A POPULAR TV presenter has revealed the key hotel habits she swears by to avoid getting sick on her travels.

Catriona Rowntree, 53, is a seasoned traveller having presented Australia’s Getaway for 27 years but has now revealed her top hotel hacks she swears by.

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One of her key tips is how to avoid getting sick when staying overseas – and that’s to turn off the air-con “immediately” in order to avoid catching a cold.

She also told Escape that you should never drink the water.

Catriona also recommended the best time to travel was in the shoulder season – the period between high season and off-season.

For anyone wanting a more authentic experience while abroad the TV personality recommended using a local travel concierge.

If you don’t want to get hit in the wallet, always avoid the mini bar as they’re always overpriced.

Catriona also recommended taking a little sample of your favourite coffee or tea with you.

She also said to always be nice to whoever is checking you in as “a genuine smile and kindness is always rewarded”.

A quirky tip she also revealed was to take an egg cup from home if you like a boiled egg because “no one ever seems to supply them”.

Another useful tip was to photograph where you parked the car at the airport as “I guarantee you’ll return pooped and forget where you left it”.

Catriona also had advice for those going on a cruise.

She recommended booking a salon treatment the moment you get on board so you can get all the “location goss” from the beautician.

The Getaway star also said to never take candles or hair straighteners/tongs on a cruise ship.

Catriona also revealed the three essential items she always took with her on her holidays.

Firstly, she always packed a pair of earplugs as she said she was always wakened by bumps in in the night.

Another thing she always had with her was a wool scarf, which she said could serve a number of purposes, from keeping her warm on flights, to covering her hair and shoulders if she went to visit a religious site and also to use as a cover for her pillow if she was staying at a “dodgy hotel”.

The third item was a shower cap as she said not every hotel had them.

Not only does it keep your hair dry but she used them to cover her shoes if they go dirty.

Not only that but they were also ideal for wrapping her “wet cozzie in” having gone for that last holiday swim.

Catriona also shared her top tips for flying long haul.

She said that she always dresses in layers and never wore a belt in order to stay comfortable.

The experienced travellers also said she used packet wipes to remove any makeup, so she could do it sat in her sea.

She also advised to try to watch a film made in the country she was going to.

A quirky thing she revealed was that she never touched alcohol whilst watching a sad movie on a plane.

Catriona said: “The low air pressure and high altitude make me cry like a baby.

“Consider yourself lucky you weren’t sitting next to me when I watched Bridges over Madison County, when drinking a red vino. SO embarrassing.”

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A TRAVEL hacker has revealed the surprising truth about Ryanair aeroplane seats – and which one to book for more leg room.

TikToker Ms Garn warned her 340,000 plus followers “don’t book the aisle seat”.

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In a video on her channel, she said: “Did you know aisle seats have noticeably less floor space compared to the middle and window seat?

“Opt for the middle seat for the most room, followed by my personal favourite the popular window seat.”

Ms Garn, who has travelled to 54 countries and boasts over 8.1 million views, also revealed her “priority boarding hack”.

She said her tip means travellers avoid the “personal item trap” and instead enjoy skipping endless boarding queues and hoping there’ll be space in the overhead locker.

“When you go to book your flight resist the allure of the plus and regular options, and go for basic.

“Don’t fall for the check luggage trap,” the expert explained.

“Then there’ll be another option to ‘add priority’. Don’t do it. Wait for the next screen where you can add it for less.”

She showed an example of it being £22 to add priority boarding, which comes with two free cabin bags instead of paying for checked luggage.

Ms Garn said she’d also “bagged” the same deal for as little as £10.

It comes after Sun Travel deputy editor Kara Godfrey and frequent flyer shared a common travel hack she sees other plane passengers use but she hates.

She said: “Flying economy is never comfortable, especially when a plane is busy.

“However, a recent trick has been revealed across social media that can get you an empty seat next to you without paying for it.

“If you are travelling as a couple, ‘experts’ have said you should book the window seat and aisle seat if the aircraft has a three-seat formation.

“This is because people are unlikely to book a middle seat, so can be left empty if the plane isn’t full.

