Affordable getaways: Avoiding the crowds at these alternative travel destinations

In this week's travel news: Discover smarter alternatives to the world's most popular tourist destinations, learn about the closure of a Michelin-starred restaurant due to its exorbitant prices, and read about the astonishing incident where a plane climbed to 14,000 feet despite missing windows. Don't forget to sign up for CNN Travel's weekly newsletter, Unlocking the World, to stay updated on aviation, food and drink, accommodations, and other exciting travel developments.

Destination inspiration

Expedia, a travel tech company, has released its 2024 "destination dupes" list, featuring alternative locations to popular tourist destinations that are not only more affordable but also less crowded. These destinations have also been rapidly gaining popularity in Expedias search rankings, so it is advisable to visit them before they become too popular.

Heres their top 10: Paros, Greece (imitation of Santorini); Perth, Australia (alternative to Sydney); Liverpool, UK (alternative to London); Palermo, Sicily (alternative to Lisbon); Curaçao (alternative to St. Martin); Quebec City, Canada (alternative to Geneva, Switzerland); Memphis, Tennessee (alternative to Nashville); Pattaya, Thailand (alternative to Bangkok); Taipei, Taiwan (alternative to Seoul, South Korea); and Sapporo, Japan (alternative to Zermatt, Switzerland).

Dollar, dollar bill, yall

Wow, everything is getting so expensive, isn't it? The hospitality industry is really feeling the impact, especially for high-end establishments. Following the closures of well-known restaurants like Copenhagen's Noma and London's Le Gavroche, another Michelin-starred restaurant in Europe is shutting down. The head chef revealed to CNN that costs have become uncontrollable, and he believes that fine dining will soon become a thing of the past.

In these difficult times, Americans who have the freedom to move are choosing to relocate in search of a better quality of life. Julie Balzano, originally from Long Island, lived in Miami for 30 years but decided to start a new chapter in Colombia after her marriage ended and her children grew up. She described the experience as surreal, liberating, and also intimidating, all at once, when speaking with CNN.

Trouble overhead

Last month, a plane departed from a London airport despite having several window panes missing. The crew failed to detect the damage prior to takeoff, resulting in an unexpected situation. Passengers quickly realized that the aircraft was noticeably louder and colder compared to their previous experiences. However, the plane continued its ascent to an altitude of at least 14,000 feet before eventually turning back.

Air Canada has issued an apology following passenger Rodney Hodgins' widely-publicized ordeal of having to self-propel himself off a flight upon arrival in Las Vegas.

Simultaneously, flight attendants are facing burnout and resignations due to a prevailing aviation environment characterized by prolonged delays, mishandled baggage, staffing problems, and unruly passengers.

Making tracks

Indonesia launched Southeast Asias first bullet train last month, a $7.3 billion train line that connects two of its largest cities, Jakarta and Bandung.

In Austria, ÖBB, the state railway, has introduced a fleet of 33 night trains that will be launched next month. These new trains have a special emphasis on accommodating solo travelers, with the inclusion of luxurious carriages that offer individual pod-like berths, in addition to standard couchettes and sleeping cars.

Unfortunately, the situation in Britain is quite different. Despite being the birthplace of railways in 1825, the country's train industry is currently facing significant challenges and instability. Here are the reasons behind the turmoil.

Tips from the worlds most frequent flyer

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The most dependable time to fly, according to the most frequent flyer

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- Source:

CNN

Tom Stuker has taken more than 12,000 flights and flown over 23 million miles, so naturally hes picked up some tricks along the way. Heres his advice on the most dependable time to fly.

And in the event that you arrive at your destination punctually but your luggage does not, our associates at CNN Underscored, a CNN-owned resource providing impartial product evaluations and advice, have compiled a comprehensive list of the finest luggage trackers for the year 2023.

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