In a year of “elbows up” everything, it’s no surprise that Globe readers dove deep into our eighth annual Hidden Canada feature making it, by far, the most read travel story. Published in May, this year’s 10 destinations resonated with readers getting serious about exploring within Canada since, for many, crossing the U.S. border is no longer of interest.
In October, StatsCan data showed the number of Canadian residents who returned by car from the U.S. dropped 30.5-per-cent from the same period in 2024. Canadians returning by air dropped 24 per cent. As a result, The Globe looked within Canada and further afield for travel destinations, reflecting our readers’ interests.
We love how readers’ made-in-Canada vacations led to two of our most-read pieces: a fun compilation of Canada’s biggest and quirkiest roadside attractions, and advice from our personal finance team on how to budget for those staycations.
Globe travel readers also love a smart, sassy review, especially one that points out flaws in a five-star Toronto hotel or the controversy surrounding a new skip-the-lift-line ski pass or how a health reporter – who covered the cruise industry during the pandemic – finally stepped on board Cunard’s new ship for a vacation. And if you wondering about taking on Canada’s bucket list West Coast trail later in life – readers loved this story by a 65-year-old hiker.
Globe readers, however, are not so wrapped in the flag that they won’t book a long haul flight – our insiders’ guide to Europe to avoid the crowds was a hit. When a staff editor chose Colombia for his family’s first non-resort vacation, a lot of readers wondered why but they also love a good fly-and-flop fantasy read, which is exactly what a weary staff writer filed from Turks & Caicos.
Travel is one of my favourite subjects, let me know what destination you’d love to explore through our writers in 2026. Email: travelpitches@globeandmail.com
Here are the top travel stories of the year.
Hidden Canada 2025: Ten travel destinations around the country to explore this summer
Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton, Alberta.Prince of Wales Hotel by Pursuit
Canada is calling this year: Take the ferry to the supernaturally scenic Bell Island, NL; discover why St. Peter’s Bay, PEI is a great girlfriend getaway and Moncton’s St. George Street is hipper than you think; explore the fresh lakes of Manitoba, Northern Ontario and Northern Quebec, and learn why the world comes to Campbell River, B.C. before you walk through native Prairie in Saskatchewan and enjoy the retro charm of Waterton Lake, Alta.
The insiders’ guide: Where to go in Europe to avoid the crowds
Katergo Beach in Folegandros, Greece.ApostolosGR/Getty Images
From Helsinki to Istria, these six calm and irrefutably cool destinations across Europe are shielded from overtourism yet within easy reach of an international airport. We asked stylish locals and insiders about their connection to home and how travellers can get the most out of a visit to their corners of the world.
The biggest and quirkiest roadside attractions to see on your next Canadian road trip, according to readers
The Globe and Mail, Supplied
Compiled by Rachel Ferstl, Jacob Dubé and Moira Wyton
Road-trip season is in full swing, reminding many Canadian travellers that it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.With countless monuments to choose from, we asked Globe readers to share their favourite attractions everyone should see at some point, and you delivered. Some are quirky, some are colossal and all are 100-per-cent Canadian. From coast to coast, here are 16 attractions to make the trip worth your while.
This Canadian-owned Turks and Caicos resort makes for the perfect escape from reality
Wymara Resort + Villas in Turks and Caicos.Wymara Villas + Beach Club
The last time that my wife and I were on vacation, just the two of us, it was a different world, filled with different expectations of what a few days spent travelling in a new city might look like for a pair of lovebirds. Five long years later – oh, no wait, it’s actually been six – and the two of us were staring down a summer of no escape. We didn’t want to fly so far as to cross a time zone, nor did we want a location with especially temperamental weather.
Enter the Turks and Caicos Islands. What more could you ask for than kilometres of soft, powdery white sands and waters so warm, calm, clear and turquoise-hued as if to resemble a giant field of juniper berries? Well, how about a Canadian-owned luxury resort that practically whisper-screams “parental escape”?
