Liv Kelly

Museums are one of the things that London does best. This city boasts grand institutions housing ancient treasures, modern monoliths packed with intriguing exhibits, and tiny rooms containing deeply niche collections – and lots of them are totally free to anyone who wants to come in and take a gander. And with more than 170 London museums to choose from, there's bound to be one to pique your interest, whatever you're in to.  Want to explore the history of TfL? We’ve got a museum for that. Rather learn about advertising? We’ve got a museum for that too. History? Check. Science? Check. 1940s cinema memorabilia, grotesque eighteenth-century surgical instruments, or perhaps a wall of 4,000 mouse skeletons? Check, check and check! Being the cultured metropolitans that we are, Time Out’s editors love nothing more than a wholesome afternoon spent gawping at Churchill’s baby rattle or some ancient Egyptian percussion instruments. In my case, the opportunity to live on the doorstep of some of the planet’s most iconic cultural institutions was a big reason why I moved here at the first chance I got, and I’ve racked up countless hours traipsing around display cases and deciphering needlessly verbose wall texts in the eleven years since. From iconic collections, brilliant curation and cutting-edge tech right down to nice loos, adequate signage and a decent place to grab a cuppa; my colleagues and I know exactly what we want from a museum, and we’ve put in a whole lot of time deliberating

In 2026, the UK’s coastline is more in the spotlight than it has been in a long, long time. The opening of the long-awaited King Charles III Coastal Path means that the entire coasts of England, Wales and Scotland are now fully walkable – giving you even more of a reason to visit this nation’s extraordinary roster of seaside towns. Of course, being an island nation, the UK has no shortage of coastal spots. Prim, proper, picture-postcard-worthy idylls? Check. Remote, blustery retreats from stormy seas?  Yep, plenty of that. Thrill-packed resort spots with something for everyone? Britain has all of the above and much more. If you’re on the hunt for British seaside towns that are worth checking out right now – the ones that should be on your radar specifically in 2026 – that’s what we’re here for. Time Out assembled our UK travel experts to pick out the country’s most exciting seaside, port, harbour and resort towns to visit this year. RECOMMENDED: 🏖️ The best beaches in the UK.📍 The best places to visit in Britain in 2026.🇬🇧 The best new things to do in the UK in 2026. Time Out’s best seaside towns, mapped Image: Time Out

Hiking is having a moment right now. Brand-new trails – including the world’s longest coastal path – are opening left, right and centre. Plus, more of us than ever are choosing active, mindful and sustainable experiences when we travel. To help you plan your next great hike, we’ve rounded up the best hiking holidays the world over, from Europe’s very own Jurassic Park to the bonnie lochs of the West Highland Way and desert landscapes in the Middle East. Each hike has been tried and tested by our globetrotting network of travel writers, so read on for all the info on where to go, when to go and how long to set aside, plus tips and tricks and the best sights to look for along the way. All you need to do is pack your bags. These are the world’s greatest hikes, according to Time Out. Updated April 2026: We’ve added two Spanish hikes to the list to help you plan your summer treks. RECOMMENDED:🌲 The best national parks in the world ⛰️ The best destinations for solo female travellers🌊 The most spectacular places to swim in the world🏝️ The best beaches in the world🚂 The best train journeys around the world

April 2026: We've updated our roasts list to reflect the return of sunnier days. Try the Macbeth in Hoxton, which offers a great Portuguese-style Sunday sesh, and the ravishing Jamaican-inspired roast at Buster Mantis in Deptford. There are a couple of posh restaurants in the mix too, with a Nordic roast at the plush Ekstedt at the Yard near Westminster, and a serious meat feast at Quality Chop House in Clerkenwell. We also have a new Number 1 to welcome spring in; the bright and breezy offering at the super fancy-feeling Sessions Arts Club in Clerkenwell.  London’s best Sunday roasts at a glance: 🥩 Central: Sessions Arts Club, Clerkenwell 😇 North: The Angel, Highgate ⛪ South: Old Nun’s Head, Nunhead 🌈 East: The Nelson’s, Hackney 🍻 West: The Mall Tavern, Notting Hill Sunday lunch. There’s nothing quite like it. An elemental meal, one that Londoners take incredibly seriously. Debates about what constitutes the ‘perfect’ Sunday roast have been known to last for hours. There is no shortage of top roasts and Sunday lunch options in London. We’ve rounded up the city’s best Sunday meals from a host of pubs, restaurants and breweries all around town. What makes a good roast? For us, it’s simple; a welcoming room is a good start, maybe in a pub with an open fire during the winter months. Then it comes to the plate – we need perfect roast potatoes, well-cooked lamb, beef or pork and a decent plant-based option too. A Sunday roast is more than just lunch - it’s self-care. From s

