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Last Updated 9 mins ago

London, it was a good run! Now it’s another timeless city’s turn in the spotlight, at least according to the New York Times.

Naming 2025’s ‘52 Best Places to Travel’, taking home gold is a U.K. city often left in the shadows of London.

But, travelers have been more receptive to exploring more of what the U.K. has to offer, from trending destinations such as Edinburgh, the rise of Belfast, and other lesser-known cities on the up and up with new train routes, which is your best bet to reach 2025’s top destination.

Exuding Roman-era charm, delightful tea shops, and picturesque villages on the outskirts, you’ll be magnetized toward an array of historic sites and, even more so, the wide selection of spas to melt your stress away, hence the name Bath.

Plus, it’s a lot cheaper than London’s sky-high prices.

Forget The Household Names: How Bath Sets Itself Apart

At first glance, Bath may not feel like a typical U.K. city. In fact, it’s relatively small in size, housing just 94,092 inhabitants according to the last census records.

Boasting grand Georgian architecture and Roman-style bathhouses, Bath is a far cry from London’s towering skyline and tourist-curated landmarks.

Bath is easy to explore on foot and well-connect by bus and train from London, but while here, a great way to see the sites is by electric scooters dispersed across the city to see the sites

There’s no place like Bath anywhere else in the U.K. Sure, there are other timeless gems like the Cotswolds, but everything fails in comparison to what Bath offers.

Bath is an eye-popping city perfect for kicking back and unwinding rather than pub-hopping across London.

While there are certainly traditional pubs here, the main draw of Bath is ample Roman spas originally consisting of thousands of archaeological discoveries, many of which are open to the public to enjoy all the benefits of naturally warm hot springs just as the Romans did.

Bath’s Must-Visit Spas

With a name like Bath, it would be hard-pressed to find any tourists who didn’t enjoy a soak at a bathhouse.

While I’m certainly no spa expert by any means, I can attest to how relaxing and beneficial visiting such concepts can be as I’ve visited Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon Istanbul’s traditional hammams, and I liked both so much that I even made a point to visit a new hot spring resort in my home state of California.

I haven’t had the privilege to visit Bath, but can totally relate to visitors’ enthusiasm like this review for Thermae Bath Spa:

“Only thermal baths in the whole of the UK. Great to be in the rooftop pool looking out over the countryside and UNESCO world heritage city!”

You can also book tickets to the Roman Baths Museum, a fascinating tour showcasing the old world.

According to TripAdvisor, these are travelers’ 3 favorite spas to visit Bath:

• Thermae Bath Spa
• The Cross Bath
• The Bath Massage Company

Cheaper Stays: Historic Hotels And Cozy Inns

Saying Bath is cheaper than London is an understatement, as a majority of global destinations don’t sniff London’s bank-breaking prices.

Bath offers a variety of intriguing stays brimming with character rather than splurging on name-brand hotels.

Many of Bath’s top accommodations are centrally located, making for a great way to start your day with a cup of coffee or cap off your day with afternoon tea, a long-held British tradition.

Dating back to the 1400s Sally Lunn’s is a must-stop for great local fare, including tea and better yet, the chic Z Hotel is within walking distance and only $51 per night.

For those who do stick with the familiar brands back home to rack up points, Hotel Indigo is a great value too for a 4-star stay around $100 per night.

The best choice, however, has got to be 5-star Ayrlington, incredibly priced with a nightly rate of just $71 for a last-minute getaway or just $10 more in spring.

To discover the serene side of Bath, venturing away from the quaint city center, you’ll find a cozy inn overlooking the scenic River Avon – The Old Mill Hotel is also very affordable at just $56 through March.

Sam Sears

Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 30 countries and written over 400 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.

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Last Updated 6 months ago

When you choose your next beach escape, odds are you’ll be looking where to spend blissful beach days in Mexico or the Caribbean.

One Caribbean nation that has soared to new heights in terms of tourism is the Dominican Republic.

Even the country’s cultural cities have become more popular, like Santiago de los Caballeros and the sprawling capital, Santo Domingo.

Near both cultural hubs are some of the most pristine beach resort towns you’ll find along Caribbean shores.

One that is super easy to reach and continues to thrive is La Romana, home to lavish resorts and stunning beaches.

Move Aside Punta Cana! La Romana Is The Place To Be

As someone who just spent 5 days at a luxe resort in Punta Cana, I can easily compare apples to apples since I also spent some time in La Romana.

If you’ve done any vacation planning along the East Coast or Caribbean, surely you know it’s sargassum season.

Sargassum is an unsightly brown algae that invades coastlines for miles and miles ruining your postcard-worthy photo-ops.

Punta Cana, including world-renowned Bavaro Beach, was teeming with icky piles of sargassum baking in the sun, creating not only an eyesore, but an unpleasant odor and constant annoyances trying to swim in the crystal clear waters.

Taking a day trip to La Romana was like flipping a switch from an okay beach vacation to the dreamy paradise you envision when splurging on a Caribbean getaway.

Perfect Conditions For The Ultimate Beach Escape

Not a flake of sargassum was spotted when I swam in various spots throughout the La Romana region.

Setting sail on a Catamaran from Bayahibe, there were stops away from shore to swim and snorkel.

Water conditions were absolutely perfect with warm temperatures and limpid visibility – no seaweed or trash in sight.

Like Zac Brown said, the ‘Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair’, the only worry here is stepping on Starfish as they’re a very protected and encouraged by tour guides not to touch.

