LLANDDWYN Beach in Wales has won praise online, with some describing it as where the forest meets the sea.

Located in Anglesey, Traeth Llanddwyn (Llanddwyn Beach) is backed by Newborough National Nature Reserve and Forest, meaning the tall forest trees line the banks of the beach.

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TikTok user aimee__laurenwilliams recently posted a video about the beach, writing: “One of the only UK places where the forest meets the sea”.

Newborough National Nature Reserve and Forest covers a large swathe of land in Anglesey, including Malltraeth Sands, the Cob Pool, Cefni Saltmarsh, Abermenai Point, Llanddwyn Island, Llanddwyn Bay and Penrhos Bay.

The pine trees that line Traeth Llanddwyn were planted between 1947 and 1965 to help stabilise the shifting sand dunes.

Just ten years after the trees were planted, Newborough National Nature Reserve and Forest was declared the first coastal nature reserve in 1955.

Because the area covers a large expanse of land, there’s plenty to keep visitors entertained.

Traeth Llanddwyn is a Blue Flag that’s home to more than 3.5 miles of golden sand and crystal-clear waters.

While there aren’t lifeguards, there are free toilets, as well as BBQ areas, picnic benches and food trucks in the summer.

From the beach, holidaymakers will be able to reach Ynys Llanddwyn (Llanddwyn island) at low tide.

The island, which has sweeping views over Snowdonia, is named after Saint Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers, making it a popular spot for romantic getaways.

Visitors to Ynys Llanddwyn will find the ruins of St Dwynwen’s Church, a lighthouse (Tŵr Mawr), and Pilot’s Cottages, which have been converted into a small museum and visitor centre.

Meanwhile, Newborough National Nature Reserve and Forest is also home to some of the country’s rarest mammals like the red squirrel.

There are several walking routes and trails in the nature reserve, including the Saint, Sand and Sea Trail.

The four-and-a-half-mile walk takes visitors on a three-hour journey through the Welsh nature reserve.

For families with younger children, there’s also the Nature/Animal Puzzle Trail.

The one-hour route starts in the beach car park and continues through the forest path.

Kids will be given a leaflet and tasked with animal spotting on the walk.

OTHER WELSH BEACHES

There are plenty of other “hidden” beaches dotted throughout Wales, including Skrinkle Haven Beach.

Beach-goers can only reach Skrinkle Haven Beach through a narrow tunnel when the tide is low.

Earlier this year, travel writer Catherine Lofthouse visited the beach, she wrote: “You’ll need to be fairly sprightly to travel through the tunnel safely, but we managed it with our four-year-old, so it’s possible for little legs.

“There are warning signs about getting cut off and the uneven levels you’ll encounter, so use common sense and research tide times to keep safe.

“Beyond the tunnel, Haven is certainly a good name for it with its sheltered sides and inviting golden sands welcoming us in.

“It really feels like a place that time forgot, but we don’t have the luxury of setting time aside and all too soon, we need to climb back up the tunnel before we’re stranded by the tide.”

Meanwhile, this UK seaside town is almost like visiting a Greek island.

And you can watch dolphins from a music festival at this UK destination.

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A NEW train linking two of Europe’s most popular cities will be up and running in time for Christmas market season.

The high-speed service will run from Berlin to Paris, between Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Paris Gare de L’Est, with stops in Frankfurt, Strasbourg and Karlsruhe.

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Passengers will be able to get from Berlin to Paris in just eight hours using the service, which will be run by German rail operator Deutsche Bahn and France‘s SNCF.

The first departure is scheduled to happen in December.

Michael Peterson, an executive at Deutsche Bahn, said: “This is the first daytime direct connection between the capitals of Germany and France, and it is also a symbol of a growing Europe.”

Alain Krakovitch, from SNCF, added: “This new connection is further proof of the Franco-German friendship and contributes to a shared foal of our two countries: more CO2-free mobility.”

The train journey will depart from Berlin at 11:54 am and arrive at Paris’ Gare de l’Est at 7:55 pm.

In the reverse direction, it will leave Paris at 9:55 am and arrive in Berlin at 6:03 pm.

