A new year is almost here, which means it's prime time to start jotting down your resolutions. For frequent travelers, resolutions always include adding the coolest travel experiences to your list. (Let's be honest: You probably already started yours. I began writing mine months ago.) If you're looking for travel inspo to help you ring in the new year, I've rounded up 10 travel resolutions to make for 2019. (You best believe I'm adding these to my list, too.)
The wanderlust is all too real, especially as the weather cools down and you daydream of warmer days lounging on the beach. That's why now is the perfect time to start adding destinations to your travel bucket list. Regardless of whether you go somewhere on the other side of the globe or just a couple of towns over, traveling should definitely be on your list of things to do next year.
But with so many places in the world see, you'll be in need of some ways to make your wildest travel dreams a reality. From huge savings on flights, to booking trips with your entire crew, there are a lot of ways to put together the trip of a lifetime. So start saving your pennies and request your time off work — you're going on a trip next year.
Traveling can get expensive. Flights, hotels, souvenirs, food, and guided tours start to add up so quick that traveling can seem almost unattainable — especially if you're trying to go abroad. If you're serious about taking a big trip in 2019, start setting aside some money now.
Download a spending app to keep track of your expenses, and make a promise to yourself to put a percentage of each paycheck into your travel fund. Every penny counts!
Little-known Google hack: If you turn on Google Flight alerts, you'll receive a notification when the price goes down. This is especially helpful when you're looking for flights to a specific place, and your travel dates are relatively flexible.
Frequent travelers everywhere know that there's nothing like a road trip to satisfy your wanderlust. Even if you only cruise through a few states, consider taking a mini road trip next year. It's a relatively inexpensive way to travel, and you can experience destinations in a totally different way.
My personal favorite drive is going through Colorado into Utah and Nevada. You can experience snowy mountains and sunny deserts all in one trip. It'll feel like you're experiencing the four seasons at once.
I'm a major advocate for finding travel destinations along the road less traveled. Some of my favorite trips have been to destinations that I didn't consider before.
Do some research, and find some underrated travel destinations that appeal to you. They're often cheaper than the more popular cities, and you'll have a totally unique travel experience.
If you're an avid traveler who's looking for a unique way to experience a country, consider taking advantage of a new travel method. I recently took a week-long sailing trip along Croatia's Dalmatian Coast. Although I was apprehensive about spending an entire week on a boat, it was probably the most memorable trip I've ever been on.
Buying goods in bulk is always way cheaper than when you purchase things separately, and the same goes for traveling. You can often get a group rate discount if you buy a whole block of plane tickets, and oftentimes, accommodations for larger groups end up being cheaper per person.
For a really unique vacation next year, consider booking a stay in a castle for your large group. (Some spots are less than $40 per person per night!)
Embarking on a long, major solo trip can be really intimidating, especially if you haven't done it before. Consider starting yourself off with a smaller solo trip in 2019. Plan a short hiking trip, or even explore a city by yourself.
One of my favorite recent trips was a short solo trip to Austin, Texas. I booked a three-day stay at The Driskill so I could have easy walking access to most of Austin's landmarks, and I spent the nights hitting up honky tonk bars and jazz clubs. It was a short and sweet trip that gave me much-needed alone time in a really fun city.
Connecting with nature is something that's often overlooked when you're busy working in a big city, so consider taking a trip to an outdoorsy destination in 2019. Whether you spend some time walking around a lake, hiking a mountain, or even camping in a forest, you'll have a totally different travel experience.
If you're looking for travel inspiration for next year, I'm a firm believer in visiting the country where your parents or extended family are from. It's a great way to learn more about your heritage and understand more about your culture.
My most recent trip to the Philippines was eye-opening, to say the least, and it was so wonderful to experience my parents' culture as an adult. It's even better if you have extended family in that country — you'll have no shortage of local tour guides.
In this age of travel blogs filled with #wanderlust, it can be easy to forget how amazing your current city is. Rediscover the magic of your home base by planning a staycation. Explore all the sites you've been putting on hold, and experience your city through a different lens.
