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Fairy-tale villages. Alpine lakes as blue as cobalt. Regal ibex standing sentry on misty ridges — the Engadin Valley, a narrow ravine cutting across the Swiss canton of Graubünden, is one the most sublime pockets of the Alps. Long a coveted destination for skiers, hikers, and outdoor adventurers, the valley has culinary verve and cultural cachet worthy of its scenic splendor. From the glitzy, celebrity-studded ski resorts of St. Moritz — the St. Tropez of the Alps — to sleepy mountain hamlets frozen in time since the medieval era, the Engadin mesmerizes.

Traveling by train in Europe is as easy as pie. You can go across France in half a day, you can get from London to Amsterdam in just four hours, or even travel between Austria and Hungary for less than $10. Even in Scandinavia, the rail network is extensive, providing rail transport to and from large cities, small towns, neighboring countries, and even in the far reaches of the Arctic.

Last year, my parents took their first-ever group tour to France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. You know, those tours where you share a coach bus with 30 strangers for a week, stop at popular tourist draws, stay in pre-arranged hotels, and go on guided city walks with bright orange audio boxes that might as well be “look at me, I’m a tourist” placards. I tried to dissuade them, offering to plan their entire Eurotrip myself, but they ultimately opted for the tour’s convenience and relative all-inclusiveness. Now they’re absolutely hooked, with two more tours under their belt this year.

Northern India’s state of Rajasthan is the largest Indian state by area (and the seventh largest by population), covering 132,139 square miles — translating to roughly 10% of India’s total geographical area. The city is known for its tourist attractions like hill forts and palaces, having garnered the nickname “royal state of India” for its royal history. Here’s where to stay in this historic city.

Minneapolis stands out for its art museums, its lakes, and its sporting prowess. The largest city in Minnesota sits on the west banks of the Mississippi River whereas its Twin City and the state capital is a short journey on the light railway.

Many astronomy events will grace the sky this year, but the total solar eclipse is hands down the highlight for those even marginally interested in celestial happenings. On April 8, 2024, the total solar eclipse will cross North America, and many are trying to get in on the action (though the options for where to stay along the path of totality is already limited).

The central train station in Edinburgh is Waverley. It’s in the city’s center, under the shadow of the Old Town’s narrow closes, wynds, courts, the Mound, and Edinburgh Castle. Arriving by train in my teenage years, this grand welcome would leave me speechless. And after living in Edinburgh for over six years, it still does today.

Solar eclipses are rare events. North America, however, has been blessed with two in quick succession: one in 2017, and another that will happen on April 8, 2024. The first stopped people across the country who sat in awe in the path of totality. The latter will be even more accessible for people in the United States, with a long stretch of totality from the Southwest to New England.

Around 1,600 towering karst pillars and forested islets spring from the emerald bays off Vietnam’s northeastern coast. Traditional sailing junks, cabin cruises, and yachts drift through the Ha Long, Lan Han, Bai Tu Long bays, and the Cat Ba Archipelago. Most travelers spend at least one night aboard with kayaking, climbing, and short yet steep hikes immersing you further in this spectacular landscape.

When picking a flight to get to where you need (or want) to be, it’s almost always a hassle to know if you’re getting the best deal. Let’s face it: The traveler who repeatedly searches for the “best time to buy flights” but still comes out buying that expensive plane ticket isn’t alone. Flight prices are a moving target, and an answer one year doesn’t necessarily work the next. For 2024, flight booking company CheapAir released its 10th annual Airfare Study on how to score the best deal for domestic flights in 2024.

As a Chicago transplant who attended the University of Alabama, one of 14 members of the Southeastern Conference collegiate athletic institution, I’m no stranger to the charms and fervors of an SEC college town, from sports-centric traditions such as tailgates to campuses that showcase Southern architecture as much as any downtown square. You can draw a lot of parallels between attending an SEC school and visiting a city or town that hosts one. That’s why I jumped at the recent chance to visit Oxford, Mississippi, otherwise known as the home of Ole Miss.

