These are 10 of the most haunted hotels in the world — and you can actually sleep in them

I love visiting kitschy or unique tourist landmarks on a road trip or weekend getaway. In fact, after visiting all 50 states solo, I've enjoyed my short visits to nearly all the major tourist attractions in the United States.

Since the dawn of time, the romance of railways has seduced poets, spellbound novelists, and dealt directors the perfect hand for capturing fleeting friendships, illicit affairs, and all manner of crimes and capers. A ticket is not just a permit to ride, it’s permission to trespass on the intimacies of other people’s lives. Trains bring us up close and personal—both inside and outside the carriage. On board, passengers chat politics in Finnish dining cars, clamber into couchettes above strangers on the Trans-Siberian, and share samosas on India’s many raucous mail trains. Outside, the world flashes by, a slideshow of rivers growing into oceans, deserts rising into mountains and cities sprawling then receding into darkness as the train thunders on through the night.

The highly anticipated Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa is now open in French Polynesia, one of the dreamiest destinations on earth.

When the Van Cortlandt family acquired their sprawling Hudson Valley estate in the late 1600s, they couldn't have imagined that it would one day host a jack-o'-lantern festival with pumpkin sculptures including a Kraken, moving windmill, and Statue of Liberty.

Island cruising usually conjures up images of crystal-clear water and bright sunshine in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, and while MSC certainly offers sailings to both these popular destinations, the cruise line is also organizing a very different kind of island voyage.

There are two types of train trip: The long, slow, and often luxurious train journey that takes you through beautiful scenery that you book specifically to spend time on the rails; and the speedy, no-nonsense, cheap train ride you take to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. In the first category, you’ll find grand trips like Australia’s The Ghan, South Africa’s Blue Train, and Britain’s Caledonian Sleeper. In the second, there are trips from London to Brussels in just two hours, from Rome to Venice in four hours, and from Miami to Orlando in three hours. And if you’re a train traveler who belongs to the second category and likes getting places fast without flying, there are plenty of trains in this world that do just that at speeds previously unimaginable on land, including the fastest train in the world and its closest competitors.

According to Airbnb, there has been a 130 percent increase in stays at Airbnbs with Northern Lights views. The best Airbnbs in Iceland offer front row seats to the northern lights — making it the top place to go to see them. Not only that, but by booking a remote stay you’ll have easy access to the outdoor adventures this Nordic country is known for. The best Iceland Airbnbs even offer extras — like hot tubs, fireplaces, maybe even a chance to greet a gaggle of wild horses as they traverse their way across the countryside. “Wow” your travel partners with these epic Iceland Airbnbs.

I think of myself as a well-traveled individual with a very solid knowledge of geography and tourist sights. Most of the people at Matador Network see themselves in the same way. After all, we live and breathe travel day in, day out. Yet, apparently, none of us know much about Germany.

Sep 22, 2024 • 4 min read

Have you ever wondered which European cities have the best, worst and busiest metro networks? New research reveals the answers. 

If you'd asked me just a year ago what I thought of cruises, my answer would have been a resounding "meh."

Spirit Airlines is embracing fall with a great sale that has one-way flights starting as low as $40.