UPS tips

Rife with pristine beaches and sprawling sand dunes, Nantucket has served as one of the Bay State’s foremost tourist destinations for well over a century—and to sweeten the deal, this scenic island also comes complete with a thriving food scene for visitors to enjoy. Seafood reigns supreme around the island, with no shortage of classic Massachusetts dishes up for grabs spanning from lobster rolls to New England clam chowder, while high-end wines can be encountered all throughout the island’s many restaurants. Yet for those who want to experience the region’s prowess at both drinking and dining in one fell swoop, there’s no better event than the annual Nantucket Wine & Food Festival.

If you’re planning to attend the Paris Olympics and see a bit of Europe this summer, you have a variety of plush new hotels from which to choose (though they’re likely to fill up quickly). Whether you’re going to the Games or simply going on vacation, you’ll find fresh boutique properties in Paris and many more that are an easy flight away, be it to the French Riviera, Rome, or fittingly, an island in Greece, the birthplace of the ancient games.

Whitening. Herbal. Charcoal. Color changing? I'm in the toothpaste aisle at Target, dumbfounded by a selection that runs several shelves long and as many high. After more than 20 years in Cuba, where Close-Up and La Perla were the only choices for most of that time, I'm overwhelmed by the number of options. If Target triggers paralysis, I shudder to think what terror Costco might elicit.

Bordering the Consall Nature Park, a nature reserve featuring 740 acres of woodland, heath and moor, is The Tawny, a “deconstructed hotel”. This means that instead of a single house with rooms there are a collection of boathouses, huts and treehouses scattered around the woodlands and lakes. At the top of the hill is a modern glass building, the Plumicorn restaurant, and a heated outdoor pool looking out over the gardens. Stargazing sessions and night-time meditation are on offer, while spa treatments can be booked in the thatched cottage onsite. Huts from £240 B&B; thetawny.co.uk

Cala Galdana beach – and its neighbours – are spectacular. Turn off at Ferreries and take the attractive Me-22 road that brings you to a breathtaking horseshoe bay shrouded by pine trees. The golden sandy beach is peaceful, even on a busy day. There are beach toilets and a cafe. There are also water sports facilities if you want a bit more activity. Neighbouring Cala Mitjana, a beautiful beach a short walk to the east, is wilder, as is Cala Macarella, two miles by footpath to the west. If I could be teleported to any beach on my day off here’s where I’d go to.Bethan Patfield

I have travelled all over Spain for both work and fun in the past two decades, but the Catalan seaside town of Cadaqués had somehow failed to register on my radar. Last year, my husband was working in Catalonia and when he had a few days off between jobs, I proposed an impromptu tryst. The brief: somewhere by the sea.

If you’re addicted to coffee, partial to New World wine, enjoy skiing at weekends, and have a picture of Kurt Cobain on your wall, Washington could be your Nirvana.

In her Michelin three star restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, Dominique Crenn creates dishes that have been described as gastronomic poetry in their complex, ethereal visuals and flavor. As the culinary consultant for the film “The Menu,” her dishes served at a fictional temple of gastronomy, were unlike anything a diner had ever seen. In February, dishes created by the chef began rolling out in Air France’s premium cabins that, while not as wild as the film’s creations, are also creative, delicious and uniquely hers.

You’ll rarely, if ever, find cowboy boots on a “best travel shoe” packing list; they tend to be heavy, bulky, and difficult to fit in a checked bag, let alone a carry-on suitcase. But if you’re committed to the recent resurgence in Western wear popularity—and feeling inspired by Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album, Bella Hadid’s appearances on the rodeo circuit, or vintage Ralph Lauren photos—you’re more than likely plotting how to pack a pair of cowboy boots for upcoming travels. They are, after all, essential for trips to places like Nashville and Austin, and fit right in at a country music concert.

Flying on Japan Airlines has always been, well, delightfully Japanese. Think of it as an introduction—or if departing from Tokyo, a bid farewell—to the country’s characteristic tenets of respectful, nearly differential service; seafood-forward and fresh cuisine; and commitment to cultural traditions. (Onboard oshiburi, anyone?) Add in comfortable seats across all cabins—yes, even decent economy ones with 34 inches of recline—and you have an experience worth writing home about. Or at least not complaining to someone about.

If you’re from Southeastern USA, you know what 30A is. If you’re unfamiliar, let me paint you a picture: 30A is a series of darling beach towns along a 24-mile scenic highway overlooking the white sands and turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 

TPG staffers are huge fans of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, happily paying its annual fee each year and listing it as one of the cards we can't live without. We love that this card earns bonus points on travel and dining and allows us to transfer our points to valuable transfer partners.

If you've been thinking about applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — and even if you haven't, you'll want to hear this — now's a good time to do so because you can currently earn 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

One of the most popular Las Vegas casino resorts is turning 25, so what better time to reveal a $1.5 billion face-lift?

‘She’ll come to your hotel, looking incredibly elegant, charm everyone and then at 4am you’ll get an email full of highly insightful suggestions because she’s also a farmer’s daughter and she works around the clock.’

Many travel credit cards have similar names, and that can be confusing. It seems like every card name contains the word platinum, preferred, premier or reserve somewhere in the title. It's important to know the distinctions between each because the benefits you'll find on each card can vary dramatically.

The only thing better than devising a powerful points strategy for yourself is joining forces with your significant other to rake in even more rewards.

Montreal is an island unto itself. An architect’s paradise. A foodie’s dream, where a pastry will make you weep. It’s a city of extremes. The grandiose maximalism of Cirque du Soleil and Arcade Fire. The gritty punk scene and the thriving diner (casse-croûte) culture. Hot bacchanalian summers that never sleep, and cold brooding winters that draw you underground and inward. Perhaps that’s why it’s also a city of great style.

As Irina Strembitsky and her mom planned a winter getaway last fall, they never imagined they'd become victims of a vacation rental scam. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened, and Strembitsky says it ruined their much-anticipated trip.

While neon-lit Tokyo moves ahead at hyperspeed, Kyoto ambles along at a leisurely pace. During its thousand-year reign as Japan’s imperial city, artisans from around the country flocked here to hone their skills in nishijin-ori silk weaving and kyo-yaki pottery. Today, in its traditional machiya town houses, ceramicists and woodworkers still produce the same fine wares as their ances- tors. But a group of younger makers is shaking up the scene, opening next-gen ateliers, teahouses, and concept stores that swap the sometimes-intimidating rules and rituals of traditional crafts with modern designs and easygoing retail spaces. Whatever the approach, one thing is for sure in Kyoto: The handmade reigns supreme.

Ever dreamed of spending a night in the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy, tucked in a bed crafted with the same leather as Ferrari car seats? What’s more, you’ll be surrounded by 110 elite trophies and encircled by the Ferrari cars that won those accolades and feel the speed of the Ferrari 296GTB on a private ride on the Pista di Fiorano, Ferrari’s private racetrack.