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,...

Go away with … Susan Gallagher

By Tribune News Service

February 6, 2024 at 2:39 p.m.

Veteran actress Susan Gallagher’s credits include “Loki” and “The Karate Kid” spinoff “Cobra Kai.” She...

Rick Steves’ Europe: Choose your own adventure in Amsterdam

By Rick Steves

February 6, 2024 at 11:43 a.m.

The charm of Amsterdam, a fun mix of modern and faded elegance, is best enjoyed...

Muchin College Prep students on a field trip react as clouds briefly clear above Millennium Park, letting them view the solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017.

Near totality: Where to get goosebumps during April’s solar eclipse in the Midwest

By Katherine Rodeghier

April 1, 2024 at 5:51 p.m.

The stars have aligned for another total eclipse and many towns in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio...

In a far-off corner of the Peloponnese, clan wars left the hill town of Vathia in ruins. (Rick Steves/Rick Steves'' Europe)

Rick Steves’ Europe: The Peloponnese, a peninsula of Greek surprises

By Rick Steves

January 31, 2024 at 12:28 p.m.

Studded with antiquities, this land of ancient Olympia, Mycenae, and Sparta offers plenty of fun...

Photo caption: Musician Pictoria Vark said it''s her dream to get to tour in Asian countries. (Evan Parness/TCA)

Go away with … Pictoria Vark

By Tribune Content Agency

January 31, 2024 at 12:28 p.m.

The bass-playing singer-songwriter said it wasn't always easy living in cities where she and her...

Taking the kids: Getting a terrific wave season deal on all kinds of cruises – 10+ deals

By Eileen Ogintz

January 25, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.

Are you ready to escape the winter blahs? This is your lucky day. With the...

Le Diplomate has spent the last decade gaining a loyal following for its French brasserie fare.

Checking the pulse of D.C. during an election year with a weekend trip

By Nicole Schnitzler

January 24, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

Washington, D.C., which is home to some of the nation's most iconic sites, monuments and...

"Moving" director Park Inje said Bali is a favorite vacation spot. (Courtesy of the Walt Disney Company)

Go away with … Park Inje

By Jae-Ha Kim

January 23, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.

Filmmaker Park Inje made the most of his recent trip to the United States to...

Norway's rugged west coast is slashed by fjords — stunning inlets carved out by ancient glaciers. Of these, the Sognefjord – Norway's longest (120 miles) and deepest (1 mile) – is tops. Ferries and catamarans connect visitors and locals alike to several of this sparsely populated region's scenically situated villages and towns. (Rich Earl, Rick Steves' Europe)

Rick Steves’ Europe: Norway’s fjord country blends serenity with grandeur

By Rick Steves

January 23, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.

Though I initially visited Norway to see relatives — three of my grandparents grew up...

Taking the kids: And a NYC winter outing deal

By Eileen Ogintz

January 18, 2024 at 4:35 p.m.

Let's take a big bite out of the Big Apple. It won't bust your budget...