Country Life's top 10 travel articles of 2020, from desert islands to a motor tour of the Cotswolds
Travel plans were thrown into chaos this year — but being able to escape around the world via a computer or tablet screen proved popular, as did planning for 2021. Here are our most-viewed travel stories of 2020.

If you're looking for more inspiration for 2021, the 30 December 2020 issue of Country Life is our annual travel special, full of adventures and ideas.
10 of the best beaches in Britain and Ireland, from sandy spaces for families to places of exquisite natural beauty
Credit: Alamy
With staycations the only reliable travel plan this summer, our travel editor Rosie Paterson picked out 10 of the very best British and Irish beaches.
Gokarna: A trip to India’s new Goa
Credit: Getty
Harriet Compston found a place that's 'a kaleidoscope of colour with diamond-white beaches and azure seas'
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Bucket List dreams for life after lockdown
Credit: Rosie Paterson
Back in April we asked adventurers, artists and those who've spent their whole careers obsessing over seeing the world about the places they want to visit when travel restrictions lifted.
Nine novels which will transport you around the world
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As we began to look beyond lockdown in June, this collection of destinations from classic novels was another way to inspire your post-lockdown travel plans.
If you only climb one mountain in your life, it should be this one
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Fiona Reynolds picked out Cnicht, Snowdonia, as her all-time favourite National Trust trail.
Bath unwrapped: Where to stay, what to do and what to eat in one of Britain’s most iconic and historic cities
Credit: Andy Fletcher Photography /
Emily Anderson explored the best of Bath, from the iconic Roman baths to it's eccentric comedy walking tours.
A dog-friendly London luxury hotel whose architect created the First Class dining room on the Titanic
Credit: Kimpton Fitzroy
The Kimpton Fitzroy is a central London hotel full of history that's perfect for an opulent weekend in the Big Smoke. Kathryn Bradley-Hole paid a visit.
10 award-winning hotels, from a lochside retreat to a Georgian mansion
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Bonnie Friend of the Good Hotel Guide picked out some of her favourite award-winning hotels.
The hotels that found fame on the silver screen
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Places to stay that came to prominence — with a little help from James Bond, Marilyn Monroe and more.
A driving tour of the Cotswolds
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Chickens, sheep, and dry-stone walls as long as the Great Wall of China, as discovered by Freda Lewis-Stempel.
Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.
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A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National Park
Old House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
By Arabella Youens Published
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The UK gets its first ‘European stork village’ — and it's in West Sussex
Although the mortality rate among white storks can be up to 90%, the future looks rosy for breeding pairs in southern England.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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‘The best sleep in the sky’: What it’s like to fly in United’s Polaris cabin, approved by American icon Martha Stewart
United’s Business Class cabin goes by the name Polaris and Martha Stewart is a fan. So, how does it fare?
By Rosie Paterson Published
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How to disconnect from reality and feel like a new person in under 72 hours
Our round-up of the best British retreats that work wellness wonders in under 72 hours.
By Jennifer George Published
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Scotland's majestic landscapes meet holistic wellness aboard Belmond and Dior's inaugural train retreat
The Royal Scotsman, A Belmond Train, and Dior have announced a three-night travelling wellness retreat.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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Art, architecture and plastic bricks at Lego House: 'It's as if the National Gallery set up easels and paints next to the masterpieces and invited you try your hand at creating a Van Gogh'
The rural Danish town where Lego was created is dominated by the iconic toy — and at Lego House, it has a fittingly joyful site of pilgrimage. Toby Keel paid a visit.
By Toby Keel Published
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How to cruise in the wake of Mark Twain on the great Mississippi River of the American South
'You cannot understand Twain without understanding the great river that winds its way as twistingly through his work as it winds through the middle of America.'
By John Niven Last updated
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From party island to arty island, Princess Margaret's private Mustique haunt announces burgeoning arts programme
Art Basil is the new Art Basel.
By Rosie Paterson Last updated
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‘It is as real and lasting as any other relationship I know of’: Everything you need to know about Venice in time for the 2025 Biennale Architettura
Your ultimate guide to Venice, Italy — for the Biennale and beyond.
By Christopher Wallace Published
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Dawn Chorus: Heathrow gives its VIP terminal a facelift and King Charles’s Land Rover Defender comes up for sale
A Land Rover Defender 90 ‘supplied new in 2010 for the sole use of King Charles’ — with ‘minor wear to the driver’s seat’ — is due to be auctioned off towards the end of the month.
By Rosie Paterson Published