Travel

Updated: 04:24 EST

100 years of the Trans-Siberian railway: Fascinating pictures chart the growth of the

Today, a journey across Russia's Trans-Siberian railway takes about a week. But exactly 100 years ago, upon its official completion, the trip took almost a month because the train trundled along at 20 miles an hour. Now the longest train line in the world, stretching more than 5,700 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok, the Trans-Siberian railway crosses two continents, 80 towns and cities, 16 large rivers and eight time zones. Here, MailOnline Travel takes a look back over a century of the Trans-Siberian's history with a series of fascinating pictures. Pictured (top right) an engineer in the region of Irkutsk during the 1960s, (centre) the railway cutting through the mountains in 1917, (top right) workers from a hard-labour camp on Sakhalin Island, who assisted on constructing the railway along the Ussuri River in 1890, (bottom right) laying of the tracks on the Eastern section, and (bottom right) a passenger train crosses the Devil's Bridge in Buryatia, Siberia, exact date unknown. 

Empty halls, straight jackets and a crumbling autopsy room: Haunting photos capture

New York-based photographer Christopher Payne spent six years travelling America to explore abandoned asylums. Pictured (top left) what remains of the Norwich State Hospital in Preston Connecticut, (top right) Kankakee State Hospital in Illinois, (bottom left) an autopsy theatre at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C., (bottom right) a marble staircase at the Yankton State Hospital in South Dakota and (inset) a straightjacket at the Logansport State Hospital in Indiana.

German airline Tui fly was forced to cancel over 100 flights on Friday due to a staff shortages. The flights affected were all departing from or travelling to Germany, including several domestic flights.

The near-miss occurred over Bulgaria as the two planes flew to Istanbul. One was instructed to descend but the pilots allegedly initiated a climb instead to the same level as another plane close by.

The best of British! From a village pub in Devon to a former hostel in Yorkshire, a

A former hostel in Yorkshire (top left), a village pub in Devon (top right), an eco-friendly coaching inn (bottom left), an Elizabethan manor in Sussex (bottom right) and a thatched retreat in Wiltshire (centre) are among the winners of the 2017 Good Hotel Guide’s Cesar Awards. The winners will be announced on Monday - but the Daily Mail has an exclusive preview from Adam Raphael, editor of The Good Hotel Guide.

Fuzhou city, Jiangxi province, plans to build a 'mini Stratford-upon-Avon' in Sanweng town. The new town will also celebrate Cervantes and Tang Xianzu, a Chinese playwright.

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing designed the plane, and presented its ideas at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico last month.

New York's Dead Rabbit declared the best bar in the world

The Dead Rabbit (top left), nestled in the heart of the Financial District, scooped first place on The World’s 50 Best Bars list for the first time, with London's American Bar at the Savoy (top right) coming second. Two more London bars came in third and fourth - Dandelyan (bottom left) and The Connaught (bottom right) respectively.

Wildlife campaigner Harry Kunz is hoping to give away the animal sanctuary he established in Queensland, Australia, to someone who can continue his life's work.

The Las Ventanas al Paraiso Rosewood Resort in Mexico - frequented by the likes of Jennifer Aniston and George Clooney - is thought to be the first in the world to offer such an activity.

Trend for doing yoga on HORSEBACK is growing in popularity (but not among the

Horseback yoga is a growing trend. As well as in resorts in the US, the sport is also available at a new luxury resort in Spain and a stable just outside Bristol in the UK. Earlier this year, MailOnline reported how Angela Nunez, a yoga teach from Middleburg, Virginia, gained over 10,000 followers on Instagram by sharing images of her horseback yoga poses (main).

Walt Disney World in Orlando has closed as Hurricane Matthew batters the Sunshine State. The park announced it would close Thursday evening and all of Friday. Universal and SeaWorld closed, too.

Fighting broke out on the 11.15am Ryanair flight from Edinburgh to Alicante after a woman reportedly 'snapped' at a drunk stag do who were teasing her male friend for his man bun hair-style.

