Travel Is Even Worse for the World Than We Thought: Here’s What You Can Do

Ely MacInnes and her husband, Tom, began traveling in the western United States with their 85-pound mutt, Alaska, in March 2020. Driving and living in an R.V., they visited White Sands and Petrified Forest National Parks in New Mexico and Arizona before heading to California, Oregon and Washington. They sometimes struggled to figure out where Alaska could and couldn’t roam, but often found that they could have wonderful experiences.

Looking for a new museum to add to your travel to-do list? TripAdvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent company) has released the Travelers’ Choice Top 25 Museums of 2018, including the top 10 worldwide and the top 10 in the United States, with some surprising frontrunners. The findings also highlight bookable ways to see each winner—think VIP tours and scavenger hunts—with some offering the added perk of allowing you to skip the lines to get in.

AirHelp, the online service that files complaints against airlines on behalf of passengers entitled to compensation for air delays or cancellations, knows a thing or two about air travel. Because it’s hard for the average person to understand air passenger rights and pursue a legal claim when they’ve been wronged, AirHelp is always going toe-to-toe with airlines and airports—and reveals once a year which ones that treat their passengers for the better (or worse).

Skytrax is out with its annual list of the World’s Top 100 Airlines, perhaps the most recognized worldwide ranking of best airlines. As usual, and to the chagrin of travelers here in the states, most of the top performers are not U.S. airlines. Instead, the list is dominated by Asian, Middle Eastern, and, to a lesser extent, European carriers.

Looking for the best cities to live in or retire abroad? The world’s most livable city is once again Vienna, Austria, according to The Economist’s Intelligence Unit’s annual Most Livable Cities ranking.

As we head into a new decade, let’s take some time to acknowledge the incredible events and momentous changes in the travel world since 2010.

For the sixth year in a row, Finland has claimed the top spot in the World Happiness Report. The annual report, compiled by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, surveys residents in over 150 countries to determine which nations are the happiest.

It takes about 20 million steps to walk around the world, not to mention several years of commitment as well as determination, stamina, trekking gear, and a state of mind that few of us can imagine.

By now, everyone knows that there’s a real-life Barbie DreamHouse in Malibu, California, that’s available on Airbnb in anticipation of the blockbuster Barbie movie that’s coming to theaters next month. But if Barbie taught us anything, it’s that no one is limited to just one thing. In Barbie’s case, that meant changing professions as often as she changed outfits. When it comes to travel, the doll’s do-it-all mentality is a nice reminder that we can go anywhere we want. The world is our bright pink proverbial oyster — at least in the case of these Barbiecore Airbnbs. If you’re planning a road trip this summer, why not do it in style at these bright pink Airbnbs?

Life on two wheels is a beautiful thing, and travel on two wheels can be epic. Here are a few of the world's greatest cycle routes to consider for your next big trip.

Backpacking can be one of the most rewarding ways to travel – with little more than your clothes on your back and an onward ticket in your hand. But where are the world’s best backpacking destinations? We asked our readers, and here are the results.

As the Antarctic winter draws in at the end of April, Emperor Penguins begin the long march inland to their breeding grounds. There, they mate, before taking turns to insulate the egg while their partner travels up to 80km to fish. Back in the colony the penguins huddle together to protect the eggs from temperatures below -50 degrees celsius; only a small fraction of chicks survive each year.