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LATAM Airlines: Personalized Service, Comfort, and Exclusivity on the Paris to São Paulo Route

September 15, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

A Daily Frequency: Scheduling and Connectivity in South America

Cabine Premium Business © LATAM Airlines

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The regular daily operation schedule offers agencies complete flexibility for their clients, with structured times that maximize work and rest periods:

● Flight LA8067 (Paris – São Paulo): Daily departure at 13:00 and arrival at 20:00 on the same day. This daytime timetable facilitates morning connections in Europe and lets passengers work comfortably onboard in daylight or unwind before a late-evening arrival in Brazil.

● Flight LA8068 (São Paulo – Paris): Daily departure at 18:20 and arrival at 10:35 the following day (+1). This red-eye flight maximizes onboard rest and allows a full day upon landing in France.

The strategic advantage of the São Paulo Hub (GRU): The real appeal of this route for tourism professionals lies in the Guarulhos transfer hub. Upon touchdown, passengers gain direct access to LATAM Airlines’ network:

● Domestic network: Smooth connections to dozens of Brazilian airports (including major corporate and tourist centers such as Rio de Janeiro, Salvador de Bahia, and Brasilia).

● Regional network: Direct links to the leading capitals of South America (Santiago, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Lima), reinforcing LATAM Airlines as the most efficient operator in the market.

Airport Management: Priority Services and VIP Lounges

LATAM Airlines’ personalized service begins the moment the passenger arrives at the airport, thanks to streamlined processes designed to cut waiting times:

● Ground Priority Path: Passengers traveling in the Premium Business cabin enjoy exclusive check-in counters, access to expedited security lanes (Fast Track), and priority boarding.

● Baggage Handling: Luggage receives preferential treatment with priority labeling, ensuring it is among the first to be delivered on the belt at the destination.

● LATAM Lounge in São Paulo: At Guarulhos, premium clients have access to a corporate space featuring quiet rest zones, private showers, a high-end buffet (hot and cold options), coworking areas with high-speed connectivity, and a carefully curated menu of international beverages.

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Fleet: Technology in the Service of Corporate Wellbeing

The Paris – São Paulo connection is exclusively operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The design and engineering of this next-generation aircraft aim to reduce physical fatigue and jet lag on long-haul journeys:

● Advanced cabin pressurization: With a composite-material fuselage, the aircraft is pressurized at an altitude lower than conventional models, enabling better passenger oxygenation and a reduction in fatigue and headaches.

● Controlled ambient humidity: An automatic system maintains higher humidity levels in the cabin, preventing dryness of the skin, eyes, and throat during the twelve-hour flight.

● Dynamic LED lighting (Mood Lighting): The cabin lights are programmed to reproduce natural day-night cycles according to the destination time, smoothing the time zone transition and supporting restorative sleep on nocturnal legs.

Premium Business Cabin: Privacy, Ergonomics, and Onboard Flexibility

The 30-seat configuration inside LATAM’s Premium Business cabin creates an ideal environment for both productivity and rest:

● Direct aisle access: The cabin layout ensures passenger independence, allowing movement without disturbing others.

● Full Flat seat: Each seat electronically reclines to 180 degrees, transforming into a fully flat bed longer than two meters, complemented by ergonomic cushions and soft bedding.

● Technical equipment: Every seat provides a large personal HD screen, a remote control, universal power outlets, and USB ports for professional devices.

● Flexible “As you wish” service: The crew adapts the service pace to the passenger’s preferences. Guests can individually choose the timing of meals or rest, optimizing either productivity or sleep.

Personalized Regional Cuisine and Sustainability

The onboard culinary proposition blends regional South American identity with strict sustainability standards, a key factor for the CSR policies of business clients:

● Chef’s menu and pre-selection: Crafted by international chefs for the Premium Business cabin, it highlights fresh locally sourced ingredients paired with wines selected by sommeliers. For optimal personalization, LATAM Airlines enables passengers to choose their main course on the website or app from 5 days to 26 hours before departure.

