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22 Benefits of Traveling

By: Author Zachary Friedman

Posted on Last updated: May 17, 2024

Categories Travel

Home » Travel » 22 Benefits of Traveling

Whether you’re taking a quick weekend getaway or a multi-month sabbatical around the world, travel offers a wide range of benefits. From making you happier to reducing stress to teaching you about the world, this guide outlines 25 benefits of traveling.

Over the past 12 years, I’ve traveled to over 60 countries on 6 continents. I feel that travel has greatly improved my life. In this guide, I’ll share some of the biggest benefits that I have noticed.

1. Travel Makes You Happier

According to a recent study in the Journal of Tourism Analysis, people who travel frequently report being 7% happier than those who rarely or never travel. Interestingly, you don’t have to travel far to benefit. Participants of the study reported greater levels of happiness when they traveled 75 miles or more from home.

Spending money on experiences provides longer-lasting happiness than spending money on material items. This may be because people experience more happiness from anticipating experiences rather than from waiting to obtain material possessions. You’ll be happier if you spend your money on a plane ticket to Thailand rather than a new iPhone.

There other ways travel can make you happier. For example, travel allows you to experience new and exciting things. Travel also allows you to get away from the daily grind of work and other responsibilities. In addition, travel gives you the opportunity to create memories with your friends or family. Alternatively, it can also give you some time for yourself away from your parents, kids, boss, or co-workers. All of this can improve your happiness.

Personally, I feel the most happy when I’m on the road. Most of my best memories were made while traveling.

2. Traveling Improves Your Communication Skills

If you’re traveling somewhere completely foreign, you might face a language barrier. In this case, you will have to learn how to communicate in nonverbal ways using hand gestures and body language. This can improve your overall communication skills.

Travel also forces you to speak with people who are different from you. You’ll talk to people from different religions, social classes, cultures, political affiliations, and ethnic backgrounds. This will help you learn how to communicate with people with different beliefs, values, and life philosophies. Being able to talk to anyone is a great skill to have.

Travel also teaches you about different communication styles and how to adapt your own communication style to meet the needs of others. For example, in some cultures, people communicate more directly than in others. In some cultures, people are friendlier than in others. You’ll learn how to adapt to this during a conversation.

Finally, when you travel, you’re also forced to interact with lots of people. You’ll talk to tour guides, ticketing agents, receptionists, other travelers, and random locals. Chatting with lots of people can help you improve your social skills. This is particularly beneficial if you suffer from social anxiety.

Traveling is a great way to become a more effective communicator. Communication is an important skill that can help you in both your personal life and professional life.

I am not a good communicator. It’s something I’m constantly working on. I feel that travel has helped me improve in this department. I am way more confident when talking to people I don’t know.

3. Travel Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety

In a recent study , researchers found that travel can help to reduce stress and anxiety. During the study, a group of middle managers was sent on a short vacation (4 nights) in a hotel. This had an immediate effect on their reported levels of stress levels.

In this study, researchers also found that the mode of travel didn’t matter. Participants just needed to be outside of their normal environment for a few days to benefit. The effects were also surprisingly long-lasting. 30-45 days after the vacation ended, stress and anxiety levels were still reported to be lower among those who went on vacation than those who didn’t.

Travel can be a great way to reduce stress and anxiety in your life. If you work a stressful job, a long weekend away can help you recover.

If you’re traveling to reduce chronic stress, you will need to choose a style of travel that won’t cause you more stress. For example, if you’re afraid of flying, take a train instead. If you don’t like traveling alone, take somebody with you. Don’t give yourself more stress. It doesn’t matter where you go. You just need to leave for a few days and take a break from daily life to benefit.

4. Travel Makes Your Life Feel Longer

We all want to live longer. Travel can’t make you live longer but it can make your life feel longer. Here’s how:

Travel has a major impact on the way we perceive time. According to this interesting article, experiencing new things can slow our brain’s perception of time. This is why time seems to pass slower when we’re children. We’re constantly having new experiences.

When you’re traveling, time seems to move much more slowly because you’re constantly taking in new sights, learning new things, and tasting new foods. There’s always something new to experience.

When looking back, your vacation feels like it lasted far longer than it actually did. When you’re in your normal routine at home, months can fly by without you even noticing. It’s easy to get trapped in a routine and let years slip by.

When you travel frequently, your life will feel longer and more fulfilling because time seems to move more slowly. A month on the road can feel like a year when looking back. To me, this is one of the main benefits of travel.

5. Travel Helps You Achieve Peace of Mind

When you’re feeling stressed, burned out, or just fed up with life, sometimes, the best thing you can do is take a break and explore someplace new. Travel has a way of resetting your mind. When you return home, you can look at everything with fresh eyes. Even a short trip can help clear your head.

Being in unfamiliar surroundings makes it easier to let go of all the worries and concerns that are weighing you down at home. It takes your mind off things. When you’re exploring a new place, you don’t have time to dwell on whatever is stressing you out.

Travel is an excellent distraction. It can distract you from people in your life, your job, politics, and technology. You’re too busy taking in new sights, sounds, and experiences to think about your problems. This can bring you some inner peace.

Travel can also help you put your problems into perspective. When you view a beautiful site, you realize how great the world can be. You might also realize that your problems are minor compared to the problems of those living in other parts of the world. Someone living in poverty in a developing country might envy your life, even with all of your problems.

6. Travel Enhances Your Creativity

When you travel, you are exposed to new cultures, people, and experiences. This can open your mind to new ideas. In turn, this can lead to an increase in creativity.

Studies have shown that there is a link between travel and creativity. For example, in this article , Columbia Business School professor Adam Galinsky says, “Foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrativeness of thought, the ability to make deep connections between disparate forms.”

Cognitive flexibility is the brain’s ability to switch between different ideas, tasks, or viewpoints. This is a key part of creativity. The study found that people who had spent time abroad were more likely to come up with creative solutions to problems than those who had not traveled.

If you’re a writer, photographer, designer, or artist, and you’re looking for a way to boost your creativity, consider taking a vacation. It could be just what you need to come up with your next big idea. Travel can help you think outside the box and inspire your work.

I have been living as a digital nomad for the past few years. I have noticed that I am more creative and productive when I travel. Most of my work involves writing. The ideas flow better when I’m on the road. It makes me more creative.

7. Travel Allows You to Try Excellent Food

When you travel, you have the opportunity to try all sorts of different foods that you would never have the opportunity to taste at home. You get to experience new flavors and textures that you would never otherwise encounter.

For me, the food is one of the best parts of exploring a new culture. Some people travel for food alone. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture. If you really love the cuisine, you can learn how to cook it by taking a cooking class. This is a great way to further immerse yourself in the culture. As an added bonus, you’ll learn how to prepare some authentic meals for your family.

Even if you end up not caring for the food, it’s still worth it for the experience. For example, while in the Philippines recently, I tried Balut. This is a fertilized duck embryo that is developing in the egg. It’s sold on the street. It’s not the most appetizing thing but eating it is an experience that I will never forget.

8. Traveling Has Physical Health Benefits

Many of us live sedentary lifestyles. We don’t get as much exercise as we should. While traveling, you will be active and you will get exercise. For example, you’ll walk more. You’ll be on your feet all day while sightseeing, walking through airports, and traveling around the city you’re visiting. You might also participate in outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, surfing, or cycling. Also, if you’re at the beach sitting out in the sun, your body produces vitamin D.

Additionally, travel has been linked with a reduction in heart disease. According to this article , “A nine-year study from the State University of New York at Oswego found that vacationing every year reduced the overall risk of death by about 20 percent, and the risk of death from heart disease by as much as 30 percent.” This means travel can reduce your risk of one of the leading causes of death.

9. International Travel Makes You More Tolerant and Understanding of Different People and Cultures

Before you travel, you might have some biases about certain groups of people. You may not even notice this. Travel challenges our beliefs.

While traveling, you’ll meet and interact with people from different backgrounds. Traveling also gives you a chance to learn about different customs, religions, and beliefs.

Travel allows you to see that people from all walks of life can be interesting, kind, and valuable members of society. You learn to accept others despite their differences. You become more tolerant towards people from different backgrounds.

In addition, people who are different from you learn to accept you. During your travels, you may encounter people who’ve never met a foreigner before. By meeting you and having a positive interaction, they may become a bit more tolerant and understanding of different people. Tolerance and acceptance can spread. This can make the world a little more peaceful.

10. Get Real-World Experience and Real-Life Education

When you travel, you gain real-world experience that can’t be replicated in a classroom. You learn how to plan ahead, problem-solve on the fly, improvise, navigate new surroundings, and deal with different types of people. It’s an education that you can’t get from a book. In other words, travel can help you become street-smart.

For example, before your trip, you need to learn how to book accommodation, transportation, tours, etc. When you arrive in a new city, you have to learn how to use the public transportation system. If you miss your bus, you have to find an alternative mode of transport. If there is a language barrier, you need to figure out how to communicate with body language. These real-world experiences teach you life lessons that come in handy in your day-to-day life.

Traveling also gives you a chance to learn about new cultures and customs. You can try new foods and experience new traditions. It’s an opportunity to learn about the world in a way that you can’t in a classroom. You learn through experience.

Travel also educates you. While traveling, you’ll learn about the history, geography, politics, art, and religion, of the places you’re visiting. You become more worldly and knowledgeable. I’ve picked up loads of interesting facts and bits of information in my travels that I otherwise would never have learned.

You also gain life experience when you travel. You might fall in love, make friends, and view the most beautiful artwork and landscapes the world has to offer. At the same time, you might fall victim to a crime, have your heart broken, get into an argument, or get in trouble with the law. All of these life experiences, both positive and negative, help you grow as a person.

11. You’ll Understand Yourself More When You Travel

When you travel, you’ll find yourself in unfamiliar situations. This is a great opportunity to learn more about yourself. You’ll see how you interact with people who are different. You’ll see how you respond to problems and setbacks. In addition, you’ll see how you react in various situations.

How do you react under pressure? How do you deal with unfamiliar situations? What kind of person are you? These are the kinds of questions that you can only answer by putting yourself in new and challenging situations. Travel forces you to grow and adapt in ways that you never would at home.

You will come back from your travels with a greater understanding of who you are and what you want out of life. Travel also helps you identify your shortcomings. After returning home, you can reevaluate yourself based on what you observed while traveling. You can work on improving yourself.

When you travel alone , you also have the opportunity to think about your emotions and thoughts. You can practice introspection. Long bus and train journeys are a great time to reflect. You have hours to yourself to just think. For some people, this is incredibly valuable.

Travel also allows you to compare your culture to other cultures. When you travel, you’ll see how others think and behave. This can help you better understand why you think, behave, or feel a certain way.

12. Travel Boosts Your Self Confidence

While some people are born confident, others have to work a little harder to find it. For those of us who struggle with self-confidence, traveling can be a great confidence booster.

If you can navigate your way around a new country or culture, you can pretty much get around anywhere. This is a great skill to have in life. It allows you to be more independent. Knowing you can get around anywhere can inspire confidence.

In addition, when you travel you learn how to talk to anybody. You might have to interact with a shopkeeper in Delhi, a flight attendant from Singapore, or a security guard from London. Being able to talk to anybody is extremely beneficial in social situations. It makes it easier to approach people, ask questions, and strike up conversations. This makes you feel more confident.

Traveling can also help you feel more comfortable in unique or challenging situations. For example, maybe you have to deal with a language barrier. Maybe you get lost. Maybe you just get confused.When you’re constantly exposed to new situations, you become desensitized. You can deal with these situations more confidently without feeling fear.

When you step out of your comfort zone, you realize that you’re more capable than you thought. You’ll overcome obstacles and take risks. Suddenly, anything feels possible and your life is no longer limited by your fears. When you’re confident, you can pursue your passions and goals without anything holding you back.

I have always struggled with self-confidence and self-doubt. Travel has helped me realize that I am more than capable of anything I set my mind to. This has been incredibly inspiring.

13. Travel Helps You Get Out of the Rut of Everyday Life

Travel can be a great way to get out of a rut. It allows you to free yourself from your daily routine and have time to yourself to relax or explore.

It can be a break from the mundane and repetitive day-to-day life of a 9-5. It’s easy to get caught up in a routine. You wake up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV and then go to bed.

When you travel, you have the opportunity to shake things up. You can try new activities, meet new people, and see new places. You escape the routine of staying in the same place.

Travel also gives you an opportunity to focus on yourself for a change. It can be a time to reflect on your life and what you want from it. While you’re traveling, you can also work on your physical health, mental health, or emotional health. Maybe you realize that you want to make some changes in your life.

14. Travel Expands Your Social Network

Making friends is one of the best parts of travel. When you travel, you meet people from all walks of life. You’ll have friends with different backgrounds. You’ll have friends from different countries and cultures.

These friends can come in handy when you visit their home countries. They can show you around, introduce you to new people, and help you get the most out of your trip.

As your social network grows, new opportunities open up. During your travels, you might meet someone who can help you get a job in a new city. A friend might connect you with other travelers. Maybe you meet your future spouse through a travel buddy.

I have made a number of lifelong friends while traveling. Some of them I still keep in contact with over a decade after meeting. Whenever we meet up, we pick up right where we left off.

15. Personal Development

Travel can make you a better person. Travel can make you a better communicator, more independent, more adaptable, more confident, more accepting, and more patient.

When you leave your comfort zone to travel, you’re forced to develop social skills. You’ll talk to people at hostels, on tours, and on public transport. Sometimes people will approach you to chat because you’re a foreigner. This can teach you better communication skills.

You also have to learn how to be independent. There is nobody there to hold your hand if you make a mistake or get lost. You will also spend a great deal of time alone while traveling. You have to learn how to live with your own thoughts.

When you travel, you also have to learn to adapt to the local culture. The locals won’t change to accommodate you. You have to change. Travel will make you more adaptable.

You also become more accepting of others. The locals may have different religious beliefs, morals, diets, languages, political beliefs, cultures, ways of life, or behaviors. You’ll learn to accept these differences and look past them.

And as you navigate new surroundings and meet new people, you’ll become more confident. You may become more courageous after facing scary, uncomfortable, or dangerous situations.

Travel can also help you develop personality and character. This happens when you face hardships. Travel isn’t always easy. You might fall victim to a crime. People might discriminate against you. You might have to deal with a language barrier. These may seem like negative experiences when they happen but they can help build character.

You’ll also develop patience when you travel. Things don’t always go as planned. Maybe your flight gets delayed 12 hours. Maybe you have to gather a stack of documents and deal with a bunch of red tape to apply for a visa. The internet might go down or the power might go out. You learn to just roll with the punches.

16. Travel Teaches Us to Appreciate Nature and the Earth

When we travel, we get to see some of the most amazing natural wonders that the earth has to offer. For some of us, travel is the first time that we see mountains, deserts, jungles, or oceans. Travel allows us to view different types of plant life and wildlife in their natural habitats. It’s also our first experience with different types of climates and landscapes.

One of my greatest travel experiences was going on a safari in the Serengeti . Seeing the Milky Way for the first time while camping in the desert in Namibia was also unforgettable. If I stayed in my hometown and didn’t travel, I would have never seen an elephant, an ocean, or a desert.

While traveling, you’ll also witness the destruction of natural environments through pollution, deforestation, and other human activities. You’ll realize how fragile the planet is. This can be heartbreaking but educational.

Through travel, we learn to appreciate the Earth. We learn how fortunate we are to have such a diverse and beautiful planet. We start to realize that it is our responsibility to protect and preserve the Earth for future generations.

17. World Travel Makes you Appreciate Your Home Even More

Traveling can be an amazing experience. It can also be exhausting, overwhelming, and uncomfortable.

After a long vacation, there is nothing like coming home and sleeping in your own bed. While traveling, all of the little things that you took for granted, like a soft bed, a hot shower, and your own bathroom, become luxuries. During a long trip, you will miss the comforts and conveniences of home. It’s hard to get a good night of sleep while camping, sharing a room in a hostel , or simply sleeping in an unfamiliar place.

Travel can also be exhausting. Packing and unpacking. Moving from place to place. Sitting on buses, planes, and trains for hours, and walking around sightseeing takes a lot out of you. When you return home, you may actually appreciate your normal routine.

In addition, you may find a new appreciation for how things work in your home country. In some countries, nothing works. There is bureaucracy and red tape. There are long lines to withdraw cash or buy food. The power may go out frequently. The tap water might not be potable. When you return home, you may realize that most things just work. You may find a new appreciation for your country.

You may also have a feeling of relief when you return home. On your home turf, you know the local laws, customs, and culture. You know your rights and freedoms. You don’t have to worry about accidentally breaking a law or offending someone. It’s nice to feel like part of society. Like you belong. When you’re abroad, you’re always an outsider. You’re not quite sure what you can and can’t do.

You also won’t have to deal with a language barrier when you return home. It’s nice to be able to hold an in-depth conversation and talk freely with other people. Struggling to communicate gets exhausting.

All of this can help you appreciate your home country much more.

While traveling, I have gained a much greater appreciation for my home country, the United States. After traveling to 66 countries on 6 continents, I can’t think of a place I’d rather live. I think the U.S. is the greatest country, even though it has its flaws.

18. Travel Helps You Find a New Purpose

Many people find that travel can be a life-changing experience. It can help you to find a new purpose or direction in life, especially if you feel like you’re at a crossroads. Traveling can give you the time and space to reflect on your career or your life, and make decisions about what you want to do next.

Travel can also help you to see the world from a different perspective and learn new things about yourself. If you’re feeling lost or stuck, taking some time out to travel may be just what you need.

Travel certainly helped me find a purpose. When I left home on my first solo trip , I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. After returning home, One thing I knew was that I wanted to travel.

Years later, after losing my job, I felt lost I didn’t know what to do so I took a trip to Africa. After returning from that trip, I launched this website and started making a living writing about travel. These days, I live as a digital nomad . I make my living as a professional blogger. I feel happy.

19. Expand Your Horizons and Try New Things

Traveling to a new place will help you see the world in a different way. When you travel, you’ll have the opportunity to try new things. You’ll see new sites, taste new foods, talk to new people, hear new music, smell new smells, and be introduced to new thoughts and ideas.

For example, maybe you go surfing, Scuba diving, or horseback riding for the first time. Maybe you see the pyramids, taste sushi, or talk to a local student.

All of these experiences allow you to learn and see things from a different perspective. It can also simply be a lot of fun to try new things. Travel opens the mind. It might open your eyes to something new.

20. Travel Lets Us Take a Break from the Rat Race and Recharge

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the grind. You might feel like you’re on a hamster wheel. If you’re starting to feel burned out, travel gives you an opportunity to take a break and recharge.

Travel allows you to take a step back from your normal life and just relax. Not every trip needs to be educational or challenging. You can just relax by the pool and have some drinks or take a stroll on the beach.

This can help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also give you a much-needed opportunity to simply rest and rejuvenate. An annual vacation can provide some real health benefits.

21. You Can Learn a New Language

If you’re trying to learn a new language, traveling to a foreign country where that language is spoken will help you tremendously. Actually, the only way to truly become fluent in a language is to immerse yourself in it.

When you travel, you will constantly be exposed to new words and phrases. You’ll also have the opportunity to talk to native speakers. This gives you a chance to practice and improve your comprehension and pronunciation.

Even if you’re not actively trying to learn the language, you’ll pick up some words here and there. For example, I learned basic Portuguese while traveling in Brazil for 2.5 months this year. I probably won’t use it often but it was fun to learn.

Learning a language allows you to communicate with people who only speak that language. This opens up new opportunities to travel and experience different cultures.

In addition, learning a new language can help to sharpen cognitive skills, such as memory and critical thinking. Studies have even shown that bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia.

22. You’ll Make Lifetime Memories

When you travel, you create memories that last a lifetime. Some of my most memorable life experiences have happened while traveling. I will never forget my motorcycle trip across Vietnam. I will never forget walking on the Great Wall of China .

You can tell stories about your adventures to your friends and family. My dad’s travel stories are one of the main reasons I started traveling myself. He inspired me.

If you travel with friends or family, you’ll have more stories to look back on and reminisce about when you’re older. Even though I’ve only been traveling for a decade, I still enjoy looking back at old photos and talking to travel buddies about our journeys.

How has travel benefited you? Share your experience in the comments below!

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Why is Travel Important? Here Are 7 Important Benefits of Traveling

Wondering why travel is an important part of life here are the most impactful benefits of traveling, including health, happiness, and more.

As I write this, the world is in the midst of the second wave of the coronavirus crisis. Travel is far below the level it was at back in 2019, and it’ll be some time before it picks back up to pre-pandemic levels.

So, it feels a bit weird to write an article on the benefits of traveling and why travel is important.

But, travel will make a comeback. When it does, health and safety risks will remain. Many fair-weather travelers may be hesitant to return to the skies, roads, rails, and seas.

However, traveling is important and its benefits far outweigh the risks involved.

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Here are some of the most important benefits of traveling:

1. Travel Makes You Happier

Sure, a travel experience easily makes you happier by getting you away from your daily grind. And, if you can get away from your parents, kids, freelance work , pets, homework, piano lessons, part-time job , studying for exams or any other things possibly weighing you down, that will definitely put a smile on your face, to say the least.

However, travel makes you happier in another way, as well. According to a study by Amit Kumar, Matthew A. Killingsworth, and Thomas Gilovich from Cornell University, that money spent on doing something (called “experiential purchases”) will leave you with a longer-lasting sense of happiness than money spent on having something (called “material purchases”).

The study says that “waiting for experiences tends to be more positive than waiting for possessions.” And, it goes on to say that “people derive more happiness from the anticipation of experiential purchases and that waiting for an experience tends to be more pleasurable and exciting than waiting to receive a material good.”

Related Read : The Best Work-Life Balance Quotes to Know

2. Travel Lets You Disconnect & Recharge

One of the best things you can do for your mental health every now and again, especially as a busy college student with an evening job or a young professional working 12-hour shifts, is to disconnect in order to recharge.

Working or studying for days, weeks, and months on end may help get you where you’re looking to go. However, you deserve a break every once in a while from the chronic stress. If not, you may suffer from burnout, depression, anxiety, and a whole host of other problems and ailments.

If traveling to a foreign country or experiencing a different culture doesn’t sound like a true break from everyday life and its stressful situations, stay local or do a solo trip to someplace remote and serene. The important thing for your is to unwind. That’s a health benefit and travel tip all rolled into one!

3. Traveling Relieves Stress and Anxiety

In a randomized controlled trial conducted by Austrian researchers and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , one of the many great travel benefits is that it can reduce stress levels and anxiety.

The researchers found that even just one short-term vacation (~3 days in length) “independent of the mode, has large, positive and immediate effects on perceived stress, recovery, strain, and well-being.” Furthermore, the beneficial effects last quite a while after you return home. “The effects can still be detected at 30 days (recovery) and 45 days (well-being and strain) post-vacation.”

Just make sure the way you travel doesn’t cause you stress, either! If you have a fear of air travel or a disdain for family travel, go by rail or take a solo travel experience. The important thing is to break away from the chronic stress of everyday life in order to calm down and reset your mind.

Related Read : How to Set Goals You Will Actually Achieve

4. Travel Exposes You to New Things

When you travel, you are stepping outside your comfort zone, for one thing. Even if your destination is relatively nearby (across the country rather than internationally), you are still experiencing new things.

Mark Twain said it best in one of my favorite travel quotes:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

5. Travel Exposes Others to New Things

When you meet someone new, whether it’s in another town nearby or in a city halfway around the world, they also are meeting you. And, just as you’re being exposed to new foods, culture, languages, traditions, and so forth, they’re also getting a taste of yours. Just remember to be a good ambassador for your hometown, values, and beliefs!

When you visit a new place, meet new people, and learn about a new culture, whether through group travel or when traveling solo, the benefit to your life is immense, but it also benefits your friends, family, and other loved ones. Not only will you get to experience new things, but you’ll also bring what you learn back to your school, workplace, and hometown.

Related Read : 15+ Best Educational Podcasts to Listen to for Everyday Learning

6. Travel Makes You Physically Healthier

If you’re an active individual and asking why is travel important, there are some great benefits of traveling in store for you! From running through airports and train stations to make that tight connection to hiking through uneven terrain on your mountain climbing adventures to getting some vitamin D as you catch some rays on the beach, there are many reasons why travel is beneficial to your health.

According to a study by the Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, in partnership with the U.S. Travel Association, travel decreases the risks of heart attacks and makes your brain healthier. The study determined that men who take an annual vacation are 30% less likely to die from heart disease, among other findings.

7. Traveling Can Boost Your Creativity

Are you a student, artist, writer, photographer, chef, advertising manager, or video game designer struggling with coming up with your next great idea? Traveling can help! If you’re looking to reignite your creativity, head on to Kayak and start booking some international flight tickets.

“Foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrativeness of thought, the ability to make deep connections between disparate forms,” Adam Galinsky, a professor at Columbia Business School, tells The Atlantic . Cognitive flexibility plays a major role in overall creativity, defined as the ability for a person to be able to entertain various ideas and viewpoints one after the other.

So, when it’s safe to do so, get back out there and travel.

You’ll improve your happiness and mood, get exposed to new things, strengthen your mind and body, remove stress and anxiety, and so much more!

Got any questions, feedback, or other great reasons why travel is important? Let us know in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

Related Read : 21+ Growth Mindset Quotes to Know for Success, Happiness & Fulfillment

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1. Traveling broadens your perspective.

2. It allows you to see the world from a different angle.

3. It helps you to learn new things.

4. It makes you more tolerant and understanding

It’s fascinating that you point out that traveling offers a great way to relieve anxiety. I’ve been having a lot of anxiety for the past three months because of my divorce, so I’m considering booking a tour of Europe this summer. I’m going to look for a good business that offers tours of Europe.

