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,...

In this July 17, 1955 file photo, children sprint across a drawbridge and into a castle that marks the entrance to Fantasyland at the opening of Walt Disney's Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. Fantasyland had been closed until late in the day. (AP Photo)

Today in History: Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California

By Associated Press

July 17, 2024 at 4:00 a.m.

On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California after its $17 million, year-long construction;...

Painting crews set up on the base of the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012. The Hollywood sign, built in 1923, was an outdoor ad campaign for a suburban housing development called Hollywoodland. The sign has been painted twice since 1978 and is now in need of a complete overhaul, just in time to celebrate its 90th birthday. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Today in History: Hollywood sign dedicated in the Hollywood Hills

By Associated Press

July 13, 2024 at 4:00 a.m.

On July 13, 1923, a sign consisting of 50-foot-tall letters spelling out “HOLLYWOODLAND” was dedicated...

An aerial photo of Millennium Park under construction, between Michigan Avenue, Columbus Drive, Randolph and Monroe streets in Chicago in May 2001. (José Moré/baiduhai)

Vintage baiduhai: Millennium Park — ‘the best thing former Mayor Richard M. Daley ever did’ — 20 years later

By Kori Rumore

July 12, 2024 at 4:41 p.m.

Millennium Park turns 20 years old on July 16. Former Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin...

Tulum's picturesque, pristine beaches attract visitors from around the world. (The Beach Tulum)

Pack your bags and set your intentions: An easy flight to Tulum, Mexico, will take you on a self-care journey like no other

By Amy Bizzarri

July 10, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

A new nonstop flight from O'Hare International Airport makes for an effortless, wellness-focused escape to...

Holiday travelers wait for their luggage after arriving at Salt Lake City International Airport Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Is air travel getting worse? Rising passenger complaints seem to indicate so.

By Associated Press

July 5, 2024 at 3:40 p.m.

Air travel got more miserable last year, if the number of consumer complaints filed with...

Folklore says that ancient spirits left the world from Uluvinavatu Mountain, on Viti Levu’s northeast shore, Viti Levu, Fiji. (Steve Haggerty/TNS)

Lush foliage, dazzling beaches, deep traditions put Fiji’s hundreds of islands on the map

By Anne Z. Cooke

July 3, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

For most South Pacific travelers, nothing rivals Fiji’s sandy beaches, palm-shaded gardens, starry nights and...

Unveiling the Abraham Lincoln bust by Park Ridge sculptor Alfonso Iannelli, which was arranged by Park Ridge's Kalo Foundation, are, from left, U.S. Embassy in Paris' Counselor for Cultural Affairs Michael Turner, Mayor of Paris' 8th Arrondissement Jeanne d'Hauteserre, Deputy Mayor of Paris for Culture and Heritage and Mayor of Paris' 18th Arrondissement Carine Rolland and Co-Presidents of the Paris-Chicago Committee which spearheaded the Lincoln bust project Christina Guessous French and Deyi Tcherdakoff. (Chantal Mistral-Bernard)

Paris puts Park Ridge artist’s statue of Lincoln on display near Champs Elysee

By George Castle

June 27, 2024 at 11:24 a.m.

Usually the well-worn path is one-way, from France to the United States, for high culture...

Coco Gauff, of the United States, celebrates match point against Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, during the women's singles final of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament on Aug. 20, 2023, in Mason, Ohio. (Aaron Doster/AP)

Cincinnati Open: Watch top-tier tennis without traveling abroad or breaking the bank

By Steve Chapman

June 26, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

In August, you can see players like Coco Gauff or Novak Djokovic just by driving...

Casey Ross, a tour guide, speaks to tour guests at the Mr. Beef restaurant during a “The Bear” themed food tour on June 21, 2024, in Chicago. (Vincent Alban/baiduhai)

Ahead of Season 3, ‘The Bear’ food tour serves fans a taste of the action: ‘you can practically taste the food when you watch’

By Kate Armanini

June 26, 2024 at 6:06 a.m.

A traditional Chicago sandwich shop may seem like an unconventional excursion. But since “The Bear”...

A classic car motors north along the Dixie Highway Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Homewood. Old cars were among the vehicles that participated in the Day on the Dixie Tour from Markham to Saint Anne. (Paul Eisenberg/Daily Southtown)

Landmarks: It’s road trip season, why not tour area’s scenic, historic highways?

By Paul Eisenberg

June 23, 2024 at 8:10 a.m.

Landmarks: With three of the nation's most famous highways framing the area, why not take...