Europe

When it comes to economic growth, Bucharest now rivals the major European capitals. "In Europe's least developed countries, major cities such as Bucharest or Bratislava are much more like Rome, Madrid or Copenhagen than any other region in those same countries," says the 2018 World Bank report. According to the ranking...

"2018 is set to be a record year for air traffic, with some 11 million flights scheduled within the European Union. Our current air traffic system is struggling to cope with the constant increase in traffic and other disruptions, which on average affect 50,000 passengers facing delays every day...

Consultancy firm PwC recently published its forecasts for hotel activity in Europe. Against a backdrop of strong economic growth in 2018, the European hotel industry is expected to perform well this year. PwC estimates that GDP per capita growth will be 4% worldwide and 2.2%...

Will we soon be able to fly from Paris to Tokyo for less than 500 euros return? Still inconceivable five years ago, this prospect is no longer utopian with the rise of long-haul low-cost airlines. For two or three years now, airlines such as Scoot (Singapore), AirAsia X (Malaysia) and Nokscoot...

On 4 April, Eurostar began its 300 km/h services between London St Pancras and Rotterdam - reached in 3h01 - and Amsterdam, which will be reached in 3h41. Starting with two trains a day, at 8.31am and 5.31pm from the British capital, this new high-speed rail service is being sold at...

In a few days' time, business travellers will no longer have to choose between finishing the last season of their favourite series or signing a contract in Madrid. From 1 April, all streaming platforms such as Netflix and Canal+ will be obliged to offer European users the same content regardless of whether they are in their own country...

Reported by Olivier Darmon. Photos Alain Parinet. Is it really reasonable to suspend a footbridge between the peaks of a glacier situated at an altitude of 3,000 metres? On the face of it, no. But that's what makes the Peak Walk suspension bridge so attractive! Spanning the void, this metal structure is 107 m long and 80 cm wide, guaranteeing...

Why come to Gstaad? Mirjam Li-Wolf - For the scenery, the snow and the authenticity. The atmosphere is soothing. There are almost as many cows as people in the region, and the mix of luxury establishments with strong rural traditions is unique. What's more, there are plenty of high-quality facilities and a wide range of activities,...

Reported by Cécile Balavoine. Photos Ludovic Maisant. Gone are the days of bling-bling Moscow, when magnums of champagne, high heels and oversized watches were the hallmarks of the social life. Today, it seems, the time has come not so much for the new rich as for the advent of a middle class whose standard of living is steadily improving. The collapse of the rouble, which...

[highlight] Benoît Lardy, Chairman of Tsar Voyages Opening a company in Russia is fairly straightforward. How did you come up with the idea of setting up a French-speaking tourism business in Moscow? Benoît Lardy - I was rather dreaming of Brazil. But as my wife is Russian, we decided to settle in Moscow, where we have been working ever since.

IDENTITY CARD Best season: January-March and June-September are the best times to enjoy the snow and the mountain atmosphere. Group size: The many hotels in the region - no fewer than five 5-star and ten 4-star - are perfectly equipped to accommodate groups of up to 80 people. GETTING THERE...

IDENTITY CARD Currency: rouble (RUB). 1 euro = RUB 70.5 (Nov. 2017) Area code: +7 (Russia); 495 (Moscow). Time difference: +2h. GETTING THERE AIR FRANCE operates four daily flights from Paris CDG to Moscow Sheremetyevo airport, code-sharing with AEROFLOT. For its part, the Russian airline, a member of Skyteam, offers five daily services,...

Before reaching the monastery of the Trinity of Saint Sergius, in the village of Sergiev Posad, a good hour's drive from Moscow, the Bleisure escapade begins with a stopover on the Abramtsevo estate, a former artists' colony where Turgenev and Gogol used to live. Then, in the 1870s, writers gave way to painters when the...

Reported by Cécile Balavoine. Photos Ludovic Maisant. "Between my many travels, I enjoy the rustic life on the Polenovo estate, the vast land that houses the house where my great-grandfather lived and where many of his works can be seen, as well as his studio. But I travel regularly to Moscow, both for business and pleasure.

Reported by Cécile Balavoine. Photos Ludovic Maisant. Moscow has had its fill of hotels. At last! It took almost two decades for the Russian capital to catch up in terms of hotels. The capacity of the city's hotels has been greatly expanded, and is now on a par with the start of the millennium. Even if the number of openings is not as frantic as it was at the beginning of the...

Reported by Cécile Balavoine. Photos Ludovic Maisant. Meeting in yet another hotel bar, organising a meeting in a room that always looks exactly the same as another... Why not take advantage of a stay in Moscow to explore some unusual addresses? Russia's capital is brimming with all kinds of places, but all perfectly suited to...

Reported by Cécile Balavoine. Photos Ludovic Maisant. The first groundbreaking dates back a long way: 1995. The first talks went back even further: to 1992. At the time, the idea was to redevelop a hundred-hectare wasteland four kilometres west of Red Square into a new business district...

Day 1: Arrival at Dublin airport. After a two-hour drive, visit Castle Ward and enjoy activities based on the Games of Thrones series. Overnight at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle. The Slieve Donard Resort & Spa © Alain Parinet Overlooking the seaside resort of Newcastle, the tall stature of the Slieve Donard has...

Since 15 June, roaming charges have been banned in the 28 countries of the European Union. "From now on, Europeans travelling in the EU will be able to make calls, send text messages and surf the web from their mobile device for the same price as in their country of origin...

Alternative accommodation providers are working hard to expand their global footprint. Onefinestay has just added San Francisco to its list of destinations, in addition to London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Rome and Miami. This specialist in the rental of top-of-the-range private residences with hotel services already offers around fifteen...