Stops on the route will include Strasbourg, France, but not Saarbrücken, as initially requested by Deutsche Bahn.

The train will also make stops in the German cities of Frankfurt and Karlsruhe. 

Second-class tickets will be available starting at €60 (around £50), which is slightly more expensive than the cheapest flights between the two capitals.

But with this route, the number of daily connections between France and Germany will increase from 24 to 26.

A long-distance night train service, operated by Austrian Railways, has connected Berlin and Paris previously, although it’s currently suspended due to construction work.

As the new route between the two capital cities only takes eight hours and is set to launch before Christmas, you could technically visit Christmas markets in two cities in one day.

Berlin Christmas Time at the Red Town Hall is usually open from 11am, and from there to the train station it’s a 12 minute taxi ride.

Jardin des Tuileries Christmas Market in Paris is open until 11:45pm.

Deutsche Bahn is also planning other new international connections.

Among them are routes from Munich to Milan and Rome, in collaboration with Trenitalia, scheduled for 2026.

According to Peterson, demand for international train travel has grown faster than for domestic routes.

The new service adds to the high-speed rail network between Germany and France, which already includes routes to Marseille and Bordeaux from Frankfurt.

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

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“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

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“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

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“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

Brits could one day travel to Spain by train, with new routes planned for 2026.

Eurostar is also launching a new winter route – here’s what you need to know.

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MY friend and I are lounging by the pool at the Hotel Molitor when a message comes through from her mum: “Are you at the Emily In Paris hotel?”

All she’d done was share a snap of the lido on her Instagram, with zero mention of the Netflix comedy drama that stars a US twentysomething living her best life in the French capital.

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The Parisians might loathe the series but the rest of us love it — it’s one of the streaming giant’s most popular.

In fact, it’s one of the reasons we decided to book ourselves into the five-star hotel to the west of the city, which had a starring role in season three as Emily spent the afternoon sipping drinks by the pool.

It’s hardly in the centre of the action — the Molitor is in the fashionable 16th arrondissement, about 25 minutes on the Metro to the Eiffel Tower — but as a result, it’s a peaceful haven.

The rooms are small but stylish with large, space-age beds, Clinique toiletries and floor-length windows that look out over the huge art-deco outdoor pool.

Hotel guests lounge in Molitor-branded deckchairs and bathrobes poolside, making you feel simultaneously in and out of Paris — this was, after all, where the bikini was first introduced to the world in 1946.

Paris has always been the fashion capital of the world but, when it comes to fun, the city had felt like in recent years like it was losing its mojo.

Millennials looking for city breaks opted for cool Berlin, fun Amsterdam or chic Copenhagen, while Paris was considered better for rich oldies, with its brasseries, pricey department stores and museums.

We were seated next to the DJ decks and served Michelin-quality gourmet food but without the fuss

But it’s now back in vogue, experiencing a a renaissance.

Yes, that is in part because the spotlight is back on Paris, thanks to the recent 2024 Olympics, and Emily In Paris, but it’s also because young Paris has found its voice.

Places like the 11th and 18th arrondissements — the cool, Shoreditch-like parts of the city — are packed with restaurants and bars that have a distinctly Parisian edge but without the old-school fustiness.

Try Pantobaguette, for instance, the hip little eaterie that fuses French and Japanese cuisine.

We were seated next to the DJ decks and served Michelin-quality gourmet food but without the fuss.

We dined on ajitsuke eggs with wasabi mayo, aubergine with white peaches and anchovies with smoked butter to a background of Nineties hip-hop.

Or how about Folderol, selling only gelato and natural wine, where locals sip their evening aperitif while lounging on the kerb.

Oysters and wine

When we’d finished our ice creams, we headed to Bambino, a chic restaurant-cocktail bar where records line the walls and you can enjoy a terrace view of the Eiffel Tower.

Nobody does casual sipping like the French — they’ve turned it into an art form.

In Paris, the cool younger bars we went to were all serving affordable but great wine by the small glass, often out of a pump.

Back at a small neighbourhood bistro in the 18th arrondissement, we joined the locals for an early-evening pitstop at the stripped-back La Trincante, where they had a deal of six oysters and a glass of white wine for €14.