● Eco Travel Kits: Provided in the Premium Business cabin to replace disposable plastic kits, these cases are designed by regional artists using recycled, organic materials and durable fabrics, in line with fair-trade criteria.

● Reduction of environmental footprint: LATAM Airlines has eliminated 100% of single-use plastics in the premium cabin, substituting them with reusable, compostable, or recyclable utensils.

For travel agencies in France, recommending LATAM’s daily service on the Paris – São Paulo route ensures premium business and leisure clients a competitive product, time-efficient connections, and high comfort standards across the entire itinerary.

Route 66 USA: Santa Monica to the Bagdad Café

August 18, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Santa Monica, station banéaire de rêve. Photos : PB, composition générée par IA

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On the edge of the sprawling Los Angeles metropolitan area, Santa Monica (90,000 residents) is a dream seaside destination perched along the Pacific: sunlit beaches, surfing spots, a magnificent pier, an amusement park whose Ferris wheel runs on solar power, elegant residential districts, stylish hotels like the Pierside, and generous restaurants such as The Lobster serving delicious grilled lobsters.

To truly inhabit this California city that has served as a backdrop for countless films and TV shows—from Pacific Blue to Barbie, from The Sting to Forrest Gump and Iron Man—, there is nothing like pedaling between the beach and the sea along the South Bay Bicycle Trail, before heading to Venice of America where, for a century, canals imitate Venice in Italy.

The other major attraction in Santa Monica is the “End of the Trail” sign planted on its pier.

It marks the end of the legendary Route 66. Tourists crowd at its base to photograph themselves there!

Yesterday, the “Mother Road”…

« End of the trail », un panneau qui aimante les touristes - Photo : PB

A legendary route that embodies the American dream in popular culture, Route 66 has linked, since 1926, the East to the West of the United States, from Chicago (Illinois) to Santa Monica (California), crossing three time zones and eight states, and covering nearly 4,000 kilometers.

Nicknamed “The Mother Road,” it was immortalized by John Steinbeck in his famous novel, The Grapes of Wrath: the writer depicts some of the small farmers who, ruined by the “Great Depression” of the 1930s and by repeated dust storms, fled to California hoping to find work, land, and a future.

This long ribbon of two-lane asphalt symbolizes both America’s golden age and the nostalgia of the 1950s–60s.

It was during those years that the Interstate Highways, powerful, safer, faster, and better suited to increasingly heavy traffic, began to substitute Route 66.

In the early 1980s, Interstate 40 effectively delivered the coup de grâce.

Following the downgrading of Route 66 in June 1985, its route completely disappeared from official maps.

…today, “Historic Route”

La Route 66, balisée de frais, dans le désert Mojave - Photo : PB

This downgrade proved a tragedy for the small towns traversed by Route 66.

Overnight, traffic collapsed and motels, restaurants, cafés, trading posts and gas stations struggled to survive.

In response, Angel Delgadillo, a barber in Seligman (Arizona), and a handful of stalwarts fought to achieve designation as “Historic Route 66.” Ultimately, by the late 1990s, the United States Congress established a preservation program for this legendary itinerary and the treasures it shelters.

Since then, signage and “Historic Route 66” plaques have been installed; motels, shops, and historic places along Route 66 have been restored. Since then, Route 66 has enjoyed a remarkable revival.

Its historic alignment could not be preserved in the highly urbanized zones around Los Angeles, full of bridges and interchanges.

To reach Barstow – our first stop, we thus left Santa Monica via Interstate 10 as part of a press trip organized by Brand USA with the help of Cercle des voyages, a French tailor-made travel specialist, ranked in 2023 among the 50 best travel agencies in the world for the United States by the Chairman’s Circle Honors.

The road trip program was developed with the involvement of Anthony Enault, head of North America Production, who joined us as well.

