Heidi Fuller-Love

The French Riviera might be the international capital of luxury travel, but you don’t have to be super rich and wealthy to enjoy some fun in paradise. You can easily bask in the sun on a beautiful beach and not spend a single euro, and if you know the right spots, there are most certainly good towns for a budget. Brave the narrow, and sometimes steep, streets of Eze and marvel at the panoramic views from the mountainside village. Or coordinate your outfits with the bright and vibrant buildings in the medieval old town of Menton. Even if just for a day, embrace the life of luxury and leave with enough to fantasise about when you’re back at home. The best way to do it? Rent a car and tick each of them off on a colossal road trip. Sound good? We agree. Here are the best places to visit on the French Riviera.  When is the best time to visit? When planning your trip to the French Riviera, aim for spring or late summer, particularly September if you can avoid the crowds. RECOMMENDED:🏨 The best hotels in the South of France🇫🇷 The best places to visit in France🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Nice🏰 The prettiest villages in France This guide was last updated by Chloe Braithwaite, a writer based in Nice in the South of France. 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 informatio

Mykonos is the “Greek Ibiza”, and the club scene is spectacular. But, in common with the Spanish party paradise, it’s also an island with far more on offer than the chance to stay up dancing until 4am. The “other” Mykonos is chilled-out, classy and jaw-droppingly beautiful. But before you start exploring the bougainvillaea-adorned streets and take a dip in the clear ocean, you’ll need to book somewhere to stay among all the limestone buildings. We’ve compiled a list of the best hotels in Mykonos – and there's something for everyone.  Updated August 2024: We may have found the most luxurious resort in Mykonos, and it sits at No.19 in this list.  Find out more on where to stay in Mykonos. RECOMMENDED:🇬🇷 Discover the best of Mykonos🌞 Where to next? Here are the best Greek Islands to visit🍦 Check out the best things to do in Mykonos Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

There’s nothing quite like standing at the top of the multicoloured cliffs that Santorini is famous for. This island is one of the most unique destinations in the world, and not just because it is in the huge crater of a volcano. The scenery here seems crafted by the Greek gods: whitewashed villages crown the island with views over its sea-flanked edges, rural vineyards span huge stretches inland, and the beaches are black, red and out of this world. There’s plenty for explorers, foodies and culture vultures to discover, from archaeological sites to swimming spots and friendly hotels, brilliant wine and Mediterranean food. RECOMMENDED🛏 Where to stay in Santorini🏨 The best hotels in Santorini🇬🇷 The best places to visit in Greece🏝️ The best Greek islands Marissa Tejada is a writer based in Greece. 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. 

La Riviera Francesa podría ser la capital internacional de los viajes de lujo, pero no tienes que ser súper rico para disfrutar de un poco de diversión en el paraíso. Es fácil disfrutar del sol en una playa fantástica sin gastar ni un solo euro y hay una montaña de pueblos bonitos para presupuestos ajustados -solo hay que saber dónde ir-. Atreveos a recorrer las estrechas y, a veces, empinadas calles de Eze y maravillaos con las vistas panorámicas desde el pueblo en la ladera de la montaña. O combinad vuestros modelitos con los edificios emblemáticos del casco antiguo medieval de Menton. Incluso si es solo para un día, abrazad la vida de lujo y regresad a casa con suficientes recuerdos como para fantasear con ellos. ¿La mejor manera de hacerlo? Alquilar un coche y tachar cada uno de la lista en un viaje colosal por carretera. ¿Suena bien? La verdad es que sí. Aquí están los mejores lugares para visitar en la Riviera Francesa. ¿Cuál es el mejor momento para viajar? Al planificar vuestro viaje a la Riviera Francesa, apuntad a la primavera o finales del verano, y si podéis evitar las multitudes, septiembre es el mejor mes, también cuando se trata de buscar las mejores gangas para el hospedaje en el sur. RECOMENDADO:🏘 ¿Os apetece explorar los pueblos con más encanto del sur Francia?🏖 Descubrid qué visitar en Francia🗼 ¿Pasáis por la capital? No os perdáis las mejores cosas que hacer en Paris🏡 Perdeos entre los pueblos con más encanto de Francia🏰 Pasad la noche en un Airbnb d

With its blue-domed churches and snow-white villages teetering above the world’s only inhabited volcanic caldera, Santorini is justly renowned for its spectacular sunsets, especially in Oia where honeymooners flock to stay in a string of sexy cave hotels carved out of the volcano’s black and red flanks. But sultry Santorini isn’t just about sunsets – from breezy seaside resorts with black sand beaches and fun watersports activities to ancient villages whose cobbled streets are lined with traditional tavernas and cosy bars, this sizzling Cyclades island also has plenty of other charms if you know where to look. Here are the six best places to stay in Santorini.  RECOMMENDED: 🛏 The best hotels in Santorini☀️ The best things to do in Santorini🏖️ The best places to visit in Greece🏝️ The most beautiful Greek islands Heidi Fuller-Love is a travel writer and Greece expert based in Crete. 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.  

