Travel

By Nathan Lee, TLE Correspondent Last week news filtered through that Japan's Maglev had set a speed record of 374 miles per hour. As plans are HS2 are unveiled in Britain, cutting journey time between London and Birmingham from 1hr 21min to 49min, the experimental magnetic levitation train looks set to slash times between Tokyo and Nagoya to 40 minutes - a trip that takes five hours by car. With intercity travel back on the agenda, what does this mean for the future of...

Virgin Atlantic are expanding their LHR destination list to include direct flights to the Detroit. They'll be the first British airline to fly direct to the home of Motown when the new service begins on June 1. Daily flights will serve both business and leisure passengers, with business, premium economy and economy classes on each flight. The service will run from Heathrow at 10.10 and land in Detroit at 13.15, with the return flight leaving Detroit at 17.50 and arriving...

Frustrated fliers will have a new source of redress, as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have announced plans for a new aviation ombudsman with greater powers to keep airlines in check. Passengers who seek compensation for delays, lost luggage and mistreatment will be able to call upon the watchdog to mediate complaints through a “simple, efficient and effective” process, at low or no upfront cost. The CAA, who previously handled disputes, announced that the new ombudsman will have more power...

By Shilpa Ganatra We worry about travellers who go to far-flung spots only to eat in restaurants which have laminated menus written in the most popular languages. Veer away from the main tourist drags, and there's a wealth of culinary choices unique to each destination. For the more adventurous, stumbling across a hidden find, or sampling a dish that was previously unheard of, or dining with wondrous views, is often the aspect they'll remember decades later. Across the globe, creative restauranteurs...

By Lydia Murphy British holidaymakers have been conned out of £2.2million in the last year by online scams and spoofing sites. A new report from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau highlighted that millions of pounds were lost through fake travel sites, with many tourists only discovering the scam when they showed up to their destination with no correct record of booking. Travel assocation ABTA and Get Safe Online are urging online holiday hunters to take care when buying services online, no matter how web-savvy...

Adrift in the Atlantic, closer to Africa than Europe, lies the Portugese island of Madeira. It's internationally renowned for its wine and cake - lovely things to be remembered for - but more recently it's becoming known for its hiking opportunities, which is why TLE took our latest trip there. Its hiking USP is the levadas: a water irrigation system which brings the water from the mountains and wetter north, to the drier southern side of the island. The concrete blocks double...

If election fever is already insufferable, you're not the only one who feels that way. It appears plenty of us voting with our feet and seeking out holidays to coincide with the pinnacle of election fever on May 7. There is a notable shift in holiday patterns according to DealChecker, who say that travellers are ditching party debates for the delights of New York, Las Vegas, Benidorm, Fuerteventura or Turkey instead. Greece, Cuba, Egypt, Magaluf and Malta also made the...

By Shilpa Ganatra   When done right, spa retreats are heaven on earth, a place where every desire is an indulgence in the guise of wellbeing. When done wrong, it leaves the guest more frustrated and less zen than when they entered the doors - with their pockets lighter too. So in the name of research. we decided to check up on the original health resort, Champneys, over the bank holiday weekend to see just what wonders it did for our...

Millions of Brits never take a break from social media – even when on holiday, according to new research. A third confessed they spend more time on Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat while away than talking to their travel companions. Women are most likely to upload selfies in front of famous landmarks, while men prefer to broadcast adventurous activity updates. The average Brit uploads 27 photos during and after a holiday, according to a poll of 2,000 people. Top 10 Most Common...