travel
NewsThe IndependentWhich European countries are still in lockdown and can I go on holiday there?
International travel could be possible from 17 May – but will our favourite spots be open to tourists?
NewsThe TelegraphThe forgotten story of New Brighton Tower, once Britain's tallest building
Being a country’s tallest building, even for a short space of time, is the sort of literally high achievement that normally guarantees a prominent place in history, as well as the record books. Particularly in a Britain that, until the spate of skyscraper-building in London that has given birth to One Canada Square and The Shard, was rarely known for its ventures into gargantuan architecture. True, Lincoln Cathedral was (probably) the loftiest edifice on the planet from 1311 to 1548 – until a storm removed the top section of a spire that had grown to 525ft (160m). But for the main part, structures that push way up into the firmament, far beyond the averages of their era, have not tended to be a British thing. Much better a stately palace or an elegant mansion than the Tower of Babel reborn. It is this relative restraint which makes the story of the New Brighton Tower so unusual. For here was a project which not only abandoned any sense of moderation; it did so, not in a major capital or a cathedral city – but on a windy promontory on the “other” side of the River Mersey. And it vanished almost as soon as it arrived, “enjoying” an existence of barely two decades before it disappeared into the footnotes of the First World War. It has been gone, this year, for an exact century – and little remains of it but faded photographs. The tale begins in 1830, when Liverpudlian merchant James Atherton bought a 170-acre parcel of land at Rock Point, in the town of Wallasey – the tip of the Wirral Peninsula, which juts upwards, across from Liverpool, on the west side of the Mersey estuary. The Victorian tourism boom that would sweep the coastline of the country was still 30 years away – it would not really gather momentum until the 1860s – but Atherton has his eye on turning an area best known for smuggling and wrecking into a desirable destination. His plan even came with an upbeat name – “New Brighton”, in reference to the East Sussex resort, which had already established a reputation as a holiday hotspot for the wealthy, thanks to the regular visits of George IV during the Regency and later Georgian periods.
NewsThe IndependentFirst travellers leave hotel quarantine at Heathrow airport
One couple went straight to McDonald’s on leaving the hotel
BusinessThe IndependentBritish Airways and partners lose £205 per second during 2020
The average domestic flight was less than half full
BusinessThe IndependentAustralia return recedes as Qantas postpones flights by four months
First class is scrapped on London-Sydney route
NewsThe IndependentUnited 777 was well short of engine inspection deadline, sources say
Engine maker has urged more frequent inspections of fan blades
LifestyleThe IndependentWe’re all going on a summer holiday – we just don’t know where, when or how
The Man Who Pays His Way: The long and winding road to freedom
LifestyleThe TelegraphInside the Caribbean's most exclusive resort, with no room keys and a margarita hotline
Tall and thin, with braided hair and a tattooed chest, he pulled me on to the boat as he introduced himself. “My name is Sean,” he said, adding “Sean like Sean Connery” as he turned the engine on. Later, as he dropped anchor and prepared to backflip into the turquoise waters for our snorkelling trip, he kept singing out, “I am the man” – and indeed he was. Not only did the boat not bob away (always my greatest fear when I am in the sea) but his confidence in showing me the best of the underwater world of the Caribbean was justified.
NewsThe IndependentThree passenger planes land at airport while stepladder left in middle of runway
The object remained on the runway for 37 minutes before it was removed
LifestyleThe IndependentHotel quarantine guests complain of ‘disgusting’ food and ‘basic’ rooms on TripAdvisor
Travellers accuse hotels of doing everything ‘as cheap as possible’
NewsThe TelegraphIn Egypt, those who remember Mubarak have little patience for lockdowns
When it comes to lockdowns, Egypt has history. Over brunch at a flash hilltop resort in Giza, a work contact tells me how, following the ousting of then president Hosni Mubarak back in 2011, the military regime sought to impose such measures, confining citizens to their home, in a doomed attempt to quell the uprising. As a result, for many Egyptians, the vocabulary of lockdowns conjures up a more visceral reaction than it might elsewhere. Could that explain why the country has, so far, shunned the kind of draconian measures ordered by the likes of Lebanon, Jordan and the Gulf states, instead opting for much looser – and shorter – measures? Who knows. I suspect a more pressing reason is that, even for the hardened puritans of Sage, the idea of containing a sprawling megacity like Cairo might prove a stretch too far. Either way the capital, like the rest of the country, remains open for business; in the case of its famous street-hawkers, aggressively so. If social distancing serves any purpose in Cairo, it’s as a class indicator. Head to the posh Western restaurants of Zamalek – the cosmopolitan, Manhattan-shaped island that houses the city’s diplomatic community – and you’ll find familiar signs about the need to keep two metres apart. Bored security guards manning clapped out metal detectors occasionally remind guests about the loosely-enforced mask mandate. Go deeper into the boroughs of the city, the downtown area that stretches from Tahrir Square to the majestic Ramses station, and things couldn’t be more different. At first I think it’s the sheer volume of people that feels so novel. Then I realise it’s the way they’re walking. It’s as if everyone has somewhere to be – and something to do – rather than just stealing the chance for their daily exercise. As someone who walks through central London every day, this shouldn’t feel as alien – or as thrilling – as it does. But here we are.