“And even if the plane is full, it means you can swap with the person anyway to sit next to your friend or partner.

“However, I have fallen victim to this on recent trips.

“Finding myself in the middle seat, I have been stuck between two friends, one in the aisle and one in the window.

“After realising they were friends, I asked if one of them wanted to trade places with me so they could sit together.

“They declined, so I assumed they would be fine not talking to each other.

“Wrong. What they instead wanted was to keep their “superior” seats while constantly leaning over me to chat.”

PASSENGERS were hit with travel chaos after roads surrounding a major UK airport were “totally inaccessible”.

Floodwater left motorists “jammed for miles” on their way to Luton Airport this morning after heavy rainfall overnight.

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Holidaymakers travelling to Luton Airport this morning were “jammed for miles” after roads became completely waterlogged over night.

Footage outside the airport showed the “total chaos” as backlogged traffic tried to navigate the flooded areas.

The road was inaccessible for less than 30 minutes, according to a London Luton Airport spokesperson.

The main roundabout appeared to be the worse affected area.

Emergency workers could be seen with equipment to drain the water.

One person shared on social media: “Luton Airport totally inaccessible due to flooding at main roundabout, all roads jammed for miles, will be hours until sorted out, total chaos.”

Luton Airport have confirmed that the airport has been open and fully operational since this morning,

The access road to the terminal is also clear of any flooding, said a Luton Airport spokesperson.

A spokesperson said earlier today: “Due to adverse weather, localised flooding is possible.

“Please allow extra time for your journey to and from the airport.

“Public transport could also be affected. For the latest status of your flight, please contact your airline.”

Gatwick Express also urged rail users to check their journeys.

A spokesperson said: “Due to the consistent overnight rainfall throughout the GTR network, a number of services are expected to be impacted this morning.

“The first services through the areas listen on the next message will report back on current track conditions.

“They will travel their route at reduced speeds, and so will likely run with delays and could be altered at short notice.”

Meanwhile, Footie fans were also disappointed to learn AFC Wimbledon and Newcastle’s Carabao Cup third-round meeting tomorrow has been called off due to “extensive overnight flooding” at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.

The Dons’ stadium in London is closed as a result, with a rescheduled date yet to be confirmed.

A statement on Wimbledon’s official website read: “We regret to inform supporters that due to extensive overnight flooding of the River Wandle and surrounding areas, including at our Cherry Red Records Stadium, Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup third-round fixture against Newcastle United has been postponed.

“More information will follow in due course regarding fixture rearrangement.

“The stadium is closed until further notice.”

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The Overground and some Tube lines in London have also been partly suspended due to flooding.

The District Line is not running between Turnham Green and Richmond, while the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines are suspended between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.

And, there is no Overground service between South Acton and Richmond, while severe delays on the Bakerloo Line, and Metropolitan line between Rayners Lane and Harrow-on-the-Hill is affecting users.

It comes as The Environment Agency issued a flood warning for parts of England today.

As of 7.40am, 13 flood warnings – meaning flooding is expected – were issued for England by the Environment Agency.

Areas affected by the flood warnings include Atherstone in Warwickshire, Leighton Buzzard and Luton in Bedfordshire and parts of London including Wimbledon and South Ruislip.

The Met Office also placed parts of Wales, much of the south of England, the Midlands and into north-west England and Yorkshire under a yellow rain warning.

An amber warning came into force at 5am this morning and will last until 9pm, sweeping over Worcester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Hull.

And, some affected areas could see a whopping 100 to 120mm of rain today.

Environment Agency flood duty manager Sarah Cook said “persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms” could lead to some property flooding and travel disruption.

She said: “Persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms could lead to significant surface water flooding on Monday across parts of England.

“The impacts could include localised flooding in urban areas and fast-responding catchments, including some property flooding as well as travel disruption. The risk from river flooding remains low.

“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground and ready to support local authorities in responding to surface water flooding.

“We urge people to plan their journeys carefully, follow the advice of local emergency services on the roads and not to drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.

