LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE
Let’s look forward to the coming months when the vaccines have kicked in, the travel chaos of Covid-19 will just be a bad memory, and we can head abroad on holiday. Here are the travel team’s top picks for 2021
AMTRAK ANNIVERSARY, US
AMERICA’S national train network marks a half century in service this year.
On May 1, 1971, the first Clocker train rode the rails between Philadelphia and New York City. Today there are more than 500 destinations throughout the railroad’s 21,000-mile system.
Amtrak set up its headquarters in the US capital, Washington DC, and its busiest route is along the Northeast Corridor out of DC’S iconic Union Station all the way up to Boston.
GOING DUTCH
MILES of green countryside, serene waterways and cities steeped in culture are just a short ferry ride from the UK
– so it’s no wonder Holland is a favourite of British holidaymakers.
To meet demand, Eurocamp is opening three new parks in spring, all in areas of outstanding beauty, with prices from £389 per week.
Launching on April 24, Bospark is a great base for an active break. Close to lively Eindhoven, it’s bordered by forests and has a lagoon for watersports. Terspegelt is a beautiful park too, with its own lake, beach and indoor sports centre, opening on April 30, and it’s within easy reach of Belgium.
Opening on May 22 is De Twee Bruggen, in a forest
PORTO’S GOT THE WOW FACTOR
IN centuries-old wine cellars in Porto’s historic Vila Nova de Gaia area, the newly opened £100million WOW (World of Wine) pays homage to the region and shines a light on Portugal’s industries and traditions.
Featuring six museums with interactive displays, nine food and beverage destinations, exhibition space and a wine school, visitors get the chance to delve into Portugal’s past and taste the best of its famous dishes and drinks.
Set on the southern bank of the River Douro, highlights include The Bridge Collection, which tells the story of humanity through the
The Northeast Regional route is a great way to explore the Capital Region and the US’S northeast coast, taking passengers from Roanoke or Norfolk in Virginia, through DC and into Maryland (journey time of around six hours and 45 minutes).
New President Joe Biden is one of the railroad’s most famous cheerleaders – as a senator he let the train take the strain for his daily commute to Washington DC, earning him the nickname “Amtrak Joe”. amtrak.com
GO GO, TOKYO
AFTER a triumphant Rugby World Cup in 2019, the Land of the Rising Sun was all set to wow the world again with the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in its electrifying capital, Tokyo.
Now the postponed Games will – Covid permitting – host the best athletes on the planet in an utterly spellbinding city to visit.
It’s super friendly, there’s heaps to see and do, with great food and drink, and it’s not as expensive as you might think.
If time permits, Japan’s calming former imperial capital, Kyoto, is two hours 10 minutes from Tokyo by Bullet Train and worth a trip for its magnificent palaces, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples and exquisite gardens. japan.travel with indoor and outdoor swimming.
Sample Dutch cuisine in a restored barn, or pop to a nearby town. eurocamp.co.uk.
For travel, see poferries.com, stenaline.co.uk and dfds.com
evolution of drinking vessels, while the Chocolate
Story is a sweet stroll through the world of chocolate and cacao.
Meanwhile, Porto Region Across the Ages lays bare Porto’s history, Planet Cork showcases the industry’s sustainable side, and The Wine Experience is a journey of discovery through the regions, grape varieties and production methods. wow.pt
KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH, CANADA
IN August it will be 125 years since gold nuggets were discovered in Bonanza Creek, a tributary of the Klondike river in the Yukon Territory, sparking a stampede of more than 100,000 prospectors. Jack London was one of the miners who made their way along the Chilkoot Trail (now a national landmark) to the goldfields.
While the American writer never found his fortune in gold there, he found it in the stories he penned about his Yukon adventures including The Call of the Wild.
Looking like a old movie set, Gold Rush town Dawson City played a starring role in Disney’s recent film of the novel and the town is also home to the Jack London Museum.
Hunt for the Northern Lights, explore Dawson City and Tombstone Territorial Park and try dogsledding on the frozen Yukon River on the new three-night Aurora Borealis Outdoor Adventure. From £872pp, flights not included. northamericatravelservice.co.uk, travelyukon.com
STATES OF MIND
TRAVEL to the USA has been off for
Brits for a long time now, and we can’t wait to get back there once Covid subsides.
From the thrilling new Velocicoaster dino ride at Universal Orlando theme park to fabulous new hotels in Palm Springs and San Francisco, via some of the world’s finest national parks, the fizzing energy of New York and Chicago and the humbling vastness of Alaska, a holiday of a lifetime awaits. Get set for a brilliant year of bounceback America. visitusa.org.uk
BUBBLE TRAVEL
2020 was a year of abstinence but this year will hopefully see us all travelling again, perhaps in a small group.
Insight Vacations and Trafalgar have launched “Bring your own bubble” private group tours. There are 250 trips to choose from and groups include a maximum of 12 people.
For example, a new nine-day Country Roads of Andalucia with Insight Vacations, featuring stops at Malaga, Ronda, Jerez and Seville, as well as touring national parks, starts from £2,853pp. insightvacations.com
EXPECT 2021 to be something of a reprise of what 2020 was meant to be for the cruise industry, with late debuts, plus some superb planned arrivals... all of course depending on when the industry can restart.
P&O’S delayed Iona is the largest ship ever built for the UK market at 184,700 gross tonnage and 5,200 passengers and the first to be powered by cleaner liquefied natural gas. With a two-deck glass Skydome and 30 food and drink outlets, she looks fabulous, and is Norway-bound first.
Sir Richard Branson’s foray into cruising brings us two ships – the held-back Scarlet Lady and new Valiant Lady – promising an innovative approach, perhaps appealing to people who thought a cruise was not for them. They will sail the Caribbean and Med respectively.
Fred. Olsen has acquired two ships from upscale Holland America, given them a Fred boutique “feel” and renamed them Borealis and Bolette. Also arriving are Celebrity Apex, sister to inventive Celebrity Edge, Saga’s second boutique ship, Spirit of Adventure, and Carnival’s 6,600-passenger Mardi Gras, which has a rollercoaster on deck.
We’ll also welcome an armada of new river ships, including a TUI trio in the spring sailing the Rhine, Moselle, Danube, Main and Dutch and Belgian waterways.