News travels: Your need-to-know before you go
Emerging culture capitals, art-full destinations, and traveling through the January blues: Here’s everything a savvy traveler needs to know this month
01
Take off this summer
Planning a vacation can feel overwhelming, but here are two words that should be cause for relief: new routes. That means more flights, which means more choice and more space (and less hassle). In May, United will have new routes from the U.S. to the Algarve, Rome, Nice, Lisbon, Manila, and Beijing, while in late spring American is launching more nonstop flights to Japan, Tulum, Barbados, Costa Rica, and more. Happy travels!
02
The new culture capitals
Already checked London, Rome, and Tokyo off your cultural must-sees? The hottest cultural spots right now are in less-obvious locations. Add artist-infused San Miguel de Allende in the heart of Mexico, abustle with new cocktail spots and a growing nearby wine region; ever-burgeoning Marseille in the south of France (pictured), which is filling with industrious creatives priced out of Paris, plus new boutique hotels; and the tiny far-northern town of Bodø in Norway which, thanks to its dramatic surroundings, dynamic indigenous population, and moxie is European Capital of Culture for 2024.
01
Beat the January blues
Thanks to a general lust for life, and the hit streaming show on Blue Zones, the locations where people live longest are capturing our imaginations. Sure, you could book a wellness vacation anywhere in the world, but why not go to the source? Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, and Icaria, Greece are all rich places to explore—even if lounging is more of a goal than the pursuit of longevity.
02
The art of travel
Get ahead of the crowds and book now to see the season’s top art shows worth traveling for in 2024. On our list: The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism, a celebration of Black artists at The Met in NYC from February; a blockbuster Van Gogh show at the National Gallery in London in the fall; and Paris 1874, a recreation of the groundbreaking exhibition that launched Impressionism, at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, from March and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. from September.
A cultural guide to London
01
Go off-piste
Why stay in your lane? Off-piste (aka “backcountry”) skiing is trending, whether freeriding, meaning downhill in an unmarked area, or cross-country, with long and skinny skis over flatter terrain. In Colorado, skiers can go off-piste in Rocky Mountain National Park or the backcountry area of a resort like the Highland Bowl in Aspen, while in Vermont the Green Mountains beckon. Or head to France, where intrepid powderheads can visit Les Trois Vallées, the largest ski area in the world with ample opportunity for every type of skiing you may desire.
