AN airport on an overlooked Greek island is being transformed – making it much easier to get to.

Paros is found between Santorini and Mykonos, although has far fewer tourists visit.

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Just 200,000 tourists visit a year – compared to Santorini’s two million – with the easiest way to visit via a 40-minute flight from Athens.

But the airport is undergoing a huge €41million (£34million) renovation.

A new terminal is being added, to cope with the increasing popularity of the island.

Inside will be four gate lounges, as well as seven check in counters, duty free shops and food and drink.

The new Terminal of Paros Airport was planned by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority as a response to the steadily increasing popularity of the Aegean Island.

Hellenic Aviation Service Provider (HASP) Governor George Saounatsos said the new terminal will be “17 times larger” than the current one, according to local media.

He said: “The functional and modern design of the new terminal will position Paros as a leading destination for tourist arrivals through the airport.

“Passengers will benefit from a significantly enhanced travel experience thanks to the upgraded infrastructure.”

The runway is also being extended with from 1,400m to 1,800m, meaning it can take on larger aircraft, along with the on-site car park.

A new state-of-the-art control tower and new 12,500sqm passenger hall are also being added.

The works, which were first announced in 2020, hoped to be finished by 2023.

This was later delayed, with most of the phases to now be finished by 2026.

While it hasn’t been confirmed which airlines this could include, there are hopes it will encourage international flights.

The Paros municipality said: “We are certain that the airport’s upgrade – with the necessary staff and equipment – will spur the interest of more airlines”.

If you fancy visiting Paros, it was recently named one of the top trending destinations for 2025 by American Express.

While the easiest way to visit is a flight from Athens, you can also visit on day trips from Mykonos or Santorini by boat.

Its much more affordable too, with cheaper hotels and typical spends around £100 lower than Santorini.

It’s not the only new airport opening in Greece.

Kastelli International Airport will replace the existing Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport in Heraklion by 2027.

The current airport has been open since 1937, and can only handle eight million passengers a year.

The newer airport – estimated to be costing (£422million – will be able to handle 18million passengers per year.

When built in Crete, it will be one of Greece’s biggest airports.

Greenland, the world’s biggest island, is opening three new airports.

And Hong Kong’s airport is undergoing a £13.9billion renovation – with a new runway opening next month.

WITH half term on the horizon, my family and I will be heading to a free parkland, packed with rides and attractions which lots its visitors reckon is better than some of the top theme parks. 

Wicksteed Park near Kettering is perfect for an awesome autumn day out as it’s got rides for all ages, 147 acres of green space and lots of spooky stuff as we head towards Halloween.

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One of the best bits about a day trip here is that it’s free for all to access.

You just pay for parking and for rides, so families can have a day out together without everyone paying an entry fee.

It makes a nice change from needing a ticket per person, even if half your party has no intention of going on any rides.

If you just want to go on one or two attractions, you can buy individual ride tickets for £3.

If you want to try out everything the park has to offer, you can get a wristband that covers as many rides as you like, all day long.

There’s also a huge free playground full of Wicksteed wonders, including heritage equipment, as a nod back to the early days of play when Charles Wicksteed first created the parkland in 1921.

So if you bring a picnic and stick to the freebie fun, you can have a low-cost day out without spending much at all. Perfect for all pockets!

I’ve been visiting this Midlands must-do for four decades and it’s just as much fun as when I was a child, with lots of the old family favourites still on site and plenty of new attractions to boot.

It wouldn’t really be a proper trip to Wicksteed without a ride on the little train that takes you around the lake.

So many people have enjoyed the railway that the park recently celebrated its 20 millionth passenger, with the lucky rider being granted free turns around the track for the rest of her life. 

Also much-loved is the UK’s oldest water chute, still in operation after almost 100 years, although there is also a more modern log flume if water rides are your thing. 

One new attraction I’m really looking forward to this time around is the Halloween Haunt, which is only in operation this month.

This fright fest has been installed by Steve and Kat Richardson, known as Mr and Mrs Halloween, whose hoard of 2,000 collectibles, props, and animatronics, amassed over 10 years, is believed to be the largest in the UK.

After decorating their garden at Cemetery House in Rushden every year for charity, the increasing number of people attending meant they had to look for somewhere bigger.

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They have spent four months building the 200ft long interactive experience from scratch, providing a junior walkthrough of Halloween inflatables with an I-spy game for those who don’t want to brave the full haunted house.

You have to book a time slot online to guarantee entry and the Halloween Haunt will only run up to October 31.

The spooky fun is included in the £15 ride wristband, as are the railway, carousel, Swayrider, the Garden Wheel, Wicky’s Farmyard, Meerkat Manor, crazy golf, Lighthouse, cups and saucers, roundabout, Clown Coaster, astroslide and the treetop walk.

One thing to be aware of is that this huge park doesn’t open all its zones in quieter months, so this time around, the splash and thrill areas are closed.

That means you can’t try out most of the rollercoasters and water rides at the moment.

But there’s still loads to do and see, including the popular annual fireworks on November 2 at 5pm.

Wicksteed is always one of our halfterm highlights and we can’t wait to take a trip.

With so much on offer, it’s no wonder that Wicksteed’s now known as the home of children’s play.

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IF you’re heading abroad next year, your trip is likely to go up in price because of new border rules being introduced.

The new Entry/Exit System (EES) is to be rolled out across points across the UK including Dover, Folkestone and London St Pancras.

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The new system will scrap the stamping of passports and replace it with biometric checks.

First proposed back in 2016, it has been constantly delayed, with the plans to start on November this year pushed back again.

An official date in 2025 to be confirmed.

Despite this, many of the ports across the UK have been introducing new systems in a bid to reduce the waiting times expected at the border.

This include the Eurotunnel in Folkestone, the Eurostar at London St Pancras and ferry services at Dover.

Eurotunnel’s John Keefe said they had already spent €80million (£67million) on the infrastructure needed, with as many as 200 new kisosks in Folkestone and France.

However, he has warned that the millions spent is likely to affect holiday costs.

He said, the i reports: “A cost like this inevitably is passed on to the consumer.

“This delay and the introduction of EES has cost in itself €80m, so whether it’s delayed or it’s live now, there is still a cost that is carried by the consumer.”

There are already fears of queues as long as 14 hours at the border, especially at Dover which will impact the wider area of Kent.

Tim Reardon, head of EU exit for the Dover Harbour Board previously warned last year: “There is no way of doing a biometric control without getting everyone out of the vehicle.

Tourists have even been advised to travel with “extra supplies” such as food, water and nappies in case of the huge queues.

But new concerns have arisen, with airlines warning that passengers could be stuck on planes if the airport is too congested while waiting to be processed.

EasyJet‘s Johan Lundgren said at an Abta conference this month: “In the worst case you actually can’t disembark, you hold people on the plane.

“We have to think about what can actually happen.”

Neil Swanson, who was appointed UK and Ireland managing director for tour operator Tui last month, predicted there “could be some hiccups” with EES.

The Department for Transport has already announced £10.5 million of funding for UK ports to deal with EES.

The new ETIAS system is also to be introduced, although this isn’t until next year.

ETIAS, a visa-waiver, will require all Brits to pay €7 when visiting Europe, and will last three years.

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