a lot better and it can be harder to catch them. But they’re definitely rarer now.’ Something has certainly shifted. A few weeks ago, as I walked through the Triangle, Bristol’s premier hotspot for stumbling freshers and lovers of three for two Jägerbombs, I noticed that the local Sainsbury’s was busier than all of the clubs combined. Two years ago, dancefloors would’ve been filling up at 11pm on a Monday. This wasn’t a fluke: since that night, two of the clubs in question have closed their

For all of the stick we give the UK – the grey skies, the pigeons, the Greggs sausage roll packets littering the pavements – it’s actually a pretty gorgeous country. In London alone, you can be goggling over the Barbican’s brutalist beauty one moment, the next, you might be basking in the tranquility of Hampstead Ponds. Add the turquoise coasts of Cornwall, the rugged mountains of Snowdonia and the fairytale wonder of Scotland’s highlands and islands to the mix, and you’ve got a country which is as good looking as they come.  When we set about curating this list of the most beautiful places in the UK, we called on our network of expert travel writers. These guys have have personally experienced the pinch-me moment of seeing every place on this list IRL – so we can guarantee you there is no catfishing going on here. Of course, you’ll find the usual suspects – you can’t argue with the magic of the Isle of Skye, after all – but you’ll also find some more surprising beauty spots to add to your travel bucket list. RECOMMENDED:🚂 The UK’s most beautiful train stations🇬🇧 The best things to do in the UK🏝 The most beautiful places in the world🏠 The best Airbnbs in the UK Chiara Wilkinson is Time Out’s UK features editor, based in London. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content

You’ve been here before. Almost.  With a clientele which would be perfect for a Love Island spin-off featuring exclusively people with ‘entrepreneur’ in their bios and a healthy amount of exposed pipework, The Counter is what those in the know would probably call ‘trendy’. Its dim lights, small plate selection, and strategically chipped brick feature wall put it on the verge of parodically hip, but a glance at its menu and a quick chat with any member of its team reveal it to be much more down to Earth than some of its equally Instagrammable peers. If you close your eyes you can almost feel the Istanbuli breeze flowing through your hair The sense of deja-vu you feel may not be coming solely from its open-plan bar though. Chef Kemal Demirasal’s first UK venture, opened up two years ago in Notting Hill to much success. Originally from Turkey, he’s taken much of the charm of the original joint (as well as its most popular recipes and excellent cocktails) and transported it to Kingly Street – and combined it with a series of fresh ideas and a lot of seafood. Fresh is definitely the operative word. The cocktails are infused with real fruit. The tomatoes have been imported from Turkey. There’s sort-of-caviar sprinkled on avocado-topped fish. If you close your eyes and just bite, you can almost feel the Istanbuli breeze flowing through your hair. A series of enthusiastic staff members recommended a variety of dishes to us. Some, like the tomato salad or prawns, were familiar classi

A good hotel is well-located, has comfy beds, and maybe a tasty breakfast. A truly brilliant one, however, has to blow you away in every aspect. From food to service to amenities, some hotels are so unforgettable you never want to leave – the World’s 50 Best Hotels exists to recognise them all. The team at World’s 50 Best do exactly what it says on the tin: they discover and award exceptional quality hospitality, including bars, restaurants, and, of course, hotels. This year the organisation has gone one step further and also released longlists, those contenders who aren’t in the top 50 but still deserve to be recognised. The top 50 bars were announced earlier this month, and now it’s time to move on to hotels. The longlist of hotels that made spots 51-100 has just landed, spanning 40 cities and everything from Four Seasons properties to indie boutiques. This is the first year that an extended list has been released. Recommended: Europe’s top hotels in 2025, reviewed by experts A representative for World’s Top 50 explained why it had decided to extend the list, saying: ‘From this year and beyond, we will be able to showcase an even larger pool of hotels and territories, and celebrate the exceptional teams who bring them to reality with the extended list’. Borgo Santandrea, Italy | Photograph: Booking.com Italy has the most entries on the list so far, with nine out of the total 49. Its highest-scoring restort, the Borgo Santandrea on the Amalfi Coast, made it to 53rd place.

