Tourism

One moment I’m pedalling across a wide sweep of dusty-pink heath, with gentle sand dunes rising on the far horizon; the next, I’m gliding into a sweet-smelling Scots pine forest. Sunlight slips between the red-barked trunks, scattering shifting white patterns across the path in front of me. I’m in Hoge Veluwe National Park, a 5,400-hectare nature reserve in Gelderland, roughly 90 minutes from Amsterdam. Around 40km of cycle routes run through its landscapes, while some 2,000 distinctive white

It is easy to keep postponing a once-in-a-lifetime journey: Move it to next season, next year, after a renovation, or simply leave it as a dream. For travelers hoping to stop delaying, National Geographic’s 2027 selection of 25 essential places to visit offers a particularly timely collection of immersive, experience-led ideas. The list includes new attractions, including Chile’s Cape Froward National Park, alongside major commemorations such as a Leipzig, Germany, festival honoring 200 years

Gliding towards the mountains by rail can make flying to a ski resort feel unnecessarily stressful. A journey that looks quick on paper often becomes an all-day ordeal once airport queues, crowded cabins and lengthy road transfers are added in. When calculated from door to door, a daytime train journey from London can rival flying for speed, while an overnight service can leave you with more valuable time on the snow. As Alpine glaciers continue to lose snow cover in a warming climate,

Once the bustling centre of Labrador’s fishing trade, Battle Harbour has been reborn as a remote island escape where modern life barely seems to exist. Several fishermen gather along the wharf, sleeves pushed up as four men who once “lived here” split cod. Behind them, neatly dressed merchants and other fishers in oilskins pose outside a white clapboard building trimmed in rusty red. Yet as our ferry nears the dock, there is something strange about the scene. Everyone is as still and grey as

Collioure feels like a Mediterranean fantasy Last October, while cycling through south-west France close to the Spanish frontier, a recommendation from a local waiter brought me to Collioure, near Perpignan. It felt like a Mediterranean fantasy: the peak-season visitors had gone, leaving a calm, creative town filled with gentle light, golden warmth, cobbled lanes, small beaches and the Pyrenees rising behind it. In the early evening, the lingering autumn heat made it ideal for drifting through

Crossing the causeway that joins the small fortress island of Monemvasia to the south-eastern Peloponnese, with the Aegean glittering on either side, I thought of Yiannis Ritsos, among Greece’s most admired 20th-century poets. Ritsos lived here in Monemvasia, in a home now turned into a museum beside the ochre-coloured castle walls. One line of his stayed with me: “The voyage is neither a leave-taking nor a home-coming – an ethereal bridge …” My own journey into the far south of the Peloponnese

Portavadie, Argyll Set beside Loch Fyne on Scotland’s west coast, Portavadie was first planned as an oil-rig construction site, though the project never came to fruition. It has since become a marina resort with self-catering accommodation, a restaurant and bar, a small shop, and an extensive leisure complex. Its standout feature is thought to be Scotland’s largest heated outdoor infinity pool, looking across the water towards the Isle of Arran. Guests can also use outdoor spa pools, a sauna,

December is traditionally a busy month for travel. While some holidaymakers head to Europe’s most atmospheric Christmas markets, others prefer to escape the cold and enjoy warmer weather. Travel specialists have selected 13 appealing destinations around the world where visitors can catch some winter sunshine: • Gran Canaria, Spain: the average December temperature is around +20°C, with approximately 6 hours of sunshine per day. • Cancun, Mexico: the average temperature in December reaches

Rust-red leaves and burnt sienna tones scatter across the green slopes rising from Lake Iseo, while soft autumn sunshine glitters on the water below. Monte Isola, the largest island on an Italian lake, is a rugged mix of steep cliffs, thick woodland, fishing settlements and small villages clinging to the hillsides. It has the charm of Lake Como and Lake Garda, yet without their crowds. I reach the little harbour of Peschiera Maraglio on a ferry from Sulzano, a journey of barely five minutes

Mont Blanc is veiled by cloud, yet the Aiguille du Midi still pierces the sky above slopes glowing in copper, amber and ochre. Maple leaves burn scarlet, while rowan branches hang heavy with deep-red berries. Our small party rattles up to Mont Lachat station, 2,115 metres above sea level, aboard the Tramway du Mont Blanc. This historic cog railway has been hauling passengers up remarkably steep ground from the French Alpine town of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains since 1909. It was originally meant to