Dreaming of sand between your toes, wind blowing in your hair and sun beating down on your skin? You might just be due a trip to the beach. Here in the UK, we can’t quite guarantee the sunshine, but we can guarantee some seriously stunning beaches which will rival those of Mediterranean (and might even be contenders for the best beaches in the world).  We have white sand beaches, we have pebbles, we have towering chalk cliffs and rock pools galore. We pretty much have a beach for every occassion. Not sure where to go? We’ve rounded up the best beaches in the UK right here, from Scotland to Cornwall, all chosen by Time Out travel writers who have been to visit them IRL. You’ll also find our expert reccs for where to stay, so you can make the most of your beachy getaway. Enjoy.  Where are the UK’s most beautiful beaches? Pretty beaches are dotted all over the UK, but you’ll find some absolute beauties in Scotland, Cornwall and Wales, where the water is often clear, beaches are surrounded by tall cliffs and greenery and you might even find sand between your toes. On our list of the UK’s best beaches, we’ve included the prettiest and most serene stretches of coast out there, but we’ve also included those better for vibes, families and big old picnics. They might not be lookers, but they’re perfect for a seaside day out.  RECOMMENDED:🏖️ The most amazing hidden beaches in the UK🌊 The best outdoor swimmming pools in the UK🏊 The most amazing wild swimming spots in the UK🌤️ The be

Europe might be home to 44 countries, 34 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and seven Wonders of the World – but the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen here could be something totally unknown. That’s the thing about beauty: it’s personal. So rather than list 35 of the most famous sights on the continent, we instead every year ask our network of editors and travel writers to name us the most beautiful thing they’ve seen on their European travels.  The result? Beautiful places that come with a story. Like taking boats out on Germany’s hidden lakes, and tucking into picnics in the park in Portugal at sunset. Holidays spent exploring vast sand dunes in France, afternoons wandering through Art Nouveau streets in Latvia and childhood tales of clambering over jagged stones in Ireland. And that’s just a few of the memories you’ll find on this list, which stretches from Iceland all the way to Greece, from solitary islands to well-trodden walking routes. Here are the most beautiful places in Europe, according to us.  ➡️ READ MORE: The most underrated destinations in Europe Updated April 2026: We’ve just added North Macedonia’s most enchanting Lake, a frozen-in-time Bosnian village and Italy’s answer to Turkey’s Pamukkale hot springs to our list – plus many more beautiful tales.    Ella Doyle is Time Out’s Europe editor. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by experts across Europe. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links

Green space is as integral to the ebb and flow of city life as good transport and a welcoming culture – even the most urban of urbanites need to touch grass once in a while, after all.  That’s why, when Time Out conducts its annual survey – this year collecting data from a staggering 24,000 city-dwellers – we don’t just ask about the best places for eating, dancing, dating and exploring, we get the lowdown on how accessible nature is, too.  All of that data is combined to create Time Out’s Best Cities with Intrepid Travel, our definitive ranking of the best cities on the planet to live in and to explore in 2026. And while Melbourne was crowned the overall best city this year, a quiet UK city took the crown as the world’s greenest, according to locals. That’s right – the lush, densely park-populated city of Bath received the highest score for green spaces and nature in our 2025-26 survey. Chicago in the US followed closely behind, and third place was copped by the effortlessly cool Canadian city of Montreal. To rank the world’s greenest cities, we asked thousands of locals across 150 hubs one question: how would you rate the green spaces and access to nature in your city? We then collated the places where the highest percentage of respondents answered ‘good’ or ‘amazing’, including only the highest-scoring city for each country to ensure the list reflects nature-packed cities globally. Fancy a gander? Check out the world’s best cities for green space and nature below, accordin

There’s no such thing as a perfect city, but you can bet hubs that boast brilliant spots to eat, admire art, dance and shop are all top-tier places to be. And if all those things fall within walking distance of each other? Well, that’s even better.  Time Out conducts an enormous annual city survey – which, for our tenth anniversary edition, quizzed no less than 24,000 urbanites – asking about everything from nightlife to street food, dating to transport, and vitally, how easy it is to discover the city on foot.  We used all that crucial insight from locals to produce Time Out’s Best Cities with Intrepid Travel, which crowned Melbourne as the overall best city for 2026. However, plenty of places were commended for being particularly pedestrian-friendly. We love a walkable city at Time Out – after all, low-traffic streets and the chance to get more steps in is a win-win for people and for the environment – so we’ve compiled a ranking of the planet’s most walkable metropolises. The ranking is based on the highest percentage of locals who rated their city’s walkability ‘good’ or ‘amazing’ in our annual survey. To ensure the list reflects the best pedestrian-friendly cities globally, we included the highest scoring city for each country. So, ready for a stroll? These are the most walkable cities in the world right now, all according to locals who live in them.  RECOMMENDED:🍃 The world’s best cities for green spaces and nature

*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id="request-WEB:71d6b288-c88a-4520-89ca-7454fcda89e0-1" data-testid="conversation-turn-2" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant"> You’ve decided you’re heading to London. Transport? Sorted. Tube map? Downloaded. Now comes the tricky part: where to stay. And, let's be honest, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. London is a huge patchwork of neighbourhoods, each with its own personality and pace. From the leafy, laid-back corners of Chiswick to buzzing cultural hubs in Camden, where you base yourself can shape your whole trip. So, before you panic-book a pricey hotel in the West End, take a breath. There’s a whole city beyond the tourist core, with fantastic places to stay that might suit your style (and budget) even better. If you're after local living in 2026, hit up Leyton or Walthamstow, or Brixton has an endless array of cheap eats, bars and culture on every corner. Whether you’re after lively nightlife, easy access to gorgeous green spaces, culture on your doorstop, or serious dining, you’ll find it here. Ready to get booking? Read on for our guide to the best neighbourhoods and places to stay in London.  ➡️ READ MORE: The best Airbnbs in London – with expert local tips Where to stay in London at a glance 👶 Best for first-timers: Covent Garden, S