Love this Christian, it keeps me do travel multiple times a year. Thank you so much.

I am Ain from Malaysia. I’m looking for contents to be used on my school assignment about travelling and I found your website would be so helpful for me and my group members. In this assignment , we are required to choose our international destination. In this assignment , we are going to make a report paper and two products (brochure and presentation). This work won’t be published online. We would like to include flight ticket to our destination , foods , place to stay , transportation and more. So , here I would like to ask for your permission to use contents from your website. This is the link to the content that me and my group members would like / might to use:

https://www.goodwall.io/blog/benefits-of-traveling/

I hope you can approve my permission. That would be great for us!

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5 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Traveling Abroad

Image: A woman smiles inside a train station

When was the last time you traveled abroad? Traveling for business is one thing, but I’m talking about packing your bags, logging out of your email account and disconnecting from your normal routine for a week or more.

Traveling the world isn’t just fun and exciting; there’s ample research to suggest it’s highly beneficial for your physical, mental and emotional health as well.

Check Out These Five Proven Benefits

Americans may say they like to travel, but most don’t venture abroad very often. According to a study published in the Hostelworld Global Traveler Report, Americans are half as likely as Europeans to go abroad and visit more than one country.

The average resident of the UK has visited 10 countries, Germans have seen eight, and the French traveled to five nations on average. But Americans? They tend to visit just three. In fact, 29 percent of American adults have never been abroad!

When citizens of the U.S. do move past the border, most visit Canada or Mexico. Affordability is evidently a big factor — about 71 percent of Americans say it’s too expensive to leave the country — but that’s hardly the whole story.

Given what all the travel and deal sites have to offer today, you can travel abroad without ransacking your piggy bank. Perhaps many Americans don’t grasp the benefits of traveling abroad — and there are many!

Let’s dive in and take a look at some of the health benefits that researchers have explored and verified scientifically.

1. Travel Makes You Healthier

According to a joint study from the Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, in partnership with the U.S. Travel Association, traveling actually keeps you healthier . The study found that women who vacation at least twice a year show a significantly lower risk of suffering a heart attack than those who only travel every six years or so.

The same is true for men. Men who do not take an annual vacation show a 20 percent higher risk of death and 30 percent greater risk of heart disease.

2. Travel Relieves Stress

Although missing a connecting flight or losing baggage in a foreign airport is sure to boost your anxiety, traveling has been scientifically proven to lower stress levels, and rather dramatically.

RELATED: Try These Simple 1-minute Meditations to Calm Your Mind

According to one study , three days after taking a vacation, travelers report feeling less anxious, more rested and in a better mood. Interestingly, these benefits tend to linger for weeks after the trip has ended.

3. Travel Enhances Your Creativity

“Foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrativeness of thought, the ability to make deep connections between disparate forms,” explains Adam Galinsky , a professor at Columbia Business School who has authored a number of studies that investigate the concrete links between creativity and international travel.

Travel alone isn’t enough, however. Galinsky has found that international travelers have to be purposeful about engaging.

RELATED: 7 Creative Pep Talks to Get You Through the Work Week

“The key, critical process is multicultural engagement, immersion and adaptation,” he continues. “Someone who lives abroad and doesn’t engage with the local culture will likely get less of a creative boost than someone who travels abroad and really engages in the local environment.”

4. Travel Boosts Happiness and Satisfaction

Most people tend to be happier when they’re traveling and don’t have to worry about work, of course. However, one of the more interesting takeaways from a Cornell University study is that people also experience a direct increase in happiness from just planning a trip.

Three days after taking a vacation, travelers report feeling less anxious, more rested and in a better mood.

The study found that the anticipation of taking a vacation is far greater than the anticipation of acquiring a physical possession. Thus, the benefits of traveling abroad begin well before the trip does.

5. Travel Lowers the Risk of Depression

While people tend to avoid the subject in our society, depression is unfortunately a major problem. Millions of Americans struggle with depression on a regular basis and it’s not uncommon for doctors to overprescribe medication for depression.

Luckily, healthier alternatives are available for escaping the hopelessness of a depressed state. According to research, travel may be one of them.

A study from the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin found that women who vacation at least twice a year are less likely to suffer from depression and chronic stress than women who vacation less than once every two years.

Where Will Your Travels Take You This Year?

So there are clear, scientifically-backed health benefits of traveling the world. Mentally, physically and emotionally, you can gain a lot from packing your bags and visiting places you’ve never been.

Image: A bus on Westminster Bridge with Big Ben in the background in London

But where will you go? Thousands of places across the world are worth visiting. Here are a few that should be on your radar:

London, England. London is a must-visit city. If you’re new to international travel and want to get your feet wet, there’s probably no better destination. Not only is there a lot to do in London , but it’s cheap and easy to get to from most major U.S. cities. There’s also no language barrier, which is a bonus for people who get nervous about that.
Cape Town, South Africa. The beauty of Cape Town is astonishing. Not only is the landscape unique, but there’s wildlife galore, including the Big Five (lion, elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard, and rhino). There’s much to see ; whether you prefer a fast pace or slow and easy, there’s an itinerary for you.
Lucerne, Switzerland. If you’ve never been to Switzerland, Lucerne is a fantastic first city to experience. Conveniently near to the Zurich airport, the town is compact, yet lively. Not only are there lots of attractions in the city , but you can enjoy an array of hiking trails just outside of town.
Auckland, New Zealand. Whether you want to kayak to a volcano, abseil down a waterfall, swim with sharks, or tackle challenging trails on a mountain bike, Auckland has everything an adventure lover could ask for. Oh, and it’s also a city that teems with good food and entertainment.

For many, the notion of international travel isn’t as mysterious and thrilling as it used to be. In a world accessible via YouTube, Google Earth, and virtual reality, many think they’ve already seen all the world has to offer, when they’ve really only stared at a screen a few inches in front of their face.

If you want to enjoy the scientifically proven health benefits of travel abroad, you should start planning a trip. Whether you go to London, Cape Town, Lucerne, Auckland, or somewhere entirely different, boarding a plane and flying to a foreign destination where you’re equal parts excited and intimidated is great for your growth and development.

Where will you go?

7 Personal Benefits of Travel

Forget milling around in your finest evening wear, Singapore Sling in hand: You'll be lucky to get peanuts. Flying isn't quite the party it was in Sinatra's days, and lots of time, energy, and money are expended to leave home, so why travel? How long do the personal benefits of travel last?

Getting away from home and stepping outside of your usual routine is beneficial for both mind and body. The long-lasting personal benefits of visiting a foreign country far outweigh the costs and time to get there.

The great travel writer Pico Lyer said: "Travel is not really about leaving our homes, but leaving our habits." Here are seven ways that travel, especially international travel, will enhance your life.

Travel Sharpens the Mind

You've done your old routine for so many years that you could run through it on autopilot. Being dropped into a new environment engages a dormant part of your mind and gets those synapses firing again.

Suddenly, you'll be required to navigate unfamiliar places, read foreign languages , try new things, make quick decisions, and choose your new eating and sleeping schedule.

Unlike at home, all the new sights, sounds, and places will require mental processing and filing. Your brain will welcome the workout! Once you return home, you'll be sharper than ever for better organizing and sprucing up your daily routine.

A Shift in Perspective

"Nobody comes back from a journey the way they started it." — Unknown

Being exposed to new cultures and people will greatly shift your paradigm and create a healthier perspective once you return back home. Seeing different social classes creates compassion and really makes you feel more blessed and content. Large portions of the world's population have to deal with daily threats such as hunger, disease , and landmines .

A hard day at work suddenly doesn't seem so bad when you see people in developing countries toiling in sun-scorched fields from morning to dark, or begging for a drink of water.

A Chance to Try New Things

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

While you may branch out at home from time to time by trying new restaurants or splurging on expenditures, traveling kicks you out of the comfort zone and forces you, for better or worse, to try new things!

Even if you don't enjoy your first attempt at scuba diving , at least you'll be able to relate in a new way the next time you see it in a movie or hear someone talking about it.

Becoming a well-rounded individual enhances self-confidence and will help you find new material for conversation in social settings with a wider variety of people.

Who knows, you may accidentally discover your new favorite food or find out that you want to pursue a new career in karaoke!

Meet New People

"A journey is best measured in friends, not in miles." — Tim Cahill

You'll meet far more friendly people on the road than you will under ordinary circumstances at home.

Other travelers are always looking to share experiences, give tips on places to go, and meet people from all over. Striking up a conversation with other travelers is extraordinarily easy.

A polite "so where are you from?" breaks the ice quite easily and may lead to lasting friendships with people from all over the world.

See the Real Deal

"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries." — Aldous Huxley

Until you visit a place and form your own opinions, your understanding only comes from what you were taught in school, read in books, or saw on media, which may or may not be a complete truth.

Don't over-research your upcoming destination in guidebooks. Do your best to avoid building a bias toward a place or installing mental filters before you visit. Wait to form your own opinion, remaining objective until you can make up your own mind.

Exercise and Sunshine

Sure, you could just go sweat in the gym under fluorescent lighting, but chances are that you'll be much more active from day to day while on the road, regardless of whether your trip is an adventurous one or simply a relaxing beach trip .

You could be exploring new cities on foot, hiking , swimming, walking between places, and hopefully soaking up some needed sunshine while doing so. And it's guaranteed to smell better than the gym.

Come Home Renewed

After stepping away from home for a while, you'll return with renewed energy, a new set of mental filters, and ready to take on the next big project or challenge. Call it a life reboot.

Getting away for some time, even though it requires effort, will greatly enhance your attitude and productivity once you return home. Sure, you may have some mail piled up and matters to attend, but those are simple challenges easily knocked out.

Breaking up the monotony for a while is a great way to reduce stress and give your life an injection of excitement. Don't be surprised if shortly after your return, you're already counting down days until the next trip!

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15 Benefits of Travelling and Why Travel Is Good for You

What comes to your mind when someone asks you about “travel”? Does travel mean a vacation on the beach while sipping some margaritas, an adventure to the unknown, or an Instagrammable sunset destination? The idea of travelling varies from person to person, but the advantages of travelling are unbounded.

When you travel, not the trip or the vacation itself, but the whole process of planning, exploring, and returning from a trip is important. When you realise how the benefits of travelling can do wonders for you, you definitely will have the motivation to pack your bag and start travelling more. What is it about travelling that always makes you feel good after coming back from a trip? There are so many advantages behind travel, but here are the top 15 benefits.

The Health Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Improves Your Health and Mind

Improving your well-being is one of the fundamental benefits of travelling. Travelling helps to decrease the risks of heart attack and anxiety, while developing our brain health. There have been studies proving that travel can place a positive impact on our heart health. One study from Framingham Heart Studies Organization published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows that women who would travel at least twice a year had a significantly lower risk of developing coronary heart disease or heart attack compared with those who would only be able to travel once in every six years.

One of the health benefits of travelling is that when you travel to new surroundings, you press a restart button to your body and mind, which brings in fresh energy when you get back to your regular activities. It keeps you physically fit by being active on the journey, exploring nature, hiking, or strolling the local markets. A healthy body means a healthy mind, and the stimulation you get from travelling can boost your productivity and effectiveness in your daily work.

Exploring a new place, trying new things, and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone can increase the level of dopamine in your brain. This will contribute to how we strive, focus on things and find things interesting. Remember, “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind,” said the Roman philosopher Seneca.

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The Advantages of Travelling: Travelling Improves Your Communication and Language Skills in Many Ways

Some people enjoy the idea of travelling because it allows them to meet new people from all walks of life. Speaking to new people and getting new perspectives will change how one perceives the world and easily get engaged in various topics of conversation. Travel really helps in consolidating both effective communication and social skills as you are exposed to different cultures and outlooks. This benefit you get from travelling can be applied not only to your personal life but your work life also .

Setting foot in a new part of your country or a new part of the world means you are out of your ordinary comfort zone. Everything is new and captivating to your curiosity. The benefit of this is you are eager to learn new things and open to new ideas and concepts. This will naturally lead to the urge to open your mind and practice your people skills, whether you travel alone or with someone else.

Travelling is when creativity comes into play in your daily communication. When you travel to a new country, there are situations where you would have to use not only verbal communication but also gestures and other non-verbal ways to express yourself. Whether you ask for directions, buy ingredients at a local market or have a conversation with a local, be prepared to utilize your body language skills!

The Benefits of Travelling: Hedonistic Travel Ensures Peace, Calms Your Mind and Encourages Positive Feelings

When going on a holiday, we often tend to be stimulated, present and be in the moment, which brings us a step closer to achieving mindfulness. Travelling alone brings in the feeling of solitude that we don’t often get enough of. Travelling allows us to be disconnected from people, and even technology, for a while, and be more connected to our own mind and self, which leads us to our inner peace.

Whether it is domestic or international travel, travelers step out of their habitat and get exposed to other conditions of life. We find ourselves more thankful for our life and realise what we have might be what others desire. Appreciation to every little thing in life is one way or another a course for happiness.

Travelling also changes our attitude towards life and people in a more positive way. We observe things and think from a broader perspective when our mind is open to the outside world. The benefit of travelling helps us embrace cultural and social differences more when immersing ourselves in a different environment with new people and perspectives. Moreover, coming back from a journey means ticking off one goal and proving our ability to overcome challenges. This forms the positive attitude that helps us tackle the hurdles.

Why Travelling is Good? International Travelling Boosts Creativity through Experiences

“Why would travel have anything to do with creativity?” you may ask. First of all, it is associated with the sense of being innovative. When we travel, we try the local cuisines which we might have never tried before, get exposed to new customs and culture, and get introduced to unfamiliar ideas and beliefs. This stimulates creativity within our thinking, our methods and how we deal with certain situations. It is easier for us to come across new ideas when we get out of our usual surroundings. If we are put in boxes, how can we think “outside the box”?

Travelling teaches you to be creative and that everything has an alternative. What if you bump into a toilet that only has a hole on the ground, or a bathroom without a shower but only a bucket of water? That is travelling forces you to use your creativity to roll along with it.

What you might have experienced but not have realised when you travel is that travelling touches your every sense. Ask yourself this question, do you feel a strong sensation by a mellow sound you have never heard, an exquisite taste from local cuisines, an evoking smell from a street food vendor, or a remarkable sight of a magnificent mountain range? If the answer is yes, then this effect of exploring a new place can be an attribute to revitalize your mind and make you more creative when you travel.

Not only does travelling help with our creativity, but it also enhances our cognitive ability, sometimes referred to as general intelligence. This ability includes the capacity to “reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience” (Plomin, 1999). These attributes are all connected to travel. The more you travel, the wiser you become. Adam Galinsky , a professor at Columbia Business School has stated “Foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrativeness of thought, the ability to make deep connections between disparate forms.”

The Benefits of Travelling Abroad: Travelling Enhances Your Tolerance towards Different People and New Cultures

Travelling is more than just about exploring new places. It also allows you to become more tolerant and open towards new cultures and people. It is a great opportunity to connect with locals and other like-minded people from around the globe. When you are willing to strike up a conversation with someone from a different background, the more you understand them and accept diversity, the better your tolerance level gets. Travelling teaches us to appreciate and value cultural diversity, traditions and appearances.

Not only does travelling help us embrace cultural, social and racial differences, travelling also increases our tolerance towards tough conditions and uncertainties. When we throw ourselves into an unfamiliar or less developed locality, we begin to become more accepting. It is not always a bed of roses everywhere we travel to, and things do not always go as planned, however, when we are aware of this, we get less bothered and enjoy the journey as much as we want.

Cabinzero’s CEO Neil Varden shared with us some stories about a time when he traveled to India - a country of hues and colors, and on top of all, a country of kindness. He was deeply touched by how friendly and greathearted local people were when he found out a notion followed in their mind, which is “Guest is God”. As he was travelling to Diu - a very small and unfamiliar town in India - on a bus, he happened to have a conversation with an Indian doctor. And since there was no direct bus to the town and it was very late at night, the doctor then invited him for a stay with his family for the night and offered him the surprisingly good generosity that he had ever received.

Another time when he was on a bus, and there was this Indian woman who offered him some biscuits when he was hungry, while she might not have enough to eat for herself and her children. Those are just among many warmhearted stories that he stumbled upon during his travel that made him realise one thing: you can really meet people who have almost nothing but still are generous with what they have.

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Is a Great Way to Boost Your Confidence

Neil also shared an example of how travelling can be a motivation for us to gain more confidence in ourselves and our passion. “Unbeknown to me, travelling when I was 22-26 changed my life long term, even today. The confidence gained by travelling to an unfamiliar country/culture gave me huge benefits when I started my business. I never had much fear knocking on doors of factories or visiting trade shows in countries I had never been to before. AND, for sure, my business and the brand would not exist if I hadn’t travelled. Since I travelled I spent all my time after trying to figure out how I could make travel a permanent fixture in my life and the business was built around this need, it is truly a lifestyle business.” - Neil Varden, CEO of Cabinzero .

Regarding this advantage of travelling, Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, an associate professor of education and psychology at the University of Southern California, says “What a lot of psychological research has shown now is that the ability to engage with people from different backgrounds than yourself, and the ability to get out of your own social comfort zone, is helping you to build a strong and acculturated sense of your own self.”

Stepping out of your bubble to travel, especially alone, is one way to prove that life has no limits. Travelling makes us realise that difficulties and obstacles can be handled well without the help of friends or family. When you see the powerful force within you, you start to build more trust in yourself and fear less. You believe in the certainty that things can be tackled one way or another, and it comes with the creative mind you get from travelling - nothing can stop you from achieving your passion and goals in life!

The Importance of Travelling: You Get Real-life Education from Travelling to a New Place

Real-life education comes naturally when you travel. Think about when you plan for a trip, when you solve a problem, or when you come across a situation that you have to use your body language to communicate. Those circumstances train you to be skillful as you travel. This benefit of travelling helps in your planning skills, problem-solving skills, improvising ability, and such. As you learn from your own experiences, these lessons are what you can equip yourself with and make use of in the long run.

What you learn in books is great, but travelling offers you the opportunity to learn more about something new every day. The moment you step out of those hotel doors and go out on the street, you learn at least one new lesson. Simple things like how people greet and talk to each other, how they behave tell you a bit about their culture. What’s more, travelling teaches you failures can turn into great hands-on lessons. It is true that travelling is not always glorious and can be hard at times. Let’s say the language barriers, for instance, it is surely possible to make mistakes with words here and there. Imagine going to the market and getting mixed up with the words for tomatoes and fish, this could be a bit embarrassing, but that’s where you get to learn.

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Make Memories from New Experiences

Do you usually take photos during your travel, or collect items like currencies or souvenirs after the trip? If not then we strongly suggest you to, as this is one of the benefits of travelling that could be valuable to you. Photos, or videos, that are taken from a trip, whether you keep them on your phone or post on social media, can remind you of the good time you have spent. Even an object you take home from the trip can really awaken your memories and feelings.

Memories from travelling are often connected with positive emotions, when you try something new, or the excitement you get from going to a new place that makes you feel at one with yourself and others around you. There are definitely times when you face unexpected obstacles on the journey, however, after you figure how to settle them, those memories are the life lessons that you have got a chance to learn.

If you travel in a big group, special memories from the trip can be turned into engaging stories that can last for a lifetime. When we travel, we are relaxed and open to show our true colors, which even adds more spices to the fun. This is the reason why travelling can be such a great bonding activity for families or groups of friends.

Why Travel is Good for You - How Travelling Helps You Understand Yourself More is Very Important

Travelling alone facilitates a process of introspection, allowing you to reflect on your own emotional and mental well-being. This is a wonderful benefit of travelling that you might not have thought of. When you are away from the stress of your daily life, be present and live in the moment, you are more likely to be conscientious about how you think and feel.

When you travel internationally, you get to observe how you feel being far away from your own culture. You observe the differences in people’s manners and behaviors, how people think and react to specific situations. From there, it is human instinct to compare the differences. You then start to explore and compare how it is different from your own culture and mindset, how other people are different from you, and why. Eventually, travelling will help in the process of understanding yourself more and give you a reflection on how you feel and think.

On the other side of this self-discovery process, travelling even changes you. You are not the same person after returning home from a journey. You have tons of intriguing stories to tell, you are more open and accepted. Moreover, travelling helps you reinvent yourself and re-evaluate your values in life after the lessons you learn on the road. Travelling teaches you to be more patient and curious about the world around you. This benefit undoubtedly helps in understanding and developing yourself.

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Helps Reduce Stress and Eases Anxiety

When you choose to leave your daily work to travel, you give yourself an opportunity to be more connected with nature. Fresh air and sunshine are a benefit to your health, fresh air boosts oxygen in your body and sunshine provides you with vitamin D. Being connected to these elements of nature makes you feel calmer, which definitely helps with stress and anxiety.

Whether you are a fan of hiking, cycling, climbing or diving, they are all a cure for depression while you travel. Fun and adventurous activities help you to relieve stress as you get to live and enjoy the moment. Leave your daily hassles away, pack your bag, go on a trip and get some air!

Why People Are Travelling - Travelling Gets You out of a Rut of Daily Life

Travelling is one of the great ways to get out of the hustle and bustle of your everyday life. It frees you from your daily schedule and allows you to have time for yourself to relax and explore. To some people, 9-5 jobs are occasionally mundane and repetitive, which makes a break from work totally a must. It is easy to get stuck in the workload and forget about our purposes and direction in life. Therefore, travelling gives us a pause from ordinary life and helps us get more focused on ourselves.

The Benefits of Travelling: World Travel Teaches Us to Appreciate the Beauty and Fragility of Nature and the Earth

If you ever wander off the rice terraces in the Philippines and Vietnam, dip in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, or fall in love with the cherry blossoms season in Japan, you definitely feel a great sense of appreciation and gratitude for what Mother Nature has offered. Travelling opens your eyes to the absolutely breathtaking wonders of the Earth, especially if you gaze upon them with your own eyes.

World travellers are people who have witnessed the diversity of nature and wildlife, and how fragile this Earth can be. Travelling is eye-opening and enriching our responsibility of protecting the planet that we are living on. It makes us realise that nature and animals are suffering from human activities and raises more awareness about our crucial role in developing a more sustainable future.

Why Is Travelling Important? Travelling Helps You Find a New Purpose and Forces You to Take Action

For some people, travelling can be a life-changing experience. If you are at an important transition in your life and thinking of making a decision, travelling is a breath of fresh air to slow things down and it gives you time to think it through. If you are looking for a purpose and direction in life, try planning a trip to unfamiliar surroundings and experiencing it as much as you can. What if you see a meaning out of it and figure out what you are looking for?

Believe it or not, travelling can turn you into a better decision-maker. Travelling is about decision-making in the whole process, from planning a trip, to deciding a place to eat, or where to go, you need to be determined and actively leading the way. If you are confident in making those little decisions, it will build up your determination in bigger decisions in life.

Travel Makes You Embrace Your Home and Ordinary Life More - One of The Advantages of Travelling

We often tend to dream of travelling and those days off hitting the road while we’re working 9 to 5. However, when we travel, there are certain situations that you may find yourself miss the feeling of home and how convenient it is to be in your own comfort zone. You will begin to appreciate the essentials you have at home when you travel. The feeling of a comfy bed and pillows at home may pop in your mind when you spend days and weeks sleeping in hostels or camping tents. You may miss your own bathroom when you share it with other travellers in dorms and hostels. Those are the little things that you will appreciate when you are back home from a long journey.

What’s more, the language barrier is another aspect that can make you miss home when you travel. Of course, during the trip, you might be able to use some basic communication with the locals and can pick up several phrases here and there. However, you will definitely miss the feeling of being able to join in a more in-depth conversation, discussing politics, or expressing your opinions at some point.

The Benefits of Travelling: You May Find the Love of Your Life When You Travel and Meet New People

“Could you find love on the road?” Yes, it is possible. You meet plenty of like-minded people when you spend days hitting the road. Someone who shares the same values and mindset as you might come along unexpectedly and suddenly you feel connected to them. Especially when you travel, you open your mind and heart to new experiences, therefore, falling in love with someone is very likely to happen.

Travelling can indeed bring people closer, which is why couples choose to spend time together on a vacation to spice up their relationship. But what about meeting a total stranger and falling head over heels unexpectedly, while strolling on the riverside or a random beach? That sounds more intriguing. That random stranger might just be a fling or can turn into the love of your life, who knows?

It caught my attention when you said that you can get helping reducing stress when you engage in fun and adventurous activities while you travel. As you said, traveling gives you an opportunity to be more connected with nature. With this in mind, I will consider finding great travel ideas so I can plan my vacation. Since December last year, I have been feeling so stressed due to the divorce process that I had to go through, so it is important for me to find places where I can feel recharged and relaxed. Thanks for sharing this. https://www.homegrowngreat.com/discover/attractions/

It’s great that you mentioned that one of the health benefits of travelling is that when we travel to new surroundings, we press a restart button to our body and mind, which brings in fresh energy when we get back to our regular activities. My husband and I will go on vacation to a family resort this weekend with our family. I’ll share this with him since we really need to travel more often and destress from work. Thanks! https://edgeofthewilderness.com/resort-lodging-minnesota-northern.html

Interesting article. So many reasons to travel!

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Experiential Travel: Creating Memories, Not Checklists

Trends in the tourism industry are constantly evolving, and experiential travel is one of the latest trends that has only increased in popularity over the years. The key point of experiential travel is to create memories that will last you a lifetime, and if that sounds like exactly your type of travel, this guide will be helpful.

What exactly is experiential travel, why should you engage in it more often, and the top tour operators for experiential trips are just some of the key things covered in this detailed guide. Keep reading to learn more about experiential travel and see why so many people have become engrossed with it!

What Is Experiential Travel?