Barstow, a major rail hub

A Barstow, la Route 66 et le train sont l'alpha et l'omega de l'histoire locale - Photo : PB, composition générée par IA

Barstow (25 000 inhabitants) developed from 1860, after the discovery of silver mines : new rail lines had to be built to move the ore through the arid Mojave Desert.

At the time, steam locomotives needed coal but also enormous amounts of water. In Barstow there was water: rail convoys would stock up there and the railway workers would eat and sleep there.

Even if, thanks to its two classification yards, this town remains an important rail hub, that era is no more.

Nevertheless, the vast double-gallery buildings with colonnades of the old station named “Harvey House Casa del Desierto” still look fine.

Néanmoins, ses salles de restaurant ont été reconverties en salles de réception. Son pittoresque Musée de la Route 66 a rouvert voici peu grâce à de nouveaux volontaires, et son Western America Railroad Museum s’efforce de valoriser sa collection d’anciens wagons exposés en plein air.

Calico, “Ghost Town”

A Calico, ville fantôme, on se croit encore au temps de la conquête de l'Ouest - Photo : PB, composition générée par IA

To relive the saga of the American West, nothing beats taking a detour through the arid landscapes where Calico lies hidden.

Founded in 1881, this small town reached its peak (with 3,500 inhabitants) at the end of the 19th century thanks to its silver mines. Alas, when the price of this metal collapsed, its mines declined. Calico was abandoned in 1907.

Re-purchased in the 1950s and restored by Walter Knott, this “Ghost Town” has become a paid tourist attraction (entrance: $8).

With its wooden houses, its church, its school, its hotel, its saloon, its blacksmith, its sheriff and judge, its prison, its coffin maker, one almost feels in a genuine Far West village.

Calico also hosts many souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, a museum, a small tourist train and offers visits to Maggie Mine, gold-panning demonstrations and even Western shows with… shootouts. Folkloric? Exaggerated? Perhaps, but one gets drawn into the game…

Vintage gas stations and motels

Bagdad Café, a myth

Bagdad Café est devenu un lieu de culte et de pèlerinage - Photo PB, composition générée par IA

The most striking encounter on the California section of Route 66 remains Bagdad Café. Truly, a genuine myth, not just a café.

This somewhat dilapidated motel sits in Newsberry Springs, still in the Mojave Desert: it is where Percy Arlon’s film, awarded in 1989 with a César for Best Foreign Film, was shot.

As soon as you step inside, the film’s atmosphere — it tells the unlikely friendship between the café’s owner, jaded by life’s rough edges, and a German tourist who has lost everything — grips you again.

Bagdad Café offers ice cream, burgers, fries, sandwiches and souvenirs. It is also a place of pilgrimage with an unparalleled atmosphere. From floor to ceiling and across the walls, the room is filled with flags from around the world, one-dollar bills signed by visitors, police patches, postcards, stickers, and sweet notes…

On the wall, a poster “Make Bagdad Great Again” even invites visitors to contribute funds to save this place.

Andrée Pruett, the historic owner, died on January 13 of the previous year. Despite rumors of permanent closure, Bagdad Café still survives: an unusual couple seems to have taken over.

He is as taciturn as she is original, with glittering bell-bottoms and a Stetson in American colors topped by a dazzling diadem encrusted with jewels.

She was as welcoming as she was talkative. It was hard to leave. But how can one resist the lure of Route 66?

To be continued: Road Trip in the United States, along Route 66, from Oatman to Scottsdale

Publicado por Paula Boyer Jefe de la sección LuxuryTravelMaG – TourMaG.com
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Route 66 Road Trip in Arizona: From Oatman to Scottsdale

August 18, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

A Oatman, le temps semble s'être arrêté au moment de la conquête de l'Ouest - Photo : PB, composition générée par IA

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Just after Newsberry Springs and its famous Baghdad Café (see the first part of our road trip), Route 66 enters Arizona where lies the land of the Navajo Nation.

