Here are the rest of CNN Travel’s biggest stories of the moment.
On the rails
Spain has cemented its place as Europe’s high-speed rail capital with the launch of iryo, the fourth competing brand in the country’s expanding high-speed train market. With wider options for travelers, hopefully it will bring down prices as well.
The Southeast Asian country of Laos is now more accessible than ever thanks to a new semi-high-speed train, with cross-country travel times cut by up to 75%. Besides being a godsend for citizens, it opens up tourist destinations such as Luang Prabang, the country’s picturesque former royal capital, and Luang Namtha, a trekking region thick with forested mountains.
Passengers are finally enjoying a ride on a “floating train” in Thailand that appears to be passing over the surface of one of the country’s largest reservoirs. This seasonal route is available on weekends from November to February.
Spectacular Greek projects
When the Corinth Canal was built in Greece in the 19th century, it was one of the most important infrastructure feats the world had ever seen and the realization of a vision 2,500 years in the making. There are now plans for a new museum on the site in 2024.
Athens’ Hellinikon International Airport was also once a busy gateway to Greece, welcoming high-profile visitors from around the world during the glamorous era of jets. It has been empty for nearly two decades, but is now set to get a new lease of life as a huge 600-acre coastal park, filled with sports venues, food outlets and outdoor theatres.
Friends of the fisherman
A UK angler on a trip to France recently caught a 67-pound goldfish: That’s about 67 times the size of your average household sprayer. The carrot – as the fish has been called – was released back into the water to continue living large.
If you like your fish with a bit more bite, bull sharks are considered by some to be the most aggressive sharks in the world. If you’re brave enough, you can now swim with them in Cuba. Without even a cage for protection.
Bull shark attacks on humans are rare, but it wouldn’t hurt to watch our video beforehand on how to avoid an unwanted shark encounter.
Our changing world
A 40-year love story
Annie McDonald and Steven Berger felt an instant connection when they briefly met on vacation in Mexico in 1981. Four months later, Annie was diagnosed with cancer — and Steven was by her side.
In case you missed it
Why buy a Pacific island when you can buy an archipelago of 100 of them?
Darkest tourism: Singapore has a Hell Museum.
Fly Atlantic is based in Northern Ireland and hopes to begin operations in 2024.
Bad Traveler of the Week
A ginger cat named Smells apparently suffocated unnoticed in a passenger’s box on a flight from New York to Florida. Fortunately, TSA spotted the suspicious cat-like outline as the bag passed through the X-ray machine and the kitten was released unharmed.
If you’re planning a vacation with your cat or dog in tow, our partners at CNN Underscored, a guide to product reviews and recommendations owned by CNN, have put together this guide to what you need to know, according to the experts.