Experiential travel is a travel method that has been talked about for decades but has become increasingly popular over the last few years. It’s essentially a way of traveling that allows you to really dig deep into the local culture and fully experience every new place you visit.

Experiential tourism is mostly focused on experiences as opposed to destinations. It also entails spending more time with locals and exploring off-the-beaten paths, instead of just visiting tourist attractions with the highest ratings on Trip Advisor and Google Maps.

This type of tourism is also known as immersion travel because it entails travelers being fully immersed in a local culture. I like to think that immersion travel is just one aspect of experiential travel, and that adventure travel is just as an important part of it.

You can immerse yourself in a local culture all you want but if you don’t actually have authentic local experiences, I don’t think you can still call it experiential travel.

The complete opposite of experiential travel would be something like traveling to a foreign destination and staying at a resort the entire time you’re there. Sure, it’s nice to relax for a few days and spend your time sipping cocktails on the beach, but can you really say you’ve visited Mexico if you’ve never left the hotel? Experiential travelers would disagree.

Benefits of Experiential Travel

The main advantage of experiential travel is that you will end your trips feeling enriched by local cultures, and you will create memories that will last forever. You will actually get to learn and understand the history and traditions of a place, and if you do it right, you can make friends everywhere in the world.

Another benefit of experiential travel is that it should be more affordable. You wouldn’t stay in a fancy hotel, but rather in an apartment rented out by a local. You can even look into house-sitting and pet-sitting options, or just stick to couchsurfing for the most authentic experiences.

Choosing local accommodation instead of mass hotel chains allows you to get in touch with the hosts, which can provide valuable tips about the local communities and the destination’s culture.

Examples of Experiential Travel

When I plan a trip to a new country, I usually start off by creating a map on Google Maps with all the most famous landmarks, tourist attractions, and museums. I prefer to do things by myself and I avoid hiring guides and travel agents, so I do aim to achieve some level of immersion into local culture.

I also make it a point to eat at as many local restaurants as possible and try all the most famous foods in that city. The opposite would be sticking to Burger King or McDonald’s because they’re “safe” options.

While all of that is part of immersion travel, a true experiential traveler wouldn’t aim to visit just the most famous attractions in a new city. Instead, they would look for knowledgeable locals who would help them find all the best-hidden gems and places that locals enjoy the most. It could include visiting a quaint restaurant with the best local cuisine or partaking in an activity that is specific to that city.

It means joining a pasta-making class when you’re in Italy, partaking in a Flamenco dance class while you’re exploring Spain, or attending a local football game when you’re staying in England.

Planning an Experiential Travel Trip

When you’re planning an experiential travel trip, try to focus on encountering authentic local experiences. I would suggest starting off with a quick walking tour of the city. But try to look for local guides that do these tours in smaller groups – it will be a much more immersive experience and you’ll get to actually learn something, especially if you’re spending time with like-minded travelers.

Then, I suggest you do some research about the cuisine of the place you are visiting and learn about the different local dishes. Try to find restaurants that are frequented by locals – if you’re not having too much success, ask your host or a local guide for recommendations.

I’ve found that asking people on Reddit can also yield some great results because there are often locals who are willing to help tourists get to know their cultures.

Next, consider what the country or city you’re visiting is most famous for and try to find attractions or experiences that incorporate that to really get a sense of how the locals are living. An example of this would be going on at least one hike if you’re traveling in the more rural areas of Switzerland, or swimming in the Rhine River if you’re staying in Basel because it’s what the locals actually do.

Top Experiential Travel Companies

Velocity black.

Velocity Black is one of the best examples of a modern concierge service that goes above and beyond for its clients. Services offered by the company include organizing trips and holidays that are tailored to your wants and needs. Velocity Black can offer its members deals on flights with the world’s best airlines, free upgrades, and access to some of the best hotels in the world.

The company is also able to organize special experiences for its clients, which range from hanging out with celebrities to swimming with orcas. The annual membership fee is £2,000 and there’s currently a waiting list to join.

Vivid Travel

Vivid Travel is an experiential travel company that focuses on creating personalized travel itineraries for their customers. The agents will ask you questions about preferences for accommodation, ideas for experiences, and attractions, but also about your budget and preferred vacation length.

Then, they can create you a unique itinerary that explores all the things that interest you the most, while staying within your budget. They’ll do all the booking for you, and it’s a great company to use if you don’t like doing the research and bookings yourself.

Niquesa Travel

Niquesa Travel is another tour operator that specializes in custom travel itineraries. It’s more of a luxury travel company, so not the best operator to use if you’re trying to travel on a tighter budget. The company can plan and organize every aspect of your trip, from flights to immersive experiences.

You can contact Niquesa Travel to arrange any type of trip you want, and they also have a few pre-made itineraries that sound amazing. Travel to Morocco on a limited budget and follow a series of clues as you explore the local culture, or go on a road trip through England in a supercar.

Black Tomato

Black Tomato is a favored luxury travel company for experiential travel. This company has pre-made itineraries for virtually every corner of the world, but its agents can also create entirely new customized itineraries for customers.

Trekking in Nepal, safaris in Uganda, and sailing in the Galapagos Islands are just some examples of trips this company can arrange for you. Allowing Black Tomato to plan your trip means you’ll need to tell them everything about your preferences and budget, and they’ll do absolutely everything for you from booking the plane tickets to reserving you a spot in the pasta-making class in Tuscany.

Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent is one of the oldest luxury travel companies with a history of more than six decades. The company is known for incredibly detailed personalized itineraries, as well as excellent service.

Booking a trip with Abercrombie & Kent means that you could attend a private tour of a museum, get customized meals, and stay at places that are off-limits for regular people. This is one of the priciest tour agencies for experiential travel, but also one that can offer you a unique and personalized experience in every corner of the world.

Current Trends in Experiential Travel

Trends in the travel industry are constantly changing, but the core of experiential travel will always be immersive experiences. Adventure tourism is becoming an increasingly important part of experiential travel, and more and more travelers are spending their time hiking, backpacking, rafting, skydiving, and engaging in all sorts of other adventures that are typical for the places they are visiting.

Meaningful engagement with the local communities is also a growing trend in experiential travel. Forming an emotional connection with people in a foreign place is essential for creating lifelong memories, and an increasing number of people will spend their time visiting schools, museums, theaters, and similar places that the locals frequent in their daily lives.

But the way I see it, you should focus on experiences you’re genuinely interested in, and skip any experiences you might not enjoy, regardless of how local they are. An example of this would be if you were in London – maybe it would be a truly authentic local experience to spend an afternoon at a pub and go to a football match, but if that’s not something you would genuinely enjoy, you absolutely shouldn’t do it.

Instead, do something that’s fun for you – see a play at the Globe Theater, or spend an afternoon in the Natural History Museum, if that’s more up your alley.

The Future of Experiential Travel

Even with the rise of experiential travel among young adults, there is still absolutely a market for those who prefer to spend their vacation days lounging and relaxing. However, experiential travel has become extremely popular over the past few years, and it was in part a result of the global pandemic of 2020.

Most of the world was stuck for nearly a year, unable to leave their house properly, let alone travel to a new destination. When the countless restrictions were finely dropped and we were allowed to start traveling again, people wanted to get out of the house and do something.

The future of experiential travel lies in more personalized experiences and sustainability. More and more tour operators are shifting to offering immersive travel experiences to satisfy the growing demand for experiential trips. Also, the importance of AI is growing at the same time as the demand for experiential tours, and it’s hard to imagine a world in which the two don’t become integrated.

It’s expected that travel companies will turn to AI to help create unique and personalized itineraries and that VR will become a bit component of experiential travel. It’s only a matter of time until VR allows us to become fully immersed in destinations that we cannot physically visit, whether it’s a trip to Macchu Picchu from the comfort of your couch or a tour of ancient Rome.

About the Author Anna Timbrook

Anna is the co-owner of expert world travel and can't wait to share her travel experience with the world. With over 54 countries under her belt she has a lot to write about! Including those insane encounters with black bears in Canada.

7 ways travel can benefit your mental health

Jan 20, 2021 • 6 min read

Travel can help boost your mental health.

Travel can boost your mental health. © d3sign/Getty

The benefits of travel go beyond making memories and meeting new people. Getting out of your comfort zone and exploring a new place can have a remarkably positive impact on your emotional wellbeing.

Even in these times when traveling far distances can feel uncertain, changing up your daily routine at a nearby town or locale on a weekend day can help to change your mindset and help to ease the stress of the daily grind.

Here are seven ways travel can be good for your mental health.

A female hiker walking on rocky ground near Salto Grande Waterfall in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. In the background numerous snowy mountains are visible.

1. It can help you stay fit and healthy

Physical exercise is known to improve mental wellbeing, and travel offers ample opportunity to get active. Whether you enjoy pounding the pavement on a city break, swimming in the sea or summiting mountain peaks , getting to know a new destination by embracing the great outdoors can boost energy levels and improve your mood.

Immersing yourself in and connecting with nature is another key way to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression – and while you can do this anywhere (even in cities), it makes sense to incorporate a little ecotherapy into your travels too.

2. It shakes up the status quo

Whether you venture abroad or simply to the next town over, taking a break from your usual routines with a trip away from home can help break negative cycles, get you out of a rut and reveal a world of possibilities beyond your bubble.

'When I'm in a period of depression, getting out of the house and out of negative routines (for me, wallowing on the couch and eating junk food) can help to clear my head and give me the space to properly consider the things my brain is telling me,' says David Owen , YA author and former travel editor. 'Going somewhere completely outside of my usual sphere, be that close to home or abroad, can be an effective way of gaining both literal and metaphorical distance. If nothing else, I have interesting stuff to go and look at and do as a distraction!'

A black tuk tuk speeds along a street in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The vehicle and passengers are sharply in focus, while the background is blurred, giving the impression the tuk tuk is travelling as great speed.

3. It gives you a different perspective

Experiencing different cultures can open your eyes to new ways of living. Something as simple as learning a new recipe or changing the way you spend your downtime can have a dramatic effect on your wellbeing. Travel can lead you to question and challenge the norms of everyday life at home, potentially inspiring you to make positive changes.

When I feel my own stress levels rising, for example, I like to think back to my experiences riding in tuk-tuks in Sri Lanka . As we overtook buses on blind corners, dodged death-wish pedestrians and got cut up by countless motorbikes, our driver remained relaxed and took it all in his stride, as did other road users. Despite the chaos, everyone was calm. After a few of these journeys, my own worries and bewilderment dissipated as I realized that the alternative responses – fear or road rage – serve no one. I try to apply this lesson to my life at home: you cannot control the actions of others – only the way you respond to them.

4. It increases creativity

It’s been scientifically proven that new experiences – particularly ones that allow you to immerse yourself in a different culture – improve the neuroplasticity of your brain, increasing creativity in the process. After a stint of grief-induced agoraphobia, Erica Buist traveled around the world to take part in seven festivals for the dead – and wrote a book about it.

'I helped build an altar for the dead in Mexico , danced in a parade in Nepal , learned enough Japanese to get by in Kyoto and in Madagascar , I got hit in the head by a corpse (it was on the shoulders of its dancing descendants)', she says. 'Every now and again I feel a shadow of not wanting to leave the house, but after all the experiences I’ve had, it’s hard to doubt my ability to get to the shops. Travel is stressful, even when it’s wonderful, and now when things go south it's almost like the travel I've done is a benchmark I know I can get back to.’

5. It lowers stress levels

Sometimes all your body and mind need is a rest – and where better to chill out than on a sun lounger somewhere warm? Sunshine is a great stress-buster, giving you a dose of mood-boosting vitamin D and increasing the brain’s release of serotonin, the so-called ‘happy hormone’. Leaving work stress and the everyday routine behind in exchange for afternoon naps, leisurely walks and the freedom to make your own schedule can do your mental health the world of good. Spending time away with friends and loved ones can add to the feel-good factor, while solo travel can refresh your sense of independence.

6. It boosts self-esteem and confidence

Travel isn’t always swaying palms and spa days. It can also mean navigating crowds in excessive heat, getting lost, struggling with language barriers or culture shock – all of which is extra challenging if you’re prone to feeling down or anxious. Claire and Laura from Twins that Travel have found that dealing with travel stress has helped them cope in their everyday lives.

‘For us, travel has become an unlikely form of therapy for our anxiety. By keeping our worlds "big", travel gives context to the smaller tasks in life that can often feel overwhelming when you suffer with anxiety. For example, the elation of stepping off a plane after getting ourselves to the other side of the world makes completing a short train journey seem easily achievable. Travel continues to keep our lives open and fulfilled, which in turn, leads to better mental health.’

A group of travellers, stood round a large table, grind herbs into bowls as part of a cooking class in Battambang, Cambodia. The girl at the end of the table, facing the camera, has a big smile on her face.

7. It’s an act of self-care

When you’re feeling low, it’s easy to feel guilty or undeserving of nice things. But treating yourself to a trip – whether it’s a staycation or far-flung getaway – can be an empowering act of self-care.

‘Of course, anxiety and depression can make traveling difficult. Anxiety makes me worry about doing it, and depression both saps my energy to organize it and tells me I'm not worth the effort,’ says David. ‘Planning a trip can be a good way to push through that and show yourself some love or give yourself some purpose.’

As well as the focus and excitement travel planning can bring, travel itself grants you the freedom to do what you love, take time to rest and practice living in the moment. To this end, for many people, travel is not simply an enjoyable pastime, but an essential part of fostering a healthy, positive mindset.

Please note: If you do suffer with mental health problems, make sure you read up on government advice and healthcare guidance , as well as talking it through with trusted people in your support network, before choosing to embark on a trip.

You might also like: Healthline's Dr. Jenny Yu: What it means to travel "well" in a pandemic How to take care of your mental wellness in times of COVID-19 Six tips for curbing pre-flight tension

This article was first published Nov 1, 2019 and updated Jan 20, 2021.

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A coin-operated telescope at Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington

Travel has been linked to greater happiness, empathy, and creativity. But science suggests even just thinking about a trip can give your brain a boost.

Here’s why planning a trip can help your mental health

Even during a pandemic, thinking about travel can make you happy.

With the pandemic far from over, now may not be the right time for leisure travel. But that doesn’t mean trip planning is canceled too. There’s some good news for globe-trotters: According to researchers, looking ahead to your next adventure could benefit your mental health. Even if you’re not sure when that adventure will be.

Some psychologists tout the mental benefits of vacationing somewhere new . One 2013 survey of 485 adults in the U.S. linked travel to enhanced empathy, attention, energy, and focus. Other research suggests that the act of adapting to foreign cultures may also facilitate creativity. But what about the act of planning a trip? Can we get a mental health boost from travel before we even leave home?

Scientists talk travel

Planning and anticipating a trip can be almost as enjoyable as going on the trip itself, and there’s research to back it up. A 2014 Cornell University study delved into how the anticipation of an experience (like a trip) can increase a person’s happiness substantially—much more so than the anticipation of buying material goods. An earlier study , published by the University of Surrey in 2002, found that people are at their happiest when they have a vacation planned.

Amit Kumar , one of the co-authors of the Cornell study, explains that the benefits are less about obsessing over the finer points of an itinerary than they are about connecting with other people. One reason? Travelers “end up talking to people more about their experiences than they talk about material purchases,” he says. “Compared to possessions, experiences make for better story material.”

( Related: This singer traveled halfway around the world to witness one breathtaking performance. )

Among the pandemic’s many challenges: quarantine measures greatly reduce our ability to create new experiences and connect with other people. And we’re craving those those connections and their social benefits more than ever.

Kumar, now an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, says that the social-distancing experiment the pandemic forced on us has emphasized how much humans—social animals that we are—need to be together. He even suggests replacing the phrase “social distancing” with “physical distancing,” which better describes what we’re now doing; after all, quarantine measures are designed to protect our physical well-being.

Managing emotional well-being is a different challenge. While we may not be as physically close to others as usual, we’re still able to interact with each other socially through voice and video chats. But you still need something to talk about—and plans for the future can serve as the perfect talking points for enhancing social relationships.

Kumar’s co-author Matthew Killingsworth, now a senior fellow at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, says trip-planning encourages an optimistic outlook.

“As humans, we spend a lot of our mental lives living in the future,” says Killingsworth, whose work centers on understanding the nature and causes of human happiness. “Our future-mindedness can be a source of joy if we know good things are coming, and travel is an especially good thing to have to look forward to.”

One reason Killingsworth thinks that planning travel can be such a positive experience? The fact that trips are temporary. “Since we know a trip has a defined start and end, our minds are prone to savor it, even before it’s started,” he says. “Sometimes people even prefer to delay good experiences like a trip so they can extend the period of anticipation.”

( Related: Is virtual travel here to stay, even after the pandemic subsides? )

There’s another reason travel planning can produce happiness: We often know enough about a trip to imagine it and look forward to it—but there’s also enough novelty and uncertainty to keep our minds interested.

“In a sense, we start to ‘consume’ a trip as soon as we start thinking about it,” Killingsworth says. “When we imagine eating gelato in a piazza in Rome or going water skiing with friends we don’t see as much as we’d like, we get to experience a version of those events in our mind.”

Planning during a pandemic

The post-pandemic future of travel is still unmapped. But Killingsworth recommends planning a vague itinerary (where to go, what to do)—without getting attached to taking the trip at any specific time. Then, start booking flights and hotels once experts say it’s safe to travel again. “If the experience becomes more stressful or depressing than fun, file it away for another time.”

Former clinical psychologist turned author Alice Boyes agrees the general approach is best for now, “like learning about a national park you want to visit.”

Related: iconic American destinations

Middle Fork Flathead River in Glacier National Park

While travel can be anxiety-inducing—especially in the era of COVID-19—Boyes suggests that trip-planning can be calming.

“If you’re anxious by nature, trip-planning can give you a sense of comfort and reduced anxiety,” she says. “For instance, I like to know exactly how I’m going to get from the airport to my hotel upon arrival in a foreign country. I like viewing the walking directions to places and using street view on Google maps, all in advance, so I have a good idea of what to expect and feel confident.”

“This virus can stop our travel plans, but it cannot stop our travel dreams,” says travel expert Rick Steves in conversation with the New York Times . Planning for travel—thinking about it, talking about it, imagining it—may in fact be the best thing you can do to stay optimistic and, when this is all behind us, be ready to embark on your trip of a lifetime.

Tips and tricks

Get inspired. No matter what kind of trip you’re longing to take, there’s a wide world of travel books to nourish inspiration. Try these great reads that whisk you away to paradise —or get excited to slow down and savor the journey .
Brush up on your trip-planning skills. New York Times ’ “Frugal Traveler” Seth Kugel visited 50 countries in six years; his book Rediscovering Travel: A Guide for the Globally Curious offers advice on how to channel the whimsy of global vagabonding. National Geographic’s 50 States, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do lays out the best travel experiences in every U.S. state, from the obvious to the unexpected.
Ask for help . Yes, people still use travel agents —and with good reason. Now called travel advisors, they can help find the best deals, arrange complicated itineraries, and juggle large groups or family vacations.
Gather some maps . Nothing illuminates a place or helps you plan a trip like a good map. National Geographic publishes hundreds of world, continent, country, and city maps and atlases.

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How Travels Spurs Personal Growth

New research on peak experiences offers fresh insights..

Posted February 13, 2020 | Reviewed by Daniel Lyons M.A.

“To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive” asserted Robert Louis Stevenson, the famed late 19th-century British writer. In his short life of 44 years, he roamed far from his native Edinburgh—and saw much of the world, seeking both adventure and love. But as my new collaborative research with Ahrisue Choi and Kristin Bongcaras reveals, Stevenson’s cautionary aphorism is incorrect.

How so? In surveying peak experiences involving travel among over 200 people between the ages of 18 and 39, we found that nearly 82% reported that traveling had helped them in problem-solving or decision-making . Indeed, their elaborations showed a variety of psychological benefits surely unanticipated by the celebrated author of Treasure Island and Kidnapped .

To be fair toward Stevenson, he wasn’t alone in ignoring the importance of travel for personal growth and well-being. Virtually none of the founders of modern psychology analyzed this important connection or even noted it. You might think that Abraham Maslow had insights to offer, but perhaps because he traveled so little in his own life, the linkage eluded him. It wasn’t until the mid-1970s that this conceptual bond was forged, when Peter Adler argued that the culture shock experienced by “exchange students, international volunteers, military and diplomatic personnel, and others engaged in cross-cultural {endeavors} needn’t be entirely negative.” Rather, Adler insisted, culture shock could spur self-development and even self-actualization by exposure to new beliefs, values, and lifestyles.

Since Peter Adler’s pioneering formulation, research in this genre has focused mainly on tourism rather than work-related travel, probably due to the huge expansion of international tourism. For example, a study led by Chris Ryan of the University of Waikato in New Zealand found that touring backpackers had memorable experiences involving themes of difference, uniqueness, bonding with others, and a sense of achievement. More recently, Ondrej Mitas at Breda University in the Netherlands and his colleagues identified a variety of positive emotions in leisure travel, including contentment, interest, love, and joy.

How does travel/tourism specifically help with problem-solving and decision-making? Our study uncovered 7 distinct pay-offs:

De-cluttered and better thinking . For example, one participant related, “When I travel, I can make my world as slow as possible for me to think” and another recounted that, “It cleared my mind. It gave me time to really think and weigh things out.”
Greater calmness and peace of mind . To illustrate this, one participant reported, “It helped me ease my mind from stress ” and another stated that, “Travel helped me not to overthink problems, and to relax and have time for my family.”
Increased hope and optimism . One participant commented, “To always be grateful for what I have” and another said that, “I helped regain my confidence when I was on the brink of giving up my job-hunting due to constant rejection.”
A broader perspective on human life and culture . Another participant recounted, “It helped me as a marketing officer to learn more about the culture of other people and to relate to them more easily.” Similarly, another related that, “It made me realize how big the world is and how everybody else’s lives just go on, no matter what I was going through. It gave me a broader perspective.”
Heightened self-discovery through solitary time . Another participant mused, “Being free of day-to-day hassles helped me to focus on self-reflection” and another poetically recalled, “It made me see the <value> of every failure I had in the past and to be more productive in my work.”
Enhanced gratitude and appreciation . One participant reported, “It made me appreciate little things in life and value more time for people whom I want to be with.” Another noted that “Somehow, it helped me to wonder about all the beautiful things in life and appreciate it.”
Self-empowerment —such as spurring greater courage, self-confidence , and autonomy. For instance, one participant commented that “It made me quit my routine job that was making me unhappy. It showed me that life is not only about making money; it’s about how you make the most out of the life that’s given to you.”

Can travel bring additional psychological benefits to people in their 20s and 30s? How about to those in midlife and beyond? To what extent are the growth gains outlined above influenced by our individual traits, interests, and goals ? Moreover, how does travel enhance our mindfulness , optimism, or sense of gratitude? Further research will tell us. But in the meantime, don’t hesitate to make your travel plans now.

Adler, P.S. (1975). The transitional experience: An alternative view of culture shock. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 15 (4), 13-23.

Mitas, O., Yarnal, C., Adams, R., & Ram, N. (2012). Taking a "peak" at leisure travelers' positive emotions. Leisure Sciences, 34, 115-135.

Ryan, C., Trauer, B., Kave, J., & Sharma, A. & Sharma, S. (2003). Backpackers—What is the peak experience? Tourism Recreation Research, 28 , 93-98.

Edward Hoffman, Ph.D. , teaches psychology at Yeshiva University.

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Discover 10 Surprising Benefits of Travel for Your Mind, Body, and Soul

Travel is a powerful way to explore new cultures, meet new people, and gain a fresh perspective on the world. In this article, we’ll explore the many benefits of travel and how it can positively impact our lives. Whether it’s improving our mental health, broadening our cultural horizons, or providing valuable educational experiences, travel offers something for everyone.

The Benefits of Travel

Traveling can be a life-changing experience that provides numerous benefits for the mind, body, and soul. Indeed, it can enhance one’s life in many ways.

1. Enhanced Creativity

Traveling to new and unfamiliar places can spark creativity and inspire new ideas. Exploring different cultures, art, and history can ignite the imagination and lead to new perspectives. Especially, visiting art museums around the world will significantly boost your creation to another level.

Furthermore, travel provides a stimulating and novel environment that can help stimulate creativity. Whether it’s new sounds, smells, or sights, exploring different cultures can offer inspiration for creative thinking. Exposure to new languages, arts, music, and food can spark the imagination, leading to new innovations.

2. Better Mental Health

In fact, travel has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health. Traveling can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and provide a sense of happiness and fulfillment. Indeed, breaking free from routine, exploring new places, and engaging in new experiences can help reduce stress and improve mood. Also, new experiences and environments can refresh the mind and improve mental well-being. In fact, Norris on Medical News Today points out that tourism has the potential to positively affect well-being and quality of life through various factors.

Plus, travel can provide an opportunity for self-discovery and personal growth, leading to increased self-esteem and confidence.

3. Increased Appreciation

Appreciation is one of the top benefits of travel. Traveling can create memories and experiences that enhance one’s recognization and enjoyment of life and foster a deeper sense of gratitude. Truly, seeing new places and meeting new people can create lasting memories and a greater appreciation for the world.

4. Stronger Relationships

Traveling with loved ones or meeting new people while traveling can create stronger bonds and foster deeper connections. Shared experiences and memories can create lifelong friendships and strengthen existing relationships. Who knows if a special relationship can be formed after a trip?

5. Improved Problem-Solving Skills

Traveling can present unexpected challenges and opportunities to problem-solve. As a result, it can improve one’s critical thinking and decision-making abilities. Then, these skills can be transferred to other areas of life and lead to personal growth.

6. Fosters Interpersonal Skills

In fact, traveling requires stepping outside of one’s comfort zone. You have many chances to interact with new people from different backgrounds which helps develop interpersonal skills. Moreover, being exposed to different cultures, languages, and social norms can help foster a greater understanding of others and can promote empathy, communication, and collaboration.