The Navajos, however, are not encountered immediately.

Perched in the heart of the Black Mountains, the first settlement you meet is named Oatman. It is an old mining town where time seems suspended despite the influx of tourists.

Its history is closely tied to the conquest of the Far West: this village flourished, housing up to 10,000 inhabitants, after two prospectors found gold in the area in 1915. It declined after the mine closed.

Always filled with wooden buildings worthy of the finest western set pieces, Oatman offers a vivid immersion into the Western American imagination. Everything feels so authentic that you might imagine hearing gunshots. Of course, nothing like that happens!

Nowadays, this endangered town is being revived (a little) thanks to tourism. The donkeys wandering freely through its streets, and sometimes into the many, rather kitschy, souvenir shops, give it a distinctive publicity. They are the descendants of the pack animals abandoned by miners as they left.

In Oatman, Clark Gable’s Wedding Night

Lors de ses séjours à Oatman, Clark Gable jouait aux cartes avec les mineurs dans le Saloon - Photo : PB

Although it now sells ice cream, the Oatman Hotel has remained as it was.

In its saloon, the walls and ceiling are covered with dated and signed banknotes from the countless visitors.

And while some bar pillars still sit at the tables, rather than playing cards as in the past, they scroll for hours on their phones, beneath an old photograph of Clark Gable and his wife Carole Lombard.

No one knows if this is true or a legend. One thing is certain: Oatman boasts of hosting the wedding night of these two Hollywood stars after their secret marriage in Kingman in 1939. And of having seen them again, often, afterwards.

On occasion, Clark Gable is said to have played cards with the miners!

Kingman, “The Heart of Historic Route 66”

Toutes les 12 minutes, un train interminable passe encore à la gare de Kingman - Photo : PB

The next stop on Route 66 is Kingman.

Dynamised by a few notable enterprises, this 35,000-inhabitant town still cherishes its past. It presents itself as “The Heart of Historic Route 66”, nothing less!

At night, its atmosphere becomes quite magical thanks to the neon glow of its many shops.

By day, with its stone and brick buildings that have withstood the test of time, its traditional look as a road and especially railway hub becomes more evident: do the whistles of the endless convoys of the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad still mingle every 12 minutes with the roar of cars on Andy Devine Avenue?

At 211 E on this avenue, Tin Can Alley On 66 offers original aluminum caravans fully reconfigured and air-conditioned where you sleep like a baby. At 1440 E on the same avenue, the historic El Trovatore Motel recalls having seen many Hollywood glories, starting with Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe.

On the exterior wall of this establishment, a breathtaking 63-meter-long colorful mural now traces in pictures the entire Route 66 journey, from Chicago to Santa Monica.

In Kingman, the Black Arch of souvenir photos

Dynamisée par la présence de quelques belles entreprises, Kingman n'en cultive pas moins la nostalgie de la Route 66 - Photo PB, composition générée par IA

Not far from there, in a imposing concrete building with handsome display windows, the Powerhouse Visitor Center serves as a treasure trove of tourist information. And as a must for souvenir enthusiasts.

Its Railroad Museum plunges visitors back into the grand adventure of the conquest of the West.

On site, two other museums compete in originality: the Arizona Route 66 Museum recounts the history, from the ancestral trails of Native Americans to the final routing of this mythical road, passing through the tracks used by settlers during the conquest of the West.

First in the world of its kind, the Route 66 Electric Vehicle also travels back in time, but… with its astonishing collection of electric vehicles: the oldest date from the early 20th century!

Facing the Visitor Center, Locomotive Park pays homage to Kingman’s rail past, featuring, as a guest star, steam locomotive No. 3759, a steel monster still ready to leap.

The most popular attraction in Kingman? It sits in the parking lot of the Visitor Center. It is an impressive black steel arch, stamped with Route 66. Tourists love posing in front of it!

