Travel

By Tom Marsden, CNN In the heart of northeastern Azerbaijan, a cluster of centuries-old stone dwellings cling to a hilltop surrounded by some of the South Caucasus country’s highest mountains. Steeped in history and legend, Khinalig is populated by a tiny ethnic group speaking their own language and tracing their ancestry back to the prophet

By Marnie Hunter, CNN It’s never too early to start planning for next year’s big trips. National Geographic is getting an early start, too, releasing its Best of the World list in late October with 25 must-see destinations for 2023. Respect — for the people and their cultures, for the land and its conservation —

Julia Buckley, CNN Swimming in UNESCO-protected canals. Breaking into historic sites. Driving down the world’s most famous staircase. And just when you thought that was as bad as it gets: smashing priceless sculptures in a fit of pique. As travel restrictions dropped this summer and tourists flooded back to Europe, the news of visitors behaving

By Lilit Marcus, CNN This week in travel: some of the destinations in Asia with the most strict Covid policies are finally reopening, an annual ranking of the world’s coolest neighborhoods provides inspiration for your upcoming vacation plans, and Fat Bear Week weathers a cheating scandal in order to crown a new winner. Hippest hoods

Silvia Marchetti, CNN There are green fertile valleys, old brigands’ hideaways, cherry orchards — and a mysterious flask allegedly containing a very special blood. Amaseno, a tiny village located in the province of Frosinone between Rome and Naples, harbors a mystical secret that, locals say, questions the laws of nature. The villagers venerate a glass

Francesca Street, CNN It’s one of the best parts about a vacation — that moment when you discover the side of the city that’s clearly more popular with locals than tourists. Maybe it’s the off-the-beaten-track cafe with the best coffee you’ve ever tasted, the underground bar that’s not signposted on the street above, or the

Blane Bachelor, CNN Hours-long lines for security that often snake outside under tents. Untold numbers of angry passengers who have queued in those lines — yet still missed their flights. Worker strikes and delayed or lost baggage. Condemnation by major airlines, most notably KLM. At Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, labor shortages continue to fuel unprecedented chaos

Julia Buckley, CNN There are Italian villages that sell houses for the price of a cup of coffee, places that pay you to move there — and now there’s a region that will pay you just to visit. Friuli Venezia Giulia, in the far northeast of the country, will reimburse visitors’ journeys if they travel

Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN Going on a vacation might seem like a rather unconventional way to try to improve your sleep habits. But sleep tourism has been growing in popularity for a number of years, with an increasing amount of sleep-focused stays popping up in hotels and resorts across the world. Interest has skyrocketed since the

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN This week in travel: The wreckage of the ship that tried to warn the Titanic about the iceberg has been found. The world’s most spectacular airport is about to double in size. And the US has been bracing itself against Hurricane Ian. Blue-sky thinking Singapore’s Changi is no ordinary airport. It

Joe Yogerst, CNN Like Venice, Barcelona and Prague, Dubrovnik is a victim of its own success. In 2019, more than three million tourists poured into the fabled walled town along Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast and local authorities expect the number to reach that point again over the next few years as global tourism recovers from Covid-19.

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN From Covid to chaos, it’s been another bumpy year for the aviation industry. In much of the northern hemisphere, the busy summer season was beset by delays and cancellations, while in the United States a new study this week found that airplane passenger satisfaction is declining across the board. Still, as

By Forrest Brown, CNN It’s enough to give anyone already on edge about flying hassles has yet another reason to pop an antacid or two: the prospect of delayed, lost or damaged baggage. The concern is valid. Especially when an epic winter storm sweeps across the land and one airline has a complete meltdown. Or

Jacopo Prisco, CNN Cocktail lounges, five course meals, caviar served from ice sculptures and an endless flow of champagne: life on board airplanes was quite different during the “golden age of travel,” the period from the 1950s to the 1970s that is fondly remembered for its glamor and luxury. It coincided with the dawn of

By Pete Muntean, Gregory Wallace and Marnie Hunter, CNN Summer air travel is a mess, and flight delays and cancellations show no signs of letting up. US airlines have canceled more than 100,000 flights this year, with 30,000 cancellations just since Memorial Day weekend, according to data from flight tracking site FlightAware. Mounting disruptions come

Joe Minihane, CNN Hiking is often derided by adrenaline addicts as somehow lesser than more hardcore mountain experiences like climbing or skiing. But as these challenging trails show, putting one foot in front of the other isn’t always the easy option. To undertake these famous hikes, you’ll need more than just a hefty dose of

By Jack Guy, CNN The mayor of an Italian tourist town has moved to impose fines on under-dressed people citing concerns over “quality of life.” Massimo Coppola, mayor of Sorrento, announced fines ranging from 25 to 500 euros in a Facebook post published July 6. “No more with the indecent behaviour,” wrote Coppola. “That’s why