7. Increased Adaptability

Traveling to new places requires one to be adaptable and flexible. As a result, it can improve one’s ability to handle change and new situations. To elaborate, you may wake up. This skill can be beneficial in all areas of life and improve one’s overall well-being.

8. Provides Learning Opportunities

Traveling can offer a wealth of learning opportunities, from history and art to science and technology. Exploring museums, landmarks, and cultural sites can provide an opportunity to learn about different aspects of the world. In addition, travel can offer hands-on experiences that can help solidify learning. For instance, learning a new language, trying new foods, or participating in local activities in new places.

9. Open More Chances of Earning

Traveling gives you the opportunity to meet professionals, learn new skills, and see new businesses along the way. Besides that, you can join conferences, and trading fairs in cities which give you more knowledge, and info, and expand your network. All of those things give you chances to have more income for your journey exploring the world.

Vietnamese people get benefits from traveling. For example, restaurant owners usually travel to other places and find good dishes that they can do in their restaurants. Good new foods always attract many customers. Additionally, construction engineers can learn from other architecture to improve their skills.

10. Promotes Personal Growth

Travel has the power to transform individuals, promoting personal growth and development. By exploring new cultures and perspectives, individuals can gain a better understanding of themselves and the world around them. Travel can also provide an opportunity to step outside of one’s comfort zone, overcome challenges, and develop new skills. In other words, traveling makes you smarter .

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is travel important to life.

Travel is important to life for many reasons. Firstly, it can help individuals broaden their perspectives, gain new experiences, and develop new skills. Secondly, it can promote personal growth and development and can help alleviate stress and anxiety, leading to improved mental health. Plus, travel can provide an opportunity for self-discovery, learning, and creativity. Finally, by experiencing different cultures, individuals can develop empathy, understanding, and appreciation for others. Travelers can also foster greater harmony and cooperation across borders and cultures.

What do You Gain from Traveling?

Traveling provides us with unique opportunities to learn, grow, and explore. Indeed, we can gain new insights into different cultures and traditions, challenge our assumptions, and make new connections.

What is the Value of Traveling?

The value of traveling is immeasurable. It can help us improve our physical and mental health, broaden our cultural understanding, and expand our knowledge and skillsets. Additionally, it can promote social connections and relationships.

There are so Many Benefits of Travel

Travel offers a wide range of benefits that can have a positive impact on individuals, communities, and the world. From physical and mental health benefits to cultural and educational experiences, travel can broaden perspectives, improve personal growth, and promote social connections. Travel can also stimulate economic development and promote environmental sustainability. As such, it is important for individuals to prioritize travel and make it a regular part of their lives. By doing so, they can reap the many benefits that travel has to offer.

The Broad Life introduces to you great, inspirational books for your wanderlust. They aren’t just simple travel, each book recounts the author’s journey to discover and learn many awesome things from new civilizations and places. > READ MORE: THE BEST TRAVEL BOOKS OF ALL TIME

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Khoi Nguyen

Khoi Nguyen builds The Broad Life with a desire to inspire people go exploring the world and live a more interesting, experience, and adventurous life. This blog shares the stories, pictures, and experiences at destinations where he has traveled to.

26 Comments

Wow, what an amazing post about the benefits of travel! I couldn’t agree more that traveling is not just a way to explore new destinations, but it also has a significant impact on our mind, body, and soul. Your post perfectly highlights the positive effects that traveling can have on our mental health, such as reducing stress, increasing creativity, and boosting happiness. Thank you for sharing this valuable information with us.

Thank you a lot for your comment! I’m glad that this post brings value info to you.

Stephanie Grillo

Travel is such a wonderful way to open our minds to new things. The list of benefits of traveling in this article make me want to hop on a plan and experience all of these.

I’m sure there are so many things for you to enjoy from traveling.

thewelltraveledchild

Travel is my soul! We travel the world as a family and the connections and relationships we have formed from it are so significant. Best form of school for my kiddos!

Absolutely! I take my family to many places and we discover the world together.

Nicole bertrand

As someone who loves to travel, I can say that all of these benefits ring true. Great post!

Thanks for your comment!

Gervin Khan

I’ve agree with this, by traveling we recover and recharge our well-being! That’s why we don’t build material things rather than experience! An awesome article to read! Loved it!

Thanks a lot for your comment! Traveling truly brings us more than we can expect.

I love travel so much too! Much harder these days with kids as it requires more planning. Lol!

Haha, you can think of a local resort where you can spend time with your kids easier while you are able to discover the area’s attractions.

Moments Inspire

All of this is so true. I love travel alot and always feel these effects but never took the time to connect the two.

It’s always needed for the first experience then you will have the next ones continuously.

Share to Inspire blog (@pacioalita)

I couldnt agree more with these reasons why someone should travel. Its good for our mind body and soul. I wish I can travel more often.

I hope you can travel more often.

I agree with all of this!!! My life (and me as a person) would be drastically different if I didn’t have all my travel experiences.

So good to hear you sharing! Traveling truly brings us so many special experiences and changes.

Ntensibe Edgar

Ah yes! Increased appreciation of what you have and more learning opportunities are my biggest wins from travel. Reminds me of my first time travelling to Tanzania; I was blown away by what I found there.

That’s the best part of traveling!

Fransic verso

It’s definitely good for mental health and help to learn more. These are spot on things that can help you to improve.

Life With Sonia | Women Empowerment Blogger (@lifewithsonia)

I agree to all. Travelling gives me a sense of freedom. Yes, you are right, it does help with problem solving skills too because you get to meet different people in different culture. I really enjoy traveling..i can’t wait to travel again.

Enjoy traveling!

Neely Moldovan

I love this! Travel is so good for your soul! Just even to refresh you!

Definitely!

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14 BENEFITS OF TRAVELLING (& Easy Ways To Enhance Your Travel Experience)

July 15, 2023

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Many of us understand and enjoy the health benefits of travelling , we feel calmer, happier and more relaxed. But in what other ways does travel impact on our lives?

The benefits of travelling are instant. As soon as you start planning and booking a trip, you feel excited.

Travel means different things to each of us, however the benefits gained through travel are far-reaching and last long after we return from a trip. Here, I outline why travel can have such a positive effect on your life and discuss some of the main benefits to a traveller.

14 INCREDIBLE BENEFITS OF TRAVELLING

1. brings a sense of calm to an overloaded mind.

Let’s face it, life can be hectic, hurried and packed with mundane and stressful times. We can be left feeling as though we are riding a rollercoaster of emotions, with no way of stopping and getting off.

While some stress can be good for us, allowing our minds to find peace is also important. Travel can have an enormous positive effect on our mental health and wellbeing. Without any commitments, we can change our outlook and reduce our stress levels.

Away from the normal daily life worries, concerns and thoughts, we are able to switch off and find a sense of calmness.

2. ALLOWS YOU TO DISCOVER NEW THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF

Travel takes us out of our normal routine and sometimes our comfort zone. When faced with new situations that we don’t normally face, it is surprising how easy we find it, to make immediate decisions. You discover that you can indeed deal with different scenarios.

We can discover different aspects to our character when travelling, that we hadn’t appreciated before. It can be something as simple as chatting to a local when you never considered yourself as a sociable person. This new found knowledge can give you confidence for similar situations back home.

3. TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER

benefits of travelling is that you become a story teller

Travel provides us with a wealth of stories to share with people, whether friends and family, or new people we meet. You can become a conservationist, sharing tales of where you have been and what you have seen.

I personally love hearing about people’s travels. It is inspiring, travelling a journey alongside the storyteller.

4. YOU LEARN HOW TO BETTER COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE

The more people we meet from every walk of life, the more we learn how to communicate better with each other. Travel isn’t always an uneventful experience and at times we have to show great tolerance towards each other! We tend to go out of our way more when we travel, to communicate with people.

We once spent a couple of hours on a train, seated with an elderly French couple. They spoke only a few words of English, and we were trading on our French learnt at school!! Did we spend the entire meal just talking to our partners?

No, we found a way to communicate with hand gestures and one word sentences, and when we parted, the lovely couple left us their business card!

5. GETS YOUR CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING

When we travel, everything that is familiar is cast aside and we see new things for the first time. We make different decisions, meet new people, try new experiences and it can be a refreshing change for our brains.

We are no longer running on auto pilot or in a rut, and this brings new creativity to the fore. Suddenly after months of trying to come up with new ideas, fresh takes on situations, our minds are brimming with possibilities . Our thoughts are sharper and clearer and it feels like a breath of fresh air!

6. EDUCATES YOU IN LIFE OUTSIDE OF BOOKS

I love reading about a new destination and hearing about other traveller’s stories. Reading about a country gives you a broad spectrum of understanding.

However, with all things in life, it is only when you experience them, that you gain true insight. You have to be there, to really take in the beauty of an architectural building. You have to be there, to witness things through your own eyes.

7. MANY TRAVEL MYTHS ARE DISPELLED

There are many reasons why people don’t travel, and these are often down to myths and misconceptions. It is only when we do travel, these these myths are shown up for the scare mongering that they are.

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. Travel isn’t dangerous. You won’t be surrounded by strangers that you cannot communicate with.

8. YOU ENCOUNTER AND LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES

Just one aspect of travelling, is discovering how other people live, work, eat, pray and play. It is exciting, walking around temples, hearing how locals beliefs, impact on their lives. What their faith and culture means to them.

This knowledge can add a different dimension to your own life. It broadens your perspective and understanding.

9. YOU COME TO THE REALISATION THAT WE ARE ALL BASICALLY THE SAME

Travelling helps you realise that we all essentially have the same needs. We all eat, drink, work, play and move around. We may do these things differently, but ultimately have the same basic needs as each other.

Travel shows us that it is narrow-minded to make assumptions about people, just because they may eat different food and live in a different culture. But that for me, is part of the excitement of travel.

10. A SHIFT TAKES PLACE WITHIN US

Travel exposes us to so many new and different things and experiences. Your awareness alters and you begin to question what is important to you as an individual. Visiting poorer countries, those who have suffered tragedies, oppression or genocide cannot fail to have an impact on you psychologically.

You begin to question your own values, your feelings and even the purpose of your life. With this new sense, you may decide you want to live differently or for your life to take a new direction.

11. WE GAIN A DEEPER APPRECIATION OF WHAT WE HAVE

With a shift in our values and understanding, hopefully comes a deepened sense of appreciation. For what we already have in our lives, for our families and loved ones and for our own country and our freedom.

It is so easy for all of us to just focus on the negative things we perceive to have in our lives back home. Suddenly, we are handed a stark reminder of how good our lives actually are, in comparison to other peoples.

12. IT BRINGS OUT THE ADVENTURER WITHIN YOU

Life can become mundane and steady when we work full-time. There doesn’t seem time or opportunity to experience new activities when you feel in a rut.

Come holiday time though, and the adventurer within us seems to be unleashed. We are not tied down to keeping up appearances, and the sense of freedom means we are happy to try new things and conjure up our own mini adventures.

13. A WEALTH OF MEMORIES ARE CREATED

Material possessions don’t make memories, travelling does. It doesn’t matter whether it was a weekend, a week or a month. Travelling opens a door within your mind, that makes you want more of it.

Your life will be the richer for all the wonderful moments that you experience and the unforgettable memories that stay with you forever.

14. RETURNS YOU HOME CALMER AND HAPPIER

When we travel, we press the pause button on everyday life. We have the chance to give our minds and body a well earned rest. This results in us feeling less stressed, relaxed and happier. We have more energy and feel more able to cope with what life may bring.

The only downside, is that we crave more of the same and can’t wait for our next trip!

HOW TO ENHANCE YOUR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

For many of us, we have spent months planning and dreaming about our upcoming trip and are filled with excitement and enthusiasm in equal measure. We look forward to having a break from our jobs, home and the grind of day-to-day routines.

We want our trip to be everything we imagined and more. But how can you fully enjoy the benefits of travelling, and enhance your holiday experience so your time away is spent in the best way possible?

What if I told you that this is unbelievably easy to achieve? The best part? It doesn’t involve you spending lots of extra money and it’s how we have enhanced our trips over the years.

18 EASY WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

1. start the day early.

Getting up early when you are on holiday, is not the same as getting up at home to go to work. Your overall mindset is completely different, more carefree and devoid of the normal stresses that you encounter. You can fit so much into your day when you start early, and being able to witness a stunning sunrise, is worth its weight in gold.

Not only that, you will also avoid crowds, bus tour groups, queues at popular sites and often have places all to yourself.

2. USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

What better way to experience life like a local, than to ride with them on public transport. In many ways, countries have similar infra-structures, but it is fun to ride local trams, tuk-tuks, ferries and underground metros.

Discovering the way tickets are purchased, how you queue for the arrival of trams/trains and the etiquette of your journey is eye-opening, interesting and a learning curve.

When we were in Darwin Australia, we used local buses, and the driver would interact with every passenger as they boarded and shout goodbye when each of us departed, often offering tips for a particular tourist sight. It made us feel like locals.

3. DON’T AVOID TOURIST SIGHTS

Tourist sites can often be crowded and noisy, but there is a reason for their popularity. They are worth seeing and impressive in their own right. Sights such as Niagara Falls, Empire State Building, Uluru and the Louvre are termed ‘unmissable’ because they are incredibly view worthy.

So don’t cross them off your list as being busy or predictable, rather visit them early morning and enjoy them before the hordes of tourists arrive.

4. KEEP A JOURNAL

It can be difficult during a trip where each day is crammed full of sightseeing, to remember the finer details. You will forget the quirky cafe that served amazing breakfasts, the hotel that had sunken baths in their rooms, the name of the lovely interesting old man you chatted to for an hour or the route that took you along amazing scenery. These are all details that you will come to treasure and still recall years later.

Take a journal or simple notepad and write down details about your day, before you go to bed. I personally like to record cafes/restaurants we have eaten in, sites we have seen, walks we have taken, places we have stayed and people we have met. Trust me, you will be thankful for this journal when you want to recall details and memories.

5. ATTEND A LOCAL EVENT

Whether you are attending a special yearly festival or simply joining in with a pub quiz, you can embrace local life and gain an insight to what it feels like to live in a certain place.

Local events have a real community feel about them and often involve experiences you would never consider participating in at home. If you have the opportunity, attend that local quiz, fair or concert and you will be glad that you did.

We have enjoyed local events such as open air cinema nights , beach markets and craft fairs where we struck up conversations with local people, enjoyed local fare and purchased handcrafted souvenirs. These events have definitely enhanced our holiday experience.

6. EMBRACE THE UNEXPECTED

Even with the best laid plans, things can sometimes go awry. If you can, it is easier and more comfortable to try to attempt to embrace these unexpected events rather than fight them and get stressed.

Years ago when I was a frightened flyer, we were flying from Melbourne to Cairns, via Sydney. I suffered a major panic attack on the first flight so we decided to get off the plane in Sydney and hired a car to drive all the way to Cairns. The rental dealer thought we were mad!

Yes, at the time it was stressful, incurred additional expense and resulted in 2 lost days in Cairns. But, we embraced this unexpected change and followed the coast road where we witnessed incredible scenery and beautiful beaches, ate in local cafes and when we finally arrived in Kewarra Beach, discovered that our room had been given away and we had been upgraded.

Twenty years later and we still talk about the amazing drive and the fond memories it gave us.

7. LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO STATIONS

If you are on a road trip, tune into the local radio station and you will be kept up to date with any traffic holdups, road closures and local weather. It is also fun to listen to the music the station plays and you might even spot a new favourite artist to listen to back home. It is interesting to hear the local lingo and be entertained on your journey.

8. SMILE OFTEN

I am a great believer in the power of a smile, especially when you are in a foreign country. It costs nothing, helps form a bond that surpasses language barriers and makes you feel more cheerful.

A smile conveys so much between people,that words cannot always express. You never know what a stranger is going through, but a smile lifts spirits and makes a huge difference. So, smile at fellow walkers, at passengers you sit next to and people who catch your eye because it will improve your day.

9. CHAT TO LOCALS

By chatting to locals, you will learn and discover so much more and make better connections. As locals living in that particular town, they are a valuable resource to the best sights, best places to eat, hidden gems off the normal tourist track and their recommendations can really add value to your whole experience. Many locals will really appreciate you making the effort to stop and talk to them.

10. SAVOUR VIEWS FIRST HAND

It is great to take photos when you are away on a trip but with Facebook and Instagram being a part of many people’s lives, it can be the number one distraction. How many times have you reached a phenomenal sight, only to be surrounded by selfie takers, flicking their hair this way and that, posing with their backs to the camera or worse, atop the very attraction you have arrived to see.

By all means take as many photos as you want, but make the first viewing with your eyes only and not through a small screen or viewfinder. I bet you will remember how special that view is and instantly recall how it made you feel.

11. BE SPONTANEOUS

Say yes to last-minute spontaneous invitations and new experiences, this way you will meet new people, have fun and discover new things. It pays to plan your trip to a certain extent, but always leave room for accepting any offer that comes your way.

We were staying in a bed and breakfast in Kalbarri, Australia and our hosts invited us to their home for a bbq on the second night. We were so tempted to politely decline as we are reasonably reserved until we know people better, but spontaneously accepted and had a great laughter filled night.

On another occasion in Namibia, we had just arrived at our lodge and were immediately invited on a game drive leaving that minute. We so nearly said we would go on the drive the following morning but thankfully left our luggage at reception and joined 2 other couples.

We had an amazing and truly memorable time, seeing a cheetah, 3 wild dogs and a leopard. So always be spontaneous – it will certainly enhance your holiday experience.

12. WANDER OFF THE BEATEN PATH

As long as you have the address of your accommodation with you, do not be afraid to wander down side streets, cobbled paths and alleyways. You will be rewarded with meeting and conversing with locals, finding small churches, quaint houses, local parks and you will get a different perspective of the area and often find hidden gems that the hordes of tourists miss.

13. STOP AND BE MINDFUL OF THE MOMENT

It can be tempting when you are going from place to place seeing local sights, to not really enjoy the here and now.

Try and practice ‘mindful travel’ to deepen your awareness and enjoy being in the present moment. Stop every now and then, put your camera down and become really aware of your surroundings, the beautiful landscape and vistas.

Look closely at birds and flowers noticing everything about their appearance. Smell the enticing aromas around you, feel the breeze in your hair and the sun on your face. Be aware of everything around you. Use your senses to really be present in this moment right now.

Not only will you be feeling calmer but you will be fully present and notice so much more around you – a great way to enhance your holiday experience.

14. SAMPLE LOCAL FOOD

Travelling abroad provides us with the chance to try cuisine from different regions and foods that you may never have tried before. Trying traditional food is part of learning about a country’s culture and opens up a whole new world of unique cuisine. So don’t be afraid of trying local delicacies such as laksa in Singapore, dumplings in Hong Kong, arancini in Italy and sushi in Japan.

15. TRY SOMETHING NEW

Travel is the perfect opportunity to try something new, to push yourself and take you out of your comfort zone.

There are normally a wealth of different and exciting experiences to be had that will leave you with great memories. We took a cooking class in Thailand which involved buying fresh ingredients from a local market, went on a cormorant fishing trip in China and completed a famous day hike in New Zealand.

These are all things we would not have done at home and were great fun.

16. BE FLEXIBLE AND REALISTIC

Whilst it pays to be organised and have a trip planned out to make best use of your time, it is also a good idea to be flexible, as you don’t know when an opportunity may present itself that you want to take advantage of.

Sometimes a local gives you a recommendation of a place to visit or you discover a local event that you would like to attend.

It is also important to be realistic and accept that sometimes things do not pan out according to how we would like them to or indeed expect them to and it helps to be mindful of this.

Sometimes the weather throws us a curve ball and rains, flights are delayed or cancelled, places take longer to reach and we can’t see every sight we want. Life at home isn’t always plain sailing so don’t expect it to be any different on holiday.

17. RESPECT OTHER CULTURES

Part of travelling is learning about other cultures and seeing how people live in different societies. This also means that we may come across beliefs, religions and traditions that don’t sit comfortably with our own way of living.

Remain open-minded and find out more about a custom that may seem offensive or uncomfortable to you. Above all be respectful of another person’s point of view and way of living as you would expect them to be of yours.

18. END THE DAY ON A THANKFUL NOTE

I always take the time at the end of the day before going to bed, to reflect on the day and write down three things that I am thankful for. This makes me more appreciative, more positive and happier.

Even if things haven’t worked out as you had planned, maybe a flight was delayed, the hotel wasn’t as nice as expected or it constantly poured with rain, there will still be a lot of things tangible or intangible, that have been good about the day.

This practice helps with stress, makes you feel more positive and calmer and is proven to be good for your mental health and well-being.

Hopefully this post showed you the benefits of travelling and how to enhance your holiday experience. Start to immplement these easy strategies and get as much enjoyment from your trip as possible.

Which ways do you use to improve your holiday experience?

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5 Ways Travel Is Good for Your Mental Health

Here’s why experts say you should consider making time for a vacation this year.

Travel lovers, rejoice. As of Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifted the requirement for airline passengers to test negative for COVID-19 before boarding a flight into the United States. After more than two years of stay-at-home orders and other travel restrictions, the majority of Americans are ready to venture out and explore, according to Tripadvisor’s annual travel forecast . And that actually may not be a bad idea, because research has found that satisfying our collective wanderlust has a surprising number of benefits for our mental — and possibly even physical — health.

It’s not only because time away from work and the responsibilities of daily life helps us shed stress. Our brains, it seems, are happier when we take them to new, far-flung places — though it’s best to check the CDC’s COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Destination before booking any trips to check travel restrictions.

How does travel benefit us? Here are five ways your next trip may contribute to your overall health and well-being.

1. Travel Makes You Happier

People who travel regularly (defined as trips at least 75 miles away from their home) report being about 7 percent happier than those who travel rarely or not at all, according to research on a Taiwanese population published in January 2021 in the journal Tourism Analysis .

Even before the pandemic, researchers identified a link between travel and happiness. They tracked the location of 132 adults for several months. The results, which were published in May 2020 in Nature Neuroscience , indicated that people who spent time in a variety of places reported more positive emotions than those who didn’t venture out as much. About half the subjects also underwent MRI scans near the end of the study, and the scans showed a strong association between visits to diverse places and activity in the hippocampus and the striatum, two parts of the brain that process novelty and reward.

Simply looking forward a trip may increase happiness. Results from a study published in the journal Psychological Science found that consumers experienced more positive feelings when they anticipated spending money on an upcoming experience (“doing”) than on a possession (“having”).

2. Travel May Lower Your Risk of Depression

You’ve likely heard that you “should” take your paid vacation time, but perhaps you’ve wondered if there’s actually evidence to back it up — and there is. Research published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal found that, of 1,500 women, those who took vacations more frequently reported less stress and depression .

Recent research supports these findings. In a study published in January 2019 in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment, and Health , experts observed positive results among a group of 3,380 working men and women ages 45 to 52. They found that 10 extra days of paid leave decreased the likelihood of depression by 29 percent for American women (there was no association in men).

“Travel can help with depression in that it gets people out of the rut of their everyday lives,” says Heidi McBain , a licensed marriage and family therapist in Flower Mound, Texas. “It can also be a great reminder of our own humanity, and seeing other people’s pain in the world as a whole can be a great connector when it comes to compassion for self and others.”

3. Travel Makes You More Creative

If you’re feeling burned out , travel may be useful for getting back on track. Adam Galinsky, a social scientist at Columbia University in New York City who studies the relationship between travel and creativity, has found a positive connection between the two. Adapting to different cultures, as often happens naturally and necessarily while traveling, can be powerful enough to foster creativity.

A study Galinsky cowrote, which was published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , found that living abroad can facilitate a process called multicultural learning, which allows you to solve problems in new ways, increase your awareness of your surroundings, and reduce rigidity — all of which, researchers discovered, contribute to creativity.

Novel experiences may prompt you to be more creative, as you may have to think differently to navigate new situations, says Saba Harouni Lurie , a licensed marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles. “The novelty of travel, including people, cultures, customs, and places, can broaden a traveler's perspective, increasing positivity and allowing for creativity. Travel also offers us distance from a problem or situation, which can then give us the possibility of a new perspective.”

Recent research supports this view. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2021 assigned 274 workers to self-report their creativity before and after vacation. Researchers noted that while workers reported less creativity the first day back at work (while trying to tackle accumulated tasks), they felt overall more creative two weeks after a vacation when handling new tasks.

4. Travel Can Strengthen Your Relationships

If you feel closer to your loved ones after a vacation, you’re not imagining things. There is some research to suggest travel can bring you closer together. “Couples who travel together report more satisfaction, experience better communication, and have longer-lasting relationships. This also seems to be true for friendships and families. More time spent in leisure activities, which is more accessible when traveling, enhances our relationships,” explains Lurie.

Women who took two or more vacations per year had a higher level of marital satisfaction than those who took a vacation every two years or less, researchers reported in the Wisconsin Medical Journal . And couples who vacation together are more cohesive and flexible as a unit, with lasting effects well after they return home. The more positive vacation experiences you have with your partner — like communication, shared moments, and affection — the better your day-to-day functioning at home will be post-vacation, noted researchers after studying 112 couples for a study from December 2019 in the Journal of Travel Research .

5. Travel Relieves Your Stress

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but long-term or chronic stress can negatively impact both your mental and physical health, per the American Psychological Association .

Even a short vacation may lower your overall stress, according to a study of 40 German middle managers published in July 2018 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health . The small study concluded that a four-day solo stay at a wellness hotel had a significant, positive, and immediate effect on stress and well-being (and suggests short vacations can be as effective as long ones).

