Newmarket Holidays launches Douro Valley small trains tour
Little Trains of the Douro is an eight-day group holiday that sees guests boarding two historic and beautifully restored engines to chug through the breathtaking UNESCO-listed Douro Valley, feasting on views of vineyards, terraced hillsides and charming villages, and disembarking to enjoy a series of fascinating attractions.
Stops include Pinhão, home to one of Portugal's most beautiful azulejo-tiled railway stations, the riverside town of Tua, and Quinta de Pacheca, one of the most renowned and oldest wine estates in the Douro Valley.
Further excursions include a guided tour and cable car-ride above Guimarães, a 12th century city that is often referred to as the birthplace of Portugal; a visit to Barcelos to experience the country's largest open-air market; a guide-led trip to historic Braga with a ride on the world's oldest water-powered elevator included, and an afternoon enjoying the beautiful beaches and charming medieval old quarter Viana do Castelo, followed by an exhilarating journey on the Santa Luzia Elevator, Portugal's longest funicular.
The tour's final full day features a guided tour of Porto followed by a ride on the land train to the see the city's essential sights, with a tasting stop at one of Porto's famous port wine cellars completing the trip.
Hayley Morris, Head of Trade Sales and Partnerships at Newmarket Holidays says: "This fantastic new itinerary builds on the popularity of our train-themed tour in the Pyrenees, Dolomites and on the Swiss Railways.
"From steam trains to vineyard tastings, it blends nostalgia with scenic beauty that will appeal to anyone who enjoys relaxed travel, exclusive experiences, wine tastings and authentic Portuguese culture."
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The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
‘Every parent's nightmare': after 18 years, was this the final search for Madeleine McCann?
The police have packed up, the diggers and radar scanners gone from the Algarve scrubland. The latest search for Madeleine McCann, the British toddler who vanished from a Portuguese holiday apartment 2007, has ended quietly without any apparent breakthrough. After 18 years of intermittent searches, this one, led by German police, may well be the last. In Praia da Luz, a seaside town etched into the world's memory by the tragedy, that realisation lands with a mix of relief and weariness. Locals barely speak about the case now, if at all. The McCann investigation brought an unrelenting glare of media attention that many here would prefer to forget. But even as the formal search ends, the town's association with the disappearance of Madeleine remains stubbornly intact, kept alive not just by police work but also the trickle of true crime tourists retracing a story they know from Netflix specials and acres of news coverage over the last two decades. Some pose for selfies outside the Ocean Club holiday apartment where Madeleine was last seen, dine in the complex's tapas restaurant where her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were eating when she vanished. Some play amateur sleuth in the town's cobbled alleyways as though they were the famous sets of a long-running drama. When British friends Joanne Sheppard, 60, and Jane Thorp, 61, began planning a trip together, they settled on Praia da Luz partly for that reason. 'When we decided to go on holiday, I said I would like to see the place where [Madeleine] went missing and I'd like to sit and see the scope of the area so we could get a feel of various routes where maybe Gerry McCann and Kate walked,' Sheppard said. The pair were outside the Ocean Club on Thursday morning to check if 'anyone was milling around' the McCann apartment while German and Portuguese police were scouring scrubland and abandoned buildings a mile away in Atalaia, near Lagos, which was once home to a farming community. They had already spent hours at the tapas restaurant on Tuesday and had made plans to return. 'No one was speaking about Madeleine,' Thorp said of their first visit. As they entered the resort, reception staff asked the women not to take photos but that did not stop Thorp, who said she was not as interested in the case as Sheppard. 'Someone is in that apartment at the moment, we saw them the other night,' the carer from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire added. Sheppard's interest in Madeleine's disappearance was piqued when she watched an eight-part Netflix documentary series in 2019. 'I watched the Netflix series and then I started delving a bit deeper because something was amiss. And if you actually delve deeper … and start with the PJ [Portuguese Polícia Judiciária] files, you'll see a whole new truth emerge,' the decorator from Nottingham said. She had been gripped by what she said were the 'numerous holes' and 'contradictions' in the case. She dismissed the latest searches as 'a whole waste of time', proffered theories and spoke of 'hard evidence' and media 'manipulation' before heading to the nearby beach for the day. Town residents feel uneasy about the ghoulish obsession with Madeleine's disappearance. Metres away from the Ocean Club, at the Baptista supermarket's cafe, a British businessman, Tahir, who splits his time between London and the Algarve said he came across some tourists outside the McCann apartment just last week. 'They'd obviously spotted it or they'd known where it was, and they were taking pictures of the apartment. I felt like going up to them and saying, 'That's so morbid. What's the matter with you people?'' the 45-year-old said. 'They've been doing that for years,' replied David, 80, a British expat sitting at a nearby table. 'A lot of people come down here and they want to drive past that [building], just to say this is where it was.' Simon Foy, the former head of the Metropolitan police's homicide and serious crime command, who led Operation Grange to find Madeleine in 2011 before retiring in 2012, said the case had captured the public's imagination because it embodied 'every parent's nightmare'. 