How to plan an epic year of travel in 2023

Happy new year and welcome to 2023, can you believe it?

I’m excited about this year and all the travel we’ll have. Thank you for coming along with us and for all your continued engagement and support!

Speaking of travel … what are your travel goals for 2023? I think I mentioned my general dislike for resolutions, and I recently read a new idea I think I’ll implement in the next few weeks. It goes like this: instead of a list of resolutions, identify the things you’d like to eliminate or do less of in the new year to give space for what you really want. 

In fact, this article recommends making two lists:

• List A: a few things you want to spend more of your life on than you have been. Thinking of this in terms of travel, I might list taking more short trips more often.
• List B: a few things you want to spend less of your life on this year. Thinking of this in terms of travel, I might list avoid over-planning trips to allow space for spontaneity.

It’s still very early January, and you have time. Here’s how you can plan an epic year of travel for 2023.

Don’t start with a list of locations, do this instead

Start with a travel budget and see where the flight prices will take you. Scott’s Cheap Flights recommends this method for two reasons: your budget stretches, and you try places that may never have topped your list.

Another idea: give somewhere a second chance.

If you heard a bad story or visited a location that disappointed you, now might be the time to challenge those ideas and give somewhere a second chance. Who knows? Maybe you can rewrite the story of that destination.

Predictions from Scott’s Cheap Flights: airfare will fall at least 5% compared to 2022 prices. Flights to Asia (a very popular location this year) will get cheaper too.

Plan experiences, not trips

Yes, I know all trips are experiences but hear me out. 

If you list out the experiences you want to have, then find the location, you’re reversing the usual method of trip planning and giving yourself some freedom.

What’s on my epic bucket travel list for this year? Seeing the Northern Lights.

I could add Southern Lights too, but early research has shown me that’s a long, arduous, and expensive trip, so I’m going the northern route.

If I had originally said, ‘Seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland,’ I would have eliminated many potential destinations. Did you know you can see the auroras in northern US states like Montana and Maine? Or in Canada? That opens up a lot of budget options.

Need some inspiration? Here are some of the 2023 travel trends according to Forbes:

• Cheap, affordable travel (pairs nicely with that first tip: budget first)
• Package or all-inclusive travel
• Transformational travel
• Ethical travel
• Sustainable travel

Switch travel partners

If you always travel with your spouse, consider switching up your travel partners.

• Try a trip with your mother or father (or both!)
• Ask your best friend to take a trip with you (have you done that since college?)
• Invite your adult child to travel with you
• Take your grandkid on the trip of their lifetime (the parents can go to another place)
• Or go somewhere alone!

Yes, it may be a little outside your usual comfort zone, but what have you got to lose?

Travel at a different pace

If your typical trip is rushing from city to city at top speed, try slowing it down. Stay in one location for several days instead and wallow in being a local.

Alternatively, if you like slow travel, pick up the pace a little. Cover more ground and see how it feels.

You may find you like shaking things up a little.

Get spontaneous

I’m a notorious over-planner. I hate getting to a new place and wondering, what’s there to do here?

It’s not always a good trait.

If you’ve ever wanted to throw a dart at a map and see where you’re headed next, try it this year and see where it leads. Remember those ‘short trips more often’ I mentioned? I’m planning to make every other trip a spontaneous one this year.

Challenge your packing skills

With the return of travel, with a vengeance in some cases, we’ve all heard the luggage horror stories. We’ve also read that the airlines are looking at new ways to add fees to pad their bottom line.

There is no better time than now to learn to pack as light as possible, even lighter than you have in the past. Last year, a friend of mine traveled for three weeks across Portugal and Spain with only a backpack. I was impressed and now we have a competition going to see how small our luggage can be on trips.

My prediction: I believe underseat luggage will really take off in 2023.

Consider annual travel insurance

Something to consider if you’re planning to be on the road a lot this year is annual travel insurance. In some cases, depending on the trips you’re taking, you can save significantly on an annual plan.

There are distinct advantages to having the same plan with the same coverage and support hotline all year long.

See how you can save money with annual travel insurance.

Related topics

• Dangerous places to travel in 2023
• 5 Tips for insuring adventure travel
• Cost-saving travel tips for tough economic times