Other research indicates that even looking forward to a planned vacation may blunt the effects of stress. Fifty-four workers completed surveys and wore devices to monitor their heart rate in the weeks leading up to and after a vacation. The results indicated that they were less affected by stress in their everyday lives the closer they got to their approaching vacation, according to a study published in August 2020 in the journal Psychology & Health .

The stress-busting effects of a well-timed vacation may be due, in part, to how it increases your connection to the present moment, which means travel can share similarities with the practice of mindfulness, says Elizabeth Jarquin, PhD , a licensed therapist in Dania Beach, Florida. “Individuals who are stressed usually have a lot going on in their minds and are unable to connect with the present. But when people travel, they are in a brand-new environment, one that is out of the ordinary.” This, she says, can lead them to be more mindful of what is going on around them, and may result in a greater connection with the people around them, their surroundings, and the moments they are living in.

The Takeaway

After two years of staycations, now may be a good time to dust off the old passport, or plan a weekend or day trip somewhere new. As COVID-19 restrictions relax somewhat in the United States, a summer getaway could be just what the doctor ordered, and for good reason. Research shows that taking a vacation has multiple potential benefits for your mental health. Not only does some research indicate it can increase happiness and help prevent depression, but it can also help you recover from burnout, heighten your creativity, and expand your horizons — literally, of course, but cognitively, too.

Before you use up those vacation days, though, be sure to glance over the CDC’s guide to COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Destination in order to help keep you and your family safe.

Apr 27, 2020

Why travel is important to build life experiences

Updated: Dec 8, 2022

Life is all about experiences. And unlike material things, experiences stay with us no matter where we go. Finding ways to make the most of our life experiences is a challenge that we face every day. As human beings, we like to put a value on the things we pursue. We like to feel that what we are doing has a meaning. This purpose is important to our well-being, as it’s from those experiences in life that we learn and grow. Pursuing what we love brings us invaluable life lessons about ourselves and the world around us.

What is there more to love than traveling? Traveling is a unique experience as it's the best way to unplug from the pushes and pulls of daily life. It helps us to forget about our problems, frustrations, and fears at home. During our journey, we experience life in different ways. We explore new places, cultures, cuisines, traditions, and ways of living. We could never experience these things at home. This is why travel is such a unique and invaluable life experience. Besides, there are many benefits of traveling , such as improved health and learning new skills. And as we learn and benefit from traveling, we feel more purpose in our lives. This article focuses on why traveling is important in building our life experiences.

Life experiences while camping and traveling

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Traveling gives us a better understanding of the world

If you remain in your home town or country for your whole life, it is hard to fully comprehend the world. You will never get to experience other countries’ struggles, celebrations, and traditions.

You can argue that the media does show you these things. However, the media often portrays the negatives of a country, while the positive stories go unreported. Think about the war in Syria and how your current perceptions of the people and the country are. The media enables us to build walls and barriers to understanding. The only way to overcome this is to explore and see things for ourselves in the real world.

Every country can be vastly different from another. The dialects, food, music, religion, and traditions differ. Being exposed to these unique cultures allows us to become open-minded and understand that even though we appear to be different, we also have many similarities as humans. In spite of looking different, we share the same hopes and dreams. All cultures love their children, are proud of their culture, and work to improve living conditions for their families. These similarities are what bring us together. Traveling allows us to celebrate differences while encouraging ourselves to be more tolerant of each other.

Traveling challenges our beliefs and values in life

If your whole life is dedicated to staying at home in your familiar surroundings, your perspective on life will never be challenged. You will never be able to compare your experiences at home to those of others besides your narrow circle of friends and family.

By traveling, we get to experience how people around the world live their lives. We learn where their priorities lie and how they view family, work, education, the environment, etc. This may question and influence our own ideas and beliefs on how to live life. Traveling will open our mind to a host of new possibilities.

As such, traveling is a great learning experience. And it is up to you on how to apply that learning in your own life. Whether you a learning a new language, trying out new things, developing new passions, or simply becoming more confident as a person, the skills you gain while traveling will help you for the rest of your life.

Travel is an important life experience because it influences our own beliefs

Traveling allows us to establish new relationships

One of the most important benefits of traveling is the opportunity to build friendships and connections with people from all around the world. Sharing our travel experiences with others is what makes it an enriching life experience.

We usually don’t meet many new people at home. We already have our close group of friends and family, so there is no real need to get out and meet new people. This means that we are typically less open to new relationships.

Traveling makes meeting new people very easy. We are constantly surrounded by other people, whether we find ourselves in a hotel bar or on an excursion. We can easily connect over food, new places, music, and culture. We also often have similar interests and values, making the conversation flow easier.

Even if we met someone for just a few days, the connection and memories may last a lifetime. In our globalized world, these connections are more important than ever in life. They may open doors to new possibilities in our future life.

Travel is an important life experience as you connect with others

Traveling enhances personal growth

Traveling often involves stepping out of our comfort zone and experiencing new things. These new experiences are different from our daily routine activities and help us grow on a personal level.

Each travel journey brings unique situations and challenges to overcome. For example, when you are traveling solo you may be challenged to become more responsible and independent. By dealing with these situations, you will discover your own strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, etc. This self-awareness is important to your personal growth and discovering who you really are.

To conclude, traveling is many experiences in one . The life experiences you gain from traveling cannot be compared to most things we experience while staying at home. So get out and explore!

Are you not sure what kind of travel experience to get yourself into? Read our article on how 10 different travel experiences can change your life forever!

Do you want to learn more about how traveling impacts you positively in other ways? Go to our benefits of traveling page .

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1 commentaire

Absolutely agree with the sentiment that travel enriches our lives with invaluable experiences! Exploring new places like Wyoming, with its breathtaking landscapes and diverse culture, opens our minds to endless possibilities. And when it comes to planning your next adventure, https://www.autobidmaster.com/en/locations/usa/wyoming/ is a fantastic resource, especially for those seeking to explore Wyoming's vast beauty by road. Their platform offers a seamless way to find reliable vehicles for your journey, ensuring every mile traveled is filled with excitement and discovery. Here's to embracing the transformative power of travel and making memories that last a lifetime!

Hi! We are Ine & Zac. An international travel couple from Belgium and the US. We created World Wild Hearts to inspire new adventures and help you plan your next trip. Use these tips, stories, and guides to inspire your next adventure of a lifetime!

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Benefits of Travel: 14 Things Travel Teaches You

We travel for different reasons, in different ways, and to different places. The preferences vary from traveller to traveller: hot countries, cold countries, long trips, local trips, solo travel, group travel, all-inclusive, adventure holidays - and so on.

But there is one thing all travel has in common. It teaches you the same lessons - no matter where you go, how you spend your trip, and how long you stay. The multiple benefits of travel are a common denominator for all kinds of trips, and in this article, we will list the most valuable ones.

Benefits of travel - 14 things travel teaches you:

Broadens horizons, helps to step out of the comfort zone, teaches you to appreciate diversity, develops tolerance, improves endurance, increases flexibility, trains assertiveness, proves the importance of research, brings communication skills to the next level, lets you make international connections, verifies relationships, makes you comfortable in your own company, allows you to get to know yourself better.

Gives an opportunity to adopt new habits and/or traditions

Travelling opens your eyes to things you never considered before. One of the main benefits of travel is collecting new experiences. They can be physical, emotional, or psychological.

For example, trying local cuisines may have you tasting dishes you never knew existed. Perhaps you will come across an ingredient you would never consider using on a daily basis, but once you swallow your prejudices, it will turn out yummier than you expected.

Trips also have the power of making you realise the world has a lot to offer. Leaving home may seem scary or unnecessary at first. But when you overcome the initial fear, you discover that you shouldn’t have worried and that the pros of exploring new places outweigh the cons.

Every trip to somewhere you have never been before is a huge step out of your comfort zone. You have to figure out everything - transport, finances, accommodation, local customs, or how to navigate the city or country.

Embracing the unknown becomes significantly smoother with the right technological solutions, such as custom software development for travel , ensuring a seamless experience from planning to execution.

Integrating AI in the travel industry further enhances this journey, offering personalized recommendations and real-time support that make stepping out of your comfort zone not just a challenge, but an adventure to look forward to.

The fact you are planning to travel somewhere you have never been before is an additional challenge. It takes a lot of courage to venture to an unknown place and trust that the research you have conducted will ensure a good stay.

The language barrier is often another difficulty many travellers need to face. Communicating with someone who doesn’t speak your native language is a fantastic exercise to increase your confidence and prove to yourself that you can find your way out of any situation.

When we stay in our bubble for a long time, we get used to our own ways. We all have our rituals and best practices, a routine we follow on a daily basis.

Why is travel good for you? It helps you discover that there are other ways of doing things, and that they are all equally great.

You may not agree with everything you see or experience during your trips. But just knowing about them will open your eyes to how beautifully different we all are.

Most people travel because they want to discover something new, unordinary. If every corner of the world was the same, there would be no reason for us to go anywhere.

What makes travel so alluring and life so entertaining is the diversity. Different people, different habits, different cultures, different landscapes. All of it attracts us to the notion of travelling and the more we see, the more open-minded we become.

Prejudices are born out of fear. It’s easy to judge the unknown and form opinions about things we have never personally seen or experienced.

One of the main benefits of travel is witnessing many things you wouldn’t if you stayed at home. You can talk to people with different habits and learn their points of view.

And just like that, something foreign will become easier to sympathise with. It will no longer be just a tale from another country or continent but a personal story - something you have seen or done.

You don’t have to start practising the things you discover during your travels. But just understanding them is a step towards increasing your tolerance for everything that is different from what you are used to.

During your travels, not everything will go as planned. There will be many emergencies and last-minute decisions which need to be taken sooner than you can blink.

Of course, you can minimise the risk of unexpected turns of events by preparing a detailed travel plan beforehand. But still, no matter how good of a planner you are , certain things just remain out of your control.

Situations like that generate stress, but they are also perfect real-life lessons which help you build up your endurance. The more surprises you experience, the more used to them you become. You work out a course of action, which you can then implement each time something goes wrong.

What used to be a cause of a minor emotional breakdown, at some point becomes just a minor inconvenience thanks to the unpredictability of travel.

Next to endurance, flexibility is another must-have trait of every traveller. Not only does travel teach you to keep your cool in case of emergencies - it also allows you to develop the ability to think on the spot and quickly come up with new solutions.

Delayed or cancelled flights are (sadly) a norm these days. Frequent travel has you always thinking of a plan B in case plan A doesn’t work out. You start to avoid strict schedules and leave enough time for eventual adjustments in your travel plan.

If you absolutely need a detailed plan, you can make use of a travel time calculator . It allows you to establish how much time you'll need approximately to get from point A to point B. You can also calculate how much petrol you'll need for that endeavour if you're going by car to predict the costs, as well as the time frame.

If your original accommodation doesn’t live up to your expectations, you collect resources to use to quickly find new lodgings in case it ever happens again. Generally, you learn to turn each negative experience into a chance to improve, and that makes you more resourceful with every trip you make.

For added security, you can also place the correct luggage tags with your details on your suitcases and luggage in advance, in case they arrive on different flights.

What do people learn from travelling? How to say no, in literally every situation you can imagine.

It can be when someone is trying to sell you a souvenir you don’t want or need. Perhaps when you are trying to negotiate your terms, and someone is convincing you another deal is much better. Or maybe when you need to fight for a refund you know you deserve but which someone is refusing to give you.

Being flexible and adaptable doesn’t mean being a doormat. You deserve to plan an unforgettable experience and benefit from every aspect of it. Travelling often comes with having to put your foot down - a skill that is hard to get but valuable to have.

It is in your best interest to do thorough research before embarking on a trip. After all, how else would you know anything about a place you have never been to before?

When you travel, you build up a collection of favourite resources to look for information. These days, obtaining advice is easier than ever - there is a magnitude of travel blogs to choose from. Even TikTok has become a place people often turn to for useful travel hacks.

The amount of information is exactly why you should be more careful now than ever. Only use data obtained from verified resources you know you can trust.

When looking for tips and tricks or local recommendations, primarily ask around among the people you personally know. Maybe one of your friends or family members has visited the place you plan to go and can share some personal advice or trustworthy sources of information.

Pro tip: even if a site seems trustworthy, check the date when it was last updated. Even the most useful recommendations have no value if they are outdated.

Another thing to watch out for is scams. Double-check every travel agency, accommodation provider, or trip organiser. Look for actual testimonials and verify how many results come up when you Google the name. See if the provided contact details are accurate and if the address matches.

If in doubt, don’t hesitate to call and ask your questions. If it still seems fishy, look somewhere else. It is better to pay a bit more for guaranteed quality than save on a questionable experience or even be scammed.

When planning a trip, you have to make many calls and send countless messages. During the travel itself, you are in touch with multiple people speaking a variety of languages.

If you find it difficult to talk to strangers, travelling will change that. You may never be fully comfortable with initiating conversation, but you can definitely get used to it.

When it’s your comfort on the line, it’s likely you will eventually give in and make that dreaded call. When travelling to unknown places, you really don’t want to leave too much up to luck and count on the best scenario.

Additionally, one of the main benefits of travel is making new connections. Talking to the locals is one of the most gratifying elements of every trip, so don’t let your insecurities stop you.

Once you survive a conversation with someone speaking an entirely different language, your confidence levels will skyrocket. You will prove to yourself that you can do anything.

No matter if you travel solo or with company, there will always be people you can talk to. Perhaps solo travellers may feel more inclined to make new friends to have someone to interact with. But for some, it is easier to meet new people when in the company of somebody you already know.

You can strike up a conversation with a fellow traveller and exchange tips and tricks. You may also approach a local for personal insights. Not even the most detailed travel guide will be able to provide you with the knowledge someone who lives in a certain place can share.

Additionally, knowing people in different corners of the world allows you to discover new, useful travel resources. For example, if you have never needed a visa before, someone who has can recommend you ways in which obtaining it will be easier. They might tell you that for streamlined travel preparations, especially regarding visas, services like PassportVisa.org can be invaluable, simplifying your journey.

Having friends all around the world is wonderful. It has its limitations, such as the necessity to maintain long-term relationships. They take effort to upkeep, but are incredibly rewarding if you succeed.

Making a friend during your trip will also give you a reason to go back someday. If you are close enough, you may even be able to benefit from free accommodation during your next stay, and repay the favour by inviting them over to visit you.

Not to mention, having international friends brings new points of view and refreshing perspectives into your life. When you meet someone from another country, you get to know the place on a deeper level as well.

There is no better way to get to know someone better than to travel with them. When travelling, you remove yourself from familiar territory, start living under different conditions, and develop new habits.

Oftentimes, you have to turn your life around to adjust to the reality of travelling. Such a big change is a true test for people who embark on a journey together.

Travel may subject you to unexpected situations, unwanted changes, and difficult choices. Additionally, everyone has a different style of travelling. Every traveller expects to meet different goals and approaches each trip with various expectations.

Some prefer the slow travel experience , while others favour intense trips. While one person would like to relax on a holiday, another may want to pack the itinerary with activities.

Such aspects need to be discussed with every friend, family member, or partner we choose to travel with. Often, a compromise needs to be made, if it turns out the expectations of each side don’t match.

Living under special conditions and outside of one’s comfort zone can sometimes bring out a side of us we don’t normally show. It’s not uncommon if not even we had been aware we had such a side!

Travelling together can turn out to be a bigger challenge than you may expect. It can tighten the bonds, or it can drive a wedge between people. Even if you think you know the person or people you plan to travel with, make sure to discuss every aspect of your journey together to avoid possible misunderstandings.

This point is especially valid for solo travellers. It is a topic which is not mentioned nearly enough when talking about solo travel, and many people find it surprising when they experience it on their own.

Namely, you spend a lot of time alone when you travel on your own. Many travel bloggers prefer to avoid mentioning that aspect, showing the cheerful reality of being surrounded by newly made friends 24/7.

The truth is, it will take a while for you to make friends while you travel. Additionally, the people you meet may have different plans than you. Fellow travellers would have likely come with their own itinerary which won’t always match yours step for step. Locals may be at work and have other duties preventing them from dedicating all their time to you.

So while you should expect to make friends, do also prepare to spend some time by yourself. If you sleep at a hostel, you will likely be surrounded by like-minded people most of the time, but may be alone during your daily escapades. If you rent a hotel room or an Airbnb, you will be in your own company a lot more.

But being by yourself is not necessarily bad. Travelling helps you learn new things about yourself. When you are alone, you have the time to reflect on things you might normally skip over. We all need some me-time once in a while - even the biggest of extroverts - so appreciate that opportunity.

When you travel, you won’t only learn about new places. You will also find out a lot about yourself.

As we have already mentioned, travel forces you into a special mode, which is often very different from how you normally operate in your everyday life. You are surrounded by the unknown, have to rely on yourself (and whoever you’re with, if you have company), and need to adjust to certain conditions.

You might need to make decisions you would never have had to at home, or listen to your instincts in case of emergencies. The truth is, you won’t really find out who you are at your core and what you are capable of until you’re pushed out of your comfort zone.

When you travel, you find out who you are on an unknown ground where nobody is watching, and you may be positively surprised at what you learn.

Gives an opportunity to adopt new habits and/or traditions

One of the main benefits of travel is discovering new cultures. You will likely come across customs you didn’t know existed. You will like some of them more than others, but if they catch your attention, why not bring them home with you?

If you happen to spend your New Year’s Eve in Spain, you might adopt the tradition of consuming twelve grapes at midnight. If you spend Christmas in Germany, you may bring home a gherkin-shaped ornament to decorate your Christmas tree from now on.

A new custom is one of the best souvenirs you can come back with. As important as nurturing your own traditions is, it’s not impossible to pair them with new ones.

Not to mention, it’s a great conversation starter. Imagine being asked about a peculiar habit you have observed abroad and inspiring someone else to introduce it into their life as well. It’s like being an influencer!

Bear in mind, this is not an exhaustive list of the benefits of travel. In reality, things travel teaches you are never-ending, and every traveller decides for themselves which lessons are the most valuable to them.

Every trip is different so whenever you travel, you learn something new. It’s a good idea to write your thoughts after every trip in a travel journal and draw conclusions for the future.

Can you think of any other things travel teaches you? If there are any benefits of travel that are important to you but weren’t mentioned here, feel free to drop them in the comments!

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Travel credit cards help you earn valuable points and miles on your purchases. For maximum value, some cards earn rewards not only on travel, but also everyday purchases like dining, groceries and gas. You can redeem these rewards for free or discounted flights, hotel stays or to cover other travel-related expenses.

The best travel cards also come with additional features. Even no-annual-fee travel cards are likely to offer perks like sign-up bonuses, intro APR offers and travel insurance. But for top-of-the-line benefits like airport lounge access, elite status and travel credits, expect to pay an annual fee.

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Bankrate's Best Travel Credit Cards of June 2024

Best starter travel card: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Best for flat-rate rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Best for luxury travel: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Best for no annual fee: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card ( See Rates & Fees )
Best for foodies: American Express® Gold Card
Best for everyday spending: Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
Best for intro APR: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Best for point values: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Best for practical perks: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Best for pairing: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Best for hotel bookings: Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card
Best no-annual-fee hotel card: Hilton Honors American Express Card
Best luxury hotel card: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Best for transfer partners: Bilt Mastercard®
Best for gas: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Best for companion tickets: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Best starter airline card: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Best for expedited security screening: Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
Best for first-year value: Discover it® Miles
Best for fair credit: Credit One Bank Wander® Card
What to know about travel credit cards
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Travel credit card perks

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How we assess the best travel credit cards

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Best starter travel card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Bankrate score

Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards.

Intro offer

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

We calculate this number by multiplying the card's intro offer by Bankrate's valuation of this issuer's rewards program , showing you how much your points or miles are worth in dollars.

Rewards rate

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠. 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries. 2x on all other travel purchases. 1x on all other purchases.

Regular APR

5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
3x 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
2x 2x on all other travel purchases.
1x 1x on all other purchases.

What we love: This popular card comes loaded with features that can make it easy even for occasional travelers to offset the modest $95 annual fee without eating into hard-earned rewards. Plus, its rewards program is one of the best, giving you some of the most valuable travel redemptions — through both Chase and transfer partners — and Chase card pairing opportunities if you want to build your card portfolio eventually. Learn more: Why expert Margaret Weck loves using the Chase Sapphire Preferred Alternatives: If you’re looking for an even simpler travel card, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a terrific option. Its flat rewards rate makes it easy to know exactly how much you’ll earn with every purchase and though it can’t match the Sapphire Preferred’s redemption flexibility, it offers more redemption options than the typical travel rewards card.

You earn Ultimate Rewards points with this card — some of the most valuable and flexible rewards around, especially if you pair it with Chase’s cash back cards in the future.
The card touts significant long-term benefits like anniversary bonus points and travel credits, as well as travel protections like trip cancellation insurance and a car rental collision damage waiver.
Doesn’t offer airline- or hotel-specific perks like free checked bags, elite status or free night stays.
The sign-up bonus is decent, but the card has previously offered higher, chart-topping bonus points.
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 75,000 points are worth $937.50 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
Member FDIC

Best for flat-rate rewards

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

New Venture cardholders can earn 75,000 miles once they spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day

2 Miles - 5 Miles

5 Miles 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2 Miles 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day

What we love: It’s a great option for travelers looking for a straightforward rewards program and flexible redemption options. You'll earn unlimited miles on all eligible spending and can redeem not only for travel bookings, but also as a statement credit to cover travel purchases made in the past 90 days. Learn more: Why expert Jacqueline DeMarco loves the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Alternatives: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers a higher rewards rate in some everyday spending categories and potentially more valuable points. Chase points are worth 1.25 cents each if you redeem for travel through Chase, while Capital One miles are only worth 1 cent each when you redeem for travel. Plus, Chase rewards are more helpful for occasional travelers since you can redeem as cash back at 1-cent-per-point value.

Carries solid perks given its low annual fee, including expedited airport purchase security and hotel experience credits, lost luggage reimbursement and more.
Zero foreign transaction fees make this an excellent choice for international travelers.
You can’t offset the annual fee with annual travel credits or bonuses alone as you can with some rival cards.
The card’s sign-up bonus carries a high spending requirement, so it may be tough to earn if you don’t have large purchases on the horizon.
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Best for luxury travel

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.

5X Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
5X Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.

What we love: Luxury travelers and big spenders will appreciate the bevy of travel benefits, including annual statement credits worth around $1,700, elite hotel loyalty status and access to perhaps the most comprehensive airport lounge access available with a credit card. Learn more: Why expert Holly Johnson loves the Platinum Card® from American Express Alternatives: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers a taste of luxury at a lower cost than many premium travel cards. You can unlock a generous rewards rate on both travel and general purchases, complimentary access to popular airport lounge memberships and valuable annual travel credits and anniversary miles.

Comes with a generous welcome offer and a longer time period to earn it compared to most rewards cards.
A robust line-up of airline and hotel partners and related perks make this card truly valuable for travelers.
The $695 annual fee may not be worth it if you don’t spend much on travel frequently or can’t take full advantage of the card’s luxury — and often niche — perks.
Redeeming and maximizing the card’s credit and benefits requires some legwork and can be a bit confusing.
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
$200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck® official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
$695 annual fee.
Terms Apply.

Best for no annual fee

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel

5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day

1.25 Miles - 5 Miles

1.25 Miles 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day

What we love: This card offers some of the same advantages as the Capital One Venture, without the burden of an annual fee. It gives you the chance to earn flat-rate miles on your everyday spending and the option to transfer miles to over 15 loyalty program partners to even cover travel purchases outside Capital One — a unique level of redemption flexibility for a starter travel card. Learn more: Reasons to get the VentureOne Rewards Card Alternatives: A general-purpose flat-rate credit card that offers 2X points or 2 percent cash back on all purchases may bring more value if you don’t travel often and aren’t ready to upgrade to a travel rewards credit card with an annual fee. However, the Discover it® Miles earns a flat-rate 1.5X miles that can also be redeemed for cash back at 1-cent per mile, which is unusual for travel rewards.

The welcome offer is generous for a no-annual-fee travel credit card.
Booking hotel stays and rental cars through Capital One Travel nets you an impressive 5X miles.
Unlike several no-annual-fee travel cards, redeeming for non-travel purchases waters down your rewards’ value.
Capital One has no major U.S. carrier in its line-up of travel partners.
$0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies

Best for foodies

American Express® Gold Card

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.

4X Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
4X Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
3X Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.

What we love: Few credit cards are more rewarding for traveling foodies than the American Express Gold Card. Both the food-related annual credits and the rewards rates at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and on flights booked directly with airlines or via the Amex travel portal are some of the best on the market. In fact, the up to $240 in credits each year alone nearly make up for the annual fee. Learn more: Why the Amex Gold is worth the annual fee Alternatives: If the Amex Gold Card’s annual fee sounds high, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card . It carries key travel perks, high travel and dining rewards rates, and a much lower annual fee.

This card features one of the best rewards return rates available on dining, groceries and food deliveries.
There is no preset spending limit, so you can enjoy extended purchasing power, and you also have the option to pay off purchases with Pay Over Time if necessary.
Although the card touts a solid collection of travel perks, it doesn’t include popular premium card perks like airport lounge access or trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
Only eligible airfare earns more than 1X points, while rival cards often earn similar (or higher) reward rates on hotel stays and other travel purchases as well.
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
$120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $250.

Best for everyday spending

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com

Earn 10 points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com. Earn 3 points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases

10X Earn 10 points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
3X Earn 3 points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
1X Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases

What we love: This card’s high rewards rate in everyday bonus categories makes it an especially good choice for occasional travelers and people looking for a standalone rewards card. Its practical bonus categories mean you can earn rewards quickly, even if you don’t actually spend a ton on travel. Alternatives: As long as you don’t mind buying groceries online, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card could be an even more lucrative everyday rewards card. That’s thanks mostly to its high point redemption value (1.25 cents per point when you use points to book travel with Chase, versus just 1 cent per point when you book with Citi using the Strata Premier).

