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
Credit: Getty
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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‘It had the air of an ex-rental, and that’s putting it politely’: How an antique dealer transformed a run-down Georgian house in Chatham Dockyards
An antique dealer with an eye for colour has rescued an 18th-century house from years of neglect with the help of the team at Mylands.
By Arabella Youens
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You're having a giraffe: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 25, 2025
Friday's Quiz of the Day brings your opera, marathons and a Spanish landmark.
By Toby Keel
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The Business Class product that spawned a generation of knock-offs: What it’s like to fly in Qatar Airways’ Qsuite cabin
Qatar Airways’ Qsuite cabin has been setting the standard for Business Class travel since it was introduced in 2017.
By Rosie Paterson
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Seven of the UK’s best Arts and Crafts buildings — and you can stay in all of them
The Arts and Crafts movement was an international design trend with roots in the UK — and lots of buildings built and decorated in the style have since been turned into hotels.
By Ben West
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Why British designers dream up the most desirable hotels
When it comes to hotel design, the Brits do it best, says Giles Kime.
By Giles Kime
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'This wild stretch of Chilean wasteland gives you what other National Parks cannot — a confounding sense of loneliness': One writer's odyssey to the end of the world
Where else on Earth can you find more than 752,000 acres of splendid isolation? Words and pictures by Luke Abrahams.
By Luke Abrahams
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'The Wild Rabbit is a paean to Lady Carole Bamford's ethos of comfortable, yet incredibly spoiling accommodation'
At the heart of Kingham, one of Oxfordshire’s most historic and beguiling villages, The Wild Rabbit offers the chance to enjoy the authentic charm of the Cotswolds with all the trappings of a five-star hotel.
By Paula Lester
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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
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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
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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