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,...

<p>While on a commercial excavation trip in South Dakota during August 1999, Sue Hendrickson, a fossil collector, discovered several vertebrae of what appeared to be a larger-than-life dinosaur. A little more digging uncovered the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton known to science. Dubbed Sue the T. rex after its discoverer, the dino fossil (actual gender unknown) is now on display in the Field Museum in Chicago.</p>

Taking the kids: And including a museum on your summer travels

By Eileen Ogintz

June 1, 2023 at 4:41 p.m.

Look in the mirror. "Picture yourself reflected in the art works. In what ways aren't...

In an image provided by Virgin Hotels, a Virgin Hotels guest relaxes poolside in New York. As people increasingly travel with their four-legged friends, hotels are stepping up with more amenities.

Lap of luxury: How hotels are rolling out the red carpet for your pets

By The New York Times

May 31, 2023 at 10:44 a.m.

If you wouldn't dream of going on vacation without your pet, you're in luck. Hotels...

Tony-nominated composer Helen Park said that one of her favorite childhood memories was a road trip across the United States with her family.

Go away with … Helen Park

By Jae-Ha Kim

May 30, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.

Helen Park wasn't awake when the Tony Award nominations were announced a few weeks ago....

Just outside Kraków, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is filled with salt sculptures – and tourists.

Rick Steves’ Europe: Kraków weaves a vibrant cultural tapestry

By Rick Steves

May 30, 2023 at 3:14 p.m.

Kraków is the Boston of Poland – a charming and vital city buzzing with history,...

Travelers use the kiosk by the ticketing gate as they prepare for travel from Love Field airport, Friday, May 19, 2023, in Dallas.

Expect big crowds — and big prices — for the summer travel season

By Associated Press

May 25, 2023 at 4:53 p.m.

The unofficial start of the summer travel season is here, with airlines hoping to avoid...

A family enjoys the water at Coney Island on July 5, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Taking the kids: Where are your summer adventures going to take you?

By Eileen Ogintz

May 25, 2023 at 4:25 p.m.

Are you ready? Memorial Day weekend traditionally kicks off the summer vacation season. And, boy,...

Delroy Brown, known as Gee Wiz, who runs the vegan restaurant that bears his nickname, at Treasure Beach, Jamaica, Jan. 31, 2023. Jamaica has much to offer the traveller willing to trade its popular all-inclusive beach resorts for guesthouses, mountain views, cascading waterfalls and sense of place.

Encountering another Jamaica, beyond all-inclusive resorts

By The New York Times

May 23, 2023 at 5:14 p.m.

"So," said the tour guide, midway through our trip to Jamaica. "What are you really...

"Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" star Zurin Villanueva said that Austin is one of her favorite places to visit.

Go away with … Zurin Villanueva

By Jae-Ha Kim

May 23, 2023 at 2:32 p.m.

Currently on tour with "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" (https://tinaonbroadway.com/tickets/), Zurin Villanueva plays the icon...

To find an Irish music session in a pub, wander a town and follow your ear.

Rick Steves’ Europe: Irish music hits all the right notes

By Rick Steves

May 23, 2023 at 2:22 p.m.

The Irish seem born with a love of music. At social gatherings, everyone's always ready...

In this aerial photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, attendees watch and toast the sunset at a Florida Keys bicentennial celebration, May 19, 2023, on the restored Old Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon, Fla.

Civil rights groups warn tourists about Florida in wake of ‘hostile’ laws

By Associated Press

May 22, 2023 at 12:01 p.m.

The NAACP over the weekend issued a travel advisory for Florida, joining two other civil...