Europe

Eindhoven

Netherlands

Seville

Spain

Seville 💃 at €69 rtn from Eindhoven

Málaga

Málaga 🖌️ at €90 rtn from Eindhoven

Brussels

Belgium

Madrid

Madrid 💃 at €62 rtn from Brussels

Valencia

Valencia 🍊 at €75 rtn from Brussels

Bristol

England

Málaga 🐚 at £25-£35 rtn from Bristol

Knock

Ireland

Girona

Girona 🥘 at €39-€40 rtn from Knock

While on holiday in Tenerife one year we met a couple who became our good friends. Once the holiday was over we kept in touch, they would come and stay with us and we would visit them. Unfortunately during a house move a few years later I lost my address/phone book (before the days of mobile phones)
I had no way to get in touch with them. A couple of years later we went as a family to Majorca and during our holiday we decided to go to the water park for the day. We had an amazing time and just before we were due to leave we decided on one last slide
We all stood in the queue on the steps of the slide when the lady in front of us turned round to speak to her daughter, I couldn’t believe it, it was the couple we had lost touch with all those years before 
Now we were in the age of mobile phones and promptly exchanged phone numbers 
What an amazing coincidence 

Story from xAnn2002x

Black Friday Sale - LGW to ALC £85 with a carry on - Vueling - thanks for the heads up!

Postcard from Calts 

Your email came at the perfect time. Ive been wanting to go on a trip with my mum for a while. She has trouble flying so knew it would have to be business/first class for any flight. So to see this email! I hopped skipped and jumped to the flights and booked it! We&#39;re going istanbul whoop whoop! We both love Turkish culture (my mums been, I havent) ,I would have definitely missed these flights if i didnt sign up to your emails.

Thanks, 😊
J

Postcard from Janelle

Hey Jack &amp; team,
I booked this snack to Vienna from Copenhagen, dec 12 to 15!
Super excited to go with my husband and baby 🐥

Postcard from Elizabeth

Hi, I booked my return trip to India yesterday over December and got it for 399 without a checked bag (and 458 with). This is a direct flight via BA from London &gt; Delhi &gt; London. Thought I’d share!

Postcard from Sangam

Postcard from Carol

United States

Mexico

Guatemala

Finland

Fiji

France

Scotland

Sri Lanka

Hey there Travellers,
Like much of the world this week, Katy's off on holiday, so I get the special honor of sending out the first Detour of 2026 🎉
New Year's Eve, for many folks, is a time of reflection! It's the perfect excuse to dig through some old memories and take stock of those meaningful moments.&nbsp;
So that's our theme for this week: memories.&nbsp;This Detour is chock full of them &mdash; from this year's highlights, to nostalgic travel tattoos from trips long past.&nbsp;
Let's make 2026 another great year, Travellers! And let us know in the comments which travel memories you're hoping to create in the next twelve months &mdash; maybe we can help :-)
Wishing you a safe and happy New Year,

Olivia - Sub-Editor of the Detour

Permanent Souvenirs: Our Travel Tattoo Tales&nbsp;

You know a trip is worthwhile when that bittersweet thought crosses your mind: I wish I could bottle up this moment and keep it forever.
It&rsquo;s the feeling that drives souvenir sales and fills up your photo albums, but for travelers who&nbsp;really want to keep those memories close, there&rsquo;s another option &mdash; having that memory permanently added to your body.
Despite the discomfort of traveling with a fresh tattoo, getting inked on the road is a time-honored tradition. Captain Cook&rsquo;s sailors are said to have returned home from Polynesia sporting some new body art. Even 700 years ago, religious pilgrims to the Middle Eastern Holy Land were <a href="https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/1235759">getting small tattoos as evidence of their journey</a>. By the 19th century, the list of folks with travel tattoos even included <a href="https://www.rct.uk/collection/exhibitions/japan-courts-and-culture/the-queens-gallery-buckingham-palace/features/royal-tattoos">British royalty</a>.&nbsp;
Nowadays, there&rsquo;s an entire culture built up around travel tattoos. Some shops in touristy areas even&nbsp;depend on the demand. And just like in centuries past, there are still a myriad of motivations behind the decision.&nbsp;

During my (rather formative) few months in New Orleans, I realized I&rsquo;d regret it forever if I didn&rsquo;t leave that city with an inked reminder. Next thing I knew, I was face-down on a leather table, surrounded by NOLA-typical spiritual decor, while a stranger put me through excruciating pain for so long that I felt like my soul was leaving my body.
Unfortunately, in my case, that meant I was having a panic attack, desperately trying to keep still while hyperventilating and gasping through the pain. I tried to focus on a fixed point in the room to ground myself, but ended up locking eyes with a large, weeping statue of Santa Maria. It seemed less unnerving than the taxidermied animals, the bloody crucifixes, or the clutter of figurines stuck with nails or covered in bones and teeth.&nbsp;
When it was finally over, I paid the artist with shaking hands and basically ran out of the shop. I cannot even describe the headspace I was in. The relief was so strong that I felt like an entirely new person. All I wanted was a drink and a place to sit down.
Fortunately, that&rsquo;s not a tall order in New Orleans &mdash; I popped over to Bourbon Street and entered the first bar I saw.&nbsp;

Midway through a whisky, while listening to a bartender&rsquo;s story, I realized my new tattoo had started bleeding. There was a gruesome, oozy red smear running down my leg and trickling onto the floor of the bar.
&ldquo;Sorry, could I just get a napkin?&rdquo; I say, interrupting the bartender. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m bleeding onto your floor.&rdquo;
She casually handed me a napkin without even pausing her story. She had no reaction at all to hearing a patron say they were bleeding onto the floor of her bar at 2pm on a Monday.&nbsp;
I guess that&rsquo;s business as usual on Bourbon Street!
The tattoo has long since healed, but whenever I look at it, I remember what a wild time it was. I had no idea it would be that intense, but I&rsquo;m honored to have been given such a distinctly NOLA experience &mdash; one that really embodies the chaotic excitement of my time in the city. It&rsquo;s how I got hooked on travel tattoos!
So, as a person with so much access to well-seasoned travelers who understand the value of overseas memories, I just&nbsp;had to ask the Jack&rsquo;s Flight Club staff and Community for a few more tales.
And I heard some great ones! Like the new tradition started by our reader Zo&euml; and her wife, which started out as a space-saving measure:

&ldquo;My wife and I have a tradition of getting a tattoo on every *far* trip. Makes the long haul flight home worth it&hellip; Wanting to collect &lsquo;souvenirs&rsquo; whilst living in a small flat at the time was the original inspiration. We&rsquo;ve collected them from Thailand, Bali, and Singapore so far. Many more on the travel wishlist.&rdquo; - Zo&euml;

Or our Jack&rsquo;s Navigator Henry&rsquo;s story, about a priceless memorial that only cost &euro;15:

&ldquo;When I was 19/20, I lived in Spain and became friends with a good group of people. I moved back when someone at home died, but while I was at home, one of my friends in Spain died (very tragic, I know). So when I came back to visit my friends, one of them mentioned that another guy was starting off as a tattoo artist, and he needed guinea pigs to get the business&nbsp; going, so I said I would volunteer one night we were out. So the next day, we went to Seville and got this done. It is of course the song of Liverpool Football Club. But the tattoo is actually for everyone who is no longer with us. The words of the song make more sense than whatever I will say here 😂 It took 3 hours and cost 15 euro.&rdquo;&nbsp;- Henry

Our writer Akasha&rsquo;s tales of stick n&rsquo; pokes in Central American hostels could probably fill an entire novel:

"After almost an hour with my face wedged in the crook of an old Maltese man&rsquo;s pungent armpit as he bent over backwards attempting to tattoo my ribcage, eighteen-year-old me was hooked.&nbsp;
'For each country I visit, I&rsquo;m going to get a tattoo to commemorate it,' I excitedly told my boyfriend at the time. He rolled his eyes. He was the typical Irish lad, one that would 'go on holidays' once every 5 years to Benidorm or Magaluf. Something about the Irish pubs there.
He probably didn&rsquo;t expect that by my twenties, I&rsquo;d be lying on a sagging mattress in the jungles of Guatemala, a Czech apprentice straddling my torso, carving her gun of pain into my arm for four hours without a break.
Or that I&rsquo;d let a French guy hand-poke a reiki symbol onto my wrist in exchange for covering a bar shift.&nbsp;
Stick and poke became my preferred way. So naturally, my ears perked up when a German tattooist blew into the hostel I worked at in Chiapas. It&rsquo;d take me a few weeks to propose a trade he simply couldn&rsquo;t refuse: I&rsquo;d bleach his dreadlocks in return for some artwork."

