Vilnius is cheap, safe, and fun — no wonder it's the world's happiness capital for Gen Z

American Airlines AAdvantage miles just got more valuable for travelers who want to explore popular South American destinations in countries like Chile, Argentina, and Peru.

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.

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.

Southeastern France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is famous for some big things, from Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, and the rolling landscapes that unfurl below it to the millennia-spanning architecture that defines the region’s capital city, Lyon, and beyond. Ironically, one of the best ways to experience all that grandeur is to think small — that is, to visit the small towns that reflect the best of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes’ endless outdoor possibilities, robust agriculture and gastronomy, and long history and cultural heritage.

I met my partner in New Orleans right before COVID changed everything, and I never thought our relationship would involve dealing with international borders and visa rules. As an Australian, I was used to long-haul flights, but the emotional challenges were something I didn't expect.

The US housing market is gradually tilting more toward buyers.

Sep 23, 2024 • 7 min read

Sep 22, 2024 • 4 min read

This as-told-to essay is based on an in-person interview with Goda Ponomariovaitė, a 22-year-old Lithuanian student living in Vilnius.

When recording his ninth solo album, Flow Critical Lucidity, Thurston Moore stayed local, holing up in a London studio near his home in Stoke Newington to lay down tracks. Yet while that process played out within walls thrumming with the sound of reggae, jazz, funk, and soul from neighboring musicians, the writing process took place further afield on Lake Geneva, where the Sonic Youth frontman reflected on the places that shaped him, like New York City during his No Wave days, as well as locations that serve as a call to action in protecting the planet, such as the rich nature of the Galápagos islands. Condé Nast Traveler caught up with Moore in the East Village earlier this summer to learn how nature informed much of the making of the album—and what life in 1980s downtown New York City, as captured in his recent memoir Sonic Life, was really like.

Just as September or «National Passport Month is underway, the U.S. State Department has released additional dates for its ongoing passport fairs, making applying for a first time passport even easier.  The agency published an updated schedule for September and October, which will take place in many states including California, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. For example, the Seattle Passport Agency will be open on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9am-2pm, where the office is regularly closed on weekends. Applicants should be advised that appointments are required, and can be booked on the office’s website.  Other events include the Boston Passport Agency on Sept. 26, Atlanta Passport Agency on September 28, the University of Texas at Dallas on September 28, the Broward County Clerk in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on Oct. 12, and more. 

HBO's hit TV series "Entourage" has had a big influence on John Baptist's life.