Updated for 2026: Whatever you think of Netflix’s theatrical strategy, it continues to produce some of television’s most formally daring works, including Adolescence, a hard-to-watch but impossible to ignore limited series about an unimaginable crime. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s HBO’s hilariously profane The Righteous Gemstones, which stuck the landing in 2025 with its final season. In addition, we have moved Andor into the top 20 after its astounding second and final season.  Television used to be considered one of the lowest forms of entertainment. It was derided as ‘the idiot box’ and ‘the boob tube’. Edward R Murrow referred to it as ‘the opiate of the masses’, and the phrase ‘I don’t even own a TV’ was considered a major bragging right.  A lot has changed. Television is now the dominant medium in basically all of entertainment. The shift in perception is widely credited to the arrival of The Sopranos, which completely reinvented the notion of what a TV show could do. But that doesn’t mean everything that came before is primordial slurry. While this list of the greatest TV shows ever is dominated by 21st century programs, from The Wire to Succession to Adolescence, there are many shows that deserve credit for laying the groundwork for this current golden age.  Chiseling them down to a neat top 100 is difficult, so we elected to leave off talk shows, variety shows and sketch comedy, focusing on scripted, episodic dramas, comedies and miniseries. So don’t touc

Whatever your vibe (and whatever your budget), London’s got it all – and anyone will find something they love here. Historic pubs, leafy parks and gardens and an unmatched restaurant scene make this city worth visiting year-round, but before you’ve booked anything in London, you kind of have to know where you’re going to be based. To get you started, we’ve rounded up the city’s best Airbnbs available to book right now, with expert tips from our local editors. And, new for 2026 is our top Airbnb, a garden flat in Leyton, perfect for a summer BBQ! Should I choose an Airbnb or a hotel in London? London is not short on lovely hotels, ranging from budget to luxury and just about everything in between. But it’s fair to say that even the cheaper options cost a pretty penny – and you’ll often find them in more central, touristy areas in the city. If you want to live like a Londoner, an Airbnb can allow you to properly immerse yourself in a more residential area of London – and all the locally-loved bars, pubs and restaurants that come with it. You’ll find lots of our local tips below, but for a detailed breakdown of the best neighbourhoods to stay in London, check out our ultimate area guide. More of a hotels guy? No problem. Here’s our list of the best hotels in London.  📍 RECOMMENDED: Ultimate guide to the best hotels and Airbnbs in London Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured, our writers have based our list on expert knowledge of the de

London is full of perfect pizza. The finest of fast foods, this delicious staple has been elevated far beyond its humble roots by great Italian restaurants in London, pop-ups, street food vendors and pub residencies, and we know just where to find these world-class wonders, because we’ve been eating our way across London in order to discover the best. Whether it’s delivered in a cardboard box or served in a swish restaurant, excellent pizza is hard to beat. Browse our list of the best pizza places in town and try not to drool on your screen. Recent additions to the list include some nifty kitchen residencies; Dough Hands at the Spurstowe Arms and (from May 7) All My Friends in Hackney Wick, Hot Saint at the Old Queen’s Head in Angel, Little Earthquakes at the Railway Tavern in Dalston, and Short Road Pizza at the William The Fourth in Leyton and Three Colts in Bethnal Green. You can find Ace Pizza at the Pembury Tavern in Hackney Downs, but they have also opened their first standalone parlour in Victoria Park. Try also; Spring Street Pizza in Borough for pie with a Michelin-starred chefs touch, Carmela’s on Upper Street for a cosy slice and Vincenzo’s in Shoreditch for no-flop pizza. RECOMMENDED: The finest fish and chips in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

When it comes to ultra-luxurious stays, the scene is largely dominated by monolithic five-star chains which have properties in every major city. That isn’t the case with Firmdale Hotels. Instead, owners and designers Tim and Kit Kemp have kept their portfolio – which comprises nine London and three New York stays – modest, and what it’s resulted in are efficiently run, tastefully-designed hotels.  This particular building functioned as a hospital for French soldiers during the Second World War before becoming the Shaftesbury Hotel and operating as such until 1992. It was in 1996 that it became the Covent Garden Hotel, and 30 years on, it’s still a worthy member of London’s hotel crème de la crème.  What are the rooms like at the Covent Garden Hotel? Full of texture, colour, and lavish touches. There are 58 rooms on offer at the Covent Garden Hotel, and if you’re lucky enough to afford something at the upper end of the price range, opt for the palatial Loft Suite. Spread over a first and mezzanine floor (with an entrance at each level), this place had a downstairs bathroom, dining and living space, plus an airy and bright master bedroom, a walk-in wardrobe and en suite upstairs. As is typical at Firmdale Hotels, there was a well-executed balance of country-house cosiness and modern amenities. The chain of boutiques are pleasingly uniform in their flamboyant yet quintessentially English interior aesthetic (courtesy of Kit Kemp), and from the wallpaper and the curtains to the th

