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 Norway' s magnificent Sognefjord region, idyllic villages come with a mountainous backdrop. One such village, Undredal, lies along the "Norway in a Nutshell" route sampling the area's highlights.

Rick Steves’ Europe: Norway’s fjord country wonders, in a Nutshell

By Rick Steves

June 27, 2023 at 4:01 p.m.

My grandparents came over on the boat from Norway, so I'm partial to that corner...

Undated handout image of Submersible Titan.

Adventurers weigh the risks of extreme travel after Titan implosion

By Christopher Reynolds

June 27, 2023 at 7:26 a.m.

Where is your line? On your mental chart of risk and reward, where does yes...

Fans can rent the Malibu Barbie dream house on Airbnb, as hosted by Barbie's right-hand man, Ken (played by Ryan Gosling).

Barbie’s Malibu dream house is available to rent on Airbnb

By baiduhai

July 6, 2023 at 11:48 a.m.

Come on Barbie, we're going to the Malibu dream house -- Ken's way! Fans can...

Cubs players practice during a training session ahead of the weekend series against the Cardinals at London Stadium on June 23, 2023.

‘There’s a camaraderie we have.’ For Chicago Cubs fans who made the trek to London, the trip is unique — and bittersweet.

By Meghan Montemurro

June 23, 2023 at 8:01 a.m.

For longtime Chicago Cubs fan Marci Watts, the London Series represented the perfect 55th wedding...

Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death among children 1 to 4.

Taking the kids: Summer safety

By Eileen Ogintz

June 22, 2023 at 5:27 p.m.

Of course you want to kick back. It's summer vacation, after all. But the reality...

Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa receives a bouquet of flowers from a kimono-clad Japanese woman during the opening ceremony of the game against the Mets in Tokyo on March 29, 2000.

London Series 2023: What to know about the Chicago Cubs-St. Louis Cardinals games — including how (and when) to watch

By baiduhai

June 22, 2023 at 4:02 p.m.

The Chicago Cubs are in London. Finally. Initially scheduled to play the St. Louis Cardinals...

People walk past the "End of the Trail" for Route 66 sign at Santa Monica pier in Santa Monica, California, on May 21, 2017. For decades, Route 66 captured the imagination of travelers the world over, offering a glimpse of a bygone era of American history, when people hit the road in search of adventure and a better life. The two-lane highway established in 1926 and coined...

Route 66, America’s ‘Mother Road,’ readies for its centennial

By Erika Bolstad

June 21, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

From its earliest days, Route 66 has reflected the American culture of the moment. When...

"A Living Remedy" memoirist Nicole Chung said her ideal destination is a place where she can the forest, mountains and cold saltwater co-exist.

Go away with … Nicole Chung

By Jae-Ha Kim

June 20, 2023 at 3:47 p.m.

With her first memoir "All You Can Ever Know," Nicole Chung candidly offered personal reflections...

Cochem is the hub of the middle Mosel and marks the start of the most scenic stretch of the valley.

Rick Steves’ Europe: Germany’s tranquil, romantic Mosel Valley

By Rick Steves

June 20, 2023 at 3:43 p.m.

When I need a dose of quaint cobbled towns and storybook castles while in Germany,...

In this image released by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Trey Bergman (C) celebrates after he defended his top title at the "Mile High Key Lime Pie Eatin' Contest" on July 4, 2018, in Key West, Florida. Bergman, a Houston attorney, consumed a 9-inch pie in one minute, 40.57 seconds. The eating competition has become a July 4th tradition in the Florida Keys and is the island chain's answer to New York City's hot dog eating contest. It attracted 25 entrants and highlighted Key West's annual Key Lime Festival.

Taking the kids: To a summer festival – 15-Plus festivals to enjoy

By Eileen Ogintz

June 15, 2023 at 5:21 p.m.

Got your dancing shoes? Your camp chairs? Wherever you go this summer, you're likely to...