"This was probably my most painful one. Not from the needle but from the cup of rubbing alcohol he poured over my raw skin, and the violent slap that followed. A sick and twisted joke because it was midnight and I couldn&rsquo;t scream without waking the hostel guests.
And while I haven&rsquo;t managed to stay true to my promise of getting inked everywhere I&rsquo;ve wandered, I&rsquo;ve done a pretty good job of collecting permanent stamps.
Mostly, the ink I&rsquo;ve gotten along the way is a map itself - of the girl who showed up clueless and curious, reckless and scared, but booked the ticket anyway."&nbsp;- Akasha

And lastly, our Detour queen Katy shared the story of her first tattoo, a remnant of a teenage adventure in the Netherlands:

"When I finished high school, I didn&rsquo;t go on the big group trip clubbing in Ayia Napa. That wasn&rsquo;t my thing at all. I wanted to see some of the world before starting university, not just the inside of a bar, surrounded by people I&rsquo;d mostly never see again.&nbsp;
Instead, myself and some of my closest friends decided to go Interrailing around Europe for 5 weeks. As is common when leaving high school in Scotland, most of us were only 17 at the time. We couldn&rsquo;t even (legally) drink in bars at home, so a month of European rules was exciting. And when we realised that we&rsquo;d even be old enough to get tattooed in The Netherlands&hellip;
Well, let&rsquo;s just say a few of us decided to give it a go &mdash; a fact my mum only found out three years later, when I was lazily lying in bed with my leg hanging out from under the sheets.
When getting your first tattoo, there&rsquo;s a lot of pressure to make it meaningful, so I opted for something I knew would always be important to me &mdash; music. I was right, playing music is still part of my life. But perhaps more important is the fact that I got it while on a memorable adventure with people who are still part of my life."&nbsp;- Katy

When I look at all of these stories together, there&rsquo;s a common thread: Most things in life are temporary. People enter and exit, chapters close, and that return flight is always rapidly approaching. I can go back to New Orleans, but I can&rsquo;t go back to that trip. Travel, by definition, has to be ephemeral.&nbsp;
We might be staking our money, time, and energy on a very short-lived experience, but we often return home permanently changed. I think travel tattoos owe their prolonged popularity to that change &mdash; they can help make the outside match the inside.
So if you feel the same, and have a travel tattoo (or several) of your own, feel free to send them our way. Maybe you&rsquo;ll see them in part two :-)

Travel Tales

Jack's Gone Global: Where We Went in 2025

As you might expect, the Jack's staff is always jetsetting around the world! 2025 was no different &mdash; We traveled everywhere from the Caribbean to the Arctic Circle.&nbsp;
Here's a few highlights from another fantastic year of travel...

<h2 id="lapland">Lapland</h2>
Hannah Deals &amp; Content

&ldquo;We took a day-trip over to the <a href="https://arcticsnowhotel.fi/en/">Arctic SnowHotel </a>during our trip, as well as snowmobiled through the forests, and took reindeer and husky rides on a tour with the Snowmobile Park company &mdash; they were great and included proper snow gear in their prices, so would highly recommend.
And last but not least, the northern lights! While you can hunt for them on a guided tour, it gets pricey. Instead, we stayed just outside of the city (towards Ounasvaara) in an AirBnB and were lucky enough to spot them dancing above the house most nights we were there.&rdquo;

<h2 id="lapland">Fiji</h2>
Larissa Deal &amp; Content Manager EU

&ldquo;Fiji was such a surprise to me! I went for a family celebration and didn&rsquo;t have many expectations (given I knew a lot of the holiday would be resort-bound), but we managed to do a decent amount in Nadi and the surrounding <a href="https://www.koroyanituheritagepark.org/plan-your-trip">Koroyanitu National Heritage Park</a>. My highlights were DIY-ing a hike through the park to an incredible waterfall lookout, and visiting the <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/Qs6PyZGqz5nm2PF9A">Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple</a> - the intricate paintwork inside was incredible!&rdquo;

<h2 id="lapland">France &amp; Scotland</h2>
Andrea Member Experience Team Leader

&ldquo;My trip to France and Scotland healed parts of me I didn't know needed healing. The little girl in me who thought she might never make it to Europe and visit her dream city and the grown girl in me that found her soul city.
My favorite moment of my adventures was being able to see and touch the Eiffel Tower. I knew that I would cry the moment I laid eyes on her and I very much did! LOL The tears were joy and marvel and finally realizing that I did it, I made it, I was standing in Paris!! I was looking at a monument I had only seen in books and movies. I checked a place off of a very long bucket list. I had macarons and croissants from French boulangeries and strolled along streets with beautiful architecture. I spoke terribly broken French from the years of Duolingo that I had been doing and I was out of this world happy.
However. My favorite place was Scotland. I had never traveled and felt at home anywhere the way I did there. The buildings, history, slight gloom and chill in the air. The beautiful stone streets and castles, this was my place. A place I felt very happy and comfortable, where I could wander for hours and not feel tired. I am still day dreaming about my time there and thinking of the things I want to do and see when I go back. It was on my bucket list and still is. There's so much more I need to see and experience (highland coos, for example!)&rdquo;

<h2 id="lapland">Sri Lanka</h2>
Fran&nbsp;Deals &amp; Content/Social Media

&ldquo;We loved our train experiences in Sri Lanka, and we&rsquo;d suggest every curious traveller give it a try at some point. I even wrote <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/the-truth-about-traveling-by-train-in-sri-lanka">an honest guide</a> about it. It sparked our curiosity to venture beyond the tourist-packed routes and discover the more authentic, less crowded journeys in the future.&rdquo;

<h2 id="lapland">St. Croix</h2>
Olivia&nbsp;Deals &amp; Content/Detour Sub-Editor

&ldquo;The highlight was definitely the Cruzan Rum Distillery, which you can read more about <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-179-st-croix-historic-distillery">in my article here</a>. Between the informative tour, the historic setting, our lovely guide, and drinks enjoyed at a breezy, palm-lined patio bar, we couldn&rsquo;t have been more pleased. There&rsquo;s a reason every guide to St. Croix name-drops this spot, and I can happily add myself to its list of fans&rdquo;

<h2 id="lapland">The Netherlands</h2>
Gabi Product Team

&ldquo;I had such a great time in the Netherlands. I started off in <a href="https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/discover-the-netherlands/visit-the-cities/the-hague">Den Haag</a>, where I decided to try haring (the famous raw herring, just a full fish) which not everyone loves but I&rsquo;m absolutely crazy for (I really love pickled stuff). I spent the rest of my time wandering around the city center, renting bikes with nerdy names, and cycling to some pretty spots like Haagse Bos. That same day I rode all the way to Scheveningen, which turned out to be a super lovely beach with a big pier. I sat there with a hot Chocomel in hand, feeling very Dutch. It also POURED rain the minute I hopped on the bike.&rdquo;

How about our readers? Where did you travel in 2025? Let us know in the comments :-)

