Hope for the best but be prepared for delays and disruption: in these unpredictable days, every traveller should adopt that mind-set. Yet occasionally "the best" turns out more favourably than you dare hope. So it proved for me on Wednesday night. After a series of flight misfortunes, I needed to get back from Bangkok to the UK speedily. A short-notice ticket can often be eyewateringly expensive. Yet British Airways wanted a reasonable £572 for the 13-hour flight from the Thai capital to London Gatwick, including baggage. Check-in for flight BA2230 took seconds; security, likewise. Checking out at passport control involved simply looking into a camera and remembering not to smile. Once "airside" I treated myself to a Singha beer then wandered along to an uncannily empty departure gate. Walking on board the Boeing 777, it became clear that the plane was less than half-full. For the first time in years I could stretch out in what I shall describe as "budget business class": four seats together down the back of the plane. Friendly and helpful cabin crew served a decent dinner before I drifted off over the Bay of Bengal. Bliss. You can never count on such cut-price luxury, but travelling on a new route improves the odds of oodles of personal space. BA returned to Bangkok only in late October after a four-year gap, and traffic takes time to build up. Mainly, though, it is a question of timing. Mid-November to early December is the lowest of seasons on many routes, bringing low fares and low loads for those of us lucky enough to travel beyond a nation enduring an accumulation of gloom. Best destinations for November sun |
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Which way now? Trekking in the eastern Himalayas of Nepal |
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| Whether its a luxury spa break or a budget stay down at the seaside, these are the best places to stay. Read more. |
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| It's the ultimate adventure playground, but there are also distressing stories from this part of the world. Read more. |
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| Fancy a trip to Rutshire? These classic hotels, pubs, restaurants and shops are the next best thing. Read more. |
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Wherever you yearn to travel, the next few weeks will deliver outstanding value. Budget flights from Manchester to Tenerife tomorrow for a week come in at around £80 return on easyJet. My preference is for a proper package: on 23 November Jet2 Holidays has a week from Manchester to Portugal's Algarve coast – specifically the lovely resort of Armacao de Pera – for £212 per person for a week in a self-catering apartment. That works out as £1.25 per hour for the trip, including flights (with baggage) and transfers. City breaks in Europe are being sold at giveaway prices. British Airways is always a good bet for short-notice metropolitan escapes – including to capital cities with crisp and cheerful Christmas markets getting under way. BA's opening deal for Prague on 3 December for two nights is £179 per person including flights from/to Heathrow (with checked baggage) and a four-star hotel with breakfast. Bizarrely, the flights alone come in at £236 return; yes, you will save money if you take up the hotel offer. Advent adventures abound in the tropics, too. On 1 December you can fly nonstop from Manchester to Cape Verde with Tui and stay for a week in a decent all-inclusive hotel on the Atlantic island of Sal for just £605 per person. Or, two days later the same firm will take you from Gatwick to the pretty Thai resort of Krabi for £823. How good a deal is that? Well, within 10 days the price for an identical holiday almost triples. Get away while you can. |
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Rail disarray over Christmas |
This year's festive season will be the first since 2019 that has not been afflicted by Covid, rail strikes or both – but key rail stations and intercity lines will be closed due to Network Rail engineering projects. Work on the controversial HS2 project will close London Paddington station from the evening of Christmas Eve until 30 December. Some Great Western trains from South Wales and Cornwall will be diverted to London Euston. The Midland Main Line from London St Pancras International to Luton (including the airport), Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield will close at the London end from 21 to 29 December inclusive due to the replacement of the Agar Grove railway bridge in Camden, north London. Hourly East Midlands trains will run from Sheffield, Corby and Nottingham as far south as Bedford, for rail-replacement buses to Milton Keynes Central. Intercity journeys to/from London are expected to take an hour longer. |
As mentioned last week, the final flight link from the UK to Cuba was scrapped earlier this year. But in January 2025 you will be able to cruise to the Caribbean's largest island. Ambassador Cruise Line's Ambition will sail from Tilbury in Essex via the Azores, Antigua and St Kitts to Havana. Passengers will get three full days in the Cuban capital, plus an additional day in the beautiful city of Santiago in the east of the island. On the return journey, the ship visits Jamaica, Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, Madeira, Lisbon and Porto. The full cruise is 45 nights, with inside cabins available for £2,299 per person – plus £55 for a Cuban tourist card. The daily rate works out at just £52. 8 best Caribbean holidays |
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Combining Atlanta with Chicago? |
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In May 2025 I plan to visit one friend in Atlanta and another in Chicago. What is the best way to combine the cities, seeing some sights along the way between them, ideally without driving? |
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You are well placed to enjoy some of the best of the southern and midwestern US – entirely by reliable and affordable buses. For flights, I recommend an open-jaw ticket out to Atlanta and back from Chicago. British Airways can offer both on nonstop flights. The fare at the moment, flying out on 3 May for two weeks, is a remarkably low £652. I would grab it at that price.
Atlanta is rewarding to explore. The Civil Rights heritage includes the home of Dr Martin Luther King. Then take a Greyhound or FlixBus from Atlanta to Nashville, a trip of under five hours for a fare of $36 (£28). The home of Country music is a hoot, with the world's only full-size replica of the Parthenon providing an interesting diversion. My highlight is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Three more Greyhound hours and $30 (£23) takes you to Louisville, Kentucky. This small city is well worth a couple of days due to the sheer breadth of interest: the legacy of boxer Muhammad Ali; the home of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs; and some fascinating Old Louisville architecture, comprising Victorian mansions. There are three signature hotels: the Seelbach Hilton, with a miraculous Rathskeller decorated with pottery; The Brown, a century-old landmark on the National Register of Historic Places; and the amazing 21C Museum Hotel, which has a 30-foot sculpture of Michelangelo's David right outside, like you do, and a free museum inside.
Indianapolis is a couple of hours north, and a good place to pause before the final four hours by bus (or Amtrak train) to Chicago – where you could spend a month and only scratch the surface of this diverse and intriguing city. |
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| Jetting off on a trip? This Ryanair-friendly Aerolite cabin bag is reduced to under £11. |
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