Margate’s Old Town is a quaint network of historic yet polished-looking lanes which are peppered with plenty of bookshops, vintage stores, cafés and pubs. It actually feels more like a countryside village than the whimsical core of the UK’s go-to seaside town – until the wind hits you, that is.  Right in the middle is the Old Town House, a restored property comprising of just eight rooms, which is barely a five-minute walk from the beach, Margate’s Harbour Arm, as well as Turner Contemporary and plenty of top places to eat and drink. Here’s why, if you’re headed to Margate for the weekend, it’s one of our favourite places to stay. What are the rooms like at the Old Town House Margate? Despite its classy Georgian facade, this hotel feels surprisingly modern – firstly because there’s no lobby. Instead, before arriving you’ll be sent instructions on downloading an app that’ll give you a digital code, so you can tap in and out of both the entrance and your room as you please.  The rooms all branch off from a freshly painted winding staircase, and we stayed right at the very top in a premium suite (where rates start from £190-350). Inside, the floors were lined with delightfully plump carpet, the walls with pretty, shimmery wallpaper and the room was furnished with ornamental antiques as well as handy amenities like a hairdryer and a tea, coffee and hot chocolate set up. There was a small wardrobe as well as storage under the stairs (we’ll get to that), plus ample surface space to

Cato is a tale of two bars. You’ll arrive at what they’re calling The House of Julep, a lively, chatter-filled space on the ground floor with dark wood, garnet-painted walls, and the pleasant rattle of cocktail shakers. Here, the vibe is relaxed, jovial, and on a Thursday evening it feels like the merry hum of a pub has been transplanted into the swankier body of a sultry bar.  In the basement, you leave the hubbub behind to find a much more intimate space, draped in scarlet velvet. This is Cato, a name inspired by freedman and pioneer of American cocktail culture Cato Alexander. Classic disco plays as we snack on pretzels, olives, and airy focaccia while browsing the menu, which is organised by colour. Inspired by the colour-coded brain phenomenon of synesthesia, it includes 14 different cocktails which contain ingredients sourced exclusively from UK suppliers. The standouts? If you fancy something ‘Brown’, then Chestnut + Brown Butter is an exquisite, earthy, very savoury combination of aged rum, Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask, brown butter, caramelised chicken broth ‘brown’ rum, and chestnut praline. The most impressive was undoubtedly Wasabi + Mustard Greens, where ginger and honey shrub, foraged mustard greens and mustard leaf tincture mixed with gin and English wasabi distillate make for a refreshing, slightly fiery zinger of a cocktail. Order this Don’t sleep on The House of Julep’s menu. Go for The Oyster House Martini – it’s a pellucid blend of Ford’s London Dry

If you’re after a refined and polished bar perfect for quiet conversation, Homeboy is not the place. What it is good for, however, is expertly-executed cocktails served in what feels more like a raucous Irish pub. Enter and you’ll be enveloped into a snug, pleasingly low-lit space and affably greeted like a regular, even if you’ve never been here before. It’s a welcome tonic to the monosyllabic, named-after-a-generic-white-bloke bars which have proliferated London of late: there’s ample room on plump Chesterfield banquettes and lots of dark wood. On Thursdays and Sundays your evening will be soundtracked not by vinyl, but by a live Irish band.  There are TVs which, when we visited, were blaring the Six Nations, and once the music actually gets going, this place gets properly noisy. However, the seamlessness of the table service and the lively atmosphere proves that this place is a well-oiled hospitality machine – as do the drinks. Homeboy Bar’s menu features a signature collection of cocktails which have been steadfast inclusions since it opened, but there’s also a list of drinks inspired by Irish idols. The Punk Poet is one of these: it blends Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon with orange zest-infused oil, dark chocolate liqueur and demerara sugar, and it’s moreish, sour and sharp. The emphasis is very much on mixing a bit of Irishness into classic cocktail recipes, and dirty martini drinkers will also enjoy an Irish Sea.  Oh, and arrive hungry. This place doesn’t just knock it out of

Pass under the quintessential New York black awning, rotate through the revolving door and Sofitel New York greets you with a lengthy, imposing, Art Deco-esque lair of a lobby. It’s a lowly illuminated but pleasingly warm welcome from New York’s crispy late-fall streets, and while confusingly you’ll need to walk all the way towards the glitzy statement staircase at the far end to reach the actual reception, there are plenty of staff floating around to assist you.  This hotel is Sofitel’s new North American flagship property, which, after a substantial facelift, is a Midtown base that brims with potential. Despite a slightly bizarre entrance and shortcomings in the food offering, the hotel’s impressive location, immaculately designed beds and assured luxury service are where it gleams. Here’s what we thought of Sofitel New York.  Why stay at Sofitel New York? You probably haven’t traveled all the way to New York for a glimpse at the French way of life, but Sofitel is keen to deliver at least a flavor of it anyway. With the brand’s renewed emphasis on eating, drinking and sleeping well (which they refer to as the ‘French zest’), Sofitel New York has emerged from its site-wide renovation, striving and mostly succeeding to deliver on all those with polish.  The number one reason you should stay at this hotel is because of its prime—and we mean prime—location. Beyond having the Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, Bryant Park, Central Park, Broadway and Times Square all with

Head along to University of East London’s Docklands campus after dark and you'll find this spectacular free festival brightening up the skies. This year, the theme is the four elements, which means there'll be tons to see inspired by the wonders of wind, earth, fire and water. Its eclectic line-up includes glowing hula hooping, fire acrobatics, a giant roaming octopus and dragon, and illuminated performers walking high above the crowds. There'll also be refreshments from local street food stalls throughout the evening. Book your free place to be part of the fun. 