Before it was developed into a seaport and garrison, the area now known as Chennai comprised a cluster of small villages on India’s Coromandel Coast. The largest of these, Madrasapattinam, inspired the city’s original name of Madras before being renamed Chennai in 1996. This history has resulted in a sprawling metropolitan area with no clearly defined downtown core although the region between the Cooum and Adyar rivers generally defines the tourist zone.

In July 2026, the FIFA World Cup is coming to North America, with games played in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The World Cup is held every four years and is one of the largest, if not the largest, sporting events in the world. Sixteen cities will host the 48 teams. But where the biggest game will take place, the final, won’t officially be announced until February 4.

The luxury hotel brand Rocco Forte Hotels recently combined its world-class hospitality with sustainable slow travel to create a modern-day “Grand Tour” of European cities by rail. The scenic vacation train package connects two of the most romantic cities in Europe: Edinburgh, Scotland, and Palermo, Sicily. It’s designed to let travelers indulge in an inter-rail experience while taking a deep dive into local cultural experiences at each stop.

It was September, and at that point, I’d spent most of the year living in Siem Reap, Cambodia, after falling in love with the city as a backpacker. To make a living, I worked two jobs, teaching English to first-, second-, and third-graders in the morning, then waiting tables at a restaurant in the evening six days a week.

Udaipur is a surprise oasis in the southern reaches of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India’s landlocked (and largest) state. The city wraps around a sequence of artificial lakes with Lake Pichola being the most beautiful. Reflecting the Aravali Range in its shimmering waters, this lake and its floating palaces have established Udaipur as one of the most romantic destinations in Northern India. Add your name to the long list of travelers who lost their heart to Rajasthan’s City of Lakes at one of these Airbnbs in Udaipur near Lake Pichola.

Geneva sits on the southern shores of Lac Léman in French-speaking Switzerland. The city is cradled by the Alps and Jura ranges with the tip of Mont Blanc is visible on a clear day. Not just the domain of bankers and diplomats, Geneva’s whimsical Vieille Ville is a hilly tangle of medieval plazas and monuments. The International Museum of the Red Cross is a sobering look into the latest humanitarian efforts. Directly on the lakeside, the Bains des Pâquis offer seasonal bathing (and winter saunas). These magnifique Airbnbs in Geneva, Switzerland, put you close to the lake and Place du Bourg-de-Four.

If you ask French people what they think of the SNCF, the French national railway company, many will complain about how often the employees are on strike (not that often, really). However, you won’t hear many grieve about the frequency of the trains, the extent of the network, or the price it costs to ride the rails. That’s because the rail service in France is exceptionally good. I’ve been riding trains all over the world for over 20 years and, in my opinion, few places can match the rail service you get in France other than maybe the extensive rail network in Japan.

We’re in the golden age of expedition cruises. Travelers can board relatively small luxury ships or yachts to explore remote places like the frigid Article Circle, or cruise to Antarctica to hike, kayak, and photograph penguin colonies. According to the Expedition Cruise Network, these types of excursions are the “fastest growing” market in the cruising world.

Once you’ve seen London’s highlights, i.e. Big Ben, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, and the many amazing museums, take a break from the capital and make your way to Oxford. Less than one hour away from central London by train, Oxford is arguably the most beautiful university city in the world, with 43 independent colleges that rival each other in their jaw-dropping architecture, dreamy bookshops, quaint pubs, majestic libraries and theaters, and plenty of great places to enjoy a traditional and indulgent afternoon tea. Things to do in Oxford abound, but because it is a compact little city, even if you only have two days you can cover a lot of ground.

Situated between the waters of Lake Winona to the south and the finger-like channels of the Mississippi River to the north, the city of Winona, Minnesota, is best experienced outside. And while out-of-staters might assume this dynamic changes during the winter months, nothing could be further from the truth. Visitors to and locals in Winona know the joys of bundling up, grabbing a warm beverage, and communing with the season’s outdoor wonders.