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  • What is a Travel Blog: Definition & Examples from a 6-Figure Blogger

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Wondering what is a travel blog? I answer that and how you can make money with one!

Travel blogging is all the rage (and or good reason) but there definition for what actually constitutes as a travel blog depends on who you ask.

But I promise, it’s actually pretty simply (and easy to get started).

A travel blog is simply a blog focused on travel. But there’s usually a little more to it than that — while you CAN make a generic travel blog, the riches are in the niches, as they say.

Most travel blogs focus on something specific, like a style of travel (for example, cruises), a specific destination (like Thailand), or something else like what to pack or the best food along the road.

There are PLENTY of niches that you can start with.

If you’re passionate about travel and you want to share your love of it with, then travel blogging might be for you. There is plenty of opportunity, and you can even monetize it to help you create a solid, stable income (with time, of course).

Still not clear on what a travel blog is? No worries.

By the end of this handy little travel blogging guide, you’ll understand exactly what a travel blog is and how you can start your own and earn money with it. I LOVE travel blogging, here’s what you need to know about it:

travel blogger meaning

SEO Roadmap for Travel Bloggers

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This one-stop-shop teaches bloggers in every niche how to scale their traffic and their passive income. I went from $0 a month to $30k/mo in 13 months with my techniques – and now I’m sharing them with you!

Digital nomad working on her travel blog on a rooftop in Portugal

What is a travel blog?

A travel blog is a blog that’s specifically dedicated to travel in some capacity.

Travel bloggers share stories, tips and tricks about traveling.

There are a ton of different sub niches, which help bloggers curate their ideal audience with a focus. The more niche the blog, the easier it is to start growing.

What Type of Things Are Included in a Travel Blog?

Travel blogs can feature almost any kind of content related to travel from packing lists to destination guides.

Some of the most popular types of travel content you’ll find on blogs include:

Trip Recaps

These are essentially reviews of specific trips the blogger was on.

These types of posts are focused on the writer’s experience and often take a story-like format.

They often feature original images and snippets about specific activities and experiences they had.

This is a great way to get a snapshot of a location and learn from a blogger’s experience — but it’s not specifically an itinerary or recommendations guide.

Itineraries

Itineraries are great for covering keywords like “three days in Rome” and other time-specific Google search phrases.

These guide you through the essentials of a specific destination and help the reader plan a trip that will make the most of their (often limited) time at the destination.

These are often focused around things to do and places to eat.

Tips are informational content that usually appears in the form of listicles.

These are great for addressing questions that people have about a destination like the top safety tips for solo female travelers.

These are another great opportunity to help people plan their trip (or even start thinking about traveling) and can be destination-specific or more generalized.

Pink suitcase packed with woman's clothes for travel

Packing Lists

If you’re looking for a great opportunity to link to specific gear reviews you have, provide a mass list of affiliate links, and even capture emails, packing lists are for you.

These types of content are listicles, and they are great for helping fill in the gaps that travelers may have and are also great for affiliate marketing.

This is especially popular for hiking bloggers.

Tour and Hotel Reviews

For bloggers that regularly travel, tour, and hotels reviews put a personal spin on whether or not a reader should try a particular tour or hotel.

They cover everything from the rooms, to food, and transportation.

They are great for affiliate marketing but add a real personal spin to them which is great, especially in today’s and age.

Flatlay of a camera, a notebook, binoculars, and sunglasses on a wooden table for a traveler

Travel Gear Reviews

Just like hotel and tour reviews, travel gear reviews cover your personal opinions on what you take with you while you’re traveling.

If you’re a digital nomad blogger , you might review your favorite Bluetooth keyboard, likewise if you’re a scuba diver you might review your favorite flippers.

These are great for affiliate links.

Financial Advice 

Blog articles that are based on financial and budget advice while traveling.

These guides are mostly informational, but you could sell digital products surrounding them. Including these on your travel blog will have to make sense — not ALL will features these.

