Want to Travel But Don’t Know Where to Start? Read This First

You want to travel. You’re craving something different—maybe it’s the thrill of a new place, the promise of escape, or just the feeling of being a little more alive. But then your brain hits a wall. Where would I even go? How much does this cost? What if I pick the wrong place? Suddenly, it’s easier to do nothing. So you close the tab and push the idea to the back of your mind—again.

This post is here to stop that loop. If you’ve ever felt that urge to travel but had no idea how to actually get started, you’re not alone—and you’re not wrong for feeling stuck. The internet is full of inspiration but short on hand-holding. So this is your real-world, no-pressure starting point. Whether you’re dreaming of a far-flung city or just want to leave your hometown for the first time, here’s how to take that first step—without overthinking it.

TL;DR - You Don’t Need a Master Plan to Start Traveling

• Start by asking yourself why you want to travel—rest, adventure, inspiration? Let that guide your decisions.

• Choose a beginner-friendly destination with solid infrastructure, affordable prices, and a welcoming vibe.

• You don’t need a detailed itinerary. Book your flight, your first stay, and leave room for spontaneity.

• Travel doesn’t have to be long or far—weekend trips or short getaways totally count.

• Budget matters, but you don’t need to be rich. Use tools like Skyscanner and WayAway to stretch your money.

• Being nervous is normal. You don’t have to be fearless—just take the first step.

• Think of it like a warm-up. A small trip now makes a bigger one easier later.
  

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1. Start with why: What kind of experience do you want?

Before you start googling “cheap flights” or making packing lists, take a moment to ask yourself something way more important: What am I actually looking for? Not just in a destination, but in this whole experience. Are you hoping to rest and recharge? Looking to meet new people? Craving art, nature, food, or just a break from your routine?

The clearer you get on your personal why, the easier it becomes to filter out the noise. Maybe you don’t need a big, loud city—you need a quiet beach town with a good coffee shop. Or maybe you're not looking for calm at all; maybe you want to dance until sunrise in a city that never sleeps. Travel doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s highlight reel. It just has to feel like you.

2. Pick a destination that’s beginner-friendly

If you’re just getting started, choosing the right place makes everything smoother. Some destinations are easier to navigate than others—especially if you’re traveling solo, working remotely, or just figuring things out on the go. The goal isn’t to find the most exotic place possible; it’s to find somewhere that makes you feel welcome and capable, not overwhelmed.

Look for spots with solid tourism infrastructure, walkable neighborhoods, and a decent amount of English signage (or apps that make translation easy). Bonus points if there’s a built-in nomad or backpacker scene—places like Lisbon, CDMX, Chiang Mai, Barcelona, or Bali all make great jumping-off points. These cities are used to hosting travelers and have a way of softening the landing while still offering a unique experience.

You can go somewhere wild and remote later. For now, think of this first trip as your test flight—the one that builds your confidence and makes the next one even easier. The most important thing isn’t how “cool” the destination is—it’s how empowered you feel once you’re there.

Credit: Alex Azabache

3. Don’t over-plan — but make a soft outline

The internet is a black hole of travel planning. One second you’re looking up places to stay, and five hours later you’re comparing SIM card providers in a country you haven’t even booked a flight to. It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to perfect every detail—and then never actually going. Instead, aim for a soft outline: just enough structure to feel secure, with plenty of room for spontaneity.

Start simple. Pick your destination, your flight dates, and your first place to stay. That’s really all you need to get going. From there, you can add 1–2 ideas of things you’d like to do—not a 12-point itinerary. Trust that once you’re on the ground, the rest will unfold. Locals, fellow travelers, and your own instincts are better guides than any blog post (yes, even this one).

Traveling isn’t a test you have to study for. It’s more like a jam session—you show up with your basics, stay flexible, and see what happens. A little mystery is part of the fun.

4. Travel doesn’t have to mean a month away

One of the biggest myths about travel is that it has to be long, expensive, and life-changing—or it’s not worth doing. But some of the best trips are the short ones: a weekend in a new city, a five-day solo reset, a quick change of scenery that shifts your whole mindset. You don’t need to quit your job or sell all your stuff. You just need a break that feels like you.

Think of travel as something you can build into your life—not something you have to build your life around. A short trip can be a test run to see what kind of traveler you are. Maybe you love hostels. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you find joy in planning, or maybe you want someone else to handle it. The only way to know is to go, even just for a few days.

If you keep waiting for the “perfect time” to take a big trip, you might wait forever. But a few days off? A cheap flight and a carry-on bag? That’s something you can do sooner than you think—and it still counts.

Credit: Timo Stern

5. You don’t need to be rich — but you do need a plan

Travel doesn’t have to break the bank, but it does require some strategy. The good news is: there are more tools than ever to help you do it smart. You can find cheap flights with apps like Skyscanner (try the “Everywhere” search), get cashback on bookings with services like WayAway, and stretch your money with affordable stays available on those sites, or even monthly Airbnb deals if you’re staying longer.

What really matters is figuring out your budget, not someone else’s. Maybe that’s $1,000 saved over a couple months, or maybe it’s working remotely from a place where your money goes further. Once you set a limit, it’s easier to reverse-engineer your trip: pick destinations where flights and daily costs align with what you’ve got, not what TikTok tells you is hot right now.

Being intentional is more powerful than being loaded. Some of the most meaningful trips come from people who planned carefully, stayed flexible, and made it work with what they had. You don’t need luxury—you just need a starting point and the will to go.

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6. It’s okay to be scared — but do it anyway

No one talks enough about how intimidating travel can be when you’re new to it. Booking that first solo trip, arriving in a country where you don’t speak the language, stepping off a plane without a set routine—it can all feel like too much. But being nervous doesn’t mean you’re not ready. It means you’re human. And doing it anyway is what makes it powerful.

You don’t need to be fearless to travel—you just need to move through the fear bit by bit. Start with easy wins: book a hostel where you’ll meet other travelers, choose a destination that’s known to be friendly to first-timers, or go on a small group trip where the logistics are handled for you. Every step outside your comfort zone builds a little more confidence for the next one.

Most people who travel a lot aren’t braver than you—they just started scared and kept going. The fear doesn’t always go away, but it gets easier to carry. And what you get in return—a wider world, a stronger sense of self, and a thousand memories you’d never have otherwise—is always worth it.

Credit: Nils Nedel

Final Thoughts: Build the Travel MuScle

The idea of traveling can feel so big that you end up doing nothing at all. But it doesn’t have to be some life-defining, movie-worthy adventure. You don’t have to move to Bali, quit your job, or find yourself on a mountaintop in order to start. Travel can be small. Casual. Local. It can be a weekend in a nearby town or even just a night in a city you’ve never bothered to explore. The point isn’t to go far—it’s to start going.

Think of it like building a muscle. You wouldn’t begin your fitness journey by running a marathon. You’d stretch, take a walk, maybe do a short run and see how it feels. Same goes here: book a short trip. Stay somewhere you’ve never stayed. Try moving through the world just a little differently. Once you realize you can, the rest gets a lot less scary. And when the time comes for that big trip? You’ll already be in motion.

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Cover credit: Marten Bjork

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