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Message
Figuring out how to make travel magical again.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 2:47 pm
Posted on 6/2/26 at 2:47 pm
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. "Magical" is strictly for title purposes, I suppose I mean making a trip more enjoyable, loving the moment more, falling in love with the place, etc
My wife and I love to travel. We do it fair a amount, and have the means to do it pretty well.
The last few trips have been to objectively incredible places that other people loved, but I was just not moved at all. I was exhausted and honestly just thought "ok, I saw it". (The last trips were to Japan, and then another to Prague and Budapest).
Am I just becoming jaded?
Or is it just HOW we have been traveling? We have been staying at multiple cities and hotels, moving around a bunch, full itineraries, scheduling things around meals. etc
Should I try to make trips less planned? Try to focus more on just one place? Be more spontaneous? Or am I just planning poorly (which is entirely possible, my wife is better at that and has been too busy the past year or so to focus on it)
In short, how do you plan trips? How do you make sure you do the things you want to do, see the things you want to see, but still maximize your enjoyment of vacation?
My wife and I love to travel. We do it fair a amount, and have the means to do it pretty well.
The last few trips have been to objectively incredible places that other people loved, but I was just not moved at all. I was exhausted and honestly just thought "ok, I saw it". (The last trips were to Japan, and then another to Prague and Budapest).
Am I just becoming jaded?
Or is it just HOW we have been traveling? We have been staying at multiple cities and hotels, moving around a bunch, full itineraries, scheduling things around meals. etc
Should I try to make trips less planned? Try to focus more on just one place? Be more spontaneous? Or am I just planning poorly (which is entirely possible, my wife is better at that and has been too busy the past year or so to focus on it)
In short, how do you plan trips? How do you make sure you do the things you want to do, see the things you want to see, but still maximize your enjoyment of vacation?
14
Posted on 6/2/26 at 2:53 pm to Fun Bunch
quote:
Or is it just HOW we have been traveling? We have been staying at multiple cities and hotels, moving around a bunch, full itineraries, scheduling things around meals. etc
I assume this probably has a lot to do with it. The "on to the next thing" mentality of traveling can make it seem more like a checked box than discovery or enjoyment.
I don't want to be that guy, but if you truly want to make travel magical again, have a kid. Nothing like watching your kids experience new things. That's the real magic.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 3:17 pm to Fun Bunch
It’s a good question…some places don’t inspire wonder like others. Could be that those destinations just weren’t your favorite.
I’ve had “magical” trips with very aggressive itineraries and others that were magical because our plans were very laid back.
Our best trips have included big cities and smaller towns, and I’ll try to stay in smaller local hotels/b&b’s rather than the chain high rises to get closer to locals and traditions.
I’ve been in a little rut with where to plan the next “big” trip, partly out of fear that trip wouldn’t measure up to past experiences or measure up to a return trip somewhere I know we love. (Current travel costs are through the roof and also not helping with getting excited about trips). We’re doing a series of small stateside trips this year and tabling any 7-10 day itineraries for now.
Probably not much help now that I’m reading my response…but allow a variety of low/medium/high intensity travel on a single trip to where you don’t get bored of any one type would be a general rec.
I’ve had “magical” trips with very aggressive itineraries and others that were magical because our plans were very laid back.
Our best trips have included big cities and smaller towns, and I’ll try to stay in smaller local hotels/b&b’s rather than the chain high rises to get closer to locals and traditions.
I’ve been in a little rut with where to plan the next “big” trip, partly out of fear that trip wouldn’t measure up to past experiences or measure up to a return trip somewhere I know we love. (Current travel costs are through the roof and also not helping with getting excited about trips). We’re doing a series of small stateside trips this year and tabling any 7-10 day itineraries for now.
Probably not much help now that I’m reading my response…but allow a variety of low/medium/high intensity travel on a single trip to where you don’t get bored of any one type would be a general rec.
This post was edited on 6/2/26 at 3:19 pm
Posted on 6/2/26 at 3:54 pm to Fun Bunch
quote:
We have been staying at multiple cities and hotels, moving around a bunch, full itineraries, scheduling things around meals. etc
This is probably it; all of that is straight friction.
The easiest example for me is Paris. There's a ton of stuff to do, but you haven't been to Paris if you haven't "wasted" an afternoon sitting in front of a cafe, munching on some cheese, watching people, and doing... nothing. Everything that is in the Louvre can be seen online in ultra high def, so why do people stomach the awful crowds, just to say they did it?
The unexpected and unplanned can deliver a lot of joy. My first trip to Ireland (alone) I was there for a week and picked 5-6 must dos scattered around. The meal I remember? Eating Tesco peanut butter sandwiches out of the back of my Nissan Micra in the parking lot of an absolutely beautiful golf course I stumbled upon. I also got rained out of something, and spent the entire day in a pub talking to an Irish lady who just peppered me with questions about the Constitution, American life, etc.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 4:07 pm to Fun Bunch
.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 4:51 pm to Fun Bunch
quote:we prioritize natural beauty over cultural. i can see people and buildings at home. to me, seeing the world means seeing what i cannot see at home. every city is different but they are just cities. every church, temple, bridge etc are different but they are just variations on a theme
In short, how do you plan trips? How do you make sure you do the things you want to do, see the things you want to see, but still maximize your enjoyment of vacation?
Posted on 6/2/26 at 5:37 pm to Fun Bunch
This is just my preference but don’t overschedule and allow for spontaneity. As others have pointed out: some of my best memories from travel were completely unplanned and happened when I “surrendered to the flow” of just sort of letting things happen and going with a whim. There can be some real feelings of the universe delivering experiences to you when traveling that’s hard to replicate in our regular lives. This can’t happen if you keep too tight of an itinerary.
