One Week on a Mississippi Steamboat Cruise

By NEIL GENZLINGER

Kitra Cahana for The New York Times

Taking off from New Orleans in mid-April.

This spring, the American Queen welcomed its first passengers in years. As it cruised the Mississippi, things seemed fine until a “wreck” threatened to do the unthinkable: disrupt dinner.

Q&A;

A Civil War Obsession

By EMILY BRENNAN

What made the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates “fanatical” about the war? And what has it done to his summers?

Journeys

If These Barns Could Talk

By CEIL MILLER BOUCHET

Mark Hirsch for The New York Times

As barns in Iowa quickly disappear, the fight is on to preserve this part of the state’s rural heritage.

Slide Show: The Barns of Iowa

Andrew Testa for The New York Times

A porter in the dining hall at Christ Church college.

36 Hours in Oxford, England

By SETH KUGEL

In this town, it starts with learning. Centuries of it. But if that’s too tweedy for you, don’t worry. You can also find Harry Potter, Michelin-starred dining, live music and more.

Check In, Check Out

Hotel Review: W Paris-Opéra

By CHERYL LU-LIEN TAN

The first W hotel in Paris has the ability to transport. But will you like where it takes you?

Bites

Restaurant Report: TRB, Temple Restaurant Beijing

By CHERYL LU-LIEN TAN

The journey to this French-influenced spot takes you down an alley near the Forbidden City to a 600-year-old temple.

Heads Up

A Frank Gehry building on the Novartis corporate campus in St. Johann.

Basel’s New Center for Design

By RATHA TEP

Big-name architects (Gehry, Ando) and young design firms have sent a creative charge into the St. Johann neighborhood. Look for another jolt later this month.

Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times

Raking the sand of a beachfront restaurant in Mazunte.

Next Stop

Mexico Without the Crowds, or Attitude

By DAMIEN CAVE

On Oaxaca’s Costa Chica, people are friendly and prices are gentle. The waves, however, are a different story.

Slide Show: Photos of Costa Chica

Wi-Fi and Amtrak: Missed Connections

By RON NIXON

Marketed as “fast, reliable and consistent,” Amtrak’s Wi-Fi service has instead turned into a source of online mockery. Will unplugged passengers find smoother connections soon?

Have You Had Wi-Fi Problems on Amtrak?

Frugal Traveler Blog

Biking in a nature preserve near Torekov: just one of many options readers have to suggest for frugal trip in Sweden.

Plan a Frugal Trip in Sweden

By SETH KUGEL

The challenge: Map out a wallet-friendly itinerary for the Frugal Traveler’s planned trip to Sweden. The reward: A guided global food tour through a single neighborhood.

Share Your Itineraries

Letters to the Editor

The 45 Places to Go in 2012

By NEW YORK TIMES

London, Havana, Lhasa and, yes, even the final frontier. A year’s worth of reasons to pack your bags and take off.

In Transit Blog

The Top 10 of 2011

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

A survey of the top articles of 2011 from The New York Times Travel section.

New York City App

The Scoop is an insider’s guide to what to eat, drink and do in New York from the staff of The Times. Want more? Check out our lists on coffee, shopping and home furnishing stores.