FAMILY ACTIVE HOLIDAYS

Britain's 10 best kids' adventure holidays
Peace for parents? A participant and her dad share their experiences before listing the best kids' camp companies

The best kids camps in Britain
Abseiling, acting or atheism - whatever their passion, there is a residential camp to suit the kids

CANAL HOLIDAYS

Explore England's pubs by canal boat
Six old friends take a narrowboat on the waterways of Worcestershire for their annual reunion - plus author Terry Ramsey suggests the five best round-trip holiday routes on England's canals

Skipper for a day, in Suffolk
David Mills and family try an Arthur Ransome-inspired adventure on the waterways of East Anglia

Barging around England with the kids
Four counties, six days, three young pirates... Caitlin Moran meanders through Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Worcestershire on the Four Counties Ring

CAMPING AND CARAVANS

Britain's best family campsites
Clover Stroud, author of Cool Camping: Kids, explains why a night under canvas is good for all - and selects her 12 favourites for all reasons

Feather Down Farms
They look lovely - but the Boden of tents might not be what it seems, says Stephen Bleach in Devon (and most comments would seem to agree...)

A long and grinding caravan road
Caravan virgin Mark Frary takes his family on a challenging drive from Coventry to Devon before recuperating at the seaside

HOLIDAY PARKS

Budget British holidays: do they work?
Jennifer Howze and family join the staycationers at Park Resorts in Devon - with mixed results.

ON THE WATER

Kayak adventure in Pembrokeshire
Learn to paddle your own canoe in the creeks, coves and caves in Britain’s only coastal national park

A tuk tuk surf safari in Cornwall
Sam Lyster in Newquay finds a company that takes you and your boards around by tuk tuk and privides surf lessons

Islands: high on the Isle of Skye
Read Norman Miler's guide to the Scottish island - the views are unrivalled he says, except by its outstanding food (and we've another lovely guide to the Scilly Islands by John Paul Flintoff).

SELF-CATERING

50 cool cottages in Britain and Ireland
It might be a bit late to get the one you want but back in January The Sunday Times did a huge exercise to find 50 crackers around the British Isles (and here's their 20 best from last year ).

8 best British holiday cottages for dogs
Throw your pooch a bone by bringing it along for the ride, says Robert Ryan

10 outrageous places to stay in Britain
Video: Steve Keenan stays in a remote tower on a Dorset clifftop, plus 9 other self-catering follies and castles to stay in.

HOTELS AND MORE

The best family hotels in Cornwall
Family holidays in Cornwall are much easier now with chic self-catering and hotels made for young visitors, says Jane Knight - plus we've 10 unusual places to stay in Cornwall - Off-beat accommodation including tipis, funky caravans, a shepherds hut, a lighthouse and a 1950s railway carriage

20 secret beaches in the British Isles
Miranda Krestovnikoff , presenter of BBC’s Coast picks the best hidden coves and bays and suggests a nearby hotel to stay in for each

Times recommends

• Oasis of the Seas: the Times review
• The 20 best new year party places to stay
• Green Spaces 2009: are you the winning writer?