Try to do “normal” things that people do in a destination, whether that’s eating at a neighborhood cafe, drinking at a dive bar, sitting for a coffee and reading all afternoon, grabbing a snack and sprawling on the grass at a park. These sorts of things tend to allow for interactions beyond sightseeing and normal tourist activities.
Try to do “normal” things that people do in a destination, whether that’s eating at a neighborhood cafe, drinking at a dive bar, sitting for a coffee and reading all afternoon, grabbing a snack and sprawling on the grass at a park. These sorts of things tend to allow for interactions beyond sightseeing and normal tourist activities.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 7:54 pm to Fun Bunch
quote:
The last few trips have been to objectively incredible places that other people loved, but I was just not moved at all.
But are these places that you want to travel to or experience? In my opinion the magic is in the excitement of going somewhere you've always wanted to go. Then once you start planning you get excited about the activities that you researched. I believe the magic is created in the anticipation and barring anything going drastically wrong with the execution it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 8:52 pm to Fun Bunch
quote:
moving around a bunch, full itineraries, scheduling things around meals. etc
This is an absolute nightmare for me. The only itinerary that I have is my travel dates. I have a list of things that I would like to see/do and I decide either the night before or that morning what I am going to do. Vacation is for relaxing.
You need to slow down and enjoy the place that you are visiting. Find the local bar and meet some locals.
quote:
loving the moment more, falling in love with the place
I have been to Europe 16 times. 15 have been since 2009. All trips have included visiting Fieberbrunn, Austria. Some years we go just to Fieberbrunn and some years we visit other places as well. We are heading there in August and I can't wait to get there. Drink a beer. Visit Salzburg. Visit Konigsee. Walk on the mountains.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 9:33 pm to 2 Jugs
I could travel with you. Unless it’s something I absolutely have to book in advance (a fishing guide or a concert/show where we are) we usually plan our next day the night before or in the morning when we wake up and start our first cup of coffee. And I pretty much don’t want to move houses/hotels more than once unless it’s a multi week trip.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 10:17 pm to Salmon
Think you need to do a safari in Kenya or Zimbabwe or Botswana or something big where you’ll see the vastness of the stars and the animals and how small it makes you feel but in awe of everything around you
My two cents.
My two cents.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 10:19 pm to Fun Bunch
How long are you typical trips? Maybe you just need to spend more time in a place so you can slow down. If you're retired, are you able to spend a summer somewhere new? That would be a very different experience than the typical 2 week trip
Posted on 6/3/26 at 8:59 am to Fun Bunch
I try to take at least a 30 minute casual walk each day when traveling. You probably get in a lot of steps each day especially if doing activities, but I'm talking about a walk to do something that doesn't feel like a planned activity, going to find a local coffee, walking to a park or trail, even just walking in the woods or on the beach.
This gives me time to relax, and most important, gives me time to see, and take in the world. When you are in a car driving somewhere, or on a tour sometimes it's really hard to take in what you are seeing. Going on walks, especially in new places, really allows me to see what's going around me.
This gives me time to relax, and most important, gives me time to see, and take in the world. When you are in a car driving somewhere, or on a tour sometimes it's really hard to take in what you are seeing. Going on walks, especially in new places, really allows me to see what's going around me.
Posted on 6/3/26 at 9:12 am to Fun Bunch
quote:
Should I try to make trips less planned? Try to focus more on just one place? Be more spontaneous? Or am I just planning poorly (which is entirely possible, my wife is better at that and has been too busy the past year or so to focus on it)
Albeit I did this when I was youngerish. I would rent a bike at a location and spend the day just exploring. No itinerary, no plans. I would stop if something piqued my interest, I would eat when I was hungry. Some of my fondest memories were those trips.
Posted on 6/3/26 at 9:26 am to MrSpock
It starts with a state of mind. Try wearing red baseball caps with white MTMA on them.
Posted on 6/3/26 at 9:32 am to Salmon
quote:
I don't want to be that guy, but if you truly want to make travel magical again, have a kid. Nothing like watching your kids experience new things. That's the real magic.
Actually great advice. Simple trips like going to Schlitterbahn or Seaworld in San Antonio suddenly become magical seeing your kid so happy and looks of absolute bliss
But back to you I’d say maybe try areas where you’d move around a lot less and truly immerse and relax. Maybe something like the Maldives or bora bora. Not a ton of moving around to do.
I have kind of hit a similar wall lately and have decided to give European cruises a try bc the bouncing around to the cool places will be taken care of stress free which excites the hell out of me. No figuring out about driving in a foreign country or train schedules. Maybe an uber or taxi here or there but not the heavy lifting like my usual trips.
I hope you find it again bc traveling and having trips in the future and always planned keeps me from being depressed from the daily meat grinder of life.
Posted on 6/3/26 at 9:36 am to Fun Bunch
We kinda do like you, but we leave a day or two to do nothing, or be spontaneous. Thinking back, those are the most memorable days of our vacas.
Posted on 6/3/26 at 11:03 am to Fun Bunch
I’m with everyone, leave room to take in the culture. We travel a lot, if I look back at my favorite parts of whatever trip it’s the unplanned stuff. Getting lost in the rain roaming around Rome, rest day on a rooftop pool in Spain over looking the city. I love the history don’t get me wrong. But it’s been my experience that the jam packed itineraries leave me needing a vacation from my vacation.
Posted on 6/3/26 at 12:20 pm to Salmon
quote:
seem more like a checked box than discovery or enjoyment.
It's the travel blog mentality, what I call the "Check, Catch, Grab" reviews.
Day 1
"Check out the WWII Museum. Catch the Street Car into the French Quarter. Grab a beignet at Cafe Du Monde"
These are all strict plans disguised as a whimsical adventure of improvisational travel, but you are still checking boxes.
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