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In our travel news roundup this week: the 200th anniversary of a revolutionary suspension bridge, Time Out’s best cities for 2026, plus what the Iran war means for your travel plans.
The world’s ‘best cities’
British media group Time Out has named its “best cities for 2026,” and half of the top 10 are in Asia-Pacific.
Its annual survey this year drew responses from 24,000 people across 150 cities worldwide, and the Australian metropolis of Melbourne came out as No. 1.
At CNN Travel, we love Australia’s second city as a global food and drink powerhouse where nature is close by and urban delights are readily available.
Time Out’s No. 2 is Shanghai: Visiting this financial hub of 25 million is an exhilarating experience, but we treasure it also for its access to China’s huge network of high-speed railways. The calming countryside with centuries-old villages is never far away.
At No. 3 we have Edinburgh, the Scottish capital overlooked by an extinct volcano. Few cities are as bursting with history, from the medieval streets of its Old Town to the spacious boulevards of its 18th-century New Town.
The rest of the top 10 is rounded out by: London at No. 4, New York at No. 5, Cape Town at No. 6, Mexico City at No. 7, Bangkok at No. 8, Seoul at No. 9 and Tokyo at No. 10.
