Discover Europe’s hidden vacation spots and ideas for fall travel

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN

Shoulder season is almost here, when travel transitions from peak crowds and prices to something — hopefully — a little more mellow. Join us for our roundup of weekly travel news as well as tips for where to travel in late 2022.

Seasons in the sun

American travelers have been unleashing their pent-up wanderlust by descending on Europe this summer, making the most of the strong dollar and boosting local economies in the process. And while it’s been a frustrating few months in terms of airport delays and cancellations, the travel outlook seems a little better as we head toward fall.

If you want to vacation like the Europeans do, skip the Riviera and the Amalfi Coast and check out our round-up of the continent’s lesser-visited delights, such as Portugal’s Alentejo region and Croatia’s Zadar Archipelago. And if you’ve been saving your travel time till the summer rush is over, plan your trip now with our guide to the best places to go this autumn. Cape Town and Buenos Aires are among the hottest tickets.

Taste the world

The best bits of travel are sightseeing and eating — and munching on street snacks lets you enjoy both at the same time. Asia is the undisputed king of enticing, flavorful street foods, from Hong Kong egg waffles to Japanese takoyaki. Here’s our round-up of 50 must-try delicacies.

In Africa, Ghana-based chef Fatmata Binta has been introducing Fulani nomadic food culture to people around the world through her traveling pop-up restaurant, while her charity foundation helps support rural women across West Africa. And down in Cape Town, a local creamery is experimenting with some rather bold flavors: Dare you try dried fish ice cream with Scotch bonnet chili?

Turkey drinks more tea than any other country; here’s how new brews are stirring things up. And if you’re after something a little stronger, a beer garden in North Carolina holds the world record for most beers on tap — watch here. Finally, in Ukraine, a company is selling wine rescued from a warehouse struck by a Russian missile. See how the team is fighting back after its $15 million loss.

Trains and planes

Two pilots on an Ethiopian Airlines plane are reported to have fallen asleep and missed their landing on a flight between Sudan and Ethiopia on August 15. Air traffic control were apparently unable to reach the crew before it overshot the runway.

And on August 23, passengers traveling from France to England were stranded for hours in the undersea Channel Tunnel after their Eurotunnel train broke down. The 31.4-mile tunnel is one of the longest of its kind in the world.

In happier railway news, the world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger trains have gone into service in Germany. Fourteen trains powered by fuel cell propulsion will exclusively run on the environmentally friendly route in Bremervörde, Lower Saxony.

Drought discoveries

Severe drought conditions around the world have had the side effect that long-lost archeological treasures are now regularly being revealed.

This week, dinosaur tracks from 113 million years ago were uncovered at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas, and 600-year-old Buddhist statues were revealed in the waterbed of China’s Yangtze River. Watch here.

Dozens of Nazi warships were also exposed in Eastern Serbia after water levels dropped in the Danube River. That’s after last week’s discoveries of a 19th-century Welsh village and the “Spanish Stonehenge.”

World’s coolest streets

Time Out has just released its annual list of the world’s coolest city streets where you’ll be sure to find flâneurs with flair. A Canadian thoroughfare known for “killer cocktails” and “the best sandwiches in town” tops this year’s list.

In case you missed it

Remember phone boxes, travel agencies and turning up somewhere at an agreed time like we said we would?

How we used to get around before the internet.

Next month, it will be 21 years since little Gander Airport in Newfoundland, Canada, sheltered 7,000 people on 9/11.

Read the real-life story that inspired a hit musical, and relive Anthony Bourdain’s 2018 visit to Newfoundland through the “Parts Unknown” podcast.

The sad and eventful story of the world’s first floating hotel.

South Korean intelligence says Hotel Haegumgang is likely to have been destroyed in 2022.

Personalized travel items

Is there anything so chic as a monogrammed piece of luggage? Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have gathered up 20 customizable travel accessories — from backpacks to packing cubes — for you to stamp your name on.

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