Why one man says the ‘airport divorce’ is the best way to start a vacation
By Lilit Marcus, CNN
(CNN) — This week in travel: a secret garden is a secret no longer in Beijing, one of France’s classic pastries is the subject of a surprising debate, and why some couples are ditching each other at the airport.
Divide and conquer
He likes arriving four hours early for a domestic flight and then chilling in the lounge. She prefers to have a pre-flight cocktail and browse the duty free options. What’s a couple to do? Welcome to “the airport divorce.”
British travel journalist Huw Oliver coined the phrase to explain how he and his fiancee go through airport security together, split up for different airport activities (having a beer, trying out perfumes, obsessively watching the departures screen), and then reunite on board the plane.
Some people might just call this “compromising,” but Oliver says the airport divorce has done wonders for his relationship — and it sets the tone for a happy vacation.
Secret garden
Many travelers love being able to say they’re among the first to go somewhere. Now, visitors to Beijing’s Forbidden City complex can access Qianlong, a secret garden that has been closed for a century.
Timed for the 100th anniversary of the Palace Museum’s opening, the Chinese attraction features rockeries, symbolic figurines believed to ward off fire and destruction, and a discreet entrance that gives you a sense of what it felt like to be the Emperor sneaking into his personal green space.
2025 has been a surprisingly big year for opening up formerly secret places, both above and under ground.
The Comodus Tunnel, a secret passageway used by Roman emperors to access the Colosseum, just opened to the public this fall.
And in London, a mile-long tunnel complex used during World War II is being converted into an underground attraction, which will house a museum, an arts center, and — best of all — the world’s lowest licensed bar. CNN got an exclusive look inside.
Plush plus one
A Japanese hotel group has launched a program to accommodate guests’ plus-ones. No, they don’t mean babies. Or pets. They’re talking about stuffed toys of your favorite characters.
The Toyoko Inn chain has launched a “Sleepover With Your Plushie” program in 56 hotels across Japan, saying it wants to capitalize on the social media fad of taking plush toys and dolls (that means you, Labubu) and posting photos of them on vacation.
“We noticed that some guests were using the bedside area like a stage, arranging their plushies and other “oshi” (fan) items to take creative photos,” a rep for Toyoko said in a statement.
Under this program, plushies will get beds, PJs, pillows and comforters, all made of the same materials as the human versions — and it only costs an extra $2 per night. This really gives “plush hotel” a whole new meaning.
Pastry problems
Yes, it looks like a pain au chocolat, but don’t call it that in Bordeaux or you may find yourself in a shouting match.
Most of France calls the beloved pastry pain au chocolat, but in the Bordeaux region they call it a chocolatine. Meanwhile, you’ll need to order a “couque au chocolat” in the Ardennes, a “petit pain au chocolat” in Hauts-de-France, and – possible sacrilege? – a “croissant au chocolat” in Grand Est.
CNN’s Richard Quest gets to the bottom of this ongoing linguistic debate. Deliciously.
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