The only portion not suitable for water activity are the ports of Bayahibe and Isla Saona, where the water is still very clear, but you will need flip-flops to avoid cutting your feet on jagged rocks.

Stunning Tropical Islands

Within close distance from the small resort town of La Romana lies a pair of stunning islands – Isla Saona, and Isla Catalina.

While I can’t speak to personal experience with the latter, tourists have left rave reviews with comments like, ‘Saona Island gets all the cred but this was an awesome excursion’.

Home to gorgeous beaches clear waters for snorkeling and diving, this short journey to the island is definitely worth checking out.

I went to Isla Saona. Beyond simply relaxing with endless poolside pinã coladas, this jaw-dropping island was the highlight of my Dominican vacation.

You are instantly welcomed by towering palm trees and sandy pathways giving access to what feels like secret beaches, and it was some of the clearest water I’ve ever swam in.

No sargassum, jellyfish, garbage, stingrays – nope, just picture-perfect blue waters and white sand.

La Romana’s Lavish Resorts

Punta Cana is great, but everyone wants to be here.

The same way Cancun is an awesome vacation spot since everyone knows about, that’s not to say you won’t have an awesome time in Puerto Escondido.

The same goes for Punta Cana and La Romana. The latter is a very popular resort town but doesn’t hold the same recognition.

Vacationers can come here expecting to have the time of their lives the same as you would in Punta Cana, but the experience may be even better.

With high-end all-inclusive resorts such as Hilton, Dreams, and Iberostar, you can’t go wrong, especially since the beaches don’t find themselves in the path of massive seaweed invasions.

Sam Sears

Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 30 countries and written over 400 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.

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‘Leaf peepers’ may be in full force scoping out vibrant foliage across the continent, but before you know it, snow will soon transform those very same tree lines into vast winter wonderlands.

Colorado is one of the top places for such an excursion where the gorgeous Rockies are dotted with delightful towns perfect for a winter escape.

Airlines have surely taken notice, adding a handful of new flights to one underrated Colorado town with village-like streets and wondrous mountains as a picture-perfect backdrop.

While Aspen may be the household name of Colorado’s numerous small-town mountainous getaways, it’s time to set your sights on Vail this winter, as it’s easier to reach than ever before.

Alaska’s New Flight To Vail

Typically popular along the West Coast and Mexico, Alaska couldn’t help but dip their toes in Colorado’s frigid winter waters by adding Vail as one of their newest destinations.

However, the airline is no stranger to Colorado’s beauty, as it also flies to Denver, Aspen, and a boatload of hidden gems, such as Steamboat Springs.

In other words, adding Vail to the list is long overdue. So who are the lucky 2 cities that get to fly nonstop come December?

Well, in typical Alaska fashion, 2 of the West Coast’s best cities are the big winners. Those would be Seattle and San Diego.

Beginning December 20th, both Washingtonians and Southern Californians can get their winter splendor fix with direct flights to Vail.

Frontier’s New Flight To Vail

Say what you want about Frontier, but they have stood the test of time in the rapidly changing budget airline industry, and kudos to them.

Despite many of us feeling sorry for their PR team with bad press issued left and right in recent years, the proud low-cost carrier recently announced in tandem with fellow cheapo Spirit they are dropping cancelations and change fees on all flights to become more flyer-friendly.

The airline has announced multiple new flights in recent months, but Vail may stand out the most in their surprisingly impressive network for winter escapes.

Obviously, Frontier knows Colorado like the back of its headrests, which is based in Denver. But truth be told, it’s a good thing they’re adding Vail because a winter drive through the backroads from Denver is a tough trek!

The 2 lucky cities with direct routes to Eagle County Airport (EGE) are Dallas/Fort Worth and San Francisco.

Initial flights out of DFW will begin December 16th and a few days later out of SFO on December 19th. Both cities will operate flights twice per week for Frontier’s first-ever routes to Vail.

No Better Place To Hit The Slopes!

Since all new flights are slated for the week before Christmas, are you thinking what I’m thinking?

December is when Vail truly becomes a quintessential “winter wonderland”, almost is if you’re stuck inside a snowglobe you don’t want to escape.

The mountains gleam with fresh powdery snow, providing ideal conditions for skiers and snowboarders throughout the month and into the new year.

Better yet, unlike the movie that put Aspen on the map, you won’t be saying to yourself, ‘I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this’, with over 5,000 acres of skiable terrain to shred, bruh. 🤙

The slopes are suitable for beginners, experts, and anyone in between, but these 3 runs are the most sought-after according to Snow.com:

• Dealer’s Choice
• Born Free
• Look Ma

On the flip side, Snow.com also recommends these 3 ‘Legendary Back Bowls’:

‘Tis The Season For Magical Stays And Picturesque Streets

You’ll definitely want to pack your winter-wear, not just for skiing, but for perusing the magical town center lined with trendy bars, boutique shops, and opulent hotels boasting stunning views.

Visiting the unmissable Lionshead Village is a must and feels borderline European. Here is a great spot to make your base in between your ski/snowboarding adventures.

But where should you rest up? That’s a tough question since there’s so many great places to stay!

According to TripAdvisor, these are the top 3 luxury Vail hotels this winter:

• Austria Haus Hotel, A Destination By Hyatt Hotel
• Grand Hyatt Vail
• Tivoli Lodge

Sam Sears

Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 30 countries and written over 400 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.

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Sign Up Now For Travel Off Path Premium! No ads, VIP Content, Personal Travel Concierge, Huge Savings, Daily Deals, Members Forum & More!

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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com

Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.