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,...

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urging against holiday travel, a family vacation is off the table -- unless, that is, you mindfully set about recreating the best parts of one at home.

Take your kid on vacation at home

By The New York Times

December 26, 2020 at 9:41 a.m.

At the beginning of quarantine, parents tie-dyed like there was no tomorrow. Their production of...

Help! I’m still waiting for my Vantage refund. Travel Troubleshooter investigates.

By King Features Syndicate

December 24, 2020 at 9:55 a.m.

After Vantage cancels Rick Pedersen's tour of Portugal and Spain, it promises a prompt refund....

Empty roads leading to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Dec. 23, 2020.

It’s a whole new world of Midwest travel: What rules changed while you were in your basement?

By Chris Jones

December 24, 2020 at 2:31 p.m.

With COVID-19 vaccines rolling out in several countries, demand is picking up so quickly for...

Rail-trails near Chicago

By Contributed Content

December 29, 2020 at 10:01 a.m.

Old railroad corridors near Chicago that have been transformed into all-weather trails welcome hikers, cyclists...

University of Chicago students Jordan Zelch, Isabella Bonito and Charlotte Rapp dip their feet in Lake Michigan at Promontory Point in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood on June 16, 2020.

The Great Lakes

By Contributed Content

December 24, 2020 at 2:31 p.m.

The five Great Lakes of North America: Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario...

Empty roads lead to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Dec. 23, 2020.

More people staying home for the holidays, but air travel still the highest it’s been since early days of pandemic

By Kelli Smith

December 23, 2020 at 3:54 p.m.

Charlette San Juan has no second thoughts about spending Christmas alone this year. With COVID-19...

Celebrity Travel: Go away with … Jesse Palter

By Jae-Ha Kim

December 23, 2020 at 11:20 a.m.

While remaining at home during the coronavirus pandemic, singer-songwriter Jesse Palter said she channeled her...

Rick Steves’ Europe: Cockcrow on Hydra

By Rick Steves

December 23, 2020 at 11:08 a.m.

As we've had to postpone our travels because of the pandemic, I believe a weekly...

Shoppers, most wearing face masks, on Oxford Street in London, Dec. 15, 2020. It isn't clear how widely new coronavirus variants are already circulating, so the latest moves by countries to bar international travelers may again be too little, too late.

Experts are skeptical that travel bans can stop the spread of new coronavirus variants

By The New York Times

December 23, 2020 at 11:07 a.m.

LONDON — As nation after nation rushed this week to close their borders with Britain,...

Travel’s endless debate: Cancel or rebook?

By The New York Times

December 23, 2020 at 9:51 a.m.

A 50th birthday, 50 new places: That was Allison Andrews' plan for the year. Her...