Travel Trends

When the same destinations appearing again and again in your social media feed—coworkers headed to Tulum for a break from the cold? Friends posting selfies from the Blue Lagoon in Iceland?—you might have discovered a travel trend. Travel + Leisure’s writers and editors pay close attention not only to the latest in popular destinations, but also to industry-wide trends like the growth of peer-to-peer rental services (such as Airbnb), the resumption of commercial flights between Cuba and the United States, or the shockingly high rates of unused paid time off for millennial workers. Learn about up-and-coming trends for consumers and for the industry.

Travel Innovation

The travel industry has always been in a state of flux, whether dealing with the advent of planes or cars or even trains. Both the industry as well as the individual experience of travel radically changed again with the widespread adoption of smart phones. Travelers today can book an apartment on Airbnb, grab an Uber from the airport, set up a date with a local on Tindr or Grindr, find a perfect restaurant on Yelp, and make a reservation on Open Table—all from the comfort of his or her personal phone. T+L looks ahead to the changes even newer innovations might bring, from self-driving cars to the spread of virtual reality devices in consumer markets.

The world changes, which ensures it's always an exciting place to explore. As shifting political and environmental realities continue to shape where we travel (and how), Travel + Leisure analyzes their effect on travel in the short and long term. Sometimes that change is destructive—a hurricane, an outbreak of violence—but just as often it’s productive—the creation of a new park, the signing of a peace treaty. Check back with Travel + Leisure to see the latest updates around the globe.

Ground Transportation

There are many different ways to get around the globe: by land, by sea, and by air. And when it comes to ground transportation, Travel + Leisure can help you navigate the diverse (and sometimes complicated) systems.

After all, travelers can explore by foot or by bike; by car, van, or camper; by train — be it luxury travel like the luxurious Orient Express, or more mundane methods like the public subway — by bus, tram, streetcar; by funicular or by cable car; by golf cart or by Segway; by horse or by camel; even hopping in an Uber or hailing a classic New York City yellow cab.

Ground transportation touches just about everything the ground itself does. Travelers can now hail a taxi in Paris created exclusively for women, but should know that your Uber app won’t be of use during trips to London, where the ride-sharing company recently lost its license to operate.

Sometimes, ground transportation isn’t just about getting around — it’s also the main attraction. In Chicago, visitors can explore the underground Pedway tunnels beneath the downtown Loop, and learn about new plans to revitalize them.

And while it may not seem as luxurious as cruising or flying, ground transportation can still be impressive. On Travel + Leisure, for example, you can read about two 23-year-olds who took an old fashioned, but now relatively rare, route across the United States: by hitchhiking.

And while nothing is as basic or low-tech as taking a hike, ground transportation can be seriously forward-thinking and futuristic, too. Here, you can puzzle out the implications of Elon Musk’s proposed high-speed Hyperloop route from New York City to Washington, D.C., which promises a 29-minute inter-city commute.

Though flying is (usually) faster, ground transportation gets you places no plane can: whether it’s a motorbike on the back roads of Bali or a bucket list trek to the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu. Get the most useful tips on traveling by cars, buses, trains, bikes, and good old fashioned feet here at Travel + Leisure.

Travel Tips & Intel: Essential Jet-Setting Advice

Navigating the globe—especially one that changes as often as ours—can be confusing and intimidating. How much gratuity should you leave in Italy? Will you need a guided tour to explore the Taj Mahal? How early do you have to get in line for ferry tickets to Culebra? Travel + Leisure has authoritative travel advice about these matters and more, along with the latest on airline news, travel deals and discounts, the best gear and gadgets, and totally trendy or entirely off-the-beaten-path travel ideas.

Finding the Best Travel Advice

At Travel + Leisure, we're constantly expanding and updating our in-depth city, region, and country guides. But our expert insight doesn't end there. We're here to offer informed reviews of products, hotels, restaurants, and routes, and provide our take on the latest travel news (or anything that might affect your ability to relax, explore, or hit the road). That includes consumer industry news, breaking weather events, political shifts, and hyper-local cultural events.

T+L’s annual “World’s Best” survey asks readers to rank travel experiences across the globe—including cities and islands, hotels and cruise lines, even destination spas, airlines, tours operators, and safaris. We also scour data to determine the cheapest day to fly over the summer, and when to book your hotel reservation. At T+L, we also carefully craft travel ideas and itineraries, from perfect three-day weekends to five must-do activities in destinations around the Earth. Everything you need to plan your perfect trip is right here.

But Travel + Leisure is not all planning. We reserve the right to ask such pressing questions: What sort of collection does a vampire museum have on display? What is it like to be a professional mermaid? What does the world’s youngest billionaire do when she’s on vacation? Why is this a favorite brand of luggage among celebrities and A-listers? What is it like to eat at a nude restaurant? How many pies could be made out of the world’s largest pumpkin? You may not need to know these answers but—you’ve got to admit—that doesn’t mean you don’t want to.