5 Tips to Make 2024 Your Best Year of Travel Ever

As 2024 begins, a world of possibilities awaits active travelers. Discover our new Women's Adventures and Dolce Tempo trips now also for Families. Plus join us on trips in exciting new destinations like Portugal's Azores and Poland & Slovakia. Read on and discover five tips to make 2024 your best year of travel ever.

Plan According to Your Passions

With so many different and exciting opportunities for great travel adventures, it can feel overwhelming to narrow down what you want to do and where you want to go. If you're having trouble getting started, here's a tip: start with simply asking yourself "What are my passions? What kind of outdoor activities do I love most?" Chances are, there are travel options that are designed for exactly those passions! Do you love to hike? Or do you prefer seeing the world by bike? There are also trips that mix up hiking, biking, and water sports like rafting or kayaking so you can experience a bit of everything. Are you a history buff? There are some great trips that are active yet offer a deeper dive into fascinating historic cultures and events. Are you a food and wine afficionado? Pick a trip that features incredible meals and wine tastings! With so many options out there, don't settle for anything that doesn't seem PERFECT for you. A bit of research can go a long ways. Great resources to plan your trip include blogs, travel guides and Top 10 lists. 

Book Early

Due to very high demand for travel, we recommend booking early. Especially if you're planning to travel domestically (like to any of our amazing national parks) or to popular destinations in Europe. The earlier you book, the more options you’ll have. Lock your plans in early, then sit back and count down the days until you embark on your epic adventure.

Treat Yourself

Life is meant to be lived so make 2024 the year to go big! There’s never been a better time to cross a bucket-list destination—or two!—off your list. Remember Mark Twains famous quote:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Build Connections – New and Old

Reconnect with family and friends this year. And maybe expand your social circles and start building new relationships too! Travel is an incredible opportunity to do both. When you leave your routine behind and embark on a travel adventure, you're not only creating opportunities to connect in meaningful ways with the loved ones who accompany you on the journey, you're also opening yourself up to meeting new people who likely share your same passions for new horizons, new experiences and new perspectives. The bonds we strengthen and the friendships we begin while traveling are so often some of the most memorable and impactful of our lives. Keep this in mind when choosing where you want to go and who you want to travel with in 2024. Whether it's a multi-generational family trip, a private adventure with old friends or a solo journey of discovery, the road ahead is full of exciting possibilities, and choosing the right travel companions will elevate your experience in big ways. 

Make It Active and Get Off the Beaten Path

We at Backroads have always valued fresh air, wide-open spaces and off-the-beaten-path trails and bike routes—2024 might be the year to skip the resorts for the smaller boutique hotel, pass on the crowded tourist sites in favor of a hike, and opt to travel by bike instead of watching the world go by through a pane of glass. Who knows—you might discover that self-powered, small-scale travel has a special intimacy and richness that’s been missing from your past journeys! That’s what we believe at Backroads, where we’ve been pioneering this style of travel for more than four decades. We’re excited that so many people who are new to active travel are signing up to join us to discover the magic of active travel. If you haven't yet discovered it for yourself, get excited for a whole new world of adventure waiting to be experienced!