“People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation as well as following @EnvAgency on X, formerly Twitter, for the latest flood updates.”

Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey previously told the PA news agency that Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and up towards the Wash and the Humber could see over a month’s worth of rain falling on Monday.

Police have confirmed a number of road closures across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire following “substantial flooding” overnight.

Heavy rainfall on Sunday into Monday has seen areas such as Dunstable and Hitchin partially submerged.

Bedfordshire Police said it had closed off part of Dunstable High Street due to “substantial flooding”, with footage shared on social media showing cars battling high water around the Saracen’s Head pub.

Central Bedfordshire Council said flooding had also hit Flitwick, Cranfield and Marston Moretaine.

North Hertfordshire Police have also advised motorists to avoid some parts of Hitchin, including Walsworth Road near the town centre.

Meanwhile, storms over the weekend saw lightning trigger a terrifying explosion in Stoke-on-Trent.

Firefighters and police were called to Bambury Street in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, before a cordon went up and homes were evacuated.

And, shocking footage in a Hampshire town showed the moment a tornado swept in and wreaked havoc.

Two blocks of flats were among homes damaged by winds that also felled several trees in Aldershot on Friday.

Another twister was also captured on video in Bedfordshire, Luton yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a man from Northamptonshire described the moment he saw a “wave of water” heading towards him during flooding on Sunday night.

Tim Maher and his partner Carol Findon, from Grendon, saw their two-storey home partially submerged overnight with more than a foot of water.

Mr Maher told the PA news agency: “We’ve had an awful lot of rain in recent days and some forecasters were warning we could see a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.

“I have an app on my phone which tracks river levels and at around 8.45pm it rocketed up.

“I decided to drive down to the bridge and saw the water breaking the banks and coming down the road towards me.

“I quickly turned around, drove home and put up a flood barrier we’ve got up against the door. It kept out a lot of the water but we’ve had about an inch overnight.

“We’ve had some damage to the carpets, settees and other furniture. The most difficult bit will be drying out the structure.

“We haven’t had much sleep and at least eight houses on our road have been impacted. It would be nice to get a permanent solution to this problem.”

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WETHERSPOONS pubs are known for being inside some of the UK’s most beautiful buildings, from old cinemas to converted bingo halls.

And one of the most beautiful is in a trendy seaside town.

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The Samuel Peto in Folkestone is in a former church with many of the features still in place.

The Samuel Peto is one of my local Wetherspoons, having moved to the seaside town last year.

Funded by Sir Samuel Morto Peto, who was also an MP, he was known for being one of the major Victorian railway designers, connecting more than 750 miles of track across the UK.

As well as being part of the team behind Nelson’s Column, he also designed the Salem Chapel which opened in 1874.

It was Grade II listed in 1975 and has been serving booze as a Wetherspoons since 1998.

And if you want to see some of that history, a lot of it is intact inside the pub.

The painted cloud ceilings are a classy touch, with the huge organ still sitting at the back of the pub.

Ornate chandeliers and wooden balustrades line the interiors, with huge stained glass windows letting in most of the light.

It’s certainly one of my favourites I’ve ever been to.

While it isn’t quite on the seaside – that accolade is reserved for the biggest ever Wetherspoons in Ramsgate – it is just a short walk from the beach.

But going inside is a cosy affair, with many of the booths being perfect to settle in for the night thanks to the wooden privacy screens between each of them.

Expect a classic Wetherspoons walk to the toilets – if you’re at the top you have 94 steps to go.

The food is what you’d expect from a Wetherspoons. I often go for the pizza or chicken curry which are exactly what you’d expect for the pub grub – nothing special but certainly enough for an affordable dinner out.

And I’ll always return for the cheap booze – where else can I get a glass of wine for less than £2?

Sure, the bar is almost constantly sticky, and it’s definitely an older crowd that you will find in the day.

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But local couple Holly and Pete say they love the crowd it brings.

They told Sun Online Travel: “We love the crowd that the Wetherspoons brings.

“There’s always a bunch of eclectic characters in there, so there’s never a dull moment.