Angel Delgadillo, the celebrated “savior” of Seligman

Cette photo d'Angel Delgadillo, le "sauveur" de la Route 66, est exposée dans les rues de Seligman - Photo : PB

After this rite of passage to which we obviously sacrificed, we head to Seligman!

This town almost disappeared from the map after the construction of Interstate 40, which connected the East Coast to California.

In 2020, it counted only 446 inhabitants. It was saved by the famous Angel Delgadillo, alongside the Route 66.

On site, this local son now in his 90s is a real hero. His photo sits in front of his bric-a-brac shop while, leveraging his fame, his family now runs several stores on the main street where one can find touch-and-go restaurants, clothing shops, kitschy souvenirs and signs displaying life-size photos of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.

Old colorful cars from the 1950s-60s with headlights painted like big eyes, as in cartoons, complete Seligman’s decor. It is not unusual to see young women in shorts posing on the hood before heading to enjoy an ice cream!

Gateway to the Grand Canyon

Sedona, its red cliffs and energy vortices

Des dizaines de western ont été tournés à Sedona - Photo : PB

Not far from the Grand Canyon, other sites deserve a visit, starting with the ruins of a fortified citadel perched high up, built in the 12th century in Wupatki Park by the Pueblo Indians.

At that time, they cultivated corn and squash on lands made fertile by the latest volcanic eruptions of Sunset Crater, whose cone rises nearby in the sun-blasted grassy plain.

About fifty kilometers south of Flagstaff, the desert landscapes dotted with cacti and the red cliffs of Sedona are also worth the detour.

This town (12,000 inhabitants) is today the capital of the New Age, of yoga, meditation and energy vortices, but its superb landscapes are best known for the fact that more than 60 westerns were filmed here.

In the era of John Ford and John Wayne, Hollywood’s biggest stars worked a lot in Arizona, where lies the largest Native American reservation in the United States, the Navajo Nation, a people who arrived in the southwestern United States around 1300 to 1500.

Unfortunately, its most extraordinary site — Monument Valley and its towering sandstone fins set in a red desert — is two hours’ drive from Flagstaff.

During this road trip, we did not go there, nor to Winslow and Holbrook, the last two stopover towns in Arizona. Then, Route 66 crosses into New Mexico, and then heads into Oklahoma.

In Scottsdale, the nuances of the Museum of the West

Le Museum of the West de Scottsdale a ouvert en 2015 - Photo : PB

After turning away from Sedona and stopping at Taliesin West, the former residence-workshop (UNESCO-listed) of one of the world’s most famous architects, Frank Lloyd Wright (whose open-plan design and the blurring of inside and outside define his so-called “prairie” style), our journey ends in Scottsdale.

This city of 250,000 inhabitants stretches along the outskirts of the sprawling Phoenix, the capital of Arizona.

Nestled at the gate of the Sonoran Desert, Scottsdale offers much more than a single plunge into the American West. It is a destination in its own right, composed of spectacular nature, refined culture, inventive gastronomy, and a relaxed way of life.

Art galleries of all kinds and outdoor sculptures concentrate in its Old Town, with a Western feel… modernized.

If it is pleasant to stroll there in the late afternoon (when it is cooler), it is even more fascinating to discover its Museum of the West.

Through a remarkable collection of objects, photographs and artworks, it highlights the richness of Native American cultures and tells the history — fascinating, often bloody but far more complex than is often said — of the conquest of the West.

It is with this leap through time that our journey ends. We took immense pleasure in crossing these vast spaces, these breathtaking landscapes, these towns still authentic, punctuated by endearing encounters.

Throughout the journey, the song “Route 66” composed by Bobby Troup and performed by the crooner Nat King Cole in 1946, then covered in 1961 by Chuck Berry, one of the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll, kept ringing in our heads.

Its refrain said: “Get Your Kicks on Route 66”. In other words, “Get a kick on Route 66.” These three guys were right: you get your kicks on Route 66!

