Departure Lounge: Experience a bygone era of travel with a train journey across Italy
Explore some of this week's best getaway opportunities
Romance, elegance, nostalgia – the idea of a Grand Tour evokes so many thrilling travel tales of a bygone era. And now a new Italian rail journey, The Grand Tour, aboard the exquisite La Dolce Vita Orient Express, allows you to experience Italy like the cultural elite of old.
The five-day rail voyage will whisk you off on an unforgettable round-trip route from Rome to the romance of Venice, the cave dwellings of Matera, coastal beauty of Taormina, and the vibrancy of Palermo before returning to the capital.
A defining moment of the journey sees the train transported by ferry across the Strait of Messina to Sicily, a rare and spellbinding spectacle. On board, expect elegant service, exquisite décor that channels 20th century Italian design and regional Italian dining led by three-Michelin-starred chef, Heinz Beck. Journeys from €15,760 per passenger.
Cottar’s Safaris, one of Africa’s oldest family-run safari companies, has launched a new three-night Century Safari Experience to honour the 100th birthday of David Attenborough on May 8.
Over a century of safari expertise has given Cottar’s Safaris real depth of knowledge on changing ecosystem and species adaptation. Inspired by Attenborough’s work, and by 100 years in the field, the new safari experience is based at their award-winning Cottar’s 1920s Camp in the private Olderkesi Conservancy in the Greater Maasai Mara ecosystem. The experience includes time with the Maasai Mara’s first all-female ranger unit, dawn drives with Kenya Birds of Prey Trust, bush walk with trackers, evening talks, bush dining and an afternoon immersed in Maasai culture. From €2,953 per person, based on two adults sharing with full board and activities. Flights extra.
Fergus Club Mallorca Waterpark is home to the biggest water park in the Balearic Islands. The four-star hotel is geared for easy family fun with 3 outdoor pools and Balinese beds, five dining areas, a gym and multi-sport court, and a MiniClub and Games Zone. Adults craving a little escapism in the sun will find an exclusive area with its own restaurant, relaxing pools, and fun evening entertainment.
Center Parcs has seen a shift in booking trends, with families already planning ahead to 2027. With new six-bedroom lodges available to book for 2027, the Longford Forest holiday village, surrounded by 400 acres of historic forest, can now accommodate larger, multi-generational group breaks of 12 people. These Woodland Lodges are set to be a big hit for group get-togethers or larger families.
Living with a little scientist? Now’s the time to snap up a night in the Science Family Suite at The Ampersand Hotel in London. The chic South Kensington hotel already serves a cute science afternoon tea — an experiment-led experience that includes dry-ice flowing cake stands, dinosaur-shaped biscuits, and jam served in petri dishes — and the luxury suite, which sleeps four, will be ready for summer.
Inspired by the nearby Science Museum and the area’s cluster of cultural institutions, the children’s room centres around a rocket-style bunk bed, with celestial detailing and interactive elements that encourage curiosity. The adjoining master offers a refined interpretation of the theme, balancing playful design with the hotel’s signature elegance.
Bookings from June, £739 (€853) per night.
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