At Cartovia, when we recommend a destination, we don't rely on intuition or a single random article. We cross-reference dozens of the world's most respected travel publications - in English, French, and other languages - to identify destinations that are recurring, emerging, and considered must-sees by travel experts.

This page is our logbook. It lists the sources we consult, explains their editorial approach, and allows you to understand the basis of our selections. We update it annually.

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English-language Publications

The New York Times - 52 Places to Go

Every January, The New York Times travel section publishes its list of 52 destinations for the year - one for each week. The selection is based on a strong criterion: "Why this year?". Each destination is chosen because an event, an opening, or an anniversary makes it particularly relevant that year. It is one of the most influential and anticipated lists in the travel world.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/travel/places-to-travel-destinations-2026.html

National Geographic - Best of the World

National Geographic's annual list features 25 destinations chosen by its editors, photographers, and explorers. The focus is on a diversity of experiences - nature, culture, gastronomy, adventure - and on destinations that embody respectful tourism. National Geographic also publishes complementary thematic lists (wellness, adventures) that enrich the main selection.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/best-of-the-world-2026

Condé Nast Traveler - Best Places to Go

Condé Nast Traveler publishes both a global list and a specifically European list. Its choices are guided by a network of experts and local correspondents, with a particular focus on new hotel openings, cultural events, and emerging luxury and design trends. The Europe list, in particular, is one of the most targeted and useful for travelers on the continent.
https://www.cntraveler.com

Lonely Planet - Best in Travel

An essential reference for independent travel, Lonely Planet publishes its selection of countries, regions, and cities to discover in the coming year each autumn. The approach favors accessibility, budget diversity, and destinations that offer a good balance between experience and tourist traffic. Lonely Planet also publishes detailed regional lists, especially for Europe.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/best-places-to-visit-europe

AFAR

AFAR distinguishes itself by its editorial positioning: the magazine advocates "experiential" travel that goes beyond classic tourism. Its annual list highlights emerging destinations and places often ignored by other publications, with an emphasis on local communities, sustainability, and immersive experiences. It is often in AFAR that we spot destinations that will be everywhere two years later.
https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-best-places-to-travel-in-2026

BBC Travel - Best Places to Travel

BBC Travel's annual selection brings together about twenty global destinations chosen for their blend of culture, nature, and community value. The approach is balanced and reflects an international perspective, with particular attention to sustainable tourism and destinations that truly benefit from the influx of visitors.
https://bbc.com/travel

The Guardian - Travel

The Guardian has one of the most respected travel sections in the British press. Its coverage favors immersive reports, responsible tourism, and itineraries off the beaten path. Its Anglo-Saxon perspective on France is invaluable: the newspaper regularly identifies French regions that French media themselves rarely cover, with an external eye that adds a useful perspective to our monitoring.
https://www.theguardian.com/travel

The Telegraph - Travel

The Telegraph publishes in-depth travel selections, with a recognized tradition of extensive coverage of rural and provincial France. Its hidden France dossiers appear regularly and are a good indicator of French regions that are starting to appear on British radars — often a few years before they become mainstream destinations.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel

Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure organizes its recommendations by categories - gastronomy, beaches, cities, nature - making it a useful complementary source for cross-referencing angles. The publication regularly highlights specific experiences (river cruises, sporting events, resort openings) that shed different light on destinations.
https://www.travelandleisure.com/destinations-7511109

Time Out

Time Out relies on an international network of local editors who live in the cities they cover. Their annual list reflects on-the-ground knowledge that prioritizes changing neighborhoods, emerging cultural scenes, and recent openings. It is a particularly relevant source for urban destinations and often overlooked "second cities."
https://www.timeout.com/news/the-best-destinations-to-visit-in-2026-for-food-city-life-beaches-and-more-according-to-travel-leisure-112625

