
I only ever pack one pair of shoes on holiday as they work for every occasion – and they're on sale on Amazon
You'll often only see me carting a backpack around, or at a push, a small hand luggage-sized suitcase (yes, even for 10 days travelling around Kenya).
5
5
5
And a huge part of this is thanks to perfecting my footwear choice - by that, finding a pair that go with quite literally everything.
Enter Tevas - no longer considered the ugly shoe only your dad would wear and some of the comfiest I have ever worn.
By that, I mean I can walk up to 30,000 steps around a city with no blisters or shin splits.
(My 20-year-old self who tried to walk around all of Rome in gladiator sandals would cry in happiness, knowing this).
The thick rubber base means there is little impact even when pounding cobblestone pavements.
Not only that, but they are ideal beachwear shoes.
Along with the comfort, you can even go into the sea with them if you come across any stony shores.
I've often gone for a paddle in the waters while keeping them on, including during a trip to Zurich where I wasn't the only one wading into the water wearing them.
Yet they even work for nice restaurants in the evening as well.
While I love my tan coloured Tevas, the black, thinner strapped versions are the ideal update for a night out on the town, with them still looking smart enough.
The Sun's Travel Editor Lisa Minot shares her top tips when flying hand luggage only
5
While they are the only shoe I pack, if you are desperate to take a pair of trainers with you, Tevas are so lightweight that they can easily go into any bag without much effort either.
Have I persuaded you? If you are still on the fence, then you can find them on sale on Amazon at the moment.
The classic black versions are down to £32.50 rather than £45.
Or their newer thinner strapped versions are on sale for £45 rather than £50.
Other places they are on sale includes Schuh, where they can be found for £34.99, or ASOS for £45.
And don't just take my word for it either.
Former ballet dancer Kristie explained on her social media last year that she thinks they are great as well.
She said: "You can wear them in the water, when they get dirty, you wipe them clean.
"They're very tacky so on uneven surfaces you feel very stable."
In the mean time, here is a "three-shoe" rule some packers swear by.
And here's why you should never wear trainers to the airport.
The bags, plane outfits and accessories The Sun's travel team loves
K-Brands Sick Bags - £14.99 for 24 (approx. 55p each). Sturdy sick bags with a plastic ring for easy holding and a heavy-duty design to prevent leaks.
Phone Suction Holder - From 99p on Amazon. Features 12 suction pads to stick your phone to any glass surface for hands-free video calls or selfies.
Amazon Foam Earplugs - 34p per pair (£3.39 for 10). Moulds to your ear shape for comfort, muffles noise effectively on planes, in hotels, or from crying babies.
Matador's Pocket Blanket Mini - A water-resistant mat that fits in the palm of your hand, perfect for laying down in airports, on the beach, or anywhere a child might need a break.
Flight Socks - From £5.99 on Amazon or £7.95 from Asda. These help prevent swollen ankles on long flights and are advised to avoid DVT.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8 - £69.99. A trusty e-reader that can store hundreds of books and doubles as a tablet for offline viewing of shows like Netflix on flights.
Primark Packing Cubes - £8 for a pack of three. Life-savers for compressing clothes to save space and for organising items like trousers, tops, and swimwear within your luggage.
Bluetooth Headphone Adapter - £16.99 from Amazon. Allows you to connect your own headphones (including noise-cancelling ones) to onboard inflight entertainment, with 18 hours of battery life.
Hoppstar Artist Kids Camera - Pricier end of travel accessories (specific price not given). Takes excellent pictures, has a decent screen, and can print black and white versions in about three seconds for a non-messy activity.
Primark Dark Pink Joggers & Matching Sweatshirt - £6 each. Comfortable, loose-fitting tracksuit pieces that are ideal for flights and are very budget-friendly.
