Damien Gabet

London

Features Writer at Freelance

Writes: travel, drinks, hospitality

Articles

‘A muddy ride into Romania’s dreamy countryside’: cycling the Via Transilvanica

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Damien Gabet

It was about seven minutes into my cycle ride that the first signs of addiction became apparent. My ebike’s “power assist” button felt more like a morphine clicker as we climbed the misty hills of Bucovina in northern Romania. Sergiu, my group’s guide, knew what I was up to. “Be honest with yourself – only use ‘turbo’ if you have to!” he shouted. My thumb cowered under the handlebar. On previous adventures I’ve resisted assistance, maintaining that battery power is the preserve of the unserious.
cycling the Via Transilvanica

1 week ago | msn.com | Damien Gabet

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The relaunched Paris to Milan train is a game-changer for travel. I was on the first service

2 weeks ago | msn.com | Damien Gabet

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
The relaunched Paris to Milan train is a game-changer for travel. I was on the first service

2 weeks ago | msn.com | Damien Gabet

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
A direct train from Paris to Milan is a game-changer for travellers. I was on the first service

2 weeks ago | telegraph.co.uk | Damien Gabet

Reasonable prices, comfort and beautiful scenery - this relaunched train service is perhaps the best way to travel from France to ItalyThe problem with catching a train from Paris is that you have to go to Paris, which has Parisians in it. I was born in Paris to a local dad, so I'm allowed to say that. Tough crowd. Or rather, they used to be. Because something odd happened when I arrived on the 8am train from St Pancras last week. People were smiling. Waiters were affable. Things looked clean(er).
The new resort that shows the Maldives is turning into Dubai

1 month ago | telegraph.co.uk | Francesca Syz |Amanda Hyde |Gill Charlton |Damien Gabet

The new mega resort Crossroads may be the paradise destination's most extreme, Dubai-style offeringIt was a packed karaoke night at the Hard Rock Café. Since we'd crept in at the back, two English women had belted out Valerie and a Frenchman had crooned something romantic in his mother tongue. Then just as my husband plucked up the courage to do a number, three glamorous African-American women launched into a stadium-quality rendition of Midnight Train To Georgia.
The perfect holiday in India, according to our expert

1 month ago | telegraph.co.uk | Gill Charlton |Damien Gabet |Lee Cobaj |Joel Day

After 35 years of visiting the country, our veteran reveals how to explore its unique cultural riches, national parks and bustling citiesIndia is, without question, the most engaging, colourful, chaotic, spiritual and life-affirming country in the world. It is an assault on the senses - all of them, nearly all of the time.
Europe's resorts are fighting a losing battle

1 month ago | telegraph.co.uk | Damien Gabet

As Japan celebrates another winter of epic snowfall, our writer discovers some of the world's best skiing on it's northernmost islandLast Christmas, I distinctly remember staring at a slush-laced piste in Cortina d'Ampezzo, repeating the words: "You booked too early, you fool."The lowest runs were greener than Wentworth in June and I sighed as someone rode past on a mountain bike. We all know the Alps are fighting a losing battle, firing their Sisyphean cannons at an army of advancing warmth.
Aufguss: the wacky wellness ritual taking over European spas

2 months ago | cntraveller.com | Damien Gabet

This one’s tricky to explain, so hear me out. You and several others are in a super-sized sauna. You’re naked. A sauna master, clad in theatrical garms, throws spheres of ice, infused with essential oils, on the rocks. It’s 82.5°C. The steam rises. Said master then wafts the evaporating aromas into your face using a host of acrobatic towel twirls that call on the skills of a nunchucking ninja. There’s music and a light show; there are props and a storyline.
Is there such a thing as ‘responsible trespassing’? This man walked 500 miles—and says yes

2 months ago | adventure.com | Damien Gabet

In August 2024, Damien Gabet walked 500 miles from Hastings in southeast England to Gretna Green on the England-Scotland border. But it was no ordinary hike. This one included a series of trespasses. Somewhere near Carlisle, I hit the biggest wall of the walk. My feet cramped inwards like figs shrivelling on a gnarled branch, the rain came at a vindictive slant, my useless boots soaked up water like a biscuit in tea, and the blisters grew more confident with every step.