The legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper on Russian cuisine, getting caught in a hurricane and his two holiday essentials: his golf clubs and his wife.

My wife Sheryl and I went to Jamaica a couple of years back after wed been on tour for two years staying in a different Holiday Inn every night. We literally travelled with no luggage – we just jumped on a flight that showed up, and that was it.

We bought a couple of pairs of shorts when we arrived, and just set off. We rented a car, and just found motels as we drove around the island – and did the same thing again the next day and then the next day, and it was really liberating, a real adventure. Sometimes the idea of a vacation is to not plan anything and be as spontaneous as possible.

And the best hotel youve stayed in?

Ive had some of my best times ever at the Savoy in London. It was a little bit snooty but it was this traditional, old British institution, and I really liked staying there. I also loved the Peninsula in Bangkok, which was unbelievably luxurious, and the Meridian in Cyprus, where our suite had its own swimming pool. You opened the door to the patio and it overlooked the Mediterranean.

What do you need for a perfect holiday?

I play golf every day, so its got to be adjacent to a great golf course. And I am also one of those people who don like pure serenity. I don like to go some place thats isolated. I enjoy going into the city, going to the movies and having something to do at night, so the perfect place for me is a place like Hawaii.

What do you always take with you?

My golf clubs and my wife. Weve been married 33 years, and not only is she my wife, she is also my best friend. We hang out together; we have the same sense of humour, the same everything. Shes an essential.

Whats your best piece of travel advice?

If you e going to go some place where its going to be a huge time change, its essential that you throw your watch away. The whole idea behind a vacation is to not worry about what time it is.

Where do you want to go next?

Ive never been to the Middle East. My wife has, and its an area that Id really like to go and explore, without being on tour.

…and disasters?

Which was your worst holiday?

Sheryl and I once went to Barbados. Not only did they lose all the luggage, as soon as we arrived we caught a hurricane, so we spent five days in the hotel room watching the trees blow away. We were trapped there. And the television had just three stations, so we were really isolated and couldn do anything. It was a total waste of a vacation.

Whats your worst experience on holiday?

I was down in Acapulco, and we went to a lobster restaurant on the beach. The lobster tasted terrific, but at 3am I woke up and I thought that I was going to die. I had food poisoning so bad I really thought it was all over for me. I was in bed for four days, I lost a lot of weight, and could not believe how many things could come out of my body.

Whats the biggest packing mistake youve made?

During that Mexican trip we were down there in December when its 85 or 90 degrees (29-30C). When I left there I had to go to Boston to emcee a Christmas show, so Im in this tiny little pair of white pants and hardly anything on top, and Im not thinking properly as Im so delirious from the food poisoning. But when we landed at Boston its about four below zero (-20C), and I was so wiped out I wasn even thinking, "Why didn I bring a coat?" I stepped out of the aeroplane and then I went, "Jeez, I forgot its going to be eight feet of snow here". So on top of the food poisoning I got the flu, too. Im more careful about what I pack now.

The worst hotel youve stayed in?

I was in Moscow very early in my career, before the (Berlin) Wall came down, and they hadn renovated the hotels yet. The place we stayed felt like being incarcerated overnight in a penitentiary. My room was about the size of a large closet. There was a single bed that was as hard as a rock, and a television with two stations in black and white only. The food was just horrible. They didn even have a McDonalds then, so we were stuck with whatever they had – which was usually boiled potatoes and some kind of meat, but I have no idea what it was.

What do you avoid on holidays?

Tap water. If you drink tap water everywhere you e going to end up with so many microbes in your system that its inevitable that you e going to get dysentery. I use bottled water religiously, even when I brush my teeth.

What do you hate about holidays?

I refuse to go on one of these tourist packages where they give you a schedule and they say, "OK from 9 to 10 we e going to go to the museum, and then from 10 to 11, and then from 11 to 1 oclock we e going to the art museum, and then…" That to me is like being on tour. Thats not a vacation. So avoid all schedules. For once in your life be spontaneous.

By Nick McGrath

Linda Gray, the actress who played Sue Ellen Ewing in Dallas, on being snowed in at the Yosemite National Park and finding food heaven in Mykonos.

Im extremely blessed because I travel extensively for my work, but I always try to incorporate a bit of leisure with business. I was invited to go to Rome for a chat show, so I asked my grandson, Ryder, then aged 17, if he would like to accompany me. He didn take long to answer! We stayed at the lovely St Regis hotel and had the most divine time, which included a tour of the Vatican. Then we went on to Paris and stayed at the funky Hôtel des Marronniers, on the Left Bank, a delightful area where my grandson became extremely fond of steak and French fries. This was a real "fun" holiday, and I felt it was the perfect time for Ryder to travel with his grandmother before he became involved with college and girlfriends.

And the best hotel youve stayed in?

I stayed at the Rosewood Mansion Hotel for the 30th reunion of Dallas in 2008. I was extremely well looked after, the service was second to none and, most importantly, I always felt secure. Staying at this hotel is one of my travelling highlights. And, as a single woman, I need to feel happy when travelling alone.

What do you need for a perfect holiday?

Good weather. During the shooting of a film in Athens, I took two days off to fly to the island of Mykonos, which was a delicious experience. The weather was perfect, as were the blue skies and sea against the whitewashed buildings. Also, Im a foodie, and love to try the locally grown and prepared produce. Food in Mykonos is divine and every day I had Greek salad with yogurt, garlic and cucumber. It was heaven.

What do you always take with you?

These days, with all the airport security, travel is not as carefree as it used to be. So, I always take my sense of humour, and a lovely book tucked into my luggage. I recently read The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, which I enjoyed because Im interested in science.

And your best piece of travel advice?

