Perfect pancakes from around the world

Fancy adding a little something extra to your pancakes tonight? We’ve found three pancake recipes from France, Germany and the USA which will ensure your battered treats have a little more bite. Now’s the time to take inspiration from travel and ditch the same old recipe you’ve been using for years - the American pancakes are our favourite, but we recommend having them for dinner alone, as they’re too filling as a dessert! French crepes These are best served with a dash of sugar and a squeeze of lemon, although, if you fancy something a bit more decadent, whipped cream and Nutella should su... Read more

Top spots for some winter sun

The best thing for getting through the British winter, arguably, is getting away from it for a week or so. Even the driving rain doesn't seem so bad when you know you've got a half-packed suitcase at home containing suntan lotion, flip flops and a beach towel. If that sounds like a good plan, then ... Read more

Chemmy Alcott mini interview

Sorry, we've got to ask - exactly where does Chemmy Alcott get her energy from? After completing her fitness test at Kingston University, the nation's favourite (retired) Olympic skier found the time to cheer on her team members, pull a few tough-looking stretches and chat to us for a few minutes. ... Read more

How to spot a Brit abroad

Red, loud, rude, crude and forever arguing with reception staff - and that's just the kids. While we can honestly say that we love this country and the people in it, there's something about Brits abroad that has us cringing in our seats the minute we leave the taxi and wheel our suitcases into Arriv... Read more

Festive treats from around the world

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without some sweet treats to feast upon, so here are some of our favourite Christmas recipes from around the globe. They're great for a Christmas get together, or if you'd like to bring in a little something for your colleagues... Spitzbuben or ‘little rascals’ Make... Read more

12 Of the most unusual holidays in the world - Part 1

Yes, we all know Christmas, New Year and Easter aside, but are you aware of the weird and wonderful holidays that take place around the world each year? The majority of us celebrate the holidays above, which came about to celebrate a person or a significant time in history, but there are loads more... Read more

Part two of the complete guide to driving Route 66

Winding your way 2,451 miles across America along the legendary Route 66 is a dream come true. The ever-changing, exciting landscape will always stay with you. To say that there are 'lots of things to see and do' along Route 66 would be putting it mildly. Where do you start? Well, probably in Ill... Read more

Part one of the complete guide to driving Route 66

It's a dream for so many people: travelling along the fabled Route 66 in a Mustang convertible, the sun setting, the mountains casting dreamy shadows over the dusty prairies and gentle country music providing the perfect soundtrack to this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Or something like that. A re... Read more

Check out the winning entry for our Columbus Day competition

When we finally sat down to try and choose a winner for our Columbus Day competition (with an independent adjudicator, of course), we had no idea how hard it would be to pick a winner. We asked you to submit your accidental holiday discoveries, and sifting through the hundreds of incredible entries... Read more

Top destinations for a ski weekend short break

Why more people don't consider a skiing mini-break is incomprehensible. Honestly. We're stumped. With so many incredible resorts not that far from our doorsteps, a ski break isn't one that needs to be confined to the annual two-week getaway. Imagine telling your colleagues at work that instead of w... Read more

Columbus Direct gears up for Movember 2014

Just as we were beginning to get over the excitement of Octobeard, along came Movember - and the men of Columbus Direct are keen to get involved. Mark Phillips, Simon Head and Roger Gordon are taking part as Team Screwdriver, and we're already anxiously scanning their top lips for signs of wondrous... Read more