Add to that one extra glass of wine for my friend, and the free basket of bread you get in every French restaurant, and our bill came to less than €10 each.

The city’s flea markets are legendary, especially the Marche aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, which features in the new series of Emily In Paris

Equally astonishing prices could be found at one of Paris’s best flea markets, Marche aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves.

The city’s flea markets are legendary, especially the Marche aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, which features in the new series of Emily In Paris.

But we headed to the 14th arrondissement for a market that’s mainly frequented by cool locals, and browsed jewellery, furniture and handbags.

The prices — maybe 25 euros for a painting, five for a broach — were impossible to resist.

Equally classy were the Parisians who we met at Rock en Seine, a day festival in the west of the city, who in the midst of the main-stage crowd were sipping their afford-able rosé out of dainty plastic wine glasses .

It really was a very cool crowd, who had assembled to see Fred Again, one of the most exciting artists to emerge from the British dance scene in years, play a headline set.

Among other huge stars were Lana del Rey and LCD Soundsystem. Aside from the Reading and Leeds Festivals, he is doing zero UK gigs this year — but is gracing Parisians with his presence. Clearly, Fred knows the city is where it’s at.

I’ve been to a lot of festivals but this one must be the friendliest I’ve attended — forget the French reputation for snootiness, by the end we were on first-name terms with everyone within ten metres.

In fact, we even bumped into some of our new friends at the Eurostar station the following day, on our return to London.

It seemed a fair number of festival-goers had the same idea as us, to head over for Fred Again’s set and spend a couple of days exploring the city.

And why not, because swapping a short-haul flight for a two-hour train journey makes all the difference when on a weekend break.

We arrived in Paris feeling fresh and pulled back into King’s Cross St Pancras feeling, frankly, very well rested.

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A FLIGHT attendant has revealed the £1.50 item that is a game-changer when sitting next to smelly passengers.

Enduring a long-haul flight next to a smelly traveller is a nightmare for any passenger.

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Susannah Carr, a flight attendant for a major US airline, advises wearing a mask if you find yourself in that unfortunate situation.

She said: “Throw one of those disposable masks in your bag.

“Even if you’re not afraid of germs, that can be a barrier to one of those smells.”

Travellers can purchase disposable masks for just £1.50 from Nursecall Matts.

Alternatively, Boots is offering a pack of five for £2.99, reduced from its original price of £5.99.

The seasoned flight attendant also suggested that applying a dab of Vicks VapoRub beneath your nose could be another effective solution.

Susannah claimed that this method is a common practice among crew members when they are assigned to collect rubbish.

She added that flight attendants regularly use essential oils such as peppermint to help shield themselves from odours in the cabin.

Vicks Vaporub can be bought on Amazon for just under £5.

Travellers who would prefer to use essential oils can purchase the items from Superdrug starting at just £4.99.

It comes after a savvy flight attendant revealed the £1.20 item she always takes with her whenever she boards a plane.

TikTok star Destanie Armstrong has shared the clever way she avoids having to eat unappetising plane food by packing her own quick and easy snack which can be made onboard almost all planes.

The Philadelphia-based flight attendant has racked up 70,000 followers online for her tips and tricks on how to best prepare for a flight.

With viewers being left amazed at her latest suggestion on how to keep your taste buds happy even when you’re up in the air.

The 25-year-old air stewardess says she would never board a plane hungry just in case you end up fancying food during the long haul journey.

But on the rare occasion where she forgets to fuel up her body or even on extra long flights, Destanie says she will always pack a handy snack.

She told her TikTok followers: “You can’t depend on these flights to have food and even if they do, a lot of the times the options aren’t food.”

The seasoned flyer said she always packs two pots of noodles in her hand luggage.

Almost all planes have hot water onboard, according to Destanie, meaning it is a great option to have.

It is even more useful if you either don’t want to pay the high price for snacks or don’t feel like eating any of the food options available.

Most noodle pots cost around £1 meaning they are a great and cheap option.

Family favourite brand Batchelors Super Noodles can be found in supermarkets for only £1 and come in a whole variety of flavours.

