Tourism

Best known as the Royal Family’s summer retreat, Balmoral Castle ranks among Britain’s most celebrated royal residences. Yet far fewer people are aware that King Charles III is also closely connected to another extraordinary estate in the south of Scotland. Several hours south of Balmoral, close to the former mining town of Cumnock in a largely overlooked part of East Ayrshire, Dumfries House stands quietly within 2,000 acres of rolling countryside. Despite its imposing Palladian mansion,

I can’t recall a single summer that didn’t include at least one evening spent following hand-painted signs toward a local sagra. It isn’t exactly a food market, nor quite a village fair; it feels more like an entire community carrying its kitchen outdoors for a few warm nights. When I think about those childhood evenings, the first image that appears is a woman’s hand clenched above a pan of shimmering oil. With her thumb and forefinger forming a tight circle, she would press soft batter

Benjamin Wong has discovered calm — 8,530 feet above sea level. A high school teacher in Singapore, he enjoys long summer holidays. Still, he finds it difficult to choose destinations that aren’t just as sweltering as his hometown. This year, he is spending his break at a high-end mountain retreat in Yunnan, in southwestern China — a province increasingly favored by travelers hoping to beat the heat. Popular cities such as Dali and Lijiang can see nighttime summer temperatures drop to around 59

From midnight on July 15, 2026, the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar officially lifted border controls with Spain. Prior to this decision, the border checkpoints and the metal fence erected back in 1908 had already been dismantled. As Tagesschau recalls, Spain and Gibraltar had been separated by border checks for more than a century. Under the new agreement, however, entry into the British territory is now governed by Schengen Area regulations. Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, José

While Spain’s most famous tourist regions struggle with protests and Venice considers new limits on visitor numbers, another corner of Europe is eager to welcome more travelers. According to Travel Off Path, the Turkish city of Fethiye is actively working to attract new guests and has launched a large-scale promotional campaign to boost its visibility. The publication notes that in July, advertisements for Fethiye appeared across London’s public transport network. Although the campaign is

If you’re heading to Paris this summer, you might consider adding a swim in the Seine to your plans. After the intense heat the city has endured in recent weeks, it may feel less like a novelty and more like a necessity. Paris recently recorded its hottest day ever, with temperatures climbing above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in late June. As a third heatwave approaches, the reopening of three designated swimming areas along the river arrives at exactly the right moment.

There are few roads in Britain where you can stop to fry breakfast and eat it without a single vehicle passing. While my friend Ben lit the stove, I explored the ruins of Dun Dornaigil, an Iron Age broch more than 2,000 years old. Low clouds drifted across the brooding cliffs of Ben Hope above us. This was exactly the sort of forgotten road we had travelled to Sutherland to find. We had set off the previous day from Lairg, often described as the “crossroads of the north”. With its small

In August 2026, Spain will witness an extraordinary astronomical event — the first of three eclipses set to occur within just two years. One Spanish city is already preparing a wide-ranging program for both visitors and residents, according to National Geographic. On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will be visible from several regions of Spain, but Valencia has drawn particular attention from astronomers and travelers alike. The city lies directly along the path of totality, where the

I first stepped into a bouchon at 20, while studying abroad as an Erasmus student. By chance, I had been placed in rural Auvergne for a semester, and every weekend I hitchhiked to the nearest major city – Lyon. My knowledge of Lyon began and ended with its reputation for outstanding cuisine, especially the generous dishes served in traditional eateries dressed with red-and-white checked tablecloths and handwritten chalkboard menus. So when I was served a tough, overpriced cut of beef that cost

From highway rest stops to vast, empty horizons, visitors are uncovering unexpected pieces of Americana far beyond the tournament’s main arenas. Before this summer’s Fifa World Cup began, most of the conversation centred on the host cities and their stadiums. Yet just two weeks in, an unanticipated storyline has emerged: social media is brimming with uplifting clips of fans discovering the United States that stretches between the skyscrapers. Some visitors have been so captivated by warehouse

