Dive in: 2025’s trending destinations

As Catalonian capital Barcelona hits the headlines for record-breaking tourism numbers, conscious travelers are keeping visits short and sweet, basing themselves primarily in nearby Girona, a hilltop medieval showstopper just 40 minutes away via the new Avlo high-speed train service. In gastronomic circles, Girona has been an insider secret for years, with 12 Michelin-starred restaurants in the region, snapping at San Sebastián’s crown as Spain’s culinary capital.  

Reims has long been famed for its decadent champagne houses and grand architecture (notably the UNESCO-listed Notre-Dame de Reims cathedral). But this year, this regal-yet-relaxed city (about 45 minutes north of Paris by train) featured in the global summer games, enticing a worldwide audience to take note. If you go, expect to eat well, as Reims sits proudly on the international foodie circuit. In addition to the city’s three Michelin-starred restaurants, food fans can look forward to festivals like September’s cutting-edge Les Relais du Goût, which in 2024 served gutsy gastronomes at a table suspended high above the city. 

For adventurers and archaeologists  

Brescia, Italy 

Just 40 minutes by rail from Milan, and with a picturesque position between Lake Garda and Lake Iseo, it’s a miracle Brescia has remained under the radar of many international travelers for so long. When it was named Italian Capital of Culture in 2023 alongside neighboring Bergamo, the secret was officially out. Some come for the culture, such as the castle, cathedrals, archaeological park, and Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, which reopened in 2018 after a nine-year renovation. Others come for active pursuits like skiing, sailing, e-biking through vineyards, and hiking the Alpine foothills—though most come for both, plus spectacular mountain views. 

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A cultural guide to Milan

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The peak-season crowds of ever-popular Banff have inspired canny travelers to explore further afield in search of snow-kissed summits, river rapids and pristine lakes. So it’s no wonder that Canmore, just 25 minutes down the road, is now emerging as one of Canada’s most charming and quirky Rocky Mountain towns. With a brilliant folk festival and solid brewery scene, Canmore is a picture-perfect, multi-seasonal escape with all the added hipster credentials an adventure hub could hope for. 

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Dubai’s slower-paced little sister has been boldly building new cultural institutions for many years now, but with the opening of the Saadiyat Cultural District in 2025, the city’s blossoming into a global artistic capital is almost complete. This much-anticipated artistic and cultural hub will also include the already open Louvre Abu Dhabi, an island museum surrounded by the waters of the Persian Gulf. Intercity transfers between Dubai and Abu Dhabi are already a breeze, but plans are afoot for air taxis that will trim the journey to 30 minutes.