Top of the flops: Reviews claim Alton Towers, Stonehenge and Loch Ness aren't worth the trip!
From guide books to AI: How travel experts book their trips in 2025!
BIG QUESTION! Do you have plans to go on holiday this year? Of course you do otherwise you wouldn’t be here. Well, if you’ve got nothing booked fear not. We all know that travel is good for us. Research here at Chalkmarks has proved as much. But it’s seemingly not great for the places we go. With holidaymakers travelling to the same places at the same time of year, it feels like they are taking over. And Spain dominates our holidays – being our number one choice since… holiday records began, and they wanted it too. They rolled out the red carpet. They built hotels and resorts like Benidorm just outside Alicante so Britons could eat their eggs, chips and beans with a mug of tea and burn under the sun. But now they’re pulling the rug. Since Airbnb tempted holidaymakers out of these purpose-built holiday hotspots and into the cities to stay alongside residents, there’s been trouble. Let’s give them a break this year. There is warm weather in other places. And beaches too. Say chau to Spain and hello to new destinations. Read on… Welcome to April!
FIRE UP THE SUITCASE!
Dodge-em: The reviews were in for a survey of the world’s most disappointing attractions – and yep, the UK got the top spot. Alton Towers in Staffordshire was named as the worst tourist spot to visit in the world, according to the study by luggage firm Radical Storage. As one of the UK’s most popular theme parks, which opened in 1980, with rollercoasters and a waterpark, Alton Towers raked up 49.4 per cent of negative reviews. The report said it wasn’t the rides that were disappointing but the customer service, ticket information and expensive food and drinks. The second most disappointing attraction was Széchenyi Baths and Pool, Hungary, and third Siam Park in Spain. The High Line in New York was the least disappointing attraction, followed by Sugarlands Distilling Company, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and third, Paulista Avenue, Brazil. Yahoo News has more.
Another route not to go down: In a separate study, more tourist attractions were named the world’s biggest letdowns – this time two were in the UK. The data from websites such as Reddit, Google, and the like, was analysed by CasiMonka. It revealed that Times Square was the greatest letdown, followed by the Hollywood Walk of Fame and then Stonehenge for being just a bunch of rocks just off the A303. Fourth was the Dead Sea, Jordan, fifth was Christ the Redeemer, Brazil, sixth Manneken Pis, Belgium, seventh Copacabana Beach, Brazil, eighth the Colosseum, Italy, ninth Four Corners Monument, US, and tenth Loch Ness, Scotland. One visitor wrote: “Massive disappointment. Travelled all the way from South Shields to see the Loch Ness Monster and it didn’t show up. Spent hours in the rain and nothing.” Another said: “Spent a whole week there and never saw the monster once. The man at the shop told us if we sat perfectly still on the bench, we were more likely to see him, but we didn’t see a thing. Lots of people were in and out of the shop and were usually laughing quite loud which could have scared him away. Not going back until something is done about the weather.” More lols in the Scottish Sun.
Postcard from Spain: Don’t come! Spanish activists are saying hasta la vista to tourists warning of “surprise actions” this summer. Last year their message was “tourists go home”. This year, getting in ahead of the hordes, the slogan is “tourists don’t come”. From Barcelona to the Balearics and the Canaries, locals are furious. They blame tourists for driving up the cost of living for locals and landlords, who rent out apartments on Airbnb for higher weekly rents than they would get on a regular monthly lease. It’s in the Sun.
Where to go though? Well it’s not rocket science just head next door. Forget Spain, see you in protest-free Portugal. The hottest places to hang out are Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve and Madeira. You’ll be so glad you went somewhere else. What are you waiting for? Just don’t all rush at once.
Madeira? Absolutely! Think green slopes, blue water, yellow sun, and something good to drink. Plus, dolphins and no clocks—because who needs them on holiday? Welcome to Madeira, a volcanic Portuguese island in the Atlantic, near Africa. It’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s birthplace, with winter days at 20°C. It’s Hawaii meets Costa Rica with dolphins, evergreen landscapes, Madeira wine, banana-pineapple fruit, cable car rides, rock pools, and stunning hikes. Explore street art, history, and affordable treats. With spectacular landings and timeless beauty, Madeira surprises at every turn. Tempted yet? Click here.