Useful Information

Aux Etats-Unis, les grosses voitures d'hier font encore rêver... - Photo : PB

– This road trip was organized by Brand USA with the help of Cercle des voyages. For more information, visit TheBrandUSA.com.

– To find travel ideas to the United States as well as resources to organize your stay, consult the sites AmericaTheBeautiful.com and www.visittheusa. See also the new American Originals content.

– To know the entry requirements and formalities for entering the United States, consult the page “Get facts. Get going.”

– How to go there: many airlines serve the United States.

Among them, Air Tahiti Nui, which carried us to Los Angeles. Depart from CDG at 12:05. Arrive in Los Angeles at 14:17 (local time). Up to 7 flights per week in peak season.

For the return, we took an American Airlines flight from Phoenix (Arizona) to Los Angeles, where we boarded Air Tahiti Nui to Paris.

Published by Paula Boyer Head of LuxuryTravelMaG – TourMaG.com
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Air Canada Deploys Airbus A321XLR on Nantes–Montreal Route

August 11, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Air Canada déploie son Airbus A321XLR sur la liaison Nantes - Montréal - Photo : Aéroport Nantes Atlantique

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Air Canada poursuit le développement de sa présence dans l’Ouest de la France.

La compagnie canadienne a déployé, jeudi 23 juillet 2026, son nouvel Airbus A321XLR sur la liaison directe entre Nantes et Montréal.

Lancée le 11 juin dernier, cette route saisonnière permet aux voyageurs de rejoindre le Canada sans escale depuis Nantes.

Depuis son hub de Montréal, Air Canada propose ensuite des correspondances vers près de 150 destinations au Canada, aux États-Unis, dans les Caraïbes et en Amérique du Sud.

Le service sera assuré jusqu’à quatre fois par semaine jusqu’au 12 octobre 2026.

Un appareil de nouvelle génération

The latest aircraft to join Air Canada’s fleet, the Airbus A321XLR, features an extended range and is expected to enable the airline to improve the operational efficiency of its long-haul routes.

Its fuel consumption optimized compared with earlier-generation aircraft also helps reduce its environmental footprint.

On board, passengers can travel in two service classes. The Air Canada Signature Class cabin includes seats that can fully recline flat, while Economy benefits from the airline’s latest generation of onboard entertainment and improved connectivity.

“The arrival of our new Airbus A321XLR in Nantes marks an important milestone for this new route, which has been off to an excellent start since its launch in June“, said Jean-François Raudin, the France representative for Air Canada, in a statement.

For the airline, deploying this aircraft on the Nantes–Montreal route reflects the trust placed in the Nantes market and, more broadly, in Western France. “Our customers now benefit from an even more comfortable travel experience, while enjoying direct access to Montréal and straightforward connections to nearly 150 destinations in the Americas“, adds the Air Canada representative.

Un appareil qui met en avant la filière aéronautique régionale

The arrival of the A321XLR is also being highlighted by Nantes Atlantique Airport. “This next-generation aircraft, parts of which are produced in Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, embodies the excellence of the region’s aerospace industry“, notes Guillaume Dubois, director of Nantes Atlantique Airport – VINCI Airports.

According to him, deploying the aircraft on this route helps to strengthen the Greater West’s international connections, while meeting travelers’ and territories’ growing expectations for environmental efficiency.

Passengers travelling to the United States can also continue to benefit from the US preclearance service available at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.

The US immigration and customs procedures can thus be completed in Montréal before departure, allowing travelers to arrive in the United States as if on a domestic flight.

Published by Amelia Brille TourMaG.com Editor
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The Wolf Trail: A 3,500-Kilometer Hiking Route Across Six European Countries

July 24, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Whether you’re an experienced hiker seeking a fresh challenge or simply an enthusiast looking for a pause from the frenetic pace of daily life, this new trail is tailor-made for you. The Wolf Trail spans nearly 3,500 kilometers across six European countries. It invites walkers to traverse a mosaic of landscapes, from the Polish Baltic coast to the Adriatic shore in Trieste, Italy, passing through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Slovenia.