Travel Tips

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Unfortunately, we have to start the year off with some tragic news: Chaos in Machu Picchu as <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gweww8rjro">two trains collided</a> last Tuesday, causing one death and injuring 40 others.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">On a more hopeful note, National Geographic released their <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/travel-adventures-best-trips-to-book-2026">top 20 picks for adventures to take in 2026</a>. The key words? &ldquo;Immersive&rdquo; and &ldquo;Transformative.&rdquo;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Sicily&rsquo;s Mount Etna has been in a bit of a turbulent mood lately, but that&rsquo;s not stopping the local skiers from <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cz7n4px7e41o">hitting her slopes</a>.</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Central Asia <a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/12/22/kobyz-and-the-yurt-central-asias-living-knowledge-enters-unescos-intangible-heritage-lists">got some love from UNESCO</a> as a regional stringed instrument and a style of yurt both got added to the organization&rsquo;s list of intangible cultural heritage.</li>
<li>And finally, got any questions about life at an Antarctic research station? Now&rsquo;s the time to ask &mdash; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/climate/thwaites-glacier-expedition-antarctica.html">the NYT is heading on down</a>, and they want to know what you want to know.</li>
</ul>

Travel News

Ringing in 2026 with Our Travel Memories

Czech Republic

Switzerland

Italy

Iceland

Norway

Wales

Season's greetings, Travellers!
First off, to all those celebrating this week and next, I wish you a very happy festive period! Be it munching on <a href="https://www.trafalgar.com/real-word/hanukkah/#:~:text=pressure%20to%20convert.-,Morocco,-Jews%20in%20Morocco">Hanukkah&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.trafalgar.com/real-word/hanukkah/#:~:text=pressure%20to%20convert.-,Morocco,-Jews%20in%20Morocco">sfenj</a> in Morocco, celebrating Christmas with a slice of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/bibingka-filipino-rice-cake-5196489">Filipino Bibingka</a>, or hibernating with Netflix and a pizza, may your bellies be full, and your hearts be warm.
If you're anything like me, this last week has involved a lot of wrapping up (pun intended) before the end of the year. Turns out, it's no different for airline staff, as the big names have been dropping their January sales this week, ready to turn their out-of-office on until next year.
So, if you're keen to lock in a 2026 trip before the year is out, <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights">jump into the Members Lounge</a> and check out all the Flights we've been finding. And if you've already sorted your travel plans for the new year, <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-217-window-seat-bernina-express-festive-factoids#comments">tell us where you're heading in the comments</a>!
Happy travels and safe landings,

Katy - Editor of The Detour

The Bernina Express: A Window Seat to Remember

Navigator Akasha finds phenomenal Flights faster than you can decide where you want to take a trip to next. A pro at finding the best of the best fares, she's also a master at sharing must-visit spots for when you land.

By Akasha

No white-glove service or curated grandeur here. For everything the Glacier Express is, the Bernina is not. And that&rsquo;s exactly why I loved it.&nbsp; 
After basking in&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/winter-through-a-window-glacier-express">the glitzy carriages of the Glacier Express</a>, my travel mates and I jump off in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N90gGX4XmY">Pontresina</a>. An idyllic alpine village that seems to share Swarovski snow with its high-end neighbor, St. Moritz.
We're only here for a brief stay, long enough to flop ourselves on the feathery pillows at <a href="https://www.booking.com/hotel/ch/schloss-wellness-family.en.html?aid=311076;label=schloss-wellness-family-siL34lTXiXePMOAsMWnZvgS626015091330:pl:ta:p1:p21,093,000:ac:ap:neg:fi:tikwd-39525692859:lp1007850:li:dec:dm:ppccp=UmFuZG9tSVYkc2RlIyh9YX-SVbABBf1_TwNC0YE2R9c;ws=&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=16290144&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAD_Ls1IHc1tG-hFCUouPWpGQ-mSEB&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAo4TKBhDRARIsAGW29belcNbwzE1f0hVJhkhtDPjhaLonN4OLgz1qGhNRNTQVM3qimnrrAu4aAoP9EALw_wcB">Schloss Hotel &amp; Spa</a> before catching <a href="https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ie/experiences/bernina-express/">the Bernina Express</a> across the Alps.
But first: bundling up for a quick hike and horse-drawn carriage into the pine-clad peaks of<a href="https://www.pontresina.ch/en/guide/mountains-and-valleys/the-val-roseg"> Val Roseg</a> &mdash; the kind that makes you forget the world and your onward ticket.

Whoever dreamed up winter clich&eacute;s clearly had the Roseg Valley in mind. From underneath heavy fur and wool blankets, we wave our mittens at passing horses and hikers.
The only sounds are the soft snort of the horse and the snow crunching under its hooves.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s a snow-globe kind of serenity as we make our way to the gingerbread-perfect <a href="https://www.roseg-gletscher.ch/en/">Roseg Gletscher</a>, lured in by its legendary dessert buffet and views over the Roseg Glacier.
But snow globes always settle eventually, even metaphorical ones. With dessert plates empty, fingers numb, and daylight thinning, it's time to trade the trail for the tracks and hop on the Bernina Express.&nbsp;

The Bernina is the Glacier Express's wilder, less polished counterpart, forgoing the bells and whistles in favour of raw switchbacks and dramatic elevation changes.
It feels more like a local train that just happens to be a&nbsp;<a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1276/">UNESCO World Heritage Site</a>, passing through some of the Alps' most stunning scenery.
The train does offer first and second class cabins, but our pockets were a feeling a little light after breathing the Swiss air for almost a week.
We opted for second class; it had everything we needed, including phone chargers and openable windows. Surprisingly, we had the cabin mostly to ourselves.

Unlike the Glacier Express, it's less about being served an experience and more about moving through one.&nbsp;You're far outside the sightseeing bubble, sharing space with locals on grocery runs.&nbsp;
Now and then, I spot lone stone huts in the distance, snow-dusted and silent. I wonder who owns these quiet outposts in such a vast landscape that barely notices our humming train. I imagine the winters and wars they have weathered.
How many hands has their hearth warmed, and how many lovers have stolen a brief embrace on their doorsteps?
The views don't let up as we climb, looping past glaciers, lakes, and peaks. The highest point, 2,253 meters, is one of Europe's loftiest railway crossings.
When the line was built in the early 1900s, just like the Glacier Express, local workers braved avalanches and thin Alpine air to carve tracks into impossible slopes.

Cresting the Bernina Pass, the world outside our window shifts again. Snow melts into emerald green as glaciers give way to forests. Pines blur past, villages flash by &mdash; fast, alive, and totally unstoppable.
The pretty town of Poschiavo lives in between worlds. Sitting north of the Italian border, the language, food, and daily rhythm sway toward the&nbsp;&ldquo;dolce vita&rdquo; lifestyle.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, many locals left to work abroad, often as pastry chefs or traders in Spain and Portugal. Those who returned quietly transformed the village with their earnings, giving Poschiavo a&nbsp;<a href="https://spritzience.com/poschiavo-in-2-hours-the-ultimate-mini-guide/">surprisingly elegant feel</a>.
Nowadays, you'll find artisan boutiques and ancestral ateliers, like <a href="https://www.stone-artposchiavo.ch/en/">StoneArt Swiss</a>&nbsp;run by Angelo Boninchi. He works with local Val Poschiavo marble and regional stones like serpentinite and nephrite jade to create everything from countertops and sculptures to one-of-a-kind jewelry.
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/winter-through-a-window-the-bernina-express">Keep reading for essential Bernina tips...</a>

Festive Facts from Around the World

The Detour Editor Katy is a budget travel aficionado who has already travelled to more than 50 countries. Whether she's at home or on a foreign adventure, she has a particular talent for stumbling upon tasty Georgian restaurants.