Is it safe to travel to Turkey? The UK government says yes, but be vigilant in certain areas and around the protests mostly taking place in Istanbul. The Foreign Office has updated its guidance, saying: “FCDO advises against all travel to parts of Turkey”. Importantly, it hasn’t said “don’t go” or warned against “non-essential travel”. If it had, holidays would be in trouble and not be covered by travel insurance. It also means if you do want to cancel, you won’t necessarily get a refund, but you may be able to postpone. Somerset Live covered this one.
How’s the Heathrow saga: It’s been a real test of power… in more ways than one. According to the boss of the National Grid there was enough electricity to keep the lights on and flights in the air. In other words, John Pettigrew says there was no need to close the airport after the fire last month as there were two other substations which had enough power. In response, Heathrow kinda said… “err no, it doesn’t work like that”. It said once operations are down it takes time to power them back up again safely. Airlines though were also critical of the airport’s decision to shut, as many bosses stayed up through the night to ensure their planes were back in operation as soon it reopened, while Heathrow boss Thomas Woldbye apparently went to bed. The FT had the scoop.
This month’s travel report: Mintel and eurochange named Bulgaria the no 1 best-value holiday destination for Britons. Not only do return flights to Sofia cost £28 but a three-course meal for two is priced at £27.03 and a pint of beer just £1.42. Turkey came second and Portugal third. Next came Hungary, Thailand, South Africa, Costa Rica, Montenegro, Poland, and Sri Lanka. The Daily Mail has more.
What’s in Bulgaria? Everything! Sofia, the capital, is rich in history, while Plovdiv was the European Capital of Culture 2019 and one of Europe’s oldest cities. Rila National Park is home to the glacial Seven Rila Lakes (see above). And Varna, on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, rivals the Côte d’Azur and Costa del Sol with its blue waters, history, and culture. The waterfront features a mile-long stretch of bars, restaurants, and clubs, plus sofas and beanbags on the sand. Nearby resorts like Sunny Beach and Golden Sands are popular with British holidaymakers.
The numbers are in: As we’ve reached the fifth anniversary of the lockdown, visitor numbers at museums are still not back to what they were. In 2019 the number stood at 169.7 million. Last year (2024) it was 157.2 million, according to Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva) which collects all the data. The figures are lagging behind because people are “still being quite cautious about their leisure spending” and the UK is struggling with a fall in inbound tourism especially from Chinese visitors, says Alva’s Bernard Donoghue. Here’s more.
Loving it: Once again, the British Museum was the most popular tourist attraction in the UK with 6.5 million visits- up from 5.8 million in 2023. This was followed by the Natural History Museum, with 6.3 million visits, compared to 5.7 million. Then Windsor Great Park in Berkshire, with 5.7 million, up from 5.5 million visits. In Scotland, Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland was favourite clocking up 2.3 million visits. In Wales St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff came out top with 600,000 visits. And in Northern Ireland, Titanic Belfast saw 900,000 visitors.
Taking the wheel: Councillors in England’s prettiest village – Bibury in the Cotswolds – are sick and tired of coach loads of tourists turning up every day to wander their picture-perfect hamlet. The village that dates back to 1066 has one of the most iconic streets in the country with traditional cottages from the 1600s. The houses along narrow Arlington Row were once homes to weavers and are now Grade I listed to protect their distinctive terraced layout and steep pitched roofs. The council says it’s taking action to ban huge tourist coaches coming so close into the centre. Cllr Lisa Spivey, said the new plans would “help restore some calm” in the village. Gloucestershire Live has the story.
