Shanghai

If ever there was a place of contradictions, it’s Hong Kong. A frenetic city with excellent public transport, smaller islands with their ancient traditions are just a ferry ride away. All this and mor

It’s 30 years since daily Eurostar services began whisking visitors to Belgium’s capital — and the city known for Tintin and beer is still full of surprises

Stretching across two continents separated by the Bosphorus Strait, this ancient Silk Road city was once the capital of both the Christian Byzantine and Islamic Ottoman empires. Crumbling hammams rub shoulders with striking contemporary buildings, while the call to prayer from Hagia Sophia mosque can be heard from the 15th-century Grand Bazaar, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants. Istanbul is sewn together by a series of storied districts, which results in a varied hotel scene. Relive the Ottoman heyday in a Sultanahmet townhouse; book a boutique stay fuelled by cafes and galleries in Karaköy; or check in among the designer stores of Nişantaşı.

This week’s dream: the romance of the night train ...

This week’s dream: a spectacular rail tour of ...

It doesn’t get cosier than winter in the twinkly Hungarian capital