Editor’s note: (Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get news about unlocking destinations, inspiration for future adventures, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink , where to stay and other travel developments.)
(CNN) This week in travel news: The European Commission will start charging for a new visa waiver scheme next year, plus our selection of Croatian and Italian destinations and new hotels in Asia.
Europe has delayed the visa waiver scheme until 2024
The long-awaited ETIAS visa waiver scheme, which will require all non-EU passport holders to obtain a pre-trip permit to enter the bloc, was supposed to be launched in November this year. But it was pushed back to 2024.
Check out this interactive content on CNN.com
This is a fast online authorization for non-EU nationals from 60 or more countries that do not currently require an EU visa — such as the United States and the United Kingdom — and works like the ESTA Program in the United States.
It costs 7 euros ($7.43 at Friday afternoon exchange rates) and covers you for three years. But, compared to ESTA — $21 for two years — that’s a bargain.
Destination Europe
So where are you going while the going is still good? We have some suggestions for you right here.
Croatia’s northern Adriatic coast is home to some of the country’s most charming regions, with secret beaches, ancient Roman ruins and Venetian villages. Read our guide to discover culture, history and great food.
There is also the Friuli region of Italy, located on the northeastern border of Slovenia and Austria, with an amazingly diverse landscape of mountains, canyons, beaches and lagoons. Locals boast that it’s one of Europe’s best-kept secrets, so keep it to yourself, OK?
Destination Asia
As travel returns across the board, Asian destinations are increasingly keen to boost their post-pandemic tourism economy. Hong Kong has already announced plans to give away half a million airline tickets, and now its neighbor Taiwan is planning to pay people to go on vacation there.
Savings like that can leave a little money free to visit the region’s most exciting new luxury hotels opening this year.
If you’re looking for something more from your hotel, though, than infinity pools and Egyptian cotton sheets, we’ve found nine hotels in the Asia-Pacific where the adventure begins before you even get to front door.
We’re talking grand entrances — from zip-lining over a waterfall and landing at the hotel bar to a leisurely river cruise through a lush gorge.
The future of transportation
Designers and engineers are endlessly working on new transportation solutions for a greener, cleaner, faster tomorrow, from a new generation of airships to a hydrogen- powered superyacht that can “fly” across the water.
But what will transportation look like in 2050? Alisyn Malek, managing director of the Detroit-based global mobility innovation hub, gives us the lowdown on hyperloops, supersonic jets and electric aircraft.
Finally, with infrastructure improvements taking place today, last month India opened the first section of a 1,386-kilometer (861-mile) expressway linking New Delhi and Mumbai. Once completed, it will be the longest expressway in India and is expected to halve travel times between the two cities.
Unbelievable weekend traveler
A Pennsylvania man was arrested on February 27 after allegedly trying to bring explosives onto a flight to Florida. The suspect was well known to police in Lansford, Pennsylvania, for a string of petty crimes over the years, but “there was nothing that flashed and said, ‘Hey, this guy is going to try to bomb an airplane. ,'” said a former police chief.
The best beaches in the world
The top 10 beaches in the world in 2023, according to Tripadvisor
1. Sancho Bay, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil: Baía do Sancho may not be easy to reach, but it is the best beach in the world, according to the 2023 ranking from Tripadvisor.
2. Eagle Beach, Aruba: Fofoti trees grow in the golden sands of Aruba. Eagle Beach is ranked No. 2 among the best beaches in the world for 2023.
3. Cable Beach, Broome, Australia: Camel rides at sunset are a big draw on this 14-mile (22-kilometer) stretch of Indian Ocean coastline.
4. Reynisfjara Beach, Vik, Iceland: Not all beaches on the Tripadvisor list are known for their warm weather. This incredible black sand beach in Iceland is big on drama and has featured in “Game of Thrones.”
5. Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos: 1 in 2022, the three miles of sand at Grace Bay Beach is a sunseeker’s paradise.
6. Praia da Falésia, Olhos de Agua, Portugal: From cliffs to sand to sea, Praia da Falésia in Portugal’s Algarve region offers plenty to see as you fall asleep to the sound of the surf.
7. Radha Nagar Beach, Havelock Island, India: Backed by lush vegetation, Radhanagar Beach in the Andaman Islands is one of the best beaches in Asia and No. 7 of 2023 listings worldwide on Tripadvisor.
8. Rabbit Beach, Sicily, Italy: This powdery stretch of the coast of Lampedusa Island has risen in rank from No. 10 of 2022.
9. Varadero Beach, Cuba: The No. 2 beach last year, Varadero Beach in Cuba has been relaxing for a long time. “It’s hypnotic,” said one Tripadvisor reviewer.
10. Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii: Located on the west coast of the island, Ka’anapali has three miles of white sand and a famous cliff diving ceremony at Puʻu Kekaʻa.
The Caribbean is home to three of the sweetest beaches in the world, according to users of travel site Tripadvisor. However, the best sands of all can be found on an archipelago bathed in the warm waters of the South Equatorial Current.
Great photo book services
“Photos or they didn’t happen” may be the defining statement of our age. And to make your travel memories more tangible, there are now a wide variety of photo book services to turn your digital snaps into glossy hardback keepsakes. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product review and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have rounded up some of the best.
In case you missed it
It was destroyed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the world’s largest plane is flying again in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
And all proceeds go to real-life rebuilding efforts.
The boss of a Japanese guesthouse has apologized for changing the spa water only twice a year.
It contains potentially deadly bacteria at 3,700 times the permissible level.
The longest flight in the world spent more than two months in the air.
In the late 1950s, two men flew to Vegas in almost 65 days.
