Easy does it!
We’ve found some of the world’s most relaxing holidays
LET’S make this easy, shall we? Let’s pick a holiday that does what it says on the tin: a really relaxing break where all we have to do is lie back (preferably on a comfy sun lounger) and enjoy.
How to achieve it? Call me lazy, but I quite like getting someone else to do all the hard work. And I like having someone on hand in case anything goes wrong.
That’s partly why the good oldfashioned package holiday has shot back into fashion. Travel with TUI or ever-growing Jet2 and you’ll have real people, not just apps, to answer questions at the airport and in your resort. And while transfers can be frustrating (why is our hotel never the first?) they at least let us switch off while the driver takes the strain.
STRESS-FREE
No-fly cruises are another stress-free option. One I’ve got my eye on is the 12-night Round Britain Royal Cruise in June with Ambassador Cruise Line. The red, white and blue dress code at the Great British Sail-Away Party will be an easy conversation starter.
And while I don’t have evidence to back this up, I’m convinced stress levels fall as luxury levels rise. Which is why European river cruises are a great choice for anyone wanting to really relax. High staff-to-guest ratios and smaller, more intimate ships create floating boutique hotels. To make holidays even easier, you can reach ships by train as well as plane, as we reveal on page 8 .
FAVOURITES
Of course we don’t all want to stay close to home on holiday, or indeed to stay in one place. From Canada to
Barbados and from South Africa to Australia, Check In has inspiration for amazing bucket-list holidays. Pick a favourite from the travelogues on the following pages: mine is Hurtigruten’s Original Coastal Express, a voyage that’s connected communities and offered uniquely beautiful holidays along Norway’s coast for 130 years.
Better still, the right travel companies can take the stress out of these big trips as well. Trailfinders has staff who know every corner of Canada, so they can put together everything you need for a fly-drive, rail adventure or small group holiday. Titan Travel, meanwhile, has worked out that small group trips can be cheaper than doing the same tour independently and I’d happily take one of its trips to sunny South Africa.
Or do I really want to go to Australia? Barbados? The grand capitals of Europe in a floating boutique hotel?
Read on to find your favourite – then relax. Happy travelling!