A FRENCH region has been revealed as one of the must-visit places for next year – and a ferry from England can get you there in just over five hours.

Brittany in France has made the list of trending destinations for 2025, with distinctive culture, coastal scenery, and miles of seaside walking paths on offer for visitors.

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The list of places was put together by American Express based on card member travel bookings and expertise from its global network of travel consultants. 

France’s northwestern most region has been growing in popularity in recent years, particularly because of its beautiful sandy beaches, secluded coves, and rocky formations.

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.

Backed by pines, the beach is wide enough to feel spacious even in the busiest seasons.

And the sand is soft, very nearly white, with sea that often sparkles turquoise.

Brittany is also a popular destination for walking and hiking, with over 10,000 kilometres of signposted routes.

The GR34 is the most famous walking route – a 388-mile trail that runs along the north coast.

Also known as the Customs Officers’ Path, it features cliffs, beaches, fishing villages, and seaside resorts.

It’s suitable for moderately fit walkers and the best time to hike it is in late Spring and early Autumn.

Known as the jewel of southern Brittany is the Quiberon Peninsula, with wild coastline that stretches over 30 kilometres.

The peninsula has around 19 beaches, including Fort Neuf beach, Porigo beach, Saint Pierre-Quiberon beach, Castéro beach, and Saint Julien beach, and it’s one of the best places to enjoy water sports.

Sea fishing, sailing, sand yachting, sea kayaking, and kite surfing are all popular here.

But if you prefer to stay on land, there are plenty of walking and cycling routes to enjoy.

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

There’s a medieval abbey with striking architecture and panoramic views of the bay, and the village’s narrow, cobblestone streets are lined with shops, cafes and restaurants.

One of the best ways to get to Mont Saint-Michel is by ferry, from the Saint-Malo or Granville ferry terminals.

Ferry is a popular option for travelling to Brittany from the UK – although the time it takes to travel depends on the route and ferry you take.

Brittany Ferries travel from Plymouth to Roscoff in 5 hours and 15 minutes and Portsmouth to St-Malo 10 to 12 hours overnight.

Or you can travel on Condor Ferries from Poole to St-Malo in 6 hours and 20 minutes.

Amex’s Trending Destinations list was put together with Millennial and Gen Z travellers in mind.

A study conducted by the company found 72 percent of Millennial and Gen Z travellers are more likely to book hotels that offer credit card rewards and 70 percent are interested in a credit card with a collection of hotel benefits across the world.

As such, American Express Travel has added new benefits and expanded its Hotel Collection to include more properties in destinations Card Members are visiting. 

The collection includes upscale hotels located near city centres, popular tourist attractions, great restaurants, and active nightlife.

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Additionally, when Gold and Platinum Card Members book two or more nights at these hotels through Amex Travel, they are eligible to receive a room upgrade upon arrival, 12 PM early check-in, and late check-out up to 4 PM (all subject to availability and certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade).

These benefits are in addition to a complimentary credit valued at $100 (around £76) to use towards eligible charges, which may include food and beverage, spa, or other on-property charges (eligible charges vary by property).

For more details, visit the Amex website.

A NEW £5.8million investment is set to drive tourists to Ireland’s smallest city thanks to a host of exciting new attractions.

Back in April, Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority of Ireland, announced a five-year plan to revamp Kilkenny.

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Located in County Kilkenny in South-East Ireland, holidaymakers often visit the tiny Irish city on a day trip from Dublin.

However, tourists may soon be planning to stay longer in the city thanks to the multi-million-pound development project.

The revamp will look to the city’s history, pubs and ties to hurling to promote Kilkenny as a major tourist destination in Ireland.

As part of the plan, Medieval Mile, a discovery trail in the city will be reimagined, with £1.2m being used to build the Museum of Medieval Kilkenny.

The Museum of Medieval Kilkenny will become a central point for the redevelopment of Medieval Mile and a key tourist attraction in the city.

Kilkenny’s redevelopment will also make use of the River Barrow, the River Nore, and the River Suir, also known as the Three Sisters Rivers.

The Three Sisters Rivers will become a prime place for urban and rural outdoor activity experiences – although it is not yet known that these experiences will be.

Other attractions are also being considered like a world-class creative animation visitor experience.

This visitor experience will build on Kilkenny’s heritage as a home to creative artists.

The project is being funded by Fáilte Ireland and Kilkenny County Council who will pump £5.9m into the refurb.

Earlier this year, Paul Kelly, the boss of Fáilte Ireland said: “This five-year Destination and Experience Development Plan captures the unique themes that are central to Kilkenny and features key priority projects which will transform the tourism offering across the region.

“The development of the River Barrow Tourism Masterplan, reimagination of the Medieval Mile, and building on Kilkenny’s cultural and creative heritage will strengthen Kilkenny’s position as an internationally compelling destination in Ireland’s Ancient East. 

It is not yet known when any of the attractions will open to the public.

OTHER KILKENNY ATTRACTIONS

Until the revamp is completed in five years’ time, there are still plenty of things to do in Kilkenny.

One of the main tourist attractions is Kilkenny Castle, which was built in the 12th century.

The Irish castle was remodelled in the Victorian Era and was taken over by the Irish State in 1969.

Nowadays, Kilkenny Castle welcomes thousands of visitors each year who want to see the library, drawing room, nursery and bedrooms decorated in 1830s splendour

Other attractions include St. Canice’s Cathedral and Round Tower, Rothe House and Garden and the The Black Abbey.

Beer enthusiasts will want to check out Smithwick’s Experience where they can go on a brewery tour and sample some Irish ale.

Earlier this year, plans were put forward to transform London Waterloo – the third busiest train station in the UK.

