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The Sun
10-07-2025
- The Sun
20 of Europe's most beautiful islands that have direct flights from the UK – and some of the world's best beaches
WHO doesn't love an island holiday? You get the best of both worlds with bustling old towns and of course, incredible beaches. Here are 20 of the best European islands that you can reach directly from the UK with flights from £15. Corfu Corfu is known as Greece 's greenest island, but it also has sandy beaches, mountains, and even flamingos that sit in shallow lagoons. The buildings are orange rather than the classic white and blue because of Venetian influence and the island is famous for its old town full of shops and cafes. One Sun Writer felt like they'd travelled back in time while exploring the island. You can fly from Birmingham airport to Corfu (CFU) in three hours 10 minutes with easyJet one-way flights start at £23.99 (on October 20, 2025). Corsica Corsica is a French island in the Mediterranean that sits 56 miles off the coast of Italy. The island has over 200 beaches and is known for having chic shops, cafés and restaurants. The island is also a great place to hop on a boat tour. There's one that stops off to enjoy a Corsican wine tasting hosted by a sommelier and a local wine-grower while watching the sunset. You can fly from London Gatwick airport to Corsica (BIA) in two hours 14 minutes with easyJet one-way flights start at £39.89 (on September 23, 2025). Crete Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands, and the fifth biggest in the Mediterranean Sea. It has ancient ruins, but also incredible beaches, including one of the best in the world. The TUI guide to Crete from best beaches to passport rules 8 Elafonisi Beach has pink sand and some of the bluest waters in the Med and has been named the best beach in the world for 2025 by Tripadvisor. One Sun Writer visited the Greek island and discovered beautiful sunsets while enjoying some of the Mediterranean's cheapest pints. You can fly from London Gatwick airport to Crete (HER) in three hours 55 minutes with easyJet one-way flights start at £38.99 (on November 2, 2025). Fuerteventura For a summer feeling on sandy beaches head to Fuerteventura. The island is popular for beach holidays and its laid-back atmosphere. Highlights on the island include Corralejo and the Jandía peninsula, and the Betancuria old town. You can fly from London Stansted airport to Fuerteventura (FUE) in four hours 20 minutes with Ryanair one-way flights start at £21.00 (on November 26, 2025). 8 Gran Canaria There's lots to do on the island of Gran Canaria, the largest of the Canary Islands. From exploring the Maspalomas sand dunes and the beach resort on the south of the island, Playa del Inglés. The island also has busy nightlife too with busy bars and nightclubs. You can fly from London Southend airport to Gran Canaria (LPA) in four hours 20 minutes with easyJet - one-way flights start at £15 (on November 14, 2025). Ibiza Ibiza is a popular Mediterranean island when it comes to but beaches, but especially the nightlift. Dubbed the party island, it has recently reopened it's superclub, UNVRS which can hold up to 10,000 people. You can fly from Birmingham airport to Ibiza (IBZ) in two hours 40 minutes with Ryanair one-way flights start at £17 (on August 8, 2025). Kefalonia Kefalonia is is an island in the Ionian Sea and is home to one of Greece 's best beaches - Myrtos. It's never actually reached number one, but Myrtos Beach has been named as one of the best in Greece more than ten times. It's no surprise really as it's adorned with white pebbles, has a cliff backdrop and bright blue waters. When one Sun Writer explored the island, she discovered it's perfect for family getaways. You can fly from Manchester airport to Kefalonia (EFL) in three hours 45 minutes with easyJet one-way flights start at £29.99 (on October 25, 2025). 8 Kos Kos is the third largest island in the Dodecanese group and is full of fantastic coast and historical sites like Kos Castle and natural hot springs at Therma Beach. While visiting the island, one Sun Writer discovered a local restaurant called Taverna Romeo where a meal for three cost 40 euros (£34.50). You can fly from London Stansted airport to Kos (KGS) in three hours 50 minutes with Ryanair one-way flights start at £34.99 (on October 20, 2025). Lanzarote The Spanish island is perfect for a beach holiday with highly-rated Papagayo beaches, like Playa Flamingo, which is known for having golden sand and turquoise waters. Locals revealed to Sun Travel the must-visit spots in Lanzarote including the best places for a white sand beaches and favourite restaurants. You can fly from London Southend to Lanzarote (ACE) in four hours 5 minute with easyJet - one-way flights start at £15 (on November 24, 2025). 