Europe Travel - Holiday trip and tour advice

Salamanca Cathedral from the Tormes river

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A secret slice of Spain – my drive to three cities in Castilla y León

“If someone says to you ¡Que te den morcilla!, it’s not a good thing,” says my guide Rosalía, animatedly. I don’t understand. How could someone wishing that you are given a morcilla (Spanish black pudding) be a bad thing?

Heading away on holidays... Photo: Deposit

Pól Ó Conghaile Opinion Got your holiday checklist together? Here’s one free card you shouldn’t forget...

I knew I was forgetting something. But what?

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The Canary Islands holiday guide – 8 amazing islands, but which is best for you?

Which is your favourite Canary Island?

A model at Lego House in Billund. PA Photo/LEGO House.

Legoland and beyond – why Denmark has all the elements for a brilliant family holiday

“Mummy,” my son says, leaning across the breakfast table at Billund’s Hotel Legoland and looking at me intently, “I don’t want to leave here. And if we have to leave, we have to come back… soon.”

Magnificent views along a cliff walk in Guernsey

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Get ready to explore Guernsey – now linked with direct flights from Dublin

A pair of gliding kestrels hunt for rabbits in the windswept hills at Robert’s C ross on the minuscule island of Herm.

A tourist takes a photo of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma

Pól Ó Conghaile Opinion ‘Disaster tourism’ – where is the line between silly selfies and sensitive visits?

La Palma is like a Lost World. This off-radar Canary Island is a mind-blowing mix of volcanic peaks, wrinkled ravines, black sand beaches and laurel forests popping with wildflowers and waterfalls.

The Royal Armoury wing at Turin's Royal Palace. Picture: Patrick Hanlon

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The GastroGays guide to Turin: Italy’s Eurovision city is a must for food lovers

Eyes, ears and screens will be tuned to Turin this weekend as the city dazzles in opulent Italian style as a first-time host of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Russian president Vladimir Putin. Picture by Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik via AP

As Victory Day comes without a victory, Putin faces choices over all-out war

Ahead of Russia’s most patriotic and sombre holiday, Victory Day, tomorrow, there is no victory in the war against Ukraine but plenty of rumours that President Vladimir Putin will order a general mobilisation of soldiers to secure one.

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A Malta teaser in the sunny Med – visit an island that feels at once ancient and modern

I didn’t know how jarring my alarm clock was until I was gently roused from sleep by the sounds of an awakening Maltese town. The mellifluous wake-up call started at precisely 8am with a church-bell rendition of Ave Maria. It lured me out of bed and onto the balcony of my St Julian’s Bay hotel room, where I watched, coffee in hand, as the seafront town slowly sprung to life.

In this photo taken from video, civil evacuees sit in a bus in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces in Bezimenne, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that an evacuation is underway of civilians at a steel plant in the bombed-out city of Mariupol. Zelenskyy said on social media Sunday that a group of 100 people are on their way from Azovstal steelworks to Ukrainian-controlled territory. (AP Photo)

Civilians trapped in Mariupol steel plant for nearly two months evacuated

After nearly two months of siege, civilians holed up at a steel plant in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol began to be evacuated over the weekend.

El Mirador swimming pool at Ritz Carlton Abama

Hotel Review: Is the Ritz-Carlton Abama the best hotel on Tenerife?

Tenerife is known for year-round, budget-friendly holidays, but its wild west coast has swathes of craggy volcanic rock unbothered by anything other than cacti, succulents and the odd banana plantation.

A plate of sardines. Photo: Katia Valadeau

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Why do so many travellers bypass Malaga, when the city is so mouth-watering?

It’s Monday afternoon, later than usual for my typical lunch, and we are crammed into a tiny corner of a restaurant by a swinging kitchen door.

