The Best Overall Travel Magazine I Have Found

I think that in terms of overall content presented, 'Conde Nast Traveler' is the best travel magazine currently on the market. Some other reviewers have raised some valid points concerning article length, and bias toward upscale properties. I think that there are other magazines that might be more suitable for others, including 'Budget Travel' and 'National Geographic Traveler', both of which I also subscribe to and enjoy, though they both have their limitations and issues as well.

So what sets 'Conde Nast' apart? I think it is the willingness to find new and exciting vacation destinations that are still reasonable enough to get to as to make them worthwhile to a large audience. Some of the more exotic magazines have great articles on hiking in Tibet and the like, but how many people are really able to do that (or can afford to do it?) My point is that although it is by no means perfect, I think the editors and writers do consciously strike a balance between the too mundane and too exotic (and expensive) and attempt to focus the majority of the magazine in that area.

This is just too good of a magazine to pass up. The 'Deals of the Month' section alone justifies the price. Of all the travel magazines I read on a monthly basis (currently four) 'Conde Nast Traveler' is my favorite and I highly recommend it.

Very little substance

When I subscribed to this magazine, I was already receiving National Geographic Traveller. I was helping with a fundraiser, but I mainly wanted to see if it was as good or better travel magazine than others I've seen.

Well, it was definitly thicker than N.G.Traveller, but that was because the majority of it was crammed with advertisements. The articles that it did have were typically short, and would often have more to do with fashion than travel. I was hoping for travel-related stories and photos, but instead I could hardly turn a page without seeing scantily clad women, as if that was the appeal of the destinations being written about. In one issue, the main story was supposed to be about ski resorts, but it actually focused on a particular woman's clothing brands, and just contained photos of her wearing a bikini in the snow.

I wouldn't consider myself sophisticated, but I would much rather read a magazine that is more informative and entertaining, with content more related to travel. I'm tired of reading lists of the top 100 hotels, resorts, cruises, or whatever, and do not enjoy having to search to find actual articles. If you don't mind spending your money to read advertisements, than go ahead and subscribe. I'll stick with National Geographic Traveler.

used to be...

I used to love this magazine. It still has some excellent articles, but it is true that there are way too many filler issues now with top 100 lists of things I have no interest in (resort hotels, spas, expensive travel agents). However, on the flip side, it never talks down to the reader - the audience is assumed to be well travelled and somewhat sophisticated - which I appreciate. I checked out Nat Geographic Traveller hoping it would be like the CN Traveller of old, but although it has nicer photography (with few gratuitously scantily clad female shots), it seemed much more mainstream - like I had already done many of the "dream trips" befor I hit my 30s and the information also seemed much shallower. I like Geo, but I struggle through the French and it's a lot more expensive.