Don check in your luggage – take only a wheeled carry-on case. Be creative and take clothes that are versatile. I take a capsule wardrobe in just one colour and mix it with accessories such as belts and scarves. I can pack 10 days worth of clothes into my carry-on bag.

Where do you want to go next?

I would love to go on a cruise, because the sea has such a calming effect on me. My work schedule has not permitted this as yet, but Im sure it would be lovely.

...and disasters?

What was your worst experience on holiday?

When my children were young, we went to a log cabin near Yosemite, California, thinking that they would love the snow. I packed a case with my clothes and put it behind the door to take at the last moment, before packing the childrens clothes, diapers and baby food. I walked out of the house leaving my case behind the door. We were snowed in and all I had with me was what I was wearing. It was not pretty! I ended up wearing my husbands big jacket. I was so upset, but there was nothing I could do.

Whats the biggest packing mistake youve made?

I used to take too much luggage, but now I have a minimalist approach to packing. I wear a big down jacket and boots on the plane, and rolled up in my carry-on case is a beautiful long matt jersey dress. On arrival, I steam this dress in the shower, then Im ready to go. Its the perfect answer to the oft-asked question: "Where is your ball gown?"

Which is the worst hotel youve stayed in?

To be honest, I can recall a bad hotel – maybe Ive just blanked it out.

What do you avoid on holiday?

Aeroplane journeys give me quiet time to read and sleep; its like being unplugged from the earth. But I don eat much on the aeroplane. I like to take care of myself and not be forced to eat something I don like, so I will take along a mixture of dried fruits and nuts just in case I dislike whats being served. I also avoid alcohol and carbonated drinks while flying.

What do you hate about holidays?

I miss my grandchildren, but we email and my laptop has a little camera that we use for Skype. Its just like making a telephone call, but I also get to see them, which is fantastic. Then I don miss them quite so much.


By Pamela Spencer

Europe’s first alcohol-free holiday resort – aimed at recovering addicts – has been unveiled in Portugal.

The company behind the project, Renovatio, is launching "Sober Holidays" with the aim of providing visitors with a “safe, supportive environment” it says is not available at other resorts.

The property – a restored 19th-century villa – is located in the Algarve, close to Faro airport, and will start taking guests in April. It offers a wide range of activities, from mountain biking and hiking, to bird watching and tennis. There are also 14 golf courses in the surrounding countryside.

Although counselling sessions are not obligatory, and Renovatio is not affiliated with any other organisation, guests will be offered access to three weekly English Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings. Weekly Gamblers Anonymous and twice-weekly Narcotics Anonymous meetings will also take place locally.

“For people in early recovery from drug or alcohol addiction, it’s a great idea,” said a member of AA, who asked not to be named.

“It is difficult to find an environment where they are surrounded by like-minded people are not exposed to their former lifestyle.”

The property is owned and operated by Andrew O’Loughlin, a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for four years.

“On any conventional holiday, alcohol is everywhere,” said Mr O’Loughlin. “I could not find anywhere in Europe that offered an alcohol-free environment. I’d spoken to recovering alcoholics who had not been on holiday for five years.

“If we can stop one person relapsing on holiday, then it’s worth it,” he added.

Sober Holidays are open to guests with a minimum of 60 days sobriety. Prices are 395 euros for a three-night break, and 595 euros for a five-night break, all-inclusive.

By Oliver Smith

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has urged British Airways to take on the unions, whatever the risks of a strike, but claimed the airline’s board lacks the “balls” to do it.

Reacting to Monday’s strike ballot by BA’s 12,000 cabin crew, Mr O’Leary said: “The unions need to be taken on. BA is massively over-staffed and has got to get its costs down.”

However, he had doubts whether BA’s board, chaired by Martin Broughton, had the courage for a battle with Unite, the cabin crew union.

“I think, like most flag carriers do, they’ll wimp out at the eleventh hour,” Mr O’Leary said. “The problem for [chief executive] Willie Walsh is that the board of BA has no spine, no balls and no vision.”

Mr O’Leary claimed that this was particularly true in the run-up to an election. “I have some sympathy with Willie. Fundamentally his heart is in the right place but the board is useless. It’s a very political board. Are they going to allow a strike three months before an election? Of course not.”

He claimed that the BA board was chiefly interested in getting themselves knighthoods or similar honours. “Is Martin Broughton on the knighthood trail or a seat in the House of Lords. I find it hard to tell,” Mr O’Leary said.

A BA spokesman would only say of Mr O’Leary’s remarks: “We are not going to dignify them with a comment.”

Neither did Mr O’Leary have much time for the union’s tactics, particularly the abortive 12-day strike over Christmas that BA halted with a High Court injunction. “They made a balls of it before Christmas,” Mr O’Leary said. “Unite – if they had any brains, which they don’t – should just have a one-day strike every two weeks. That’s enough to disrupt BA. That would cripple it.”

He added that BA should not resort to the courts again. “I’m not sure that the right thing for BA to have done last time was to get an injunction. Let them have a strike.”

His comments came as negotiations resumed between Unite officials and BA executives in a bid to settle their dispute over new working practices. Crew will meet at Kempton Park racecourse tomorrow but the union’s current plan is not to announce strike dates then.

BA shares were 2.3 higher at 209.5p, despite the stock being heavily shorted with figures from Data Explorers showing that shares on loan had increased from 22.1pc to 30.3pc over the past month.

John Strickland, director of JLS Consulting, said a strike could cost BA £25m a day. “I think there’s more than a fair chance it will happen,” he said. “BA can’t afford to back down but the union seems incredibly reluctant to acknowledge the reality of what BA management is saying.”

Disruption to European aviation continued on Tuesday after French air traffic controllers launched a five-day strike. It followed Monday’s walkout by Lufthansa pilots that caused 900 flight cancellations.