It’s one of the only travel cards that offers a high rewards rate on groceries, dining and gas, so it should work well whether it’s your standalone card or just one part of your card stack.
Its annual hotel benefit carries enough value to potentially offset the annual fee on its own.
The annual hotel benefit, though generous, isn’t very flexible: You’ll only get the $100 discount if you book a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) through CitiTravel.com.
Based on Bankrate’s latest point and mile valuations, Citi ThankYou rewards carry a lower average redemption value than Chase, Amex and Capital One rewards.
Earn 10 points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
Earn 3 points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

Best for intro APR

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
1.5X Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

What we love: This entry-level travel card keeps things simple for occasional travelers. It offers simple flat-rate rewards and lets you redeem for a broad mix of travel options not typically available on many travel cards, such as cash back toward purchases with travel agencies, zoos, art galleries and more. It’s even more valuable if you’re a Bank of America customer and can qualify for a rewards boost through the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program. Learn more: Is the Bank of America Travel Rewards card worth it? Alternatives: The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is another great starter travel card, but, unlike many cards in this category, it lets you transfer your miles to airline and hotel partners, potentially for a higher redemption value.

Its easy-to-earn sign-up bonus and intro APR offers give this card good short-term value.
No annual fees or foreign transaction fees sweeten this offer.
It only offers 1.5X points on purchases, and you can’t transfer points can’t to airline partners for more rewards value, so it may not be as lucrative as competing cards.
The top tiers of the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program may be out of reach for many cardholders.
Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 19.24% - 29.24% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.
If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.
Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

Best for point values

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Earn 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠. Earn 5x total points on flights through Chase Travel℠. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

10x Earn 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠.
5x Earn 5x total points on flights through Chase Travel℠.
3x Earn 3x points on other travel and dining.
1x Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

What we love: Rewards-savvy travelers will be hard-pressed to find a card with better rewards potential than the Sapphire Reserve. Points are worth 50 percent more through Chase Travel, and potentially more with the right transfer partner. It’s a stellar partner for Chase’s cash back cards and stacks on even more value with enough perks to recoup the annual fee without relying on hard-earned rewards. Learn more: Why expert Holly Johnson loves the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Alternatives: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers some of the same key perks as the Sapphire Reserve at a much lower cost. Along with a generous rewards rate on both Capital One Travel and general purchases, the card boasts valuable, practical benefits like competitive airport lounge access , up to $300 in annual Capital One Travel credits and 10,000 bonus miles every year on your account anniversary.

You can kickstart your rewards bank with one of the most valuable sign-up bonuses on the market.
Its top-tier benefits include up to $300 in annual travel statement credits, Priority Pass airport lounge access, exhaustive travel protections and stand-out partner perks.
The card’s cost could be a deterrent for some new cardholders, especially if they plan on encountering adding multiple authorized users.
You won’t get as many luxury hotel and airport lounge perks with this card as you would with some of its rivals.
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
$300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 75,000 points are worth $1125 toward travel.
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®

Best for practical perks

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel

10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 5 Miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day

2 Miles - 10 Miles

10 Miles 10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
5 Miles 5 Miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel

What we love: This is the perfect middleground for travelers who want the practical benefits from luxury travel cards without dealing with bloated features and an annual fee upwards of $500. It offers complimentary lounge access, high-earning bonus rewards categories, anniversary credits and bonus miles, which can easily make the card worth it for frequent travelers. Learn more: Capital One Venture X Benefits Guide Alternatives: If a higher annual fee is no issue, consider The Platinum Card® from American Express. It’s a top choice for frequent travelers thanks to its impressive welcome offer and luxury perks like annual travel credits, lounge access and hotel elite status. However, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® may be better if your luxury travel experience calls for racking up more rewards.

Offers anniversary bonus miles and a chance to earn credits worth hundreds of dollars starting at your first account anniversary.
Comes with complimentary lounge access at over 1,300 lounges for you and two guests per visit.
To earn the anniversary credit, travel must be booked through the Capital One Travel portal. That’s not as flexible as some other cards, which offer credits that cover any travel purchases, regardless of how you book.
Lacks some perks found on other premium travel cards like airline or hotel elite status, which can get you benefits like free checked bags or room upgrades.
Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more

Best for pairing

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service 1.5% on all other purchases

5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
3% 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service
1.5% 1.5% on all other purchases

What we love: Not only does it earn 1.5 percent cash back on general spending, but it also has a bonus cash back rate for drugstores and dining at restaurants. And if you pair it with one or two premium Chase travel cards, you could pool your rewards for better travel redemption value. Learn more: Why I love the Chase Freedom Unlimited Alternatives: If you want to take advantage of even more rewarding cash back categories and remain in the Chase family, consider the Chase Freedom Flex℠ .

You can pool rewards with other Chase cards to maximize your earnings.
The additional rewards rate offer can add even more cash back to your pocket for the first year.
The welcome offer isn’t as competitive as other cards’ offers.
Maximizing rewards with this and other Chase cards can get complicated for people who like simple rewards programs.
Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%.
No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.

Best for hotel bookings

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.

Earn unlimited 5X points on hotels Earn unlimited 4X points on airlines Earn unlimited 3X points on other travel and restaurants Earn 1X points on other purchases

5X Earn unlimited 5X points on hotels
4X Earn unlimited 4X points on airlines
3X Earn unlimited 3X points on other travel and restaurants
1X Earn 1X points on other purchases

What we love: It offers a great rewards rate on hotel bookings and gives you a chance to earn a $50 annual statement credit with a $50 minimum airline purchase. Add in a solid rate on airline purchases, other travel and restaurants and this card carries great value as a standalone mid-tier card for occasional travelers. Alternatives: If you want to earn travel rewards but don’t actually spend much on hotels and airfare, the lower-tier Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is also worth a look. Though it earns also rewards on travel, it boasts a great mix of other practical everyday categories (including gas stations).

You can transfer points to Wells Fargo’s new list of airline and hotel partners, including popular programs like British Airways Executive Club, Choice Privileges and more, which could boost the redemption value of your rewards.
The $50 annual statement credit offsets more than half the card’s $95 annual fee and should be a cinch to earn if you fly at least once per year.
Wells Fargo only offers one other card that earns travel rewards (the Autograph), and there is some category overlap between the two, so they may not be as lucrative as some competing card stacks.
The card doesn’t carry some popular travel perks available on other mid-tier travel cards, such as credits for expedited airport security screening or rideshares.
Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
Earn unlimited 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, and 1X points on other purchases.
$95 annual fee.
Book your travel with the Autograph Journey Card and enjoy Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Baggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.
Earn a $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.
Up to $1,000 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.

Best no-annual-fee hotel card

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 7/31/2024.

Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio. Earn 5X Points per dollar on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.

7X Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
5X Earn 5X Points per dollar on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
3X Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.

What we love: This card earns rewards in a terrific mix of everyday bonus categories, so it should be easy to rack up Hilton points even if you don’t spend a ton on hotel bookings. Since it charges no annual fee and provides a few Hilton Honors benefits like Silver status, it’s also a great fit if you’re new to hotel cards and want a single no-annual-fee option instead of juggling multiple rewards cards. Learn more: Why expert Holly Johnson loves the Hilton Honors American Express Card Alternatives: The American Express® Green Card could be more flexible since it lets you earn and redeem rewards on a much wider variety of travel purchases, including airfare and bookings with several hotel brands, not just Hilton. You can transfer points to the Hilton Honors program as well, but the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card may be better if you prefer upgraded Hilton-specific rewards, loyalty status and other perks.

Comes with automatic Silver Elite status, which includes a free fifth award night when you book at least four consecutive nights with points.
Earns rewards in three of the average person’s biggest spending categories, making it a terrific standalone option for earning Hilton points.
A higher-tier Hilton card would earn more on Hilton bookings and could be more lucrative for frequent guests, even with an annual fee.
You can only redeem points with Hilton and its partners, which limits the rewards value you earn on the everyday categories compared to a general-purpose cards’ rewards.
Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
Earn 5X Points per dollar on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors™ Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
No Annual Fee.

Best luxury hotel card

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines 2X points on all other eligible purchases

6X Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
3X 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines
2X 2X points on all other eligible purchases

What we love: Frequent Marriott guests looking for luxury card-level perks and elite status should be able to justify this premium card. Along with a terrific rewards rate on Marriott bookings and an annual free night award, you could enjoy generous annual credits for restaurant purchases and Marriott property stays, airport lounge access, elite night credits and more. Learn more: Best Marriott credit cards Alternatives: If you’re looking for top-tier travel perks but want the flexibility to earn and redeem rewards for stays at any hotel chain, consider an elite travel card from Chase or Amex, which can come with generous travel benefits, airport lounge access and the ability to transfer points to Marriott. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is another lucrative alternative.

Outperforms other Marriott cards with its boosted rewards on travel-related categories and 21X points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, thanks to the automatic Platinum Elite status.
It’s one of the only hotel cards that includes complimentary Priority Pass lounge access, top travel protections and credits for expedited airport security screening.
Unlocking some of the card’s best perks — like Five Suite Night Awards — requires a $60,000 annual spend, which may be tough to reach even for frequent Marriott guests.
Unless luxury perks are at the top of your wishlist, the annual fee may not be worth it and a lower-tier hotel card may offer more value overall.
$300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
With Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
$100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
With Cell Phone Protection, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
$650 Annual Fee.

Best for transfer partners

Bilt Mastercard®

Intro offer is not available for this Wells Fargo credit card.

3x points on dining 2x points on travel 1x points on other purchases Earn up to 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year. When you make at least 5 posted transactions in a statement period using your Bilt Mastercard, you'll earn points on rent and qualifying net purchases.

1X Points - 3X Points

3X Points 3x points on dining
2X Points 2x points on travel
1X Points 1x points on other purchases
1X Points Earn up to 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year. When you make at least 5 posted transactions in a statement period using your Bilt Mastercard, you'll earn points on rent and qualifying net purchases.

What we love: Not only is this card is a terrific choice for renters since it earns rewards and waives transaction fees when using it to pay rent, it’s also great for rewards strategists considering the extremely robust travel rewards program. You can earn rewards on travel and dining and your points carry a high value whether you redeem through the Bilt travel portal or one of the many airline and hotel transfer partners. Alternatives: If you like the Bilt card’s travel rewards program but don’t see yourself renting long term, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It earns generously on both travel and dining and also boasts high-value points and transfer partners. If the way you pay rent doesn’t incur credit card payment fees, a flat-rate card may also be worth weighing.

It’s the only card that helps you avoid the fees typically associated with paying rent with a credit card.
Offers a solid collection of travel perks for a no-annual-fee card, including trip cancellation and interruption protection, trip delay reimbursement and other high-level travel protections.
You can only use rewards to cover rent, toward a future home down payment or for travel and shopping. Cash back isn’t an option.
There is no sign-up bonus. Most competing travel cards — even those with no annual fee — offer at least a $200 bonus.
$0 Annual Fee.
Earn up to 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year.
2x points on travel.
3x points on dining.
1x points on other purchases.
Earn points when you make 5 transactions that post each statement period.
When renting at a Bilt Alliance property, you can choose to have your rent payments automatically reported by Bilt to the three major credit bureaus each month; Experian™, TransUnion™, and Equifax™.

Best for gas

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.

Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Earn 1X points on other purchases

3X Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans.

What we love: The Wells Fargo Autograph card is a great option for occasional travelers and households on the go looking to earn rewards while avoiding an annual fee and reduced redemption value for cash rewards. It’s one of a few entry-level travel cards to offer high, year-round bonus rewards for gas, dining, transit and other key travel needs. Learn more: Is the Wells Fargo Autograph worth it? Alternatives: If you’re looking for ways to maximize the value of your rewards, you should consider a travel card that lets you transfer your points to airlines or hotels, like the Bilt Mastercard® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

While some issuers only reward travel purchases made directly with airlines or through issuer portals, this card lets you shop around for the best deal on third-party travel sites and still earn extra rewards.
Carries decent perks such as rental car collision damage waiver coverage, roadside assistance and Visa Signature® Concierge benefits, like access to Visa’s Luxury Hotel Collection (terms apply).
Unlike with traditional travel cards, you cannot transfer your points to airlines or hotels
The travel perks and intro APR are weak compared to competing travel-oriented cards’ offers.
Select "Apply Now" to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
$0 annual fee.
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR thereafter.
Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.

Best for companion tickets

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

Earn 85,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.

3X Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
2X Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
1X Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.

What we love: The annual companion certificate on Main Cabin domestic flights (taxes and fees apply) comes with this card after the first year is valuable enough to justify the annual fee even if you’re just looking for great Delta perks to make travel smoother with a partner. Plus, the companion certificate is easier to obtain than other airline cards’ since it carries no spending requirement that must be met beyond the card’s annual fee. Alternatives: The American Express® Green Card could be a great alternative since it charges a lower $150 annual fee, lets you earn and redeem rewards on travel with any eligible airline (not just Delta) and offers credits for Loungebuddy lounge access and Clear Plus. You can even transfer points to Delta at a 1:1 ratio.

Boasts several valuable travel perks, including priority boarding, a free first checked bag and specialized annual credits for select rideshare services and reservations with Delta Stays and Resy.
Gets you closer to Medallion Status and discounts on in-flight purchases, complimentary upgrades, and more.
Its rewards rate on non-travel purchases is lacking — a general-purpose travel card could potentially offer better rewards value and flexibility for rewards travel outside Delta.
No longer offers complimentary Delta Sky Club lounge access as of this year, although airport lounge access is a staple perk for premium travel cards.
Receive a Companion Certificate on Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
Earn $1 Medallion® Qualification Dollar for each $20 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
Receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
$350 Annual Fee.

Best starter airline card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

2X Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases.
2X Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
2X Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
2X Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
1X Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

What we love: This card’s anniversary bonus offers enough value to nearly offset the annual fee on its own, so it should be a terrific low-stakes option whether you’re new to airline cards or a regular Southwest flyer looking for a low-maintenance card. Plus, its sign-up bonus value is on par with the value you’ll get with much pricier airline and travel cards. Learn more: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus benefits guide Alternatives: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card could offer better value overall, despite its $149 annual fee. It carries an annual $75 Southwest travel credit and 7,500 bonus points each year on your account anniversary — more than enough value to justify the higher fee.

You’ll automatically earn 3,000 Rapid Rewards points each year after your account anniversary, which could offset much of the card’s already-low annual fee.
Delivers the same hefty sign-up bonus as higher-tier Southwest cards.
Unlike several travel cards, it doesn’t carry rewards categories for popular everyday purchases like gas or dining.
It may not be the best Southwest value for frequent flyers since it poses a 3 percent foreign transaction fee and doesn’t offer perks like upgraded boardings or elite status benefits.
3,000 anniversary points each year.
Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases.
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

Best for savers

Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card

Receive 60,000 online bonus points - a $600 value - after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases. Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

2X Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases.
1.5X Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

What we love: If you do your banking with Bank of America and qualify for Preferred Rewards status, this card could provide an exclusive 25 percent to 75 percent rewards rate boost. The rewards rates — 2X points on dining and travel, with 1.5X points on all other purchases — could increase to an incredible 3.5X on travel and dining with an unrivaled flat 2.62X points rate. Learn more: Why expert Sara Coleman loves the Bank of America Premium Rewards Card Alternatives: The similarly-priced Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best alternatives thanks to its stellar travel protections, yearly bonus rewards and stronger rewards program. However, flat-rate cards like the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card or the Discover it® Miles card could be lucrative if you don’t think the $95 annual fee is worth it.

The $95 annual fee is relatively affordable for this card category thanks to the up to $100 in yearly airline incidental statement credits.
You can smooth out your travel experience with great benefits like credits toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and comprehensive travel insurance.
Attaining the highest rewards rate is not an easy feat, since you’ll need to hold significant funds in Bank of America accounts.
This card does not offer a few popular premium travel perks like lounge access.
Low $95 annual fee.
Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. No limit to the points you can earn and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means you could earn 2.5-3.5 points on travel and dining purchases and 1.87 - 2.62 points on all other purchases, for every $1 you spend.
Redeem for cash back as a statement credit, deposit into eligible Bank of America® accounts, credit to eligible Merrill® accounts, or gift cards or purchases at the Bank of America Travel Center.
Get up to $100 in Airline Incidental Statement Credits annually and TSA PreCheck®/Global Entry Statement Credits of up to $100, every four years.
Travel Insurance protections to assist with trip delays, cancellations and interruptions, baggage delays and lost luggage.
No foreign transaction fees.

Best for first-year value

Discover it® Miles

Unlimited Bonus: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. You could turn 35,000 Miles to 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.

Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase.

1.5X Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase.

What we love: In addition to the exceptionally valuable Discover Match® , this card combines solid flat-rate rewards with consumer-friendly terms, like minimal fees and an equal value for both travel and cash back redemptions. Travelers who value simplicity will appreciate this card’s straightforward rewards and adaptability — even when you aren’t traveling. Learn more: Why expert Holly Johnson loves the Discover it® Miles Alternatives: The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card carries a more straightforward and still easy-to-reach welcome bonus. The VentureOne card also gives you the option of transferring miles to more than a dozen airline and hotel partners, which could increase the redemption value of your rewards.

All miles earned in your first year will be matched at the end of the year, which could make it one of the most valuable first-year offers for no annual fee.
Miles don’t lose value when they’re redeemed for cash back, which gives it a leg up over many travel rewards programs for occasional travelers.
You’ll miss out on pretty standard travel perks like travel insurance, and car rental damage protection.
The rewards structure lacks flexibility; you won’t be able to transfer your miles or use them to book travel.
Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
No annual fee
Turn Miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more.
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 18.24% - 28.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
Terms and conditions apply.

Best for fair credit

Credit One Bank Wander® Card

Intro offer is not available for this Credit One Bank credit card.

Earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner site Earn 5x points on eligible travel, dining, and gas Earn 1x points on all other purchases

10X Earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner site
5X Earn 5x points on eligible travel, dining, and gas
1X Earn 1x points on all other purchases

What we love: The Credit One Bank Wander® Card is a solid option if you want to earn points on travel but have trouble qualifying for mainstream travel cards. Not only is this card accessible with only fair credit, but its rewards program boasts generously high rewards rates in key travel categories. Learn more: Best travel cards for people with bad or fair credit Alternatives: If you don’t mind putting down a refundable security deposit, consider a no-annual-fee secured card like the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card *. It’s a unique secured card that lets you build credit while earning rewards in a category of your choice (with travel just one of many popular options) as well as grocery stores and wholesale clubs.

It’s one of the only travel rewards cards available with a fair credit score, making it a decent option if you want to earn travel rewards as you work on your score.
Provides 5X points in travel, dining and gas, plus 10X points on eligible hotel and rental car bookings through Credit One Bank — rare and impressive rates with only fair credit.
Its annual fee is high compared to other cards you can get with a fair credit score , so it may not be the best fit if you prioritize building credit over earning rewards.
Other travel cards may offer better perks, fewer redemption restrictions and more value, so it may be worth working on your score with a lower-cost card before committing to the costly annual fee.
Earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner site
Earn 5x points on eligible travel, dining, and gas
Earn 1x points on all other purchases
Redeem your reward points for statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, flights, hotels, and more
With $0 Fraud Liability, you won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges
Free Online Credit Score and Credit Report summary, terms apply
If you are a Covered Borrower under the Military Lending Act, you may get a different offer
See Rates & Fees

Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit AmericanExpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex assurance company.

The information about the American Express® Green Card and Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuers.

Compare Bankrate's best travel credit cards of 2024

What are travel credit cards.

Travel credit cards allow cardholders to earn points or miles on a variety of purchases (typically travel-related), which are redeemable for travel bookings, statement credits, gift cards and more.

The best travel credit cards do more than help you foot the bill for your next flight — travel cards also offer perks to upgrade your entire travel experience. Trip insurance , annual travel credits, concierge services and lounge access are all common benefits. Airline and hotel co-branded credit cards sometimes offer specific discounts and perks for loyalty program members.

Pros and cons of travel credit cards

Although a well-chosen travel card can pay huge dividends, it might not be the right move for every traveler. Before you apply, take time to weigh the benefits versus the drawbacks of travel credit cards .

Tips on choosing the best travel credit card for you

The right travel credit card for you will carry features and benefits that give you the best value. To help you narrow down your choices, here are the steps to choosing the best travel card.

How to choose a travel credit card

1. know how you prefer to travel.

Knowing whether your travel expenses lean toward airfare, hotel stays or a mix of other travel will help you decide whether you should get an airline card, hotel card or general-purpose travel card. A co-branded airline or hotel credit card may be a good fit if you mostly travel with a certain brand and want exclusive privileges to enhance your experience. A general-purpose travel card is better if you prefer to keep your travel options open.

2. Prioritize redemption value

You may have to pick between simplicity and maximum value when comparing cards and rewards programs. Many travel cards offer a standard point or mile redemption value of 1 cent when you redeem toward travel through the issuer portal, but some cards can get you a higher redemption value when you transfer rewards to airline or hotel partners. However, it's common for many travel reward programs to reduce the redemption value toward non-travel options or limit these redemption options altogether. If you prefer simplicity over maximizing rewards, you may want to consider cards that allow you to redeem points or miles at an equal 1-cent value toward general travel purchase credits, cash back or other non-travel options.

3. Match your card to your spending habits

Take a look at your typical spending and find which travel categories and non-travel categories you spend the most in to help you choose a card that offers a high rewards rate for your regular spending. Just make sure you factor in rewards spending caps.

4. Note what's worth the extra money

High rewards rates and valuable travel perks are the biggest reasons to get a travel card, but many of the best cards carry a high annual fee. You could stick with a no-annual-fee travel card (or at least one with around a $99 fee) if you're mainly focused on earning rewards, but you may have to pay up to $500 or more for luxurious perks like airport lounge access, comprehensive travel insurance and hundreds of dollars in annual travel credits .

5. Look toward your next trip abroad

If you travel overseas, check to see if the card you're considering charges a foreign transaction fee. And since some credit cards aren't as widely accepted as others, you'll also want to make sure your credit card will work when traveling overseas . For example, merchants may not accept Discover and American Express cards as widely as Visa and Mastercard. If a trip is coming up in the next three to six months, keep an eye out for the big sign-up bonuses travel cards are known for. As a rule of thumb, the higher the annual fee, the higher the sign-up bonus should be.

Co-branded travel cards vs. general travel cards

Experts typically divide travel credit cards into two categories: co-branded travel cards and general travel cards. Co-branded cards are linked to a particular airline or hotel, while general travel cards offer more flexible reward opportunities. Here’s why and when you might want one or the other.

Co-branded cards
General travel cards

Co-branded travel cards tend to offer higher rewards rates on eligible travel purchases in exchange for limiting your reward redemption options to just one airline or hotel program . These cards may also feature more specific perks associated with the respective hotel or airline, such as free award nights, complimentary airline elite status or priority boarding — which general-purpose travel cards don’t often carry).

However, you won’t be able to use your rewards with a wide variety of different hotels and airlines like general-purpose cards allow. Plus, despite co-branded travel cards’ typically higher rewards rates, many brand-specific rewards tend to be worth less than the potential value of general-purpose cards’ points and miles.

When to get a co-branded travel card : When you often fly or stay with a specific airline or hotel and want to maximize your benefits with that brand.

General travel cards earn rewards on various travel categories and aren’t limited to a particular airline or hotel. Such cards may lack some of the dedicated perks you’ll find on a co-branded travel card, such as in-flight discounts, but make up for it with rewards flexibility and broader perks like general travel credits, expedited security screening and wider airport lounge access.

The top travel cards even let you transfer your points or miles to airline and hotel loyalty programs, often at a 1:1 rate. Redeeming with some airlines and hotels can even make your rewards more valuable than they would be if you redeemed with the card issuer.

When to get a general travel card : When you have no preferred airline or hotel and want the additional flexibility a general travel card offers.

Who should get a travel credit card?

A travel credit card is almost always worth it for frequent travelers or anyone who wants to earn rewards toward their next vacation.

If you can save up airline miles, rack up points for free nights at hotels or get discounted travel through your credit card issuer, you’re on your way to significant travel savings. However, the right travel card for you will depend on your travel habits.

Frequent travelers

Naturally, the ideal candidate for a travel card is someone who travels a lot or plans to book several flights and hotel stays per year. However, in some cases, you don’t have to be a frequent traveler to reap the benefits of a travel rewards card. A number of cards offer good rewards rates on general purchases.

Travel beginners

If you’re new to travel rewards, a good place to start is with a travel card that makes it easy to earn and redeem points, without requiring you to navigate a complex rewards program or worry about tiered rewards rates or varying point redemption values.

Brand loyalists

If you tend to book travel with the same brands frequently or already belong to an airline or hotel loyalty program, a co-branded travel card can offer terrific value. Airline- and hotel-specific rewards cards often earn a top rate on bookings with the brand as well as exclusive perks like lounge access and automatic elite status.

Business travelers

Some of the most valuable travel credit cards are business cards . Whether you're a freelancer on the go or the CEO of a Fortune 500, the right travel credit card can help you earn high rewards rates on everyday business purchases.

International travelers

If you frequently travel abroad, a card with no foreign transaction fees is a great way to help you avoid extra costs on overseas purchases. Plus, if you hate waiting in line at airport security or customs, a lot of travel cards offer statement credits to reimburse you for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees.

Luxury travelers

Luxury travel cards often charge a pretty penny but also offer a ton of value via perks like lounge access and annual travel credits. These perks not only make travel more comfortable, but also often carry enough value to offset the card’s cost on their own.