5

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Europe's best holiday city revealed - with incredible views, £1.30 pizza and cheap flights from the UK
Europe's best holiday city has been revealed, with voters praising the idyllic location for its incredible views, budget-friendly pizza and affordable flights from the UK. In a new survey conducted by luxury magazine Travel + Leisure, readers cast votes for their favourite worldwide city, with the Italian hotspot of Florence taking the crown as Europe's most loved. Frequented by between 10 and 16million holidaymakers each year, sunseekers eagerly flock to the Tuscan city due to its rich Renaissance art and architecture, walkable city center and delicious food. Described by Travel + Leisure as a 'must-see thanks to its 'artistic treasures', 'superlative shopping' and 'wide selection of hotels', Florence, often known simply as 'The Beautiful', gained an overall reader score of 90.08. Taking the top spot in Europe and 11th in the world, Florence even beat the popular European cities of Seville, Spain, Instanbul, Turkey and fellow Italian city of Rome. Once named by SerSace as 'the most beautiful city in the world', travellers seeking a romantic European getaway are in luck due to its historical charm and picturesque scenery. Visitors can gaze at some of the world's most gorgeous architecture, including the Duomo cathedral, which even contains its own piazza. Meanwhile, the Pagliazza Tower, which dates back to the sixth or seventh century, acts as one of Europe's most captivating squares. Florence is frequented by between 10 and 16million holidaymakers each year, with sunseekers eagerly flocking to the Tuscan city due to its rich Renaissance art and architecture, walkable city center and delicious food Once named by SerSace as 'the most beautiful city in the world', travellers seeking a romantic European getaway are in luck due to its historical charm and picturesque scenery For those looking to further indulge themselves in the Tuscan culture, the city is also home to some of the world's most iconic and historic artwork, including pieces by Michelangelo, Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci. The Galleria dell 'Accademia di Firenze, the location of Michelangelo's David, is a five-metre-high marble sculpture that serves as one the world's most famous artistic masterpieces. From the gallery, it is just a seven minute stroll to the city's 1200's cathedral, a major feature of Florence's skyline. The city's iconic medieval bridge - Ponte Vecchio, is one of Florence's most visited attractions. It was the only bridge in Florence to survive WWII and is famed for the shops that line its sides. Food lovers will also be surprised by how easily tourists can get their hands on a slice of authentic Italian pizza for just £1.50, while pasta dishes can also be bought for a mere £5. Famous for its gelato, signature local deliacies include the negroni cocktail and ribollita soup. Just last week, Florence was named the world's most walkable city due to its compact layout and pedestrian-friendly streets. Research undertaken by financial website Insider Monkey saw Florence race to the top spot, surpassing locations such as Madrid, Porto and Hamburg. Food lovers will also be surprised by how easily tourists can get their hands on a slice of authentic Italian pizza for just £1.50, while pasta dishes can also be bought for a mere £5. Flights from the UK run daily and from £44, with a flight time of just two hours With high praise awarded for its 'history and timeless architecture', the city was said to be explorable within just a two-hour window, as its hidden gems are easily accessible by foot. The study also spoke favourably about the city's good air quality and safety levels. Accessing the charming city from the UK could also not be easier, with daily flights from London's Heathrow Airport to Florence-Peretola Airport launching in 2023. With a flight time of just two hours and return fares starting from £44, there are up to 69 flights from the UK running a week, according to Skyscanner. Indeed, for those based outside of the capital, several other UK airports also offer direct routes to the nearby Italian city of Pisa, just an hour's train ride away. It is even possible to get to Florence by train from the UK. Simply hop on the Eurostar to Paris before making a change to Milan and then catching a final train to Florence.


BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
How to holiday safely this summer under the Mediterranean sun
The Mediterranean is synonymous with sunshine, but intensifying heatwaves are spoiling holidays and even claiming lives. Here's how you can still enjoy its stunning destinations – safely. Georgia Fowkes considered herself a seasoned traveller. As an advisor for Altezza Travel, she was used to navigating sweltering environments, from East Africa to Southern California. But surrounded by whitewashed buildings and ancient ruins in Greece while dripping with sweat, she was miserable. "A European heatwave hits differently," she said. "The kind [of heat] that cancels your plans, fries your brain and makes you rethink why you booked a rooftop hotel in July." In recent years, many of the Mediterranean's iconically sunny destinations like Italy, Greece, France and Spain have become increasingly besieged by devastating heatwaves, leading unsuspecting tourists to come up with creative solutions to keep cool."Our hotel had AC technically, but it groaned like a dying fan and gave up by mid-afternoon," said Fowkes. "The tap water came out warm. There were no blackout curtains. I tried sleeping with a wet towel on my chest and a bottle of frozen water under my knees and still woke up dizzy. At one point, I moved my pillow to the stairwell and lay on the tiles like a Victorian fainting lady because that was the only surface remotely cool." Travellers wandering through the Mediterranean's winding alleyways and descending on its turquoise seas this summer have found little reprieve; several scorching heatwaves have already brought record-busting temperatures, leading to a spike in heat-related health problems and even deaths across Europe. "The line of the tropics has literally moved," explained Nick Cavanaugh, a climate scientist and founder of Sensible Weather, a climate risk technology company. "There are all these circulation patterns around the world and the ones that surround the tropics are actually growing." More extreme temperatures are predicted across southern Europe this weekend, just as the European holiday season comes to its peak. Dr Olalekan Otulana, a doctor at Cassiobury Court in the UK feels that tourists may be particularly susceptible to overheating, as many of the activities that travellers enjoy on holiday, such as walking tours through cobblestoned villages, long nature hikes and wine tastings, can exacerbate heat-related illnesses. "Extreme heat can be deceptively dangerous," he said. "Especially when people are on holiday and naturally more relaxed about their usual routines." Short of taking your summer holidays further north, here are some expert travel tips for enjoying the Mediterranean sunshine – safely. Choose your accommodations wisely It's not uncommon to find businesses, Airbnbs and even train stations in southern Europe that are completely without air conditioning – a fact that might take many non-European travellers by surprise. "Electricity has always been very expensive in Italy," said Andrea Moradei, founder of Vinarium, a Florence-based wine and culture tourism company. "We all grew up trying to conserve energy. You learn from a young age to only keep the windows open from late evening until 21:00. You use shutters and curtains [to keep cool during the day.]." Moradei recommended that travellers to southern Europe choose accommodations that stay cool naturally – like historical structures made of stone or brick, which were designed to absorb heat during the day, or hilltop lodgings that feature exterior shutters and cross ventilation for night-time air flow. Do as the locals do – relax after lunch The hours after lunchtime are often the hottest of the day, which offer travellers an invitation to embrace their inner Mediterranean and take a siesta, or break. "As [we do] in many Mediterranean countries, try to limit your activities in the afternoon," Moradei advised. "You can't fill your days with so many different activities because it's too hot. Take a cue from the locals… let some of the hours of the day slip away." In Spain, Italy and Greece, many shops and restaurants close after lunch (typically until 17:00) while residents retreat to the quiet of their homes. Hanging out in your hotel may seem like a waste of precious holiday time, but even a quick power nap can improve your stamina; crucial when dealing with debilitating heat. Taking a siesta doesn't have to mean sleeping, either. In Italy, the lazy post-prandial hours are referred to as the pausa pranzo (lunch break) and are seen as a way to recharge during a demanding day and, on weekends, digest an epic lunch. Catch up on your reading or plot your next meals. Smart sightseeing While it's tempting to pack in as many activities as possible on holiday – especially if you only have a few days abroad – experts recommend adopting a leisurely, energy-conserving pace and prioritising indoor activities during the worst heat of the day. When Whitney Haldeman – founder of Atlas Adventures, a luxury travel group for women – faced extreme heat on one of her