Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay.
In travel news this week, a look inside Amtrak’s new high-speed train, Southwest Airlines’ controversial new seating policy, plus the United States scores low on a ranking of the world’s most peaceful countries.
And it’s Labor Day weekend in the US, when a crush of travelers could strain an aviation system plagued by recent IT outages. On the sunnier side, there’s still time to visit America’s best underrated islands.
Iceland is nice land
The Nordic nation of Iceland, famed for its volcanoes, hot springs and uniquely sublime landscapes, has once again 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 independent states and territories according to criteria including societal safety and security; the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict; and the degree of militarization.
As well as topping the index for 2025, Iceland is No. 3 on the World Happiness Report’s list of the world’s most blissed-out countries, and is one of the most desirable travel destinations in the Northern Hemisphere.
So what are Iceland and the rest of the countries in the top five — Ireland, New Zealand, Austria and Switzerland — doing so right?
“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 average country score has deteriorated by 5.4%. The gap between the most and least peaceful countries has also 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, followed by Ukraine.
The United States has a low ranking on the index, appearing at No. 128, below Honduras, Bangladesh and Uganda. This is largely down to its high level of militarization, which places it – under that criteria – down at the less peaceful end of the index, closer 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, while South America was the only region to record an improvement of peacefulness in this latest index. The biggest improvements were in Peru and Argentina, while Canada and Costa Rica were the most peace-loving nations in Central and South America.
Mauritius, Botswana and Namibia — all with thriving tourism industries, attracting honeymooners, wildlife-lovers and adventure travelers respectively — were the most peaceful countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Here’s an epic road trip to inspire your next four-wheeled adventure.
Scotland’s North Coast 500 was a neglected loop around Scotland’s craggy northern shoreline, until an initiative 10 years ago started promoting the drive to tourists. After reports that overtourism was destroying the natural charms of the 516-mile route, local writer Angus MacKinnon revisited the NC500 to see how much it had changed since the car journeys of his 1980s and ‘90s youth. What he discovered was surprising — and a revealing insight into the challenges and rewards of a tourism boom.
Finally, if you’re planning a road trip soon, you’ll no doubt be wanting to enjoy some breaks en route. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have this guide to the best travel coffee mugs.
Is Amtrak’s new high-speed train worth the price? We take you inside
NextGen Acela, Amtrak’s updated high-speed service, has finally launched after years of delays. The new trains will serve the Northeast Corridor between Washington, New York and Boston, reaching speeds of up to 160 miles per hour — or at least, that’s the idea.
Dated infrastructure means it’s unclear whether the trains can actually routinely travel at those speeds, so are the pricier fares worth it? CNN transportation reporter Alexandra Skores went on board to find out.
Southwest Airlines is changing its seating policy.
And the new rules will hit plus-size travelers.
These tech professionals in their 20s took a career break to sail across the Pacific.
They call it a “mini retirement.”
A Connecticut woman moved to France with her beloved cats.
She says the city of Marseille was a “revelation.”