It’s also important to factor in your audience when you create these, if you run a budget-friendly travel blog, luxury budgets are not what you’ll be talking about.

Flatlay on a white carpet of a brown hat and polaroid photos of a travel blog

Photographs

The BEST travel blogs feature original photographs.

Not only is this great for the reader’s experience, but Google really loves them when it comes to making content that ranks.

Original photographs help better illustrate the story you are telling, and can also be a great opportunity to make money. You can even sell your photographs or use them in your own business ventures.

For this you’ll need a good camera.

Your “about page” has considerably more value for a travel blogger than most believe.

This is where both your readers and Google understand who you are and WHY it’s you that should be telling the story.

Google relies on experience as part of their core ranking factors, and it’s your about page that can help them identify who you are.

See mine here as an example.

Travel bloggers sometimes also create video content.

This isn’t true straight across the board, not everyone works with video. But YouTube is a great place to show off your personality and get more people to know you.

It s also a great place to rank highly in video search which is something Google relies on more and more each day.

Check out my Youtube here .

Special Discounts

Travel bloggers can also share special discounts with their readers.

These discounts are usually associated with your affiliate marketing partners, and it’s a great way to share your favorite things with your readers at a discounted price.

By sharing these significant discounts, you can entice your readers to not only buy from you, but keep in touch to watch for more.

Types of Travel Blog Niches

There are PLENTY of opportunities in the overarching travel niche.

It’s important to point out that while I’ve created a list of many of the most popular, this is not the be-all, end-all of travel blogging niches .

If you’re interested in something that’s not on this list, chances are there’s still an audience out there for you.

Traveling With Kids

Traveling with kids in tow is a whole other travel-related ball game, and there is plenty of opportunity.

Whether it’s traveling with a family of five (you know, since most “family passes” are made for a group of four) or trotting across the globe with children of a specific age, there’s an audience out there seeking tips.

I’ve seen travel blogs about everything you can think of, from heading on a plane with your newborn baby to RVing around the USA with a pack of teenagers in the back.

Family travel is a popular niche because there are A LOT of different types and styles of families out there, and planning a trip is a lot of work. People need the advice from others who have been there done that.

travel blogger meaning

Ecotourism and Sustainability

Responsible travel is a fast growing niche, and it’s well worth consideration if you’ve just started your own travel blog.

This sub niche of travel focuses on exploring the world without leaving a big impact. It’s aimed at people who want to see the world, but also want to do it in a way that s respectful of the environment.

The idea is that if you can have fun while making a difference (or NOT making one) in the process, why wouldn’t you?

Sub niches of this sub niche could be budget friendly sustainable travel or even luxury ecotourism.

Road Tripping

Traveling in a car is different than traveling on a plane, train, or even a boat.

It means packing smart, heading to destinations that are within driving distance, and seeing the world a little bit slower.

It’s a great way to see a lot of places without spending a lot — and a fun niche to work in.

You can write about how to plan a road trip, where to stay along the way, and even how to make money as you go (like collecting cans for recycling).

RV travel is a slight variation on road travel in that your place to stay goes with you.

There is plenty of opportunity to work in this niche, and it’s a great way to fund your own RV travels (once you have your blog monetized.

You can also blog as a service within this niche — connect with any prospective RV owners and help them to plan their own road trips or offer to provide content to RV parks, campgrounds or even retailers.

Foodie Travel

Traveling is a great way to experience and taste the world around you.

If you’re a foodie, you can help others find the best foodie destinations and places to eat.  It’s a rewarding and delicious way to have fun when you start content creation .

If you want to step up your game, you can add recipes to your blog that help the travelers bring the delicious food home.

This is a great niche if you’re a good photographer or create new recipes.

Man typing on a travel blog on a train while solo traveling with his backpack beside him

Solo Travel

Solo travel is a big trending niche right now.

Not everyone needs (or wants) a travel partner, and many people like to travel on their own. If you’re a solo traveler, you can share your experiences in your blogs and create content that caters to solo travelers.