8 La Palma La Palma is another of the Canary Islands known for forest landscape and beaches with volcanic black sand. La Palma is another of the Canary Islands known for forest landscape and beaches with volcanic black sand. One of the most famous landmarks is the Roque de los Muchachos found at the highest point of the island. Visitors who reach the top can gaze at the valley below from 8,000 feet in the air. You can fly from London Gatwick to La Palma (SPC) in four hours 25 minute with TUI - one-way flights start at £136 (on November 13, 2025). Madeira Madeira is a region of Portugal which comprises four islands off the northwest coast of Africa. The islands have even been compared to Hawaii with subtropical forests, vineyards - and it has black and golden sand beaches. You can fly from London Luton to Madeira (FNC) in three hours 55 minute with easyJet- one-way flights start at £41.99 (on October 13, 2025). Majorca Trusty Majorca is always popular with Brits for its reliable sunny weather and high summer temperatures. It's the most popular of the Balearic Islands, the capital city of Palma is always bustling with top attractions being the Palma Cathedral and castle. You can fly from Manchester to Majorca (PMI) in two hours 35 minutes with Ryanair - one-way flights start at £15 (on July 23, 2025). Menorca Menorca is known for being the more relaxed sister of Majorca and Ibiza. It has four main towns, including, Binibeca Vell which is a fishing village with white-washed houses and has been dubbed to being similar to Santorini. You can fly from London Stansted to Menorca (MAH) in two hours 25 minutes with Ryanair - one-way flights start at £21.99 (on August 21, 2025). 8 Mykonos Mykonos is probably one of, if not the most famous islands in Greece, instantly recognisable for its iconic windmills, white-washed buildings and beachside restaurants. Over the years it's become popular with celebrities too like Beyonce and the Hemsworth brothers. There's even a famous pelican that is the unofficial mascot of the sun-soaked island. You can fly from London Gatwick to Mykonos (JMK) in three hours 50 minutes with easyJet- one-way flights start at £38.99 (on August 25, 2025). Rhodes Dubbed as the quieter neighbour of Crete and Santorini, Rhodes is the place to be, and as one Sun Writer discovered it's much cheaper too. They discovered the nightlife too with rooftop bars and fine dining at Mystilli Roof Garden. You can fly from London Luton to Rhodes (RHO) in four hours and 10 minutes with easyJet- one-way flights start at £32.99 (on October 21, 2025). Santorini While some try to steer away from the busier Greek islands, there are some you have to see for yourself - like Santorini. Popular sites are the blue-domed churches and views of the houses carved into the cliffs. You can fly from London Stansted to Santorini (JTR) in three hours 50 minutes with Ryanair - one-way flights start at £34.99 (on September 28, 2025). Sardinia Sardinia is an Italian haven for celebrities and British holidaymakers. You can explore the island by speedboat, adventure up hiking trails or laze about on sunbeds. You can fly from London Stansted to Sardinia (AHO) in two hours 30 minutes with Ryanair - one-way flights start at £18 (on September 28, 2025). 8 Sicily Just under two miles from the Italian mainland is the island of Sicily. With ancient ruins, incredible food, plenty of vineyards and beautiful coastlines, the island is understandably a popular destination for Brits. You can fly from London Stansted to Palermo (PMO) in three hours 10 minutes with Ryanair - one-way flights start at £21.99 (on October 30, 2025). Tenerife Sun, sea and sand, Tenerife has it in spades. It's the largest of the Canary Islands and has volcanic landscapes and beautiful beaches too. One Sun Writer visited Tenerife and discovered that it's a haven for surfers as well as fun resorts and rooftop bars. You can fly from London Luton to Tenerife (TFS) in four hours 20 minute with Ryanair - one-way flights start at £21 (on September 17, 2025). Zante Also known as Zakynthos, Zante is a very popular summer resort. It's a great location for holidaymakers wanting to relax and have fun during the evening at local bars and clubs too. In 2023, Navagio Beach was named one of the best beaches in the world by the travel website World's Best Beaches. You can fly from London Stansted to Zante (ZTH) in three hours 25 minute with Ryanair - one-way flights start at £29.99 (on October 21, 2025). 8
