Alf Alderson recommends 10 of the best options for ski virgins

  Decorator bags all 162 in four years - and throws down the gauntlet to others

  Jonathan Trigell'slatest novel is set in the hardcore capital of skiing and has been described as 'the Beach on ice'. Here he offers a no-holds barred guide to the town

  The British budget hotel group Travelodge is looking to become market leader in the emerging Spanish low-cost market with €1bn (£714m) plans for 100 new hotels

  Â· Aviation industry says 170 countries oppose move · US threatens trade dispute and backs role of UN body

  British surgeons are being asked to put right the damage done by botched cosmetic operations when people return from cheap "holiday surgery" abroad

  The Great Ocean Road is celebrated as one of the world's most scenicdrives, but a new trail has opened it up for walkers too. Francesca Syzreports

  From honeymooners to adventure seekers, our experts help readers find their perfect festive getaway

  A combination of low-cost flights and a weak dollar have made it affordable to combine a shopping spree in New York with sunshine in Bermuda. Is this the ultimate pre-Christmas break, asks Polly Vernon

  The government is being urged to put controls on incomers so the Cornish can escape from 'squalor' into affordable housing, reports Jasper Gerard

  The days of 24-hour partying in Ibiza are finally over. The island's new socialist government last week unveiled plans to rebrand it as a destination known for its beautiful countryside and historical heritage as much as its hedonistic clubs.

  Continuing his low-carbon world tour, Ed Gillespiefinds hitch-hiking across New Zealand too slow even for his tastes, but it's positively speedy compared to his next free ride ... on a glacier