A Russian budget airline is the fastest growing carrier in Europe, new figures have revealed. Pobeda, based at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, will increase its capacity by more than a third (34.3 per cent) this winter, putting it streets ahead of any other airline serving the continent. The second largest growth (23.5 per cent) has been
Advice
South America is one of the world’s most spectacular regions, and a fantastic destination for solo exploration in the company of like-minded individuals. The following cruises are all ideal if you’re going it alone, whether you dream of floating past indigenous villages along the Peruvian Amazon or spotting seals and dolphins as you cruise the Chilean
Ever since 1911, the world has celebrated International Women’s Day on the 8th March. It may be 2019 (and we can celebrate women all day every day, k?) but we’re not going to pass up an opportunity to talk about how amazing they are. In the spirit of IWD, we asked female employees across STA
This blog looks to introduce you to alternative bars in the neighbourhood of El Raval that the average tourist would never see. The aim being that you can mix with locals in environments that welcome people from all walks of life. These reccommendations are for open-minded people that are searching for unique experiences when they
Rome is a city that combines the intimacy and human scale of a village with the cultural draws of a historic, art-laden European metropolis. Classical ruins and early Christian places of worship stand next to – or sometimes lie beneath – Renaissance palazzi and Baroque fountains. But there are also great neighbourhood trattorias, quirky shops
Whether you are escaping for a quick restorative break after a hard week in the office or are spending a few days taking the cultural highlights of a city, sometimes you just really want to stay somewhere where you can be pampered in style. Choose from these Valencia hotels, where you can submerge yourself in
Most people associate Ireland with St Patrick’s Day, Guinness and outrageously drunk (but fun) locals. And you’d only be partially right. From beautiful coastlines to the music and arts scene, Ireland is a year-round destination, for so much more than just testing out your liver. Gwen Jones, STA Travel brochure manager and ex-student of Ireland,
Rome, the capital city of Italy, is a cosmopolitan city packed with history, culture, and delicious food. With nearly 3,000 years of globally influential art, architecture, and culture on display it’s no wonder that hordes of tourist’s flock to this city every year. Because of its popularity among tourists, there are also plenty of accommodation
On a recent trip to Bordeaux I made an evening detour to Les Halles de Bacalan, a glass-roofed, upmarket food hall on the Garonne River. Inside, 20- and 30-somethings congregated around high tables snacking on tapas. Others were at the oyster bar, or sampling pungent delights from the cheese stall. A buzz of chatter was
Behind a high, modern wall in the centre of Peterborough lie the remains of the 12th-century Abbot’s Gaol; the city’s prison until 1842. When news hit of the sky-high pay and bonuses paid to Thomas Cook bosses in the run-up to the travel company’s collapse, one imagines that, once upon a time, an angry mob
I’m Tristan, world traveler, NYU post-grad student, and chaser of exciting cultural experiences. My two trips to India covered 2 months, cumulatively, and although it sounds like a lot of time, for a boundless country like India, it’s barely scratching the surface. This list of travel tips will help you get the most of your
The Western Cape’s wildflower route has become one of South Africa’s most popular attractions. People are absolutely blooming mad over these flowers – and it’s easy to see why. The flowers that you’ll see along the West Coast and Namaqualand are endemic to the Western Cape, so you will not be able to visit any
A resort in Bulgaria has been named the cheapest for families looking to book a ski holiday this winter. A survey carried out by Post Office Travel Money, in partnership with Crystal Ski Holidays, reports that a one-week break to Bansko in Bulgaria costs, on average, £1,530 for a family of four. This is almost £100
Turkey has launched a cross-border offensive on Kurdish-held areas of northern Syria, prompting the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to update its advice for British travellers. Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes and at least 11 civilians have died in the attacks that the Turkish Defence Ministry has labelled ‘Operation Peace Spring’.
Our ‘Local Insider Series’ focuses on bringing you the lowdown on various cities across the globe, straight from the mouth of the locals. So you know it’s not bull. To launch the series, we asked Kate Beveridge, one of our Travel Experts down in Adelaide, to tell us everything we need to know about this
We all crave an island escape… and your choices on which Thai islands to visit are endless. This comprehensive condensed pocket guide should help make picking which one to visit a little easier. I haven’t visited every island in Thailand… Those missing from this guide include the Similan Islands, Koh Lipe, and Koh Lanta… time to start planning
A family-run Sunderland-based travel agent is about to become a major household name after it bought the entire retail network of the collapsed travel firm Thomas Cook. Hays Travel acquired all 555 stores direct from the liquidators at 11.53pm on Tuesday evening. By Friday morning, it had already re-opened several, mainly in the northeast, Yorkshire,
Once, while on holiday with a friend in Dubrovnik, we missed a planned coach to Montenegro, leaving us a long way outside the city centre (and high above sea level) with two hours to kill. Finding a remote luxury hotel nearby, we traipsed in and asked to leave our luggage in storage. A kindly receptionist
Tristan Davis (@tristans_expeditions) is a world-traveler, travel writer and photographer. He is currently studying a Masters in International Relations at NYU. He is a vegetarian foodie, street food aficionado, and lover of art, history and culture. Recently having explored the lesser-traveled Western Asia while studying Arabic, he’s put together a list of his must-sees if
As Spain’s capital city, Madrid mixes cultural and culinary influences with politics, commerce and royalty. I got to spend a few days there recently, wandering along streets and plazas and visiting museums, landmarks and districts. Here are some of the places I went that I definitely recommend checking out. With museums, Madrid has a good