The proposals detailed new entrances, increased space on the station’s concourses and new shops and restaurants.

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AMID the chaos of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, several flights to and from Dubai have been cancelled or delayed.

Here we take a look at whether it is safe to travel to the area, which airlines are affected and how flight paths have changed so far.

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Are flights going to and from Dubai?

Flights are still operating to and from Dubai, but with significant disruptions due to the spiralling regional tensions.

Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, is experiencing cancellations and delays.

Airlines cancelling and diverting flights

Several major airlines have been affected:

• Emirates cancelled all flights to and from Iraq, Iran and Jordan between Wednesday, October 2, 2024 and Saturday, October 5.
• Flydubai has also cancelled flights to these destinations.
• Emirates has suspended routes to and from Beirut until Tuesday, October 8, while Flydubai has suspended them until Monday, October 7.
• British Airways, Lufthansa and Swiss Air have diverted flights headed to Dubai and other Middle Eastern destinations.
• Etihad Airways is rerouting flights and warning of likely delays and cancellations.

Safety of travelling to Dubai

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not advise against travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including Dubai.

However, they recommend staying vigilant, stating: “Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in the UAE”.

The FCDO further advises: “Ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region. Monitor this travel advice and other media as the situation is changing fast”.

They also note that “Military activity in the Red Sea area” poses a security risk, with the “possibility that Travel Advice for nearby countries could change at short notice”.

Changes in flight paths

Flight paths changed significantly on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Here are the diversions which were put in place:

• Many flights avoided airspace over Iran, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.
• Airlines diverted flights through alternative routes, which led to longer flight times.
• Traffic became dense over Istanbul, Cairo, and Antalya as flights rerouted to avoid certain areas.
• Some flights took wide arcs to the north and south to avoid affected airspace.
• These diversions added several hours to flight times.

According to FlightRadar, 81 flights were diverted by 16 airlines on October 1, when Iran launched its attack on Israel.

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Additional travel advice

Visitors should remember to respect local laws when travelling in the UAE.

The FCDO advises: “Take care when walking or travelling alone, and use a reputable taxi company, particularly if you are female, and at night. Do not accept lifts from strangers”.

Travellers should also be aware that UAE airports have strict security measures for detecting illegal items, including in transit passengers’ baggage.

Even residual trace amounts of illegal drugs can lead to arrest and imprisonment.

Those flying within the region are strongly advised to check with their airlines for the most up-to-date information and to be prepared for potential last-minute changes or extended delays.

A SEASIDE town in the north of England could be set to benefit from two huge investment projects.

Morecambe in Lancashire was named one of the worst coastal towns in the UK by the Telegraph.

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The report, which was published last year, ranked Morecambe as the 5th worst seaside town in the country, saying it could be “so much more than it is”.

And that could very much be the case, with two huge development projects potentially on the horizon.

The Lancashire-based seaside town was already set to benefit from the arrival of the second incarnation of the Eden Project, which is due to open by 2028.

Developers hope Eden Project Morecambe will be able to replicate the success of the Eden Project in Cornwall.

The huge £100million attraction will feature a “hyper-real forest” with large installations and immersive theatre.

It will have three huge shell-shaped pavilions that will overlook Morecambe Bay and a “Bay Glade” with a well-being landscape and a Natural Observatory for research and education.

There will also be an exhibition area and meeting point for guests named the Bay Hall as well as play areas, restaurants, cafes and a gift shop.

Talks are also underway to regenerate Frontierland – an abandoned theme park in Morecambe that closed in 2000.

The site where Frontierland sits has been left bare for the last 24 years but the local council are hoping to bring it back to its former glory.

According to the BBC, the Frontierland site was discussed at the latest Eden community conversation event, which was hosted by the local authority.

City council officer, Jonathan Noad revealed that around “35 regional and national developers” were coming to the town to discuss the abandoned theme park.

However, Jonathan added that the developers would “need to up-their-gears and put their ideas to us” as they look to start the procurement process.

Lancaster City Council acquired the land in 2021 and invited interested parties to submit development plans for it.

The city council official added: “We’ve also got the rest of central Morecambe to look at.

“Work will also look at Morecambe environments and what the public realm needs to look like to attract visitors.”

The authority hopes a developer will propose an “exciting idea” which can transform the site in the next 18 months.

The Eden Project and the possible redevelopment of Frontierland isn’t the only thing that’s drawing tourists to Morecambe.

Last year, one of the town’s most famous residents, heavyweight boxing champ Tyson Fury, increased the number of visitors to the town, with his Netflix series At Home With the Furys.

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In episode one of the series, Fury explains why he has never moved away from the town, saying the view of the bay, where he can often be seen running, is one of the main attractions.

He said: “I’ve often tampered with the idea of living abroad and living in Monaco and America, but there’s always something that keeps me here in Morecambe Bay.

“I believe it’s probably the sea air calling to me, ‘don’t go! Stay!’

“Every time I jog down the front, I look at the bay and the view and I think, ‘Wow, no matter where I go in the world, I will never get that anywhere else’.”

Before the regeneration takes place, visitors have plenty to see, with places like Happy Mount Park, the Eric Morecambe Statue and The Smugglers Den pub all rated highly on TripAdvisor.

The beach itself receives a lot of praise too, with one reviewer writing: “This bay is beautiful and very extensive so there is plenty of coastline to walk along.

“There were lots of people swimming out into the sea. The beach had large rocks then sand and was full of character. Well worth a visit on a nice day.”

Meanwhile, this seaside town in England – with sandy beaches, donkey rides & the best B&B in the world.

And this other holiday location is getting a huge new tourist attraction.

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