LifestyleThe TelegraphWhy you should rent a campervan this summer – plus 10 essential tips for first timers
If you're wondering about what kind of holiday to book this summer, you might want to consider a campervan. If domestic travel is allowed from April 12, these portable homes will be available for holidays, and many are already capitalising on the isolation and flexibility these vehicles offer. Campervan hire company, Indie Campers, has reported a 300 per cent increase in domestic UK bookings during the pandemic, and are soon to open a third hub in Manchester to deal with demand. Yesterday they launched their ‘campervan marketplace’ – described as the ‘Airbnb of campervans’, private van owners can rent out their vehicles on the new platform. “Last summer we saw a huge boom in campervanning across Europe, especially in the UK, driven by domestic demand,” explained Indie Camper spokesperson, Pernille Hembre, “and we wanted to supplement our usual experience with more budget options from private owners, and broaden the features we have available.” Bookings have skyrocketed for the campervan company over the past year: “Our last report showed a 300 per cent increase in domestic UK bookings. Almost all of our UK customers used to go abroad for their holidays pre-pandemic, but we’ve seen a huge spike in people who want to travel in the UK,” continued Hembre. The company is opening a third UK hub in response to the swell. “We’ve seen a big interest in the Lake District and Peak District – the midlands in general – so much so that we need a dedicated hub in Manchester.” Indie Campers predict this interest in domestic camping is here to stay in 2021, “even if borders reopen” as holidaymakers seek out a different kind of holiday post-pandemic. “There’s now a lot of interest in authentic and unique holidays, rather than mass international tourism. “There’s also an increasing demand to travel with people that you care about, and reconnect with them in a space where you can disconnect from your phone and the outside world. We’ve been unable to meet up for such a long time, so it’s now more about who you travel with and getting unique experiences with those people, which campervans can offer.”
NewsThe IndependentWeekend rail closures could disappear this summer
‘If Saturday and Sunday get really busy we should do engineering works some other time,’ said Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail
NewsThe IndependentAviation agency ‘did not see’ anything on radar when flight crew encountered ‘cylindrical object’
It’s not clear what this ‘cylindrical object’ was
NewsThe TelegraphLondon to get its own Manhattan-style ‘Highline’
A slice of Manhattan could soon be coming to London, as the team behind New York’s High Line has been appointed to design London’s very own park in the sky, in Camden. The Camden Highline initiative plans to morph a three-quarter-mile stretch of disused railway into a pedestrianised route between Camden and Kings Cross. The idea came from an academic at University College London named Oliver O’Brien, who posted a blog in 2012 listing the stretches of disused railway in London where a highline could possibly work. The section that was deemed easiest and most obvious was this stretch of rail between Camden and Kings Cross. Nine years later, the project is underway and this month it has entered its next stage. It was announced last week that the Camden Highline will be designed by James Corner of Field Operations, the firm behind the New York High Line and London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. James Corner said: “Camden is such an extraordinary place, a vibrant, hip, and diverse community that will soon enjoy an amazingly unique, public green thread that ties its various communities together in ways both revelatory and transformative.
LifestyleThe TelegraphA first look at MSC Seashore, the Mediterranean's newest 'megaship'
There’s a bumper crop of new cruise ships launching this year, with an already stellar line-up joined by the delayed debuts meant for pandemic-hit 2020. One to watch out for is MSC Seashore, the 19th vessel to join MSC Cruises’ fleet since the company’s inception in 2003. Scheduled to make her debut in June 2021, the 5,632-passenger MSC Seashore will be the first of the company's Seaside Evo ships – about 16m (52ft) longer than other MSC ships. Much like sister ships MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview, MSC Seashore will feature two brand-new restaurants. Other onboard highlights include a new aft pool, a spectacular glass-floored bridge on deck 16 and luxurious suites boasting hot tubs on their balconies. Telegraph Cruise takes a closer look at the ship, who will spend her inaugural season in the Mediterranean this summer (pandemic permitting), before heading to Miami later this year to sail the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Make a splash
- LifestyleThe Telegraph
In pictures: MSC Seashore, the Mediterranean's newest 'megaship'
There’s a bumper crop of new cruise ships launching this year, with an already stellar line-up joined by the delayed debuts meant for pandemic-hit 2020. One to watch out for is MSC Seashore, the 19th vessel to join MSC Cruises’ fleet since the company’s inception in 2003. Scheduled to make her debut in June 2021, the 5,632-passenger MSC Seashore will be the first of the company's Seaside Evo ships – about 16m (52ft) longer than other MSC ships. Much like sister ships MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview, MSC Seashore will feature two brand-new restaurants. Other onboard highlights include a new aft pool, a spectacular glass-floored bridge on deck 16 and luxurious suites boasting hot tubs on their balconies. Telegraph Cruise takes a closer look at the ship, who will spend her inaugural season in the Mediterranean this summer (pandemic permitting), before heading to Miami later this year to sail the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Make a splash