'When I was working in homicide investigations in the Met, occasionally these cases would come along which for some reason just connected around the public consciousness,' he said. 'It's a whole load of things: it's a young blonde girl, it's a middle-class family, it's a holiday, it's every parent's nightmare. All that sort of stuff very unpredictably would combine together and you would go from virtually minimal media interest and coverage to significant and substantial media coverage, and that was all before the days of social media.' Foy, who has not been involved in the investigation since retiring, said the popularity of true crime documentaries and dramas in which complex cases are neatly wrapped up in one-hour episodes had also contributed to the public's enduring fascination with the case. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'What then happens is that you get people's avid fascination and expectation that it's all going to get solved really quickly, and it's all nice and neat, and follows nice dramatic lines, and in reality it never does,' he said. 'In real life, it's messy, and you can't get anything more messy than the whole Madeleine McCann investigation, the whole saga. There are human beings, there's pressure and people make mistakes. It's different. It's never as perfect as it's portrayed in the media world. But people are absolutely fascinated by a story like that, it just happens that this one is a real-life tragedy.' It is this fascination with the case, and in turn Praia da Luz, that has led some residents to blame the McCanns for damaging the town's reputation. Road signs in the town were once defaced with graffiti reading 'McCann circus'. The signs have now been cleaned up but still bear traces of the town's unease. Hundreds of journalists descended on the town to report on the mystery of the three-year-old girl, but tourism dropped and businesses suffered. 'This place was like a ghost town at one point,' said Tahir, who did not want to give his surname. It is why he and many others hope the case can be solved. 'Everyone has got an interest in what happens to Madeleine. For locals, it's still closure that they're looking for. It's not just the family, everyone wants to know. It's gone on so long. There was a point where locals wanted to bury the story because it was affecting businesses and all the rentals went down, but I think it's got over that point,' Tahir said. A retired Portuguese businessman in his 60s, who did not want to give his name, said: '[It has been] 18 years and we've had enough. For the family it's a pity, but it's enough. This area was full of people, it was a joy, a happy family place that was completely transformed and completely dead after [Madeleine disappeared]. Now it's OK but it took 10 years.' The search, the latest in a series of renewed efforts by German prosecutors, was said to have been the last chance to build a case against the prime suspect, Christian Brückner. He denies any involvement. The countdown is now on to the 48-year-old's imminent release from a German prison, where he is currently being held for the rape of an American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. After 18 years, hundreds of leads and still no trace of the missing girl, the emotional toll must weigh heavily on Madeleine's family, who have not commented on this week's search. And for a place that once hoped its name would be reclaimed by the sun, the sea and the quiet rhythm of local life, the McCann case still casts a long shadow, one that no end-of-search announcement can fully erase.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
A villa we booked in Portugal was infested with mould, slugs, and ants... why won't Booking.com refund?
Organising a holiday for 20 people is not for the fainthearted. Sarah* started the planning for her girls holiday in December 2023, and after a year and a half of waiting she couldn't wait to get away. The villa in Portugal she booked was the perfect getaway for her and her girlfriends. But when they arrived, their dream holiday couldn't be further from what they expected. Sarah had the difficult task of organising the holiday for the large group while in New York, where she currently works. When she found a villa in Portugal on with enough bedrooms, a pool and a jacuzzi, she thought she'd struck gold. The villa, which cost €2,700 (£2,274) for three nights for 20 people, was perfect for the BBQs, pool days and private chef they had planned. While there were some mixed reviews, they were 'not a super precious group,' says Sarah. The villa, while listed on the booking website, was managed by French online property manager Homerez. Despite their involvement, Sarah had been in direct touch with the host who had arranged an airport transfer for the group for €600, which she paid via bank transfer. Fast forward to the first bank holiday in May this year, Sarah and her friends met at Lisbon airport to start their holiday. The group - which included a pregnant woman and a 71-year old - arrived on Friday evening and were met by the host's daughter, aged 17, who Sarah says was 'essentially managing the property', and son, aged 19. This chaotic arrival was a sign of things to come. Ants, slugs and mould everywhere Straight off the bat, Sarah and her friends found the property to be musty and very run down. There were some other obvious problems with the property when they arrived - including a toilet that didn't flush - which they raised with the host's daughter on arrival. But it wasn't until they went to sleep that they realised the severity of the issues. A few members of the group were put up in the outbuilding, which had not been included in the listing. They had to dry their sheets with a hairdryer before getting into bed, and the host's children revealed someone had