TheGamer

Travellers will find Scandinavian landscapes and culture – with Baltic prices

3. Best unexpected outdoor experience in the heart of the city: the Englischer Garten It would seem unlikely to associate Munich, which is more than 500km from the ocean, with water sports. Yet, the city’s Englischer Garten (English Garden) allows visitors to try their hand at a seemingly unlikely pursuit: surfing. The sprawling, 3.75sq-km English … Read more

Forget the solo beach paperback: travellers are now joining structured reading retreats that mix books, place and community. At I’Brindellone, a trattoria in Florence,  a dozen men and women sit around a long table, wine glasses in hand, deep in discussion about a novel: Still Life, a novel by Sarah Winman. On the walls hang … Read more

The easiest access is from Kangerlussuaq, a small town in western Greenland. In 1999, to test their cars in the harshest winter conditions, Volkswagen built a 35km long dirt road leading from the town to the very edge of the ice sheet. Now, however, the ice has retreated so much you need to walk around … Read more

The biggest adjustment for him was not being able to drink the tap water, and says many older houses have small pipes so you can’t flush toilet paper. He also notes that the perception and value of time is expressed differently here. “Mañana doesn’t necessarily mean ‘tomorrow’. It could mean anytime between the morning and … Read more

In Ballincurrig, East Cork, a 2km stretch of road becomes a stadium each October. For 40 years, locals and international players have competed in Ireland’s little-known sport of road bowling, where 28oz (794g) iron balls skim bends, potholes and dips in pursuit of glory. In East Cork, far off Ireland’s tourist trail, a crowd has … Read more

Two hundred years ago, Shildon in north-east England changed the way we travel forever – and its legacy shaped rail networks around the globe. “Would you just look at that?” said Niccy Hallifax, eyes smiling behind chunky designer glasses. “So much history and nostalgia – even if you’re not a trainspotter.” We were standing before … Read more

Andrea Godfrey, marketing manager at Regent Holidays, a Bristol-based travel agent that has been operating tours in the region since the 1970s, welcomes the changes with caution. “It’s not clear how timed entry will work yet – maybe it limits flexibility and maybe it leads to longer wait times – it’s hard to know,” she … Read more

A nostalgic train ride through Portugal The Vouga Historical Train offers a quaint ride through the rolling hillsides of Portugal’s Vouga Valley on a 1964 Basque Railway diesel locomotive, the country’s only remaining narrow-gauge railway. The colourful wooden carriages – painted in glossy red, hunter green and royal blue, with mint green interiors and varnished … Read more