SWEDEN’S northernmost city has been named Europe’s most underrated destination for a white Christmas.

Located in Swedish Lapland, Kiruna is a mining town that’s home to just under 20,000 people – and it’s said to be the best place for Brits to experience a white Christmas.

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Ferry operator DFDS analysed 23 years of snowfall data across a whopping 164 destinations in Europe.

The operator cross-analysed snowfall data with the least-searched destinations on Google to find the best place to see snow on Christmas Day.

Kiruna, Sweden‘s northernmost city, was crowned the winner with a 70 per cent chance of snow on December 25.

The Swedish city only had 100 Google searches per month, with only 12 per cent of Brits surveyed aware of the Swedish city.

Located in northern Sweden, Kiruna is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream destination from its deep forests, lakes, rivers and mountains.

The nearby Abisko National Park is ideal for hiking and experiencing the Midnight Sun in summer.

It is also a good destination to see the Northern Lights, which are often visible on winter nights – although its appearance is never guaranteed.

Other attractions include an Ice Hotel and the Esrange Space Centre, which offers insights into space research.

Additionally, Kiruna Church, one of Sweden’s largest wooden buildings, is worth a visit for its beautiful architecture.

Although the location of Kiruna Church is set to change next year when the entire city is relocated two miles south.

Kiruna sits above the largest known deposit of the rare elements, which are used to make electric car batteries and wind turbines – this is roughly 80 per cent of the European Union‘s supply.

However, after years of mining, the land has been deformed and cracks have even started to appearing in the town.

This is why the entire town is set to be shifted two miles away, with each building set to be relocated.

It is hoped that the ambitious project will be finished by 2026, with Kiruna Church set to be moved at some point next year.

Kiruna is also the traditional home of the indigenous Sámi people.

The land of the Sámi people stretches across the very north of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia.

Visitors to Kiruna can learn more about the Sámi people through a range of activities like reindeer herding.

Kiruna has its own airport – Kiruna Airport.

Flights from Kiruna Airport only operate to Stockholm, which means Brits will need to change in the country’s capital to reach the arctic city.

Sun Online Travel have found return fares in January from London to Kiruna for £180.

Meanwhile, these are the six best European cities to visit in 2024.

And this “timeless” European city serves as a great double for Rome.

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A MUCH-LOVED city in Europe is home to a Caribbean-style water park with three white-sand beaches and over 20 attractions.

When most British holidaymakers visit Venice, they head to landmarks like St Mark’s Basilica, the Rialto Bridge, and the Bridge
of Sighs.

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In addition to these historic sites, British holidaymakers might want to add Caribe Bay, a Caribbean-style water park, to their agendas.

The Italian water park has seven themed areas, 27 attractions and three beaches.

Each of the three beaches is covered with white sand, while palm trees and cabanas are dotted throughout the water park, hence the comparison to the Caribbean.

One popular attraction is Captain Spacemaker, which claims to be the highest waterslide in Europe at 42m high.

Park-goers are placed on a float before heading down the waterslide, reaching speeds of 62mph.

There are several other water rides at the theme park, including the lazy river ride Roatan, a 220m-long waterslide called Tortuga Sky and Battle Intrigo where park-goers can fire water cannons.

For younger visitors, there’s also Boopi River, Rudder, a trampoline park, a ball pit, a pirate’s mine, a water playground and a small boat ride.

Other water attractions include Jungle Jump, a space where visitors can challenge their friends with acrobatics before diving into the water.

There’s also Scary Falls, a 38m-high slide that park-goers go down in the dark.

The Italian water park has multiple outdoor pools like Shark Bay, a Wave Pool, and Pirate’s Bay, an outdoor lagoon with a child-friendly beach.

Other attractions include Bungee Jumping, a free climbing wall and a tightrope bridge 20m above the ground.

Live shows, like Pirates of Silver Cove, Swing Circus and Limbo, also take place at the water park.

There are several on-site restaurants at the water park too, including Castaway Kebab, Castaway Burger, Chiringuito Beach, La Petite Patisserie and La Petite Cuisine.

The Italian water park has been praised by visitors, with a 4/5 star rating from thousands of reviews on TripAdvisor.

One person wrote: “We had a great time from start to finish at this very unique water park.

“The Caribbean-style white sand and palm trees are really well done.”

Another person added: “The park is very big and the sand is incredible”.

A third person wrote: “The park is very big and the sand is incredible”.

Tickets cost €39 (£32) for adults and €32 (£27) for kids, with children under one metre going free.

Located in Venice, Brits can fly to Venice Airport to reach the Italian water park.

A number of UK airports operate direct flights to Venice, with one-way fares starting from £20 per person in 2025.

Flights between the UK and Venice take a little over two hours.

The Italian water park is closed for the winter season and will reopen for the summer season in 2025.

