Travel News: NYC Culture Vultures Rejoice, Discover Connecticut This Summer, and a New Immersive Experience at Universal

From the hottest spots in Europe to visit in 2018 to America’s biggest LGBTQ pride celebration, plus a new reason for camping enthusiasts to rejoice, this week’s roundup of travel news is one of our most culturally expansive. Where will you go next? LONELY PLANET’S BEST IN EUROPE 2018 When our colleagues at our parent company, Lonely Planet, suggest the 10 best places in Europe to visit 2018, we’re all ears. This year’s Best in Europe may be the most inspiring yet because it focuses on some major destinations that are already on avid travelers’ bucket lists (Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, for instance), but from angles you may not expect. In Italy, for instance, the place to go this year is Emilia-Romagna, a northern region that may very well be the best culinary destination on the Italian peninsula (in other words, the best culinary destination on earth). Similarly, have you been to Cantabria, Spain? Well, get packing! And while many of you have savored the canals, cycling paths, and gardens of Amsterdam, we’re guessing you may have missed Friesland, the Netherlands, a must for 2018. Explore Lonely Planet’s entire Best in Europe list at lonelyplanet.com/best-in-europe - and be sure to let us know where you decided to visit. NEW YORK CITY’S LGBTQ PRIDE EVENTS This month, New York City’s Heritage of Pride events will draw more than 2 million attendees to happenings across all five of the city’s boroughs (Manhattan Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island), making it America’s largest celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) pride, welcoming a diversity of sexual orientations, a diversity of friends, family, and allies, and in general throwing NYC’s most joyful, not to mention most peaceful, party of the year. (For a full calendar, visit nycgo.com/LGBTQ.) Traditional events will commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots, credited with sparking the modern-day gay-rights movement. The 49th NYC Pride March on Sunday June 24, whose new route proceeds through Manhattan’s West Village down to Christopher Street to pass the historic Stonewall Inn, then heads up to Fifth Avenue (this is a kind of “test run” in anticipation of 2019’s Stonewall 50th-anniversary commemorations). Each of NYC’s other boroughs are holding marches and celebrations of their own, reinforcing the cultural centrality and power of the gay pride movement to every corner of the city, a movement that was once perceived as an “outsider” enterprise at its inception in the 1960s. As Tony Kushner wrote in Angels in America, “The world only spins forward.”   A NEW APP FOR CAMPERS This summer, millions of Americans will opt for the ultimate money-saving, back-to-nature vacation lodging: camping in national parks, state parks, and other wild (and semi-wild) settings. Although most campers enjoy essential chores such as cooking outdoors, and navigating the setting up and taking down of equipment, there is one task many do not savor: actually locating a good campsite. A new app, The Dyrt, available for iOS and Android, is making that easier, with more than 70,000 images, videos, and user reviews to help U.S. travelers pinpoint the ideal place to pitch a tent.

From the top trip-inspiring trends dominating U.S. travel this summer to the ultimate budget lodging for families and pets in the Rockies, to a brand-new piece of footwear some of you may want to add to your repertoire, this week’s latest news is kicking summer 2018 into high gear. TOP TRENDS FOR SUMMER TRAVEL Our friends at Red Roof Inn (redroof.com) have crunched some data to share some surprising trends for summer 2018 travel - in some cases, these findings have us re-thinking some last-minute vacation ideas: More than 90 percent of Americans will travel by car for their summer vacation, clocking more than 500 miles round-trip. Budget Travel has celebrated the great American road trip for more than two decades, so we can’t say we’re shocked by this stat. Are you ready to hit the road?While “beach” may be the first vacation image that springs to mind when we say “summer,” data from AAA suggests that more Americans are headed to cities for vacation - can’t argue with the museums, theaters, parkland, and chic shopping they’ll find there.More than 50 percent of U.S. travelers are headed to national parks, and around 40 percent are headed to theme parks. Of course, there are plenty of cool destinations (California and Florida spring to mind), where you can easily do both.We may have to redefined the “dog days of summer.” Turns out 40 percent of U.S. travelers will bring their dogs along with them on vacation this year.Travelers prize authentic experiences and “living like a local” more than the conventional hotel or resort experience. Budget Travel’s “Locals Know Best” series can certainly help you get the most authenticity out of your trip.AMERICA’S ULTIMATE YMCA Singing and dancing to the Village People’s classic ‘70s hit is optional, but the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, CO, may be the ultimate YMCA in the U.S. USA Today named it the “Best Family Resort in America,” and the property borders gorgeous Rocky Mountain National Park on three sides, meaning you can bunk down in affordable style (lodge rooms from $99, two-to-three-bedroom cabins from $113), spend your days among the aspens, bighorns, and picture-perfect trails of the park and enjoy the unplugged vacation every family needs right now. VIRGIN ATLANTIC SAYS ‘SOCK IT TO ME’ Here’s one you don’t hear every day: Virgin Atlantic has partnered with Happy Socks to provide fun, specially designed socks in Virgin’s distinctive red and purple depicting images that celebrate passengers’ love of travel. For those of us in the cheap seats, the socks will be available for purchase via Virgin’s Retail Therapy onboard and online platforms, while passengers in the cushier sections will receive them as part of a complimentary amenity kit. We’d love to hear from travelers who opt to kick their summer travel into high gear wearing Virgin’s bespoke socks:)