Affiliate links, display ads and even digital products and courses are popular in this niche.

Destination-specific Blogs

From Mexico to Thailand, destination-specific blogs are a great way to make money with a travel blog.

This is a solid sub niche for you if you know a destination VERY well.

These combine a little bit of all the different blog posts out there, but it’s all focused on one specific place.

Outfits, Gear and Packing Lists

If you LOVE a good packing experiment, this might be the sub niche for you.

It focuses on what you can bring with you along your travels, and helps travelers set up stellar packing lists so they know they’ll have what they need on the road.

This is a great way for those of us that love to test out products and share our reviews.

Two women working on a travel blog in a coffee shop on a laptop

25 Travel Blog Examples

There are SO MANY different kinds of travel blogs out there. From theme parks to traveling with your best furry friend, I’ve gathered a few examples from the best sub niches out there.

You’ll find a quick description of each blog below, and some notes on how they make their income.

It’s important to note that I’m basing income notes on what I can SEE, I don’t have intimate knowledge of the income of these blogs or how much they make.

Sub niche: Fashion and Packing

1. travel fashion girl.

Travel Fashion Girl is the premier fashion travel blog on the ‘net.

It’s won multiple awards and sees millions of visitors per year.

The content is primarily focused on packing lists and guides — what to wear, cool travel gadgets, and the best bags.

It earns its income primarily through affiliates and display advertising, but they also have digital products for sale.

2. Her Packing List

If you’re interested in the fashion and packing sub niche, Her Packing List is another one to look at.

It’s not as established as Travel Fashion Girl, but it covers similar topics. You’ll find content about packing lists, the best bags to travel with, cool new gadgets, and other things that will make your travel experience stellar (and fashionable).

The blog employs affiliate links and display advertising, along with a packing masterclass.

Sub niche: Destination-specific

3. travel mexico solo.

Travel Mexico Solo combines a few niches including solo travel. However, its biggest claim-to-fame is being one of the world’s biggest Mexico travel blogs. When it comes to earning income, the site features affiliate links and display ads, along with a few digital products.

4. The Art of Living in Turkey

Also featuring a country-specific focus, The Art of Living in Turkey focuses on long-term (or even permanent) travel in the country.

Topics vary from purchasing a SIM card to popular Turkish TV shows and sayings.

To our (limited) knowledge, we can only see affiliate links on the blog for income.

5. Ottawa Things To Do

Niching down further, Ottawa Things To Do focuses on the Canadian city of Ottawa.

This city-specific blog features affiliate links and display ads with Ezoic to earn income.

Because of its singular focus, there’s a high potential for sponsored content as well.

6. Uncover the Magic

Destination-specific content doesn’t just encompass countries and cities, it can also cover things like Disney travel!

Uncover The Magic is a Disney-focused blog that talks about all things Disney resorts from Anaheim to Tokyo.

Their income is earned primarily via affiliate links.

Niche: Foodie Travel

7. bacon is magic.

Food is an essential part of travel, especially for foodies.

Bacon is Magic is a food-focused blog that covers the best places to eat around the world, and shares recipes that you can recreate when you’re back home.

The blog features display advertising and affiliate marketing as income earning opportunities.

8. Epicure and Culture

Epicure and Culture features two prominent sub-niches: food and sustainable travel.

You can find everything you need to know about food and drink around the world, along with how to visit countries sustainably.

It features both affiliate links and display ads to earn income.

Sub Niche: Transportation Type

9. stylish cruising.

Stylish Cruising is a blog focused on as specific transportation style: the cruise.

You can learn everything you need to know about taking a cruise from how much to tip, where to go, and what you can expect.

It earns income through affiliate links that point you in the direction of things that help you book the perfect cruise, and make it better.

10. USA Road Trip Now – NOW RETIRED

Road tripping is another popular way to enjoy travel, and USA Road Trip Now combines destination-specific travel (USA) and transportation (via car).

