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,...

TSA precheck fast lane line before security at Reagan National Airport

Taking the kids: De-stressing holiday travel

By Eileen Ogintz

December 14, 2023 at 4:18 p.m.

Take a deep breath! However you are traveling this holiday season – planes, cars, buses,...

Twin Farms in Barnard, Vermont, features an 18th century farmhouse formerly owned by Sinclair Lewis.

Love the idea of a cozy winter vacation but hate the actual cold? These spots are perfection.

By Danielle Braff

December 13, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

Perhaps you love the concept of a cozy winter wonderland — the snow, the hot...

View from Largo Santa Luzia
Miradouro Santa Luzia. Breathtaking views are bountiful in this city of red-tiled roofs on the yawning mouth of the Tejo River. (Cameron Hewitt, Rick Steves' Europe)

Rick Steves’ Europe: Lisbon inspires travel (and travel writers)

By Rick Steves

December 12, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.

If San Francisco had a sister, it would be Lisbon. Both cities have awe-inspiring suspension...

For award-winning musician Andrés Cepeda, sailing is a favorite vacation pastime.

Go away with … Andrés Cepeda

By Jae-Ha Kim

December 12, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.

At the Latin Grammy Awards in November, Andrés Cepeda won his fourth trophy. His record...

The Norwegian-flagged cruise ship Viking Polaris is seen anchored in waters of the Atlantic Ocean in Ushuaia, southern Argentina, on December 1, 2022.

Viking returns to Antarctica, adds 87-day expedition from the Arctic to Antarctica

By TravelPulse

December 8, 2023 at 1:20 p.m.

Viking announced its return to Antarctica for a third season of voyages on its sister...

Adopt a family through Soldiers' Angels.

Taking the kids: Holiday gifts your favorite travelers will love

By Eileen Ogintz

December 7, 2023 at 4:25 p.m.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Of course you are with holiday baking, holiday guests coming, holiday...

The Northern Explorer, owned and operated by Great Journeys of New Zealand, makes several stops on its journey between Wellington and Auckland, including Ohakune, Tongariro National Park, Otorrhagia and Hamilton.

Northern Explorer is a captivating rail ride through heart of New Zealand — no Wi-Fi needed

By Mary Ann Anderson

December 6, 2023 at 5:36 p.m.

On a bright, clear fall morning, the train from Wellington to Auckland clatters away from...

Beauty entrepreneur Lauren Ing said that Rome is one of her favorite destinations. (Avelena Ing)

Go away with … Lauren Ing

By Jae-Ha Kim

December 5, 2023 at 6:00 a.m.

Lauren Ing didn't attend Columbia University with the intent of becoming a beauty entrepreneur. After...

Visitors to Oslo's Fram Museum can explore the Fram, the vessel that took Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen to Antarctica, where in 1911 he and his team were the first people to reach the South Pole. (Cameron Hewitt/Rick Steves' Europe)

Rick Steves’ Europe: Oslo’s seafaring sights evoke the Viking spirit

By Rick Steves

December 5, 2023 at 6:00 a.m.

While I've enjoyed a lot of adventurous travel, nothing in my journals would rival the...

Group kids and people sledding and skiing in the snow

Taking the kids: Fun in the snow on a budget

By Eileen Ogintz

November 30, 2023 at 3:26 p.m.

Got your "pocket food"? That's what snow-loving kids (and adults) stuff in their pockets when...