By Katy

As soon as December arrives, some of the Jack's Navigators kind of lose the plot. In particular, our Member Experience Lead, Jo, gets a little carried away with all the festivities, and this year, she decided to share Christmassy facts from around the world with the team.
In the spirit of the season of giving, I thought I'd gather all our fave nuggets of seasonal wisdom together in one place to share them with you. And where better to start than with the cute little&nbsp;<a href="https://www.inspirationswholesale.co.uk/blog/christmas/what-are-gonks-where-are-they-from/">gonks</a> that have been creeping into Christmas decor in recent years?
The eyeless infiltrators started life in Scandinavia as nisser, small spirits that live in a family&rsquo;s house or barn and secretly act as their guardian. All would go swimmingly if a nisse felt appreciated - they would protect the family and its animals from evil, and they might even do the farmyard chores.

You don&rsquo;t want to offend a nisse, though. One too many tea breaks or forgetting to leave out the obligatory <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-risengrod">bowl of porridge on Christmas Eve</a> is enough to get you in the bad books, and that&rsquo;s when the pranks start. Tying cows&rsquo; tails together and turning objects upside down sounds fairly silly and mostly harmless, but word has it they&rsquo;d also break things or even attack people.
These days, nisser are considered friendly Christmas spirits who might still pull a few pranks here and there (much more elf on the shelf). They became the bearers of gifts in Denmark in the 1840s, with Sweden and Norway following suit later in the 19th century. The <a href="https://backyardgoats.iamcountryside.com/ownership/julbock-swedens-legendary-yule-goat/">Yule Goat</a> had previously held the reins on Scandi Christmas, but now they occasionally show up to hand out gifts together.

The festive season in the Czech Republic is all about finding love for the new year and predicting marriage. If you're in the market and bored of Tinder, here are a few tips:
Shoe chucking:
Stand with your back to the door (any door will do) and chuck a shoe over your shoulder. If the toe lands pointed towards the door, then it is meant to signify that you will marry in the new year. If the toe points any other direction, better luck next time!
The elder tree shimmy:
Třesu třesu bez, pověz ty mi pes, kde můj mil&yacute; dnes! (Shake, shake, shake the elder tree, tell me, dog, where my love will be!) 
These are the words that single ladies may want to recite while standing under an Elder tree and giving it a good shake. Once you're done, stand quietly and listen out until you hear a dog barking. Whichever direction the sound comes from is the direction from which your future husband will appear.
Barborky&nbsp;a.k.a. cherry tree twigs:
On St. Barbara's Day, which lands on the 4th of December, cut a twig off a cherry tree and place it in a vessel of water. If the twig blooms before Christmas Eve, there's a good chance we'll be hearing wedding bells in the new year!

Ti&oacute; de Nadal (a.k.a. Caga Ti&oacute;, a.k.a. Poop Log) is a festive wooden log that appears in houses around Catalonia each Christmas. No Ti&oacute; is complete without little stick legs, a painted cheerful face, and a traditional Catalan&nbsp;barretina hat. Every family has their own unique log, some with a simple charcoal face while others are more intricately decorated.
Ti&oacute; de Nadal becomes part of the Christmas celebrations from the 8th of December (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) and stays till Christmas Eve, placed in his own special corner of the home. The kids in the house are responsible for keeping their festive friend covered with a blanket to stay warm, and for keeping him fed. Tangerines, cookies, nuts are ideal to 'prime' him for the big day.&nbsp;
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/festive-facts-from-around-the-world">Continue reading festive factoids...&nbsp;</a>

Festive Frolics

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li>Imagine spending all day in bed while sipping champagne, followed by a hot shower and a plushy robe. Now imagine doing it <a href="https://simpleflying.com/7-most-luxurious-long-haul-first-class-seats-book-today/">40,000 feet up in the air</a>. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">KLM is <a href="https://simpleflying.com/the-uks-regional-airline-klm-announces-flights-to-19th-airport/">expanding its "UK presence"</a>&hellip; but not where you might expect. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Soon you&rsquo;ll have to pay a <a href="https://secretroma.com/en/trevi-fountain-fee-en/">small admission fee</a> to see the iconic Trevi Fountain, which offers visitors a glimpse of Rome&rsquo;s incredible ancient history. But don't worry, it&rsquo;ll still be free to check out the Las Vegas replica, which offers a glimpse of the Guy Fieri restaurant across the street... similar enough, right? </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Scottish adventurer Alice Morrison has become the first recorded person to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/saudi-arabia-walking-british-yemen-tv-presenter-b2884877.html">walk the entire length of Saudi Arabia on foot</a>. The journey was so long, even her camel had to wear shoes.&nbsp; </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Romania has revealed plans for a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/dracula-land-theme-park-bucharest-romania-b2881606.html">vampire-themed amusement park</a>, featuring a replicated Victorian London, Mardi Gras carnival, and &mdash; of course &mdash; Dracula&rsquo;s castle. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">And finally, a recent study chose this European city as the world&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timeout.com/news/this-underrated-european-city-has-been-named-the-worlds-most-relaxing-place-to-live-in-2026-121725">most relaxing place to live</a>. Any guesses before you click?</li>
</ul>

Take the Window Seat on the Bernina Express & Jack's Festive Facts

Denmark

Sweden

As soon as December arrives, some of the Jack's Navigators kind of lose the plot. In particular, our Member Experience Lead, Jo, gets a little carried away with all the festivities, and this year, she decided to share Christmassy facts from around the world with the team.
In the spirit of the season of giving, I thought I'd gather all our fave nuggets of seasonal wisdom together in one place to share them with you. And where better to start than with the cute little&nbsp;<a href="https://www.inspirationswholesale.co.uk/blog/christmas/what-are-gonks-where-are-they-from/">gonks</a> that have been creeping into Christmas decor in recent years?
The eyeless infiltrators started life in Scandinavia as nisser, small spirits that live in a family&rsquo;s house or barn and secretly act as their guardian. All would go swimmingly if a nisse felt appreciated - they would protect the family and its animals from evil, and they might even do the farmyard chores.
You don&rsquo;t want to offend a nisse, though. One too many tea breaks or forgetting to leave out the obligatory <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-risengrod">bowl of porridge on Christmas Eve</a> is enough to get you in the bad books, and that&rsquo;s when the pranks start. Tying cows&rsquo; tails together and turning objects upside down sounds fairly silly and mostly harmless, but word has it they&rsquo;d also break things or even attack people.
These days, nisser are considered friendly Christmas spirits who might still pull a few pranks here and there (much more elf on the shelf). They became the bearers of gifts in Denmark in the 1840s, with Sweden and Norway following suit later in the 19th century. The <a href="https://backyardgoats.iamcountryside.com/ownership/julbock-swedens-legendary-yule-goat/">Yule Goat</a> had previously held the reins on Scandi Christmas, but now they occasionally show up to hand out gifts together.

Iceland does things a little differently, of course, with not one but thirteen J&oacute;lasveinar, aka <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-thirteen-yule-lads-icelands-own-mischievous-santa-clauses-180948162/">Yule Lads</a>, and their rather unorthodox family. The Yule Lads come down from their mountain home one by one on the nights leading up to Christmas to give gifts.
Much like the nisser, their mean and violent tendencies have been softened over the centuries, so now they&rsquo;re just seen as mischief-makers. Their appearance has also changed with time - the story goes that their mother, Gr&yacute;la, is a troll, so they used to resemble weirdly proportioned elves, but have been increasingly depicted as human over time.
Icelandic children traditionally leave a shoe on their windowsill each night from 12th December until Christmas Eve in the hopes of getting a gift from the Yule Lads. Naughty kids needn&rsquo;t bother, however - unless they really want to get a potato (sometimes raw, sometimes rotten). And that&rsquo;ll certainly be your fate if you forget to leave out a <a href="https://whydyoueatthat.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/day-1-laufabraud/">laufabrau&eth;</a> &nbsp;for them, too.

