The world's best countries — according to you
It really doesn't matter if you're a city-breaker, beach fanatic, mountain trekker or safari addict because, if you travel, then your knowledge, insight and passion is what we need. In return for your opinion we have ten fabulous prizes up for grabs, ranging from a trip on the Danube and a week for ten in a belle époque French château to a £20,000 expedition cruise to Antarctica and a £45,000, ten-night tour of India.
So if you have a favourite country in mind, it's worth your while mentioning it. Nearly half a million votes were cast in 2024, and voting is now open for the 2025 awards — but before you click through to cast your vote, let's have a quick look at past winners in this category.
In 2024 the best destination country was split into the categories of Europe and World, and was won by Italy and New Zealand, respectively. In 2023, when the best country was a single worldwide choice, Italy won, with New Zealand third after the UK; the two top spots had been claimed by the same countries the previous year.
Let's think about that. There are 195 countries officially recognised by the UN, nine of which are red-listed by the UK Foreign Office and many more of which lack the infrastructure, marketing budget or desire to attract mainstream tourism. Nevertheless, I can think of at least 40 that count as mainstream holiday destinations — so why have just three countries dominated for the past three years?
Are Italy, New Zealand and the UK truly the best? If you think so then you should vote for them. But if you believe that, say, France, Australia, Sri Lanka or Spain is better, then you need to step up and vote for that destination instead. Your favourite country needs you.
As England's Lionesses recently discovered, Italy is a hard country to beat. It has art, culture, history, outstanding natural beauty and a seductively chaotic gioia di vivere. It also has barolo, negronis and amaro, and the food is alright too.
• Discover our full guide to Italy
As for New Zealand, you'll never know until you've been there that it's quite a bit more than a couple of islands off the coast of Australia. It's a land that combines the wines of South Africa, the landscapes of Patagonia and the sleepiness of Norfolk in a place I've heard one convert describe as 'the furthest you can get from London and the closest you can get to heaven'.
And having just completed my annual circumnavigation of the country for the 17th edition of the annual Times and Sunday Times Best UK Beaches guide, I stand by my assertion that when the sun is shining, there is nowhere more beautiful than the British and Northern Irish coasts. But don't let me sway your opinion.
• Revealed: the UK's 50 best beaches for 2025
According to research by YouGov, the top six European destinations for Britons in 2025 are — in descending order — Spain, the UK, Italy, Greece, France and Portugal. The best long-haul sellers, Kuoni says, are the Maldives, Thailand, Mauritius and Sri Lanka; despite some political reservations, the US is also having a great year.
The Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards are an opportunity for you — the traveller, customer and explorer — to draw on your unique experiences and nominate the best in class across the travel industry.
Voting takes just 17 clicks — categories three and five are for the best countries — and by doing so you'll be in with a chance to win your holiday for this or next year. And if you really think that Italy is better than Spain, I won't try and persuade you otherwise.