Still unsure if a travel credit card is right for you? Check out our Credit Card Spender Type Tool where you can get personalized credit card recommendations based on your credit score, spending habits and daily needs.

Here’s how a Bankrate editor chose his travel card

Here’s how a bankrate editor chose his travel card.

With all of this advice in mind, let’s see how a credit card expert made their pick. Here’s Bankrate editor Nouri Zarrugh on how he chose his travel card:

When it comes to earning rewards, I’ve always stuck with cash back cards, preferring the simplicity of knowing exactly how much my rewards are worth and the ease of redeeming for statement credits. Recently, though, I decided I wanted to travel a bit more frequently, and I figured a new travel rewards card could be a great tool to help me earn free trips. When choosing the right card for me, a few major points of consideration stood out: Cost: I didn’t feel like I traveled enough to justify a huge annual fee. Simplicity : I wanted to stick with a single, streamlined travel card and not worry about juggling multiple rewards programs or rewards rates. Perks : While I didn’t need anything too fancy, I thought it might be nice to have a perk like TSA Precheck included, since I hate waiting in long airport security lines. To my surprise, the card that stood out most was the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Though it carried an intimidating annual fee of $395 ( See Rates & Fees ), I found this cost was more than worth it once I dug into the details. In fact, its benefits were so valuable, I barely needed to worry about offsetting the cost. Two of its annual perks — a $300 Capital One travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles every year on my account anniversary — are valuable enough to offset the fee on their own. This means as long as I take one flight a year, I can basically break even on the card. Any rewards or perks I get beyond that feel like pure upside. It’s a huge bonus, then, that the card also includes practical benefits like Priority Pass lounge access and a credit of up to $100 toward the cost of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. While I’ve never frequented airport lounges, I see these privileges as essentially free considering the value of the annual travel credit and bonus miles. So, I figure, why not take advantage? For me, the Venture X strikes the perfect balance: A flat rewards rate that makes it easy to earn miles on everything I buy; flexible redemption through Capital One or via transfer to airlines and hotels, and practical perks I know I’ll use when I travel. I never imagined I’d have a $395 travel card in my wallet, but for me, it’s at worst a coupon for a flight every year, which can nudge me to take that next trip. — Nouri Zarrugh, Editor, Bankrate

Travel benefits may differ from card to card, but some of the most popular travel cards available often feature a few key perks.

Travel insurance

Travel cards may offer various travel insurances , such as trip delay protection, trip cancellation insurance, lost baggage insurance or car rental insurance. These benefits aren’t worth anything until you need them, but you’ll be glad you have them when your flight is canceled or your luggage gets lost.

Travel credits

Credits toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry are a popular and common benefit on many travel cards. You can typically use this credit once every four years, which roughly corresponds to how long a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership lasts. Some cards may also provide an annual credit toward Clear Plus — another expedited security membership. Higher-end travel cards often offer annual statement credits toward travel purchases, and many of these credits nearly offset these cards’ annual fees.

In-flight perks

Co-branded airline cards typically offer some airport and in-flight benefits on top of their reward-earning capabilities. These can include discounts on in-flight purchases (usually 25 percent back on refreshments and WiFi), free checked bags, flight seating upgrades or priority boarding.

Free hotel award nights

Co-branded hotel cards may include free hotel award nights annually as part of their benefits. Some cards also add an extra complimentary awards night to your stay if you’ve booked a certain number of consecutive nights. These nights are typically capped at a certain value (sometimes based on the card or your elite status), and may be valuable enough to make up for some cards’ annual fees.

Airport lounge access

One of the most popular (and valuable) travel benefits featured on high-end and luxury travel cards is complimentary access to airport lounges. The lounges you gain access to depend on the card, though co-branded cards will often grant access to the lounge corresponding to the card’s airline. The Amex Platinum card currently offers the best airport lounge access .

If you want to add a credit card to your portfolio for your travel needs, knowing what cards are popular and why people like them can help steer your decision. We regularly stay abreast of these conversations online and noticed two travel cards come up regularly: the Chase Sapphire Reserve and The Platinum Card from American Express .

These cards shine because they offer some of the best rates on travel purchases and the most comprehensive set of benefits and perks . Despite their annual fees, what you get in return can far outweigh your costs. And the conversation around these two cards isn’t new: Is the effort of maximizing their perks worth it?

What people say about travel credit cards perks

The Sapphire Reserve is often referred to as the gold standard in travel benefits and protections, and the value of its trip insurance is a big part of that. A member of the Rick Steves Forum remarks on the value of the insurance: “It has pretty extensive coverage wherever I travel … my entire trip is covered as long as I charged any portion of the trip to my card.” This feature is unique to the Sapphire Reserve and sets it apart from other premium cards, which require you to charge your entire trip purchase to the card to have active coverage.

But using trip insurance isn’t always a simple process. As a user in the r/CreditCards forum on Reddit cautions: “Credit card travel insurance in general is very specific on what it covers, and people tend to overestimate just how useful the coverage actually is,” they write. “These are named peril policies, so unless you see your exact situation as a covered hazard the policies won't pay out.”

The Platinum Card from American Express gets a lot of buzz for reasons similar to the Sapphire Reserve. The card gives so many benefits, credits and additional perks that it’s often called a coupon book for luxury travel. But for many people, the value comes down to whether they’re willing to do the work to maximize its features. Another r/CreditCards member says they use the card’s Hilton and Marriott status boosters, rental car company loyalty program automatic status features, Centurion lounge access, hotel and airline incidental credits, membership credits and more. Using all these features helps them offset the annual fee.

While some people love maximizing the card’s features to extract as much value as possible, others, like this Redditor, think it’s too much work:

“The only benefit the Platinum card really adds is Centurion but only to the [cardholder] … I believe the Platinum is worth [it] at least the first year for the [sign-up] bonus but then it doesn't get much use after that. Trust me the credits are really annoying to use.” — r/CreditCards user

These two premium cards stand out from the rest because they offer the most comprehensive features available to suit your travel needs and protect you from any issues that arise. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is an exceptional option to protect you from travel issues, but make sure you know the fine print. While the Amex Platinum may not be as ideal for travel protections, the credits offered more than offset its annual fee if you can put in the effort to fully maximize them.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned cardholder, your travel card should always work in your favor by offering the features and benefits you’ll actually use and that make your travels more enjoyable. But whether you’re willing to put in the effort to maximize a card’s value is something you’ll need to decide for yourself.

*The quotes and citations included on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of the posting date. Be sure to check the issuer's website/terms and conditions for all up to date content. Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate.

Credit card points and miles are two of the key types of credit card rewards , along with cash back. You’ll earn points and miles by making purchases with your credit card, but you can typically redeem these rewards for travel, gift cards and more — not just statement credits.

Points and miles tend to be more flexible than cash back, but since their value depends on how you redeem them — and, in the case of travel redemptions, where you’re going, when you book, your fare class and more — it may take a bit more effort to make the most of them.

What are your points and miles worth?

Since many airlines and hotels use dynamic pricing models that continually optimize airfare and room prices, it can be hard to know exactly how much your rewards are worth without doing a little math.

Luckily, you don’t need to be a travel hacker to get a sense of this idea. Before you redeem, you can check your reward redemption value by dividing the cost of a plane or hotel booking in cash by its cost in points or miles. This calculation will result in the cash value of your points or miles.

You can also compare this value to Bankrate’s latest points and miles valuations to determine if you’re getting a good deal on your redemptions. Bankrate collected data on hundreds of bookings across dozens of airline, hotel and credit card rewards programs and estimated how much each program’s rewards are worth on average .

Airline rewards values
Hotel rewards values
Credit card program rewards values

The table below shows Bankrate’s estimated reward redemption value for a variety of popular airline loyalty programs. You’ll notice how widely the value varies between airlines, with some offering close to 3 cents per point in average redemption value and others struggling to meet a 1-cent-per-point value.

Keep in mind, however, that these values are averages based on a variety of fare classes, destinations, booking periods and more. For example, while Bankrate estimates Delta SkyMiles carry an average redemption value of around 1.2 cents per mile, they could be worth more or less depending on the details of your booking.

*Based on weighted average of median point/mile values across economy and first/business class fares.

Like airline miles, hotel points fluctuate in value. The table below shows Bankrate’s estimated point values for some of the most popular hotel brands.

As you can see, hotel points tend to be worth less than airline and credit card rewards on average, often carrying less than 1 cent per point in redemption value. That said, hotel loyalty programs sometimes offer more favorable exchange rates when you transfer rewards from a credit card rewards program. For example, you may be able to turn 1,000 credit card points into 2,000 hotel points (a 2:1 transfer ratio).

*Based on median point values across budget, mid-tier and luxury hotel bookings.

Unlike hotel and airline rewards programs, credit card reward programs typically earn points or miles that offer a consistent redemption value when you use them with the issuer. Though the redemption value of your rewards may vary based on how you redeem, each redemption method should offer a consistent baseline value.

Some credit card rewards programs may also allow you to transfer your points or miles to airline and hotel loyalty programs, which could boost their value considerably. For each major credit card rewards program, we estimate a baseline redemption value (assuming you book for travel with the issuer) and a Bankrate’s Value, which averages the program’s best-value transfer partners.

*Based on an average of the issuer’s five highest-value transfer partners (if available).

When to use rewards vs. cash

To demonstrate when it’s best to use your reward miles versus paying in cash, we set up this example:

We estimate American Airlines AAdvantage miles are worth 1.0 cents. If you book a seat in the main cabin on a one-way flight from Boston to Miami, and it costs either $139 or 21,500 miles, your miles are only worth $0.006 ($139 / 21,500 miles = $0.006). Since your miles for this flight are worth less than 1.0 cents, you may want to save your miles and pay cash for this flight.

But if you book a first-class seat on the same flight for $433 or 31,500 miles, your miles are now worth $0.013 ($433 / 31,500 = $0.013). Since 1.3 cents is higher than our latest valuation, you’re coming out ahead if you use your miles to pay for this flight.

Bankrate experts share their advice on using travel credit cards

It’s important to know how to maximize your rewards and perks. Otherwise, a travel card could end up being a money pit. Here are a few pointers from our experts for making the most of your travel card:

Combine cards to maximize rewards

Knowing how much you spend in different categories and which merchants are eligible for rewards will help you earn more and build an optimized stack of rewards cards. A flat-rate card is often a great starting point to earn the same rate on every purchase you make. As you build out a rewards strategy, you can incorporate a card with bonus categories to earn even more in your highest spending areas.

Expert Insight:

“For a long time, I’ve used a combination of Chase credit cards known as the Chase trifecta for all my family’s spending…. [I] don’t typically use my Sapphire Reserve for everyday spending and bills. Since it only offers 1X points on non-bonus category spending, I use my Freedom Unlimited to make sure I earn a minimum of 1.5 percent cash back on everything I buy.” “I use each card strategically to earn as much in rewards as possible, then I pool them in my Sapphire Reserve account to redeem them for airfare, excursions, hotels and more.” — Holly D. Johnson — Award-winning personal finance writer and Bankrate contributor: Why I love the Chase Sapphire Reserve

Maximize your rewards value with transfer partners and issuer travel

Save your rewards for the most valuable redemption options. Travel points and miles often lose value toward non-travel options like cash back, so you’ll want to redeem your rewards for travel through the issuer portal for at least 1 cent per point or mile. However, transferring your rewards to the right airline or hotel partner program is usually worth the extra effort since it could net you even more value.

Expert Insight

“When I redeem my points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, the most I can get is 1.25 cents apiece, which is pretty good. However, if I transfer them to a partner airline’s loyalty program, I will often get much more. For example, I can transfer my points to United Airlines MileagePlus and use them to pay for flights. When I do, I generally get a value of 2 or more cents per point — in line with Bankrate estimates that Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth around 2 cents apiece on average when used with the right transfer partner.” — Margaret Wack — Personal finance expert and Bankrate contributor: Why I love the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Make the most of your travel perks

Travel benefits are one of the main reasons to get a travel card, and are often key to making up a card’s annual fee. Be sure to read the fine print to make sure you can take full advantage of these offers . For example, one card’s travel credit may apply to any travel purchase, including airfare, while another card’s may only cover costs like baggage fees or in-flight purchases.

“This is the year to take inventory of your credit cards and make sure they’re serving you well. If you’re paying an annual fee, look for a card with recurring benefits. Whether it’s annual award nights, waived luggage fees or elite status benefits, these perks can offset your annual fee and make your travels more pleasant … Despite putting minimal spending on my Hilton Honors Amex Aspire card, I keep renewing it every year. That’s because the card provides automatic Hilton Diamond elite status, which can easily offset the $550 annual fee. Recurring card benefits like [these] can save you a lot on travel and are worth considering when shopping for a new credit card.” — Ariana Arghandewal — Travel rewards expert and Bankrate contributor: Five benefits you need from a travel credit card

Plan for the sign-up bonus

The best travel cards come with generous welcome offers, but these bonuses may require a high spend in a short timeframe. That’s why it’s important to consider whether the spending requirement fits with your typical spending habits or whether you need to plan purchases to meet the requirement. Just be sure not to overextend yourself or take on debt you can’t pay back just to earn a bonus — interest and fees can easily eat through any value you’d get.

“Keep in mind that credit card sign-up offers change often. So if you’re interested in a particular card but not blown away by its current offer (there are some for 100,000 points or more that aren’t always worth the trouble), it could be worth your while to wait for a better one.” — Ariana Arghandewal — Travel rewards expert and Bankrate contributor: 6 ways to get bigger credit card bonuses

Look out for limited-time offers, partner perks and other benefits

Keeping an eye out for limited-time offers like extraordinarily high sign-up bonuses, perks with partner services (like rideshares or delivery services) and other reward-earning opportunities is a great way to squeeze the most value from your travel card. Issuers sometimes provide shopping and travel portals and card-linked reward programs for select purchases (like for pre-paid dining or participating merchant spending), which can help you bank extra rewards.

“Keep an eye on your email inbox and rewards portal for any limited-time promotions your issuer may be offering. Many American Express cards feature Amex Offers, which lets you access perks like statement credits for spending a certain amount on specific hotels and other retailers. Other cards, like the Capital One Venture X, also have occasional promotional offers, such as a credit for 5 percent back on VRBO rentals.” — Lori Zaino — Travel expert and Bankrate contributor: How to maximize credit cards for cheaper accommodations this holiday season

Track your spending and rewards each account statement

Track your favorite stores’ and services’ merchant category codes (MCCs) to fine-tune your spending habits for maximum rewards. If you notice your expenses changing, this practice may also help you notice whether you need to change which rewards cards you carry.

“The first step to optimizing your spending is to take the time to collect the MCCs of stores you frequently shop at. During the process, you might find that some stores in the same chain may have different MCCs, depending on their primary inventory. Even different counters or sections in the same department store may carry different MCCs. You can use this to your advantage if you know one location near you will provide a better cash back rate than the other. These “loopholes” can provide great opportunities to reap cash back on purchases that typically wouldn’t earn rewards.” — Garrett Yarbrough — Writer and credit cards expert at Bankrate: Merchant category codes: How to earn more cash back

Our data: What credit score do you need for the best travel cards?

It’s no secret that your credit score heavily influences which cards you’re likely to get approval for. But how good does your credit need to be to get the best credit cards for travel? We analyzed our data of Bankrate readers who applied for credit cards on our pages in 2023 and compared the approval rates of readers’ different credit tiers.

We found that, on average, 61.9 percent of users with excellent credit were approved for travel cards on our site. Then, an average of 39.5 percent and 19.5 percent of users with good and fair credit, respectively, got approval for travel credit cards they applied to.

If you have fair or bad credit, you still have options for travel credit cards. For example, the Credit One Bank Wander Card caters to people with fair credit — 57 percent of people with fair credit who applied on our site in 2023 were approved for this card , according to our data.

Obviously, the better your credit, the more likely you are to get the card you apply for , but other factors can affect your application. Issuers may also consider your income, recent credit applications, homeownership status and monthly rental or mortgage payment. Keep these other factors in mind with your credit score when you apply for credit cards.

Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email , find us on Facebook , or Tweet us @Bankrate .

When evaluating the best travel cards, we consider a mix of factors, including how cards score in our proprietary card rating system and whether cards offer features that fit the priorities of a diverse group of cardholders, from earning rewards in popular categories to scoring a large sign-up bonus or high-value perks. Whenever possible, we also feature cards that are available at various credit levels and price points.

We analyzed over 150 of the most popular cards and scored each based on its rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more to determine whether it belonged in this month’s roundup of the best travel cards.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the key factors in our rewards card scoring methodology — our primary scoring category for travel cards — and details we considered when putting together our list of the best travel cards.

Flexibility 15%
Customer experience 5%

Great rewards value

The primary criteria for a rewards-earning card’s rating is its rewards value. This includes the card’s average rewards rate, estimated annual rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value and reward redemption value.

To estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings, we first calculate its average rewards rate based on how much it earns in different bonus categories and how closely its categories align with the average person’s spending habits. In other words, we assess whether the card earns rewards at a high rate in the most popular spending categories.

We use consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to get a reliable third-party measure of people’s spending habits. The most recent BLS data estimates average total spending in 2022 was $72,967 per consumer. We then narrow our focus to which purchases are likely to be put on a credit card and earn rewards, subtracting expenditures like housing, vehicle purchases and education. This gives us a total “chargeable” annual spend of around $25,500.

This includes the following spending by category:

Groceries: $5,700
Dining out: $3,600
Entertainment: $2,400
Gas: $3,100
Apparel and services: $1,900

Using this data, we assign a weighting to each of a card’s bonus categories. For example, a card’s grocery rewards rate receives a 22 percent weighting based on how much of the average person’s budget is spent on groceries.

We also estimate the redemption value of points or miles from various issuer, airline and hotel rewards programs.

This weighting and rewards valuation allows us to estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings — how many points or miles you’d earn with a given card if your spending was about average and you used the card for all of your purchases — as well as what those points are worth. We also use point valuations to determine a card’s sign-up bonus value

With these calculations complete, we assign each card a score based on how its average rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value, rewards rate and redemption value stack up against other rewards cards.

The better these values, the higher its score will be, making it more worthy of inclusion in our list and increasing its potential ranking.

Reasonable rates and fees

We also score cards based on how much it costs to keep them in your wallet or carry a balance.

To start, each card is scored based on whether it offers an intro APR and how its ongoing APR compares to the rates available on other rewards cards. However, the latter rating only has a slight influence on the card’s score and whether the card is included in our list, since rewards card users generally try to avoid carrying a balance.

More important to both a card’s score and its inclusion in our list is how its annual fee influences its overall value. We consider a card’s annual fee in two ways — how it ranks relative to the fees you’ll find on other cards in the category and how it impacts a card’s overall rewards value.

Cards with an annual fee will always be at a slight disadvantage in our scoring system since annual fees inherently cut into your rewards value. However, if a card offers terrific value via its ongoing rewards and perks, it can earn a high score and a spot in our list even if it carries a high annual fee. After all, the highest rewards rates and most valuable perks are often found on cards with annual fees.

With this in mind, we rate a card based primarily on how its ongoing rewards value and ongoing perk value (such as annual credits or bonuses) stack up against those of other cards in the category when you subtract annual fees.

That said, we strive to include as many no-annual-fee options in our list as possible since many people would rather not worry about offsetting fees, even if a card carries impressive rewards and perks.

Redemption flexibility

Rewards cards may make it easy to earn a lot of points, miles or cash back, but how easy is it to use those rewards? After all, if it takes a ton of effort to redeem rewards or you can only redeem rewards in a couple of ways, a card may be more trouble than it’s worth.

As such, we rate each card’s flexibility based on the restrictions it imposes on earning and redeeming rewards. We factor this rating into a card’s overall score and consider it when deciding on a card’s inclusion in our list.

Flexibility factors include whether a card only allows you to earn a high rewards rate on only a small amount of spending or requires you to meet a certain earning threshold before you can redeem rewards. We also examine whether your points are worth less when you opt for some redemption options over others and whether a card gives you the flexibility to transfer rewards to travel partners.

Valuable perks

We also score each card’s set of features – its perks and benefits — against five tiers of features to provide a rating.

We break down these tiers as follows:

Tier 1 includes fewer features than even standard credit cards (for example, an ultra-streamlined card that offers basic utility and next to nothing in the way of ancillary benefits).
Tier 2 includes the benefits you’d expect on standard Visa or Mastercard credit cards, such as free access to your credit score, car rental insurance and $0 liability for fraudulent charges.
Tier 3 includes “prime card” or better-than-average card features like cellphone insurance, lost luggage insurance, concierge services and purchase protection.
Tier 4 includes luxury features such as airport lounge access, elite status with an airline or hotel and credits for expedited security screening membership programs.
Tier 5 includes the sort of exemplary benefits you’ll find on top-tier luxury cards, such as high-value travel credits, cardholder memberships and other unique and valuable perks.

In evaluating the best cards, we tend to favor cards that offer at least Tier 3 benefits, unless they include other unique features that could make up for less-impressive perks.

And since this list focuses on travel cards, we tend to favor cards that carry travel-centric features like travel insurance, airport lounge access and credits for expedited security screening, instead of more general perks like food delivery credits or shopping discounts.

More information on travel credit cards

Frequently asked questions about travel credit cards, are travel credit cards worth it.

Travel cards can be well worth it since they often have exclusive travel perks like credits for airfare, hotel stays, expedited airport security services and more, as well as complimentary airport lounge access and airline or hotel privileges. However, many of the best travel credit cards come with annual fees. It’s important to at least offset the cost of these cards by taking advantage of the various travel perks and features included on the card.

What credit score do you need for a travel credit card?

It’s possible to get a travel credit card with bad or fair credit, but most travel rewards cards are geared toward people with good or excellent credit (a FICO score of at least 670, or a VantageScore of at least 661).

Do travel miles or points expire?

Even though many major credit cards earn rewards that don’t expire, you may lose your points and miles if your account closes or isn’t in good standing. However, some co-branded cards’ rewards may expire if you don’t earn or redeem rewards within a certain timeframe (typically 12 to 36 months after the rewards are earned).

Check out our guide to credit card rewards expiration for a thorough breakdown of several popular issuers’ policies.

Are points or miles better on a credit card?

Whether points or miles offer better value will depend on the specific rewards program and how you redeem rewards. One airline loyalty program may earn miles that offer less than 1 cent each in average redemption value while another program’s points may offer close to 3 cents each on average. Similarly, a hotel card’s points may be worth less than half of a credit card issuer’s rewards points. Some programs offer points with only average baseline redemption value but high value when transferred to a partner airline or hotel.

Ask the experts: Is it a good idea to have multiple travel credit cards?

Thomas Nitzsche

Stephanie Zito

Erica Sandberg

Financial Educator, Debt and Credit

Whether you should have multiple travel credit cards depends on several factors, including your brand affinity, frequency of travel and ability to pay off your cards in full each month. As a credit counselor, I see many people carrying credit card debt at high interest rates while continuing to make charges to the account for the sake of earning rewards. They lose far more than they earn each month. Having more than one travel credit card could make sense for you if you’re able to maximize your earnings by strategizing spending across each card. Just take into account annual fees and actual interest paid.

Contributor, Personal Finance

If you’re up for managing multiple cards and their benefits, then there are definitely big reward payouts to be had. But if the thought of multiple cards is overwhelming, it’s also a good strategy to have one or two more flexible cards and focus on maximizing your earnings and redemptions until it becomes second nature.

Contributor, Credit Cards

Definitely! I currently have two travel credit cards. In addition to the Chase card that I use for my United Airlines purchases, I have the Capital One Venture card for all other airlines. I earn a solid amount of miles on everything I buy with it, so it's an easy go-to for non-travel related expenses.

Article sources

We use primary sources to support our work. Bankrate’s authors, reporters and editors are subject-matter experts who thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate, timely and relevant.

Global entry: Trusted traveler enrollment program . U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed on Feb. 21, 2024

Discover International acceptance . Discover. Accessed on Feb. 21, 2024.

* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.

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What is a Travel Nurse? Everything You Need to Know

How to become a travel nurse.

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The world of nursing is not confined to traditional hospital settings. For those seeking excitement, flexibility, and diversity in their nursing careers, travel nursing presents a unique and rewarding opportunity.

This guide will discuss travel nurse requirements , essential steps, qualities, and perks of becoming a travel nurse, offering valuable insights into this exhilarating profession.

Want to learn how to become a travel nurse ? The first step is obtaining the necessary education and licensure.

Aspiring nurses can choose to pursue an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited institution. Opting for a BSN opens doors to a broader range of job prospects, including prestigious healthcare systems and trauma centers.

After completing their nursing education, nurses must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to obtain their state nursing license, laying the foundation for their travel nursing journey.

As a travel nurse, certain certifications are commonly required and highly recommended to ensure the nurse’s readiness to handle various clinical situations and emergencies. The two critical certifications that travel nurses typically need are:

Basic Life Support (BLS): BLS certification by the American Heart Association is a fundamental requirement for all healthcare professionals. BLS training equips nurses with the skills to recognize and respond to life threatening emergencies such as cardiac arrest, choking, and respiratory distress.

Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS): ACLS certification by the American Heart Association is essential for nurses working in settings where they may encounter patients with cardiac issues or in critical care situations. ACLS skills build upon BLS skills and provide additional knowledge and techniques to manage cardiac arrest, stroke and other cardiovascular emergencies.

Depending on your specialty and the requirements from the facility you wish to travel to, other certifications such as PALS, NRP, and Stable may be required, so be sure to ask your recruiter before applying to travel nursing positions. Additionally, it's important for nurses to keep their certifications up to date, as they typically require renewal every few years.

>> Related: What do Travel Nurses Do?