Daily Telegraph
20-06-2025
- Daily Telegraph
Review: APT Solara, a river ship that stands out from the crowd
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. To be or not to be a river ship – that is the question. When Australian-owned travel company APT approached the ambitious build of its new twin ships the Solara and Ostara, the brief was to create something dramatically different and see Europe through an Australian's eyes. Designed for the continent's busiest route from Amsterdam to Budapest, the luxurious Solara certainly stands out from the crowd. Despite having to adhere to the Danube's strict ship dimensions – there are 68 locks to navigate along the Rhine-Main-Danube route – the Solara offers surprising variety, and is contemporary and stylish with subtle nautical touches, including a chic French-navy exterior. Set the scene Checking into the airy atrium is a dreamy experience. High ceilings and a skylight open up the all-white space. There is a marble water station, a circular marble table and a tiled floor centrepiece in the dimensions of a compass. A dramatic macramé-like hanging rope sculpture descends from the ceiling into the softly curved stairwell, and the walls showcase original landscapes by artist Greg Wood and pieces curated by Melbourne gallery Otomys. The design was conceived by renowned Melbourne firm Hecker Guthrie (their first project on a ship), and influenced by APT's co-owners and siblings Lou Tandy and Rob McGeary. The designer furniture is whimsical and elegant but comfortable – think Gervasoni and Casini – and it has instant wow factor. If money was no object, this is how I'd love my home to look. We took a canal tour through Amsterdam. The itinerary While the Solara's 15-day itinerary will traverse the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, I'm only on board for four nights for the christening and 'shakedown' cruise. This is a test run of sorts, and we embark at Rotterdam under the Erasmus Bridge before sailing past green pastures and fields of wild yellow canola flowers to Kinderdijk to tour the idyllic working windmills (dating back to the 16th century). We dock overnight at quaint Dordrecht (one of the oldest cities in Holland), visit Lisse to catch the vivid annual spring tulip festival Keukenhof, and take a canal tour through Amsterdam, which is celebrating 750 years. Although the friendly crew is busily readying the final touches to the ship, and pumping out countless espressos from the shiny new La Marzocco coffee machine in The Salon, the whole thing feels flawless. With Solara's capacity for 154 guests (and 60 crew), no cabin feels like you are missing out. Picture: Supplied. The cabins There are three categories of suites: the plush Owner's Suites, the Balcony Suites and the wood-panelled Twin Window Suites, and each has a colour scheme inspired by the seasons. Thick carpets range from sage green for spring to dusky pink for autumn. Original prints of signature European shore excursions by Australian photographer Nick Wilkins (available to buy) adorn the walls and lend an antipodean lens. The bathrooms have an abundance of storage, enormous shower heads, floor-to-ceiling tiling and marble sink tops. Toiletries by sustainable Amsterdam brand Marie-Stella-Maris were sourced by Tandy herself. With Solara's capacity for 154 guests (and 60 crew), no cabin feels like you are missing out. Solara has seven bars and eateries, each of which feels like a top-notch restaurant or wine bar. Picture: Supplied. Food and drink Solara has seven bars and eateries, each of which feels like a top-notch restaurant or wine bar. Catering to Australian travellers who have curious palates and want variety and quality, APT engaged hospitality guru Monique Lane of Fellow Hospitality (collaborating with chef Stephen Seckold of House Made