Travel

UK’s No.1 staycation town is near one of the country’s best value theme parks

Published

4 hours ago

September 25, 2024

Harrogate was ranked the best staycation destination in the UK based on factors such as happiness rating

IF you’re looking to explore a new corner of Britain, the UK’s best staycation destinations have been announced.

With things like the happiness rating of the area and what you can do there taken into consideration, Harrogate in North Yorkshire was named the best place to head.

Harrogate has plenty to do including shopping and relaxing at a spa, and is an ideal spot to explore the Yorkshire DalesCredit: Alamy

The list was put together by the AA, who took over 30 locations in the country and scored them on six factors. These included:

Things to do in the area
Places to stay
The happiness rating of the area
The number of car parking spaces
The number of petrol stations
The number of EV chargers in the area per 100,00 people

Harrogate took the top spot on the list because it has one of the highest happiness ratings (7.8/10).

The motoring company said happiness is a good indication of how nice a place is to visit.

There are also plenty of EV charging spots and petrol stations to keep you on the move.

And after a long drive up there, there’s plenty to do.

Harrogate’s a wellness resort and there are many spas in the area to be pampered at.

Its history as a spa town dates back to the 16th century when William Slingsby, an English soldier, discovered a medicinal spring in the area.

In the centre of the town is Turkish Baths Harrogate, a moorish-style bath house that was built in the 19th century with three hot rooms, a steam room, and a plunge pool.

Rudding Park Spa, on the outskirts of the town, is also very popular with its rooftop spa and garden.

Best and worst large cities to visit in UK

Aside from working up a sweat in the sauna, Harrogate has lots of shops, high street retailers and independent stores, and many restaurants offering different cuisines.

Some of the top restaurants include Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant, close to the Turkish Baths, and La Feria, a chic restaurant and bar with a terrace that offers traditional Spanish cuisine.

Best staycation destinations to drive to in the UK

Harrogate
Stratford-upon-Avon
Newquay
Horley
Richmond
Poole
Great Yarmouth
Carrickfergus
Anglesey
Abergavenny

Harrogate is also an ideal location to explore a bit of nature, such as Brimham Rocks on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales – collection of huge natural rock formations around a 20 minute drive away.

Some of the rocks are safe to climb on and incredible views of the surrounding area can be seen from the top.

Less than half an hour drive north of Harrogate is Lightwater Valley theme park, which was a finalist for the Best Value Theme Park award in the 2023 UK Theme Park Awards and voted Yorkshire’s Best Value for Money Family Day Out on Tripadvisor.

The theme park, in North Stainley, has over 40 rides and attractions.

The popular ones include The Ladybird, a family-friendly roller coaster which is ladybird themed, Dragon Drop, a drop tower ride, and Skyrider, also known as the ‘chair swings’.

Ticket prices start from £11.25 depending on the day you visit. If you’re under 90cm entry is free.

I grew up near Harrogate – here are three things you need to do if you visit

Harrogate is just a 15-minute drive from the historic market town Knaresborough where travel writer Katrina Turrill grew up.

If you spend a day in Harrogate here are three things she reckons everyone should experience:

Visit Bettys Cafe Tearooms and pick up a Fat Rascal

If there’s one thing Harrogate is famous for, its Bettys tearooms. There’s always queues to get in at the weekends and I consider them experts in afternoon tea. If you don’t have time for a sit down meal, you can bypass the queue for the cafe and just visit the shop, where you have to pick up a Fat Rascal – a cross between a rock cake and a scone. If you just can’t face how busy it can get, there’s a slightly quieter Bettys tearooms at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, less than a 10-minute drive away.

Enjoy a stroll through Valley Gardens with the family

Valley Gardens is a lovely space in the town centre of Harrogate with lots going on. There’s a cafe where you can pick up hot drinks and ice-cream, a play area for children, a skatepark, beautiful flowers to admire, and plenty of quiet spots to sit and relax.

Go shopping or enjoy a meal at one of the restaurants around Montpellier Quarter

The quarter is very picturesque with its cobbled streets, floral hanging baskets and independent businesses that include art galleries, antique shops, fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants. It’s a short walk away from Vallery Gardens and great if you like to shop independently.

Harrogate is a spa town and the Turkish Baths in the centre of town is worth a visit if you're looking to relax — Harrogate is a spa town and the Turkish Baths in the centre of town is worth a visit if you’re looking to relax

Brimham Rocks on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales is a collection of huge natural rock formations

Lightwater Valley in North Stainley, near to Harrogate, has lots of family friendly ridesCredit: Instagram

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Travel

Turkish Airlines to serve “world’s oldest bread” on select flights

Published

33 mins ago

September 25, 2024

NewsAdmin

Turkish Airlines has added “The Oldest Bread” to its in-flight service menu. Served heated and in a special bag with butter and olive oil before meal service, the bread will be available for intercontinental business class passengers

Continue reading Turkish Airlines to serve “world’s oldest bread” on select flights at Business Traveller.

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Travel

Eurostar could drop popular London route next year – despite only launching six years ago

Published

2 hours ago

September 25, 2024

NewsAdmin

Eurostar could scrap the London-Amsterdam route for all of 2025

EUROSTAR could ditch one of the most popular train routes from London next year.

Ongoing maintenance works could see the direct London to Amsterdam route scrapped for the entirety of 2025.

Ongoing works in Amsterdam could delay the restart of London servicesCredit: Getty

The direct route has already been suspended since June 15, due to renovations at Amsterdam’s main train station.

Instead, Brits have to travel to Brussels and change there, taking an extra hour.