Designed by the outdoor gear brand Jack Wolfskin, it takes four to six months to complete in its entirety. “Our Wolf Trail invites you to explore Europe on foot, from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic. It blends nature and culture, and traverses Hanseatic fishing villages, the wine regions of the Palatinate and Trieste, a true cultural melting pot”, the company explained. But beware, the adventure won’t be a walk in the park. Indeed, with 78,400 meters of positive elevation to conquer, this trail presents a real challenge, especially for those who are not accustomed to long-distance hiking.

What are the essential stages of the Wolf Trail?

With 3,494 kilometers spread over seven stages across Europe, the Wolf Trail requires meticulous planning. The choice of departure window is particularly crucial, since between October and March alpine snowstorms can significantly complicate hikers’ progress. The journey begins with 428 kilometers of nearly flat terrain along the Polish Baltic coast, from Hel to Świnoujście.

Then, as the trail leaves Poland to enter Germany and then Switzerland, hikers embark on a 1,930-kilometer crossing punctuated by historic towns such as Rostock, before continuing on steeper paths toward the Austrian border. This progresses into a 392-kilometer stretch through the Allgäu Alps to Innsbruck, the fifth city in Austria, then it follows the emblematic Via Alpina, traverses the Italian Dolomites and the Triglav National Park in Slovenia. The journey culminates in Trieste, a port city where you can celebrate your arrival with a well-deserved drink facing the Adriatic Sea.

The Wolf Trail, an exceptional adventure across Europe

If you still have a few reservations, know that this new trail has been studied by Lauren Roerick, a recognized specialist in long-distance hiking. She confirmed that the route is safe and that walkers can progress with confidence without fear of getting lost along the way.

Moreover, the route is dotted with lodging options, from permitted trekking camps to mountain refuges, passing through villages where somewhat more comfortable accommodations are available. This ensures more restful nights and a full recovery before resuming the journey. The Wolf Trail thus promises to be an extraordinary adventure, capable of leaving a lasting mark on those who choose to embark on this trek.

ITA Airways Launches Marseille–Rome Route and Bets on Its International Hub

July 4, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Les équipes d'ITA Airways, de l'aéroport Marseille - Provence aux côtés de Fabio Monaco, le Consul Général d'Italie et Maxime Tommasini, président de la Chambre de commerce italienne pour la France à Marseille pour l'inauguration du vol Marseille - Rome - Photo CE

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ITA Airways continues its development in France. The Italian carrier inaugurated, on June 1, its new daily link between Marseille and Rome-Fiumicino, reinforcing both the offer to Italy and the possibilities of connections to its international network.

On this occasion, Fabio Monaco, the Consul General of Italy and Maxime Tommasini, president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for France in Marseille, were present alongside Samy Addou, Country Manager France of ITA Airways, and representatives of Marseille Provence Airport, to celebrate this first flight.

A buffet, cake and goodies awaited the first passengers at boarding. The airline will operate one flight per day during the summer season until 30 September 2026.

“The opening of this link by ITA Airways was close to our hearts. Italy is a historic market to which the Marseillais and the Marseille airport are particularly attached. Since its integration into the Lufthansa Group, ITA Airways had become the only group member still absent from our platform, while we already host Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings. Its arrival thus naturally completes the group’s presence in Marseille.” explains Julien Boullay, Commercial Director of Marseille Provence Airport.

Houston today, Santo Domingo tomorrow

Inauguration par Fabio Monaco, le Consul Général d'Italie et Maxime Tommasini, président de la Chambre de commerce italienne pour la France à Marseille, étaient présents aux côtés de Samy Addou, Country Manager France d'ITA Airways et Julien Boullay directeur commercial de l'aéroport Marseille- Provence - Photo CE

“The major value added by ITA Airways compared to other carriers already serving the Marseille-Rome link lies in its hub-connected connections. Travelers can thus access the entire Italian domestic network, the main European destinations, but also a long-haul network that has been strengthened in recent years. From Rome, it is possible to reach North America, South America, West Africa, Gulf countries, Asia, and even the Indian Ocean.” details Samy Addou.