After tearing its way through central Mexico, the deadly Tropical Storm Raymond is starting to settle down. It’s left at least 64 dead, with more still missing, and thousands of homes damaged or destroyed. If you were due to travel in the next few days to Veracruz, Hidalgo, or even Mexico City, you’re probably understandably concerned about how these flash floods might impact your trip. Although there’s no official guidance against travelling to the parts of Mexico affected by Raymond, you should be aware of what’s going on so you can keep yourself safe. Here’s everything you need to know about the current floods in Mexico. Where is the flooding in Mexico? The worst of the floods in Mexico at the moment are in the nation’s central and eastern states, with Veracruz, Hidalgo, and Puebla facing particularly harsh weather. Nearly 100 towns in north Veracruz are still unreachable by road, cut off by landslides or floodwater. During a press briefing, Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum reported that entire houses ‘practically disappeared’ as the storms reached coastal towns, and that authorities predict nearly 100,000 homes could be damaged by the weather. Are flights still running? There are no reports of any major airport shutdowns in the area, although delays should be expected whenever you’re travelling into an area with severe weather. Is it safe to travel? There are no official warnings against travelling to the flooded areas of the country as of October 14. On Friday (Octobe

As the weather cools in northern Europe, sun-seeking holidaymakers will be getting ready to head down south to catch some winter warmth. If you’re set to travel to Spain this week, however, be prepared for disruptions as flash floods have struck the nation’s eastern coast. Add to that the hours-long queues some people are facing at passport control as the new EES comes into effect, and you could be looking at quite a stressful trip. Floods hit Spain in late September, and then ramped up again last Thursday (October 9) when torrential rain from Storm Alice swept across the east coast of the country, forcing Ibiza airport to close and hundreds of people to be evacuated from flooding hotspots. This comes almost exactly one year on from floods in the region that killed at least 62 people, but thankfully this time there have been no reports of severe injury or death. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re due to travel to Spain in the coming days. Where is the flooding in Spain? There are floods across several major Spanish tourist destinations including Barcelona, Alicante, Ibiza, and more. Last week, intense rain hit Catalonia and the south-eastern Mediterranean coast. A red weather warning was issued by the Spanish authorities for Catalonia, home to Barcelona, and an orange warning remains in place for the Balearic Islands, including Mallorca, and the south. The following is a non-exhaustive list of major cities or islands which are currently facing flooding, or is still

It’s no secret that Rome has some of the best preserved history in the world. You might be surprised to learn, however, that even in 2025 there are still places left to be investigated and explored, such as a secret tunnel system running underneath the Colosseum. Rome’s Colosseum is nearly 2000 years old. Back in its heyday, it was a huge venue that played host to gladiator duels, animal battles, executions, and any other gory spectacles that the Romans fancied. Sort of like an ancient football stadium, except instead of scoring goals the objective was to not get mauled by a lion. The Colosseum was a cultural centre, and everyone was welcome to be a spectator, right from the poorest workmen to the Emperor. That posed a slight issue for the wealthy and powerful who didn’t want to mingle with the general public, so they came up with a simple solution: an underground tunnel leading from a private entrance right to the emperor’s box. It is thought that this was constructed about 100 years after the Colosseum's completion in 80AD. Photograph: Simona Murrone, Colosseum Archaeological Park Once the Colosseum fell out of use in the Middle Ages, the tunnel was lost to time until it was uncovered centuries later in the early 1800s. Over the past couple of hundred years, excavation was carried out in increments, stopping and starting until it was finally (partly) completed in 2021. The Colosseum Archaeological Park explained the significance of its discovery in a statement, saying: ‘f

Parts of Europe are getting overcrowded. In Spain, the government has started clamping down on holiday rentals as island residents tell property developers they’re ‘not welcome’. In Italy, Venice is bringing back its tourist daytripper tax, and Amsterdam is suffering from so much overtourism that even nearby towns are starting to feel the strain. If you want to be a more conscientious traveller, it might be time to look beyond the obvious. The only issue with seeking out hidden gems, however, is that by their nature they’re hard to find. That’s where we can help. Time Out’s writers have travelled across the world, and seen the good, the bad, and the criminally underrated. Their suggestions are based on real-life experiences, so you know you can trust them. Time Out’s top pick for Europe’s most underrated holiday destination is Izola in Slovenia. This little medieval town is often overlooked in favour of the country’s more famous spots like Lake Bled or the capital city of Ljubljana, but Time Out travel writer John Bills reckons that ‘Izola is where Slovenia’s coast shines brightest’. Photograph: Shutterstock Izola is ideal if you’re looking for a quiet, chill break. Bills notes that ‘the pace of life is undeniably slower in this gorgeous fishing village’, making it the perfect place to unwind and forget all the stresses of everyday life. ‘Positively dripping in Venetian elegance’, Bills continues, it’s packed full of the ‘narrow, winding streets hide delightful cafes, roman

