Travel

(CNN) — We’d heard about the new Microsoft Flight Simulator’s mega-realistic scenery, digitally distilled from satellite imagery. We knew the sim could recreate real-time weather conditions on the go, relayed from live climatic data feeds. Even real-world pilots say that the look and feel of the airplanes are, in so many ways, indistinguishable from the

(CNN) — Birds are the undisputed masters of aerodynamics. No matter how many supercomputers and wind tunnels scientists throw at solving flight’s thorny calculations, they’ll never match the perfection of airborne avians. A focused peregrine falcon diving on its prey, a pair of feisty hummingbirds in a territorial dogfight, or a huge albatross soaring effortlessly

(CNN) — For many people, travel these days is fraught with second-guessing, extra research and plenty of confusion by way of logistics, travel restrictions and safety — and that’s before you add in what everyone else has to say about your decisions. Travelers who choose to share what they’re getting up to on vacation right

(CNN) — Gaze out to the English Channel from the southwest coast of the UK right now and you might see something unexpected — a series of gigantic cruise ships haunting the horizon. Their passengers have vanished and they’re going nowhere. While these ships, taken out of the service because of the coronavirus pandemic, are

(CNN) — The vacation lights are going out all over Europe. Just weeks after many countries opened their borders to travelers within the continent, some are closing again, often at such short notice that people are left scrambling to get home before quarantine orders are put in place. Such confusion, often coupled with acrimony and

CNN Travel’s series often carry sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However, CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Read the policy. (CNN) — For more than a century, Bulgaria has had little trouble enticing people to its beach resorts scattered along the Black Sea coast. City-breakers head to

(CNN) — Cracks and sinkholes are appearing alongside the waterways of Amsterdam. Bicycles are tumbling into the swirling water as the canalsides vanish beneath their wheels. Quay walls are collapsing against houseboats. Bridges are in trouble. While the recent Covid-19 restrictions have relieved the Dutch capital from the more superficial blight of overtourism, it seems

(CNN) — Avgeek desktop gamers and wannabe airline captains can finally get the high-altitude fix they’ve been craving. Following a prolonged period of hibernation, the rebooted Microsoft Flight Simulator, officially available on August 18, could be the perfect antidote to pandemic-induced cabin fever — or to airplane cabin withdrawal symptoms, for those who’ve been bumped

(CNN) — Ancient tales of trolls and magic live on in Iceland, an island nation of volcanoes, lava fields, glaciers and ice caves. To fully explore every corner of the dynamic landscape, unravel local folklore and battle the natural elements, one must take to the skies. Enter Jón Kjartan Björnsson, the pilot with a mission

Officially named M49, the four-year-old bear broke free from his enclosure in the province of Trento, northern Italy, in the early hours of Monday morning. A spokesman for the region’s local government confirmed to CNN that the bear — affectionately named after the central character of the autobiographical novel by French writer and escaped convict

(CNN) — Toblerone may not be the most famous chocolate brand in the world, but it’s arguably the most iconic — especially when it comes to travel. Even if you don’t know Toblerone’s name, odds are good you can recognize it just by its shape. From the other side of a busy, crowded duty-free shop,

(CNN) — For 14 years, nothing could stop road warriors Karen Catchpole and Eric Mohl. The New York couple with a bad case of wanderlust had rattled in their trusty Silverado from the top of the Western Hemisphere in Alaska to the bottom of South America and a host of places in between on an

Hong Kong (CNN) — When I decided to write a story about the origins of Hong Kong bubble waffles — also known as “egg waffles” — I thought it would be easy. I was wrong. A seemingly unexceptional cheap street food found throughout the city, these snacks are crispy on the outside, while each “bubble”

Jonny McFadden, who runs the Star Inn in St Just, Cornwall, told CNN that he installed the electric fence in front of the pub’s bar for social distancing purposes. “It’s a very small pub, the first and last rural pub in Cornwall,” he said. England’s pubs were allowed to reopen their doors on July 4,

(CNN) — The comforting glug of wine into glass has been one of the few pleasures left to us during the long months of lockdown — but how much better to enjoy it on a sunlit winery terrace. The World’s Best Vineyards awards, created to honor the finest in modern wine tourism, was meant to

(CNN) — The summer before I turned 40 — with my fertility ebbing, as everyone with a vested interest in such things felt the need to remind me — I decided to set sail on the biggest adventure of my life. Together with four men aboard a small sailboat named Barba, we cast off from

(CNN) — When the Netherlands introduced lockdown measures in mid-March, Amsterdam’s Red Light District transformed into a ghost town overnight. Coronavirus dealt a devastating blow to the Dutch capital’s notorious window brothels and left over 300 legally operating sex workers without an income for almost four months. The district in Amsterdam’s historic center, known locally

(CNN) — From isolated English beaches to plunge pools in the Costa Rican cloud forest. Icy ponds at five-star hotels in the heart of Peru to quiet riverbanks in the Japanese Alps. These swimming spots are the ultimate escape for those looking for adventure once the months of being unable to hit the road finally

(CNN) — If there was any doubt whether travel-starved vacationers would stay in hotels after months of lockdown due to Covid-19, it should be gone now. Data indicates that US hotels located in popular vacation destinations, many of which reopened in May and June, are booked for the summer season. While nationwide hotel occupancy is

(CNN) — Once one of the world’s most powerful travel documents, the might of the US passport has shriveled under the cloud of coronavirus, with doors slammed shut across the planet to American travelers. With US coronavirus cases recently passing the three million mark, many nations now view America with trepidation. No matter how much