travel
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10 of the best alternative city tours in EuropeSee a different side of Europe’s major cities on these innovative walking tours that revel in art, history, food, drink – and even financial mismanagement
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Poland’s milk bar kids help sustain a culinary institutionKrakow’s subsidised milk bar tradition dates from the communist era, but many bar mleczny are now sought-after providers of great value, locally-sourced meals -
The expanded Yorkshire Dales and Lake District national parks awaitExtensions to two of England’s most beautiful national parks mean there are new walks, great pubs and historic sights to explore -
Cook your way round Italy's Aeolian islandsThe volcanic Aeolian islands, off Sicily, are rich with the raw ingredients for delicious local specialities – though the squid often play hard to get
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Holiday guide: the inside track on RioInsiders reveal how to run with the locals in the Olympics city – a tropical metropolis with great beaches, music, views and food
beach on a budget
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Top 10 budget beach hotels and B&Bs; on Mexico’s Pacific coastEnjoy ocean views from rooftop bars or just step out and get the sand between your toes. From Mazatlán to Pochutla, here are 10 charming beachside escapes
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Top 10 budget beach hotels, guesthouses and hostels on the Yucatán peninsula, MexicoWell-known and deservedly popular for its jungle, coast and ancient ruins, the Yucatán peninsula can be a pricey place to stay – unless you pick one of these brilliant budget hotels and hostels
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Top 10 budget beach B&Bs; in the SeychellesThe Seychelles islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue may be known for their luxury resorts but there is also a great selection of family-run, more affordable guesthouses just as close to the archipelago’s famous, world-class beaches
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A break with tradition: the end of the Thomson holiday brochureAs Tui Travel, owner of Thomson and First Choice, says glossy guides will be gone by 2020, we look back at how they evolved
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Readers’ travel photography competition: August – send us your picturesOur monthly photo competitions have no theme this year: we just want your best travel shots. Enter via GuardianWitness and you could win a seven-night Secret Fjords self-drive holiday to Iceland for two with Discover the World
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Nowhere to stay after an agent booked me in for the wrong monthHotels.com told me I would have to pay extra for their mistake, and now say my money won’t be refunded as promised
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The Swiss hotel that’s just a bed on a mountainArtists Frank and Patrik Riklin pioneered the zero-star concept by offering guests the chance to stay in a nuclear bunker. Now they’re taking their vision to new heights
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Brooks Country House, near Ross-on-Wye: hotel reviewOnce its pool and spa open – and there’s a little more choice at dinner – this new incarnation of a Wye Valley manor house will be hard to resist
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The pop-ups that made hotel revenues go sky highMarriott’s Canvas Project gets entrepreneurs to transform tired hotel spaces into edgy food and drink outlets for locals – and so far, it’s working
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Obamas’ holiday idyll shattered by local anger over outsize mansionsMartha’s Vineyard residents fear the aura of their island is being wrecked by gentrification
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Scarborough’s new waterpark gets ready to make a splashRides and slides and flumes and pools at a state-of-the-art waterpark are part of the east coast resort’s ongoing efforts to revitalise its tourist industry
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Take the kids to … Kew Gardens, LondonA new giant beehive installation is creating a real buzz at Kew, an attraction so brimming with botanic wonders that kids can’t help but learn as they play
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How do you survive holiday car journeys?The Dover traffic jams highlighted the perils of holiday driving. Tell us how you relieve the boredom of long family drives – and stop the kids fighting
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Roaring success: 50 years of Longleat Safari Park – in picturesLongleat, the first drive-through safari park outside Africa, is marking its 50th anniversary with African Summer, a series of events (from 23 July-4 September). We look back to the park’s opening in 1966, when it cost £1 to drive a car through
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Where to buy fresh food and drink in Normandy and BrittanyThe sheer abundance of regional specialities in north-west France makes for a thrilling foodie road trip. We sniff out the best local produce, plus great places to eat, drink – and sleep it off
readers' tips
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Samba, history, food and drink in Rio de Janeiro: readers’ travel tipsFor zest and spectacle it’s hard to beat Brazil’s shoreline city, and our readers aren’t short of suggestions, including samba parties, favelas and cultural hotspots
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Send us a tip on beaches in South Africa – and win a £200 hotel voucherSouth Africa offers a huge variety of beaches – for swimming, surfing, wildlife-watching and relaxing. Send us details of your favourite and you could win a £200 voucher from uk.hotels.com
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Beer halls, bars and restaurants in Germany: readers’ travel tipsFancy some fruity beer with a side of pretzels or a glass of white wine with traditional noodles and cheese? Readers suggest their favourite refuelling spots in Germany
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Best of Normandy and Brittany: readers’ travel tipsNorthern France is known for beaches, cider, cheese and seafood but our readers also pick out some less obvious delights on the coast and inland
you may have missed
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Plan your escape to Cape Breton, CanadaA tongue-in-cheek website offers Americans refuge in the case of a Trump win. But there are lots of good reasons for visiting this corner of Nova Scotia – whoever’s US president
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A pub crawl of Norwich by canoeNorwich has dozens of ancient churches, a network of peaceful waterways and a pub for every day of the year. So where better to combine sightseeing and paddling from pub to pub?
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'Let's get more travel stories on Africa by Africans'Louise Linton’s cliche-ridden memoir of her gap year in Africa was met with scorn and anger earlier this month. We asked three writers why travel writing about the continent needs to change – and how
Your best shots Readers' travel photography competition
Enter our August competition