Jamon Serrano and Manchego cheese - add some chorizo to make the 'Holy Trinity'

The dishes that reign in Spain – from chocolate y churros to perfect pintxos and paella

The 20th anniversary staging of the Madrid Fusion gastronomy and wine fair (madridfusion.net) at the end of March brought together thousands of bar and restaurant owners, suppliers and exporters to celebrate the best of Spanish food and drink.

U.S. ex-Marine Trevor Reed, who was detained in 2019 and accused of assaulting police officers, gestures inside a defendants' cage during a court hearing in Moscow, Russia March 11, 2020. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva

US and Russia announce release of former Marine Trevor Reed and pilot in prisoner exchange

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday welcomed the release of American Trevor Reed from detention in Russia, where he has been held since 2019.

Istanbul is an intriguing mix of old and new

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A whistle-stop trip to Istanbul isn’t nearly enough to uncover its many treasures

When you tell people that you’re going to Istanbul, their reactions fall into one of two categories: those who look wistful as they declare: “I’ve always wanted to go there, it’s top of my list.” And those who will dreamily recall a trip they took in the past. Now that I’ve joined the latter group, I’m not surprised at the reaction.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PIC REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo

Julian Assange’s extradition to the US expected to move a step closer today

Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States is expected to move one step closer today.

MSNBC analyst Malcolm Nance is on ground in Ukraine (MSNBC)

MSNBC media pundit and author joins fight in Ukraine: ‘I am done talking’

Former MSNBC foreign policy analyst Malcolm Nance has joined the Ukrainian forces to help them fight the Russian invasion, he revealed on Monday.

Russian flagship ‘abandoned too soon’ as new footage sinks Kremlin fire theory

The captain of Russia’s sunk flagship may have abandoned it too early, experts have suggested, as new images of the stricken vessel emerged yesterday.

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Happy campers: 20 of the coolest campsites in Europe for families

The staycation summers of 2020 and 2021 saw camping become one of the most popular family holidays. What could be more satisfying than unzipping canvas and stepping out into the fresh country air to the soundtrack of birdsong, stargazing at night and grilling up your breakfast and dinner each day?

File photo of the Russian missile cruiser Moskva moored in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol, Ukraine. Picture: Reuters

Russia says it will step up missile strikes on Kyiv, claiming Ukrainian attacks on its soil as flagship Moskva vessel sinks

Russia has vowed to step up attacks on Kyiv in response to any Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on the country's oil and gas industry with representatives of Russian energy companies and officials via a video link at a residence outside Moscow. Picture: Reuters

Putin warns EU countries banning Russian gas will hit their economies, as Coveney says in Kyiv new sanctions should include oil

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Western countries’ attempts to phase out Russian gas imports will have a negative impact on their economies.

Ukrainian opposition politician Viktor Medvedchuk. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP

Kremlin disowns ally in Ukraine after he is captured

The Kremlin has seemingly disowned Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in Ukraine.

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Wine and walkies: Let off the leash on St Bernard’s pilgrim route

A howling wind creates snow devils that swirl around me as I take shelter just a few hundred metres from the Swiss/Italian border. I step inside Auberge de l’Hospice du Grand Saint Bernard, and feel a welcome sense of refuge.

Veera Lavikkala cooks hot dogs in the snow with her family. Photo: Veera Lavikkala

‘We’re just satisfied with very little’ – why Finland is the happiest country in the world

For the fifth year in a row, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world by the United Nations-sponsored World Happiness Report.

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Pets on tour: What it’s really like travelling through Europe with your dog

It’s a beautiful sunny morning on Tuesday, the first day of March, and I’m sitting in a comfy seat on the Stena Adventurer with the Irish Sea stretching ahead towards Holyhead, and as calm as a millpond for as far as the eye can see. It’s years, decades actually, since I’ve been on a ferry, always being one for the get-there-quick option, but now here I am at the start of my slow odyssey to Italy.

Lillesjo summerhouse, Smaland, Sweden. PA Photo/Trip To Sweden.