Lisbon strikes an unmatched balance of spontaneous small town energy while ticking all the criteria a great city should – stellar restaurants and bars, cool museums, top-tier places to go shopping and plethora of unique and interesting neighbourhoods to explore. It’s that balance which is also somehow executed by ME Lisbon, a large luxury stay in Marquês do Pombal which, despite its glassy exterior, intimidatingly polished lobby and sheer size, is an unabashedly friendly and thoughtfully designed hotel that I would definitely return to.  Why stay at ME Lisbon? While this hotel is big, corporate, and ultra luxurious, the warmth of the service, the excellent restaurant and the tasteful design mean it still feels quintessentially Lisbon. Sure, it’s a far cry from the whimsical little boutique hotels you’ll find in Alfama or the city centre, but ME Lisbon, armed not only with a friendly team, good food and a marvellous scent (literally everything smells good – even the air in the lifts) but also a downright beautiful spa and rooftop pool mean you can properly kick back here.  What are the rooms like at ME Lisbon? There are 213 rooms at ME Lisbon, with a whopping 12 different types to choose from – we stayed in an expansive Beyond ME+ Suite Street View which overlooked Avenue António Augusto de Aguiar and bragged a walk-in dressing area with shedloads of storage, a bar and mini fridge, living space and Smart TV, plus a bedroom area and a vast and luxurious en suite.  The entire sp

It’s been four years since Mozart’s revered comedy was performed on a London stage, but the English National Opera’s upcoming production of Così fan tutte has had some whimsy injected thanks to a collaboration with Improbable, an improv-based theatre company. The opera follows the outcome the cynical placing of a bet by two soldiers, Ferrando and Guglielmo, that if tested their fiancées, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, would have affairs, and soprano Lucy Crowe OBE and mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven are starring as the two sisters.  With Olivier Award-winner Phelim McDermott at the helm and Critics’ Circle Young Talent Award winner Dinis Sousa conducting, this co-production (in partnership with New York’s Metropolitan Opera), written originally at the height of Mozart’s career in the 1790s, has now been transformed by set (by Tom Pye) and costume design (by Laura Hopkins) to unfurl on 1950s Coney Island.

Montreal is a cool city – and I don’t just mean literally. From its dazzling fine art museum whose architectural engineering is just as outstanding as its collections, to its hearty, diverse food, stylish bars, top-tier shopping and an actual underground network of streets (yes, really), it’s somewhere I recommend you move to the top of your bucket list for 2026. And when you do pay a visit, the Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile is ready and waiting to greet you. Just like the city, this hotel has an effortless, stylish je ne sais quoi about it, largely thanks to the conclusion of a recent site-wide refurbishment. The result? A comfortable and exceptionally well-run hotel, perched on one of the coolest streets in the world. Why stay at Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile? The Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile is, simply, an expertly run hotel. The service is attentive but not overbearing, the rooms and suites are spacious with considerate details, and you’re in a handy Downtown location, just minutes from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Mount Royal.  On top of all that, the hotel has impressive environmental credentials – it was awarded 5 Green Keys in early 2025, the highest possible certification from eco-label programme Green Key Global, plus a local Montreal sustainability award – thanks to details such as its policy on using no paper or plastic bottles. It’s also platinum certified by SHe Travel Club, a certification platform for women travellers. What are the rooms like at Sofitel

Through the MacSmiths Repair Shop on Hackney Road is where you’ll find this cave-like, perfect-for-the-winter cocktail bar. We arrived drenched from the rain into the pleasantly toasty, warmly but lowly-lit space which sits at the bottom of a small staircase, and the vibe feels most like the den of a whacky old professor – think kooky portraits, cluttered old computer monitors and even something called a poem-o-graph. This is the place to come if you’re trying to ‘get into’ whisky. As of 2025, the bar is run by the same team behind the nearby Absinthe Parlour at The Last Tuesday Society, and not only does it have 24 different kinds on an evolving roster (when a bottle runs out, a new whisky replaces it), but they also have Whisky Wednesdays for tastings and specially curated cocktail menu. It’s no surprise they refer to themselves as a ‘whisky bunker’. For a crash course on whisky without committing to a full drink, there were three flight options on the menu: the ‘world wonderer’, the ‘smoke stack’ and the brilliant dessert trolley, which included notes of tropical vanilla, honeycomb and banana bread – it’s definitely one for those of us with a sweet tooth. Service is suitably laid-back, and if you’re overwhelmed by the lengthy list of options, you won’t feel too intimidated to seek out some recommendations from the bar staff about the drinks or well-paired snacks. Order this If, like me, you’re a fan of cocktails that’ll make your face scrunch up, order the Pickleback Sour.

St Martin's Voices and St Martin's Brass will this year be bringing us some stunningly festive performances of glorious music, carol singing and festive readings. Conducted by Andrew Earis, expect to hear beloved classic songs such as ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ and ‘O Holy Night’ plus the audience carols of ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’. Set against the beautiful backdrop of St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, these concerts promise to be a magical start to Christmas. 