If you’re serious about relaxation, you’ve probably been to a fair few spas, and know that the little things can turn a good experience into an amazing one. Most resorts now offer packages with meals and provide exceptionally fluffy robes, so it takes something truly special to make a visit memorable. The lucky lot at The Times have visited ‘hundreds of spas every year’, and they’ve been keeping track of those exceptional spots. Now, all that knowledge has been put to good use, as the publication has just released a list of the very best spas in the world. In order to create a list of the 50 best spas, each location was judged based on ‘[not only] the excellence of treatments and caring nature of therapists but also the design, ambience and location’. Creativity was valued, and the paper noted that it was particularly keen to ‘highlight those that really have something unique about them and bags of sincerity and soul’. Lake Garda spa named best in the world In first place was Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda, a gorgeous resort with views over Lake Garda. In three words, the Times described it as ‘holistic, hedonistic and family-friendly’, and added that it is a ‘super-serious spa that at the same time is so boutiquely beautiful that it does a very good impersonation of being a “proper” hotel’. So what actually makes this place so special? Well, the panoramic views of one of Italy’s most stunning landscapes certainly help. Enjoy them from the sauna with three glass walls, or f

If you’ve been into town recently, you know what’s up. You’ve seen the boarded up windows, you’ve noticed your usual haunts disappearing, you’ve benefited from an ‘everything must go – half off!’ sale once or twice. You can see that it’s a shop-ageddon out there on UK high streets, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. In 2023, we lost Wilko, and then in 2024 we got it back. Then we said goodbye to a bunch of Marks and Spencers, some Boots, a few Body Shops, and plenty more. In fact, some studies have estimated that Britain lost up to 37 shops a day in 2024. Although we all hoped that 2025 would bring good news for our high streets, it’s looking like this year is more of the same. It’s not all doom and gloom, but it’s useful to know exactly what’s coming and going so that you don’t plan an entire shopping day around a store which has closed its doors for the last time. Here’s an exhaustive list of all the big places shutting up shop this year across the country. All the UK high street closures in 2025 Claire’s  Claire’s Accessories was threatened with administration for much of the summer. While Modella Capital has since swept in to rescue, the following sites could still close:  The Arndale Centre, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 2LJ Grand Arcade, Shopping Centre, Cambridge CB2 3BJ SU33B, The Sovereign Shopping Centre, Weston Super Mare, Somerset BS23 1HL The Cascades Centre, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 4RJ 83 Strand Street, Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 2EN United Kingdom Baxtergat

As of October 12, travelling into the EU is a little bit more complicated. Now a simple passport check won’t be enough to get you across the border – you’ll have to scan your fingerprints and answer a few questions too. The new EU Entry/Exit system (EES) has been a long time coming, initially proposed way back in 2016. It might seem like a daunting extra step for any upcoming trips to Europe you’ve got planned, but it’s only really a digital addition to your passport that you don’t need to sign up to or pay for. However, like everything else, its introduction has come with teething problems, this time in the form of long queues at passport control desks. Some airports have announced up to four-hour-long waits, although it’s not just air passengers who will be subject to these extra checks. No matter whether you’re going by boat, bus, plane, or train, you’ll have to register. Here’s everything you need to know about the EES if you’re due to travel to the EU soon. What is EES? The EES is a new registration system that every third-country national (non-EU citizen) will need to join in order to enter the Schengen zone. In short, it’s the EU asking for a bit more information than passports can provide: now at border control, you’ll be asked to show your passport and scan your fingerprints to prove your identity. This will happen automatically at the gate and you don’t need to sign up or register beforehand. Once you’ve used the EES once, your data will be stored for three years. T