• Have your say here — and be in with a chance of winning a great prize
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
43 minutes ago
- Times
A splashier splash — London's poshest pools
Many of us dream of a cool pool, perhaps surrounded by comfortable day beds, or indeed a chic Mediterranean restaurant serving cold rosé wine and crustacea, maybe even a panoramic view. But we Londoners do not need to jump on a plane to enjoy such delights, they can be found right here, in dreamy marble-clad basements and on fancy rooftops. Furthermore there is no off-season with these pools, they are as lovely in winter as in summer. If you are looking for somewhere to swim in serenity, Surrenne (a private members Club in The Emory), is an excellent choice. Since its opening in April 2024, the subterranean wellness sanctuary has offered fitness classes, spa treatments and nutritional guidance. During the day their 22m pool is illuminated by a sky light, and in the evenings by candlelight. An underwater speaker provides a soundtrack for your strokes. Poolside cabanas with matching cream-coloured curtains line one side of the pool and the changing room is kitted out with ring lit mirrors and all the Dyson appliances you could possibly desire. The sand coloured walls, floor and general décor creates a harmonious vibe. • Dynamic destinations for luxury travel Exclusive access is reserved for hotel guests or members who get to enjoy the 2000 square metres of tranquillity that not only encompasses the pool but also treatment rooms, gym and Tracy Anderson studio. Membership is £10,000 per year (with an initial £5000 joining fee). This Grade II* Edwardian Baroque building is where Winston Churchill once conducted a war and the intelligence services orchestrated global espionage. Now it is a Raffles hotel, opening in 2023 after a £1.4 billion renovation. The hotel's spa is the grandly titled Pillar Wellbeing Centre, encompassing 2,500 square metres over four-floors. The pool is 20 metres long with double height ceilings, the walls are sand coloured and there are cushioned beds for recuperating after laps. If you work up an appetite the spa kitchen offers cold-pressed juices and seasonal dishes. The spa is available to hotel guests and members of Pillar Wellbeing. A membership will set you back by £6,500 a year for an individual, £12,000 for joint or £25,000 for the platinum membership (that includes unlimited personal coaching, extra spa treatments, guest passes and discounts). Situated barely a stone's throw from the Thames, this hotel is not just known for its lavish river front rooms, it is also celebrated for its four-floor, 3,300 sq m Espa Life spa. One of these floors is carved out exclusively for thermal relaxation. It is there that you will find their two pools. A stainless-steel swimming pool with ambient lighting is crafted for gentle laps and has mattress-like pool-side beds, whereas the vitality pool is more mindless floating. There is a sauna and steam room as well as an ice fountain where you rub crushed ice over your heated skin. And lest we forget the relaxation pod — well for, relaxation. Meanwhile, in the changing rooms there are heated marble loungers and sleep pods as well as a fully equipped vanity station and healthy snack selection. Available to those having a treatment at the spa, hotel guests and members; the £625 per month membership will not only provide access to the pool and spa but it also gives you six spa treatments, small group personal training sessions, two blow dry appointments at the Corinthia salon and ten guest passes. Set within Carlton Tower's three floor Peak Fitness Club and Spa is London's largest naturally lit swimming pool measuring 20-metres. The pool is on the second floor with almost the entire ceiling made up of windows – you may quite easily mistake it for an outdoor pool. Until it rains, of course. Sun loungers line the edge of the pool, accompanied by a jacuzzi as well as the thermal spa (with sauna and steam room) nearby. The changing rooms have warm Bottino marble décor, plush robes and thoughtful touches like jewellery trays. • The most exuberant swimming trunks for summer To access the spa you will need to be either a member of the club or a hotel guest. Prospective members must submit a detailed written application that if accepted provides access to the fitness and spa facilities (pool, gym, treatment rooms) as well as the chic members club lounge overlooking Cadogan Gardens. If successful, members will fork out a joining fee of £2500 followed by a £550 monthly fee. Private members club, Shoreditch house, has a fully heated 16 metre rooftop pool which is open all year round. It shares the roof with a bar and Japanese restaurant so you can refuel with sushi and sake. The style is inspired by the 1920s, with vintage-looking