What’s the vibe?  This space is one of Brighton’s most refined restaurants. It sits on Upper Market Street unbeknownst to the majority of passers-by, which gives it an exclusive, elevated vibe. The restaurant is tastefully and simply furnished with lots of pale wood and natural light giving it a beachhouse feel, and that is reflected in the menu.  What should I order?  The menu here changes regularly, but there’ll be a three-course set lunch menu for £35 per person or a decadent six-course option at dinner time which costs £85 per person. Each will include simple but super elegant seafood dishes, and the restaurant’s signature dish, the egg and soldiers, will (hopefully) be available at dinner time.

While many of Europe’s most popular museums and landmarks are capping visitor numbers, one art gallery in Rome is actually looking to increase the number of visitors that come through its doors. It’s the Borghese Gallery, a seventeenth-century villa home to masterpieces of the Baroque era by Bernini, Caravaggio Raphael and Titian, and surrounded by gorgeous landscape gardens which are peppered with statues and ornate fountains.  Right now, 180 visitors are allowed into the gallery at any one time, and the time slots are often booked out well in advance. Given Rome welcomed 22 million visitors in 2025, there’s obviously a lot of competition for a ticket.  Recommended: Can popular European cities ever recover from overtourism? Photograph: ShutterstockVilla Borghese Gardens But that might not be the case soon, as the museum has proposed creating a new building adjacent to the villa in order to showcase more art and allow more people to visit within one window.  However, several heritage groups have taken issue with the proposal, and Friends of Villa Borghese took to Facebook to describe the plans as an ‘outrage’, according to Reuters.  Tomaso Montanari, a professor and expert on Roman Baroque, said: ‘The mere idea of injecting one cubic metre of concrete into the Borghese park ... amounts to a resounding blasphemy against the nation’s cultural heritage.’ They don’t sound too happy, do they? Even if the proposal goes ahead, construction work in the Borghese grounds is still a l

We’re big fans of rail travel, but it’s not without its complications, particularly when you’re crossing borders and have multiple connections to think about. Well, that could all change in Europe, as the European Commission plans to make cross-continental travel smoother than ever.  The proposal? A single ticket for your entire journey, no matter how many countries you cross or operators you board with. The new passenger package will not only make train travel simpler for customers but will also enhance their rights. ‘Freedom of movement is one of Europe’s greatest achievements,’ said commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas in a statement. ‘Today, we are taking it a step further by making travel across all 27 Member States simpler, smarter and more passenger-friendly.’ Using ‘digital tools and integrated mobility services’, travellers through Europe will be able to plan, compare and buy multimodal journeys and enjoy greater transparency about ticket prices, according to euronews. View this post on Instagram A post shared by European Commission 🇪🇺 (@europeancommission) Passengers will also have better protection should they encounter complications. If a connection is missed, passengers will be rerouted to their destination without having to buy another ticket – whether or not the two legs are run by the same operator. And food and accommodation will be offered should a passenger be stranded overnight.  The proposal would

Plenty of us dream of owning a home, but in lots of major cities across the world, crippling rent and unattainable house prices can make it feel more like a pipe dream than a future reality.  So, why don’t you haul yourself off for a slice of the island life instead, eh? Judging by the price tag on this paradisiacal piece of Greek land in the Ionian Sea, it could certainly be a more affordable option (though, as ever, there’s a rather large catch). Makri, the fifth-largest island in the Echinades archipelago, boasts a pretty, jagged coastline, pellucid waters, plenty of sun and remains completely untouched by overtourism. And it’s now officially up for sale. But, despite originally being advertised with a value of €8 million when it was first listed by high-end real estate agencies back in 2022, the asking price today is a mere €247,000.  Recommended: This white-sand beach in Greece was just named the best beach in Europe for 2026.  Why? Well, the island – which is completely uninhabited – had been wrongfully classified as a private forest. It also lies within a Site of Community Importance and Special Protection Zone, according to Metro, which means that any five-star development proposals (which seemed to be one of the initial selling points) would be prohibited.  What’s more, Makri falls under Natura 2000, which is the same band of ecological protection that led to sunbeds being banned on 251 beaches across Greece this summer, meaning building any kind of infrastructure wo

An efficient and easy-to-navigate transport system can transform a good city into a great one – and in what is an incredibly exciting development for visitors and locals, Dublin’s long-planned automated metro system is a step closer to creation.  According to the Railway Gazette, Transport Infrastructure Ireland has launched the procurement process, meaning companies are now able to bid for the single largest contract within Dublin’s massive, €9.5 billion MetroLink project. This portion has an estimated value of €7.3 billion, and covers a broad range of infrastructural and operational tasks – so much so, in fact, that it’s called the M500 Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintain (DBFOM) contract.  More specifically, the consortium selected as the winners of the contract will be responsible for the design, supply and maintenance of the trains and signalling systems.  🚃 Recommended: These are the best cities in the world for public transport, according to locals.  It’ll also take on the line-wide trackwork, the overhead power systems, communications infrastructure and mechanical and electrical work like ventilation in the tunnels and what New Civil Engineer describes as ‘people movement systems’ (or escalators). Then there’s the station fit-outs across all 16 locations, as well as ‘urban realm enhancements’. Talk about a long to-do list, right? The company selected to undertake DBFOM will not only be employed for the seven years of construction, but also the first 25 years