Come fly with me: Data crunched by The Telegraph revealed the most popular flight routes in 2025, with Britons set to travel on 930,430 flights to 391 destinations in 100 countries. Spain, as always, tops the list with 135,123 flights departing this year, followed by the US (47,823), Italy (47,347), and Germany (43,774). Other routes with the greatest numbers of flights include Saudi Arabia (3,105 flights), Luxembourg (2,400), and Bahrain (1,224), which surpass Thailand (1,202 flights). The UK’s busiest airport, Heathrow, will host 237,560 flights to 218 destinations. Gatwick flies 217 routes, Manchester 197, and Edinburgh 155. For city breaks, Amsterdam leads with 38,121 flights, followed by Dublin (32,686) and Paris (16,839). Surprisingly, Venice only sees 4,301 flights, while lesser-known spots like Ohrid in North Macedonia will welcome just 34 flights from the UK. Also revealing, despite their popularity, you cannot fly from the UK direct to Argentina or Peru.
The Telegraph rates England: The 48 counties in England have been ranked by the daily newspaper according to 41 factors based on what they offer the holidaymaker. Some of the factors included the length of coastline, how many Michelin-starred restaurants there are, the number of golf courses and the crime rate. Spoiler alert, the winner was… Devon, of which it said: “Devon didn’t just top our rankings – it blew away the competition… Simply put, it has everything. It’s not without its faults, of course – parts of it are becoming overwhelmed by tourism – but it’s the English county that comes closest to perfection. You can’t argue with science.” Cumbria came second and North Yorkshire third. For those heading up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire, the county came last. Many weren’t happy! More here.
What’s in Devon: Heaven! There’s rugged coastline and wide beaches – Woolacombe – are perfect for long hikes from headlands, through woodlands, to the downs. Here’s what Chalkmarks experienced. But according to the Telegraph it also has two national parks, five national landscapes, 14 Blue Flag beaches, nine RSPB reserves, an RHS garden, vast woodland, 177 museums and galleries, 34 National Trust listings, 13 English Heritage properties, a cathedral in Exeter and a decent rugby team. There are also five Michelin-starred restaurants and plenty of highly-rated hotels.
Are you even in 2025: Google is so 2024, and when was the last time you even bought a guidebook – they’re out of date as soon as they’re published. Nielsen Book, the number crunchers for the publishing industry, has revealed the sale of travel guides has fallen 23 per cent since 2019. If we’re not using Lonely Planet or Rough Guides, The Times asked its travel experts, what do you do?
Expert advice: Chris Haslam said there’s AI site Mindtrip which can take a YouTube video and generate an attraction list with opening times and fees. Sarah Turner says she likes to stalk designers on Instagram and follow hashtags like #accidentallywesanderson for inspiration. Julia Brookes likes to use Atlas Obscura. Anna Hart reads Reddit and hiking apps like AllTrails. Jane Knight says she starts with i-escape and the Good Hotel Guide which she edits. Jan Masters researches on bucketlisttravels.com. Nick Boulos monitors deals on headforpoints.com then uses Hopper and SeatSpy. Mariella Frostrup likes traditional travel agents. John Arlidge follows new air routes for ideas. Lisa Grainger taps into local specialists. And Claire Irvin head of travel at The Times, chooses The Times!
Face the music: The Glastonbury line-up is out and everyone is upset. Indie rockers The 1975 will headline on the Friday (27th June), Neil Young on Saturday and Olivia Rodrigo on Sunday – all performing on the famous Pyramid stage. Others include Alanis Morissette, Busta Rhymes, Lola Young, Charli XCX, Raye, Scissor Sisters, Rod Stewart, the Prodigy, Noah Kahan, Nile Rodgers, Shaboozey, and Snow Patrol. The general response was: “This is a weak line up”, “That’s very poor” and “Worst line up ever”. For balance one fan said: “It’s not terrible”. With tickets already sold out, many offered them for resale.
Have you seen our pictures: Our fantastic travel photos, which capture some of our favourite destinations around the world, are now available for sale on Alamy. Woohoo!
Riga your bells! Latvia’s capital is a hidden gem with a stunning Old Town – and regularly voted one of the best value cities in Europe. And it’s true. We stayed in a five-star hotel, for four nights, in the Old Town for the price of one night in London. Also, don’t miss St Peter’s Church for panoramic city views and the Freedom Monument. Even better take a trip on the canals and a boat journey on the Daugava River to the beach resort Jurmala. Don’t forget to eat potato pancakes and drink Black Balsam, a herbal liqueur! Ding ding.