trips to southern France, she said the group "shifted sightseeing to earlier in the morning, prioritised long lunches in spots with shade or aircon, built in daily rest time and leaned into slower, more sensory experiences: like wine tastings in cool cellars or floating in the hotel pool." Museums and historic churches are generally well-ventilated, so you can still come face to face with ancient relics and religious treasures without putting yourself at risk. Know the signs of heatstroke Nothing spoils a holiday like an unexpected visit to an emergency health clinic, so recognising the danger signs of heat exhaustion can be crucial. "With heat exhaustion, people may notice feeling dizzy, excessively sweating or feeling nauseous," said Dr Otulana. "If it progresses to heat stroke, symptoms become more serious and can include confusion and loss of consciousness as well as severe headache. There can also be a lack of sweating despite feeling hot. The body's temperature regulation system essentially shuts down and their temperature can rise above 40C, which risks organ damage." Otulana advises that travellers drink water regularly, even if they're feeling well. "Hydration is critical," said Dr Otulana. "So, maintain consistent fluid intake throughout the day." Haldeman recalled how her tour group frantically sought relief during their French holiday. "Hydration tablets, portable fans and breezy natural fabrics became essential," she said. "One guest brought a battery-powered fan we all envied by day two [of our trip]." It may be tempting to brush off heatstroke warnings – particularly if you are visiting the Mediterranean expressly to enjoy its famous sunshine. But "extreme heat hijacks your whole trip", Fowkes cautions after her own bout with the region's extreme weather. "I [don't] care how pretty the view is – everyone did the same shuffle: find mist machines, hide in grocery stores, count down the hours until after dark. We weren't sightseeing. We were surviving." --


The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
Secret tunnel city stretching 985ft below Rome is uncovered after vast labyrinth was sealed more than a century ago
A STUNNING piece of Rome's past has been uncovered after being sealed off more than a century ago. This network of dimly lit tunnels under the Capitoline Hill could soon become the latest attraction in the history-rich city. 5 5 5 5 "No one has seen these caves and tunnels for more than a century," archaeologist Ersilia D'Ambrosio told CNN. The secret underground city covers some 42,000 square feet under the Ancient Roman Forum - and reaches depths of 985 feet below the surface. Known as the Grottino del Campidoglio, these tunnels were mostly sealed off nearly a century ago on the orders of dictator Benito Mussolini. But work is now underway that will see them become another must-visit site for Rome's tourists. It is expected to be open for visitors from late 2026 or early 2027, CNN has reported. Before they were sealed off, the tunnel network had been an integral part of the city since the days of Ancient Rome. They were further developed in the Middle Ages and were in use as recently as the 1920s. "The area has never before been opened to the public as it will be," D'Ambrosio told CNN. "It was utilised by the population, used as warehouses, shops, taverns, but never as a site to visit as it will be." The tunnels bear signs of the one thriving communities they housed, including shops, taverns and restaurants. Some parts of the network are lined with bricks, which the broadcaster says shows signs of development and use in the 19th century. Work to make the tunnels ready to receive tourists and visitors is currently underway. Archaeologists had used laser scanning to map the spaces through out the vast complex. "The proposed interventions are aimed, on the one hand, at safeguarding the monument, through the restoration and safety of the structures, and, on the other, at enhancing its accessibility and usability, which is currently extremely limited," a spokesperson for project lead Insula architecture group said. "The Campidoglio Grottoes project envisions conservative restoration and enhancement of the underground passageways and cavities that wind through the hill, crossing it in various directions and on multiple levels." This work includes managing the release radon gas, which comes from the area's volcanic rock. It will see specialist filters installed at the site to ensure it is safe. There will also be a museum space on the upper level, as well as disabled access for visitors. Artefacts that were discovered during past excavations are being brought down to the complex so they can be studied there. "To an archaeologist everything is interesting," D'Ambrosia told CNN. The tunnels are believed to have had a wide range of uses throughout their long and fascinating history. They are said to have first been used as stone quarries and then as water cisterns - before featuring residential and commercial structures. In one part of the tunnels, it is even possible to see the foundations of the Temple of Jupiter. 5