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Hitting the road after retirement, whether by vehicle or plane, train, or cruise ship, is the goal of many people contemplating a work-free future. Both retirees and those years away from retirement look forward to relaxation, travel, family time, and leisure activities, according to a survey by Prudential Financial. And another study by Bank of America indicated that 95 percent of retirees would prefer to have enjoyable experiences over buying things....

Macy’s is bringing its iconic (and live) Fourth of July fireworks show back this year, according to the company, after being forced to change it in 2020. The show — the company’s 45th annual — will light up the New York City skyline at about 9:25 p.m. local time on Sunday, launching more than 65,000 shells into the air from five barges on the East River. “As America commemorates Independence Day, we are thrilled to join the celebration with a spectacular Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks display honoring the heroic spirit of our nation,” Will Coss, the executive producer of Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, said in a statement....

With coronavirus cases rising again, Italy plans to require a “green pass” to visit its world-famous museums, take in sporting events, and dine inside its restaurants. The requirement, similar to a measure recently approved in France, is set to go into effect Aug. 6. To obtain the pass, people will need to have had at least one dose of a COVID vaccine in the previous nine months or be able to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within 48 hours....

Ride share company Lyft is donating tens of thousands of free rides to people in need as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread throughout the country. Through their, LyftUp initiative, which partners with government agencies and community organizations, the ride-sharing company will focus on helping on families and children, low-income seniors, as well as doctors and nurses who need transportation to work. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images “We know Lyft can be a critical lifeline for communities in need — this situation is no different,” the company said in a statement, adding, “many vulnerable populations still don’t have as much access to these essential services as they should....

If you’re like other travelers out there, your trip planning extends far beyond blocking off your vacation days and searching for a flight. You have to also spend some quality time thinking long and hard about what you really want out of your vacation. Are you looking for adventure? Food? Culture? Or, are you just looking to relax? Once you’ve figured out all of that, you can move on to the task of narrowing down the places you’d like to go based on your time and budget....

New York City hit a milestone in the fight against coronavirus this week, recording no new deaths for the first time since March, according to the city’s data. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recorded no new confirmed deaths on June 4, the first time that has happened since March 14. The first COVID-19-related death in the city was on March 11 and at its peak in April, the city recorded as many as 590 deaths in a single day....

For the first time since a tragic fire swept through Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral, its forecourt has now opened to the public. The open plaza in front of the cathedral’s main entrance welcomed back visitors over the weekend after flames destroyed most of the iconic attraction and its surrounding grounds in April of 2019, the city announced in a press release. According to The Associated Press, the opening was able to take place after a massive cleaning that removed toxic lead dust that lingered after the fire....

In the fantasy version of the french countryside, there are winding roads with storybook views, winemakers, cheese makers, and lovely guesthouses. The pace is slow and the mood is cheerful, the fields green and full of well-fed livestock. This ideal does actually exist, just a couple of hours south from Paris by car. The small brooks and medieval hamlets of Sancerre, covering 7,400 acres of the region known as Berry, are straight out of Central Casting, without the crowds that so often accompany France’s more popular corners....

Now more than ever, travelers are seeking places with a low population density and easy access to the great outdoors. From quaint downtown areas to rolling horse farms to pure wilderness, these New York towns are ideal for peaceful weekend trips and balance-restoring getaways. We’ve rounded up some of the best small towns in New York State with fewer than 10,000 residents, so you can plan your next relaxing vacation....

When it comes to trendy vacations, nothing beats glamping (“glamorous camping,” for the uninitiated). From glamping under Mount Rushmore to glamping in East Hampton, to glamping on some of the most luxurious private properties around America, there’s a glampsite for everyone. But, what if you want to bring the glamping experience home with you? Well, now you can, with this geodesic garden dome. The Garden Dome Igloo is the ultimate way to add a little more outdoor time to your life....

