Every January, we promise ourselves we will travel “better.” Every August, we realise we packed the wrong shoes, trusted Google Maps too much, and booked something that looked very different online.
So here they are: 25 travel resolutions for 2026, written by someone who knows that luggage wheels break, plans change, and the best moments usually were not scheduled.
- I will stop trying to see everything: One city is not a checklist. It is a place. I will act accordingly.
- I will book fewer flights and stay longer: Jet lag is not a culture.
- I will respect local rhythms: If lunch is at 3 p.m., then lunch is at 3 p.m. End of discussion.
- I will stop trusting photos taken at sunrise: I do not wake up at sunrise on holiday. Be honest.
- I will pack less: if I didn’t wear it last time, I will not wear it this time either.
- I will walk more: Public transport plus walking beats Uber plus regret.
- I will eat where the locals eat: if the menu has photos and is available in six languages, I will think twice.
- I will stop calling everything “hidden.” If it is on Instagram, it is not hidden.
- I will learn five polite words in the local language: Hello, thank you, please, sorry, and coffee.
- I will stop expecting Wi-Fi everywhere: I survived childhood without it. I will survive again.
- I will accept that things go wrong: That is not a failure. That is a story.
- I will travel lighter emotionally: Not every trip needs to fix my life.
- I will stop chasing sunsets: They come whether I chase them or not.
- I will respect nature as if I live there: Because someone does.
- I will not rent the biggest car “just in case:” I will regret it in the parking lot.
- I will stop comparing destinations: They do not compete. I do.
- I will read the bad reviews: They usually tell the truth.
- I will choose quality over quantity: One good meal beats three rushed ones.
- I will stop overplanning: The best day is usually the unplanned one.
- I will carry cash: The card machine will fail at the worst moment.
- I will not treat locals as background: They are not scenery.
- I will travel off-season when I can: Crowds ruin even the most beautiful places.
- I will stop romanticising exhaustion: If I am tired, I will rest.
- I will take fewer photos and look more: Memory beats storage.
- I will remember why I travel: Not to prove anything. Just to feel alive somewhere else.
Travel resolutions are not about becoming a better traveller. They are about becoming a more relaxed human in unfamiliar places. If 2026 brings fewer stamps and more moments, that is not failure. That is progress.
And if you need another reminder that life does not have to be taken so seriously, our Dog-Approved Resolutions for 2026: Lessons for Humans Who Overthink Everything book is a good place to start. Written with humor, affection, and a candid canine perspective, it turns everyday chaos into something lighter, funnier, and strangely wise. It is the kind of book that makes you smile, pause, and maybe rethink who is really in charge — spoiler alert: it is probably the dog.