É um privilégio viver num lugar bonito, mas só se pudermos tirar o máximo partido do que ele tem para oferecer – e, como provaram os habitantes de Sveti Stefan, no Montenegro, isso nem sempre acontece. A cidade insular, ligada ao continente montenegrino por uma estreita faixa de areia, é famosa pelo resort de luxo que, ao longo da sua história, já recebeu nomes como Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor e os Beckham. Originalmente transformado num hotel na década de 1950 pelo governo jugoslavo, e convertido no Aman Sveti Stefan em 2009, o resort fechou portas há cinco anos quando a população local exigiu a utilização das praias da ilha, anteriormente reservadas apenas para o uso exclusivo dos hóspedes. Agora, tem reabertura marcada para 1 de Julho, com duas das praias – a Praia de Sveti Stefan e a Praia do Rei – abertas ao público, e a outra – a Praia da Rainha, aninhada numa lagoa de sonho – acessível apenas a quem fez check-in no hotel. A novidade surge após um acordo entre os arrendatários da ilha e o governo montenegrino, que passará a receber uma quota de 10% dos lucros, segundo o The Independent. Sveti Stefan alberga também duas piscinas públicas (uma delas apenas para adultos) e três restaurantes: há comida italiana no Arva, antipasti e pratos ao estilo de taberna no Piazza, e o Cliff Pool Bar, cujo nome diz tudo. Mais sobre o Aman Sveti Stefan No total, o resort compreende 33 casas de campo individuais na ilha, todas com pedra que remonta ao século XV e vistas para o jardi

Always wanted to own a boat, but never won the lottery? Well, we’ve got some very good news for you.  Request-a-ride platform Uber has just partnered with boat rental company Click & Boat in a venture which, from this summer, will make hiring a vessel as easy as booking a taxi.  The service is set to be piloted from mid-June across 23 coastal cities in Italy, Portugal, France, Spain and Croatia, meaning you’ll literally be able to book a boat via the Uber app.  It’s a little different from London’s Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, which instead operates like a waterborne bus.  You don’t need a boat driving license, nor any experience, and each one comes with its own skipper. Click & Boat’s statement described the service as ‘the ultimate shortcut to unforgettable memories on the water’, and with destinations such as Split, Dubrovnik, Saint-Tropez, Nice, Barcelona and Mallorca on the roster, they’re not wrong.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Uber (@uber) Hire a boat from Saint Tropez and head out to enjoy more secluded beachy spots like L’escalet or the scenic but relatively untouched Plage des Salins, or embark from Dubrovnik and have easier access to the cliff-enclosed Pasjača Beach in Konavle.  CEO of Click & Boat Christian Berces says the partnership came about because young travellers are looking for unique, more adventurous experiences, and that this offers users more flexibility ‘without the commitment of a full-day charter or the cost of tr

Certains frissonnent en dénichant un vinyle rare ou en tombant nez à nez avec un tableau culte. D'autres préfèrent les montagnes russes. Chacun ses vertiges. Tripadvisor vient de publier son palmarès annuel des meilleurs parcs d'attractions et aquatiques de la planète, établi à partir des avis des voyageurs. Et en tête du classement mondial, devant tous les autres : Futuroscope, à Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, dans la Vienne, à 20 minutes de Poitiers. Selon Tripadvisor, on y déambule entre manèges futuristes, ateliers inventifs et activités aquatiques. De quoi occuper aussi bien les enfants que les adultes. Depuis son ouverture, le parc a accueilli plus de 50 millions de visiteurs. Le site s'étend sur 60 hectares et propose 25 expériences originales : attractions en 4D, sculptures monumentales, activités en plein air, jeux et spectacles vivants. Parmi les temps forts : Tornado Chasers, qui utilise le plus grand écran LED intérieur du monde pour immerger les visiteurs au cœur d'une tempête, et La Serre des Mondes, dont les parois semblent envahies par une végétation et une faune en mouvement. La France place également Disneyland Paris et le Puy du Fou dans le classement. Côté britannique, Blackpool Pleasure Beach fait son entrée dans le top 10. Les meilleurs parcs d'attractions et aquatiques du monde Futuroscope, France Beto Carrero World, Brésil Waterbom Bali, Indonésie Disneyland Paris, France Beach Park, Brésil Garden City Water Park, Cambodge Puy du Fou, France Siam Park, Espag

We all know the mark of a truly brilliant restaurant is the glint of a Michelin star, but just three years after its launch, the Pinnacle Guide is fast becoming the equivalent barometer for the bar industry.  Bars have to self-nominate to be considered, and any accolades awarded are based on an assessment of their application plus multiple visits from local, anonymous reviewers. One pin equates to ‘excellent’, two means ‘outstanding’, and three marks an ‘exceptional’ experience.  Back in 2024, Lyaness in London became the world’s first-ever three-pinner, but for 2026, 46 bars from all over the globe have been newly-pinned across the one, two, and three-pin categories – so let’s dive in.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Line Athens (@line.athens) One of the three newly-pinned three-pin bars is Line Athens, a contemporary, stylish spot in the Greek capital’s Kato Petralona neighbourhood. You can find it inside an airy, loft-style former gallery space.  They’re known for homemade fruit wines (known as Why-ins) – of which you can choose a Classic or Fancy – as well as some intriguing cocktails. Think a Delusional Margarita or a Message From Scotland.  New to the two-pin category is Handshake Speakeasy, a 1920s-inspired bar in Mexico City, and in the one-pin category, The Domino Club, a jazz bar hidden behind the facade of a barber shop in the UK city of Leeds. However, there’s plenty more where these came from – scroll on for the complete roun