A wheely bright idea! The solar-powered bike lane that GLOWS blue in the dark

Navigating your way at night can be tricky - especially when you're on two wheels. But now cyclists in Poland have been given a helping hand, thanks to glowing pathway. The high-tech track gleams at night, as the phosphor crystals it's made from emit light after being charged by the sun. Photographs show the path illuminated at night, glowing a vivid shade of blue. The luminous cycling strip is located in a park near the town of Lidzbark Warminski, in the north of Poland. It was created by the technology firm TPA Instytut Badań Technicznych Sp. z o.o. and is currently still in the testing faze.

The Geological Society ran a photography competition under the theme 'Earth Science in Action.' The winners include photos from the Isle of Skye, Benbulbin and Pembrokshire.

Ibiza campaign group Prou! is planning a series of public protests. Angry locals are calling for a limit on tourist arrivals and tougher rules on noise levels, unauthorised clubs and drinking hours.

Leaning Tower of Pisa's bare interiors revealed in photos

The Leaning Tower of Pisa took 199 years to build. And it appears by the time builders reached the rafters they had run out of steam. Photos showing the tower's interiors reveal it as a hollow shell. It comes as a surprise to many, given the landmark's grand exterior, adorned with marble arches and intricate stone carvings. After climbing 300 stairs and paying a €15 entrance fee, visitors are greeted with bare bricks when they reach the bell tower.

Fighting broke out on the 11.15am Ryanair flight as two separate stag dos are understood to have come to blows with passengers describing many of the men as being 'absolutely hammered'.

Instead of allowing its customers to pre-select seats for flights between Pago Pago, American Samoa, and Honolulu, the carrier allegedly weighed passengers before seats were allocated.

Hickory State Park in Pennsylvania is home to bizarre boulder field

Hickory Run State Park in Pennsylvania is home to a remarkable boulder field. The weight of the rocks is so great that the ground they've depressed the ground they sit on by 12 feet over the years. The surreal nature of the phenomenon is heightened by the fact that it's surrounded by lush evergreens. It's a bizarre, incongruous formation that draws in a steady stream of visitors, who often love to jump from rock to rock. Stunning drone footage (main shows a still from this) shows just how huge the field is.

The note alleges that various victims were lured to the hotel room in Raleigh, North Carolina, where they were gagged and sodomised before being allow to 'go free from this world'.

Airlines are warning passengers of overnight delays affecting a number of flights bound for America on Friday and Saturday from airports including Manchester, Glasgow and Gatwick.

Views to dine for! From New York's Empire State Building to Rome's Colosseum, the

At some restaurants it's not just delicious food and highly quaffable wine that's on the menu. Some have views that are just as eye-catching as their dishes and drinks list. From The Rainbow Room in New York boasting a sublime panorama of the Empire State Building, to the Aroma in Rome looking over the floodlit Colosseum, there are dozens of settings to choose from. For city slickers, there are sky-high eateries looking down on the world below, and for those looking for something a bit more rural there are dinner tables looking out over the ocean or the African plains. In a bid to help you make the winning choice, MailOnline Travel has put together a directory of some of the best restaurant views in the world.

An infographic has revealed how to ask for a beer in 17 different countries. For example, in Thailand, you need to say Ow bee-a neung krup - but only if your bartender is male.

One of the families (pictured), who stayed at Marelen Hotel on Zante, claimed they saw staff fishing out faecal matter from the pool before disinfecting it, while guests were still in the water.

The floating hotel that has a cinema, restaurants and a CEMETERY for up to 48,000 urns

The H.K. Ship Art Club is proposing the transformation of a 60,000 tonne cruise ship into a floating cemetery that will be stationed in Hong Kong and it will come with enough room for 48,000 funeral urns. But, extraordinarily, the vessel will also operate as a hotel and offer a range of services typically associated with cruises, including restaurants, gyms and even a cinema.

All the usual activities are available for outdoors-loving families at a Forest Holidays resort. But the delightful cabins and their creature comforts mean you can relax in style after all that cycling.

It's fast becoming the bling-laden place to be seen, but there are still tranquil parts of Croatia that are great places for soaking up culture and unwinding, as Rebecca Davison finds out.

