The world's most welcoming holiday destination - and hotel with dog spa

It's Monday again! The weeks just seem to rush by... What happens on Mondays? Well, it's travel news here at FREEDOMtravel. Stay tuned!

Tweet

Share

Share

Pin

Share

Share

Sweden won bronze at the Bocuse d'Or 2025

Swedish chef Gustav Leonhardt and his team won bronze in the grand final of the Bocuse d'Or 2025 on 27 January in Lyon. The medal is a great success that consolidates Sweden's position as one of the world's leading gastronomic nations. During the intense final, where the world's top chefs from 65 countries competed over two days, the Swedish team demonstrated outstanding technical skill and creativity.

Where you get the most skiing for your money

The sports holidays are approaching and many families with children are looking forward to skiing holidays. But how much does it cost? Sambla has calculated the average prices for ski hire, lift passes and lunch and beer in the top cabin. On average, it's cheapest to go to Stöten in Sälen, while Åre is the most expensive. But the price of lift passes only gives half the picture, and Sambla has also looked at where you get the most ski slopes for your money. Even though Sälen and Åre are the most expensive, you get so many slopes that from that perspective they are the cheapest.

Sunny destinations with lower prices

With the school holidays approaching, many people are planning winter activities. But if the winter darkness feels heavy, this is the perfect time to travel to warmer climes. Data from momondo shows that ticket prices from Stockholm to destinations like Mallorca, Turkey and Spain in February is up to 57 per cent lower than the average price for the next six months.

1. Palma de Mallorca (-57 %)
2. Antalya, Turkey (-44 %)
3. Alicante, Spain (-41 %)
4. Rome, Italy (-33 %)
5. Malaga, Spain (-26 %)

First hotel in Sweden with dog spa

In spring 2025, Villa Foresta on Lidingö will open the doors to a customised dog spa, making it Sweden's first hotel with a specialised spa for dogs. Villa Foresta Dog Spa. It offers everything from bathing and grooming to massages and nail clipping. To celebrate the opening, Villa Foresta will offer special packages combining cosy accommodation, delicious meals and spa experiences for both people and dogs.

The world's most welcoming holiday destination

Booking.com proudly announces the recipients of the 13th edition of the annual awards Traveller Review Awards. The award is based on over 360 million verified customer reviews and celebrates travel partners who consistently offer great hospitality and service. The list of the world's most welcoming places is based on the percentage of accommodation partners receiving a Traveller Review Award in a given city.

ANA launches its direct flight between Stockholm and Tokyo

As of 31 January, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest airline, will operate the Stockholm/Tokyo route. This new direct flight departs three times a week and is operated by a Boeing 787-8. On arrival, passengers have the option to continue with a connecting flight within Japan - such as Osaka, Sapporo, Okinawa, Fukuoka - or to other destinations in the Pacific region.

Flight tickets for Christmas 2025 are now available

For those who have a long holiday in mind and want to go away during Christmas, it is smart to book early, according to Unlimited Travel Group. Partly to secure a seat, but not least to get away with the lowest price for the airline tickets. The rule of thumb is that airline tickets are released from 330 to 364 days before departure. For Unlimited Travel Group, with six tour operators, the pressure during Christmas 2024 was strong on Thailand, Maldives, Brazil and Aruba and Antigua. A bubbler for the 2025 festive season is Japan.

MSC World Asia - new flagship in the Mediterranean from 2026

MSC Cruises continues to expand and in December 2026 will launch MSC World Asia - the third ship in the World Class series. With a design inspired by Asian culture and nature, the ship offers a modern cruise experience with over 40 bars and restaurants. Booking for MSC World Asia has now opened and the ship will start cruising to the Mediterranean in the winter season 2026/2027. The routes include destinations such as Barcelona, Marseille and Valletta.

Reflection of the week

Glad that the wine region of Kakhetia, in Georgia, made it onto the list of welcoming regions! We have to agree that we felt welcomed when we were there last autumn!

Did you miss the last travel news? Read the Price rain over caravans and star rain over Austria

You might also like:

Charter from Umeå, pets in hotels and extended advisory notice Railcard, 'flight school' and increase in travel bookings Car driving, best architecture and vaccine passport rules Lack of travel, party in Lübeck and events in Sweden Hot destinations, trendy cities and a new travel search service Friendliest city and strongest brands