This blog shares the best road trip destinations and gives advice on how to plan them.

There are no obvious income earning channels on this blog.

11. Cool RVers

Traveling in an RV is a great way to explore, and Cool RVers is a blog that helps RVers keep their travel vehicle in tip-top shape and provides tips for the road.

The site earns income via affiliate links and display advertising.

Sub niche: solo travel

12. a single woman traveling.

It’s all in the name with A Single Woman Traveling.

Here you can get tips and tricks for the best gear and destination that will make your solo travel experience top notch.

The site appears to make money from display ads and affiliate marketing.

13. Adventurous Kate

If you’re looking for bigger travel blogs to check out, Adventurous Kate has your back.

This solo travel blog is focused on helping women safely travel the world alone by providing tips, tricks, and destination guides.

The site makes money with affiliate marketing and display advertising.

Niche: Eco-travel

14. pina travels.

Focusing on responsible travels, Pina Travels provides tips, tricks, and destination guides that help you travel around the world while leaving a smaller impact.

It looks like this eco travel site primarily earns income via affiliate marketing links.

15. Soul Travel Blog

The Soul Travel Blog is all about remembering the magic of the journey.

Focusing on sustainability and experience, it shares destination guides and tips to having a truly soulful journey.

They earn income, via affiliate links along with astro-cartography services.

Sub Niche: Family Travel

16. let’s jet kids.

Let’s Jet Kids is all about family fun and traveling.

From road trips to international travel, there are plenty of tips and tricks for family that are looking to take their families on the road.

The site earns money via affiliate marketing.

17. Baby Can Travel

Traveling with babies is a whole different ball game, but Baby Can Travel helps you understand that it’s entirely possible.

Between the right baby gear to keep you and your little co-pilot on the road to where the best baby-friendly destinations are, thus the blog is here to help.

It earns money via affiliate links and display ads.

Sub niche: Digital Nomad / Working Abroad

18. the digital nomad journey.

The Digital Nomad Journey tells you exactly what it is right in the title.

This blog is focused on walking people through setting up and living their best life on the road. It shares tips, tricks, and destination guides.

The site earns income via affiliate links, courses, and digital products.

19. Nina Out and About

If you’ve been around here for a while, you’ve probably heard of my blog, Nina Out & About.

It’s a travel blog focused on expat travel both within Canada and worldwide.

I earn my income via affiliates, display advertising, and digital products.

Sub Niche: Things to Do

20. tales of a backpacker.

For solo women looking to backpack around the world, Tales of a Backpack is the go-to guide.

It covers everything from being a digital nomad and making money on the road to destination guides.

They make their income via affiliates and display advertising.

21. Fat Girls Hiking

Fat Girls Hiking is a digital guide for plus size hikers.

It’s all about finding the best plus size equipment to hitting the best trails. They earn income via affiliates, display ads, merchandise, and donations.

Note that this does actually spin off into local meet-up groups as well.

22. Girls That Scuba

Who doesn’t love a little underwater action?

Girls That Scuba is a blog all about women who head underwater and dive. Everything from the best destinations to how to learn, this is your go-to guide.

They earn income by display advertising, physical products, group trips, and affiliate income.

Sub niche: Special Interest Travel

22. the lady dicks.

The Lady Dicks is a blog and podcast about spooky travel. Focusing on haunted history, it shares where you can stay, stories you might (not) want to hear, and the best destinations to check out.

They earn income via affiliate links and partnerships.

23. Traveling With Your Pets

Who wants to leave your best bud behind? Traveling With Your Pets makes sure you don’t have to do that.

It earns money via affiliates and shares everything from how to cruise with your dog to the best travel kennels you can buy.

24. World Heritage Sites

Another history-focused travel guide is World Heritage Sites.

This blog shares tips and tricks for visiting famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites — perfect for anyone who loves to walk through history.

It earns its income via affiliate marketing.

