Overcrowded, overpriced and overrated: welcome to Britain

Lonely Planet's latest verdict may burst the royal wedding tourism bubble.

Simon Calder: How attractions could spruce themselves up

The Brabo fountain in the main square Grote Markt

Antwerp: A riverside renaissance

Antwerp's docklands are being transformed into a vibrant cultural quarter, says Adrian Mourby

48 hours: Düsseldorf

The Eurovision Song Contest meets fine art and sophistication in this attractive city on the Rhine.

The Caledonian Canal

Simon Calder: The waterway that slices across Scotland proved a challenge to build – but it is now a priceless asset for the 21st-century traveller.

Pilgrims' progress: Hikers on the Camino de Santiago in Puente la Reina

Take Spain in your stride

Follow in the footsteps of Martin Sheen on the Camino de Santiago, or explore one of the country's many other stunning hikes

The ten best travel books

To really capture the romance of roaming, seek out these travelogues...

Get Ready For Summer: Costa Brava

Our fortnightly series of travellers’ guides to holiday destinations reaches the Catalan coast in Spain. Eddi Fiegel reports.

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Welcome to Britain
The tourist traps to avoid
On the road
The ten best travel books

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High tension: holidaymakers to Tunisia face uncertainty

Ask the Traveller: Tunisian unrest

I booked with Thomas Cook for four of us to go to Tunisia on 27 February.

Simon Calder: How attractions could spruce themselves up

Some of Lonely Planet's criticisms are trite generalisations: the dormitory towns of Surrey are no less inspiring that those in the commuter belts of Paris and Milan. But they should spur some action from the target of the barbs.

48 Hours In: Madrid

May is the month to catch the Spanish capital at its most enticing, with a feast of cuisine and culture to enjoy.

High ideals: The lobby of the Santo Stefano was inspired by the nearby Roman Porta Palatina

Stay the night: NH Santo Stefano, Turin

A businessman's hotel in a businessman's city. But this one is a cut above the rest, thanks to its design, says Adrian Mourby

Coast to coast: The Jersey stretch of the walk crosses the cliffs at St Brelade's Bay

Take the long way round these little isles

A new walking route, the Channel Islands Way, launches next month. Kate Simon stepped out with its author in Jersey

Shifting Sands: Abu Dhabi's new harbour area

In Abu Dhabi, they need to keep their feet on the ground

The emirate is in pursuit of the tourist dollar but has the time and space to avoid Dubai's mistakes. Mark Leftly hopes it learns from its neighbours.

Amsterdam - up in smoke?

Amsterdam’s relaxed attitude has long been a draw for tourists. But as the city bans visitors from its infamous coffee shops, one resident, Senay Boztas, wonders if the high times are over

Prickly customer: Few mammals are odder than an echidna

Where the weird things are: Antipodean marvel with spiky ways

It's primary school stuff: mammals give birth to babies; birds lay eggs. Except that this particular mammal – also known as the spiny anteater – lays a big, rubbery whopper. Clearly it had its head in an ant hill when the rules were read out. Or perhaps, like many Australian creatures, it was simply being perverse.

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