Travel

The Chicago skyline backdrops the Chicago Jazz Festival at Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion on Sept. 4, 2026. (Chris Sweda/baiduhai)

Conde Nast Traveler readers name Chicago ‘Best Big City’ for 10th year in a row

By Robert Channick

October 6, 2026 at 3:25 p.m.

Conde Nast Traveler received nearly 800,000 votes for this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards, which cover...

Olivia Estrada, the on board manager, carries plates of food to the dome car for guests aboard a Patrick Henry Creative Promotions private rail car as it travels from Chicago, Illinois, to St. Louis, Missouri, on May 19, 2026. Private train cars may seem like a relic of the past, but for some rail fans, nothing beats having — or renting — your own sleeper car. (Jamie Kelter Davis/The New York Times)

The quiet allure of private rail

By The New York Times News Service Syndicate

October 2, 2026 at 6:15 p.m.

Private rail cars traveled 429,000 miles on Amtrak in fiscal year 2025, according to the...

Cary Sabados shops for chocolate at Hotel Chocolat in Lakeview on Feb. 12, 2026. This Lakeview location, opened last April, was the first Chicago store. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

Chicago-based Hotel Chocolat going nationwide with airport concessions, grocery stores and new retail markets

By Robert Channick

September 23, 2026 at 12:37 p.m.

This fall, Hotel Chocolat will pop up at 49 airports, hit the shelves at Wegmans,...

A Port Authority police officer stands watch on the day the new COVID-19 testing facility XpresCheck became available for passengers at Newark Liberty International Airport Terminal B on Sept. 8, 2020 in Newark, New Jersey.

Now at the boarding gate: Coronavirus tests

By The New York Times

October 1, 2020 at 11:22 a.m.

American Airlines said Tuesday that it will offer coronavirus tests to passengers, joining United Airlines,...

A nervous person’s guide to viewing fall foliage in the Midwest

By Christopher Borrelli

October 1, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

Watching leaves turn color and drop dead — "Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away" (Emily...

FILE - In this Saturday, July 11, 2020, file photo, guests wear masks as required to attend the official reopening day of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Two weeks after reopening, workers at Disney World are praising the company for the safety protocols that have been implemented to protect against the new coronavirus. But questions remain about whether it will matter to paying guests of Disney World and its crosstown rivals, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP, File)

Walt Disney Co. is laying off 28,000 U.S. employees

By Gabrielle Russon

September 30, 2020 at 9:43 a.m.

Stricken by the coronavirus pandemic, Walt Disney Co. revealed Tuesday it is laying off 28,000...

The Maynard H. Jackson Jr. international terminal on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

If you absolutely have to fly right now, here’s how to do it as safely as possible

By Jessica Roy

September 29, 2020 at 3:01 p.m.

Don't get on an airplane right now unless you absolutely have to. Don't leave your...

Travel Troubleshooter ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **

Can I cancel my hotel because of the earthquake swarm? Travel Troubleshooter investigates.

By Christopher Elliott

September 29, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

Earthquakes are swarming the southwest corner of Puerto Rico -- exactly where Nick Hinrichs is...

Travellers exit via the International Arrival gate at Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 on August 22, 2020 in London, England.

Airports deploy rapid virus tests, sniffer dogs to unlock travel

By Bloomberg News

September 29, 2020 at 9:36 a.m.

A handful of European airports are implementing trials of quick-fire coronavirus tests, working with airlines...

Package containing hand sanitizers, antiseptic wipes and face masks, just some of the COVID-19 protections/safety precautions that customers can expect when booking their stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. The hotel is unveiling the largest renovations since its opening in 1989. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

Renovated Four Seasons Hotel plans to reopen Thursday in the middle of a pandemic. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look.

By Darcel Rockett

September 29, 2020 at 4:00 a.m.

In this, the fall season, Four Seasons Hotel Chicago is set to reopen Thursday after...

WAIT FOR A SPORTING EVENTS | <a href="https://www.theactivetimes.com/extreme-weather-pro-sports-athletes"target="_blank">Pro athletes have endured a lot</a> for the sake of the game, however this global health pandemic has upended the spring and summer sporting season. Currently, Major League Baseball has not announced a ticket refund policy, and the league intends to play as many games as possible when the season begins. The NHL and NBA have both been similarly mum on refund policies as they navigate the possibility of a season with empty stands and stadiums.

Ed Perkins on Travel: Consumer Issues: Fall 2020

By Ed Perkins

September 28, 2020 at 10:55 a.m.

If you're planning to travel this fall or early winter, you should probably be aware...

An American posted a negative review online about a Thailand resort. Now he’s facing prison time.

By The New York Times

September 28, 2020 at 9:44 a.m.

An American man who lives in Thailand was unhappy that a resort hotel wanted to...

Universal Orlando Resort's Revenge of the Tooth Fairy tells the story of a headstrong boy who refuses to relinquish his tooth to the Tooth Fairy, with disastrous consequences. The house was originally a part of the 2020 Halloween Horror Nights event, which was canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic. But Universal has made the maze available to daytime park visitors using the Virtual Line experience Sept. 26-27 and Oct. 3-Nov. 1 at Universal Studios.

Pictures: Universal HHN’s Revenge of the Tooth Fairy

By Kathleen Christiansen

September 28, 2020 at 3:09 p.m.

Spoilers ahead: Take a peek inside Universal Orlando Resort's Revenge of the Tooth Fairy, which...