Lifestyle

With international leisure travel pretty much at a standstill, Iceland is using its pandemic downtime to make some major upgrades to its tourist infrastructure.

The Icelandic government is putting more than $12 million into improving roads, preserving popular sites, and revamping facilities at national parks, The New York Times reports. The government had already been planning to enhance its tourism infrastructure but decided to double down on its efforts as the pandemic has kept visitors away.

Read the entire article: Iceland Is Using Its Pandemic Downtime to Improve Its Roads, Parks, and Natural Wonders | Travel + Leisure

With the wildfires still raging in Oregon right now, we here at Food & Wine debated whether it was really the right time to run a story (which appears in our October print issue) about a happy communal dinner in the middle of Oregon wine country.

So we reached out to Clare Carver, who owns and runs Big Table Farm together with her husband Brian, for her take on the matter. She told us, “You know, in my community right now, I think people are really tired, but we’re all looking for joy, and this is a joyful story.

Read the entire article: At Oregon’s Big Table Farm, the Harvest Is a Feast | Food & Wine

Whether they’re arranging $300,000 private dinners with celebrity chefs or pop-up luxury campsites in the steppes of the northern Sahara, luxury travel agents and concierge services manage to make the impossible a reality.

Last summer, luxury concierge service Element Lifestyle secured the key to the Sistine Chapel so a New York family of six could open the doors and enjoy Michelangelo’s stunning artwork alone — an experience that cost roughly US$75,000.

Read the entire article: The wildest holiday requests from the super rich | CNN Travel

On all fronts there is a great deal of uncertainty around the coming autumn and it looks as if international travel is still a long way off for many of us.

However there are quite a few countries currently open to both tourism and business travel, many with no restrictions whatsoever.

Read the entire article: 9 Countries You Can Travel To Right Now

With vintage decor, classic ’70s games, and retro minibars stocked with old-school snacks and plenty of beer, the Miller Timeshare will give a few lucky visitors the grooviest end-of-summer vacation ever.

Miller Lite was introduced across the nation in 1975, and now, the beer brand is inviting fans to book this throwback home this September.

Read the entire article: You Can Book This Retro 1970s Time-travel Timeshare From Miller Lite for $96 Per Night | Travel + Leisure

Despite the COVID-19 pan­demic, families are still finding ways to make the most of un­usual schedules to plan a get­away. With more flexible work and school arrangements, many families are embracing the idea of a “flexcation,” an emerging travel trend where families rent vacation homes later in August, September and October, consider staying longer to mix work and play, and often get better value in high-demand locales.

“Though this year has been in­credibly difficult for families,

Read the entire article: Try a new way to travel | Farmersville

Amtrak is calling all adventurers looking to enjoy a — socially distanced — getaway while saving some money.When booking a trip this week, train travel enthusiasts can bring a guest for free when they book one private roomette by Aug. 15 for travel through Sept. 30.“In addition to all the safety precautions we are taking to make rail travel safe, Roomettes offer a one-of-a-kind way to reach your destination in comfort, space, and privacy,” the executive vice president of Amtrak,

Read the entire article: Amtrak Is Having a 2-for-1 Sale on Its Private Roomettes Until August 15 | Travel + Leisure