red and white striped loungers and blue tiling — this pool is for those who love to be at the centre of the party, not quietly relaxing solo. • Francesca Amfitheatrof's golden summer Only members and their plus-ones can use the pool. Applications are reviewed quarterly, and memberships start at £200 a month. They also include full use of the workspaces, restaurant, library and health club (with spa and gym). The Berkeley rooftop pool is only 13.5 metres long, but the view over London's rooftops and Hyde Park is boundless. If you manage to peel your eyes away from the city's skyline for one second, you will find you've been transported to the med, with lemon trees placed around the pool's perimeter and fuchsia-coloured flowers adorning the bar. Open from 7am-7pm, this heated pool has stylish loungers lining just the one side so that the toe-dippers amongst us won't miss a second of the views. Despite being available to hotel guests only, this summer — after 7:30pm on Thursdays to Sundays — this swimming sanctuary turns into Capri in the City where a spot can be booked to enjoy Italian-inspired cocktails like an Amalfi Gin Granita and share plates of Lobster pizza or burrata and watch the sun set over Hyde Park's treetops. All whilst laying horizontally on a pool side lounger — if the table and chairs aren't fun enough for you. Soho House's newest London outpost offers workspaces, gym, fitness classes, terrace, bars, restaurant but most importantly a rooftop pool. A lift in the entrance hall will zoom you up to the ninth floor where the blue-tiled heated pool is the central feature to the French-inspired restaurant that surrounds it. At 16 metres long, you'll find more social swimmers looking for a dip n' dine than Olympic athletes. Snuggly sofas with chic wooden chairs and tables are arranged on the terrace's edge to maximise the panoramic cityscape views. The rooftop of this Brutalist building brings geometric shapes and bold colours together to create a stylishly retro aesthetic. If you fancy a splash around in the 180 House pool, the £200 a month membership will get you (and three plus ones) access to everything they have to offer. But a £316 a month 'Every House' membership provides unlimited access to all amenities offered by their 40+ houses across the globe.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
New Zealand will make it easier to run businesses in conservation areas
Aug 2 (Reuters) - New Zealand will make it easier to run businesses in conservation zones and charge foreign tourists to enter some areas in an effort to create jobs and increase economic growth, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Saturday. The decision by the centre-right government, elected in 2023, is part of its efforts to boost New Zealand's tourism industry and stimulate a limp economy. It also comes at a time when people in countries around the world are protesting what they see as excessive numbers of tourists. "We're going to fix the Conservation Act to unleash a fresh wave of concessions – like tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure, in locations where that makes sense," Luxon said in a statement. Business activities from guided walks and skiing to livestock grazing and infrastructure construction already take place in conservation areas, but permission takes too much time and effort to obtain, he said. "Unleashing economic growth on one-third of New Zealand's land will create jobs and increase wages across the country," the statement said. Foreign visitors will also be charged between NZ$20 and NZ$40 ($12-$24) to access some popular sites, while locals will continue to go free. "Tourists make a massive contribution to our economy, and no one wants that to change. But I have heard many times from friends visiting from overseas their shock that they can visit some of the most beautiful places in the world for free," said Conservation Minister Tama Potaka. ($1 = 1.6903 New Zealand dollars)
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
The 38 coolest places in Provence — the expert's très chic guide
I've been going to the south of France for more than 20 years now, and in that time I've gathered together all the places, people and things I wished I'd known about before I arrived. They look hilarious but are also weirdly cool. Sure, they won't get you very far but that's not the point. Throw a couple of dogs in the back and you'll be the envy of every tourist in town. Hire from Yes Provence, the most universal car hire company in Provence. 914 CD 29 Route de Cavaillon, Saint Andiol; The Saturday fruit and veg market on Place Richelme is a total vibe and it sells the best strawberries from every part of Provence. Carpentras strawberries have the sweetest perfume and are best eaten on a bench in the sun. Place Richelme, Aix‑en-Provence Lovely little town in the far north of the region, close to Mont Ventoux. We stay at an excellent hotel called Le Clair de la Plume. Very dog friendly and there's a perfect courtyard where you can have dinner. 