Hospitality). From the fare at Bistro Saison, to the degustation paired with top-notch wine in the Owner's Cellar, and the laid-back eats at Annie's Table (named for the owners' mother), the offerings are impressive. The Grüner Bar & Dining, which rises on hydraulics so it elevates above other ships in dock, is a surprising hit, with dishes such as pretzels with whipped ricotta and moreish focaccia with butter that melts in your mouth. All bread and pastries are baked on board daily, and the delicious ice-cream and gelato are handmade. It has a circular conversation pit around solar lanterns to resemble a campfire, a nod to APT's outback touring heritage. Picture: Supplied. The extras Along with a jewel-coloured spa/salon, gym, and daily shore excursions that are included, e-bikes for guests who want to explore independently are provided. The roof has a small circular heated pool and two levels for guests to enjoy, and the Daystar Deck is a standout. It has a circular conversation pit around solar lanterns to resemble a campfire, a nod to APT's outback touring heritage. A marble cooktop space functions as an outdoor bar and barbecue, lending an Australian touch. The Grüner Bar & Dining has a great menu and sitting in a vibing wine bar while enjoying the view is a highlight. Picture: Supplied. What's hot The Grüner Bar & Dining has a great menu (the fish finger sambo is the hot ticket) and sitting in a vibing wine bar while enjoying the view is a highlight. What's not The square pillows on my bed were uncomfortable, although I learned later they were delivered by mistake and had been replaced before the first guests arrived. Checking into the airy atrium is a dreamy experience. Picture: Supplied. The verdict - 10/10 While I didn't sail the full itinerary, it's impossible to fault Solara. It's the most stylish river ship I've set foot on – the combination of Australian design, food and thoughtful inclusions is impeccable. The writer was a guest of APT Luxury Travel. Its 15-day Magnificent Europe cruise on Solara and Ostara, sailing Budapest to Amsterdam, starts at around $8495 twin share. Originally published as Review: APT Solara stands out from the crowd
Times
26-05-2025
- Times
10 of the most romantic city breaks in Europe
What are the key ingredients for a romantic city break? Perhaps it's a profusion of cute canals and medieval architecture, or maybe the secret to a loved-up weekend is top-drawer food and wine paired with strollable quarters. Whatever your criteria, you should find some European weekender inspiration here. This list includes the classics — we couldn't leave out Paris, of course — as well as some lesser-visited options. We've limited it to one per country in the spirit of fairness, and included the southerly likes of Seville and Valletta for couples seeking early-spring or late-autumn warmth. These are the European cities you'll fall in love with. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Who can resist the glorious, fairytale absurdity of a floating city? Relentlessly attractive, Venice is best admired from the water — but swerve a gondola. Instead of the fabricated 'culture' of a costumed man quavering out O Sole Mio for £70, board a vaporetto boat-bus early at Piazzale Roma, ensuring you're one of the first aboard in order to bag front-row seats, and relish box-office views of the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge for about £8. Later, as lamplight dances on canals, wavelets wash against 15th-century palazzos and footsteps echo on dinky bridges, stroll hand in hand towards some top-notch tiramisu in the waterside Osteria Fanal del Codega restaurant. And don't forget to raise a glass to your beloved at the lauded Harry's Bar, home of the OG bellini. On the Grand Canal and largely populated by couples, Hotel L'Orologio Venice has a chic bar with sink-in leather armchairs. Fancy seeing more? Princess Cruises' ten-day Mediterranean with Greek Isles & Adriatic cruise stops at Trieste for excursions to Venice during its circuit of the eastern Mediterranean. • More great hotels in Venice• Best affordable hotels in Venice Sure, you could aim to ascend Montmartre's steps to the Sacré-Coeur, scale the Eiffel Tower, cruise the Seine, attend the Moulin Rouge and gaze at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. All have their merits. But a far better tack for City of Love-bound