Neighbourhood watch The Grade II-listed Wells Maltings, in the centre of Wells-next-the-Sea, has been transformed into a £5 million arts, heritage and community centre used for theatre, cinema and art exhibitions. Learn about the town’s history in the Wells Heritage Centre, in the Maltings building (open daily from 10am to 4pm; free entry). Did you know?…
What to bring home Godsell’s artisan cheese made by a farming family in the village of Leonard Stanley – the Holy Smoked single Gloucester is especially good. Soaps by College Green (available at Stroud Farmers’ Market) – aromatic and handmade in the Stroud valley using natural ingredients, from rosemary and mint to lemongrass, ginger and oat….
Know before you go . . . Essential information British High Commission: Cape Town; 00 27 21 461 7220 UK Embassy: Pretoria; 00 27 12 483 1200; britain.org.za Emergency services: dial 082 911 or 084 911 (ambulance), 10111 (police and fire). To contact any emergency service from a mobile phone, dial 112 Medical care: to find the nearest…
Local laws & etiquette Drinking alcohol in the street (unless it’s the spillover area of a bar or pub) and going bare-chested are no-nos. Dress code in churches is: shoulders and midriffs covered and ‘modest’ dress or skirt length for women, while for men vests and really short shorts are frowned on – though these…
Insider tips Island hack If it’s beaches you’re after, and you can’t hack the dizzying prices of glitzy Costa Smeralda, know that Sardinia’s beaches are spectacular wherever you pitch up. From Olbia, Cannigione is worth checking out. Once a fishing village, it has a host of pretty beaches, local markets and restaurants serving typical Galluran…
When to go . . . Prague truly transforms in the spring, as pasty-looking people stop to take in the sun and the sight of sprouting leaves in beer gardens. It’s usually overrun from June to August – though it’s easy to give tourists the slip in Malá Strana and Žižkov. Autumn is lovely, cool…
An exception is Carnevale, in the two weeks leading up to Shrove Tuesday (February/March), which brings in hordes of revellers and sends accommodation prices through the roof. Other regular annual events include the June-November Art Biennale (odd years) and Architecture Biennale (even years), the Film Festival (10 days end of August to early September) and…
Corfu has long enticed conquerors and holidaymakers with its intoxicating mix of historical monuments, lush hillsides, blue skies, sand and pebble beaches and calm, azure waters. British and French influences can be seen in Corfu’s atmospheric Old Town – however, it’s obvious that the Venetians, who stayed around for 400 years, exerted the greatest sociocultural…
When to go There is no best time to visit Oxford, as every season has its charms. In early spring the trees of North Oxford drip with blossom, though May is when Oxford perhaps looks her loveliest. The trees are in full leaf, the students are in celebratory mood and the famous ‘Bumps’ (boat race)…
Know before you go . . . Essential information British Consulate-General: (00 1 212 745 0200; ukinusa.fco.gov.uk), 845 3rd Avenue, New York Emergency services: Dial 911 Tourist office: See nycgo.com, the website of NYC and Company, for extensive information on what’s on in the city and tips on where to go. Stop by to pick…
Lisbon is having a moment. It is the place on everyone’s lips and its breezy sea views, glossy tiled facades and red roofs feature on many an Instagram feed. The food surprises, with a depth far beyond the famous pastéis de nata (custard tarts) that are so known and loved. There is history; from the 12th-century…
Tourist office and information: The main tourist information office is at Via Cavour 1r (00 39 055 290 832, firenzeturismo.it). Open Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm. There are also branches at the train station and the airport. You can also visit city council-endorsed destinationflorence.com, a one-stop-shop where you can book hotels, museums, restaurants and tours of the city Emergency services: Dial 112 (Carabinieri);…
Temperatures are mild with summer highs in the mid-20s, and winter rarely dropping below zero. But rain is common year-round with October to April getting the majority of rainy days. Think layers and always have a brolly. Know before you go . . . Essential information Tourist board information: 00 1 604 683 2000; destinationvancouver.com…
Los Angeles has long been looked down on by its East Coast counterparts, but now that the rest of world has caught up with California’s green juice and wellness obsession, the city is having something of a moment. No longer deemed a cultural wasteland, LA is bursting with new art galleries and museums, a flourishing…
If you do plan to come at a weekend, you may want to avoid a date when Bath Rugby is playing at home (unless, of course, you want to attend a match): city centre pubs are packed on match days, though not in a rowdy way. In terms of seasons, there’s no bad time. If it’s…
Know before you go . . . Essential information British Embassy/Consulate: (00 33 1 44 51 31 00; ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk). For passports and most other visitor services, contact the consulate at 15 rue d’Anjou (same telephone number) rather than the embassy Office du Tourisme de Paris: (00 33 1 49 52 42 63; parisinfo.com), 25 rue…
The Spanish can seem very abrupt, and use ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ minimally. They find the Anglo-Saxon method of constantly using these words insincere – in Spanish it’s all in the intonation and delivery. There is little sense of personal space here, but that can mean that, for example, people will greet and say goodbye…
When to go Palma is temperate most of the year, even in the colder months when the temperature can drop in other parts of the island. As an all-year-round destination, most of the hotels stay open, unlike those in the beach resorts. Off-season, particularly from January to April, and mid October to December, there are…
Having it all is most definitely a good thing but it can also be a somewhat overwhelming – where to start? London has so much to offer, for all tastes, budgets and cultural persuasions. There is proper (grisly) history, statement buildings old and new, and world-class museums housed in jaw-dropping architecture. There are wonderful parks…
• A good tip for getting around, and making the most of opportunities to walk and actually see something rather than be zooming under the city, is the Citymapper app. You can plug in where you want to go and it will give you all the options, from buses, to tubes, to walking and even how…
Emergency services: dial 112 (ambulance); 110 (fire); 155 (police) Main Tourist Office: 00 90 212 518 8754; goturkey.co.uk; Divan Yolu 3, Sultanahmet Basics Currency: Turkish Lira Telephone code: dial 00 90, then the number, if dialling from Britain Time difference: +2 hours summer time; +3 hours winter time Flight time: London to Istanbul is approximately 3hr…