Geyser that erupted next to Benalmadena hotel in Spain and caused a 'mini tsunami' 

Rescue workers in Benalmadena, near the Spanish province of Malaga, say a giant water mains burst sending hundreds of thousands of gallons of water into the air. The blast of the fracture was so strong, reports local media, that shock waves could be seen off the coast in the sea.

Forty years ago today a Cuban Douglas DC-8 aircraft crashed into the sea off the coast of Barbados after two bombs went off on board. The CIA has long been suspected of involvement.

Rowing across the Venetian lagoon after a storm raged had an eerie feel. And exploring some of the hundreds of islands slowly sinking into the murky waters proved to be an even eerier experience.

Inside the Dreamliner that's been converted into a private jet with bedrooms, walk-in

The Dream Jet (inset) has been converted by US firm Kestrel Aviation Management from a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to a private jet capable of carrying up to 40 passengers for 17 hours without stopping. They will be in the lap of luxury. There's a sprawling entertainment area and convertible dining table (top left and right), plus a master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe (bottom right) and en-suite bathroom (bottom left).

November and December appear to be the prime months for bargain hunting, with breaks to Dubai, Berlin, London and Moscow dropping by more than one third at certain points.

Photos celebrate autumn's crimson leaves, misty mornings and wildlife

For many people, autumn marks the most beautiful season of the year, as evidenced in these photos captured as the trees shed their leaves in Britain, Tuscany, Canada and beyond. Pictured (main) a forest pathway shrouded with fiery leaves in Derbyshire, (bottom right) a pair of hedgehogs nestled together in a German park and (bottom left) Scotland's Loch Ard in the early morning fog.

The Japanese plan would bypass the Trans-Siberian's final stop, Vladivostok, and connect to the northerly Japanese island of Hokkaido instead, requiring a new 26-mile tunnel.

Photographer Andrew Studer's images of lone humans against the world's epic landscapes

Andrew Studer, 20, from Portland, Oregon, has travelled the world to capture solo voyagers deep in the vast wilderness of places like Washington (top left), Oregon (top right and bottom left), and Iceland (bottom right and inset). With his photos, he is aiming to demonstrate the earth's prowess, and what 'small fish in a big, big pond' we are.

The British operator transferred 570 guests to Cayo Coco - a tropical island in the Jardines del Rey chain - after Holguin airport in the east was closed.

Andrey Ostanin trained his cat Graf to withstand alpine conditions and they set off together to reach Mount Elbrus's 18,510 feet summit in Russia.

Exploring Las Vegas 60 years after Elvis first graced its stages

Once known as the land of kitsch, neon and 24-hour gambling, Las Vegas today is so much more. MailOnline Travel's Valerie Siebert found that 60 years after Elvis Presley (inset with Liberace) performed his very first residency in the city's New Frontier Hotel, Sin City is actually a place full of class that has less use for the likes of The King or, in fact, gambling than it ever has before. Pictured left is Vegas in 1953, just before Elvis' residency, and right is Vegas today - completely transformed.

Bronze statue honors famed Istanbul cat Tombili

A rather plump cat who found fame after a photo of him 'chilling out' swept the web, has had a statue erected in his honor. Tombili from Istanbul, who passed away in August, was apparently known for lounging on the curb with his belly hanging out and his front paw up. And now, a statue has been installed in the feline's favourite spot, with his chilled-out pose captured for posterity. Many fans of Tombili have applauded the piece of art, while others are less keen on it.

Data from Google over the past year reveals the common searches made about the UK from users elsewhere in Europe - and the questions that surfaced aren't entirely flattering.

A Qantas plane flying from Darwin to Brisbane was forced to turn around an hour into the flight last Friday, after a fault developed with the air conditioning and the plane dropped 30,000 feet.

Fantastic fjords and beautiful beaches: Breathtaking photos from Lonely Planet's immense

Lonely Planet's new edition of its voyage bible, The Travel Book, is extremely heavy - but that should come as no surprise, because it's laden with descriptions and facts for every country in the world and is stunningly furnished with more than 800 photographs. These spectacular images capture the unique essence of exotic travel destinations around the world. The book's odyssey starts in Afghanistan and circumnavigates the globe from A to Z, ending with Zimbabwe, and visiting every single country in between, from Norway's Geirangerfjord and Seven Sisters waterfall (top), to the seascapes of New Zealand (bottom left) and the mountains of Turkey (bottom right).

