Our comprehensive guide to the best cultural and specialist activity tour operators in Turkey.

Maggie O'Sullivan profiles the top-brand, traveller-friendly products offered by hqhair.com.

Fiona Duncan has trouble finding fault with The Rose and Crown at County Durham.

Jeremy Skidmore tracks his day snowboarding on the slopes and is astonished how long he spends 'resting'.

If you are recovering from a serious illness, a holiday is probably what you most need - yet travel insurance for convalescents can be hard to come by. Travel expert Sophie Butler explores the options.

Cheryl Newman tries out three of the Norwegian capital's finest places to stay.

Author Erica James likes to lose herself in the mazy, cobbled streets of Bellagio, where Milan's beautiful people come to lead the good life at the weekend.

The Grieve family sail into St. Vincent where they are besieged by local boatmen touting for trade, in sharp contrast to the easy-going charm of Dominica.

After initial misgivings about toxic jellyfish, tower blocks and tattooed Australians, Edward Bishop is relieved to discover Hamilton Island is perfect for a break.

Broadcaster Anna Ford loves the other-worldy feeling of Bhutan and the palpable sense of peace that hangs over the tiny kingdom.

Simon Horsford jumps at the chance to leave the hired guides and the comfort of home behind to travel unassisted through Tanzania's national parks.

Millions of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic passengers will be able to claim refunds of up to £10 per flight after the airlines agreed to pay compensation to customers who were victims of price fixing.

A photograph of Tenby, South Wales, with a remarkably still seagull has won round one of our Big Picture competition.

No-frills carrier Ryanair has bowed to pressure and will remove its ads for "1p flights", writes Charles Starmer-Smith.

Active volcanoes and tales of political corruption have put many tourists off the Philippine archipelago. Michelle Jana Chan finds out what they're missing.

The city's treasures are being flattened and replaced with fakes, says Susan Marling.

Don't believe those who dismiss Baja California as 'Yankeelandia'. It's a fascinating region of Mexico that warrants its own road trip, writes Chris Moss.

Christopher Somerville feels the weight of history in Derbyshire as he follows in the giant footsteps of Little John and Charlotte Brontë.

The city's treasures are being flattened and replaced with fakes, says Susan Marling.

Seaside holidays, mountain hikes, island-hopping and all the advantages of other Mediterranean countries at affordable prices – Gill Charlton offers 10 good reasons to visit this year.

The best operators in Croatia for cultural tours, sightseeing by coach, walking, cycling and sailing.

Our comprehensive guide to the most reliable operators and the best places to stay in Croatia, from small family-run affairs to city hotels and villas.

Christopher Somerville feels the weight of history in Derbyshire as he follows in the giant footsteps of Little John and Charlotte Brontë.

Former Eastenders star Jessie Wallace was besotted by Elvis's Gracelands - and somewhat less thrilled by a run-in with the lid of a Cyprus hotel pool filter.

Oliver Smith stays at Bristol's relaxed, friendly Hotel du Vin & Bistro, a short walk from the city's revamped riverfront.

Adriaane Pielou enjoys the fine park views - and the close proximity of Harvey Nichols - at one of London's most ideally located hotels.

This week, Paddy Burt ventures to the Llansantffraed Court Hotel - and is quite taken with the precisely-cut triangles of butter that go with the home-made rolls.

Damage to joints while skiing is increasingly common. Nick Trend finds out how to avoid slipping down the injury slope.

Our expert Gill Charlton tackles your travel conundrums. This week: missing baggage claims, insurance companies that won't pay for extras and South African b & bs.

Some airlines are continuing to limit passengers' hand luggage, even though the Department for Transport has relaxed the one-bag-rule. By Charles Starmer-Smith.

A photograph of Tenby, South Wales, with a remarkably still seagull has won round one of our Big Picture competition.

Can culture ever be cool? Craig Brown takes his teenagers to Istanbul to find out.

A new company which has emerged following the collapse of tour operator Leisure Direction has no connection with the former ABTA member, reports Jeremy Skidmore.

Clive Aslet tells how he and his son took a PADI scuba diving course in Mauritius.

Tim Ecott suggests places where families can learn to dive together.

British families, including children as young as six, face having their fingerprints checked at European borders under plans being drawn up in Brussels, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

The rail industry has come under renewed attack after it emerged that passengers were sold tickets via the internet for non-existent trains during the New Year engineering fiasco.

Five tour operators have paid more than £2.5 million to hundreds of Britons who fell ill at a hotel in southern Spain, reports Charles Starmer-Smith.

Radio tags to prevent luggage going missing at airports are to be tested at Heathrow.

The ruling party in Zimbabwe has expelled former loyalist Simba Makoni who is scheduled to run against President Robert Mugabe in elections in March, state radio reported.

Terrified British backpackers were among nearly 40 people winched by helicopters from a yacht which ran aground in wild weather on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Clover Stroud reviews the latest releases. This week: isolation in the Scilly Isles and the world's most luxurious hotels.

The cost of sending text messages while abroad is set to fall in time for the summer holidays after the mobile phone industry was told to cut its prices, writes Dominic White.

Fiona Duncan is charmed by a lovely inn with a former life as a rowdy nightclub.

So that he would have somewhere to store his antique furniture, a theatre impresario from Paris began buying and restoring chalets in Chamonix, eventually creating a small hamlet. It is now open to fairytale-seeking tourists, writes Jessamy Calkin.

Handled sensitively, travel can be a handy reinforcement to school work, writes Sophie Butler.

Stuck for ideas? Our panel of travel experts offer a range of summer holiday suggestions for four families.

Consultant clinical psychologist Frances Goodhart on the art of planning a family holiday.

Guy Grieve and his family discover that exchanging family life on land for a life at sea is fraught with difficulty.