Corfu is a little different to the other beloved Greek islands (geography plays its part), but this slice of paradise is inundated with annual visitors for good reason. The landscape is luxurious and leafy, brimming with olive trees and fruit groves, giving Corfu a verdant feel that is easy to get lost in. What are the best things to do on Corfu? Well, be on Corfu for a start, but there is plenty to get your teeth into on this beautiful island. Gorgeous architecture, stunning walks, idyllic beaches and ornate palaces headline, but the beauty of Corfu arguably lies in the spaces. You’re going to love this place. Greece at its absolute finest. RECOMMENDED:🧿 The best places to visit in Greece🏝️ The most beautiful Greek islands🏨 The best hotels in Greece🏛 The best things to do in Athens Heidi Fuller-Love and Marissa Tejada are travel writers based in Greece. 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. 

It’s officially winter. There’s no denying it. It was only Halloween a second ago and now we seem to be hurtling ever closer to Christmas. But don’t let it feel like Christmas is the only thing going for this time of year – there’s plenty of time for nesting in December. In our opinion, this is the perfect time for a holiday. After all, European breaks weren’t all they cracked up to be this summer, marked by heatwaves and overtourism. So we’d go as far as to argue that a ton of the most well-loved holiday hotspots are even better in winter, when summer destinations lose their throngs of tourists, and cosy breaks get even cosier. On our list of the best winter destinations in Europe, we’ve got everything from Italian foodie breaks to the official home of Santa Claus. Here are our favourite spots in Europe for winter to embrace the cold for 2024. RECOMMENDED:⛲️ The most underrated destinations in Europe⛷️ The most affordable ski holidays in Europe🏞 The most beautiful places in Europe⛄ The world’s best Christmas destinations🏔️ The best places to travel in December, January and February Ella Doyle is Time Out’s guides editor. 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. 

There’s a reason we reckon Crete is one of the absolute best places to visit in Greece. Most people don’t believe me when I tell them that – even after 15 years living here – I still haven’t seen everything that Crete has to offer. Stretching some 300 kms from Chania’s Venetian harbour in the west to Sitia’s rarely visited UNESCO Geopark in the east, Greece’s largest island is a packed with thrilling activities. Here are 10 must-not-miss things to see and do.  RECOMMENDED:🏘️ Where to stay in Crete🏝️ The best Greek islands to visit🧿 Where to stay in Mykonos🏛️ Where to stay in Athens Heidi Fuller Love has been based in Crete for 15 years. 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. 

Europe is not lacking in jaw-dropping beauty, but how do you choose its top spots? Its home to seven Wonders of the World, for one thing, as well as 34 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and even that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the incredible things you can find across the continent.  But even if we can’t list every single one, we can list our favourites. To put together this list, we asked our editorial staff team and travel writers based in Sweden, Greece and more for the most beautiful things they’d ever seen in Europe. The result? Stories of taking boats out on Germany’s hidden lakes, climbing up to vast sand dunes in France and afternoons spent strolling Art Nouveau streets in Latvia. From solitary islands to packed ski resorts, here are the most beautiful places in Europe, picked by us. RECOMMENDED:🌤️ The most beautiful places in the world🌃 The best city breaks in Europe🏖️ The best beaches in Europe🌊 The best places to ‘coolcation’ in Europe Ella Doyle is Time Out’s guides editor. 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. 

A Francia, su fama le precede. De ella, conocemos París, sus pintorescos pueblos rurales o su gastronomía, con esos quesos y el rosado en abundancia. De lo que quizá hablamos menos cuando nos referimos al país vecino es de sus playas. Craso error porque hay playas en Francia que pueden competir de tú a tú con algunas de las mejores del mundo, lugares espectaculares en los que hospedarse. Tienen mucho que ver en ello sus aguas cristalinas, sus arenas blancas o sus imponentes atardeceres. Desde pequeñas calas escondidas hasta grandes arenales, hemos recopilados las mejores para que las añadas a tu lista de deseos viajeros. RECOMENDADO:🏘 ¿Os apetece explorar los pueblos con más encanto del sur Francia?🏖 Descubrid qué visitar en Francia🗼 ¿Pasáis por la capital? No os perdáis las mejores cosas que hacer en Paris🏡 Perdeos entre los pueblos con más encanto de Francia🏰 Pasad la noche en un Airbnb de Niza