Canada’s first Nobu Hotel has some growing pains despite its great location and incredible views
Brandon Barré/Supplied
I love a fancy hotel. They’re one of the great indulgences of my life. I’ve planned entire vacations around rooftop pools. My phone has a notes app list of properties I’d visit if I ever win big on a scratch ticket. I adore the architecture. The ambiance. The robes. When I was asked to review Nobu Hotel Toronto – part of the famed sushi restaurant’s increasing expansion into luxury properties – for a two-day staycation, it seemed like a dream assignment.
With just 36 rooms across the property, a reputation as a five-star brand and a price point to match, attention to detail and attentive service should be the bare minimum. But relying on the strength of its restaurant and the popularity of its name, the hotel under-delivered on almost every aspect of my stay.
Why we chose Colombia for our first non-resort family vacation
Public art and festive decorations bring colour to Cartagena's Getsemani neighbourhood.Micah Toub/The Globe and Mail
My wife and I try to take our little family on a sunny trip most winters. Before this year, the two we’d taken outside North America had been to all-inclusive resorts. Now that our son is older, we wanted to go outside our comfort zone. We wanted an adventure. Our three-stop itinerary began in what has long been a tourist haven, even during times of conflict: Cartagena de Indias. The old, walled part of the city, which was founded by Spanish settlers in 1533, is a bustling grid of narrow streets flanked by colourful colonial architecture: lots of elaborate arches and balconies.
At 65, I decided to finally take on the West Coast trail
The 75-km West Coast Trail across the western coastline of Vancouver Island passes through forests, sandy beaches and rocky headlands.Parks Canada/Supplied
Ever since I moved to British Columbia in the 1980s, I’ve wanted to hike the West Coast Trail in Pacific Rim National Park. The 75-kilometre route follows the exposed western coastline of Vancouver Island, through old-growth forests, sandy beaches and rocky headlands. But it is extremely remote and challenging: Parks Canada performs 60 to 80 air and marine rescues of hikers each year. It’s no wonder that for many the West Coast Trail is a rite of passage.
After four decades of contemplating hiking it myself, I was suddenly 65 and still hadn’t crossed the adventure off my bucket list. It was time to get started.
Controversial skip-the-lift-line pass offered at Blue Mountain and Tremblant ski resorts this season
The upgraded pass at Blue Mountain Resort lasts all season and includes priority line access, choice parking and entry to an exclusive lounge in the main resort village.Ryan Carter/The Globe and Mail
A controversial new pass allows skiers and snowboarders to avoid long lift lines at two of Eastern Canada’s largest and busiest ski resorts. The Alterra Mountain Company is selling a “Reserve Pass” as an upgrade to Ikon pass holders at Blue Mountain Resort in Ontario and Mont Tremblant Ski Resort in Quebec, as well as at six U.S. resorts. The new Reserve Pass lets skiers move directly to the front of the lift line queue, much like ski school groups, and can only be used at one resort.
While the Reserve Pass launch was decidedly low-key, blowback from skiers and snowboarders has been anything but. Critics argue that introducing a paid fast lane could formalize a two-tier system in a sport that already carries a high financial barrier to entry.
What happens when you send a health reporter on a cruise? He might just become a regular
The Queen Anne's seven-day voyage sails across the North Sea to Norway and Denmark, and back again.Christopher Ison/Cunard
As someone who has been writing about infectious diseases for more than four decades, the idea of taking a cruise never really crossed my mind. In public-health circles, massive cruise ships have long been looked upon derisively as little more than floating petri dishes, a reputation that was magnified at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
My partner and I boarded the Queen Anne, Cunard’s first new ship in 14 years, in Southampton, England, for a seven-day voyage across the North Sea to Norway and Denmark, and back again. It was a great way to visit my favourite city, Oslo, and some relatively remote communities in Nordic countries. But first I had to assuage my germaphobia.
Ditching your U.S. travel plans? Here’s how much a staycation will cost you
Illustration by Drew ShannonIllustration by Drew Shannon
The spike in patriotism, fuelled by trade tensions, has made staycations – once a fallback for last-minute planners and low-key travellers – more appealing. Destination Canada data from December, 2024, show that the number of Canadians planning travel to another province within the country increased by 11 per cent. There’s no doubt there is plenty to see and do in Canada with its stunning landscapes, vibrant cities, beautiful coastlines and cultural experiences. But how much would staycations cost Canadians?