<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en">CC image</a> courtesy of <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2pRuJpS">Joe Slabotnik on flickr</a>
So here are the 13 lads you&rsquo;ll want to be looking out for over the next week. Thanks to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nordicvisitor.com/blog/the-13-yule-lads-of-iceland/">nordicvisitor.com</a> for the clear explanation!
<ol type="1">
<li>Stekkjastaur (Sheep-Cote Clod) on 12th December &ndash; He sneaks into barns to steal milk from sheep.</li>
<li>Giljagaur (Gully Gawk) on 13th December &ndash; This Yule Lad has a taste for cow&rsquo;s milk and he&rsquo;ll take it straight from the barn.</li>
<li>St&uacute;fur (Stubby) on 14th December &ndash; The shortest of the lads, he swipes leftover food from frying pans.</li>
<li>&THORN;v&ouml;rusleikir (Spoon Licker) on 15th December &ndash; He licks spoons, of course.</li>
<li>Pottasleikir (Pot Licker) on 16th December &ndash; This guy will steal unwashed pots from the kitchen so he can lick them clean.</li>
<li>Askasleikir (Bowl Licker) on 17th December &ndash; He snatches bowls out from under beds and gobbles up any morsels of food.</li>
<li>Hur&eth;askellir (Door Slammer) on 18th December &ndash; He slams doors, and he&rsquo;ll do this all night if he finds any open.</li>
<li>Skyrg&aacute;mur (Skyr Gobbler) on 19th December &ndash; He&rsquo;s ravenous for skyr, Icelandic yoghurt, and will pinch any that's up for grabs.</li>
<li>Bj&uacute;gnakr&aelig;kir (Sausage Swiper) on 20th December &ndash; Hide your sausages or this guy will eat them.</li>
<li>Gluggag&aelig;gir (Window Peeper) on 21st December &ndash; He&rsquo;ll peep through windows in the hope he can steal something.</li>
<li>G&aacute;tta&thorn;efur (Door Sniffer) on 22nd December &ndash; You&rsquo;ll find this large-nosed lad sniffing doorways in pursuit of baked goods.</li>
<li>Ketr&oacute;kur (Meat Hook) on 23rd December &ndash; He&rsquo;s hungry for meat, so lock up your lamb chops!</li>
<li>Kertasn&iacute;kir (Candle Beggar) on 24th December &ndash; Finally, the last of the Yule Lads is known for making off with candles.</li>
</ol>
We&rsquo;re sure we&rsquo;ve already spotted a few of these guys out at work Christmas parties&hellip; looking at you, Spoon Licker!
But that&rsquo;s not all - their evil troll mother is like the Icelandic Child Catcher, said to venture around Iceland looking for naughty children to whisk away in her sack. The only thing all the legends agree on is that she and her husband Leppal&uacute;&eth;i were cannibals, otherwise it&rsquo;s up to us to decide <a href="https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/gryla-and-leppaludi-the-parents-of-the-icelandic-yule-lads">how many tails</a> and how many children they each had.
But one thing we know for sure is that together they own the giant <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/each-christmas-icelands-yule-cat-takes-fashion-policing-extreme-180961420/"> J&oacute;lak&ouml;tturinn</a>, or Christmas Cat. She stalks the darkness on Christmas Eve, preying on anyone who didn&rsquo;t get new clothes as a gift this year&hellip;

<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en">CC image</a> courtesy of <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2knktqz">Vicious Bits on flickr</a>
The only thing better than Halloween is Christmas! The only thing better than that is an amalgamation of the two (Nightmare Before Christmas). A perfect mixture of weird and dark with sparkly joy. If this sounds like your kinda holiday, well then I have some good news for you: there's a Christmas tradition in&nbsp;Wales that's made to order!
The tradition of Mari Lwyd dates back to the end of the 18th century, but it&rsquo;s believed to have much older Pagan origins.&nbsp;A horse skull is mounted on a stick, decorated with ornaments and ribbons, and adorned with a large cloth to hide the person beneath. You'll find the former horse galloping door to door around Christmas, carried by a group of merry carollers, who also challenge the people inside with rhymes and riddles.
This ritual is known as&nbsp;pwnco, where the Mari Lwyd troupe tries to win entry to a household by outwitting its occupants in a battle of rhymes. You could call it some kind of ancient rap battle. If they succeed, the carollers are welcomed inside and treated to food and refreshments before moving on to the next house.
Mari Lwyd is considered good luck for every household it enters, so it&rsquo;s rarely defeated in a rhyme contest. Win or lose, most are happy to welcome them in!

The festive season in the Czech Republic is all about finding love for the new year and predicting marriage. If you're in the market and bored of Tinder, here are a few tips:
Shoe chucking:
Stand with your back to the door (any door will do) and chuck a shoe over your shoulder. If the toe lands pointed towards the door, then it is meant to signify that you will marry in the new year. If the toe points any other direction, better luck next time!
The elder tree shimmy:
Třesu třesu bez, pověz ty mi pes, kde můj mil&yacute; dnes! (Shake, shake, shake the elder tree, tell me, dog, where my love will be!) 
These are the words that single ladies may want to recite while standing under an Elder tree and giving it a good shake. Once you're done, stand quietly and listen out until you hear a dog barking. Whichever direction the sound comes from is the direction from which your future husband will appear.
Barborky a.k.a. cherry tree twigs:
On St. Barbara's Day, which lands on the 4th of December, cut a twig off a cherry tree and place it in a vessel of water. If the twig blooms before Christmas Eve, there's a good chance we'll be hearing wedding bells in the new year!
Water faces:
Head down to your closest body of water, like a pond, river, lake, or even a big puddle. Bend over the water and think seriously about marriage. After some time, you'll see the face of your future husband in the reflection of the water. We're unclear exactly how long 'some time' is, but that's the thing about superstitions &mdash; they're rarely very precise.

Ti&oacute; de Nadal (a.k.a. Caga Ti&oacute;, a.k.a. Poop Log) is a festive wooden log that appears in houses around Catalonia each Christmas. No Ti&oacute; is complete without little stick legs, a painted cheerful face, and a traditional Catalan&nbsp;barretina hat. Every family has their own unique log, some with a simple charcoal face while others are more intricately decorated.
Ti&oacute; de Nadal becomes part of the Christmas celebrations from the 8th of December (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) and stays till Christmas Eve, placed in his own special corner of the home. The kids in the house are responsible for keeping their festive friend covered with a blanket to stay warm, and for keeping him fed. Tangerines, cookies, nuts are ideal to 'prime' him for the big day. 
Every evening, the children gather around&nbsp;Ti&oacute; and sing him traditional songs while hitting him with a stick. It's all part of the process, honest! The better&nbsp;Ti&oacute; is treated by the children during his stay, the better their rewards come Christmas.
On either the night of the 24th or the morning of the 25th, Caga Ti&oacute; is taken from his corner and completely covered with his blanket, before being placed in the middle of the room. The kids then gently beat him with a stick one final time and lift the blanket to see what Ti&oacute; has "pooped" out for everyone. The little treasures usually range from sweets and small trinkets to toys and large presents.
Equal parts whimsy and delight, the&nbsp;Caga Ti&oacute; isn&rsquo;t just about making a cheery log &ldquo;poop&rdquo; gifts. It is designed to help children learn values like patience and generosity, while also enjoying the magic of Christmas.&nbsp;

