Plan a trip
Language: English
Trip plannerPlan your trip on a map

Top destinations

Japanese lantern over city bike at nighttimeJapana view of a city with a body of water in the backgroundMartiniquebrown rock formation on body of water during daytimeThailand
EnglishDeutschFrançaisEspañolPortuguêsPortuguês (BR)Italiano
A hotel room with a desk and a window

Where to stay: choose your area first

Pick the area before the hotel. Compare each area by its travel links to the airport and sights, and by the travelers it suits.

Choose the area first, then the hotel or rental. The area you stay in sets how long you spend getting to the airport and the sights on your list, how quiet your nights are, and how much you walk each day. Price still matters, but a cheaper room can cost you an hour in transit each way. Use the area you choose to narrow the hotel and rental search that follows.

Start with your trip. List the sights you want to reach, note whether you arrive by air, and decide how much daily travel time you will accept. Families, solo travelers and business travelers weigh these trade-offs differently, so a central area that suits a couple on a city break may not suit a family with young children. Once you have a short list of areas, compare the hotels and rentals within each one side by side.

North America

city skyline during night timeCanadaWhere to stay in Calgary: four bases for Banff, Stampede or one nightUpdated Oct 2, 2026white concrete building under cloudy sky during daytimeUSAWhere to stay in Washington, DC: Penn Quarter, Capitol Hill or DupontUpdated Oct 2, 2026a lake surrounded by trees and mountains under a blue skyUSAWhere to stay near Yellowstone and Grand Teton: four bases comparedUpdated Oct 2, 2026a stone building with a grass fieldMexicoWhere to stay in Mérida: Centro, Santiago, Montejo and moreUpdated Oct 1, 2026brown rock formation under blue sky during daytimeUSAWhere to stay in Sedona: Uptown, West Sedona, Oak Creek and the canyonUpdated Oct 2, 2026A group of people walking down a street next to tall buildingsCanadaWhere to stay in Whistler: Village, Creekside or the valleyUpdated Oct 2, 2026body of water near cityscape at daytimeUSAWhere to stay in Boston: four bases for first-time visitorsUpdated Oct 1, 2026brown concrete building under cloudy sky during daytimeCanadaWhere to stay in Ottawa: downtown, ByWard Market or GatineauUpdated Oct 2, 2026waterfalls in landscape photographyCanadaWhere to stay in Niagara Falls: four bases from Fallsview to the LakeUpdated Oct 2, 2026An aerial view of the coastline and high-rise buildings in Miami Beach, FloridaUSAWhere to stay in Miami: five bases, from South Beach to BrickellUpdated Oct 1, 2026The Space Needle and Seattle skyline with Mount Rainier in the distanceUSAWhere to stay in Seattle: four bases, from Pike Place to BallardUpdated Oct 2, 2026aerial photo of buildingsUSAWhere to stay in Philadelphia: Old City, Rittenhouse or the ParkwayUpdated Oct 2, 2026the sun is setting over a large cityUSAWhere to stay in Denver: LoDo, RiNo, LoHi or Capitol HillUpdated Oct 1, 2026brown and green mountain ridge near body of waterUSAWhere to stay in Kauaʻi: Poipu, Kapaa, Princeville or LihueUpdated Oct 1, 2026white and brown concrete building near body of water during daytimeMexicoWhere to stay in Playa del Carmen: four bases, from the strip to PlayacarUpdated Oct 1, 2026city near body of water during nighttimeUSAWhere to stay in San Diego: downtown, Coronado, La Jolla or the beachUpdated Oct 2, 2026pathway between high rise buildingsUSAWhere to stay in New York City: five bases for a first tripUpdated Oct 2, 2026white and blue castleUSAWhere to stay in Orlando: five bases for theme park tripsUpdated Oct 2, 2026aerial photography of building near seaUSAWhere to stay in Honolulu: Waikīkī, Ala Moana, Downtown or KāhalaUpdated Oct 1, 2026brown and black tower clockMexicoWhere to stay in Puerto Vallarta: four bases, from Zona Romantica to the south shoreUpdated Oct 1, 2026tropical beach at sunset in mauiUSAWhere to stay in Maui: five bases, from Kaanapali to HanaUpdated Oct 1, 2026brown rock formation on sea under blue sky during daytimeMexicoWhere to stay in Cabo San Lucas: four bases comparedUpdated Oct 1, 2026
DestinationsWhere to go, when to go and how to get around in 221 countries. Every practical fact shows the date we checked it and who checked it.Where to stayNeighborhoods walked end to end: who each area suits, how far it is from the airport train, and the hotels we would book ourselves.PlanVisas and entry rules, travel insurance, eSIMs and rail passes, explained in plain words and rechecked when the rules change.EventsFestivals, concerts and tours with confirmed dates, rooms near the venue and the fastest way on to the next city.StoriesField reports and data stories from the road. We time the queues, count the costs and say what changed since last year.

Asia

KansaiTokyoBangkokOsakaSiem ReapMt FujiOkinawaKōbeManilaKyotoAll Asia

Caribbean

Fort-de-FranceNassauPort of SpainNegrilSan JuanOcho RiosHavanaEleutheraEl Yunque National ForestSosúaAll Caribbean

Africa

MarrakechRabatToubkal National ParkMaasai MaraCape WinelandsDiani BeachMombasaNairobiAswanSharm El SheikhAll Africa

Events

Sapporo Snow FestivalCherry blossomGion MatsuriDía de MuertosOktoberfestKandy Esala PeraheraEvents calendar

More places

AustraliaKiribatiJordanLebanonMexicoUSAAustriaEnglandColombiaPeruCosta RicaNicaraguaAll Australia & PacificAll Middle EastAll North AmericaAll EuropeAll South AmericaAll Central AmericaAll destinations, A to Z