MailOnline Travel spoke to two experts who explained why plane ticket prices fluctuate so dramatically, and whether it's best to book early or wait for last-minute deals.

The Chinese tourist went on a five-day tour of North Korea. He said even tourists have to bow to statues of Kim Jong-un or face arrest and that the press constantly issue fake stories about North Korea.

Inside 'the most haunted city in America': Take a tour of Savannah's spooky Historic

There are more dead people buried under the pavements of Savannah than there are living people walking on top. For all its pretty cobblestoned squares and antebellum townhouses, the exquisite seafood and Southern generosity, this small port on the frontier of Georgia and South Carolina has a dark underbelly: grisly tales of sordid murder, haunted houses and a colonial-era graveyard (inset) decorated with the lingering entrails of Spanish moss. Savannah could well claim to be America’s most haunted city. That’s why, this Thursday evening, I’m being driven round its deserted squares in the back of a hearse.

In Nikko, Japan, there is a multi-million dollar theme park featuring replicas of Clint Eastwood and Mount Rushmore. It's been abandoned since 2007 and now resembles the set of horror film Westworld.

Rummu prison in Estonia was abandoned some 25 years ago when Stalin's empire collapsed and more than half of the 75ft building has since been flooded.

Video shows skydiver Anthony Killeen soar over rainbow in the shape of a perfect circle 

Anthony Killen, a Brit who was on his first skydive with an instructor over New Zealand's Bay of Islands, was 'laughing and ecstatic' when they spotted the technicolour spectrum. While actually witnessing this sight is a freak occurrence, the formation itself is not. All rainbows in their complete form are circular, we just can't see them from the ground, or from anywhere other than directly over them.

People have shared the typical breakfast meal in their home country. In western countries, cheese or jam on toast and cereal are very popular, and in places like Indonesia and Japan, rice is a staple dish

Bartenders form the US, Australia and UK have been sharing their views on how certain people order certain drinks. Chances are, your favourite tipple says a lot about your personality.

China's 816 Nuclear Military Plant, the world's largest man made cave, is now open to

The 816 Nuclear Military Plant, located in the mountains of Fuling district in China's Chongqing municipality, was designed to manufacture plutonium in the 1960s, but never went into operation. It covers 1.1 million square feet, with more than 130 roads and tunnels (left) as well as educational light displays (top and bottom right).

Claude Amoulric from Orange, France, says it has been an occupation he's thoroughly enjoyed for the past 33 years. Apart from the times he had a gun pointed at his head.

New research has revealed that Mexico is the easiest place in the world to pass a driving test, simply because residents don't have to take one.

Hidden treasures: Intrepid caver reveals stunning frozen sculptures lurking inside a

Stretching from floor-to-ceiling these incredible ice stalactites look particularly eerie as they shine from the darkness and protrude from a cavern of red rock. The unusual frozen formations were captured by intrepid caver, Peter Gedei, at the Ivacic Cave hidden under the highest peak in Slovenia, Triglav. During his recent expedition, he also discovered a thick frozen bed of water which he said shone in 'beautiful colourful layers' when it was lit.

The scheme was trialed in Grenoble and is now being extended to 35 train stations across France. Users can choose a one, three or five-minute story from a machine for free.

The New York-based airline has kicked off a new program to turn those with little or zero flying experience into captains of the skies.

See the leaves turn in beautiful Boston: For shoppers, historians or sports fans, this New

MailOnline Travel's Rebecca Seales saw summer go out in a blaze of glory in blissful Boston. And beyond the reds, russets, and gold, this classy city offers cosy shopping boutiques, great restaurants, imposing museums, and – for sports fans – top-flight baseball care of the Red Sox.

The images were captured as people made their way through Nightmares Fear Factory in Ontario, Canada - a tourist attraction that claims to be the 'scariest haunted house' in the region.

Ms Bowman managed to capture a series of photographs that show the moment a perfectly average sunset turned into something quite stunning as her plane flew over Melbourne.

