The city of Dortmund in the heart of Germany's Ruhr region is full of surprises, with stunning architecture and a 50-year-old parrot, as NEIL CLARK discovers

Channel 5 news presenter EMMA CROSBY packs in plenty of must-sees on a visit to the Italian capital with her mother

REBECCA FORD enjoys an invigorating break in the Egyptian capital

TRACEY DAVIES takes her son to London for his birthday on a watery break that includes a barge stay and jet boat ride

With other destinations in Europe stealing its party crown, Amsterdam has a reputation to protect says HELEN WRIGHT

ROWENA CARR-ALLINSON heads to the Hamptons, an idyllic hideaway beloved by the A-list

The spectacular Yotel in New York is a four-star hotel in miniature with bigger than average views. DAVID VINCENT checks in

JILL STARLEY-GRAINGER checks in to London's hottest new luxury hotel, set in a grand Victorian building in Whitehall with views across the Thames

It has not been the easiest year on our finances. Many people are trying to find ways to make cuts in their spending to cope in these more austere times, but does that necessarily mean we have to compromise on quality?

WHILE the landmarks are world-famous, it's the food of New York city that has travelled across the globe says GEMMA WHEATLEY