Richard Collett

United Kingdom

Freelance Travel Writer at Freelance

I'm Richard, and I'm writing a book about Britain's borders. Words in Nat Geo, BBC Travel, CNN, Lonely Planet and more. [email protected]

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Articles

Seven lesser-known European holiday destinations where the locals go

1 month ago | msn.com | Richard Collett

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.
Seven lesser-known European holiday destinations where the locals go

1 month ago | msn.com | Richard Collett

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.
Seven lesser-known European holiday destinations where the locals go

1 month ago | inews.co.uk | Richard Collett

British holidaymakers are sticklers for tradition. Data provided by the Spanish Tourist Office showed how in 2023, a mammoth 52 per cent of the 17m British tourists visiting Spain made for either the Canary Islands or the Balearics, despite some locals on the islands railing against mass tourism. Read NextRead MoreA recent Which? Travel investigation revealed a similar story across a crowded continent. Paris, which hosted 44m international tourists in 2023, is the most-visited city in Europe.
The Best European Cities To Visit In October

1 month ago | theculturetrip.com | Richard Collett

Check out our guide to the best European cities to visit in the shoulder season of October, including jaunts to the likes of Naples, Berlin, Tbilisi and more.
The affordable winter sun holidays without crowds – or jet lag

1 month ago | msn.com | Richard Collett

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.
Why you'll love Europe's oldest wine region

2 months ago | thetimes.com | Richard Collett
The world-class Spanish foodie city where you can escape British tourists

2 months ago | inews.co.uk | Richard Collett

Only an hour’s drive south of Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz has yet to feel the Guggenheim Effect. This little-visited city – home to the Basque Parliament, and de facto capital of the autonomous Basque Country – has one of northern Spain’s best-preserved Casco Viejos (old towns). And with free museums, bargain pintxos and fine Riojan wines, Vitoria-Gasteiz is a world-class city break without the crowds of San Sebastian, just over an hour away. “People assume Vitoria-Gasteiz is boring.
This curious European island changes nationality every six months

2 months ago | msn.com | Richard Collett

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.
This curious European island changes nationality every six months

2 months ago | telegraph.co.uk | Richard Collett

Alternately belonging to France and Spain, pretty Pheasant Island provides a unique reason to head for the Basque Country this springNo more than 200 metres long and 40 metres wide, Pheasant Island is one of the world's last great cartographical quirks. Sitting quietly in the middle of the Bidasoa River, right on the international border between France and Spain, this little islet switches nationalities every six months.
I had Petra almost to myself - it was glorious, but Jordan needs tourists

Mar 29, 2025 | inews.co.uk | Richard Collett

The main trail to the Treasury – the rock-hewn tomb hand-carved by the Nabataen civilisation millennia ago – is eerily quiet. Rounding the last bend of Petra’s twisting sandstone canyons, I count no more than 20 people at one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Petra lies empty. Mutasem Alfarajat, an official Petra tour guide, sighs. “7/10 changed everything,” he says, referencing the Hamas 7 October attack on Israel in 2023. “Millions used to visit Petra.