Category: Western Europe

Luxury travel news this week

Luxury travel news this week

By on Jun 02, 2019 in Accommodation, Air Travel, Attractions, Cruises & Boat Travel, Europe, Featured, France, Going Out, Monaco, Real Estate, Regions, Speciality Travel, United Kingdom, Western Europe

Here’s a round-up of luxury travel stories that have caught the eye this week. To make sure you receive these new weekly alerts in your web browser, please click on the red bell icon in the bottom right hand corner of the page and click ‘subscribe’ (works on desktop only – for other ways to […]

Where to wine and dine in Bordeaux

Where to wine and dine in Bordeaux

By on Jun 01, 2019 in Attractions, Europe, Food and Drink, France, Going Out, Regions, Restaurants, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe

The City of Wine is understandably one of France’s top destinations. This glorious UNESCO World Heritage city of art, architecture, food and wine has French charm and elegance, as well as a genuinely welcoming ambiance. Here are our top tips for eating and drinking well in the city. La Cité du Vin museum Bordeaux is […]

Athens: 5 unique tours to enjoy the city

Athens: 5 unique tours to enjoy the city

By on May 31, 2019 in Europe, Food and Drink, Greece, Regions, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe

An all-year round destination and a European capital city that has multiple layers of history, Athens has a creative energy with numerous art exhibitions, live concerts and dance performances that will rock your world and countless great seaside restaurants that will have your taste buds craving for more.  The history of this city has been […]

The island of Crete - a destination for nature lovers

The island of Crete – a destination for nature lovers

By on May 23, 2019 in Attractions, Europe, Going Out, Greece, Regions, Western Europe

In the south of the Aegean lies Crete – an otherworldly island, naturally stunning, warm and inviting. Crete encapsulates Greece and charms everybody who visits it. It is an island with many destinations to admire: Heraklion, Rethymno, Chania, Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, Ierapetra, Malia, Hersonissos, Sitia and Sfakia to name just some. Nothing is re-hashed in […]

Photograph of the week: Sunset on the Côte Sauvage, France

Photograph of the week: Sunset on the Côte Sauvage, France

By on May 22, 2019 in Europe, France, Regions, Western Europe

Côte Sauvage, which translates as “wild side” in English, and known as the “wild coast” of Brittany, is a stretch of untamed beauty in the Charente-Maritime department on the Atlantic seaboard of France. Rocky cliffs, dramatic seascapes, sandy beaches and thumping waves are set against a backdrop of towering pine forests. And in the middle […]

Vineyards in Var: a tour of Domaine de l'Olivette

Vineyards in Var: a tour of Domaine de l’Olivette

By on May 20, 2019 in Attractions, Europe, Featured, Food and Drink, France, Going Out, Regions, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe

Covering an area of approximately 1,500 hectares, the terroir of the Bandol appellation covers 8 communes in Var (Bandol, Le Beausset, Le Castellet, La Cadière d’Azur, Saint Cyr-sur-mer, St. Anne of Evenos, Sanary-sur-mer and Ollioules) and some 50 winemakers. The region covers a natural amphitheatre of terraces that descend towards the Mediterranean Sea in the […]

Luxury travel news this week

Luxury travel news this week

By on May 19, 2019 in Accommodation, Air Travel, Asia, Australia, Cruises & Boat Travel, Europe, Germany, Hotels, Japan, Oceania, Regions, Speciality Travel, United Kingdom, Western Europe

Here’s a round-up of luxury travel stories that have caught the eye this week. To make sure you receive these new weekly alerts in your web browser, please click on the red bell icon in the bottom right hand corner of the page and click ‘subscribe’ (works on desktop only – for other ways to […]

Alpine cheese and wine around Mont Blanc

Alpine cheese and wine around Mont Blanc

By on May 19, 2019 in Europe, Food and Drink, France, Italy, Regions, Switzerland, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe

What do you get when three countries with some of the best culinary traditions in the world converge in one area? A gastronomic region of immense proportions. While the area around Mont Blanc spanning France, Italy, and Switzerland is known for big cheese names such as Gruyere and Fontina, there are many smaller cheesemakers that […]