Cabin culture - why we should all get on board with the Scandinavian summerhouse trend

Try to contact a Swede, Dane or Norwegian any time between June and August, and you’ll be lucky to get a quick response.

The Four Seasons Fairways resort in Quinta do Lago

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Active holidays in the Algarve — with an Olympian to guide you through your squats

It’s not every day that you get to spectacularly fail at a physical activity in the presence of an Olympic gold medallist.

Madeleine Keane at Bessastaðir, the President's Residence on Álftanes, near Reykjavík

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Who needs the Northern Lights? Iceland is utterly enchanting anyway

I’m waist-deep in warm water, my face smeared with creamy silica, glass of beer to hand and I’ve been travelling since early morning. So I’m at my most alluring when I bump into a former colleague and his wife in the Blue Lagoon.

Pilgrims trek the trail to O Cebreiro on the final section of the route to Santiago de Compostela, Galicia

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Oh, come all ye faithful and atheist – the Camino Frances is for anyone with walking boots

“Covid closed the Camino,” a fellow pilgrim on the Camino Frances tells me. “Not even Spanish flu or the plague had the same impact.” The pandemic certainly forced the closure of churches, cathedrals and albergues (hostels) in 2020 but, as they say on the Camino, “ultreia et suseia” – onwards and upwards.

Photo: Stéphanie Iguna /Lyon Tourisme et Congrès

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Eat, drink, Lyon: exploring the foodie capital of France

In Lyon, it’s hard not to think pink.

Europe

May 2022

A secret slice of Spain – my drive to three cities in Castilla y León

Pól Ó Conghaile Opinion Got your holiday checklist together? Here’s one free card you shouldn’t forget...

The Canary Islands holiday guide – 8 amazing islands, but which is best for you?

Legoland and beyond – why Denmark has all the elements for a brilliant family holiday

Get ready to explore Guernsey – now linked with direct flights from Dublin

Pól Ó Conghaile Opinion ‘Disaster tourism’ – where is the line between silly selfies and sensitive visits?

The GastroGays guide to Turin: Italy’s Eurovision city is a must for food lovers

As Victory Day comes without a victory, Putin faces choices over all-out war

A Malta teaser in the sunny Med – visit an island that feels at once ancient and modern

Civilians trapped in Mariupol steel plant for nearly two months evacuated

Hotel Review: Is the Ritz-Carlton Abama the best hotel on Tenerife?

April 2022

Why do so many travellers bypass Malaga, when the city is so mouth-watering?

The dishes that reign in Spain – from chocolate y churros to perfect pintxos and paella

US and Russia announce release of former Marine Trevor Reed and pilot in prisoner exchange

A whistle-stop trip to Istanbul isn’t nearly enough to uncover its many treasures

Julian Assange’s extradition to the US expected to move a step closer today

MSNBC media pundit and author joins fight in Ukraine: ‘I am done talking’

Russian flagship ‘abandoned too soon’ as new footage sinks Kremlin fire theory

Happy campers: 20 of the coolest campsites in Europe for families

Russia says it will step up missile strikes on Kyiv, claiming Ukrainian attacks on its soil as flagship Moskva vessel sinks

Putin warns EU countries banning Russian gas will hit their economies, as Coveney says in Kyiv new sanctions should include oil

Kremlin disowns ally in Ukraine after he is captured

Wine and walkies: Let off the leash on St Bernard’s pilgrim route

‘We’re just satisfied with very little’ – why Finland is the happiest country in the world

Pets on tour: What it’s really like travelling through Europe with your dog

March 2022

Cabin culture - why we should all get on board with the Scandinavian summerhouse trend

Active holidays in the Algarve — with an Olympian to guide you through your squats

Who needs the Northern Lights? Iceland is utterly enchanting anyway

Oh, come all ye faithful and atheist – the Camino Frances is for anyone with walking boots

Eat, drink, Lyon: exploring the foodie capital of France

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