couples involves ditching the overambitious to-do list and simply sauntering, aimlessly, around one of its more villagey districts. The artsy Latin Quarter and snug, boutique-filled Marais fit the bill. Perhaps you'll pause to peruse markets for cheese, or to share some frites at a pavement café. Dinner à deux in Paris, meanwhile, should be in a vintage bistro — the sort where garlic strings hang down above a zinc-topped bar as everyone chatters noisily. Up in well-to-do Montmartre, the longstanding Terrass Hôtel is named after its headline attraction: a seventh-floor roof terrace offering wonderful views. The flight-free specialist Byway can arrange trips to Paris on Eurostar, stopping in Lille on the return leg. • More great hotels in Paris• Insider's guide to the best neighbourhoods in Paris Two things enhance the warm limestone of Malta's compact capital: a profusion of pastel-painted gallariji (closed wooden balconies) along many narrow lanes, and the regular lashings of sunshine that this southerly part of the Mediterranean enjoys from March to November. Mostly pedestrianised, Valletta is pleasingly easy to walk around; setting off from a trendy design hotel, partners might catch a recital at the Manoel theatre, one of Europe's oldest, visit a snug wine bar or watch sunset fall over the glinting Grand Harbour from a shaded, spritz-serving kiosk in the Upper Barrakka Gardens. An old merchant's residence turned hip, 20-room haunt, the Saint John is one of those cool boutique hotels you'll want to keep all to yourself. On a ship designed to tickle Brits' taste buds, P&O Cruises' Mediterranean circuit starts and finishes in Valletta. • More great hotels in Valletta• The best of MaltaThe City of a Hundred Spires seduces in all seasons: open-air beer bars line the Vltava River's banks in summer, while autumn is the ideal time to wander along the waterway as the trees of Prague turn auburn shades. Winter's crisp light and occasional white coat renders sights like the astronomical clock especially spellbinding before spring sees bursts of flowers transform the Vltava — not least on the Czech Republic's well-celebrated Love Day (May 1). There are ample parks, gardens and green spaces to roam, including Petrin Hill, whose namesake, Eiffel-imitating tower comes with fine vistas over Prague Castle, Charles Bridge — itself best experienced at dawn, if possible, ahead of the hordes — and a riot of red-roofed buildings. Check in to BoHo Hotel, a stylish stay with a moody spa housed in an old post office a quick stroll from the old town. Read our full review of BoHo Hotel The upmarket Avalon Waterways has Danube River cruises with a two-night Prague extension — including special wine-themed versions. • Best hotels in Prague• Best things to do in Prague Should Vienna's arcade-lined courtyards, imperial palaces and gothic churches fail to spark a sense of romance (it's unlikely), then head for its Upper Belvedere museum and ogle Gustav Klimt's The Kiss, one of the most amorous paintings around. Also liable to precipitate passion are stops in opulent coffee houses such as Café Sacher for calorific slices of chocolatey sachertorte, and evening opera performances in the home of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. Cooler cats may prefer Vienna's raft of rooftop bars or, when there's a full moon, to drift along the meandering Danube in a lantern-lit canoe (see There's a rooftop bar with far-reaching views and yoga kits in every bedroom at Jaz in the City. Budapest, Prague and, yes, Vienna, with a full day here, are the subject of Travelsphere's regular, culture-focused Imperial Capitals group tour. • Best affordable hotels in Vienna• Europe's best cities for art lovers Andalusia's main city is especially irresistible in spring, when fruiting orange trees produce a heady citrus scent and temperatures linger in the 20s. It's lovely in autumn too, when the summer heat starts to wane. Seville's standout sight is the jewel-lined Alcazar palace complex, including a series of glorious walled gardens; meander around those in the morning, before other tourists arrive. Afternoons might be devoted to wandering around ancient Santa Cruz, a central barrio where the whitewashed houses are festooned with flowers, ahead of atmospheric flamenco shows at the intimate Casa de la Memoria, whose dancers and singers tell passionate tales of