Save your cents with the 20 best free things to do in Barcelona

It's been more than a month of labor strikes at hotels in some of the top destinations in the U.S., and a resolution doesn't appear to be in sight.

Oct 18, 2024 • 5 min read

Oct 17, 2024 • 9 min read

While passport application and renewal delays are over and traveling internationally is—for the most part—easier than ever, did you know it’s totally possible to hop on a plane to a white-sand beach or streets that feel just like Spain with just your driver's license in hand? The best places to travel without a passport are within reach. You just need to know where to look. And one of the best options American travelers have at hand are the US territories.

Protesters in Spain staged massive demonstrations against overtourism this year that made headlines worldwide — especially after spraying tourists in Barcelona with water guns.

Dorey Poder and Damir Konjicija didn’t have a vision for their wedding, because they didn’t think they’d be lucky enough to have one: Damir fled war in Bosnia as a child and grew up in a refugee camp in the Czech Republic, and then the southern United States (Kentucky), while Dorey was raised in a very conservative town in California. “We didn’t know if we would ever get married in our lifetime, so when the time actually came, we looked at each other like, do we want to have a wedding? Or is this just an ‘us’ thing?” says Dorey of the brief consideration to get hitched at city hall.

There’s something special about Charleston, South Carolina. Spanish moss drips from the limbs of centuries-old oaks, and the ghosts of bygone eras wander the streets on cool evening breezes. As I step through the front doors of the historic Mills House hotel, I’m quickly reminded that all of the things that make Charleston special are perfectly captured within these walls. If only they could talk.

A last-minute trip to Europe is as romantic as it sounds. Not only is the spontaneity thrilling, but European countries lend themselves very well to travelers who appreciate local customs and enjoy exploring new places without a rigid itinerary. Often, impulsively turning down a cobblestoned street will lead you to an exceptional hole-in-the-wall wine bar, a short-notice boutique hotel booking will be the best place you’ve ever stayed, or a chance encounter with a local will lead to a life-long friendship. But come 2025, you will need to do a little planning before you cross the pond. Next year, the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) will come into effect. This rule will require visitors from visa-exempt countries to obtain a travel authorization before entering 30 European countries and this includes US travelers.

The Spanish government is considering setting up an emergency reception centre for migrants at Ciudad Real airport located south of Madrid.

While women have been traveling the world on their own for decades (centuries, really), a 2024 report from Booking.com reveals that solo travel is surging this year, in particular.The booking engine says 54 percent of women are embracing solo journeys.A separate report from Road Scholar, which offers educational travel for older adults, says up to 85 percent of the company’s tour participants that travel solo are women. These reports underscore what plenty of female travelers have long known: Solo women travelers are a force to be reckoned with. Write us off at your own peril.Within the travel industry itself, there are a number of high-profile solo female travelers who are constantly serving up an inspiring look at what it’s like to be a woman exploring the world boldly - doing so with comfort, ease, and a level sheer joy that’s contagious.So, rather than publish another staid round-up of destinations that might be worth considering if you’re a woman traveling alone, we asked a handful of these fearless, globetrotting women what their favorite destinations are to explore solo and why.Consider this your insider’s destination guide, curated by a handful of women who, collectively, have visited nearly every corner of the globe and have done so with abandon.

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

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, October 15, 2024, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.