Martin Dunford is one of the founders of the international travel guide series Rough Guides and has worked in travel publishing for most of his working life. He is the author of more than 10 guidebooks and was the publisher of Rough Guides for many years, before going on to found the UK travel and accommodation website Cool Places – which features thousands of places to stay and things to do closer to home. He also works as a freelance travel writer and editor, focusing on the UK, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Serbia – covering hotels and accommodation, food and drink, cultural attractions and outdoor activities. His work is also published in the Mail on Sunday, i, Archant, The Telegraph, The Evening Standard and the Independent.