But plans to restart the direct train in early 2025 may not be possible.

Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave warned that all trains running to Amsterdam may be scrapped entirely next year.

This is because it has not yet been confirmed that the international terminal at Amsterdam Centraal station will reopen in time.

She told local Dutch media Het Financieele Dagblad: “We are concerned there are no guarantees or clear commitments about the readiness of the surrounding infrastructure to reconnect Amsterdam and London.”

“Without clarity on behalf of the Dutch railway network […] Eurostar will be forced to suspend services between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, on the one hand, and London and Paris, on the other, during the course of 2025.

“This will not be Eurostar leaving the Netherlands, this would be Eurostar being pushed out from the Netherlands.”

She added that the deterioration of the train lines has resulted in “reliability problems, capacity restrictions and particularly inconvenient delays for passengers”.

Trains on the high speed lines have also reduced its top speed since 2023, going down from 99mph to 50mph.

Top 5 Picturesque Train Journeys in Europe

Despite this, Cazenave said they still hoped to restart the services next year, if they can get the go-ahead.

The London-Amsterdam route launched back in 2018.

This follows Eurostar’s first ever London route back in 1994, running from Waterloo station to Paris and Brussels.

This later changed to London St Pancras in 2007.

A second UK train service was added at Ashford International back in 1996, although this was scrapped during Covid and is unlikely to return.

The UK to Disneyland direct service – which launched in 1996 – has also been scrapped, with Brits now having to change at Lille or Paris.

Despite this, Cazenave revealed Eurostar’s future plans for new European routes, as well as additional trains being added to the fleet.

But other train operators have revealed they could soon enter the market with UK routes.

Sun Travel’s favourite train journeys in the world

Sun Travel’s journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.

Davos to Geneva, Switzerland

“After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire

Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen

“Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey

London to Paris by Eurostar

“Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski

Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail

“From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton

Beijing to Ulaanbatar

“The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray

Virgin Trains could launch between the UK and Europe.

And start-up Evolyn has revealed plans to launch train services between London to Paris.

Other routes that have been scrapped are from Ashford International and Disneyland ParisCredit: Alamy

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Travel

YOTEL to open Belfast property

Published

3 hours ago

September 25, 2024

NewsAdmin

The new-build hotel will be situated on Shaftesbury Square and will feature 165 rooms, “a dynamic food and beverage concept”, a fitness centre and meeting space

Continue reading YOTEL to open Belfast property at Business Traveller.

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Travel

Uttar Pradesh’s first airline, Shankh Air, gets green light.

Published

5 hours ago

September 25, 2024

NewsAdmin

Shankh Air wins approval for Uttar Pradesh operations.

Continue reading Uttar Pradesh’s first airline, Shankh Air, gets green light. at Business Traveller.

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Travel

Are you a ‘culture vulture’ or an ‘influencee?’ Take fun travel quiz to find out what tourist you are

Published

6 hours ago

September 25, 2024

NewsAdmin

The quiz has been launched by ibis Hotels as part of its "Go get it" campaign

FROM a “culture vulture” to a “cultural influencee”, what kind of traveller are you?

Now, you can find out in a fun travel quiz.

If you’re all about the experience and only want to soak up the local culture, then you are no doubt a “Culture Vulture”.

But if your trip has purely been planned around your favourite influencer, then you are likely to be a “Cultural Influencee”.

The quiz comes as research from ibis Hotels revealed a wider look into the nation’s travel habits, with one in five Gen Z‘s only booking a holiday destination they have seen on social media.

A poll of 2,000 people who have been abroad within the last three years found three in 10 young adults take inspiration from what they see on Instagram.

Nearly a fifth (19%) also turn to TikTok, while 21% use YouTube, and one in 10 will trust the opinions of an influencer.

But across all age groups, going to see friends and family remains the most common reason for going away (44%).

Meanwhile, 28% will go somewhere based on their personal interests and hobbies.

A spokesperson for ibis Hotels, which has recently launched its new “Go get it” campaign for Global Tourism Day, said: “The world around us is constantly evolving and modernising, technology, social media, AI, it all impacts the way we engage with people and places, but the fundamentals of travel have remained the same.

“After 50 years of welcoming millions of guests a year, we understand that there are millions of reasons to travel and, fundamentally, they are all about making their mark on the world and having the world make its mark on us.”

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The study found that 53% of travellers claim the experience is more important that “just ticking somewhere off the list”.

More than half (52%) feel it’s important for them to try new things, such as local cuisines (52%), and local cultures and traditions (52%).

And 21% think it’s key for them to feel like they belong in the destination they have chosen to travel to.

Cost is the biggest factor when choosing a travel destination (52%), while 43% are influenced by the surroundings, and 25% make a decision based on the type of cuisine.

A third of travellers globally prioritise the weather in their decision-making process about a given destination.

Unsurprisingly, this is a key factor for Brits, with 42% choosing a destination because of the weather.

The OnePoll data revealed beach holidays to be the most popular holiday experience (43%) – with 39% planning this type of trip in 2025.

A significant 42% are lining up a city break, as London, Amsterdam, and New York come out top on the list of places people intend to travel to in the next three years.

It also emerged 27% would like to travel more in 2025 compared to 2024, although 24% who feel like this are worried about being able to afford it.

A spokesperson for ibis added: “While the future of travel remains consistent, people’s intent to get away is likely always going to change.

“We are passionate about assisting for the different travel intentions and elevating convenience for the traveller.

“It’s important that people get exactly what they come for and get the most out of their experience.”

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