lifelong loves. Finish with an evening tapas-bar crawl, clinking glasses of fino sherry and trying some nutty, thinly sliced jamon. Fifteen minutes from the centre by bus, the Doña Carmela is affordable and lays on an outdoor pool with loungers. Seville, with a guided tapas tasting, features in Riviera Travel's Classical Spain group tour, which also visits the Andalusian cities of Granada, Cordoba and Ronda. • Best hotels in Seville• Discover our full guide to Seville Inside the Arctic Circle, and under four hours from London or Manchester on direct flights, island-set Tromso is, admittedly, freezing in winter: January typically sees averages of minus 4C. But it's also bewitching. A permanent backdrop of snowy mountains and glassy straits helps with that, as does the chance to undertake tandem, self-drive dogsled safaris or join killer and humpback whale-watching cruises along epic fjords. Northern lights displays peak at this time in the 'Paris of the North' too; it's often possible to see the aurora borealis from the 421m (1,381ft) mountain ledge Storsteinen. The Fjellheisen cable car goes up to its café, which serves excellent cinnamon buns. Along with funky modern design, the city-centre Moxy Tromso hotel has a buzzy rooftop bar delivering more glorious views. The Aurora Zone can arrange private, northern lights-themed city breaks here with activities added on as you please. • Read our full guide to Norway• Best Norwegian fjords cruises Bruges might be the go-to Belgian city for romantic breaks, but Ghent is the savvier bet. It has an equally well-preserved historic centre, and a similar bevy of medieval waterways that enchant when illuminated at night. You'll also find the same boat tours, gables, gothic guildhalls, horse-and-cart rides and chocolate shops, plus a still-taller belfry that offers tremendous panoramas. But Ghent is additionally a little bit cooler than Bruges, possesses a stronger food scene and is far, far less crowded with tourists — enabling lovers to more easily enjoy private moments, including ones that might involve the lowering of a knee. As central as it gets, the luxurious 1898 The Post hotel occupies a former sorting office; its cocktail den is superb. Byway will tailor-make the rail-based trip you want, but suggests a jaunt to Ghent via Belgium's smaller, art-obsessed city of Kortrijk. • Best underrated cities to visit in Europe Dainty, blue-white azulejo tiles pepper Porto's hilly, small-sized centre, even decorating the fortress-like Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady's handsome cloisters. Below, a clump of colourful, 18th-century townhouses and small bars — serving classic Portuguese petiscos (small plates) such as grilled sardines or codfish cakes — announce Ribeira, a district whose narrow streets zigzag down to the Douro River. If you've got time, sail off up the river on a day cruise to idyllic terraced vineyards; if not, cross over to Cockburn's port cellars for tastings of the city's namesake fortified wine. Try also to inspect the beaux arts Sao Bento, one of Europe's saintliest train stations. Conveniently located in Porto's Boavista district, the HF Tuela hotel includes a restaurant serving regional cuisine. Riviera Travel has a river cruise that follows the Douro all the way to the Spanish border and back; three-day Porto extensions can also be booked. • More great hotels in Porto• The best of Portugal In most capitals, a statue on the main square depicts a military or political hero. Not so Ljubljana; here the love-declaring, sonnet-writing poet France Preseren is honoured. This adequately summarises the Slovenian city's soulful nature, one further seen in a series of picturesque bridges and embankments along its leafy Ljubljanica River — busy with bars and boats in summer — and via the Disneyesque castle towering grandly above. A funicular sends glass-walled carriages up to that. Adding to the mesmerism is a largely car-free centre replete with baroque façades and, if time allows, excursions to visit mountain-hugged Lake Bled and its photogenic island church. Announced by its bold, bird's-nest style, the boutiquey Nox is one of Ljubljana's leading design hotels. You'll be shown around Ljubljana on Titan's Stunning Slovenia group tour, as well as seeing spectacular mountain passes and gorgeous coastal towns. • Most romantic holiday destinations around the world
