It’s time to bust the myth of the Swinging Sixties
And it turns out that, as in archaeology, these material details can richly express the flavour and character of past times. Stories about class and taste and…
Five-year-old British girl dies in Alps skiing collision after man crashes into her ‘at high speed’
A five-year-old British girl has died during a skiing class in the French Alps after a man crashed into her “at high speed”. The child, thought to…
It was easier to buy a baguette in London than it is here in France
My heroes used to be poets, great actors, scientists. Now, they are the people walking smartly across the square in front of my house at 9am, baguettes…
Ski holidays in France are back – what are the latest rules and is it safe to book?
What rules are in place in ski resorts? “French resorts have put everything in place to make it safe for British, French and international skiers. The resorts…
The five new golden rules for booking a holiday
The news that France is re-opening to British travellers is another welcome confidence boost and it will add rocket fuel to the huge surge in advance bookings…
Why France will always be my favourite place to ski
Many have felt that President Macron has been bruising for a bust-up with Boris and us Brits. But now that there is a green light for tourists…
The 10 best French cities for a spring minibreak – now we can visit again
Heat-seeking White Russians built the greatest orthodox cathedral outside their homeland. And when on the Promenade des Anglais sweeping round the bay, I can never think of…
The 20 best ski resorts in France and holidays to book in 2022
Alpe d’Huez With 250km of fabulous pistes and off-piste, Alpe d’Huez will keep every standard of skier happy for a week. One star attraction is the 16km…
Why Paris should be your first city break this year
It’s little wonder that some three million of us used to come each year. Reminders of our intertwined lives are everywhere, from the Hermès Birkin to restaurants…
Ski holidays in France ‘back on’ with Covid travel rules for Britons due to be relaxed this week
The French border closed to holidaymakers from the UK on December 18 as ministers in Paris sought to prevent the spread of the omicron variant, but since…
How Covid ‘green passes’ work in Europe’s key holiday destinations
You can only obtain the super green pass with evidence of full vaccination or recent recovery, meaning a negative test result is no longer sufficient for unvaccinated…
Amazing places to stay for every type of holiday in 2022
The new year is upon us and things are already looking brighter for holidays. If you’re worried you’ve missed out on the buzz already, fear not. We…
The worst holiday of my life was in a French barn overrun with mice
It started, as these things so often do, with a misunderstanding. The small cottage at the end of a lane in southern Normandy – owned by friends,…
When will ski holidays in France be back on the cards?
When the ban does lift Britons can rest assured that conditions on the slopes are more than inviting, with resorts reporting some of the best early-season snow…
The Last Emperor of Mexico by Edward Shawcross: like an am-dram rehearsal for the 20th century
The life and death of Maximilian, archduke of the house of Habsburg-Lorraine and emperor of the second Mexican empire, are a cautionary tale about not wanting something…
Why I’m letting go of London perfectionism for laid-back life in Languedoc
For many years – most of my adult life, probably – I began each day with a list in the way Victorians often began their days with…
The countries that might finally reopen to British travellers in 2022
Vietnam Reopening prospects: Good Unlike some other countries in south-east Asia, which are doubling down on border closures, the outlook for holidays to Vietnam in 2022 is…
France eases Covid travel restrictions, but no hope yet for ski holidays
British people travelling for work can visit France again after the country’s Covid rules were relaxed slightly for the first time since a near-total ban on visitors…
The secret to finding the perfect ski resort
Why Austria? If staying in a picturesque resort with a warm welcome is high priority, Austria will generally come up trumps. Many resorts have grown up around traditional farming…
Houellebecq is back – but where are the British literary provocateurs?
Much has been made of the rock and roll manner of such writers, but let’s not forget their writing could be pretty punchy, too. It seemed that…
20 fabulous family holidays for 2022
The first weekend of January, as tradition dictates, is spent vacuuming up pine needles and poring over calendars at the kitchen table for the annual family holiday…
In France you can’t make the home renovation equivalent of a fashion faux pas
Beneath the picture, there was speculation that it was for sale, that it needed a tremendous amount of work. One woman said, “I hope that the buyers…
Travel to France: latest advice as road ban on British expats is lifted
When will the France travel ban end? This is not known; no end date has been given. Who can still enter? The only people who can travel…
How new Brexit regulations will change the way we buy clothes
But as consumers, what we really want to know is whether clothes will become more expensive and if the clothes we buy will ever arrive on British…
What European health passes mean for your holiday – and how you get one
If you’re travelling to another European country in the coming weeks or months, don’t get caught out by its rules on domestic health passes. You might not…