25. Theme Park Blogger

Another niche, special interest travel blog is the Theme Park Blogger.

Like the title indicates, this blog shares everything you need to know about heading to a theme park.

It earns money via display advertising, and likely also affiliate links.

Man typing on a wireless keyboard working on his travel blog

How to Start a Travel Blog

Pick a niche.

You don’t want to just start a “travel blog.”

There’s A LOT of things to cover under that umbrella, and you certainly can’t cover it all.

For the best opportunity to grow your blog as a beginner, I highly recommend niching down.

Remember that you can always expand your niche when you’re ready, but it can be a bit more challenging to rein it in.

I recommend picking something that you’re knowledgeable, interested in, and, if you can, that you have stellar pictures of — Google loves an original photo.

Set Up Your Blog

There’s a bit of technical work that goes into running a blog, luckily it’s all pretty easy.

You need to decide on a blog name , purchase a domain name and get yourself monthly hosting with a company like Lyrical Host.

From there you install a theme (Kadence is my favorite, and you can use it for free!) and start creating stellar content.

Don’t forget to set up an About and Contact page.

Looking to buy a domain name? I recommend Namecheap !

Find Keywords

If you’re starting from zero, you’ll want to find some low competition high volume keywords.

These are keywords that you’ll have a better chance of ranking content for when you’re first starting out.

As a search engine optimization expert, I’ve got a lot of free education out there that you can learn from and get started.

But simply put, I recommend using a program like RankIQ or Keysearch to help you find those perfect words.

Solid keyword research can also help you build a solid outline that covers the content in detail — enough detail for Google to enjoy it.

Create Content

When it comes to blogging, creating content is what it’s all about.

No content means nothing to rank or monetize, and if you’re not doing that then I’d say it really isn’t all that worth it.

Honestly, blogging is A LOT of work to be a project you do simply for fun.

You want to create content that fully answers whatever query is being searched on Google. Your goal is to make sure that your reader can find anything they need within your piece and don’t have to look elsewhere.

If you’re not a strong writer, I recommend investing in an AI writer to help you out.

Monetize Your Blog

When it comes to earning money from your blog, you need to monetize the content.

Monetizing your content starts with finding the right affiliate programs to work with. You can do this by checking out a network like Travelpayouts or Impact Radius.

Once you find the best programs, you want to insert links in places they work naturally.

Don’t forget to disclose that you’re working with affiliates (you’ll see my disclosure under the title of this post).

Promote! Promote! Promote!

No one can buy anything from you if they don’t know you’re there.

You need people to come to your blog to earn money with it, so it’s important that you get started telling everyone you know.

Pick a social media platform and start building your brand.

Don’t forget to start an email list so you can bring people back!

Red background with a money cannon being fired around a French bulldog

Do travel bloggers make money?

Yes, you can totally make money travel blogging — I’m living proof of that.

My blog, Nina Out and About makes me over $10,000 per month via a combination of digital product sales, display advertising, and affiliate income. In January 2022, I made over $31k passively this way from that site.

Travel blogging can be a solid way to earn passive(ish, honestly, there’s still a lot of work involved) income that can then be used to fund future travel… if that’s what you’re going for.

I know people roll their eyes when we start talking about earning an income online, but it’s a serious thing that can be done if you’re willing to put the work into it.

Travel bloggers absolutely can make money, and if you’re willing to put the work into it, you might be one of those too!

How much money can you make from a travel blog?

January 2022 travel blog income :

Affiliates = $24,719.80

Digital Products + Email Sponsors = $6,901.74

Mediavine Ads = $1,381.41

(This is all from my one travel blog, not from this SEO site or SEO products related to this site. I made an extra about $150 from my other travel blog too in January.)

How To Make Money With a Travel Blog

Find yourself wondering “should I start a travel blog” and day dreaming about the income you could possibly make… then doubting yourself?

Travel bloggers seriously do make cash, but it’s not necessarily a quick money-making solution.