We&rsquo;ll round off by heading back to Czechia for more seasonal superstitions. Christmas dinner is eaten on 24th December, and comes with an incredible plethora of food related customs and superstitions that need to be followed. It's quite the list and, if it were me, I would absolutely need to take notes and create a checklist. So, let's get stuck in:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">By chucking a piece of V&aacute;nočka (Christmas bread) into a well, your water will be good quality in the new year </li>
<li dir="ltr">To make sure your bees produce enough honey, you should also sprinkle a few V&aacute;nočka crumbs in front of the bee hive </li>
<li dir="ltr">Want your cows to be the best milk producers on the meadow? Feed precious Daisy a piece of bread on Christmas Eve! </li>
<li dir="ltr">Tired of evil lurking around every corner? Place honey on your Christmas table to protect your guests against bad luck and evil in the new year! </li>
<li dir="ltr">And if you don't place garlic&nbsp;under the table, are you even celebrating Christmas? These little cloves are believed to bring strength, and provide protection to everyone around the table. <img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/b64164ab45bafe9f989ed728b20e289b2ab6abd6" width="245" height="367" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> </li>
<li dir="ltr">Sweeter milk from your family goat? Give them a sweet treat on Christmas Eve! By sharing your apples with Sally, you'll be blessed with sweeter milk. </li>
<li dir="ltr">Traditionally, a meal called Kuba, made from onions, mushrooms, garlic, and barley, was served at Christmas dinner as part of the main course. Nowadays, it's often replaced by mushroom soup for supper. The mushroom portion of the meal is the important part, though, essential for providing strength and health in the new year! </li>
<li dir="ltr">On the 24th of Dec, dip a sheaf of grain into holy water (ideally not obtained by nefarious means) and sprinkle the water all over your house, both inside and out, to ensure that your home is safe from being burnt down over the next year! </li>
<li dir="ltr">Want enough eggs to feed an army? Heck yes, omelettes and the aforementioned sweetened goat milk cheese sounds delish. Well, in that case, you need to feed a variety of poppy seed, peas, wheat, and barley to your chooks on Christmas Eve to guarantee eggs for everyone!</li>
</ul>

What are your top festive facts from around the world? Drop 'em in the comments, or else Santa will bring you a lump of coal!

Jack's Festive Facts from Around the World

Mauritius

Portugal

Hey there, Travellers!
The time has finally come for me to face a hard truth; my favourite carry-on backpack is on its way out. The straps are fraying, bits are falling off, and it now opens of its own volition.
I picked up my trusty Herschel about 5 years ago for a bargain price, and it's been on nearly every trip with me since then. It's the perfect size for a long weekend, there's a lovely, padded laptop sleeve inside, and it is actually a nice colour (or was, before I got it all mucky).
So now I need your help, readers! Since this is the prime time of year to snap up new gear, I'm looking for your carry-on backpack recommendations. Do I stick with my beloved Herschel, or is there a new kid on the block?
Let me know <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/winter-on-the-glacier-express-winter-sun-escapes#comments">in the comments</a>, or reply to this email!
Happy travels and safe landings,

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Window Wonderland: Winter on the Glacier Express

Some winters are best seen in motion, and Switzerland&rsquo;s panoramic train promises just that.
Winter. My spirit does not gleefully jump at the fading light, soggy gloves, and single-digit temperatures on either side of zero.
Nor does it dance with the bare-naked trees when I picture gusts of tiny needles hitting my face. Or the sting of the cold in my ears that haunts me long after I&rsquo;ve slammed the door to the frozen world outside.&nbsp;
Yet for every scratchy woollen layer, stiff finger, and runny nose, there exists a winter worth savoring. The one from the warmth of a window.&nbsp;

Windows offer an intimate glimpse of the outside world when we step inside, away from the hustle. They serve as a projector, reeling back micro-moments of &ldquo;humanness&rdquo; that we might not necessarily catch on a check-box trip; a dog leaping through a fresh blanket of snow, waddling toddlers bundled in bulky snowsuits, a street vendor meticulously hanging the last strand of tinsel on their awning. 
Call it travel voyeurism. The joy of a quiet, captivating secret beyond the glass.&nbsp;
There may be no better window from which to watch the season unfold than on the Glacier Express&mdash;and that&rsquo;s exactly where I found myself earlier this year.
The world&rsquo;s &ldquo;slowest express train,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a href="https://glacierexpress.ch/en">the Glacier Express</a> winds unhurriedly through some of Europe&rsquo;s most iconic winter scenery, linking the ritzy resorts of Zermatt &amp; St. Moritz.

With 360 panoramic windows, it&rsquo;s a photographer&rsquo;s dream, though you&rsquo;ll want one hand free for a glass of champagne and the extravagant meals provided onboard.&nbsp;
Chugging through alabaster valleys, alpine villages, and towering mountains, the journey takes eight hours to complete. Pine forests and pastures peel back in slow motion, revealing wooden hamlets and steeples tucked into the valley below.

Inside, the carriage felt like a cocoon: warm air hissing through the vents, windows fogging then clearing with every shift in altitude. I spotted someone two rows up wrapping their hands around a warm mug.
An elderly couple to the left were speaking about the construction of the route; entire teams lived in alpine huts for months, blasting through rock metre by metre with picks and dynamite.&nbsp;
 <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/winter-through-a-window-glacier-express">Keep reading</a> for Akasha's essential Glacier Express tips...

As soon as the temperatures begin to drop, the requests for winter sun recommendations start piling up in our inbox. And we don't blame you at all; sunny trips are about the only thing that get us through those dark and dreary months!
Some of you are just in need of a quick, cheap winter break, while others are on the hunt for good spots to combine a vitamin D top-up with a bit of remote working.&nbsp;As a general rule, we&rsquo;d suggest you head south for extra daylight and temperatures above 16 &deg;C.&nbsp;If you want a little more to go on, we&rsquo;ve drawn up a short-list of exciting winter sun spots beloved by the Jack's team and Community alike.
<h2 id="cadiz">Cadiz, Spain</h2>

Temperatures: 16-18 &deg;C in January - March
Why should I visit?&nbsp;It's supposedly the oldest city still standing in Europe, dating back to the 12th century. Beautiful cathedrals, Roman ruins and authentic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.manvsglobe.com/best-taps-restaurants-bars-where-to-eat-cadiz-spain/">tapas bars</a>&nbsp;are tucked away around every corner in the narrow alleyways of the Old Town.
The locals also know how to throw a party, rehearsing all year for their world-famous&nbsp;<a href="https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-cadiz-carnival/">Carnival</a>&nbsp;that takes places over 11 days in late February - March.
<h2 id="mauritius">Mauritius</h2>

Temperatures:&nbsp;22-27 &deg;C in November - March
Why should I visit?

"What&rsquo;s not to like with Indian and East African influences mingled in with British and French culture? People are hospitable, weather is great (remember it&rsquo;s summer in January) rum tastes good, and I&rsquo;d be happy to return tomorrow!" - Avril

Temperatures&nbsp;- 16-17 &deg;C in November - March
Why should I visit?&nbsp;- You'll find it hard not to rush outdoors and breathe in the Azores&rsquo; fresh mountain air. The islands are <a href="https://www.muchbetteradventures.com/magazine/hiking-in-the-azores-a-guide-to-the-best-hikes-in-azores/">made for hiking</a>, with trails leading you to waterfalls, around volcanic craters, and along the craggy coastline. And although you may never have heard of a&nbsp;<a href="http://grutadocarvao.amigosdosacores.pt/en">lava tube</a>, we bet you&rsquo;ll want to snoop around inside one now that you know it&rsquo;s possible on S&atilde;o Miguel Island.
We&rsquo;d also recommend&nbsp;<a href="https://www.winetraveler.com/portugal/azores-islands/">visiting a local winery</a>&nbsp;or two - just for science, of course. Despite the extreme growing conditions out there in the middle of the Atlantic, wine has been made there for hundreds of years.
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/jacks-top-winter-sun-destinations">Keep reading...</a>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/2760939580766771">Polar night has begun</a> across the northern Arctic. This week, parts of Alaska and northern Norway joined Svalbard in a months-long nighttime. The sun won't show its face again there until mid-to-late January. </li>
<li>Travelling to watch sports is nothing new, but 2026 may see <a href="https://www.cntraveller.com/article/the-rise-of-sumo-travel">an unexpected sport </a>inspiring trips far and wide. </li>
<li>No trip to Istanbul is complete without considering scooping up a friendly local feline. Not quite strays nor pets, the city has a truly <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20251118-istanbul-turkey-inside-the-city-where-cats-rule-the-streets">unique relationship with cats</a>. </li>
<li>And finally, would you <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/nov/17/high-art-the-museum-that-is-only-accessible-via-an-eight-hour-hike">hike eight hours up an Alp</a> to reach a museum? No? Me neither. Even a really good one.</li>
</ul>

