Is Cambridge 60 miles or 60 light-years from London? To embark on the trip from Leicester Square (Piccadilly Line to Kings Cross, Great Northern Route towards Kings Lynn) is to hurdle oneself into a veritable time warp, all the way back to the august era of the noble university city. Oxford may be older and … More

As per the usual scenario, our modus operandi at HotelClub is to let you, the traveller, off the hook with as little work, fuss, muss and research as possible. Our rundown of the most picture postcard perfect hamlets in the United Kingdom is a good example. With this stellar list your itinerary is done. All … More

Think Germany corners the market on Christmas markets? Well, you may have a point. Still, other parts of Europe take part in the venerable tradition throughout the month of December. Take the small East Midlands cathedral city of Lincoln for instance. Just three hours north of London, the county town of Lincolnshire puts on a … More

While we loathe facile city juxtapositions (and are loth to make them as a result), surely there is some merit to a city-off between a premier capital and a second city also-ran. Presumably, after all, people on either side of the divide will forever debate the pros and cons of a Sydney and Melbourne, New … More

Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, in the West Midlands, is William Shakespeare country. The birthplace town of the Bard is a bona fide metonym for the foremost poet and playwright and, indeed, Shakespeare spent most of his life (1564–1616) in Stratford (with, of course, prominent periods in London). Millions of tourists visit Stratford-upon-Avon today to channel and commune … More

Diwali is the venerable “Festival of Lights” for millions of Hindus the world over but the holiday has considerable significance in Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism as well. Whatever you call it – Diwali, Depali, Deepawali – when the time comes to celebrate in October or November, let the fireworks fly and the ras malai flow. … More