The most important element to becoming a travel nurse is experience. Most travel agencies and hospitals require nurses to have a minimum of two years of nursing experience prior to applying for travel nursing contracts.

>> Click here to see available high-paying travel nurse opportunities!

Navigating State Licensing as a Travel Nurse

Travel nurses frequently move between states, requiring them to research and understand each state's licensing requirements. Some states offer temporary "walk-through" licenses, enabling nurses to obtain short-term licenses swiftly. Familiarity with individual state licensing procedures and timelines is crucial for successful travel assignments.

Compact state licensure for travel nurses is a game-changer in the healthcare industry, streamlining the licensing process and making it easier for nurses to practice across state lines. By participating in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), qualified nurses can hold a single multi-state license, granting them the privilege to work in any other NLC state without the need for additional licenses.

This simplification not only reduces bureaucratic barriers but also addresses the growing demand for healthcare professionals in various regions. Travel nurses can now embark on new assignments swiftly, providing crucial medical support where it's needed most, and ultimately enhancing patient care across the nation.

Key Attributes of a Travel Nurse

Effective travel nurses possess a unique set of qualities that enable them to excel in diverse healthcare settings. These attributes include:

Adaptability and flexibility : The ability to quickly adjust to new environments and handle various patient populations and healthcare systems

Strong communication skills: Effective communication is essential for collaborating with different healthcare teams, patients, and families

Problem-solving and critical thinking : Travel nurses encounter new challenges regularly, necessitating strong problem-solving skills and critical-thinking abilities

Compassion and empathy: A genuine love for patient care and empathy are vital in providing exceptional nursing services as a travel nurse.

Leadership abilities: Travel nurses should be comfortable assuming leadership roles when needed and confidently handling responsibilities

Love for adventure: A spirit of adventure and a curiosity to explore new places and cultures is essential.

Benefits of Travel Nursing

Apart from competitive pay, travel nurses often enjoy an array of benefits:

Non-taxed stipends: Additional stipends for housing and living expenses on top of hourly rates if you qualify

Healthcare insurance: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.

Retirement plans: 401K investment options for long-term financial planning

Bonuses: Sign-on, completion, and referral bonuses as incentives

Continuing education: Access to free courses for continuous professional development

License reimbursement: Support for renewing and maintaining licenses

Reliable pay: Weekly or bi-weekly pay schedules

Tax advantage plans: Tax-saving options for travel-related expenses

Insurance coverage: Coverage for life, liability, disability, and worker's compensation

Travel reimbursement to and from your assignment

Support: 24/7 support from the staffing agency.

Travel Nurse Salary

The compensation for travel nurses varies significantly based on location, specialty, experience, and the chosen agency ZipRecruiter.com reports the national average for travel nurses is $118,400 per year. While the pandemic and nursing shortage temporarily drove higher wages due to increased demand, these exceptional rates have not since been sustained post-pandemic.

Travel Nurse Salary by State

Source: ZipRecruiter

Wages for travel nurses involve more than a straight hourly rate. They can receive non-taxed stipends for travel nurse housing and living expenses. Stipends are paid on top of the nurse’s hourly rate. Other benefits for travel nurses, depending on the staffing agency, include,

Medical, dental, and vision insurance
401K investment options
Sign-on, completion, and referral bonuses
Free continuing education courses
License Reimbursement
Weekly/Bi-weekly Pay
Tax Advantage Plan
Life Insurance
Liability Insurance, Disability Insurance, and Worker’s Compensation
24/7 Support

Additionally, you can increase your travel nurse salary through specialization or advancing your education. The average travel nurse practitioner salary is significantly higher than that of travel RNs.

What Are The Best Travel Nurse Agencies and How Do You Pick One?

Your travel nurse company and recruiter can make or break your experience, so this question should not be taken lightly.

When you’re starting your travel nurse journey, one of the first steps you need to take is finding a travel nurse company and recruiter. This process might feel overwhelming because there are so many options out there. How do you know if you’ve found a good travel nurse company and a recruiter who has your best interest at heart?

When looking into travel nurse agencies, you should first make sure that they have these non-negotiables:

A dedicated housing department of experts to help you find housing or do they give you a stipend to find your own housing
Day 1 health, dental and vision insurance, and premium cost
401K that you can start contributing to immediately
Travel reimbursement
24-hour customer support. Make sure to choose one with a clinical department that is available as a resource for you.
Have a variety and abundance of travel nursing jobs all over the country for your specialty.

Make sure to ask if they are Joint Commission credentialed. Agencies that obtain this certification must complete a strict qualification process, and it helps ensure that the company is upheld to the highest standards in the industry.

What to Look Out for When Working With Travel Nurse Recruiters

Travel nurse recruiters play a vital role in connecting nurses with suitable assignments. A skilled and honest recruiter advocates for the nurse's best interests, secures desirable contracts, and provides transparent and accurate information in a timely manner.

Conversely, nurses should be cautious of unprofessional recruiters who submit them to assignments without consent or make false promises. In many cases, travel nurses build long-time friendships with their recruiters! You want to find a recruiter with whom you can connect quickly and establish a bond. They should be someone who helps put your mind at ease, has your back, and actively listens to what you want instead of pushing their agenda.

Don’t be scared to interview recruiters to find the right one. Working with a recruiter whose personality, values, and humor complement yours will make your travel nurse experience even more worthwhile.

We encourage you to work with travel nurse recruiters who have been vetted and highly recommended by fellow travel nurses or with our trusted partner, travelnursing.org.

Certifications for Travel Nurses

While there are no specific national nursing certifications for a Travel Nurse, having advanced RN certifications can make an individual look more desirable to hospitals. There are a plethora of nationally recognized certifications including,

CCCTM - Certified in Care, Coordination, and Transition Management
CDN - Certified Dialysis Nurse
CMSRN - Certified Medical Surgical Registered Nurse
CNN - Certified Nephrology Nurse
CNOR - Certified Nurse Operating Room
CPAN - Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse

The most common certifications for travel nurses are,

CPN - Certified Pediatric Nurse
CCRN - Certified Critical Care Nurse
CEN - Certified Emergency Nurse

What Are the CEU Requirements for Travel Nurses?

Continuing education is essential for all registered nurses, including travel nurses, to maintain their active licenses. Each state has specific continuing education requirements that nurses must fulfill to remain compliant.

Examples of continuing education requirements for RNs are as follows:

Washington - 8 contact hours every year
Texas - 20 contact hours every 2 years
Florida - 24 contact hours every 2 years
California - 30 hours every 2 years
Hawaii - 30 contact hours every 2 years
Arkansas -20 contact hours every 2 years
Florida -24 contact hours every 2 years
Illinois - 20 contact hours every 2 years
Iowa -36 contact hours every 2 years
Pennsylvania -20 contact hours every 2 years

Some states do not require CEUs to maintain an RN license. Examples include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, and Maryland. Several states also require HIV/AIDS education such as New York, Minnesota, and Kentucky. It is important for nurses to check their state’s RN credentialing body for exact CEU requirements.

Nurse.org has a comprehensive list of CEUs by state for RNs here .

Brandy Pinkerton's Journey to Becoming a Travel Nurse

Brandy Pinkerton shared with us why she decided to become a travel nurse and what her journey was like.

Why did I decide to become a travel nurse ? I was burned out in my staff job and needed to renew my passion for nursing. After finding a great company and a trustworthy recruiter, I embarked on my first assignment solo with my two doggies in tow and never looked back!

Since pursuing a career as a travel nurse and completing over 15 assignments, I’ve had adventures in Florida , Colorado , Nevada , South Carolina , Texas , and Montana . Becoming a travel nurse was the best decision I could have made for myself! While I’m grateful I made the decision to become a travel nurse, I also know that there are a lot of logistics involved in getting started. I’ll tell you all there is to know about travel nursing, so that you can feel prepared to take the leap into this exciting, rewarding profession!

Here are a few things travel nursing has given me:

A better compensation package with benefits. Because of this, I could pay most of my debt, and I no longer had to work two jobs.
More time off and flexibility with my schedule. You can imagine all the wonderful things that can happen when you have more time back.
Experiences that I would never usually get to have. Through these experiences, I discovered what I like and some new hobbies.
Less burnout – this is HUGE!
New relationships and friendships all over the U.S.
More confidence. I have grown both professionally & personally.
The ability to build my resume. I’ve been able to try out so many hospitals and have great takeaways from them. Who knows? There are some I may go back to one day.

Final Thoughts on Travel Nursing

Becoming a travel nurse is a thrilling journey that promises adventure, personal growth, and unique experiences. From education and licensure to acquiring experience and embracing essential attributes, travel nurses embark on a profession that combines professionalism with exploration. With competitive salaries, a range of benefits, and the potential to make a meaningful impact on patients across various locations, travel nursing offers a gratifying and fulfilling career path like no other!

Kathleen Gaines (nee Colduvell) is a nationally published writer turned Pediatric ICU nurse from Philadelphia with over 13 years of ICU experience. She has an extensive ICU background having formerly worked in the CICU and NICU at several major hospitals in the Philadelphia region. After earning her MSN in Education from Loyola University of New Orleans, she currently also teaches for several prominent Universities making sure the next generation is ready for the bedside. As a certified breastfeeding counselor and trauma certified nurse, she is always ready for the next nursing challenge.

Plus, get exclusive access to discounts for nurses, stay informed on the latest nurse news, and learn how to take the next steps in your career.

By clicking “Join Now”, you agree to receive email newsletters and special offers from Nurse.org. We will not sell or distribute your email address to any third party, and you may unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe link, found at the bottom of every email.

💡Travel benefits explained

🚄 db ticket euro 2024, 🌍 interrail pass euro 2024, 🚋 36 hour travel pass, uefa euro 2024: ticket holder travel benefits.

Monday, June 3, 2024

Article body

Did you know?

Travelling by train and public transport will be the most convenient and sustainable option to get around. Luckily, EURO 2024 ticket holders will have access to discounted national and international train tickets, as well as a 36 Hour Travel Pass for public transport!

DB Ticket EURO 2024 – Train travel within Germany
Interrail Pass EURO 2024 – Train travel across Europe
36 Hour Travel Pass – Public transport in the region

To make use of your travel benefits, you will need your Fan Pass . The Fan Pass is brand new for EURO 2024 and provides access to exclusive perks which will enhance your experience on-site. Your Fan Pass is free and now available for all ticket holders on the UEFA EURO 2024 app .

Plan your journey on the DB Website or DB Navigator App to see what services you’ll be travelling on.

• Purchase a DB Ticket EURO 2024 for single journeys between host cities that involve long-distance services such as IC (InterCity), ICE (InterCity Express), or EC (EuroCity) trains.

• Purchase a Interrail Pass EURO 2024 for international arrival to Germany and during your stay in Germany for journeys that involve long-distance services such as IC, ICE, or EC trains.

• Use your free 36 Hour Travel Pass on matchday and the day after to travel within the city and on slower services within the region ( see map below ). If you’re travelling between Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund and Gelsenkirchen, you can simply use your 36 Hour Travel Pass, as long as your journey doesn’t include ICE, IC or EC services.

4, 5 or 7-day passes: 17 January – 13 July

10 or 15-day passes: 17 January – 8 June

33 European countries

This includes the option to travel in your country of residence, but is limited to two journeys (one to leave and one to return).

Full list of railway operators

How it works

Take as many trains as you like on each of your travel days.
To use and activate your Interrail Pass, download Interrail’s Rail Planner App .
Your Interrail Pass EURO 2024 is only valid in combination with your EURO 2024 Fan Pass . All ticket holders will have access to a Fan Pass for free. You will need to show your Fan Pass when travelling on the train – just like a railcard.
For some trains, it is mandatory to book seat reservations . Be sure to make them early, as trains fill up quickly. Please check the reservation policy of each train you plan to take.
Trains will be busy, so it’s strongly recommended to book a seat reservation even if it's not mandatory. Otherwise, you may need to stand.

❓ FAQs: Interrail Pass EURO 2024

Your Interrail Pass EURO 2024 can only be used to travel between 9 June and 21 July.

Depending on which option you choose, it is either valid for a month within this period (4, 5 and 7-day passes) or the full period (10 or 15-day passes).

The end of the travel period is 21 July for all passes , even if you activate your pass less than a month before this date. For example, if you choose to activate your pass on 13 July to travel to the final in Berlin, your Interrail Pass EURO 2024 will become invalid after 21 July.

No. It’s only available for European citizens (not German residents) and non-Europeans with an official residence in Europe. German residents can benefit from the DB Ticket EURO 2024 for train travel within Germany instead.

You can purchase one pass per EURO 2024 match ticket.

No, only match ticket holders are entitled to use the Interrail Pass EURO 2024 for travel. Your Interrail Pass EURO 2024 is only valid in combination with the EURO 2024 Fan Pass.

You can either travel together, or they can transfer their match ticket to you. Once you have a match ticket in your UEFA Mobile Ticket app , you can access your EURO 2024 Fan Pass in the UEFA EURO 2024 app . On board the train, simply show your Fan Pass together with your Interrail Pass.

You will need to show your free EURO 2024 Fan Pass on each train. The Fan Pass will allow you to prove that you have a match ticket, even when match tickets have not been sent to your mobile phone.

No, the Interrail Pass EURO 2024 is only available to match ticket holders. If you don't have a match ticket, you can purchase any other regular Interrail Pass.

The EURO 2024 Fan Pass is brand new and will provide you with access to exclusive perks for your tournament experience. The Fan Pass is available for free on the UEFA EURO 2024 app .

On the train, the Fan Pass works just like any other railcard or discount card. Show it to the conductor together with your valid Interrail Pass EURO 2024.

Yes, you can buy one pass per match ticket. However, if you’re going to multiple matches, purchasing a single Interrail Pass EURO 2024 with more travel days could be a better option.

No, the Interrail Pass EURO 2024 is non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

No, the Interrail Pass EURO 2024 is personalised.

Check out the full list of railway companies covered on the Interrail website.

The Interrail Pass EURO 2024 allows for up to two journeys in your home country: one to leave and one to return.

For all questions relating to the Interrail Pass EURO 2024, please contact Interrail:

For questions relating to your EURO 2024 match ticket, have a look at the Ticket FAQs .

Match ticket holders are entitled to a 36 Hour Travel Pass for the entire regional public transport network at no additional cost.

⏳ Validity period

From 06:00 on your matchday until 18:00 the following day.

🎫 How to get your pass

Your 36 Hour Travel Pass is included in your free Fan Pass .

Download your Fan Pass on the EURO 2024 App .
Simply hop on board and have your Fan Pass ready to show to inspection staff if requested
No need to scan the Fan Pass before boarding the metro, train or bus.

🗺️ Travel area

IMAGES

7 Personal Benefits of Travel: Why Travel?
10 Benefits of Travelling Infographic
10 Extremely Wonderful Benefits of Traveling
8 Proven Benefits of Travelling You Must Know 👈
15 Health benefits of travel
10 Great Benefits of Travelling Everyone Should Know

COMMENTS

22 Benefits of Traveling
10. Get Real-World Experience and Real-Life Education. When you travel, you gain real-world experience that can't be replicated in a classroom. You learn how to plan ahead, problem-solve on the fly, improvise, navigate new surroundings, and deal with different types of people.
Why is Travel Important? Here Are 7 Important Benefits of Traveling
Here are some of the most important benefits of traveling: 1. Travel Makes You Happier. Sure, a travel experience easily makes you happier by getting you away from your daily grind. And, if you can get away from your parents, kids, freelance work, pets, homework, piano lessons, part-time job, studying for exams or any other things possibly ...
Why travel should be considered an essential human activity
Travel entails wishful thinking. It demands a leap of faith, and of imagination, to board a plane for some faraway land, hoping, wishing, for a taste of the ineffable. Travel is one of the few ...
5 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Traveling Abroad
Men who do not take an annual vacation show a 20 percent higher risk of death and 30 percent greater risk of heart disease. 2. Travel Relieves Stress. Although missing a connecting flight or ...
7 Personal Benefits of Travel: Why Travel?
Getting away from home and stepping outside of your usual routine is beneficial for both mind and body. The long-lasting personal benefits of visiting a foreign country far outweigh the costs and time to get there. The great travel writer Pico Lyer said: "Travel is not really about leaving our homes, but leaving our habits."
15 Benefits of traveling and why travel is important?
The Health Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Improves Your Health and Mind. Improving your well-being is one of the fundamental benefits of travelling. Travelling helps to decrease the risks of heart attack and anxiety, while developing our brain health. There have been studies proving that travel can place a positive impact on our heart health.
15 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Traveling
Travel gets us out walking, exploring, trying new activities, swimming, and more. Whether it's heading up and down stairs, strolling the beach, exploring hiking trails, or taking bike rides through a new city, we're often more active when we travel and it has direct benefits to our health. 15. Helps You Shed Pounds.
Experiential Travel: Creating Memories, Not Checklists
Benefits of Experiential Travel. The main advantage of experiential travel is that you will end your trips feeling enriched by local cultures, and you will create memories that will last forever. ... Trends in the travel industry are constantly changing, but the core of experiential travel will always be immersive experiences. Adventure tourism ...
Is experiential travel the next big trend?
Experiential travel usually delves deeper into a given destination, ensuring visitors can experience it as authentically as possible. As such, tours tend to focus on less-touristy spots. Since the ...
How travel can be good for your mental health
Leaving work stress and the everyday routine behind in exchange for afternoon naps, leisurely walks and the freedom to make your own schedule can do your mental health the world of good. Spending time away with friends and loved ones can add to the feel-good factor, while solo travel can refresh your sense of independence. 6.
Here's why planning a trip can help your mental health
Some psychologists tout the mental benefits of vacationing somewhere new. One 2013 survey of 485 adults in the U.S. linked travel to enhanced empathy, attention, energy, and focus. Other research ...
9 Proven Health Benefits of Travel to Inspire You
Benefits of Travel for Personal Growth. 7. Travel broadens your mind. The environment you grow up in shapes how you think. It affects your view of politics, food and many other aspects of life. When you travel, your brain receives new information at a frantic rate and that view of the norm is often challenged.
How Travels Spurs Personal Growth
Our study uncovered 7 distinct pay-offs: De-cluttered and better thinking. For example, one participant related, "When I travel, I can make my world as slow as possible for me to think" and ...
The (Mental) Health Benefits of Traveling
Skip the sleep aids and take a trip instead to reset your sleep internal sleep clock. "Travel can help your sleep health if you've not been sleeping well," says Simeone. "One in three American adults don't get enough sleep. Poor sleep hygiene has been linked to chronic conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression.
Discover 10 Surprising Benefits of Travel for Your Mind, Body, and Soul
Plus, travel can provide an opportunity for self-discovery and personal growth, leading to increased self-esteem and confidence. 3. Increased Appreciation. Appreciation is one of the top benefits of travel. Traveling can create memories and experiences that enhance one's recognization and enjoyment of life and foster a deeper sense of gratitude.
14 BENEFITS OF TRAVELLING
Travel can have an enormous positive effect on our mental health and wellbeing. Without any commitments, we can change our outlook and reduce our stress levels. Away from the normal daily life worries, concerns and thoughts, we are able to switch off and find a sense of calmness. 2.
Is Vacation Good for Your Health? 6 Benefits of Traveling
Here are the most common possible benefits of traveling, backed by science. 1. Lowers your risk of heart disease. Vacations aren't just good for your soul; they're good for your heart too. Research shows that traveling may reduce the risk of heart disease. In one study, researchers monitored male people at risk of heart disease for 9 years.
5 Ways Travel Is Good for Your Mental Health
1. Travel Makes You Happier. People who travel regularly (defined as trips at least 75 miles away from their home) report being about 7 percent happier than those who travel rarely or not at all ...
10 Benefits of Travelling
Travelling lets you live life for its own sake! 2. Enhance your creativity. One of the biggest benefits of Travelling is that it takes you out of your comfort zone. Especially if you are travelling to a place you have never visited before, everything seems fresh and new. New stimuli attack all your senses.
9 Wonderful Benefits of Traveling
I feel that traveling often helps people experience a world-centric view of consciousness, and some even on that's integrated…able to see, understand and accept all states of consciousness, and utilizing the gifts of whatever is best and most appropriate in the moment. 8. You'll experience serendipity and synchronicity.
10 Convincing Benefits of International Travel
For Partners. There are so many amazing benefits of international travel. Meet new people, make friends, build skills, eat all kinds of tasty cuisine, and find yourself.
Why travel is important to build life experiences
This is why travel is such a unique and invaluable life experience. Besides, there are many benefits of traveling, such as improved health and learning new skills. And as we learn and benefit from traveling, we feel more purpose in our lives. This article focuses on why traveling is important in building our life experiences.
Benefits of Travel: 14 Things Travel Teaches You
The benefits of travel are countless. We all travel for different reasons, but we learn the same lessons. Find out the 14 things travel teaches you! ... Some prefer the slow travel experience, while others favour intense trips. While one person would like to relax on a holiday, another may want to pack the itinerary with activities.
Is Luxury Private Travel For You?
Luxury private travel is leisure tourism at its finest which consists of hands-on travel benefits for solo, couples, and family trips to just about any destination in the world. You can work with ...
AARP Travel Discounts, Deals and Benefits for Members
Hilton Garden Inn™. Up to 10% off the best available rate and late checkout until 2 p.m. when available. Access deals on travel, including vacation packages, car rentals, cruises, flights and more. Save with these travel discounts and benefits from AARP.
Impact and Benefits of Travel Incentives for Employees
Travel incentives significantly boost employee engagement and motivation. When employees know they can earn rewards for making cost-effective travel choices, they are more likely to take an active interest in the company's travel policies. This sense of involvement in their efforts enhances job satisfaction. 2.
Best Travel Credit Cards of June 2024
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Bankrate score. 4.9. Bankrate review. Recommended credit score: 670 - 850. Apply now. on Capital One's secure site. See Rates & Fees. Intro offer.
Membership Levels & Benefits
Marriott Bonvoy is the loyalty program that rewards you for staying at Marriott hotels and resorts. Join today and enjoy exclusive benefits, such as bonus points, free Wi-Fi, member rates, and more. Whether you want to relax, explore, or work, Marriott Bonvoy has the perfect place for you.
What is a Travel Nurse? Everything You Need to Know
Final Thoughts on Travel Nursing. Becoming a travel nurse is a thrilling journey that promises adventure, personal growth, and unique experiences. From education and licensure to acquiring experience and embracing essential attributes, travel nurses embark on a profession that combines professionalism with exploration.
UEFA EURO 2024: Ticket holder travel benefits
To make use of your travel benefits, you will need your Fan Pass. The Fan Pass is brand new for EURO 2024 and provides access to exclusive perks which will enhance your experience on-site.

22 Benefits of Traveling

1. Travel Makes You Happier

2. Traveling Improves Your Communication Skills

3. Travel Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety

4. Travel Makes Your Life Feel Longer

5. Travel Helps You Achieve Peace of Mind

6. Travel Enhances Your Creativity

7. Travel Allows You to Try Excellent Food

8. Traveling Has Physical Health Benefits

9. International Travel Makes You More Tolerant and Understanding of Different People and Cultures

10. Get Real-World Experience and Real-Life Education

11. You’ll Understand Yourself More When You Travel

12. Travel Boosts Your Self Confidence

13. Travel Helps You Get Out of the Rut of Everyday Life

14. Travel Expands Your Social Network

15. Personal Development

16. Travel Teaches Us to Appreciate Nature and the Earth

17. World Travel Makes you Appreciate Your Home Even More

18. Travel Helps You Find a New Purpose

19. Expand Your Horizons and Try New Things

20. Travel Lets Us Take a Break from the Rat Race and Recharge

21. You Can Learn a New Language

22. You’ll Make Lifetime Memories

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Why is Travel Important? Here Are 7 Important Benefits of Traveling

1. Travel Makes You Happier

2. Travel Lets You Disconnect & Recharge

3. Traveling Relieves Stress and Anxiety

4. Travel Exposes You to New Things

5. Travel Exposes Others to New Things

6. Travel Makes You Physically Healthier

7. Traveling Can Boost Your Creativity

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5 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Traveling Abroad

Check Out These Five Proven Benefits

1. Travel Makes You Healthier

2. Travel Relieves Stress

3. Travel Enhances Your Creativity

4. Travel Boosts Happiness and Satisfaction

5. Travel Lowers the Risk of Depression

Where Will Your Travels Take You This Year?

7 Personal Benefits of Travel

Travel Sharpens the Mind

A Shift in Perspective

A Chance to Try New Things

Meet New People

See the Real Deal

Exercise and Sunshine

Come Home Renewed

15 Benefits of Travelling and Why Travel Is Good for You

The Health Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Improves Your Health and Mind

The Advantages of Travelling: Travelling Improves Your Communication and Language Skills in Many Ways

The Benefits of Travelling: Hedonistic Travel Ensures Peace, Calms Your Mind and Encourages Positive Feelings

Why Travelling is Good? International Travelling Boosts Creativity through Experiences

The Benefits of Travelling Abroad: Travelling Enhances Your Tolerance towards Different People and New Cultures

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Is a Great Way to Boost Your Confidence

The Importance of Travelling: You Get Real-life Education from Travelling to a New Place

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Make Memories from New Experiences

Why Travel is Good for You - How Travelling Helps You Understand Yourself More is Very Important

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Helps Reduce Stress and Eases Anxiety

Why People Are Travelling - Travelling Gets You out of a Rut of Daily Life

The Benefits of Travelling: World Travel Teaches Us to Appreciate the Beauty and Fragility of Nature and the Earth

Why Is Travelling Important? Travelling Helps You Find a New Purpose and Forces You to Take Action

Travel Makes You Embrace Your Home and Ordinary Life More - One of The Advantages of Travelling

The Benefits of Travelling: You May Find the Love of Your Life When You Travel and Meet New People

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