2 Place du Mail, Grignan; Equal parts cold beer to cold lemonade with a dash of grenadine. My favourites, in no particular order, are Ansouis, Ménerbes, Lacoste, Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt, Saignon, Goult and Forcalquier. I order from the same company, Sun-e-bike, every year, but there are lots of options in Provence. Completely changed my experience of the place. I discovered so many fields of sunflowers completely devoid of the TikTok crowds. Best price per use ever. 2 Rue Camille Pelletan, St-Rémy-de-Provence; • More travel inspiration, news, advice and guides Great vibe. Fabulous art. A Roman amphitheatre that will take your breath away. Arles amphitheatre, 1 Rond-point des Arènes, Arles; The best are in Aix-en-Provence on a Saturday morning, when the entire town is in market mode, with a brocante near the bus station, clothes near the giant fountain and the aforementioned fruit/veg/flower market in Place Richelme. Also: Marché de Forcalquier — very arty (Place du Bourguet); Banon — very hip; Coustellet — good organic produce; Marché de Lourmarin — really busy, but worth seeing once as it's so pretty; Carpentras — fabulous, low-key Sunday brocante with cheap prices; Apt — the Saturday market is good for everything, but there's also a giant one on the second Sunday in July every year (Place Gabriel Péri). Didn't think I'd find this on a list of suggestions, but I took a Zou! bus from Cavaillon to Aix this summer and, well, I was blown away. Big comfy seats, air conditioning, gets you to a lot of those fiddly places that are hard to reach unless you drive. So much better than the buses back home. Provençal lavender honey is incredibly floral and sweet. There's always a local seller at one of the many markets, so stock up. Veggie soup made with pesto and seasonal vegetables/beans. Incredible. If you see it on a menu, just order it. Not unique to Provence — maybe more of a French thing — but this fizzy, slightly fruity soft drink is the one thing we bring home every year. Track it down in the local supermarket. Everyone knows Cannes. Most people have an opinion on St Tropez (too flash in the summer, too quiet in the winter, bliss in the spring); while Nice, Antibes and Cap-Ferrat are all well-worn stops on the Riviera tour. But Hyères is the new place to rest your head. Once famous with the British aristocracy — and the Twenties literary crowd (Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald famously partied here) — this seaside town is now having a moment. Last year Lilou Hotel opened its stylish doors — 37 cool rooms across 4 floors. There's also the magical island of Porquerolles, which is a few minutes away by boat and perfect for an afternoon of cycling. The beautiful Villa Noailles is a short cab ride away, and as well as having one of the best gardens in all of France, it was where everyone from Picasso to Salvador Dalí partied the night away. Lilou Hotel, 7 Boulevard Pasteur; Villa Noailles, 47 Montée Noailles; The best place in the south of France to buy vintage sheets, pillow cases, quilts and fabric, some dating back to the 18th century, which the owners have been collecting for more than 50 years. You'll find it in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and it's only open Saturday/Sunday. (Although forget lunchtime, which is usually 1pm-3pm. In fact, this is the case for almost everywhere in Provence.) 20 Avenue Julien Guigue, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue; Such a good shop, with a few different locations in Provence overseen by three generations of the Jouvaud family. It sells great homewares, linen napkins, lovely teacups, but also beautiful chocolates to take back home, especially the little muettes, which come in multiple flavours. 5 Avenue des Quatre Otages, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue; It's easy to miss the beautiful home of the surrealist photographer and Picasso muse, who spent every summer here before her death in 1997. It is now a residential centre for artists and writers, but on Tuesdays and Saturdays you can tour the interior and garden. 