If you’re travelling somewhere new, the first thing you do is ask someone who knows it well for recommendations. Locals always know best, which is exactly why when we set out to name the world’s happiest cities, we went straight to the source, polling over 18,000 people on how highly they rated their hometowns. We assessed respondents against several key criteria. Things like nightlife, food, walkability, and quality of life were all in there, allowing us to crown the world’s best cities overall back in January. But we specifically also asked about happiness, asking people to rate how highly they agreed with the following statements: My city makes me happy; I feel happier in my city than other places I’ve visited or lived; The people in my city seem happy; I find joy in the everyday experiences my city offers; The sense of happiness in my city has grown a lot recently. After some number-crunching, we were able to determine that the happiest city in the world, according to the people who live there, is… Abu Dhabi! A whopping 99 percent of people in the Emirati capital told us that their city makes them happy. You can’t please everyone, but Abu Dhabi gets pretty close. Photograph: Shutterstock Ninety-three percent of Abu Dhabi locals said they were happier at home than anywhere else in the world, while 96 percent agreed that their neighbours also seemed upbeat. It’s no surprise that people here are so positive when their city also made it into the charts for walkability, acce

It’s a tough time to be working in the aviation industry. Faced with staff shortages and huge levels of disruption, many workers at airlines and airports are facing long, stressful hours and poor working conditions. And, thanks to the cost of living crisis, loads of them are doing it all for lower wages, too. Needless to say, it’s no wonder that so many staff at airports and airlines have been going on strike. From Italy and Belgium to Greece and France, airports across Europe have seen thousands of flights delayed and cancelled by industrial action. Strikes can, of course, have a serious impact on your holiday, so it’s best to be as informed about them as possible. Read on for our guide to who’s going on strike in Europe right now, where and when those strikes will happen – and whether you need to worry about them.   Airport strikes in Belgium A Belgian national strike is scheduled for Tuesday October 14, causing huge disruption to public services in the country. Workers across the board will down tools in protest of new labour laws which alter pensions and salaries. Brussels airport has announced that no flights will depart from its runway on Tuesday, and that several arriving flights could also be cancelled. The hub has cautioned that October 15 will also be a very busy day, and urged passengers to ‘be sure to come to the airport on time’. Brussels Charleroi, a smaller airport popular with budget airlines, has cancelled all inbound and outbound flights for Tuesday, explain

The tube can be stressful at the best of times. It’s busy, it’s often running late, and on top of it all you’ve got to keep vigilant to ensure you don’t end up stepping off the carriage with fewer belongings than you had when you got on. Phone theft has been a big problem in London in the past few years, but it’s not just drive-by robbers you have to be aware of. Nearly 11,000 mobiles were nicked from unsuspecting Underground passengers in 2024, but the risk is substantially higher on some lines than others, the Telegraph has revealed. Based on statistics obtained from the Metropolitan Police via a Freedom of Information request (FOI), the newspaper reports that the Victoria line is the worst for phone thefts, with 2,034 devices stolen last year. This statistic is particularly alarming given the fact that the Victoria is the shortest line on the network (with the exception of the Waterloo and City line, which only serves two stations). For every mile of track used by the Victoria, 156 phones were stolen. RECOMMENDED: The south London area that is officially the safest place to live in Britain. The Central line had the second highest rates of stolen phones, with 1,902 thefts in 2024, and next came the Jubilee line, where some 1,804 people lost their handsets to pickpocketing. You can relax a little more when you travel on the Metropolitan line. Only 411 phones were taken off the maroon line, a rate which is 75 percent lower than that of the Victoria. Interestingly, the low-lev

Orange leaves line the pavements. You’ve had to dig your big coat and your scarf out of storage. That can only mean one thing: spooky season is here. Diehard Halloween fans will already be crafting plans and costumes for October 31 (which falls on a Friday this year), but if you’re still on the hunt for something extra spooky, we’ve found the place for you. Time Out has just published out ranking of the most haunted Airbnbs in the UK, and the number one spot goes to a brilliantly creepy Edwardian room in Great Dunmow, Essex. Named ‘The Haunted Bedroom at Talliston’ and decorated like the bedroom of an early 20th century orphan, a stay here will ‘feel like you’ve stepped into an old spooky novel’. Plus, it’s easy to get to, being only a 90-minute drive from London. Your stay includes only one bedroom in a larger haunted house, but you’ll get access to the entire place during your stay, making it the perfect spot for any amateur ghost hunters. This is the only room in the house whose guests get this privilege, so you’ll feel like a proper VIP. According to the listing, this should be ‘the most magical and mysterious night you will ever spend in a B&B’. Fancy it? Here’s a quick look at the room that would be yours. Photograph: The Haunted Bedroom at Talliston via Airbnb Photograph: The living room at Talliston via Airbnb   Photograph: The Haunted Bedroom at Talliston via Airbnb If you want something with less spooky decor but just as much scare-value, the super remote Warr