Even from a distance, Santorini is a sight to behold. Surrounded by the azure Aegean Sea and home to its famous flooded caldera, it’s a true gem of the Cyclades. This is the Greece that attracts tourists from all across the globe: the sugar cube-like houses glinting in the sunlight (almost good enough to eat) and the domes of Orthodox churches sending flashes of blue through the landscape. The island is almost too attractive. On the days when a cruise ship has docked, Santorini’s largest towns, like Fira and Oia, become packed with friendly visitors. But don’t let that put you off. If you know where to look, there are plenty of lesser-known, picture-perfect spots to stay away from the hustle and bustle. Start your holiday here. And now, relax... RECOMMENDED:🇬🇷 New to Greece? Here's where to stay in Santorini☀️ Check out the best spots to visit in Greece  Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured below, we've based our list on top reviews and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Does anything conjure up an image of beach bliss quite like the Med? Surrounded by 22 countries and bordered by three continents, the Mediterranean Sea boasts miles and miles of coastline – not to mention hundreds of islands. And while there are certain seaside spots where you’ll need to fight for space on the sand (we’re looking at you, Barceloneta), there are plenty of other secluded stretches of coastline across the Med. Our selection of alternative beach spots, chosen by Mediterranean-based travel writers, takes you beyond Europe to North Africa and the Middle East. From wild, flamingo-frequented beaches in Spain to a culture-packed port city in France, this is where to find the Mediterranean’s best alternative (and affordable) beach breaks. There’s plenty of room to lay out your towel here. Grace Beard is Time Out’s deputy travel 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 and check out our latest travel guides written by local experts. RECOMMENDED:🗺 Europe’s most underrated destinations🌆 The best European city breaks🚫 The travel destinations that want tourists to stay away

Athens is a marvellously jumbled city, with a plethora of cool neighbourhoods for visitors to explore. However, if you’re headed to the Greek capital in search of historic walks, picturesque streets and knockout views, make sure you venture into Plaka.  The patch, which curls around the north and west areas of the Acropolis, is a pretty, tangled neighbourhood which has been occupied for a staggering 2,500 hundred years. That’s right – among all this city’s history, Plaka is Athens’s oldest neighbourhood, and it’s a goldmine of ancient sites and neoclassical architecture. While we can hardly describe it as a hidden gem, Plaka’s popularity should not deter you from having a gander along its bougainvillaea-lined streets, so here’s a roundup of the best places to head.  📍 Discover our full guide to where to stay in Athens Top things to do in Plaka Ogle some classical Greek craftsmanship at the Parthenon This is a pretty obvious place to recommend, but if you’re spending the day exploring Plaka, paying a visit to the Parthenon is an absolute must. The temple, dedicated to the goddess of wisdom and war Athena, is just one of the ancient structures on the Acropolis, and it was built way back in 447 BC. The structure isn’t just a jaw-dropping example of Greek classical art, but also offers jaw-dropping views of the city.  Snack on some keftedes at Glykis Food in Plaka doesn’t come cheap, and there are definitely some other neighbourhoods with great affordable options if you’re cravi

Athens has plenty of neighbourhoods which are history-packed, scenic and buzzy during the daytime, but if you’re after a spot which remains lively until after hours, Psirri could be the one for you.  Neighboured by the established nightlife district of Gazi, Psirri sits north of the Acropolis and centres around the vibey Iroon Square. It’s a renowned go-to if you’re after a livelier atmosphere as plenty of the bars and tavernas stay open late, some of which host DJs and live music, and you might even catch some rembetika (Greek blues)! However, Psirri is also worth stopping by during the day, for the art galleries and street art – so, here’s our roundup of the best things to do.  📍 Discover our full guide to where to stay in Athens Top things to do in Psirri STAY Housed in a stylishly revamped century-old building with glass floors and pop art-lined walls, Asomaton overlooks the city’s oldest pedestrian street and makes a good base for exploring. If you’re on a budget it has to be City Circus, a hip hostel in a beautifully converted nineteenth-century building. Don’t miss the free wine at happy hour. EAT It might not be close to the coastline, but Atlantikos – which is a bit like a Greek version of a British fish-and-chip shop (and just as good value) – is rightfully hailed as one of the best places in Athens for fresh seafood. If meat is more your thing, grab a courtyard table at old-school wine bar Oinopouleion, or head to Krasopoulio tou Kokora for home-cooked food and w

It’s hard not to make jokes about having to build your own bed when you stay in the world’s only IKEA Hotell, but I resisted the temptation when I checked into this unique property in Älmhult: the remote, lake-studded region of southern Sweden where IKEA’s founder Ingvar Kamprad grew up.  I reached the flatpack furniture giant’s only hotel after a two-hour train ride from Copenhagen. With that iconic blue and yellow sign outside, it was hard to miss. The 254 rooms – which range from cabins with bunks beds and shared bathrooms to doubles with plump queen beds – stay true to IKEA’s budget-friendly ethos, with one-night stays coming in well under €100. And – as you’d expect — they’re all furnished with some of IKEA’s most iconic products: Lisabo tables, Poang easy chairs, Boomerang coat hangers. It’s a bit like walking into one of those staged sets you find in an IKEA warehouse, only with a shower tacked on.  Photograph: Booking.com Although the rooms are Scandi-style bland, with blonde parquet floors, beige walls and white cotton curtains, there are excellent IKEA-style add-ons that travellers and digital nomads (like me) will love. Included is a free-to-use communal lounge area complete with fridge, sink and dishwasher, plus a laundry room – also free – where you can put a wash on before heading down to IKEA Hotell’s gleaming restaurant for a fika (that’s Swedish for snack) or – you guessed it – lingonberry-smothered meatballs. Photograph: Booking.com IKEA was founded by I