From NYC to Kilauea, from Chicago to Hogwarts (really!), we’re getting travel news and deals that will rock your summer. Where will you go next? CITYPASS GOES MOBILE CityPASS is already one of the most convenient and affordable ways to explore big cities, including the newest destinations to join the CityPASS family, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Toronto, and Denver. Now the discount-coupon powerhouse is moving into another kind of new territory: mobile devices, which are expected to account for more than half of all digital ticket sales for events and transportation in 2018. The new CityPASS mobile ticket option lets you access discounts directly from your smartphone and simply scan the mobile CityPass from your phone at the point of entry. We want to know: Have you tried CityPASS? How did it help you save on vacation? HAWAII IS SAFE DESPITE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS Hawaii Governor David Ige has a simple message for globetrotters: “Travel is safe to the Hawaiian islands.” Sure, we’ve been watching the incredible footage of the Kilauea volcano’s lava flows, fissures, and ash plumes, and we’ve wondered, “Hmmm. Is now the right time for a visit?” Governor Ige says, “We have a skilled contingent of scientists, geologists, metorologists, and health experts whose work is being support around the clock by emergency officials and law enforcement… with the purpose of keeping the public safe and informed.” Hawaii tourism officials also assure travelers that the volcanic activity is having no impact on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kauai, and that travel to and within the islands is unimpeded by Kilauea. However, most of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is currently closed. ‘THE NIGHTTIME LIGHTS AT HOGWARTS CASTLE’ RETURNS TO UNIVERSAL In addition to the usual fun (interactive wands, thrilling rides, sweet frosty Butterbeer), the Wizarding World of Harry Potter immersive land at Universal Studios Hollywood is bringing back “The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle” on June 24. As the sun goes down at Hogsmeade Village, the land’s central square, the four houses of Hogwarts (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin), will be showcased in a state-of-the-art light display and extravaganza of special effects accompanied by new musical arrangements by Academy award-winning composer John Williams presented in a surround-sound environment.

From the dizzying heights of San Francisco’s hills to the streets of London, Paris, and other European cities, from this year’s Memorial Day festivities to the Swiss countryside, this week’s travel news delivers a bunch of deals you’ll want to pounce on. LAST-MINUTE MEMORIAL DAY DEALS UNDER $400 Got no plans for Memorial Day Weekend? No problem. Our friends at Skyscanner are delivering a range of fun, easy, and affordable last-minute U.S. flight deals under $400 for the weekend of Friday May 25 through Monday May 28. Here are some of our favorites: Boston to Orlando, where you’ll beat the summer crowds at popular theme parks like Disney and Universal.Chicago to San Antonio, in time to raise a glass to the Texas city’s 300th birthday and the range of celebratory events happening there all spring and summer.Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., where you can participate in annual Memorial Day commemorative events, soak up art, culture, and history at the free museums, and party like a boss in cool neighborhoods like Adams-Morgan and Dupont Circle.EUROPEAN SUMMER SAVINGS We’re all about helping travelers “see more for less,” and Rail Europe’s summer savings may inspire you to start packing your bag. The company, the largest distributor of European train tickets, passes, and tours in North America, has a range of offers for Europe’s classic destinations and journeys. Save up to 65 percent on rail travel from France to Switzerland, whether you’re traveling from Paris to one of Switzerland’s beautiful cities (including Zurich, Geneva, and Basel) or between the south of France (Marseille, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence) to Switzerland; bargain fares are available for travel from July 2 through August 29. Save up to 30 percent on the extraordinary 2-hour-and-15-minute Chunnel ride between London and Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, and, now, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, including comfy seats and complimentary light meals; bargain fares must be booked by June 18 for travel between July 16 and November 11. SAN FRANCISCO’S NORTH BEACH FESTIVAL It’s hard not to have a good time in San Francisco. It’s even harder not to have a good time in San Francisco’s “Little Italy” neighborhood of North Beach, where you can take your pick of bustling eateries serving up authentic Italian cuisine, desserts, and coffee; echoes of SF’s bohemian heritage like City Lights bookstore; and pinch-me views of the San Francisco Bay, Coit Tower, and the skyline of nearby downtown. The 65th annual free North Beach Festival celebrates all of this and more on the weekend of June 16 and 17, with 125 arts and crafts booths, food, two stages offering live entertainment (including circus arts), poetry readings, chalk art for kids, and the neighborhood’s legendary “blessing of the animals” ceremony at the Vallejo Street shrine of the city’s namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi. Insider tips from a former local, Budget Travel editor in chief Robert Firpo-Cappiello: “Take public transportation (a MUNI streetcar or bus into North Beach; or BART light rail to the Powell Street station, then a cable car up the hill), and stop and say hello to our friends at the decidedly European San Remo Hotel, on Mason Street.”