Winter on the Glacier Express & Winter Sun Escapes

Costa Rica

Gambia

Vietnam

Thailand

Cambodia

Laos

South Africa

As soon as the temperatures begin to drop, the requests for winter sun recommendations start piling up in our inbox. And we don't blame you at all; winter sun holidays are about the only thing that get us through those dark and dreary months!
Some of you are just in need of a quick, cheap winter break, while others are on the hunt for good spots to combine a vitamin D top-up with a bit of remote working.
As a general rule, we&rsquo;d suggest you head south for extra daylight and temperatures above 16 &deg;C (well known for being the point at which it becomes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taps-aff.co.uk/#search">&ldquo;Taps Aff&rdquo; weather</a> here in Scotland). If you want a little more to go on, we&rsquo;ve drawn up a short-list of exciting winter sun spots beloved by the Jack's team and Community alike.
<h2 id="cadiz">Cadiz, Spain</h2>

Temperatures&nbsp;- 16-17 &deg;C in November - March
Why should I visit?&nbsp;- You'll find it hard not to rush outdoors and breathe in the Azores&rsquo; fresh mountain air. The islands are <a href="https://www.muchbetteradventures.com/magazine/hiking-in-the-azores-a-guide-to-the-best-hikes-in-azores/">made for hiking</a>, with trails leading you to waterfalls, around volcanic craters, and along the craggy coastline. And although you may never have heard of a&nbsp;<a href="http://grutadocarvao.amigosdosacores.pt/en">lava tube</a>, we bet you&rsquo;ll want to snoop around inside one now that you know it&rsquo;s possible on S&atilde;o Miguel Island.
We&rsquo;d also recommend&nbsp;<a href="https://www.winetraveler.com/portugal/azores-islands/">visiting a local winery</a>&nbsp;or two - just for science, of course. Despite the extreme growing conditions out there in the middle of the Atlantic, wine has been made there for hundreds of years.
<h2 id="c">Costa Rica</h2>

Temperatures&nbsp;- 16-27 &deg;C in January - March, depending on the area
Why should I visit? Sorry to be clich&eacute;d, but there genuinely is something for everyone in Costa Rica. Sun, sea, surf, and sand? Check. Mountains, rainforests, volcanoes, and lakes? Check. Colourful birdlife, howling monkeys, and <a href="https://www.slothconservation.org/blog/with-a-little-help-from-my-friends-sloths-moths-and-algae">green-tinged sloths</a>? Also check.
Plus, the Jack's team is&nbsp;obsessed&nbsp;with <a href="https://puravidamoms.com/what-is-salsa-lizano-from-costa-rica/">Lizano Salsa</a>!

&ldquo;We enjoyed Costa Rica this past January, although we only stayed in Tamarindo for a week. If we had more time we would travel to other areas in Costa Rica. In January, we had little rain if any and it was hot. Perfect time to go on boat cruises and lounge around the pool.&rdquo; - Sharrie

Temperatures&nbsp;- 32-34 &deg;C in January - March
Why should I visit?&nbsp;- For one thing, the people of Gambia are famously friendly, earning it the nickname &ldquo;The Smiling Coast of Africa&rdquo; (okay, that may have something to do with the&nbsp;<a href="https://face2faceafrica.com/article/ever-wondered-why-the-gambia-is-called-the-smiling-coast-heres-why">shape of the country</a>, too).
Despite being reliant on tourism, the country&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gambia.co.uk/blog/a-beach-lovers-paradise">beaches remain uncrowded</a>, and you don&rsquo;t have to hike for hours to find a secluded spot. You can have all the luxury of a Caribbean resort for much less. Then again, it&rsquo;s easy to immerse yourself in local life by staying in&nbsp;eco lodges&nbsp;and hitting non-touristy spots like Tanji, with its <a href="https://www.mewithmysuitcase.com/2022/09/tanji-fish-market.html">fish markets</a>.
Word to the wise: if you&rsquo;re not into fish guts and strong aromas, sit this one out.
<h2>Cape Town</h2>

Temperatures&nbsp;- 25-29 &deg;C in November - March
Why should I visit?&nbsp;

&ldquo;It has everything. We used to spend three months there for many years. Cape Town has masses of things to do apart from 1000 wine estates to visit. Then there are amazing safaris to go on. The food and wine scene is fantastic.&rdquo; - Christine

Oh, and the <a href="https://onegirlwholeworld.com/africa/boulders-beach-foxy-beach-penguins-south-africa/">tiny penguins</a>, obviously!
<h2 id="s">South East Asia</h2>

Temperatures&nbsp;- 15-30 &deg;C in November - March
Why should I visit? Okay, okay, we know this is a whole region, but we find it hard to pick just one spot. Northern regions of Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam will offer cooler jungle vibes, while central areas will be a little warmer, just right for checking out some temples. And then there are the coastal spots, and all those famous Thai beaches.&nbsp;
If we had to choose, we'd say: don't! Take your time, and work in some winter sun on the beach as well as the jungle fun.

&ldquo;Thai beaches are always a good idea, especially in January. It certainly isn't the rainy season in, e.g., Phuket then! Koh Lanta and other nearby islands, plus beaches North of the airport, have a slower pace than the racier party beaches in the South, near Phuket town. Or for cheaper, more developing options: Cambodia or Vietnam.&rdquo; - Catherine
<hr>
"Asia is a very good option to spend January in! Countries like Vietnam (the only one I have been to Asia so far, which I absolutely loved), Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, see temperatures around 30C which can make it appropriate for swimming! The other perk of Asia compared to other areas in the world is it's cheap!"&nbsp;- Marilena

There you have it, readers - our top suggestions for trips to wash away the winter blues.
Where's your favourite winter sun destination? Let us know in the comments!

Jack's Top Winter Sun Destinations

Haiti

Madagascar

Bolivia

Japan

Kazakhstan

Spooktacular greetings, Travellers,
I hope your pumpkins are carved, cobwebs are hung, and creepy movie marathon candidates selected.
Or, alternatively, your lights are off, curtains drawn, and there are no signs of life that'll give you away to those pesky trick-or-treaters!&nbsp;
Whichever way you plan to spend your weekend, make some time to scroll back through this year's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/geodesaurus/?hl=en">Spooky Lake Month</a> destinations and pick your next eerie lakeside getaway. My pick? Gotta be <a href="https://www.meganstarr.com/lake-kaindy-kazakhstan-sunken-forest/">Lake Kaindy</a> and its sunken forest.&nbsp;
Where's the spookiest place you've ever been? Or is there a spot you're dying to visit? Let us know <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-210-celebrating-souls-around-the-globe#comments">in the comments</a>!
Happy (broomstick) travels and safe landings,

How the World Welcomes Home its Dead

Something shifts at this time of year. Can you feel it?&nbsp;
Candles burn slower. Dusk deceives us, casting silhouettes of illusion and ink. The air feels thinner&mdash;as if you could almost reach out and peel back the veil separating the living and the lost.&nbsp;
And in some corners of the world, that&rsquo;s precisely what they do.&nbsp;
From the highlands of Madagascar to the cemeteries of Port-au-Prince, the living draw back the curtain a little wider, welcoming those who linger just beyond&hellip;
<h2 dir="ltr">Famadihana in Madagascar</h2>