A land of rocky ravines, postcard-perfect villages, more than 6,000km of cycling routes and wonderfully sparse crowds awaits. My bike sweeps downhill as a rush of wind surges past my ears. To my right, a waterfall spills down a vivid green hillside. Ahead, honey-coloured stone houses edge the road. Within minutes, the medieval village of Chambonas comes into view, its dark-turreted castle rising above the valley. I push onward, veer left after a narrow bridge and finally coast into Les Vans,

Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Receive updates on destinations, along with the latest developments in aviation, dining, and accommodation. In this week’s travel news roundup: the city crowned the world’s top food destination, the reason umbrellas have been prohibited on one Italian beach, and an increase in airline passengers ignoring crew directions. Don’t grab bags, don’t stop to film It’s a message that really shouldn’t need repeating. A new safety

Travelers have been warned that a breathtaking Greek island—long considered one of Europe’s most sought-after sunny getaways—has turned into what some are calling “one long queue for the toilet.” This was reported by the Daily Express. Travel content creator Mambo Italiano shared a video filmed at 7 a.m., showing large crowds of tourists—men, women, and children—standing in lines that stretched along the streets at a well-known photo location. “Social media trends have transformed the most

My wife and I relocated from London to Marseille just over five years ago, back when our British passports still granted us the right to live in France. During that first winter, standing on the beach in short sleeves while our daughters splashed in the jewel-toned Mediterranean beneath a cloudless sky, I finally understood why artists have long been drawn to this stretch of southern France. I was reminded of that feeling while talking with the painter Fanny Nushka and her husband, the sailor

After more than a decade of negotiations, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached an agreement to preserve passengers’ rights to free cabin baggage and financial compensation for flight delays, according to media reports. Airlines have repeatedly warned that tightening compensation rules and increasing financial obligations would inevitably lead to higher ticket prices. Nevertheless, European lawmakers opted to maintain the current level of passenger

‘Exploring Finland with our baby was a delight’ Finland has topped the world happiness rankings for years, but when I landed in Helsinki on one of my first flights with our nine-month-old, global accolades were the last thing on my mind. I was rumpled, tired and dreaming of sleep. My husband, Jake, and I had finally emerged from the blur of early parenthood and dared to imagine a trip abroad. My hopes were modest: a cold beer at sunset, a wander among trees, a few uninterrupted pages of a

Legend has it that the 19th-century Parisian flâneur, determined not to hurry past the delights of the boulevard, would walk with a tortoise on a leash to slow his stride. That image came back to me as my donkey lowered his head for yet another thistle and I paused to take in the panorama while he chewed. In every direction, mountain ridges faded into layers of pale, misty blue. There was nothing to hear but the wind, the sharp whistles of marmots and the laughter of my two small children. I

A new giant suspension bridge in southwest China has quickly become a magnet for travelers eager to capture dramatic selfies and share them on social media. Yet for local residents, the structure represents far more than a scenic backdrop. It provides a direct connection to a major highway, cutting travel time from several hours to just minutes, and stands as a symbol of large-scale investment that has brought high-speed internet to this once-remote region. The Huajiang Bridge stretches across

Turin is often described as one of Italy’s most exacting food capitals, shaped first by the refined tastes of the House of Savoy and later by the philosophy of the slow food movement. That heritage lives on in its grand cafés and historic restaurants, where dining can feel elegant and ceremonial. Yet that is only one side of the city. As a local, I’m far more attached to a humbler institution: the piòla. Piòle were never true restaurants. They were modest places to drink a glass of barbera,

Summer 2026 was expected to mark a strong return to big vacations for many Americans. Instead, rising fuel prices, uncertainty around long-haul routes and a more cautious economic outlook are reshaping the kinds of trips people feel comfortable taking. We spoke with travellers across the US to learn how their plans are evolving. This year’s travel season is proving unusually complex. Flight paths across parts of the Middle East have been disrupted, gas and jet fuel prices have climbed and