From the church so small its congregation sits outside to the chapel balanced half way

A new book, Tiny Churches, by intrepid traveller Dixe Wills, explores the fascinating and varied histories of 60 of the country's most diminutive churches, from the church in Wiltshire so small the congregation sit outside to the chapel balanced halfway down a remote Pembrokeshire cliff. MailOnline Travel has rounded up a selection of some of the most beguiling churches featured in the book.

Witnesses at London Stansted Airport claimed children were crying and tempers flared as returning holidaymakers battled to make it to baggage reclaim shortly after midnight.

A group of teenagers captured their friend being thrown out of his boat and almost flipping it over after giving it too much gas while showing off on a river somewhere in Australia.

The Seataci, a $100million (£77million) luxury yacht envisioned by Montreal-based engineer Charles Bombardier, is designed to travel through water with the help of a wave motion rather than propellers.

Photographer David Yarrow, 49 and based in London, shared some guidelines with MailOnline Travel, from which angles are best avoided, to what time of day you should be shooting.

The stunning 'Stairway to Heaven' video of a luxury Swiss hotel's infinity pool that's made a HUGE splash on the internet... with more than 1.2m hits

Stepping into a steamy pool of water with the Swiss mountains visible in the cloudy twilight - this is the scene captured in a new video which has swiftly gone viral. Entitled Stairway to Heaven, the 39-second-long clip shows a woman getting into the infinity pool at the five-star Hotel Villa Honegg in Switzerland. The aquamarine waters seemingly have no end, as they run over an invisible edge to make way for sweeping views of the valley below. Towards the end of the video, a shot from high up reveals there is also a hot tub in the corner of the L-shaped pool.

These enthralling photos are the winners and top 55 runner-ups in this year's Red Bull Illume Awards, with stand-out shots from Germany, Japan, South Africa, Brazil and Portugal.

The Valle dei Mulini, or 'Valley of Mills', in Sorrento is home to a beautifully haunting menagerie of abandoned mills, which were once part of the area's pasta production industry.

The Unicorn Cafe in Bangkok, Thailand, features a psychedelic mix of furnishings, from rainbow-coloured carpeting to Barbie-pink armchairs.

Amused bystanders from around the world have been busy sharing some of the most hilarious - and sometimes rude - neon sign fails they've encountered.

Fascinating drone footage reveals the inside of an eerie 70,000-year-old cave

Bats rule the roost when it comes to caves, ducking and diving through their dank dwellings. And now new drone footage attempts to mimic a bat's point of view, taking viewers inside the eerie Devetashka cave in Bulgaria that was inhabited as far back as 70,000 years ago, but is now home to around 30,000 bats. Footage captured by a YouTube channel reveals a giant cavern with large holes punctuating the length of it. At one point the camera steadily hovers along a dirt walkway. The lens then circles around to give a near-360-degree view of the 100ft-high craggy ceilings. Later the camera swoops down to foot level, narrowly missing some inky puddles as it grazes the floor. It then continues to fly, revealing a small stream of water running through the cave down below.

The 30-foot-high miniature fort was erected to overlook Suffolk’s shoreline in 1808 along with 102 others on the east coast in a bid to ward off any potential French invasion.

Locals and tourists have been sharing tips for which landmarks to avoid for being too busy, expensive or fake. Florida Mall, Empire State Building and Amsterdam Flower Market all feature.

Abandoned Britain: Haunting photographs capture the derelict churches, hotels and mansions

Peeled paint, crumbling brickwork and rotten timbers are a common theme in this striking photo series, which unearths abandoned buildings across the UK. Simon Yeung makes it his mission to highlight the beauty of decay through photography, capturing dilapidated train stations, hotels, churches, mansions and hospitals on his travels. He says he finds it 'tragic' how scores of buildings are left to crumble and rot, but he understands how the money needed to save them from peril is often too much. In a bid to get the desired shots, Yeung admits that he often puts himself in dangerous situations as he ventures into structures on the verge of collapse.

Bing

Get the Travel RSS feed

More RSS feeds...
   

TOP STORIES IN TRAVEL