recently tried to break in. Elsewhere, there were ant infestations and slugs in the main building, with rising damp and black mould everywhere, including on a baby's highchair and chopping board. There were other issues with the rooms, including a hole punched in one bedroom door and covered with a picture frame, as well as dirty beds. The outside areas were unkept, with a broken patio, shredded pergola fabric, a dirty swimming pool and mouldy bean bags. One of the fridges, which was left outside, was so filthy that the group had to throw away the food they'd bought for the weekend. Sarah says that the villa pictured on and Homerez was unrecognisable from the one they stayed at. She says, 'the photos were clearly from 2 or 3 years' and the host, who Sarah thinks lives in Paris for most of the year, 'clearly doesn't know how bad it is.' We've lost thousands after booking new villa By the next morning, the group decided to book another villa, which set them back €2,600 for the remaining two nights. When they contacted the host to tell her they'd be leaving, she said the group was lying but insisted they check out by 11am. She did not offer a refund. Despite this, Sarah and her friends refused to let the experience ruin the holiday. 'Everyone had a great time, we made great memories but it was a constant stress the whole weekend,' she says. 'We were constantly planning the next thing, trying too find a restaurant for dinner.' For the last day of the holiday, the group had paid €1,000 for a private chef, which was not refundable, but their new villa had little space to accommodate. Instead, they were forced to spend an additional €1,200 to hire a bar for the meal. They also did not receive the return airport transfer they had paid for. Instead, the host said the group had damaged the property, despite being there for just 12 hours. When Sarah got in touch with they offered her a refund of just over €500, representing just 20 per cent of the value of their three-night stay. She says that while she understands acts as an intermediary, she wants to know why there is no process for vetting accommodation. 'Surely, they have a duty of care to make sure it's all accurate.. At the moment, I have €2,600 on my credit for the new accommodation. 'Once I take into consideration the €500 refund, we have €2,100 that we need to pay off. That's another €100 which doesn't sound much but everyone's got different incomes.' The property manager Homerez told Sarah that the group had left the villa in a bad state and offered no refund. It did not respond to This Is Money's request for comment. told This Is Money: 'We offer a wide range of accommodation options to suit all budgets, supported by a review system that helps guide customers in choosing their stay. 'We can see this property has hosted successful stays, however we are sorry to hear that it did not meet the customer's expectations. 'After reviewing the photographs provided, we have issued a further partial refund. 'If a customer arrives at a property that does not meet their expectations, our customer service team is available 24/7 to assist and resolve any issues promptly.' It did not respond to questions about its vetting procedure. has since refunded Sarah and her friends another €500, but it still leaves the group out of pocket. It is also currently unclear whether the money will be refunded as cash or as credit - and the whole experience has put the group off from ever using the booking giant again.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Holidaymakers to Portugal can now use airport e-gates, says Labour
Faro airport in Portugal has begun to let British passengers use e-gates, the UK Government has announced. Downing Street expects British holidaymakers will be able to use the technology in their 'millions' after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer struck an agreement with EU leaders last month. Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Cabinet Office minister, whose brief includes EU relations, said at the despatch box on Thursday that the deal 'makes life easier for holidaymakers'. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Yesterday, Portugal opened e-gates at Faro airport to British citizens, which will mean millions more Brits going to the Algarve will be able to use e-gates in time for the summer holidays.' He added: 'We're obviously continuing to work with other countries and other airports to ensure Brits can use more e-gates as soon as possible, and that work continues. 'It's obviously good news to see a very significant airport, I think, for British holidaymakers, opening e-gates to British citizens yesterday.' When he unveiled the deal last month, Sir Keir said that 'for holidaymakers wanting to get out this summer, they will want to know that they can do so easily and without delay and chaos'. The Prime Minister called on 'all EU member states to help make this a reality without delay'. Since Brexit, UK nationals have been unable to use e-gates in most Schengen Area countries. Passengers from the UK face warnings that passport controls on arrival to Portugal ' may take up more time, as the passport will have to be stamped and there are additional questions that may be asked by the border control officers', according to the Faro airport website. The Government has said the deal will smooth over 'legal barriers to e-gates use for UK nationals', once a new stamp-free biometric Entry/Exit System launches, due in October this year. Taking a question about steps 'to improve relations with the EU', Mr Thomas-Symonds told the Commons: ' The historic deal that we signed with the EU on May 19 is in our national interests – good for bills, borders and jobs. 'It slashes red tape and bureaucracy, boosts British exporters and makes life easier for holidaymakers. 'Indeed, I'm delighted to confirm this morning that Faro airport in Portugal will start the rollout of e-gate access to UK arrivals this week.'