Five new water attractions opening in the UK

1. Therme Manchester will have 25 swimming pools, 25 water slides and an indoor beach.
2. Modern Surf Manchester will be a surfing lagoon offering lessons to both beginners and experts.
3. Chessington World of Adventures Waterpark is set to have wave, infinity and spa pools as well as waterslides and cabanas.
4. The Cove Resort, Southport is likely to have a water lagoon and a thermal spa with steam rooms and saunas.
5. The Seahive, Deal plans to be the “surfing wellness resort” in the UK.

And here are some other water parks in the UK you should visit, including a huge new £250million attraction opening in 2025.

There are also plenty of water parks in Europe, including Livu Akvapark in Latvia and Energylandia in Poland.

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A SEASIDE town with huge beach is often passed over in favour of nearby larger resorts, despite having an important part in UK history.

Bexhill-on-Sea in Sussex is near the bigger St Leonard’s, and welcomes far fewer tourists.

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This is despite having a long two-mile beach, made of shingle, and with quaint cafes, beach gardens and beach hunts along the promenade.

Some even say it’s better than the nearby Brighton – one tourist wrote: “Compare this to busy Brighton and there’s no comparison if you just want a quiet day on the beach.”

It is also one of the sunniest places in the UK, being along the Sussex coastline.

One of the main seafront attractions is the Art Deco De La Warr Pavilion, built in 1934 and one of the country’s first modernist buildings.

Costing £80,000 to build (working out to £1.8million in today’s money), it is now used as an art gallery.

Bexhill-on-Sea has also been dubbed the ‘birthplace of British motor racing’.

The town hosted the UK’s first motor race in 1902, won by French driver Leon Serpollet with speeds up to 54mph

Petrol heads can now head to Bexhill Museum to learn about it’s motor history, as well as the town’s history in general including dinosaurs and shipwrecks in the area.

While not short of pubs, there is one you should pick that was named one of the best in the country.

Brickmakers Alehouse was listed as one the UK’s top pubs by Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) this year.

Otherwise there is also the The Picture Playhouse, a Wetherspoons pub built into a 1921 cinema.

TV presenter Graham Norton previously lived in Bexhill, putting up his house for sale for £2.3million back in 2017.

Other famous celebs include Eddie Izzard and Spike Milligan.

The town is also getting a multi-million pound renovation, as part of the government’s £20 million levelling up scheme.

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Fancy staying? Most of the places in Bexhill-on-Sea are B&Bs and home rentals although there are a few hotels.

There is the coastal The Relais Cooden Beach, with it’s own private beach, or the boutique The Driftwood with just six rooms.

Trains to Bexhill take just under two hours from London, with routes from St Pancras and Victoria.

Or its an hour’s drive from Brighton, for day-trippers.

Another Victorian seaside town is Frinton-on-Sea in Essex, which was loved by royals and even visited by Winston Churchill.

Or there is Matlock Bath, a ‘seaside’ town that isn’t on the beach – and we sent a reporter down to explore.

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A WINTER sun destination loved by Brits has been named the top destination for 2025 – and TUI has launched more flights and holidays.

The tour operator has added thousands of extra seats this winter as well as new flights and hotels to Thailand.

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The country was named Travel + Leisure’s 2025 Destination of the Year, praising the “best luxury hotels in the world at unbeatable prices” as well as its amazing food scene.

In response, TUI has since expanded its holiday and flights to Thailand, following a boom in demand of 35 per cent.

More than 6,000 seats have been added this winter to both London Gatwick and Manchester.

An extra flight has been added too, with an additional Friday flight from London Gatwick starting next month.

This means families can opt for a 10 or 11 night holiday, alongside the current seven and 14 night breaks.

And for winter 2025, another 9,000 seats have been added with a second London Gatwick flight and a second Manchester flight.

TUI UK&I Commercial Director Phillip Iveson said: “The enthusiasm for Thailand from our customers has been incredible, and we are delighted to be able to meet their needs with more options than ever before.

“We know that many of our travellers are looking for more than just a holiday—they want meaningful experiences and memorable journeys with their loved ones. “

More hotels have been added this winter too, with 13 new hotels now available to book with TUI.

This includes hotels such as Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort and Wyndham Grand Nai Harn Beach Phuket.  

And for winter 2025, more properties are being added across Khao Lak. 

Mr Iveson added: “The Krabi + Khao Lak + Phuket triple-centre option remains the most popular, allowing customers to experience multiple destinations in one trip.

“The tour offerings including the well-loved Elephant Hills tour have also seen strong demand.” This expansion in Thailand reflects our commitment to delivering diverse, family-friendly holiday options in sought-after destinations.”

It’s not just TUI expanding its Thailand offerings in recent months.

British Airways has relaunched flights from London Gatwick to Bangkok – the first time in four years.

Also in Thailand is Chiang Mai, which Lonely Planet named one of the top places to visit in 2025.

We spoke to Emma Baker, a Brit who left the UK for Chiang Mai, about why its so amazing.

Thailand is also much easier to visit, following new visa rules.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) now allows visitors from 93 countries – including Brits – to stay for 60 days without a visa, up from 30 days.

Here’s everything you need to know about the best time of year to visit Thailand.

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