Travel

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

As restaurants and bars across the US try to reconcile with a new contactless reality, Italy has already found a nifty solution. The boot-shaped country has revived a storied tradition to get its revelers vino and aperitivo with next-to-no contact. Buchette del vino or wine windows allow bartenders to safely and easily pass beverages to customers in the time of Covid-19.

Dating back to the 1600s, the peepholes have a somewhat macabre past.

Read the entire article: Italy Reopens Old Medieval ‘Wine Windows’ to Serve Cocktails and Vino – Robb Report

After many years of being looked down on, motels are getting new respect in the era of social distancing.

Guests at open-corridor inns may come and go without passing through crowded lobbies, packed elevators, or enclosed hallways where viruses may linger.“In outdoor corridors, people feel safe,” said Mike Riverside of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. “People can go directly to their rooms” and potentially reduce exposure to the coronavirus.

Outdoor-facing, low-rise motels and hotels also stand to benefit from being typically reached by car, unlike big resorts and urban hotels that rely on air travel to deliver most guests.

Read the entire article: Motels are having a moment. It’s a coronavirus thing | Living | timesnews.net

Had this been a normal year, we would all be donning our mustache wax, blue blazers and straw boater hats and driving the Duesenberg up to Monterey for the big annual car celebration. But this isn’t a normal year, nothing is normal; had this year been a brain it would be the one in the Abby-Normal jar.

Which is just fine with the people at the Concours d’Lemons. They held their annual celebration of wheeled poor taste online this year instead of among the goose poop and lawn clippings of Seaside, California.

Read the entire article: Concours Season Kicks Off With Virtual Concours d’Lemons 2020

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., July 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Despite COVID-19 travel restrictions and uncertainty, US residents are still taking vacations. Travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth.com, reports more US travelers than ever this year.

Pent Up Demand for Travel Leads to Spike in Domestic TripsA 19% increase in the number of US travelers this year highlights a pent up demand for travel, while international trips have been limited by travel restrictions and border closures.”We are seeing travel rebound, despite international travel bans. This increase in domestic travel is encouraging,” says Megan Moncrief, CMO of Squaremouth.com. “We are happy to report that more travelers are exploring the US this year.”

Read the entire article: Despite Uncertain Economic Times, Domestic Travel Surges