The executive notes that the company launched the Rome-Houston link on May 1 and will continue expanding its network this winter with the opening of a new service to Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic.

The Rome-Houston route will move to five weekly frequencies from June to September. In Asia, ITA Airways will also increase its Rome-Bangkok service to five flights per week during August and operate the Rome-Delhi route on a daily basis.

In addition to Marseille, ITA Airways is also inaugurating two new seasonal routes to Rome-Fiumicino from Malaga and Valencia.

ITA strengthens its route between Nice and Rome

From France, ITA Airways operates in Paris (CDG and Orly) as well as in Nice, where the airline runs the Rome-Fiumicino service at three flights per day. “We will add a fourth flight starting July 1 and we will maintain our network from Paris, whether CDG or Orly, to Rome-Fiumeino and Milan-Linate.” specifies Samy Addou.

This strengthening of the flight schedule comes as the rapprochement between ITA Airways and Lufthansa continues.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG announced in mid-May 2026 its intention to raise its stake in ITA Airways from 41% to 90% as early as next June.

For the Country Manager France, these are good news: “This allows us to move forward, to develop in a number of aspects, whether it is the network with all the brands of the Lufthansa Group or the addition of new codeshare agreements. We have also joined Star Alliance since April 1, 2026, and that gives us access to more than 1,100 lounges worldwide.”

The airline also benefits from the German group’s experience in deploying NDC since May 12. “This support has facilitated the implementation of the project and today enables ITA Airways to position itself on the new standards of air distribution.”

With this new link, ITA Airways strengthens its foothold in the French market. Will there be further openings of routes to come? Samy Addou does not wish to say more at the moment: “For the rest of the development, we will keep you informed in due course.”

Published by Céline Eymery Editor-in-Chief – TourMaG.com
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Vietnam Airlines Launches New Route to Phuket

July 3, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Vietnam Airlines renforce son réseau en Asie du Sud-Est - Depositphoots.com @phuongphoto

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Vietnam Airlines poursuit le développement de son réseau en Asie du Sud-Est avec l’ouverture d’une nouvelle liaison directe entre Hô Chi Minh-Ville et Phuket, annoncée lors du Forum d’affaires Vietnam-Thaïlande, en présence du secrétaire général et président de l’État To Lam.

À partir du 2 juillet 2026, la compagnie opérera cette nouvelle route à raison de quatre vols aller-retour par semaine, les mardis, jeudis, samedis et dimanches, en Airbus A321.

Cette ouverture portera à 67 le nombre total de vols hebdomadaires entre le Vietnam et la Thaïlande.

Cette desserte vise à répondre à la forte demande touristique entre les deux pays et à renforcer les correspondances via Hô Chi Minh-Ville vers le réseau long-courrier de Vietnam Airlines, en Asie, en Australie et en Europe.

Vietnam Airlines signs a series of agreements to strengthen tourism cooperation

In parallel, the carrier has signed multiple cooperation agreements with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the National Tourism Office, Saigontourist and Airports of Thailand.

These partnerships cover joint tourism promotion, the development of joint products, the organization of edutours, and the improvement of the passenger experience at Thai airports.

To read: Vietnam Airlines reorganizes its operations at Paris-Charles de Gaulle…

For Le Hong Ha, the CEO of Vietnam Airlines, this new link and these agreements “testify to the airline’s long-term commitment to the Thai market” and its aim to strengthen tourist and economic exchanges in the ASEAN region.

Vietnam Airlines also emphasizes the strength of its network between Vietnam and Thailand, with numerous daily services to Bangkok via Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as connections to Phuket.