CNN Travel

CNN Travel publishes thematic selections throughout the year, with varied angles: literary, gastronomic, sports, and family destinations. Their recommendations often intersect with cultural news (anniversaries, film releases, sporting events), making them a good indicator of "current" destinations.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/21/travel/national-geographic-best-of-the-world-2026

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French-language Publications

Le Routard

A French travel institution, Le Routard publishes its recommendations for the coming year at the end of each year. Its approach favors accessible travel, off-the-beaten-path discoveries, and destinations offering good value for money. Le Routard is particularly valuable for identifying emerging destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean that have not yet appeared in English-language publications.
https://www.routard.com/fr/mag/dossier/a/ou-partir-en-voyage-en-2026

Lonely Planet France

The French version of Lonely Planet adapts international selections for the French-speaking public and adds its own favorites, with a specific focus on destinations accessible from France and French-speaking Europe.
https://www.lonelyplanet.fr/article/ou-partir-en-2026-nos-top-destinations

Détours en France

A bimonthly magazine founded in 1991, Détours en France is the reference magazine dedicated exclusively to discovering French regions. Each issue explores a region in depth — heritage, nature, crafts, gastronomy, encounters with those who bring the territories to life. A valuable source for identifying small corners of France that international publications do not yet know.
https://www.detoursenfrance.fr

Le Figaro - Voyages

The travel section of the newspaper Le Figaro publishes seasonal selections, regional reports, and thematic lists that extensively cover France and Europe. The angle is rather classic and cultural, with good depth on French-speaking destinations, making it a useful complement to the more nature or outdoor approaches of other sources.
https://www.lefigaro.fr/voyages

Geo Magazine

Geo offers a perspective that blends geography, culture, and photography. Its destination dossiers are often more in-depth than classic lists, with an angle that particularly interests travelers curious about the historical, environmental, and human context behind places.
https://www.geo.fr/voyage

Ulysse News

Ulysse is a French platform whose News section publishes in-depth analyses of travel trends, with a strong focus on slow travel, anti-overtourism, and destinations accessible by train. Their annual dossiers on off-the-beaten-path France cross-reference attendance data, rail accessibility, and accommodation diversity — useful for identifying underrated French regions with high potential.
https://ulysse.com/news

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Complementary Sources

Euronews Travel

Euronews Travel publishes valuable meta-analyses that cross-reference recommendations from several major publications to identify the most frequently cited destinations. Their annual article "Where to go in Europe according to major travel publications" is a synthesis tool that we systematically use in our monitoring.
https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/01/17/where-to-go-in-europe-in-2026-according-to-10-major-travel-publications

European Best Destinations

This annual ranking is based on the votes of over a million travelers in 154 countries. It offers a useful counterpoint to editorial selections: where publications reflect the judgment of experts, European Best Destinations reflects the actual preferences of travelers.
https://www.europeanbestdestinations.com/european-best-destinations-2026/

KAYAK - Travel Trends Forecast

The flight search data published by KAYAK each year allows us to measure travelers' real interest in a destination - beyond editorial recommendations. Increases in flight searches are a concrete indicator of emerging trends.
https://www.kayak.com/c/wtf-report-2026/

IGCAT - European Regions of Gastronomy

The International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT), recognized by UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization, annually awards the title of European Region of Gastronomy. This label is a reliable indicator for gastronomic travelers.
https://igcat.org

Official European Union Designations

The titles of European Capital of Culture and European Green Capital, awarded by the EU, are important markers that signal an exceptional year for a city or region. We systematically integrate them into our monitoring.

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How We Use These Sources

Our approach is based on cross-referencing. A destination recommended by a single publication is interesting. A destination cited by three, four, or six independent publications is a strong signal. This cross-referencing work forms the basis of our selections.

But we don't just compile. As you know, at Cartovia, we are passionate about maps and travel. We add our own editorial perspective and try to highlight destinations that offer the traveler the joy of discovery rather than confirmation of what they already know. It is this combination - the rigor of the sources and the instinct for travel - that guides each of our recommendations.

This page is updated annually. Last updated: April 2026.