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It may be hard to imagine feeling the necessity to skip town when the capital has so much to offer. But to really understand France - its people, culture, values and storied past - you’ll need to reach beyond the well-heeled streets of Paris. Some of these spots make ideal day trips from the city while others deserve your undivided attention. All are picture- perfect so keep your cameras handy.

A famed food critic follows the legendary xiao long bao on its global route from Taiwan to California.

Privacy and discretion reign supreme behind the iconic red door of this Jacques Garcia-styled hideaway between the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées. The smallest of the capital’s Palace hotels, La Réserve Paris is set up in a former mansion that belonged to the Duc of Morny (Napoleon III’s half-brother). The hotel maintains the feel of a private home, thanks to a mix of Second Empire decorative touches, including parquet floors, crown moldings, cordovan leather paneling, and velvet drapery. It’s easy to linger in the public areas, including the library packed with 3,000 books reserved for guests during the day, the fumoir that looks out onto a leafy courtyard, and salons with plush banquettes and club chairs.

What could an Alaska local ever discover on a voyage through the Inside Passage? Just the essence of the place he thought he knew.

In a square mile of West Texas, Chris Colin finds family and traces his roots back to a wilder America.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent Sloane Crosley on a spontaneous journey to Ecuador.

Thanks to a brigade of artisanal coffee hounds and supremely talented baristas, delicious coffee of all sorts—filtered, iced, with milk or with a bit of mocha—can be found. Be sure to caffeinate at one of these top coffee shops during your next trip.

Nantucket is a perennial favorite summer destination, with Atlantic Ocean beaches, picturesque harbors, and iconic lighthouses. Accommodations on the island range from cozy bed-and-breakfast rooms to marina-side cottages to penthouse loft apartments. Water views and beach shuttles are in-demand amenities, and most hotels can arrange boat rides and lobster bakes for a quintessential New England vacation.

With luxury resorts, quaint motels, condo rentals, and campgrounds, the Big Island offers a wide variety of accommodations. If you’re looking for high-end resorts, the Kona area on the west side of the island is your best bet, while travelers who prefer a low-key condo or B&B will be better off on the eastern Hilo side. Be sure to book in advance, especially during events such as the Ironman Race in September and the Merrie Monarch Festival in April.

The Marais has no shortage of charming stores, designer boutiques and international labels but one of my favorite additions to the neighborhood is Delphine Pariente’s namesake shop. The designer trained with Christian Lacroix, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Sonia Rykiel before launching her own business on rue de Turenne. With mid-century modern furnishings and vintage accessories, the shop looks like a true home. While those pieces are for sale, the focus of her shop is her romantic, somewhat curious jewelry which she produces from old objects. Charms, medallions engraved with messages and quotes, gorgeous earrings and bracelets share the space with old school typewriters, alarm clocks and other knick-knacks. This spot is popular among young Parisians so be sure to stop in and pick up something beautiful before skipping town.

The give and take of a 20-year friendship.

Mexico City is second only to Paris when it comes to its number of museums, and many museums offer free admission. Check out the world-class exhibits—for fine art, historic artifacts, archaeology, artists’ houses, and more—at some of our favorite CDMX cultural institutions.

How do you make sense of diverse, dizzying São Paolo? Talk to the people who make the sushi, spray the graffiti, and build the giant watermelons.

The Spirit of Istanbul

I’m on the hunt for perfection, Japanese style.