LifestyleThe TelegraphDos and don'ts for 'culturally diverse' visitors to the UK seaside this year
Oh we do like to behave beside the seaside… or at least some of us do. The trouble, apparently, is that not everyone knows how to — which is why the owners of Durdle Door have written to the Government to demand an education campaign for the “culturally diverse” visitors they blame for last summer’s overcrowding, littering and worse. (What do we mean by ‘worse’? Well the phrase the Lulworth Estate uses in its petition is “wild toileting”, so draw your own conclusions.) The owners of the estate, which includes beauty spot Lulworth Cove as well as the beach at Durdle Door, say: “The estate usually attracts families with children during the main summer season, but 2020 brought a much younger and more geographically and culturally diverse cohort to the nation’s coast and countryside” — and you don’t need to be GCHQ to decode who they’re pointing the finger at. Here then, just in case the Government somehow has better things to do, is our own tongue-in-close-proximity-to-cheek guide to the dos and don’ts of visiting the Great British Seaside in the impeccably middle-class way the Lulworth Estate expects of us… DON’T wear trainers. Or heels. Or pumps, shoes, sandals, flip-flops, cleats or clogs. There is only one kind of footwear acceptable in rural England, and that’s a green welly (with your cords tucked into it). Extra marks if it’s made by Hunter. DON’T camp. These days you must insist on ‘glamping’. (What’s the difference? A painfully fey booking website, a few fairy-lights, and about 75 quid a night.) DO dress your children from Boden.
LifestyleThe IndependentBaby sharks, live smoke grenades and concealed knives: airport security reveals its top 10 catches
The TSA shared a list of banned items confiscated in 2020
LifestyleThe TelegraphNowhere is safer than a cruise ship right now – it's time this £10 billion industry restarted
Retail, hospitality, tourism, aviation. They all got a mention in Boris’ long awaited roadmap. But where was the C word? As the UK starts to open up, there’s nothing to give cruise ships waiting patiently off our shores hope they might be able finally to weigh anchor and get going again. Instead, a useless taskforce created last year is to be resurrected so it can spout more nonsense on when travel might restart. What was it last time in relation to cruise? Ah yes, along the lines of ‘cruise lines can restart when things are safe but we don’t know when that will be’. Helpful or what? If anyone expects something more informative from them this time – and on time (it’s due to report on April 12 but last time was weeks late) – I applaud their optimism, especially as Shapps will again be in charge. He does appear to have learned some lessons from last year’s omnishambles as the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the voice of 55 ocean and river cruise lines, and the Chamber of Shipping will be on board the good ship Taskforce this time. But given CLIA has been talking to ministers about a restart for months now, pressing home for goodness-knows-how-many-more-times their steadfast commitment to passengers’ health and safety, what on earth is left to talk about? The words kicking, long and grass spring to mind.
LifestyleThe IndependentSimon Calder’s Travel Week Newsletter: Sign up for updates and holiday tips in a fast-changing world
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NewsThe IndependentSpain preparing for British tourism return this summer as it eyes vaccine certificates
‘We welcomed Boris Johnson’s announcement that British tourists may be returning here this summer with prudence. They are our number one market’ – tourism minister for the Canaries
NewsThe Independent‘Far too early’ to book an overseas holiday, Priti Patel warns
‘Yet again we have senior ministers stomping on the public’s desire to get away on holiday’ – Brian Strutton, general secretary of the pilots’ union, Balpa
LifestyleYahoo Style UKThe holiday destinations everyone is rushing to book post lockdown
From Spain to Pakistan, this is where travellers are heading next.
LifestyleThe TelegraphGreat British Getaways: The best self-catering holiday lets for family gatherings in summer 2021
The first thing many of us will want to do when the majority of restrictions end on June 21? Reunite with family and friends we’ve spent minimal time with over the past year. It will finally be the time to celebrate all those missed events: from milestone birthdays to engagements and new additions to the family. The best way to do this is, of course, on a holiday – and the UK has lots of amazing self-catering holiday lets that are perfectly suited to large group gatherings. Think private pools, games rooms and alluring outdoor dining spaces in which to perfect the art of the great British barbecue. Of course, the roadmap could shift and change, but for now this is a date for the diary you won’t want to miss. Just make sure you have a good cancellation policy with whoever you book with, should you need to amend your stay. And needless to say, things are booking up fast so if you want to secure a coveted school holiday slot you may need to think fast. Find the best options across the UK for summer 2021 and beyond below. House on the Hill, Sussex This Grade II-listed five-bedroom property benefits from spectacular sea views and seriously swish interiors that have much more in common with a boutique hotel than a self-catering stay. It’s found in the seaside town of Hastings, with plenty of historic castles, gardens and more to explore nearby. A 6ft projector screen with Sonos sound system is just the ticket for family film nights, and you can dine al fresco in the courtyard garden among ferns.