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The East Coast is home to numerous idyllic winter wonderlands, but none quite as idyllic as Vermont. The wide, open fields, the quaint towns, the abundant maple syrup—it’s no wonder there are so many great hotels, cabins, and Airbnbs to cozy up in and hibernate for the season. If you’re a skier or snowboarder, the Green Mountain State is especially hard to beat. Each winter, once the autumn leaves blow away and the first snow dusts the landscape, people travel from all across the Northeast (and the country) to soak up the area’s wintry charms and book a stay at one of their many ski resorts.

What do you get for a teenage nephew? A friend with impossibly expensive taste? A parent who insists, insincerely, they don’t want anything at all? We want to hear about the people stumping you ahead of the holiday gifting season — the more particular they are, the better.

Sure, we here at Travel + Leisure love traveling (naturally). But just because we love exploring new places doesn’t mean that we aren’t privy to how frustrating and tiring traveling can be. From missing luggage to stolen wallets to delayed flights, there’s no shortage of things that can derail a trip. Luckily, though, some of the most common travel mishaps can be avoided with the right gear. Considering the upcoming Amazon Prime Big Deal Days event — an exclusive sitewide sale taking place October 8 and 9 — is around the corner, now’s a great time to stock up on essentials that make traveling easier. To save you time, we’ve already dug through hundreds of deals in order to bring you the best discounts we could find on products worth picking up before your next trip. 

Another major two-day sale from Amazon is here: Prime Big Deal Days, fall's answer to Amazon Prime Day, starts on October 8. Travelers can save big on everything from luggage and headphones to packing cubes and travel accessories. It should come as no surprise that Condé Nast Traveler editors have been going through their wish lists to see what's on sale. Read on to see what travel gear we’re eyeing for last minute price drops, from face serums and rain jackets to alarm clocks, steamers, tech necessities, and cameras. To get a head start on the savings, check out the best early Prime Day travel gear deals we have found so far.

Koh Samui was voted one of The Top Islands in the World in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. To find out all the winning islands, read here.

One of the best things about running is the low barrier to entry—throw on some sneakers and you’re ready to go. But as you start to increase your mileage, whether you’re training for the New York City Marathon, a Rock 'n' Roll half, or a local 10k, you start to realize that what you wear, how you fuel, and the accessories you carry are all critical to your success—in other words, there comes a time when you'll want to upgrade your road running shoes or swap out that old gym shirt for a moisture-wicking option.

Oct 2, 2024 • 13 min read

I get up around 6:30 or 7. I go work out sometimes, or I get right in the shower after I play with my dogs. I use Olaplex, which I really love — it has changed my feeling about shampoo. The thing I’ve used since I was little is Erno Laszlo’s Sea Mud soap, a simple black bar soap. My mom still uses it, too. I go out a lot with towel-dried hair and a rubber band. If I use a dryer, which is infrequent, I put a little Dallas volumizing spray in my hair at the roots. I love my Dyson. I like saving time, and it dries my hair extremely quickly. I have this really incredible brush by Snow Fox Skincare. It has metal spikes, which doesn’t sound very friendly, but it is.

Oct 2, 2024 • 11 min read

Every year, Condé Nast Traveler readers weigh in on their favorite hotels, airlines, cruises, islands, and more in our annual Readers’ Choice Awards. Luggage is also among the categories you voted on this year, applauding the brands you trust the most for durable, practical suitcase and bags. After all, no matter the trip—be it a safari, cruise, city escape, or weekend in the woods—you need something to carry your belongings. And for many of us, that same carry-on, duffel bag, or backpack becomes our trusty travel companion for years at a time. Below, find your fellow readers’ favorite luggage brands, plus a few of each brand’s most popular pieces of luggage, should you be looking to add a new roomy weekender or sturdy suitcase to your collection.

For centuries, Porto Ercole has been one of the ultimate summer hubs for elite Italian travelers. Today, it still retains this reputation of being a bite-sized, chic destination to spend a few days—think sun-soaked beaches, generations-old family restaurants, and sleek yachts bobbing in the bay. It's easy to access—located on Tuscany’s Monte Argentario peninsula, you can drive to this coastal village in under two hours from Rome, or take a one and a half hour train journey into Orbetello. Here, days pass by at a slow, leisurely pace; take picturesque strolls along sandy stretches, feast on Tuscan delights, or explore one of the three impressive fortresses towering over the village. In this guide, we highlight some of the very best things to do, places to eat, shop, and drink in Porto Ercole.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rocki McCrocklin, 52, a real-estate agent who has listed her home for three years on Hipcamp, a website that lets homeowners rent out their backyards to people camping in vans or tents. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.

My family recently returned from a seven-night sailing across New England and Canada on Norwegian Cruise Lines' giant Norwegian Breakaway ship.

Sep 27, 2024 • 9 min read

Do you have a travel itch, a love of sailing, and an extra $11 million to spare? If so, Ulyssia Residences has a ship for you.

According to a recent Pew Research study, 51 percent of people think their pets are not just part of the family, but also say they love them as much as the human members of their families. And when you narrow it down to two-person households with no kids — as my husband and I happily have — that number skyrockets, with 65 percent of people saying they love their pets as much as human members of their family.

The best thing about August isn’t the searing heat – it’s the fact that summer has matured and there’s been (hopefully) plenty of time to get out and test new gear. Matador’s editors tested everything from socks and underwear to luggage to mountain bike gloves this month, and below is the stuff we loved most. The editor who recommended each is listed, so if you have beef – or a competing product – you know who to contact. Preference was given, as it should be, to brands working towards more sustainable production methods.

Chris Christensen has run the travel blog and podcast Amateur Traveler since 2005. His podcast alone has more than 900 episodes. He’s clearly not an amateur in the sense that he’s new to travel or unpaid for his work, but he is an amateur when you consider the root of the word.

Escaping to Bermuda for the holidays just got easier thanks to a new promotion from island-based carrier BermudAir giving away free companion tickets.

When the first of my grandmothers to die did so just over three years ago, I got her Vera Bradley tote bag. It was in the days after her funeral, possibly even the very next day, when cousins from out of town remained in town, that our freshly-widowed grandfather invited all of us over to go through her things together. He rightfully predicted that this would be at once a bonding experience for his far-flung progeny as well as a quick and collaborative way for him to distribute belongings of hers for which he had no use to those who might actually wear rather than merely appreciate them. Nobody could be upset, nobody could say, “Hey, where’s that Chanel jacket?” or harumph, “I didn’t get anything I wanted,” if we all did it together.

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