AN island in Scotland that was abandoned after a disease outbreak in the 19th century is only available for visits one day of the year, in summer. 

Eynhallow is a small, uninhabited island located between Orkney Mainland and the island of Rousay, off the north coast of Scotland.

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And an annual trip that takes place in July each year is the only way people can see it.

The island was inhabited until 1851, when the four families who lived there fled after a disease epidemic broke out.

To be sure that no one would return, the roofs of their homes were removed.

Eynhallow has an important place in Norse folklore – its name derives from the old Norse Eyin-Helga, meaning ‘Holy Isle’.

Historians believe that for many years the island was considered a place of pilgrimage.

Along with preservation of its natural beauty and the wildlife that live there, and the fact the island is too small to be worth inhabiting, this is why the island remains unpopulated today.

The annual trip to Eynhallow is organised by the Orkney Heritage Society, where visitors are accompanied by experts, guides and storytellers.

One of the stories told about the island is that it’s not always visible to human eyes and could disappear suddenly if not kept within sight.

The Orkney Heritage Society trip uses the services of the Tingwall-Rousay ferry.

Visitors can arrange their own transport to the island by hiring a boat from Rousay or Orkney Mainland.

But getting there can be difficult because of its location and the strong tides.

One of the island’s main attractions is the ruins of Eynhallow Church.

The church was originally used as a dwelling, but its true purpose was only revealed after the thatched roof was lost.

The porch walls, nave gables, and lower section of the chancel walls show traces of the original Norse kirk. 

Today, the island is used for grazing sheep and is an important sanctuary for nesting birds, in particular the Arctic tern.

Orkney is one of the top destinations in the UK for seal spotting.

And Eynhallow is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest as a breeding ground for the common seal.

Tickets for this year’s trip to Eynhallow were £35.

They can be purchased on Eventbrite via the Orkney Heritage Society website, although the date for next year is yet to be announced.

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GOOGLE Flights have revealed a new tool that will refund your flight price difference if it gets cheaper before you travel.

The new feature offers travellers the lowest price guarantee when booking certain flights.

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Google announced: “No one likes to feel buyer’s remorse, and that’s especially true for a big purchase like plane tickets where the prices change from day to day.”

The new tool enables travellers to determine whether the price of their trip is low, high, or average for their planned trip.

Jetsetters can also set flexible dates to find the cheapest time to book.

Google is currently testing a new program that guarantees the cheapest option for your next flight.

However, if the price drops between the time of purchase and take-off, Google will pay the difference via Google Pay.

A Google blog post about the feature claimed: “These price guarantees are part of a pilot program available for select Book on Google itineraries departing from the US.”

Flights eligible for refunds through the app will be marked with price guarantee badges, indicating that Google is confident the price won’t drop further before take-off.

Therefore, travellers will be compensated for the difference through the Google Pay app if the price drops.

The refund policy will only apply to flights that are booked with Google and departing from the US.

Travellers should ensure there is a price guarantee badge before purchasing a ticket otherwise, they won’t be eligible for a refund if the price drops before takeoff.

It comes after a holiday booking expert has revealed the best way for passengers to save money when buying their flights.

Gilbert Ott is a frequent flyer and founder of the website God Save the Points, where he advises people on how to get the best deals on their plane tickets, as well as offering other tips and tricks.

As far as he’s concerned there are only really two days every year when passengers are guaranteed to find cheaper flight prices.

For the rest of the year, they have to use other methods to make sure they don’t overpay.

He told Mail Online that “Black Friday and Cyber Monday” were the closest thing holidaymakers would likely get to “a magical day to book travel”.

Instead, he recommends flying at certain times of the year to keep costs down, as well as getting to grips with online price trackers.

He continued: “To score the best flight deals, it’s often more about when you want to go than when you want to book, and setting price alerts to see when prices do change.

“Think about changing your travel plans to shoulder season months when airfare can be 43 per cent lower or better.

“Also, don’t be afraid to learn everything you can about Google Flights, so you can let the best deals you’ve searched for come to your inbox.”

He recommends setting price alerts as early as possible and relaxing while the price changes are emailed directly to you.