7 Festivals in March 2025 Around the World
Travel Begins at 40 rounds up the best festivals in March 2025 across the globe, from Wales to Colombia, with cherry trees, loads of Guinness and even some frozen dead…
The 4 Best Hotels in Le Touquet France
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, a chic seaside town on France’s northern coast, has long been a haven for Parisians, and Brits, seeking a weekend retreat. With its sprawling beaches, pine forests and…
From Le Touquet With Love: L’Hotel Barrière Le Westminster
Mark Bibby Jackson checks into L’Hotel Barrière Le Westminster Le Touquet and falls in love with this Anglo-French gem on the Opal Coast. For the past hundred years there has…
Riding the Storm in Pas-de-Calais France
Mark Bibby Jackson ignores weather warnings to travel to Pas-de-Calais France during Storm Darragh with his mother. Does he live to tell the tale? The plan is to visit the…
9 Festivals in February 2025 Around the World
Travel Begins at 40 rounds up the best festivals in February 2025 across the Globe, from Mongolia to Easter Island, so wherever you are you just can’t help celebrating the…
Day Trips from Bratislava Slovakia
Looking for day trips from Bratislava Slovakia? Follow Mark Bibby Jackson on his trip into the surrounding countryside. There are times when I realise I never would have cut it…
Esoteric Worldwide Festivals for 2025
As we enter the new year, Mark Bibby Jackson provides a guide to worldwide festivals for 2025. From voodoo in West Africa to miraculous lords and Hampshire watercress, here is…
48 Hours in Bratislava Slovakia in Winter
Mark Bibby Jackson spends 48 hours in Bratislava Slovakia to see why this underrated European capital is a winter wonderland. My previous visit to the Bratislava Slovakia was in 1994…
NH Wien Belvedere Hotel Vienna Review
On his way from Carinthia Austria to Bratislava in Slovakia, Mark spends a night in Vienna, to review the NH Wien Belvedere hotel, next to the famous Belvedere Palace. A…
Discovering Nirvana at Badehaus am Millstätter See in Austria
On his recent trip to Carinthia Austria, Mark Bibby Jackson temporarily forgoes the Christmas markets for a healthy dose of total self-indulgence at the Badehaus am Millstätter See. There are…
Celebrating Christmas in Carinthia Austria
Mark Bibby Jackson travels to Klagenfurt in Carinthia Austria to be re-inspired by the magic of Christmas. Sometimes in the uber-commercialised world we live, it’s easy to forget the magic…
Montigo Resorts Somerset at Charlton House Review
Mark Bibby Jackson stays at the Montigo Resorts Somerset at Charlton House, a beautiful Georgian country house that has been given a fresh spice of life. Sometimes I find myself…
Taking the Train for a Festive Manchester City Break
Mark Bibby Jackson takes the train from London Euston for a Manchester city break and sample the city’s festive offerings including its Christmas Markets. It’s been a long time since…
Releasing the Bebok in a Transformed Katowice Poland
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Katowice Poland, a city transformed from its industrial past, with a bright cultural future, where he meets bison and bebok. Two trends have piqued my interest…
Drinking in The Best Pubs in Shrewsbury Shropshire
Discover the best pubs in Shrewsbury town centre from historic inns and real ale pubs to dog-friendly options and pubs with accommodation. Shrewsbury, with its winding river Severn and medieval…
Discover 10 Things to Do in Shrewsbury from the Culture to Pubs
Nestled in the heart of Shropshire, Shrewsbury is a medieval English market town that oozes history and charm. With almost 800 listed buildings, medieval streets full of timber buildings and…
7 Things to Do in Katowice Poland for a Unique Adventure
Katowice, the capital of the Silesian region in Poland, is an exciting city blending rich industrial heritage with modern cultural flair. Whether you’re a history buff, a nature lover, or…
Seal Watching at Winterton Beach Norfolk
Mark Bibby Jackson takes a short break in Norfolk where he makes friends with some seals in total isolation on Winterton Beach. When people ask me what’s the favourite place…
Christmas Markets in Europe and the UK
From the original December market to the city that created stollen, the source of mulled wine and the first Christmas tree, let Travel Begins at 40 guide you through some…
Day Trip to Gozo through History
During his stay travelling through Malta, Mark Bibby Jackson takes the short ferry ride for a day trip to Gozo to discover an island full of history. Day-trip to Gozo:…
Travelling through Malta Like a Local
Malta has never been a place high on my non-existent travel bucket list. I was put off it by tales of a family holiday there to which I was excluded…
Spa Escape at the Hotel Monopol Spa in Katowice
After a couple of days spent delving into the industrial heritage and culture of Katowice, Poland, Mark Bibby Jackson takes a well-deserved break for some pampering at the Hotel Monopol…
Wilde Aparthotels, London Liverpool Street Review
Wilde Liverpool Street is the latest opening from the chain which seamlessly bridges the divide between apartments and hotels. I am fortunate enough to have stayed with the group in…
(Don’t) Look Back in Anger Review
In his programme to the current production of Look Back in Anger at the Almeida Theatre lecturer and author Matthew Franks refers to the danger of producing Look Back in…
