We stayed in Hotel Duret back in January for four days and it was one of the best mini breaks we've ever been on. My wife is a sucker for posh hotels, so it was a pleasant surprise to find the rooms were spacious and comfortable, as Paris hotel rooms ar...

Rod Stewart, that acute observer of society, once pointed out that no Parisian looks as if they are ever working .Vancouver feels the same.

THE problem with city breaks is that they tend to involve cities. The food, the museums, the architecture, the people - all wonderful - the problem is time. How can you possibly hope to get a feel for Rome, Paris or Berlin in a couple of days?