Travel advice, ideas & expert tips

The town that water built: exploring Eureka Springs by golf cart

Eureka Springs, Arkansas, exists because of a rumour. In the late 1870s, word spread that the natural springs tucked into these Ozark Mountain hollows could cure almost anything — blindness, paralysis, skin disease, you name it. By 1881, so many people had arrived to test…

The Big Melt at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham.

Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham: Family travel review with prices and tips

Near the M1 in Rotherham, the Magna Science Adventure Centre turns a former steelworks into a child-friendly place of hands-on, interactive learning. Why visit the Magna Science Adventure Centre? Magna is an audacious take on a bog-standard science museum. There are more than 100 hands-on…

Carcassonne Castle in Carcassonne, France.

Visiting Carcassonne Castle and Ramparts, France: practical guide for first-time visitors

Carcassonne Castle — officially the Château Comtal and its double ring of ramparts — is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed medieval fortress. It's managed by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux within the walled city of Carcassonne in southern France. This guide was updated in May 2026.…

Visiting the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham: practical guide for first-time visitors

The National Motorcycle Museum is the world's largest collection of British motorcycles, located at Junction 6 of the M42 motorway near Solihull, just two miles from Birmingham Airport. This guide was updated in May 2026: One key update that many guides overlook: the museum now…

Visiting ARK Wildlife Park, Lincolnshire: practical guide for first-time visitors

ARK Wildlife Park is an exotic animal rescue sanctuary and dinosaur park in the village of Stickney, Lincolnshire, near Boston. It operates as a working rescue centre open to the public as a family-friendly zoo, combining rescued wildcats, primates, and nocturnal animals with the largest…

Visiting Lord Leycester Hospital, Warwick: practical guide for first-time visitors

Lord Leycester Hospital is a medieval charitable institution on the High Street in Warwick, founded in 1571 by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and favourite of Elizabeth I, to house retired soldiers. Despite the name, it has never been a medical establishment — "hospital" here…

The Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, Rome.

Visiting the Fountain of the Four Rivers, Piazza Navona, Rome: practical guide for first-timers

The Fountain of the Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi) is a Baroque public monument designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for Pope Innocent X Pamphilj. It was unveiled on 12 June 1651, and stands at the centre of Piazza Navona in the Navona district of…

Visiting Viterbo Cathedral: practical guide for first-timers

The Polo Monumentale Colle del Duomo is a heritage complex in Viterbo, in northern Lazio, comprising the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, the Palazzo dei Papi (Pope's Palace), and the Museo Colle del Duomo, all located on Piazza San Lorenzo in the medieval heart of the…

Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, Cairns: Opening times, size & visitor tips

Planning a visit to the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon? This guide covers opening hours, entry cost, location, and what to expect. What is the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon? The Cairns Esplanade Lagoon is a 4,800 square metre public swimming pool in the heart of Cairns, Queensland. It…

Visiting the Basilica of Saint Mary of Minerva, Rome: practical guide for first-timers

The Basilica of Saint Mary of Minerva (Basilica di Santa Maria sopra Minerva) is a Dominican minor basilica in the Pigna district of central Rome, located at Piazza della Minerva, 42, a few steps behind the Pantheon, and is notable as the only medieval Gothic…