Detour
Stories, ideas and destinations for people who love travelling slow.
Top features
Loire Valley: a fairytale alternative to Disneyland
We sent freelance editor, journalist and France expert Carolyn Boyd (and her young family) to the Loire Valley, to discover why the region is the perfect alternative to Disneyland and overcrowded resort holidays. They discover gothic châteaux, giant art installations… Continue reading >
Slow guide to the Lake District
Our perception of The Lake District was as a vast place that was all about long, challenging hikes to windblown peaks. Our trip, thanks to a little research and a lot of local advice, turned out to be much more… Continue reading >
Six brilliant ways to get on the water
It’s a fact: spending time by water is good for our well-being. Our brains enter a state of active de-stressing, which in turn helps our bodies to slow down and relax. Whether it’s waking up to a brisk morning swim… Continue reading >
Guides
Slow Guide to Devon
Everything about creating this guide felt a little different. For previous editions, we’ve travelled to Yorkshire and Northumberland, so far from our Bristol base that everything felt like a discovery. When it came to planning our trip to Devon, which… Continue reading >
Slow Guide to Northumberland
Our trip to Northumberland presented us with some striking contrasts. We visited Britain’s smallest museum and a bookshop big enough to have an in-house train, contemplated a huge wilderness that was mostly man-made and found a 300-yard walk that took… Continue reading >
Slow Guide to Dorset
Famed for its stunning stretches of Jurassic coast, Dorset is as an idyll of rolling countryside, quintessential villages, towering cliffs and quiet coves. When our recent travels took us from an artists’ co-op hidden in a side street of Shaftesbury… Continue reading >
Slow Guide to Yorkshire
A city packed with ancient pubs, a town revived by a love of food, a fishing village full of painters and a landscape tapestry of history and culture. We went to Yorkshire to look beyond the image of rolling hillsides… Continue reading >
Inspiration
Five brilliant off-grid family getaways
Our off-grid places to stay harness a strong commitment to the environment, are in beautifully remote regions and encourage you to spend most of your day outdoors. From wild swimming in the lake to kayaking along the river, building dens… Continue reading >
Five amazing hot springs and where to stay
Soaking in mineral-rich natural springs always feels utterly luxurious but can also be an adventure off the beaten track. We’ve found incredible natural formations in Tuscany, a natural sauna in Sicily and some of the wildest regions in Spain and,… Continue reading >
Discover Italy by train
Italy is a joy to travel by train; they’re fast, tickets are easy to buy and the network is so extensive you can explore the history, flavours and culture of multiple regions in one holiday. There are rail passes that… Continue reading >
Quintessential châteaux under £150
The château is one of the defining images of France. Once the exclusive preserve of the rich and powerful, you can now explore their grandeur, and they’re surprisingly affordable. Here are five of our favourites for stays that mix history… Continue reading >
Journeys
Jo Tinsley explores untamed Jura in France
Jo Tinsley’s passion for slow travel, long rambles and sea swimming has sent her all over the globe. This summer, she road-tripped through Jura, a relatively unknown region in France, discovering remote lakes, medieval villages and thriving wildlife. The Jura… Continue reading >
Lois Pryce’s French 2CV adventure
Everyone, it seems, has a 2CV story. Even James Bond used one as an escape vehicle (admittedly only when his Lotus exploded). As a child of 1970s Bristol, my 2CV associations are less 007, and more my friend’s bohemian parents… Continue reading >
Tim Moore travels Portugal’s coastal trains
Writer and adventurist Tim Moore travels from Porto to Lisbon by train, relinquishing the itinerary and taking advice from strangers to find the spirit of travel is alive and well in Portugal. He cruises the Douro valley, masters an electric… Continue reading >
Mary Novakovich in hidden Venice
Plagued with news reports on over-tourism, unhappy locals and selfie sticks, it’s easy to wonder if Venice has been loved to death. To find out, we sent journalist and travel writer Mary Novakovich to meet local guides and discover a… Continue reading >
