How to choose your camera: advice from travel photographer Ian Howarth

TUI asked its shareholders on Thursday to consider changing where and how its stock is publicly listed. 

London couple Fiona Evans and Josh Chan knew pretty early into wedding planning that the typical big English celebration wasn’t for them. “We started looking at venues, and in the United Kingdom, they're very expensive and they have a long waiting time—18 months to two years,” says Fiona, who works in tech. “We didn’t really fancy that.”

On 7 June 2023, trams ran down Leith Walk for the first time in 67 years, opening up parts of Edinburgh little trammelled by visitors. The new 2.91-mile, eight-stop route sweeps north from Edinburgh’s heart to meet the Firth of Forth at the docks district of Leith, then turns west to reach its end at Newhaven’s historic harbour. The arrival of the trams has injected life along the way: Leith Walk’s pavements have been widened, and new cafes, bars and restaurants are drawing in locals and travellers alike.

The United Kingdom was rocked by storms and severe wind during the Christmas and New Year's holidays, causing a spree of flight cancellations and delays. But amid all of this chaos, spare a thought for the pilots left to grapple with the elements to safely land their flights.

How to relax on vacation? It's easier said than done. As much as we love a holiday, the combination of planning, booking, traveling, and being in an unfamiliar place can be exceedingly stressful. (Though, you know, we at Traveler hope that our destination guides, intel, and recommendations—from the best places to go in 2024 to some of our favorite hotels and cruises ever—help alleviate the sense of overwhelming bounty the travel world has to offer.) Truly, there’s nothing worse than returning from a trip feeling more uptight than before you left. Ever need a vacation from your vacation? Not fun.

The benefits of investing in a great travel backpack are numerous. In most instances, they’re just as roomy as your carry-on, with the added perks of allowing for easy access to essentials (no need to unveil the entire contents of your bag to the airport while digging about for your phone charger when you’ve got plenty of pockets to utilize). With a backpack, you can head off to your airport gate with both hands-free for your coffee and boarding pass. And they’re a much better option for hiking and camping trips; nobody wants to lug a suitcase across soggy grass or bumpy terrain.

Tell us about your earliest memory of travel. 

Planning a northern lights cruise to Norway in 2024 is expected to offer some of the best opportunities in years to witness one of nature's most spectacular displays.

As the sun sets on 2023, Trip.com Group, a global leader in online travel services, reflects on the dynamic landscape of travel over the past year, offering insights into the trends set to shape the journey in 2024. China’s border reopening sparks global travel surge

Experiencing the Northern Lights in all their majesty is a dream for most travellers. Caused by solar-charged particles reacting with the Earth’s atmosphere, the mostly green dancing lights of this natural phenomenon are often spectacular. Seeing auroras is a thrill in itself, but getting a great photo might just be the crowning glory. Given their ethereality, this takes patience, the right kit and a fair bit of forward planning. And, with 2024 expected to bring some of the brightest Northern Lights displays in over 20 years, thanks to the approaching ‘solar maximum’ (a peak in the Sun’s activity), there’s never been a better time to try to capture them.

Dad shoes may be the ultimate cool-girl travel shoe, but dad boots—you know, those serious and heavy-looking, bordering on workman, boots—are yet to have their moment. In fact, practical walking boots as a whole are in desperate need of a modern makeover—the closest cool options that come to mind are the chunky Ganni Chelsea boots. That is until I recently discovered and tested some boots by French brand Palladium. What caught my eye were the chunky rubber soles teamed with a slick sneaker-like silhouette; like a Converse high-top but much more sturdier. Plus there’s even a dedicated travel collection designed to be ultra-lightweight—ideal for those carry-on-only trips.

It’s been a busy year for the capital’s luxury hotel scene. A string of high-profile, and often high-priced, openings was crowned this autumn when the long-anticipated Raffles London at the OWO flung open its doors, taking over the building that once housed the Old War Office. Beyond such headline-grabbing launches, the accommodation offering in the city remains in rude health, with plenty of character available for travellers looking beyond the very top end of the market. There are boutique hotels squirrelled away in Georgian townhouses, budget pads in the midst of Piccadilly and huge complexes offering a world of bars, restaurants and entertainment across multiple floors.