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This week’s roundup of travel news covers the 200th anniversary of the groundbreaking suspension bridge, Time Out’s Best Cities of 2026, and what the Iran War means for your travel plans.
British media group Time Out has announced its “Best Cities of 2026” and half of the top 10 are in the Asia-Pacific region.
This year’s annual survey received responses from 24,000 people in 150 cities around the world, with Australia’s largest city, Melbourne, coming in first place.
At CNN Travel, we love Australia’s second city as a global dining powerhouse where nature is close by and city fun is at your fingertips.
Shanghai ranks second in Time Out magazine. Visiting this financial hub of 25 million people is an exhilarating experience, but we also value Shanghai for its access to China’s vast high-speed rail network. Peaceful countryside with centuries-old villages is never far away.
In third place is Scotland’s capital Edinburgh, which is dominated by an extinct volcano. From the medieval streets of the Old Town to the wide boulevards of the 18th-century New Town, few cities are so rich in history.
The rest of the top 10 are London (4th), New York (5th), Cape Town (6th), Mexico City (7th), Bangkok (8th), Seoul (9th), and Tokyo (10th).
The US-Israel conflict with Iran has caused the biggest disruption to air travel across the Gulf region since the coronavirus pandemic, with airspace closures disrupting commercial airline operations.
Ultra-wealthy tourists are taking private jets to escape the war, and those who can afford it are paying astronomical prices to leave the region.
The ongoing crisis has raised questions for many who already have travel plans or are planning summer vacations, business trips, and essential travel.
CNN Travel has put together a guide to what you need to know before you travel, from safety considerations to fuel shortages to when to book your flight.
grand design
Here are three stories about ambitious design projects from three different centuries.
The Menai Strait Bridge in Wales was the world’s longest suspension bridge when it opened in 1826. Thanks to the innovative engineering behind it, the bridge still stands today.
Instead of planning a conventional viaduct-style bridge with pillars buried in the ocean floor, civil engineering pioneer Thomas Telford planned a structure that would float over the strait and be connected to land on either side.
It was a bold move, but two centuries later it was proven right.
In the 1970s, poet and architect Nail Çakulhan saved the village of Akiyaka in southwestern Anatolia, Turkey, by reviving traditional architecture and encouraging concrete development that rebuilt much of the area.
Despite having no formal training, his work won him the prestigious Aga Khan Architecture Award in 1983, and influential locals commissioned him to build homes in the same style as his own.
An ambitious plan is to transform Toronto’s abandoned Downsview Airport into a $30 billion sustainable city.
The development, named YZD after the airport’s code, aims to house more than 50,000 people. The 2-mile long airstrip is the centerpiece of the site and is a park.
Richard Quest names the top five aircraft of all time
CNN’s top aviation expert Richard Quest has ranked what he considers to be the best airliners of all time. From his childhood memories in BAC 1-11 to the fascination of the Superjumbo era, he takes us on a personal journey through the list. Read the full text here.
Michelin-starred chef René Redzepi has resigned from his restaurant.
The Danish cooking star quit Noma following allegations of abuse from a former employee.
Hollywood’s biggest night is just around the corner.
Test your movie knowledge with CNN’s Oscar Quiz.
She had visions of herself living in Paris.
Now this American woman calls it home.
