Reviews & advice
★★
Airline reviews
Airline review: Flying with Europe’s most notorious carrier is excruciating
A flight with Ryanair is to be endured rather than enjoyed – cheap cross-continental trips come with some of the tightest seats in the sky.
- by David Whitley
★★★★½
Train journeys
Enjoy Thailand’s most-photographed train station while you still can
Thailand’s best-loved train station is a classic of South-East Asian railway history, but a huge new one will replace it.
- by John Borthwick
Want better value on a Europe holiday? Try this option
Still a concept foreign to many non-Europeans, paying for a half-board stay can be great value for money.
- by Michelle Tchea
Opinion
Tips & advice
Sorry influencers, here’s who really rules the modern travel scene
Gen Z and Millennials might be the smiling faces of the social media campaigns, but that’s not where the power lies in travel.
- by Ben Groundwater
★★★★½
Hotel reviews
No passport required for a visit to this little piece of Italy
No wonder the King Valley attracted many Italian families to the area decades ago – it mirrors parts of Italy.
- by Sue Wallace
Airline review: It’s time to give Jetstar a second chance
In the years since I last flew Qantas’ cheaper cousin, its reputation has taken a beating. But my low expectations were upturned by proficient service.
- by Catherine Marshall
An embarrassing moment highlights the trouble with laundry on the road
The washing is the easy part. The drying requires real strategy.
- by Julietta Jameson
Opinion
Tips & advice
Wild requests, outrageous prices: Why we could be saying goodbye to room service
A shower, bathrobe, dial up room service, and theatrical lifting of the cloche is my idea of heaven. But hotel room service is in steady decline.
- by Michael Gebicki
Opinion
Air travel
Pets on planes?! The world’s gone barking mad
I spend a lot of time in the US, where animals on planes are as common – and divisive – as political debate. Some of the things I’ve witnessed firsthand have been appalling.
- by Kristie Kellahan
Opinion
Tripologist
Tripologist: Where are the best places to stay in Portugal?
We would like to visit Portugal this year. Would you recommend a tour company and places to stay, please?
- by Michael Gebicki
★★★★½
Hotel reviews
This hotel was rated world’s best on TripAdvisor. Could it be that good?
What makes this unassuming hotel on a quiet street in Cambodia’s Siem Reap such a popular choice for visitors? Garry Maddox checks in to find out.
- by Garry Maddox