The World's Greatest Vacations

Amazing Tower Hotel Suites Around the World

2013-09-18

THE AVIARY . Wheatleigh, Lenox, Massachusetts. When Leonard Bernstein conducted at the Tanglewood music festival, just down the lane, this two-story tower was turned into his summer studio, with a grand piano squeezed through the ground-floor doorway. Nowadays, couples shown into the Aviary, separated from the Italianate main house by a limestone loggia, are likely […]

How Do Cruise Ships Get Their Names?

2013-09-17

Norwegian Cruise Line this week launched a contest asking Facebook fans to choose a name for its next two ships. Among the choices for the Breakaway-Plus vessels are Norwegian Bliss, Discovery, Dreamaway, Escape, Journey, Muse, Passion, Sailaway, Treasure and Triton. The choice of ship’s name is a big deal. In 2011, USA TODAY readers helped […]

7 Swanky Hostels Around The World

2013-09-16

Budget-conscious travelers rejoice: Hostels aren’t what they used to be. Forget cafeteria-style meals, windowless rooms and the college dormitory approach to decor. Think more along the lines of handcrafted cocktails by the pool, complimentary bike rentals and design so stylish you’d swear you were in a boutique hotel. In other words, the modern-day hostel will […]

Freedom! 10 trips without the kids

2013-09-16

It’s time to consider a grown-up getaway. We’re not downplaying the joy of a successful family vacation or suggesting illicit escapes, but with kids back in school, recharging is in order. There will be no planning activities around a three-year-old’s nap schedule or worrying if the resort’s restaurant menu will have anything to please a […]

13 Scary-but-Awesome Viewing Platforms

2013-09-13

In July, the world’s newest vertigo-inducing observation deck opened in the mountains in Austria. It joins an adrenaline-inducing roll call of clever platforms offering spectacular views. 1. Dachstein Stairway to Nothingness (Austria). Visitors to Dachstein’s Stairway to Nothingness must first cross Austria’s highest bridge, which is 328 feet (100 meters) long and straddles a drop […]

Private Islands With Awesome Vacation Rentals For Every Budget

2013-09-12

Don’t have the funds of Sir Richard Branson or Johnny Depp, but still want to getaway from it all…even other people? Have no fear, TripAdvisor has done us a solid and pulled together eight private islands with vacation homes for rent for every budget. So if you really want to get away from it all […]

12 Fitness-Friendly Hotel Chains

2013-09-12

In the not-so-distant past, hotels offered little for fitness enthusiasts other than barebones, often run-down, fitness centers — if that. In those situations, the lack of a designated workout space meant you might be relegated to doing lunges down the hallway, running up and down the stairs (with the constant fear of being locked out) […]

10 Great Places That Live Up to Their Reputation

2013-09-11

Some places get such a build-up that they can’t possibly live up to their reputation. Visitors leave having checked off their bucket list, but feeling vaguely unsatisfied. But occasionally a destination delivers big time, says Jamie Wong, founder of Vayable.com, a site connecting visitors to locals who offer insider tours and travel advice. “Even in […]

Celebrity Announces Increased L.A. Presence

2013-09-11

Celebrity Cruises has announced an increased Southern California presence for 2014 with the greatest number of departures from the Port of Los Angeles (San Pedro) in its history. Beginning in March, the line will launch a total of eight roundtrip sailings from Los Angeles to Pacific Coast ports, including specialty cruises for beer and wine […]

Up On the Roof: SoCal’s Rooms with Spectacular Views

2013-09-10

It was a press release announcing new cocktails in honor of the sixth annual Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival, which ran Sept. 8-11, that triggered my rare twinge of SoCal envy. Not so much for the tempting blackberry caipirinha now on offer at festival co-sponsor Hotel Shangri-La, but for the proliferation of rooftop pool decks and […]