Two ancient runestones in Jelling preserve the story of the Viking ruler who helped shape Denmark – and whose name later inspired Bluetooth. Anyone who has linked a phone to wireless headphones or paired a laptop with another device will recognise the word Bluetooth. The technology may be contemporary, but its name reaches back more than a millennium to a Viking king whose presence is still felt in Jelling, a small Danish town around 250km west of Copenhagen. Two weathered runestones stand

For Ukrainian travelers, a trip to Japan can feel like a real challenge. The route requires careful planning and a considerable budget. Ukrainian traveler Kristi Kuzenko, who has visited Japan, shared on TikTok how she managed to get to the country. She said that the entire journey took around 55 hours. The traveler also revealed how much she spent on the route and what level of comfort she received for that amount. She departed from Budapest Airport, so the first step was reaching Hungary. She

They may be promoted as free, but guides can still be charged for every person who books. Here is what travellers should understand before signing up. It is a rainy day in Rome in December, and my friend Daphne* has been standing near Piazza Barberini for 30 minutes. Five people reserved places on her free walking tour. Not one of them has arrived. It is the third consecutive tour where nobody has turned up. For the people who booked, there is no monetary consequence. For Daphne, however, there

From major cultural institutions to advanced technology, the 2026 Global Cities Index highlights the qualities that make the world’s leading urban destinations attractive places to live in and explore. What allows a city to command global attention – and what turns it into a rewarding destination for visitors? Oxford Economics’ 2026 Global Cities Index suggests the answer involves much more than financial strength or striking landmarks. The index assesses 1,000 cities across five categories:

After a hot European summer, an equally appealing season for travel begins. In autumn, popular cities welcome fewer visitors, the weather is ideal for long walks, and lower prices and a calmer mood offer a different perspective on Europe. Condé Nast Traveler has highlighted seven destinations worth considering. Copenhagen and the Danish Riviera, Denmark. In autumn, the Danish capital is especially pleasant for walks beneath golden leaves, with cosy cafés, bakeries and restaurants adding to the

At 69, I had never gone backpacking and barely knew what land art meant. Still, when my friend Jackie, a wildlife documentary-maker, asked whether I wanted to join her, Wendy and Sasha on a walking trip through the Refuges d’Art in the mountains of Haute-Provence, I answered with an enthusiastic yes. We would spend our nights beside sculptures created by the celebrated land artist Andy Goldsworthy. Before leaving, I watched Rivers and Tides, a film about Goldsworthy’s practice, and learned that

It is huge. It is beloved by aviation fans. It is unmistakably past its peak. And it has returned from the brink more times than many expected. Yet as Australia’s national carrier Qantas prepares to phase out its fleet of Airbus A380 superjumbos, known for their spacious full-length double decks, a larger question remains: has the world’s biggest passenger aircraft finally reached the end of its era? Qantas announced in August that it intends to begin retiring its 10 A380s in 2028, four years

Cabaña Verónica, Spain For me, a proper mountain shelter should be compact, reached only after a demanding walk, and preferably come with an unusual story. Cabaña Verónica, high in the Picos de Europa, meets every requirement. Sleeping six people at 2,325 metres, it takes around two hours to reach from the nearest cable-car station, let alone from any road. The panorama is extraordinary, and the welcoming warden keeps the refuge in excellent shape. Its greatest appeal, though, is its past life:

Subscribe to CNN Travel’s weekly “Unlocking the World” newsletter for updates on destinations, aviation, food and drink, and places to stay. In this week’s travel roundup, five Americans reflect on starting fresh in Europe. There’s also Mongolian throat singing, towering Portuguese surf and a Greek holiday romance that endured for decades. Living the dream For plenty of people, moving abroad is an irresistible ambition, though every relocation comes with benefits and challenges. CNN has spoken

This week in travel news: Italian pastries are causing a stir, a university city makes a compelling case for pizza, and younger Britons are moving away from the classic evening at the pub. Buon appetito! Italy is celebrated for rich regional cooking and irresistible sweets, with visitors happily queuing for gelato across the country. Yet one Italian specialty can receive less attention than it deserves: the humble pastry. Now, one fluffy treat has become a major draw for travelers, frustrating