“And it’s beautiful when the sun comes in through the huge stain glass windows”.

And if you really want a different venue for the evening, you can head to the nearby Brewing Brothers on the harbour for some great beers, or Burrito Buoys for amazing frozen cocktails.

Why you should head to the seaside town of Folkestone

The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey has revealed why its a great seaside break, being a local herself.

“Folkestone was named the Best Place to Live in the southeast in a 2024 study by the Times.

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“And having made the move myself, I can see why.

“There is the Harbour Arm, with trendy bars and eateries ranging from Japanese to Mexican, or the multicoloured high street with local cafes and shops.

“There are amazing local vineyards and breweries, although I can hope on the Channel Tunnel and be in France within 35 minutes if I fancied a cheap booze run.

“It even has F51, the worlds first multi storey skate park with climbing wall too.

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“I can see why it is called the new Brighton too – not only is it less than an hour by train from London, but house prices are a fraction of the cost compared to the other seaside destination.”

We’ve also rounded up some of the most beautiful Wetherspoons in the UK you can visit.

And the world’s most beautiful McDonald’s has reopened – here’s how to find it.

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AN island just off the coast of Cornwall has become a popular place to visit among staycationers looking for a remote getaway. 

St Agnes, one of the islands in the Isles of Scilly, has a population of around 85 people due to its out of the way location. 

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It’s the most southerly island in the Isles of Scilly and furthest from the main island of St Mary’s. 

But its secluded setting and wild, unspoiled scenery are why so many people want to head there.

There are plenty of beautiful beaches in St Agnes considered among the best in the world.

Some of the most popular ones are Bar, Beady Pool and Periglis Cove.

According to the travel photographer Gordon Stokes, Periglis is the most south westerly bathing beach in Britain.

He said of it: “It’s known as Mermaid’s Beach because there’s lots of mica in the sand which leaves people who sit on it with shiny scales attached to them.”

Bar is a sandbar which at low tide connects the islands of St Agnes and Gugh.

When the tide is out, it’s a popular spot for bathing in the shallow waters and for exploring rock pools.

Beady Pool is famous for small ceramic beads that wash up on its shore, which are remnants of a 17th century shipwreck.

Periglis Cove offers an opportunity for kayaking and stand up paddle boarding, and some say it’s the best place on the island to watch the sunset.

Visitors can also enjoy stunning views across to the bird sanctuary that’s Annet, the Western Rocks and out to Bishop Rock.

Another popular attraction in St Agnes is the Troytown Maze – a seven-ring pebble maze that’s the subject of speculation about its origins. 

Some say it was built by a lighthouse keeper in 1795, but remains of an earlier maze were found when it was dug up in the 1980s. 

It can be found on the coast path around the island for those looking to explore by foot.

The whole of Scilly is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and rife with wildlife.

Seals can be seen around the islands and puffins breed on Annet.

In the Autumn, St Agnes is often host to rare migratory birds.

There’s no hotel or guesthouse on the island, but there’s Troytown Farm campsite, set on one of the beaches.

Despite its remote location, the campsite offers many modern facilities.

The farm generates its own electricity with solar panels and collects rainwater.

There’s hot showers, washing machines and dryers, kayaks and paddle boards to rent, and camping mats, chairs, and stoves for hire.

If you’re looking to level up from a tent, the campsite also has bell tents for hire, pre-erected and fully equipped, and self-catering holiday cottages to let.

Troytown Farm is the only dairy farm in Scilly, making a range of produce from fresh milk, butter and clotted cream to ice-cream made in its tiny on-site dairy.

This is all available from its little farm shop, along with beef and pork reared on the farm.

It currently costs just £12.50 per night for adults to camp at Troytown Farm and £6.75 for children under 5.

There are few ways to get to St Agnes, including plane and ferry.

The Scillonian ferry sails daily from Penzance to St Mary’s from March to November, and on Sundays in the summer.

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The crossing takes about two hours, 45 minutes, and from St Mary’s you can take a connecting boats to St Agnes.

Skybus is the Isles of Scilly’s own airline with flights from Exeter, Newquay and Land’s End.