Euro 2016: travel guide to France’s host cities

The Euro 2016 host cities all offer a delicious taste of France to go with the football – from glorious food and chic bars to world-class art and architecture

Paris/Saint-Denis
Ireland v Sweden, 13 June
Northern Ireland v Germany, 21 June

At a glance. Paris is a lot more than its endless list of must-see sights. This is still a city of neighbourhoods, almost villages, and to get a real feel for local life explore just one – Pigalle or Montmartre, Bastille or the Marais – and discover street markets, corner bistros and the Parisians themselves, who are a lot friendlier these days than the old, grumpy cliche.

Indonesia beginners’ guide: Bali, Lombok, Java and Flores

This vast country’s 17,000 islands would take years to explore. As a new direct flight from the UK to Indonesia launches, we pick what to do and see plus the best hotels, food and drink in four popular destinations

The world’s largest island nation, Indonesia comprises about 17,000 islands sprawling over almost two million square kilometres either side of the equator. It includes half of the world’s second-largest island, New Guinea, and most of the world’s third-largest, Borneo, as well as rugged Sumatra and busy Java. Its distinctive wildlife includes pygmy elephants, tree kangaroos and the Komodo dragon; its dramatic landscape embraces ancient rice terraces, untamed jungle, islands with pristine coral fringed by white sands and lava-spewing volcanoes. And now that national carrier Garuda has launched the first direct flights from the UK to Jakarta, the nation’s capital and transport hub, Britons are just two flights away from pretty much anywhere in the archipelago.

Five myths about the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands, which lie in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador, have some of the most unique wildlife in the world, from giant tortoises to vast colonies of seabirds. Visited by Charles Darwin in 1835, the extraordinary animals were the basis for his Theory of Natural Selection. The wildlife is real, but the logistics and cost of traveling around these remote islands are perhaps the last remaining myths about the Galapagos Islands.

Forbes Travel Guide awards dozens of stars in Las Vegas

What makes a hotel superb? Not just pleasant or comfortable or even luxurious, but truly excellent?

Forbes Travel Guide uses a proprietary list of up to 800 objective standards to answer that question and assess hotels, restaurants and spas in 29 countries across the globe to see how they measure up. Formerly known as the Mobil Travel Guide, Forbes sends undercover agents into the field to evaluate properties from virtually every angle, from the customer service to the room service to the fitness facilities.

Last month, Forbes revealed the results of all that research with its 58th list of star-rating recipients from countries in the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. And once again, Las Vegas scored well with the reviewers.

Your complete guide to Britain's best pie eateries

Crisp, crusty pastry formed around a rich, hearty middle, saddled perhaps with a generous scoop of creamy mash potato, traipsed in liquor or soggy from pea-wet. The Great British pie is an iconic food that is as comfortable in the mouths of merry football fans as on the plates of showy diners at The Ivy.

Yep, check your calendars – British Pie Week has come around once again and we’ve gathered a comprehensive list of the nation’s best shops, cafes, bars, bakeries and pubs that sell Britain’s ubiquitous luxury and it is sure to leave you pie-eyed.

Three Day Trips from Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai, in Thailand’s highlands, is an ancient city with over 300 exquisite temples, it’s culturally rich, vibrant, and offers a wide variety of things to do. In the hills beyond the city, the colorful Lanna culture, unique to Chiang Mai and its surroundings, is seen in every aspect of life, from language to landscape to food.

Get out into this spectacular countryside, where Lanna culture is king, and see all its hidden treasures first-hand. Whether you rent a car or scooter, hire a driver for the day, or sign up for an organized tour, plan on a trip outside Chiang Mai’s city limits while you’re in the area.

Here are three day trips I recommend

Room 304 in the Michelberger Hotel, Berlin, Germany

Is it a house in a room? Or a room in a house? Taking the phrase ‘a home from home’, quite literally, Berlin’s Michelberger Hotel’s newest suite, Room 304, is an explorative and transformative space built to resemble a temporary house, and features the same layout and components of a modern residence.