Where to stay, when to go, what it costs
The longer pieces: neighbourhood by neighbourhood guides, the case for going in the wrong month, and how the scoring works.
Seville or Granada: which one, if you only have time for one
The most common question about a first trip to Andalucia, and the answer is not the one people expect. Weather, eating, hills and what each city is actually for.
Things to do in London, ranked by whether they survive the queue
Thirty million visitors a year concentrated onto about eight attractions. What is worth it, what is worth it only under conditions, and what to do instead.
Where to stay in London, by the evening you want to walk out into
There is no centre of London, which is why "central" is a phrase used mostly by people selling rooms. Eight districts, what each is for, and the one question to ask at booking.
Three hotels for the Edinburgh Fringe, and what each one solves
Three thousand shows, a quarter of a million people, and the most brutal seasonal rate swing in Britain. Where to sleep in August, and when to book it.
Madrid in three days, built around where you sleep
Most itineraries are a list of museums arranged by opening hours, which is how people end up crossing the city four times a day. Three districts, three days, and the sightseeing fitted around the eating.
The best beaches in Cadiz, and which one is worth the drive
Two hundred kilometres of Atlantic that the package holiday never reached, because of the wind. Six beaches on the Costa de la Luz, and what each one is actually for.
Where to stay in Paris, arrondissement by arrondissement
The numbers spiral outwards like a snail shell, which is why the 6th and the 16th sound equally central and are forty minutes apart. What each one is actually for.
The Edinburgh Fringe, explained by someone who has queued in the rain
Three thousand shows, no curation whatsoever, and about a third of them bad. How the largest arts festival on earth actually works, and how to find the good two thirds.
Costa de la Luz or Costa del Sol: which coast is yours
Ninety minutes apart and not the same holiday at all. One is the most developed coast in Spain, the other is protected dune and pine, and the difference is a wind that blows for four days at a time.
The five best hotels in Madrid with a spa worth using
Madrid spent the last decade digging spas out from under its grand hotels. Five that earn the rate, what each one costs, and which to book for what.
Where to stay in Seville, by the street you want to wake up on
Santa Cruz is beautiful and full. Alameda is where people actually eat. Triana is ten minutes further and a third cheaper. Five districts, and what each one costs you.
Five things to see in Málaga, and the order to see them in
Most people pass through Málaga on the way to somewhere worse. The city has quietly become the most interesting stop on this coast, and two days is enough to prove it.
The Alhambra deserves the fuss, and the booking system deserves the complaints
The most visited monument in Spain is also the one most people get wrong. What it actually is, why it survived, and the one mistake that ruins the day.