Sign up for Unlocking the World, NCS Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get information about locations, plus the newest in aviation, foods and drinks, and the place to remain.
In journey information this week, a glance inside Amtrak’s new high-speed practice, Southwest Airlines’ controversial new seating coverage, plus the United States scores low on a rating of the world’s most peaceful nations.
And it’s Labor Day weekend in the US, when a crush of vacationers might pressure an aviation system suffering from current IT outages. On the sunnier aspect, there’s nonetheless time to go to America’s finest underrated islands.
Iceland is good land
The Nordic nation of Iceland, famed for its volcanoes, scorching springs and uniquely elegant landscapes, has as soon as once more been named the most peaceful country in the world by the Global Peace Index.
Produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), the index ranks 163 impartial states and territories based on standards together with societal security and safety; the extent of ongoing home and worldwide battle; and the diploma of militarization.
As nicely as topping the index for 2025, Iceland is No. 3 on the World Happiness Report’s record of the world’s most blissed-out countries, and is one among the most fascinating journey locations in the Northern Hemisphere.
So what are Iceland and the remainder of the nations in the high 5 — Ireland, New Zealand, Austria and Switzerland — doing so proper?
“The key to building peacefulness in times of conflict and uncertainty is Positive Peace: the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies,” says the Global Peace Index report. “Positive Peace is strongly correlated with higher GDP growth, lower interest rates, societal wellbeing and more resilience to shocks.”
In the years since the Global Peace Index was created in 2008, the common country rating has deteriorated by 5.4%. The hole between the most and least peaceful nations has additionally widened by 11.7% over this time.
“The world is facing a violent conflict crisis. There were 59 state-based conflicts in 2023, the highest number since the end of World War II,” the 2025 report says.
Russia is, for the first time, the world’s least peaceful country, adopted by Ukraine.
The United States has a low rating on the index, showing at No. 128, under Honduras, Bangladesh and Uganda. This is largely right down to its excessive stage of militarization, which locations it – underneath that standards – down at the much less peaceful finish of the index, nearer to North Korea (No. 149), Israel (No. 155), Ukraine (No. 162) and Russia (No. 163).
France is the most militarized country in Western and Central Europe, whereas South America was the solely area to report an enchancment of peacefulness on this newest index. The largest enhancements had been in Peru and Argentina, whereas Canada and Costa Rica had been the most peace-loving nations in Central and South America.
Mauritius, Botswana and Namibia — all with thriving tourism industries, attracting honeymooners, wildlife-lovers and journey vacationers respectively — had been the most peaceful nations in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Here’s an epic street journey to encourage your subsequent four-wheeled journey.
Scotland’s North Coast 500 was a uncared for loop round Scotland’s craggy northern shoreline, till an initiative 10 years in the past began selling the drive to vacationers. After experiences that overtourism was destroying the pure charms of the 516-mile route, native author Angus MacKinnon revisited the NC500 to see how a lot it had modified since the automobile journeys of his Nineteen Eighties and ‘90s youth. What he found was stunning — and a revealing perception into the challenges and rewards of a tourism growth.
Finally, in case you’re planning a street journey quickly, you’ll little question be desirous to take pleasure in some breaks en route. Our companions at NCS Underscored, a product evaluations and proposals information owned by NCS, have this information to the finest travel coffee mugs.
Is Amtrak’s new high-speed practice value the value? We take you inside
NextGen Acela, Amtrak’s up to date high-speed service, has lastly launched after years of delays. The new trains will serve the Northeast Corridor between Washington, New York and Boston, reaching speeds of as much as 160 miles per hour — or at the least, that’s the concept.
Dated infrastructure means it’s unclear whether or not the trains can really routinely journey at these speeds, so are the pricier fares value it? NCS transportation reporter Alexandra Skores went on board to search out out.
Southwest Airlines is altering its seating coverage.
And the new guidelines will hit plus-size travelers.
These tech professionals of their 20s took a profession break to sail throughout the Pacific.
They name it a “mini retirement.”
A Connecticut lady moved to France along with her beloved cats.
She says the metropolis of Marseille was a “revelation.”