GREEK island are aplenty, with Santorini and Mykonos some of the most popular holiday destinations in the world.

But a new study has named the island of Paros as a trending destination for next year.

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American Express Travel included the island in their 2025 Trending Destinations list.

Analysing travel bookings as well as working with global travel consultants, the island was one of the few European destinations to make the list.

The website states: “Laid-back Paros has become the Greek island of choice for many.

“The cultural scene is vibrant here, and the rocky coastline is studded with beaches, secluded coves, and sea caves.

“A mere 40-minute flight from Athens—or three hours on a ferry—this windblown retreat is also easy to get to.”

Around 200,000 people visit a year – just 10 per cent of the annual tourists that go to Santorini.

This means you can expect the island to be much quieter, and off-the-beaten track.

Its famous for a few things. This includes its marble, which was considered to be the best in ancient times, but there are other attractions too, including its many beaches.

The town of Naoussa is the second largest town on the island and has been called a “smaller version of Mykonos”.

Expect amazing seafood when there too, with most of it caught at fresh before being served up

However, it is also undergoing some new changes.

The island’s airport is expanding its terminal and runway, which will allow better infrastructure for travel.

The €41million project hopes to be complete by 2026.

New hotels are popping up too.

This includes the boutique Andronis which opened earlier this year and a new Canaves Collection resort following success in Santorini.

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Last year, professional travel planer Jennifer Greene said Paros was on the up.

She added: “The lack of an international airport tends to keep it that way, but a gentle ebb of chic new hotels is attracting more tourists.”

American Express also named Brittany in France as a trending hotspot.

They included the destination because of its “distinctive culture, coastal scenery and miles of seaside walking paths like the GR34 trail”.

Mont-Saint-Michel is one of the region’s most famous attractions, located in the bay shared by Normandy and Brittany.

One beach that’s proven popular among holidaymakers because of its long stretch of sandy beach, stunning views, and tranquil waters is Plage de Tahiti.

Ferry is a popular option for travelling to Brittany from the UK – with routes from Plymouth and Poole.

A NEW mega airport in Europe is set to take on London Heathrow and Dubai – and works have finally been given a start date.

Warsaw Solidarity Airport in Poland hopes to open by 2032.

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Passengers travelling from countries in Central and Eastern Europe will be able to fly almost anywhere in the world.

Last year, Foster + Partners and Buro Happold, the architect firms behind the ambitious build, unveiled detailed plans of what the future travel hub could look like when it opens.

A series of CGI images depicted the airport’s passenger terminal, main rail station and transfer hub.

According to the New Civil Engineer, the proposed plans have been finalised, with construction work set to begin in 2026 – two decades after the project was first announced in 2005.

Since last year, design changes were made to the roof, walkways, waiting areas and the bus station, in a bid to improve passenger comfort.

Further designs for the airport’s runways, taxiways, underground railway tunnel and air traffic control tower are still being finalised.

Grant Brooker, head of studio at Foster + Partners previously told Notes from Poland: “Our design focuses on passengers. Our ambition is to create an accessible building that will improve the travel experience…[through] clear visual connections.

“We believe the CPK [the airport] will completely change the way people travel around Poland, and will also become a new gateway to Europe and the rest of the world.”

Even though the airport has yet to receive planning permission, preparation work on the site is already underway with tree removal said to be currently taking place.

Construction work is slated to start in 2026, with a phased opening date set for 2032.

Initially, Warsaw Solidarity Airport was being built to replace Warsaw Chopin Airport because it was nearing capacity.

However, the huge new travel hub will now complement the existing airport.

Poland plans to build on its overall passenger growth, with the new airport also helping the country’s flag carrier (LOT Polish Airlines) to increase its passenger numbers.

The new passenger terminal will be able to accommodate 11,000 passengers per hour, with the capability to hold 40 million annual passengers by 2035.

A third runway, and other terminal extensions, will see passenger numbers increase to 65 million by 2060.

In addition to the new airport being built, improvements will also need to be made to the country’s rail infrastructure.

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This is because the airport will be located 40km away from Warsaw.

Because of its location outside the city, the airport will have its own train station that will connect to the country’s pre-existing railway network.

It is not yet known when flights will operate from the airport and which airlines will fly from the travel hub.

The huge airport project is expected to generate around 150,000 jobs in the area.

However, the plans for the new travel hub have been met with fierce backlash from local residents and travel experts.

Two years ago, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary told local newspaper Rzeczpospolita: “This airport is unnecessary. It was planned in the wrong place and at the wrong time.”

Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which closed in November 2022, could reopen thanks to a new multi-million-pound plan.

And Plymouth Airport hopes to reopen after being closed for more than a decade.

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THEY say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned – and I think it must be true as I run, claw and scream my way out of a horror house haunted exclusively by women.

I am at Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights, now in their 33rd year.

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And they are bigger, better and more terrifying than ever.

During the day, Universal Studios is the epitome of Florida fun, with themed lands dedicated to The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter, Minions and DreamWorks characters including Shrek, Trolls and Kung Fu Panda.

But at night the park reopens as a horror-fest complete with chainsaw maniacs, medieval villains and swamp zombies.

Universal Studios Florida is known for putting guests inside the films we love, including The Bourne Identity, Transformers and E.T.

And it is no different at Halloween.