It’s understandable that, after quietly trundling along for what can be hours at a time, the long-awaited appearance of a resplendent tiger will make you want to reach for your smartphone. But if you’re on safari in India, you soon won’t be able to snap a photo of the creature yourself.  Back in November 2025, the country’s Supreme Court passed a ban on the use of mobile phones in tiger reserves across India, largely due to increasingly detrimental behaviour by tourists. The ban is expected to come into place from October this year, after the end of the monsoon season.  But, what does bad tourist behaviour actually refer to? Well, ‘in many ways, it is a classic case of a few people spoiling things for the majority,’ Managing Director of TransIndus Amrit Singh said to Wanderlust. ‘Park authorities had become concerned by the growing number of visitors distressing wildlife and placing themselves, guides and naturalists at risk, simply in pursuit of selfies or social media footage.’ Photograph: Shutterstock And while it is a shame that the few have spoiled taking photos for the many, there are a couple of alarming instances that shed light on why this measure is necessary.  In February, reports from Ranthambhore National Park detailed a distressed tiger, surrounded by vehicles of visitors shouting and taking photos, struggling to retreat back to the jungle for refuge. Other instances have seen people dropping their phones and diving out of the safety of the vehicle to retrieve

Residing in a city comes with loads of perks – heterogeneous food options, exciting nightlife, and often, the convenience of having your everyday needs met within walking distance from where you live.  But, the best thing about living in a city? Well, arguably it’s having world-class culture – be it renowned museums, theatre or music – at your fingertips.  That’s why Time Out scours the planet to compile a list of the current cultural capitals every single year. For 2026, 24,000 locals from more than 150 cities weighed in on the quality and affordability of the culture scene where they live, and it resulted in our 20-strong list of Time Out’s Best Cities for Culture with Intrepid Travel.  Topping that list? It was London, which garnered a monumentally impressive 99 percent score for the quality of its arts scene. ‘There’s nowhere in the world with so many elite galleries and museums that are entirely free to visit,’ says Time Out UK’s editor-in-chief Joe Mackertich. ‘South Kensington probably has more incredible exhibits housed in its many legendary institutions than you can find in every state in America combined (this is an estimate, please don’t look into it. What’s mad is that new museums – all free to visit, all world-class – are still appearing all the time.’ Read more about why London scored so well here.  Photograph: Olha Solodenko / Shutterstock But, the UK capital is far from the only cultural heavyweight in Europe – in fact, eight more cities made our top 20. P

It’s a great time to be an outdoorsy traveller – not only have UNESCO just announced the procurement of 12 new geoparks, but one particularly beautiful country’s landscapes are about to become free to visit for absolutely everyone.  Yes, you read that right. According to AFAR, the entire Parks Canada network – which comprises 40 national parks and reserves, 171 national historical sites and five marine conservation areas – will be waiving admission fees from June 19 until September 7.  Recommended: These are the very best things to do in Canada right now.  Typically, park entry across these sites ranges from US$5-18, but as part of a country-wide push (the Canada Strong Pass) to boost entry numbers, visitors – both domestic and international – can get in for free. It’s quite a different vibe from the wave of anti-overtourism sentiment gripping Europe right now, not to mention the huge price hike implemented at US national parks this year, which saw entry to the likes of Yosemite rise to $100 for international visitors. So, let’s take a closer look at all the glorious national parks in Canada where, for the next couple of months, you won’t have to pay to enter.  Photograph: Shutterstock Banff National Park That’s right – the big one, the most famous national park in Canada, will be free to enter this summer. Characterised by electric blue lakes and the razor-like Rockies, this place is not only dripping with outstanding beauty, but also plenty of lovely trails to hike and p

div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown"> C'est un privilège de vivre dans un endroit magnifique, encore faut-il pouvoir en profiter soi-même. Les habitants de Sveti Stefan, au Monténégro, en ont fait l'amère expérience. La ville insulaire, reliée au continent monténégrin par une mince bande de sable, est célèbre pour son rôle de resort de luxe qui, au fil de son histoire, a accueilli des personnalités comme Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor ou encore les Beckham. Transformé en hôtel dans les années 1950 par le gouvernement yougoslave, puis reconverti en Aman Sveti Stefan en 2009, le resort avait fermé ses portes il y a cinq ans après que les habitants avaient réclamé l'accès aux plages de l'île, jusqu'alors réservées à une clientèle haut de gamme. Il rouvrira le 1er juillet prochain, avec deux plages (Sveti Stefan Beach et King's Beach) accessibles au public, et une troisième (Queen's Beach, nichée dans un lagon de carte postale) réservée aux seuls résidents du resort. Cette réouverture fait suite à un accord entre les locataires de l'île et le gouvernement monténégrin, qui obtiendra 10 % des bénéfice