<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en">CC image</a> by Hery Zo Rakotondramanana on&nbsp;<a href="https://flic.kr/p/ai6McA">flickr</a> 
<blockquote>
&ldquo;One by one, the dead were brought out of the tomb. The band kept playing, people dancing around them. First, I climbed on top of the tomb to get a bird&rsquo;s eye view of the scene. Below, a colorful crowd circled the tomb, carrying the dead on top, wrapped in straw mats, before placing them in the sun. I didn&rsquo;t want to intrude, to get too close to where the dead were lying.&rdquo; - <a href="https://www.thecrowdedplanet.com/dancing-dead-famadihana/">The Crowded Planet</a> 
</blockquote>
 In Madagascar, the turning of the bones, known as&nbsp;Famadihana, only happens every few years during the dry winter months. The Malagasy believe that so long as the body remains, the spirit does too. It starts when the deceased appears to an elder in a dream, proclaiming that they are cold and need new garments. Then <a href="https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/antemoro.html">a traditional astrologer</a>, known as an Ombiasy, consults the stars for an auspicious day to open and close the tomb.&nbsp;
Loved ones and guests often travel days on foot across the highlands to reach their ancestral crypt. And for two days the ceremony commences. Graves are exhumed, bodies are cleaned and wrapped with silk and straw, and they are danced down the streets.&nbsp;
Relatives tell their troubles to their loved ones and ask for guidance and blessings. Just before the sun sets, the bodies are returned to their resting place but placed upside down. The crypt then closes for the next 5&ndash;7 years.&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme, As Nieves, Spain</h2>
<blockquote>
&ldquo;One corpse smiles and waves. Another fans herself. They regularly re-hydrate. This is not your average funeral. &rdquo;It is 33 degrees in the Spanish shade, but much hotter inside a Spanish coffin.&rdquo; - <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/europe/grateful-dead-the-festival-celebrating-near-death-experiences-1.2760403">Kevin Pilley</a>, The Irish Times
</blockquote>

<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en">CC image</a> by Jose-Maria Moreno Garcia on <a href="https://flic.kr/p/vA9XDX">flickr</a>
Few international tourists venture off the Camino, into the lush interior of Spain&rsquo;s northwest, Galicia. But those who do might find themselves among&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-gP4_Jha28">a horde of Spaniards clambering into coffins</a>, eager to be carried by their families through the single-street hamlet of As Nieves every summer.&nbsp;
Those that willingly curl up in the comfort of a satin casket (sans lid) have had a brush with death and are here to give thanks to Santa Marta for sparing their lives. And if you&rsquo;re one of the unlucky souls that lacks a family, lugging your coffin down the road comes with a weight that&rsquo;s both literal and painfully metaphorical.
After the parade, the real fiesta begins with lively brass ensembles and patrons dishing out local delicacies like fresh octopus, white wine, and mountains of barbecued meat. By nightfall, the coffins and wine bottles are empty, and As Neves lives on. 
<h2 dir="ltr">D&iacute;a de las &Ntilde;atitas, La Paz, Bolivia</h2>

<blockquote>
&ldquo;Everyone has a personality, and in some cases it might not be a good fit between a person and a skull,&rdquo; Koudounaris says. &ldquo;People will say, &lsquo;I got this skull from my cousin who didn&rsquo;t get along with it, but I&rsquo;m getting along with it very well. I remember a couple of years ago all the skulls were given ham sandwiches. It was a bizarre touch.&rdquo;&nbsp; - <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/meet-celebrity-skulls-bolivias-fiesta-de-las-natitas-180957289/">Rachel Nuwer, The Smithsonian</a>
</blockquote>
 Drifting to La Paz, every year the living and the dead share cigarettes, flowers, and &mdash; occasionally &mdash;&nbsp;the odd sandwich or two. Long before Christianity, the Aymara believed that human skulls called &ntilde;atitas (translation: little pug-nosed) hold protective powers, acting as messengers between our world and the next. Families keep skulls in their homes, believing they have special powers.&nbsp;
Curiously, the collection of craniums are not often family members but heirlooms or obtained through questionable means from archeological sites, medical schools, and cemeteries. And once a year on November 8th, they&rsquo;re taken to La Paz&rsquo;s General Cemetery in glass boxes, adorned with sunglasses, flower crowns, cigarettes, and coca leaves to be blessed by a priest. Once the sun sets, parties known as prestas spill into the city&rsquo;s streets.
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/parting-the-veil-how-the-world-welcomes-home-its-dead">Keep reading...</a>

I Visited the "Most Haunted" Places in Barcelona and This is How it Went

Currently based in Barcelona, you&rsquo;ll likely find Lauren exploring all that Spain has to offer. When she&rsquo;s not falling off her skateboard, you&rsquo;ll catch her hunting for bargain flights.

By Lauren

Being a lover of all things macabre and having recently relocated to Barcelona, it only seemed appropriate that I tour the cities most haunted spots this spooky season. So, after many a late hour researching the dark corners of the web and listening to my local friends&rsquo; eerie tales, I&rsquo;ve compiled a list of 5 potentially paranormal places&hellip;
<h2 aria-level="1" style="margin: 0; margin-bottom: 16px;">1. Rocafort Metro Station</h2>
The backstory: Whether it&rsquo;s down to the unsettlingly high number of accidents on the tracks, or a rumoured mudslide during construction that supposedly claimed the life of a worker, it seems like everyone I speak to has a story about Rocafort. Allegedly, even the metro staff are afraid to stay after hours, with ghostly sounds filling the tunnels and suspicious figures appearing on the CCTV footage.

The station definitely has an older, more dilapidated feel than other more modern stops. The tiles adorning the floors have a scuffed cream and black finish, and the dim lights overhead dress everything in a slight sepia tone. Despite the midday rush of commuters when I visited, this station still felt pretty creepy, and I certainly wouldn&rsquo;t want to roam the platforms alone in the evening.
👻👻👻/5 spookies 
<h2 aria-level="1" style="margin: 0; margin-bottom: 16px;">2. Poblenou Cemetery</h2>
The backstory: Originally opened in the 18th century, it was briefly destroyed by Napoleon&rsquo;s troops in 1813, then reopened again in 1819. Aside from being the resting place for thousands of the deceased, it&rsquo;s the marvellously macabre statues that give this one its spooky points.

At the entrance of the cemetery, I snapped a pic of a large map to help guide my walk, since the place seemed pretty huge. I must say, as someone who appreciates the beauty of a time-worn tomb or two, I was thoroughly impressed. One statue in particular, called &lsquo;The Kiss of Death&rdquo; really took my breath away. If you ever happen to visit the city on a sunny autumnal day, I thoroughly recommend a peaceful stroll around the grounds. All in all, though, not overly scary.&nbsp;&nbsp;
👻👻/5 spookies&nbsp;

<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/investigating-haunted-barcelona">Keep reading...</a>

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li>November 1st marks World Vegan Day, so what better way to celebrate than by planning a trip to <a href="https://www.wanderlustmagazine.com/inspiration/the-best-destinations-for-vegans/">plant-based foodie paradise</a>? </li>
<li>Fancy travelling between the USA and Tokyo <a href="https://parade.com/news/japan-travel-agency-reveals-rocket-that-could-connect-tokyo-us">in just an hour</a>... via&nbsp;space?! </li>
<li>If you go down to the Japanese woods today, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/27/bear-attack-survival-tips-released-in-japan-as-encounters-surge">prepare for a growly surprise</a>. </li>
<li>Bonus spookies: plan a <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/geography/states/10-most-haunted-states-america-ranked-scare-level">terrifying US road trip</a> around the country's most haunted states. </li>
<li>And finally, I (Editor Katy) sat down with The Independent's <a href="https://shows.acast.com/green-list-travel-with-simon-calder-and-the-independent/episodes/october-30th-inside-the-world-of-jacks-flight-club">Simon Calder for a six-minute grilling</a> on what it is we do here at Jack's Flight Club &mdash; and thankfully, I came out unscathed!</li>
</ul>

Spain

€69 rtn

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