Scenic celebrates 10 years cruising France’s historic waterways

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get the latest news in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments.

It’s been hidden from public eyes for more than a hundred years. But in a few weeks time, the former Old War Office in London, Whitehall will finally open its doors after a multi-million-dollar transformation.

Air France said on Saturday that all its flights to and from Moroccan airports — Marrakech-Menara, Casablanca Mohammed-V and Rabat-Salé — were operating normally.

You’ll soon be able to fall asleep in Paris and wake up in Berlin thanks to the return of Austrian rail operator ÖBB’s night train service.

Air France is set to commemorate its 90th anniversary with a fashion exhibition that will take over the window display at the Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann.  

If you're interested in trying out popular upstart cruise line Virgin Voyages in 2024 or 2025, pay attention. The cruise line is doing the cruise ship shuffle — delaying the debut of its fourth sister ship, swapping itineraries among its trio of existing ships to fill the gap, and introducing new ports and itineraries around the world.

Oceania Cruises, known as one of the foremost cruise lines focusing on culinary excellence and destination experiences, has unveiled the inaugural season itineraries for their upcoming vessel, Allura, set to become part of the fleet in the summer of 2025. These 26 inaugural season journeys span over 92 destinations, ranging from seven to 34 days in duration, and will be available for booking starting on September 13, 2023. This luxurious new ship will feature standard staterooms with an impressive size of 291 square feet, surpassing the dimensions of many entry-level suites found on some ultra-luxury cruise lines.

One of Manhattan’s most celebrated restaurants is reopening after a years long closure. Café Boulud is on its way back to Manhattan, with a new location in Midtown East. The original restaurant temporarily closed in early 2020 due to the pandemic and never reopened.

Having taken place between August 11th through the 20th, this year’s Monterey Car Week turned out to be yet another successful iteration of the iconic California event. Coming from the hills of Speyside, Scotland, storied whisky brand The Macallan returned to the Monterey Car Week program. The Macallan has had a presence at the event for three years as a result of their partnership with Bentley Motors, but this was the first time guests were able to visit the House of The Macallan, bringing rare whisky into the automotive realm. The result was a perfectly paired match of the classic and the contemporary; in an event so saturated with style, craft, anticipation and aesthetic, The Macallan’s participation naturally became part of the fabric.

On a hot sunny day this summer, San Antonio became the seventh US city–and the first in Texas–to team up with Google Arts and Culture, launching a global platform dedicated to sharing the city’s rich history, elevated gastronomy and vibrant arts and culture with the world.

US and UK saw respective deal volume reducing to almost half; China emerges as notable exception.

“Sell five, sail free” returns.