58 Rue du Portail Neuf, Ménerbes; Quite possibly the best garden in the world. I go almost every year for a private tour with the head gardener. You will be smitten. Le Jardin de la Louve, Chemin de Saint-Gervais, Bonnieux A slightly surreal experience where, as well as a tour of the Hollywood director's vineyard (and a lovely tasting session afterwards), you get to see dozens of the original costumes and props from his many films, including Gladiator and Alien. One for the movie nerd in your life. 1575 Route du Four Neuf, Oppède; High in the hills above St Tropez, this rustic restaurant (it does big portions) was the favourite of the late, great AA Gill. You will need to book. 2 Place de l'Église, La Môle This hotel-restaurant needs no introduction. There are Picassos on the wall, lanterns in the fig trees and probably a Hollywood director lurking at one of the tables. Place du Général de Gaulle, Saint-Paul-de-Vence; The former childhood home of Paul Cézanne just opened this summer and is an absolute treat, with the remains of Cézanne's paintings on some of the walls. It's quite possibly better than his studio in nearby Lauves (see no 33) — but if you are in Aix, why not see both? 4 Rue de Valcros, Aix-en-Provence; Out in the wilds of the Camargue you'll find this superchic restaurant, which has a green Michelin star. Almost all the produce comes from the organic garden. A perfect way to spend a long, lazy Sunday lunch. Mas de la Chassagnette, D36 Route Sambuc, near Arles; Alain Ducasse bought this place in the Nineties from a local potter and it still feels like a little country house not far from the green Verdon Gorge for which this part of Provence is famous. We spent the most beautiful couple of nights here many years ago. 511 Chemin de Quinson, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie; Sort of like Soho House but smaller and with a storied past (everyone from Brigitte Bardot to Jackie O used to hang here). It was renovated a couple of years ago and is now one of the chicest places to stay just outside St Tropez. Route de l'Épi, Ramatuelle; This hotel has fabulous interiors and it's right next door to a really cool bakery. The same company also owns the Nord-Pinus round the corner, which is very romantic, especially if you can get the room with the balcony on the corner. 20 Rue du Sauvage, Arles; I've been buying simple, good-quality leather sandals from this place in St Tropez for years. The Sahariennes design is a dead ringer for The Row, but will last longer. 18 Rue Georges Clemenceau, St Tropez; If money is no object, this super-swanky medi-spa in Ramatuelle is heaven. 736 Chemin des Crêtes, Ramatuelle; It was here that poor Vincent van Gogh was carted off after severing his ear in Arles. While in residence he completed 150 paintings. You can visit the room where he lived and see the big skies and olives trees that he painted each day. Part of the hospital is still in use. Saint-Paul de Mausole, Place Saint-Paul, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Chic waterfront hotspot in Les Goudes, outside Marseille. Hard to get a reservation, so book early. Oh, and some new rooms have just opened if you'd like to stay the night. 2 Boulevard Alexandre Delabre, Marseille; In the teeny village of Villars, just outside Apt, you will find this buzzy bar/restaurant. Closed Monday and Tuesday and booking is essential. Place de la Fontaine, Villars; Every summer, the stylish couple behind the French wicker company Atelier Vime open up their incredible home in the Camargue as part of La Maison Vime boutique. Here they sell ceramics and 18th-century plates as well as the wicker products they are famous for. 24 Quai du Rhône, Vallabrègues; This café and deli is very much a vibe. Get a takeout picnic to eat on the beach. Gorgeous sandwiches and pastries. 116 Corniche Kennedy, Marseille; Aix-en-Provence celebrates its most famous resident, Paul Cézanne, with a major retrospective of his work at the Musée Granet as well as the much anticipated opening of his family home La Bastide du Jas de Bouffan (see no 21). His studio at Lauves, just outside Aix, has also undergone a major renovation. This is one of the biggest Cézanne celebrations, so book tickets in advance where possible. Musée Granet, Place Saint-Jean de Malte, Aix-en-Provence; Atelier des Lauves, 13 Avenue Paul Cézanne, Aix-en-Provence; Charming little flower farm not far from Goult. Route de Vaugines, Lourmarin; My new favourite restaurant in Provence. Smart, hip, with a small but perfect menu. I shall dream of the gazpacho with fresh goat's cheese for many months. 1 Place de la Fraternité, Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt; Pretty vineyard at the tail end of the Nesque Valley, under papal control for 800 years, offering excellent wines and lively tours. Route de Methamis, Malemort-du-Comtat; I'd never heard of this hotel group until recently but it specialises in chic boutique hotels, many of which are in Provence including Le Moulin in Lourmarin and Les Roches Rouges in Saint-Raphaël. One of the largest bookstores outside Paris, located in several Provençal houses in the gorgeous town of Banon. Get lost here for an afternoon, then go for coffee in Café Union. Rue Saint-Just, Banon; Farrah Storr's newsletter, Things Worth Knowing, is on Substack
