Freelance travel journalist for 25 years for the Guardian, Telegraph, Independent, Times, etc. Author of award-winning My Family and Other Enemies: Life and Travels in Croatia's Hinterland
An alpine winter feast: cheese, wine and a side dish of snowshoeing in France
A medieval Haute-Savoie village makes a great base for a gourmet break, with delicious comfort food and local wines. And the snowshoeing and skiing aren’t bad either, if you can drag yourself away from the table
‘Slow travel at its most joyous’: our three-week road trip to Croatia
Rather than bomb down motorways for marathon stretches, the idea was to see new things along the way, such as the great lakes of Germany and a Renaissance town in Italy
Embracing life in the slow lane on a summer holiday to the Alps
Is it possible to find lazy-paced mountain fun? An out-of-action Mary Novakovich swerves the adrenaline-inducing activities and embraces a gentler kind of holiday
Belgrade city guide: your weekend break sorted
For a great-value getaway with a carnival atmosphere, look no further than the Serbian capital
The secret French town with a beautiful Christmas market you need to visit
Amiens is often overlooked on the way to the nearby coastal havens in northern France
The boutique cruise that sails to Croatia's lesser-known islands
Taking its passengers gently away from the crowds of Croatia's busier islands, this small-scale cruise visits quiet parts of the country where tourists are few and far between
I’ve travelled all over Croatia and this is its best spot
Sandy beaches, stirring ruins and a buzzing food scene — here’s why Rab knocks spots off the rest of the country
Secret Croatia: five hidden spots that tourists have yet to discover
Dubrovnik and Split are beautiful, yes — but there’s more to this Adriatic honeypot than its hotspots
Island-hopping in Croatia: adrift in the Šibenik archipelago
Framed by sparkling blue sea and deep green pines, the less visited Adriatic islands of Zlarin and Prvić offer a mellow end of summer escape
The slow train to Greece
A leisurely three-day rail journey through France and Italy took me to a quieter corner of Greece's coast
The beautiful Croatia coastline with fewer tourists
Mention Dalmatia, and Split and Dubrovnik usually spring to mind. But head to the northern stretch of this coastal Croatian region and you’ll find a road a little less traveled.
The 25 coolest Croatian hotels to book before anyone else
The secret pads to book now, from hillside suites in the Zadar archipelago to a palace in Dubrovnik
Croatia’s secret beaches and little Venices
Head to Croatia’s northern Adriatic coast to discover some of the country’s most captivating regions