The horror nights — this year open for their longest-ever run until November 3 — create terrifying houses based on slasher flicks recently at the cinema.

This year saw houses based on Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire starring Bill Murray and Paul Rudd, Insidious: The Further and A Quiet Place.

Anyone who has watched these movies will be stunned at how accurate the Universal houses are and how realistic it feels to be placed in the storylines.

America loves to do everything bigger and better and the horror houses here are full-scale sets.

Midway through Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, you are greeted by a larger-than-life replica of the New York Fire Station.

And true to the movie, it also happens to be snowing.

It’s impressive, but you only have a few seconds to appreciate the incredible detail before Garraka, the resident baddie, appears out of nowhere and you’re making a mad dash for the exit.

This year, girl power rules supreme with an all-original haunted house, Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines, that features exclusively female monsters, including The Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula’s Daughter and She-Wolf of London.

As I navigate the house, there is no doubt this experience feels different to the other slasher-heavy ones in the line-up.

There are ten horror houses in total, including one themed around children who become demonic after eating sweets, which I am sure many parents can relate to.

Each house also comes with its own spin-off street food vendor, serving freaky treats including a Red Door Pie from Insidious and an Instagram-tastic Ghostbusters Stay Puft S’more, which was the most sought-after snack of this year’s event.

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Even when taking a break from the haunted houses, the horror continues with dedicated scare zones around the park.

Jump scares and sudden frights

This year they featured characters from the Blumhouse franchise, including M3GAN and The Grabber.

The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter is also open and fans should be on the lookout for Death Eaters, who will almost certainly make an appearance.

Halloween Horror Nights are recommended for guests over the age of 13 and it is easy to see why.

This epic gore-fest is terrifyingly realistic — and watching fully grown adults jumping out of their skin is endlessly entertaining.

The next day, Universal Studios as we know it is back to normal, but girl power is still going strong.

Poppy from Trolls was high-fiving guests at DreamWorks and Marilyn Monroe was spotted cruising past in a classic car.

It baffles that just hours ago, demons roamed the streets to a soundtrack of screams and that now there is no trace of that terror.

But that’s the magic of the movies, after all.

WE all know the famous Blackpool Illuminations, but if you can’t venture up north to catch them, there’s a tradition in the middle of the country that’s been going almost as long.

Matlock Bath in Derbyshire may be landlocked, but its seaside vibe draws the crowds, especially in the autumn when it’s got its own version of the illustrious illuminations on the coast.

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I headed for the bright lights of this Heart of England hotspot to see why tourists are still in love with its illuminated boat parade, more than 125 years after it first lit up the River Derwent.

The big event takes place in Derwent Gardens every weekend in September and October, with children’s rides, food stalls and character appearances making for a festive atmosphere.

There’s even a fireworks display on some evenings, included in the price.

As we joined a steady stream of visitors wandering along the road towards the riverside park in the twilight, autumn leaves crunching beneath our feet, there couldn’t really be a more quintessentially British build-up to Bonfire Night.

The riverbank started to get crowded about half an hour before the boats appeared, but the parade spends a good hour rowing up and down, so you’ll soon get to see the displays if you’re not at the front when they first take to the water. 

Honestly the effort taken by the Matlock Bath Venetian Boat Builders’ Association to create these light displays on just a rowing boat is incredible.

This year’s winner is a moving model of a fairground teacup ride, with child-size dummies riding in the cups and bubbles spouting from the central teapot.

Our favourite was the second-place Optimus Prime, which transformed from truck to robot and then back again as it was rowed along the river.

But hats off to all the designers and builders, who take their inspiration from everything from current culture like Squid Game or Spirited Away to historical figures like Florence Nightingale.

I also loved the helicopter, the planes and the lifeboat with its friendly, waving captain, marking 150 years of the RNLI.

There’s even a candle-lit boat to give an idea of what visitors would have seen if they attended the first illuminations in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria‘s jubilee.

I grew up visiting the Skegness Illuminations and I can remember the excitement as a child of being out in the dark, looking at the moving lights and trying to guess the story behind them.

They’ve even got a few of the ones I remember from childhood scattered through the gardens here.

I spotted a cow jumping over the moon at a little grotto, which was definitely a touch of nostalgia for the famous Jolly Fisherman mascot and the rest of the Skeggie lights, some of which were sold off a decade ago.

I do love the Blackpool Illuminations, which are free to visit and run until the New Year.

But Matlock Bath has a festive, family-friendly vibe that made it worth the ticket price of £7 or £8 for adults, depending on whether it’s a fireworks night, and just 50p for children.

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Tokens for the kiddie rides were £2.50 for a single or five for £10. My tip would be to bring your own food and light-up wands if you want to keep costs down.

There’s loads to do in the town if you’re travelling from further afield and want to make a day of it.

Theme park Gulliver’s Kingdom is over the road from Derwent Gardens and even opens its car park for illuminations visitors.

A short stroll away are the cable cars which take you up to the unique Heights of Abraham attraction, which offers cut-price tickets for anyone attending the illuminations.

With playgrounds, tours of the caving systems and spectacular views out over the countryside, it’s a must-see for anyone who’s not been before.

And just up the road from Matlock Bath is Crich Tramway Museum, which is great if you love heritage vehicles.

It’s no wonder that 100,000 visitors enjoy these awesome autumn illuminations every year.

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