Mediterranean exhilaration

Mediterranean exhilaration

By on May 18, 2019 in Eastern Europe, Europe, France, Italy, Regions, Serbia and Montenegro, Spain, Western Europe

Renowned for a generally relaxed vibe, the Mediterranean is an attractive yachting haven and reliable summer stalwart. The array of vibrant locations, each with their own distinct flavour, means there is something for everyone to enjoy. While many choose to just sit back and relax during their Med escape, the region also offers numerous options […]

5 destinations to visit on a private yacht charter in the wake of the ancient Romans

5 destinations to visit on a private yacht charter in the wake of the ancient Romans

By on May 17, 2019 in Attractions, Croatia, Cruises & Boat Travel, Eastern Europe, Europe, Going Out, Italy, Regions, Speciality Travel, Western Europe

As fabulous today as over two thousand years ago, these private yacht charter destinations were the runaway resort destinations and summer playgrounds of Roman Royalty and the very wealthy so very long ago. Today every location still vibrates with the same beauty that once drew the Romans to each location. And just like two thousand […]

Top 5 beach clubs in Mallorca

Top 5 beach clubs in Mallorca

By on May 17, 2019 in Clubs, Europe, Going Out, Leisure Travel, Regions, Spain, Speciality Travel, Western Europe

You may be quite happy rocking up to the beach, spreading your towel on the sand and basking in the sun with the minimum of fuss. All well and good. On the other hand you might, from time to time, crave a little luxury and a more sophisticated visit to the beach. In that respect […]

Short stay: St. Ermin's Hotel, Westminster, London, UK

Short stay: St. Ermin’s Hotel, Westminster, London, UK

By on May 15, 2019 in Accommodation, Attractions, Europe, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

The four star St. Ermin’s Hotel is a horseshoe-shaped Grade II Listed mansion that can be found in a tranquil Westminster location, befitting of its reputation as a hotel that is shrouded by mystery and secrecy. St. Ermin’s has a long history of involvement with the British Secret Service and the top two floors served […]

5 fantastic villages and towns to explore in Provence this Summer

5 fantastic villages and towns to explore in Provence this Summer

By on May 15, 2019 in Europe, France, Regions, Western Europe

Provence is without doubt a popular destination in the summer and for very good reason. The abundant sunshine encourages everything to burst into life. There is a palpable buzz in the air as people make the most of the stunning weather and warm temperatures. The vines are in full leaf, the sunflowers and lavender in […]

Why Elounda is ideal for your next family vacation

Why Elounda is ideal for your next family vacation

By on May 15, 2019 in Europe, Family Travel, Greece, Regions, Speciality Travel, Western Europe

Family vacations are typically difficult to plan, as the parents must think of all sorts of things that will make the vacation comfortable, fun and dare we say relaxing. Crete, as a destination, is a no-brainer when it comes to family vacations as it offers variety in hotel properties, fun experiences, the nature is completely […]

Short stay: Ansty Hall, Ansty, Near Coventry, UK

Short stay: Ansty Hall, Ansty, Near Coventry, UK

By on May 14, 2019 in Accommodation, Attractions, Europe, Family Travel, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

Situated in 8 acres of grounds in the rolling Warwickshire countryside, Macdonald Ansty Hall is a Grade II Listed Georgian mansion dating back to 1678. This was our second visit to this 62-bedroom Macdonald Hotels & Resorts hotel, having stayed a few years previously (click here for that review). The welcome We were warmly welcomed […]

Short stay: Stanbrook Abbey Hotel, Worcester, UK

Short stay: Stanbrook Abbey Hotel, Worcester, UK

By on May 14, 2019 in Accommodation, Europe, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, United Kingdom, Western Europe

A mere decade ago, the Benedictine nuns of Stanbrook Abbey were wearing grooves into the floor of their chapel as they knelt to pray, as they had since the 19th century. Then, seeking further peace and seclusion, the nuns relocated to Waas in North Yorkshire. Once the Pope had agreed to deconsecrate Stanbrook Abbey it […]