Another year in travel, another 12 months of meltdowns and debacles. As one analyst put it, 2023 “took chaos to a new level.” Yikes. Still, travelers kept flying, including in record-breaking numbers on Thanksgiving weekend.
Whether they decided to enter the fray or just armchair travel, our readers loved stories that took them away, whether it was about a journey across London on the new Elizabeth rail line, hiking long-distance walking routes (like the new Pekoe Trail in Sri Lanka or the 637-mile Michinoku Coastal Trail in Japan), or the slow-motion ballet of whales off the coast of Long Island in New York.
And plenty of odd trends emerged, too: fake A.I.-generated guidebooks flooded Amazon, dogs flew in private jets and “sky couches” became an in-flight amenity option.
Here are eight of Travel’s most-read stories for 2023, some of which got readers very fired up (let’s say people have opinions on airplane sock etiquette).
“Housekeeping!” Does the phrase — usually following two startling knocks on the door — fill you with happiness or dread? In 2023, travel largely rebounded to prepandemic levels, but daily cleaning in hotels appeared to have become a thing of the past. Good for sustainability, perhaps (less laundry), but hotel unions are concerned the changes could threaten housekeepers’ jobs.
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Japan is a country where you can see beautiful natural landscapes throughout the four seasons. Especially in winter, various regions in Tohoku and Niigata are adorned with majestic natural beauty, as they are covered in a pure white veil of snow. In addition to the accumulating snow, the artistry of snow and ice, nurtured by the harsh cold and unique natural conditions, also adds a special touch to the winter scenery.
A passport is more than permission to travel across borders; holders of the world's most powerful passports have access to different ways of living that other passport holders do not. Heading into 2024, new data reveals not only the passports that give access to the most countries, but also where you might find a better quality of life.
There's a new six-way tie for first place in an annual global travel ranking.France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain, have all tied as having the top passport in the world, measured by providing visa-free access to 194 countries with their respective passports, according to the newest Henley Passport Index. The annual report measures the flexibility of visa-free travel and has become a popular list among global travelers. For comparison, in 2023, only Japan was crowned with the top spot when it provided access to 193 countries.
The world's most powerful passports for 2024 have been revealed — with the biggest shake-up in rankings we've seen in several years, including a never-before-seen six nations in first place.
Over the last five years, the world has changed a lot. A global pandemic ground much of the global population to a halt with travel the most restricted it's ever been in my lifetime – and most likely yours too. Russia’s war on Ukraine and now Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza are causing shockwaves around the world, reshaping the statuses of countries and the rights of their citizens.
The Beverly Hilton may have hosted the Golden Globes on Sunday, but that's far from being the only luxurious happening taking place at a Hilton this year.
It’s a common dilemma most travelers face when booking a dream vacation: how many days are you going stay in one place? It's a choice that can be the difference of having perfectly enjoyed the time in a city, and being somewhere just a little too long. This week, the dilemma spilled over into an online discourse on Reddit where hundreds of travelers weighed in on which cities require the most amount of days to visit, and which can be skipped over. One of the top cities that travelers felt needed extra time is Tokyo. The city has a population of 14 million across 847 sq. miles, while for comparison, New York City is only 468 sq miles. “Definitely Tokyo, if we're counting the Tokyo Metropolis. Just the city proper requires 10-14 days to explore its variety and sprawl,” one traveler wrote in support of the Japanese city in the tread.
Kuala Lumpur: The 24 contenders at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ have named the 26-strong squads they hope will steer them to glory at the continental Finals.
Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ is nearly upon us and with the excitement brewing, it’s time to take a look at one of the most eye-catching aspects of the most prestigious national competition in Asia - the kits!
It was 2:38 p.m. on August 21, 2017, when day turned to night. That was the precise moment in Greenville, South Carolina, when the moon, passing between the sun and Earth, fully blocked our view of the sun.