Cliff edge: Authorities in Malaysia are considering an age limit for hikers wanting to reach the summit of its highest peak Mount Kinabalu, in Sabah on the island of Borneo. It comes after a British man in his 70s and another visitor died this year. While the route is well maintained, the trek takes two days and is tough for those not used to climbing at altitude. To prevent further fatalities the tourist board said they were considering their options for older climbers. This one’s in the Straits Times.
Rocky situation: Plans are underway to charge visitors to see the 5,000-year-old Calanais Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis. Older than Stonehenge in Wiltshire, Druids are angry, saying they have a right to roam plus it will spoil their lunar celebration and nighttime visits. The charge comes as the trust that protects the stone, Urras nan Tursachan, is building a £6 million visitor centre, which will sell tickets. Historic Environment Scotland, which manages the site, said an admission charge would “balance the conservation of the monument” with public access. The National has more.
Setting the scene: More than 550 shows have been announced for this year’s Edinburgh Festival, which runs from Friday 1st to Sunday 24th August. Expect a play about Scotland’s role in the 2008 financial crash, a Peruvian theatre company’s retelling of Hamlet and a Big Singalong at Princes Street Gardens’ Ross Bandstand on the opening weekend.
Reservations: For the millions of us who love using Booking.com, making it the most visited travel website in the world earlier this year, two warnings have been issued. The first involves a scam which sends emails pretending to be from Booking.com. Microsoft said the company had been targeted by criminals sending out fake emails, which once clicked download ClickFix allowing hackers to steal payment details and personal information. Another scheme to be wary of is scam properties on the site which holidaymakers found out later were fake. Consumer experts Which? said they had seen hundreds of complaints and urged Booking.com to do more to take them down quickly.
More to sea: From cleaners on board the QE2 to the late Queen visiting the Queen Mary 2, Cunard is launching a photo exhibition that tells the stories of those who have sailed on their iconic ocean liners over the last 185 years. Its anniversary Our Sea of Glamour exhibition opens at the famous Liver Building in Liverpool on Wednesday 28th May.
Staying grounded: Airlines have told Heathrow they are not happy. Instead of being excited about a new third runway, a survey shows they would rather see service levels improve across the terminals. Heathrow’s Airline Operators Committee found that 50 airlines think the security queues, baggage failures and treatment of passengers were better at other airports. Nigel Wicking, at AOC, said New York’s JFK airport was a “far better experience” and complained Heathrow Terminal 3 was more than 60 years old and Terminal 4 is nearly 40 years old. Heathrow said: “Our operational performance is good and improving, and the value we provide to airlines and passengers is easily seen by how many airlines want to include Heathrow in their network.” This was in the Evening Standard.
Run-away: What’s the worst thing about travel? Yep it’s the airport. As soon as you land you just want to get home as soon as possible and not have to wait in long queues. So, it looks like things are about to get better. A trial at ferry ports that sees holidaymakers pass through facial recognition “corridors” where they are scanned automatically instead of having to queue at border control could soon be arriving at airports. This one’s in the Telegraph.
Markets, mezcal, mariachi bands: Mexico City is a vibrant cultural capital, perfect for a winter escape. Wander through the Historic Centre, where Aztec and Spanish history collide at Zócalo. Climb the Teotihuacan pyramids, drift along the floating gardens of Xochimilco, and admire the golden dome of Bellas Artes. Feast on street tacos at Taqueria Los Cocuyos, sip mezcal with mariachi bands at Plaza Garibaldi, and stroll tree-lined Avenida Amsterdam in trendy Condesa. For a true taste of Mexico, try a bandera cocktail—three shot glasses of tequila, lime juice, and spicy tomato.
When was the last time you stayed in a Travelodge: Chances are it has been recently as business is booming. The budget hotel announced it’s making loadsa money with new hotels opening and many more on the way. It said it’d made more than £1 billion last year thanks to music fans booking rooms for Taylor Swift and AC/DC concerts.
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