This Swiss village is beautiful. So beautiful you’ll have to see it for yourself. This week, the Swiss village of Bergün/Bravuogn made the drastic decision to no longer allow tourists to take photos of the picturesque town. Their prime reasoning for this decision, they say, was that locals believe their home is so stunningly beautiful, people who see pictures of it on social media will be miserable because they are not there to experience it....

Since June, Travel + Leisure’s first podcast, Let’s Go Together, has taken readers across the globe with stories from a diverse group of travelers, including a Black female travel blogger who roams the world solo, a Muslim Olympic fencer who has competed around the world, a gay couple traversing the United States in an RV, and many more. On this week’s episode, host Kellee Edwards is joined by Kam Burns and Aria Sa’id to discuss what it’s like traveling with a transgender identity....

Road trips are back and better than ever in the summer of 2021. And we want to make sure you have a chance to hit the open road, too. According to a recent study by RVShare and Phocuswright, 28% of travelers have rented an RV for leisure travel. And, in 2020, “millions of travelers turned toward sites like RVshare, the first and largest peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace, to rent and vacation in an RV....

Viking Cruises announced that it will resume limited voyages in the UK in May. “England’s Scenic Shores” itinerary will set sail from Portsmouth on May 22, May 29, and June 5 for eight-day sailings, onboard Viking’s newest ship, “The Viking Venus.” All other cruises before May 31 remain canceled. The trips are only offered to UK residents. “We welcome the UK Government’s support for the return of safe domestic cruises as an important component in the travel industry’s recovery,” Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking, said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure on Tuesday....

Just six months before Marjorie White bought her first motorcycle, her 25-year-old son, Tom, was tragically killed on his bike by a driver making a U-turn. Looking for a way to cope with her son’s death, White went out and bought a bright green Yamaha 100, a street and dirt bike. It was 2014, and she was 58. “I needed something for me — some way to move past the pain that had me frozen in place,” White says....

If you’re spending time binge watching your favorite show on Netflix, you can also make a little money while you’re at it. People across the country are spending nearly all their time at home (other than necessary grocery and pharmacy runs) in order to combat the spread of coronavirus. That obviously means one thing: We’re spending way more time than ever watching Netflix. Sure, there’s lots of guilty-pleasure content steaming on Netflix right now, but one show seems to stand out above the rest as the one that most people keep going back to, again and again and again....

We’ve swapped trips to faraway locales for staycations in our living rooms, and dinners at restaurants for takeout at home, as we continue to follow social distancing guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19. While at home, Travel + Leisure’s editors have been cooking globally-inspired dishes, reading travel books, and, of course, watching a healthy amount of TV. During these uncertain times, some editors are rewatching comforting classics, while others are enjoying a little lighthearted television with comedies and reality TV....

Driving to the headquarters of Far North Spirits, in Hallock, Minnesota (pop. 981), takes gumption and a functioning GPS system. The northernmost distillery in the lower 48 sits in the tip-top corner of the state, six hours northwest of the Twin Cities and an absent-minded turn from the Canadian border. Field & Stream publisher Charles Hallock was this ag town’s namesake. It’s home to narrow county highways, shimmering silos, and open skies....

Walking into camp after a long but beautiful day on the trail, I’m faced with a difficult decision: to retrieve my camera from my daypack to capture the incredible views across a natural amphitheater, or accept the flute of sparkling wine offered by smiling lodge host Ricky Van Zwieten. The light will be better later on, I convince myself. A five-day, 37-mile guided hike through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests, Queensland’s Scenic Rim Trail is the latest addition to the Great Walks of Australia — a collection of guided treks in the nation’s most extraordinary wilderness areas....

Need a car rental this month? In honor of National Treat Yo’ Self Day (of “Parks and Rec” fame), peer-to-peer car rental company Turo has partnered with rapper 2 Chainz to offer a little bonus for travelers: 25% off a car rental, so you can treat yourself to an upgrade or just keep a little extra cash for yourself. “As the newly appointed Treat Yourself Officer and investor at Turo, it’s my duty to help you treat yourself right when you travel, ‘cos you deserve it,” 2 Chainz said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure....