Portugal itineraries: 5 routes to see the best of the country

United Airlines will launch flights in eight brand-new cities next year, marking what the airline called the largest international expansion in its history.

I see London, I see France.

Oct 10, 2024 • 8 min read

United Airlines just announced its largest-ever international route expansion for summer 2025—including increased flights to tourist-favorite countries like Spain, Italy, and France and brand new routes to lesser-visited destinations like Mongolia, Greenland, and Senegal.

United Airlines is making bold route decisions as it continues to expand its giant international presence.

Baja California has solidified its position as a world-class wine region, securing 32 of the 52 medals awarded to Mexico at the prestigious 2024 Bacchus International Wines and Vermouth Competition. This remarkable achievement underscores the exceptional quality of wines produced in the region.

Malta’s controversial golden passport scheme, allowing foreigners to purchase EU citizenship in exchange for investing upwards of €690,000, could be offered a legal reprieve following an opinion produced for the EU’s top court on Friday (4 October).  

China has now announced visa-free entry for citizens of 5 countries — Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Portugal, and Slovenia starting October 15. With this move, nationals from these countries can now visit China for up to 15 days without needing a visa.

This year, it felt like everyone I knew was visiting Portugal — which makes sense, considering the country saw a record-breaking number of tourists between January and June.

When I first visited Montreal, it was during a blizzard. I was in my 20s, at an inflection point in my life, and the weather felt portentous. Somewhere between having a smoked-meat sandwich at the counter of Schwartz's and barely making it up the charming but icy spiral staircases that are characteristic of the city's architecture, I fell hard for the place—though, luckily, not down the stairs. Before I knew it, I had abandoned my plans for grad school and moved to La Belle Province to start a new life.

The Seven Wonders of the World: it’s a group as iconic as The Beatles, as ancient as history itself, and as lore-heavy as a Hinge date from Bushwick who really found themselves in Bali. And while seven may seem like a compact number—as with any great classic—there’s been a slew of reboots and sequels since the original list from the ancient world dropped nearly 2,000 years ago. We compiled our own list earlier this year, and have coined some sites ‘Eighth Wonders’ (including in this fun piece about New Zealand’s pink and white terraces from Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings). Even the so-called original list is likely a remix too, as the oft-cited first version from ancient Greek historian Herodotus exists only in reference, having been long lost since its days on the Museum of Alexandria’s shelves.

Flying a relatively small and unknown airline is always somewhat of a risk when it comes to the experience you're going to have both on the ground and on board — my recent nonstop flight on Azores Airlines from New York City to Madeira, Portugal, was no exception. But a surprising upgrade bid for an extra seat in my row for 80 euros ($88) made all the difference in my experience flying across the Atlantic.