Nast Traveler travel tips

If there’s one item you consistently pack in your beach bag or fanny pack this summer, let it be sunscreen. We all know how important it is to protect our skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays when we’re on vacation and lounging poolside, but sunscreen isn’t just a beach day necessity—it should be an essential step in everyone’s daily skincare routine. To help you find a broad spectrum SPF product you actually love and want to use every day, we turned to one of our editors' favorite sunscreen brands—Supergoop. Condé Nast Traveler editors tested out every single Supergoop product—and measured its newer items against formulas we already know and love, like the viral Unseen Sunscreen—to help find you the very best sprays, lotions, and moisturizers to wear this summer and beyond.

As one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world, the question invariably arises: Do you tip in Paris? For many of us, tipping at restaurants and for various services is an ingrained habit, depending on our local customs. But as always, when traveling to different countries, we inevitably should learn and respect another set of rules—and that includes how much to tip. Fortunately, especially for travelers from the United States, tipping in Paris—and in Europe generally—is really quite simple: Tipping is not expected in French culture, at least not as much as it is in American culture.

Even in 2024, the question “can Americans travel to Cuba?” is still frequently asked among US travelers. Few destinations create such simultaneous longing and confusion as this crocodile-shaped island only 95 miles south of Key West. It has held a mythic status since the early 20th century for its vibrant mix of Latin and Caribbean cultures, its hundreds of miles of pristine beaches, its African-influenced music, and its vintage charm; today, Chevrolets and Buicks from the ’50s rattle down Spanish colonial streets in Old Havana that have hardly changed since Ernest Hemingway was knocking back mojitos there.

It is a sunny winter morning, and I can see snowcapped peaks in the distance. The fragrance of pine fills the air. Birds chatter in the trees above. All is peaceful. And yet I feel as though I have just climbed a mountain—and I don't mean my recent four-mile uphill hike to the temple of Kunjapuri. I am on day seven of a weeklong stay at Ananda in the Himalayas, the lauded palatial destination spa near the spiritual hub of Rishikesh in northern India. I've come to work my way through a glut of issues, including work stress, niggling joint pain, anxiety, loss of libido, constant fatigue, and sleep disruption. The uncertainty that followed the COVID-19 pandemic had worsened all of them.

We have two main priorities when it comes to packing: saving space and staying organized. The solution to both? Investing in a set of the best packing cubes. Whether you're headed on a low-key weekend away or a weeklong European adventure, these thoughtfully designed cubes help manage even the most unwieldy of travel wardrobes. The great thing about packing cubes is how versatile they are: Use them to organize your belongings by garment type, to keep complete outfits together, to separate clean clothes from dirty clothes, or to hold your shoes.

While winter days at home may mean cozying up by the fireplace or under the covers in your comfiest pair of sweats, winter vacations will likely make you more inclined to spend time outdoors, whether that means whipping down ski slopes, sitting under a heat lamp at après ski, or walking around a new town square. As such, you'll want to make sure your winter clothing and accessories are up to snuff.

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Finding the best walking shoes for travel can be tough. You want something comfortable enough to get you through a full day of wandering around, but not so comfortable that it screams “I'm a tourist!” And since nobody wants to tote around a bag (checked or otherwise) filled with shoes, the ones that do make the packing list cut need to be versatile enough to wear with multiple outfits.

It’s official, Asia is back—brighter, bolder, and more ambitious than ever. The region took longer than others to shake off pandemic-related travel restrictions and border closures, but has returned in full force, eager to remind international travelers what they’ve been missing.

Earlier this year, I was browsing Amazon for a few last-minute carry-on essentials when I saw the Airplane Pockets tray table cover pop up as a suggested item. I had never seen such a thing, and my first thought was that it's actually pretty genius. Would this mean I never have to touch or eat off a dirty airplane tray table ever again? I turned to my fellow Condé Nast Traveler editors to see if I'd been missing out on the tray table cover trend. In a room full of frequent fliers, no one had seen or used anything like this before, but our editors were equally intrigued. I was sold. I purchased this $30 Amazon travel essential, and now, a few flights later, I will never fly without it again.

Wherever you're headed—be it a bucket list trip across the globe or a lowkey staycation in your own city—you're going to need luggage. Minimalists and overpackers alike need durable and easy-to-carry suitcases and bags to safely transport clothes, travel accessories, and any souvenirs picked up along the way. As travel editors, we have high expectations for our gear—requiring that reliable, long-lasting bags accompany us on every journey.

Jet lag—the grogginess, dehydration, and general discomfort that follows a long-haul flight, has always seemed unavoidable. Especially now, as airlines pack even more passengers into dry, pressurized cabins and decrease their average seat size. Right?