The ultimate long weekend in Marseille

A glamorous reboot of the Orient Express is hitting the rails in 2025, and the first look inside its carriages is breathtaking.

Presented by Capital One

Earlier this year, Air France-KLM spoke out about the challenges the airline faced in reinstating flights between Europe and China to what they were pre-pandemic. 

At the urging of labor activists in the late 19th century, Congress declared a national holiday on the first Monday in September to celebrate the hard workers of the United States. Now, 130 years later, Labor Day has become more widely known as a three-day weekend celebration that officially ends summer. And it's often seen as travelers' last chance to hit the open road, hop on a plane or book a staycation at a nearby hotel to grab one last dose of sunny R&R before the kids go back to school, the days grow shorter and pumpkin spice season begins.

Amid the cafes and boutiques of Athens’s Kolonaki neighborhood is a housewares shop that’s also a showcase for Greek craftsmanship. It’s the first brick-and-mortar location for Crini & Sophia, the brand that the former interior and set designer Maya Zafeiropoulou-Martinou founded in 2022. Its wood-and-rattan shelves, two-tone marble floors and furniture are all made by Greek artists, while one window is decorated with a vinelike steel and spray-paint piece by the Cypriot sculptor Socrates Socratous. The shop’s goods are designed by Zafeiropoulou-Martinou, whose inspirations include the colors in Francis Bacon paintings and the Amazon rainforest. Linens are produced in Portugal before being embroidered in Greece with patterns that often take cues from antiques on view at Athens’s Benaki Museum. Hand-painted ceramics and glassware are made in partnership with artisans in New York, Greece, Italy and France. When it comes to designing your own table, Zafeiropoulou-Martinou encourages layering. “The pattern isn’t just the plate or the tablecloth,” she says of her pieces, “but a puzzle of the two on top of each other.”

Jul 31, 2024 • 5 min read

Get ready to go long with Holland America in the Mediterranean.

The Dyrt, the No. 1 app for camping availability, photos and reviews, has found that 18% of campers reported that wildfires or natural disasters disrupted their camping plans in 2023. That’s three times more than the 6% who said their plans were disrupted in 2019, and indicates a steady rise over the past five years.

Also known as “Lefkas”, Lefkada is distinct in that it requires no ferry or boat journey to access it—instead, you simply drive over a causeway a short distance from Prevaza airport on the mainland. Part of the Ionian Islands, mountainous Lefkada is densely forested (providing welcome shade when it’s hot) and has some beautiful beaches that are virtually empty during the shoulder seasons. Compared to better-known Greek islands, Lefkada remains crowd-free and uncommercialized (there are no international hotel brands here yet), so keep the secret to yourself. It’s also a good jumping-off point for celebrity magnet Meganisi, where you can visit Fish Taverna Errikos for lunch.

Despite a recent agreement preventing an airport strike in Paris on 17 July, one union is still threatening to walk out in the lead up to the Olympic Games.

The Skift Travel Podcast is continuing its series on the Paris Olympics. This episode features a discussion with Patrick Mendes, Accor’s CEO for Europe and North Africa. Accor is an official partner for this year’s Games, as well as Europe’s largest hotel group.

I've traveled around the world, but even after a dozen visits, Paris remains my favorite city. I never tire of its cafés, restaurants, parks, or opportunities to practice my French.