The complicated truth about San Francisco

Picture it: You battled your way through summer holiday traffic going to the airport, and waited in what felt like the world’s longest security line, only to have your flight diverted two hours in, resulting in your flight reaching its destination three hours later than planned?

Many of South America’s greatest hits can be found in Ecuador, from Andean peaks and the Amazon to tropical beaches, Inca ruins and the wonders of the Galápagos Islands. Pretty impressive for a country that's a fraction of the size of its neighbors!

The rising tide of America's obsession with true crime is undeniable. With over half of Americans confessing their addiction to tales of crime and mystery, the genre has not only taken over our screens, from TV shows like HBO's "Love and Death" to popular podcasts like "My Favorite Murder," but it has also crept its way into the travel sector. Fans are turning their obsession into vacation plans this Halloween, seeking chilling adventures and spine-tingling experiences. You might wonder, how do you combine the love for mysteries with holiday festivities? Here's a peek into some haunting offerings provided by our client this Halloween season.

With a bit of planning, visiting the USA can be fun and done on a tight budget.

Following the success of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and The World’s 50 Best Bars, 50 Best has just announced The World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2023, marking the brand’s first global launch since 2009.

As a traveler who prefers the off-season for its more affordable prices and fewer visitors, I try not to fly in July and August, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. I wait until fall when rates for flights and hotels normally plunge and crowds shrink.

One of the fruits of getting on a train is that it makes me want to chat. So instead of gazing at Kent as we proceed to Paris from London, I talk to my neighbour. Martha grew up in San Francisco, studied in Oregon, and puts syrup on everything. When we part ways on the concourse of Gare du Nord – she to lunch with a friend from Wisconsin, me to amble around before continuing towards Turkey – she says the best things about the US are Taylor Swift and meatloaf. It’s good to talk.

Massive Montana comprises the Last Best Place in the American West, encompassing a wild terrain of Rocky Mountain adventures and bucket-list places to visit. Amid the mountains, national forests and wild rivers teeming with trout, several historical and current railroad depots punctuate the state, now grown into Montana’s best cities, showcasing its independent yet inviting culture.  

Fall is almost here, and that means people begin to plan their holiday travel. But, what if you didn’t have to spend a penny on your next trip? It turns out that there are plenty of ways to travel for free beyond earning and redeeming miles and points. These five fall travel contests and sweepstakes could have you celebrating iconic experiences all around the country.

New York is a beach town if you want it to be—but I didn’t know that when I first moved here four years ago. That first New York summer, I left my Williamsburg apartment, boarded the ferry, and was miraculously lounging on the beach an hour later. As I squinted into the sun, I spotted surfers in the water. Surfing in New York? I couldn’t believe it. The following summer, I signed up for lessons with Locals Surf school, and have since spent almost every single weekend flinging myself into the waves at Rockaway Beach.

For generations, designers have adopted towns, villages, and other enclaves as second homes and visited them again and again, imprinting a touch of their own sensibility on their chosen place—and importing something of its essence into their own work. It’s the kind of symbiosis that Coco Chanel and Le Corbusier, who summered in neighboring homes, enjoyed with the Cote d’Azur’s Rouquebrune Cap-Martine, or Yves Saint Laurent with Marrakech and Tangier. More recently, Christian Louboutin popularized the Portuguese village of Melides, eventually opening Vermelho Hotel there earlier this year. Here, five designers on the places they go, and why they continue to be pulled back.

It's become an iconic image of travel in the United States – a red convertible with the top down, cruising such classic California thoroughfares as the Pacific Coast Highway or across the Golden Gate Bridge.