When I found out my second pregnancy was twins, I worried about what that would mean for our travel plans. The logistics of having to haul all the stuff three kids need felt like an impossible task with just two parents.
18.09.2024 - 16:13 / insider.com / Louis Vuitton / Martha Stewart / Billie Eilish / Bernard Arnault
HBO's hit TV series "Entourage" has had a big influence on John Baptist's life.
The show ended in 2011. But it's one of the reasons he, 36, moved to Los Angeles — and why he's dropped about $5,800 to buy three Rimowa suitcases.
If you don't recognize the brand's name, you might know its iconic grooved aluminum luggage.
The cheapest model goes for $1,430, while the largest rings in at $2,450. There are also more niche variations, like a 12-wine bottle suitcase, which costs $9,900, and a new $2,125 cross-body bag.
Despite —or maybe because of — its price, Rimowa's shiny four-wheeled bags are now a common sight in the overhead bins of business-class cabins and airport lounges.
But when "Entourage" was still on the air, the show's characters and celebrities were the only people Baptist saw toting the industrial-chic bags. (These days, icons like Martha Stewart, Rodger Federer, and Billie Eilish are fans too.)
It's what lured him — a lifestyle content creator and real estate flipper — to the brand and why he eventually "splurged" to buy his first Rimowa, the $2,175 aluminum trunk, about 1 ½ years ago, he told BI.
He's since purchased a second trunk for his girlfriend and a $1,430 carry-on luggage for himself.
"This is a status symbol for me," Baptist said. "It's the same thing as my Goyard wallet. I achieved purchasing it, and it's a necessity for me now."
Rimowa may not be as talked about as LVMH's 74 other iconic brands like Fendi, Louis Vuitton, or Tiffany and Co., but it certainly holds its ground in Bernard Arnault's world of luxury.
LVMH's revenue dipped just over 1% in the first half of 2024 amid a slowdown in demand for luxury goods in China. But Rimowa continued "excellent momentum," LVMH said.
A spokesperson told Business Insider that the luggage maker is now one of its parent company's fastest-growing brands. It has expanded its presence from Europe and Asia into North America, with the US now one of its top markets.
Rimowa gave rise to two of the largest hard-shelled luggage trends when it debuted its aluminum luggage in the 1920s and its polycarbonate options eighty years later.
Since then, myriad competitors like Away, Samsonite, and Tumi have unveiled similar styles — most for a fraction of Rimowa's price.
With other options on the market, you might wonder why it's worth splurging on a suitcase that costs double that of a flight to Europe. After all, Rimowa's iconic bags were absent from Good Housekeeping, Travel and Leisure, and Wirecutter's 2024 best luggage lists.
To understand why they've become a cult classic, its biggest fans say you have to try one of these bags for yourself. And it's fine if they break — Rimowa offers a lifetime warranty.
Tania Antonenkova, a Miami-based luxury
When I found out my second pregnancy was twins, I worried about what that would mean for our travel plans. The logistics of having to haul all the stuff three kids need felt like an impossible task with just two parents.
The “Golden Triangle” of Southeast Asia was named such due to the region’s thriving opium trade from the ’50s until the early 21st century. The mountainous region, where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet, subsequently became fashionable with backpackers hopping between the countries before going south to Cambodia and Vietnam.
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.
As I touched down at Dalaman Airport in Türkiye, a warm breeze and a hint of salty humidity welcomed me, signaling that the Aegean Sea was just around the corner.
When you board Amtrak’s Auto Train, you’re doing something unique that happens on no other train within the Amtrak system. First of all, you and your vehicle (car, motorcycle, van, small trailer, or SUV if it meets the measurement limits) must both be on board. You can’t go without it and it can’t go without you.
Germany’s got a big secret: It’s got islands. And not the rocky, desolate, and uninhabited kind, but islands with miles of sandy beaches, picturesque cliffs, peaceful, protected forests, and seaside luxury hotels. The Germans obviously are in the know, and because of their geographical locations, the Dutch and Danes are, too. But nobody else in in the world seems to remember that Germany has a coastline on both the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, let alone that this coastline is peppered with dozens of islands. The biggest of all the German islands is Rügen in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, itself a wildly underrated area. While Rügen takes a little effort to get to, the trip is hardly insurmountable, and travelers who want to see Germany away from the big urban centers, internationally known beer festivals, and packed tourist attractions would be remiss to pass on it.
Big cities are my Roman Empire. I love staying in the heart of a city, but it can be hard to find hotels that offer a prime location and perfectly blended amenities that suit my travel style. Enter the Hyatt Centric Downtown Nashville.
Scotland has no shortage of draws for travelers. More than 4 million people traveled to Scotland in 2023, and that number is only growing. Famous draws like world-class whisky and museums fill itineraries, as do castles and nature that’s being restored through an ambitious rewilding program. And while there are plenty of things to do, the best way to experience Scotland is through slow travel, which the region is actively promoting. It’s just one of the reasons Matador Network named Scotland its Sustainable Destination of the Year in 2023.
My recent week-long trip to Northern Germany didn’t have just one theme — it was a hodgepodge of activities and destinations. I had several guided cultural visits planned, as well as a couple of hikes and nature-focused outings, a city tour, two nights in a luxurious seaside hotel, some beach lounging, a lot of time spent on buses and trains, and loads of walking — all of which had to be done while working. Not only that, but I was scheduled to spend several days on the beautiful island of Rügen, where the summers are usually sunny and warm, before making my way to Hamburg, where it rains so much that my tour guide called it “Umbrella City.” Needless to say that having to cover all of my bases for this trip made for some difficult decisions when it was time to pack my bags. While I needed a couple of short-sleeved dressy blouses for the museum visits, I also couldn’t go without a rain jacket, comfortable walking shoes, or sunscreen. Of course, I ended up packing too much, but I was never caught without something I desperately needed and, in the end, that’s what matters.
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.
A full slate of labor strikes are planned throughout Europe this month, which could impact both plane and train travel.Both flights and trains could be delayed as a result of the various labor actions in the coming weeks. Here’s a breakdown of the locations where strikes are expected to take place and when.
Luxury giant LVMH owns iconic household names like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Tiffany and Co. And yet, one of its fastest-growing companies is a brand you might not have heard of — Rimowa.