There’s plenty of opportunity to make money with a travel blog, here’s how most of us do it:

Display Advertising

If you want to be a successful travel blogger, you’ll want to bring in a lot of traffic and monetize with display advertising.

Advertising gets a bit of a bad rap, but realistically it’s why many of the big name bloggers can bring in as much as they do (myself included).

Your goal is to get on a premium ad network like Mediavine or AdThrive. These networks give you the best RPMs that can help you earn the most money, but they’re not easy to get into.

For Mediavine, you’ll need at least 50,000 sessions in the last 30 days, and for AdThrive you’re talking over 100,000 page views.

Affiliate Marketing

You can get started with affiliate marketing as soon as you publish your first post.

Affiliate marketing is when you promote a brands products with tracked links and when your audience clicks through and makes a purchase, you earn a small percentage or fixed amount from the sale.

There are a ton of great affiliate programs within the travel niche.

My favorite network is Travelpayouts that lets you connect with some of the biggest brands in the industry from Viator to BusBud.

But you can find a ton of programs on almost every affiliate network out there.

Digital Products and Courses

From travel packing lists to courses on how to move across the globe, there are plenty of digital products that you can create for your travel blog.

These are a great way to monetize your blog because you make them once and can sell them for as long as you want.

Not to mention that you get a considerably higher payout than you do from affiliates and ad networks (in most cases).

👩‍💻 Looking to create a digital product? This is the best beginner course to get you started!

Merchandise

If you have a bigger brand that people resonate with (or you’re trying to make one), you could consider selling merchandise.

There are plenty of companies that let you create a design and use a print-on-demand model so you don’t have to keep any inventory on hand.

This can be a great way to earn from your audience.

Memberships

If you’ve built a brand that has an engaged audience or group, running a membership might be a stellar idea.

What I like about memberships is that they feature a recurring income that can help you do better financial planning for your business.

Yes, your blog is a business , and having a solid financial plan will make a difference. Memberships are great because you can offer them at a low or high cost (depending on what you’re providing) and you can share as much or little as you want.

Build a community and monetize it, it could be a start of a serious money-making adventure.

This isn’t the best strategy when it comes to travel blogging for beginners, but if you’ve established something it could be a great place to grow.

What is the meaning of the travel blog?

Travel blogs are focused on sharing tips, tricks and insights about travel. The goal is to pave the figurative road for the next travel and make their trip easier and more enjoyable. Whether its sharing the best things to do or what to pack, travel blogs aim to help people travel better.

How do you write a travel blog?

Writing a travel blog starts with gathering the right keywords that your audience is already searching for. Once you’ve found stellar keywords, you need to write solid, engaging content that your audience wants to read. Then you want to optimize and monetize your content, so people can find it on Google and make purchases.

What are the main features of a travel blog? 

Travel blogs feature travel-related content like packing lists and destination guides, a detailed about page that will tell your readers (and Google) what you’re all about, crisp, enticing photos from your travels, and, in some cases even video. The main feature of a travel blog is the written content that attracts and engages your readers.

What is the best travel blog?

The best travel blog depends on what kind of travel you’re looking for. There are plenty of great examples in almost every sub niche from destination-specific content to types of travel. One of the most popular ones is Nomadic Matt.

What is the best WordPress theme for a travel blog?

Kadence is the theme I recommend for travel blogs. Whether you’re looking for something free or a pro-level theme, Kadence has it all. You can use their starter templates to make something that looks nice and has a solid speed. But you can get pro themes from companies like Restored 316. Whatever you’re looking for, you can make it on Kadence.

How much does it cost to start a travel blog?

Starting a travel blog can be a great budget-friendly way to start earning income. While it’s a long-term game, you can get buy spending only a few dollars for month on WordPress hosting. That said, I do recommend that you spend a little extra on a program like Keysearch or RankIQ that can help you create well-optimized content that readers can find and enjoy.

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Conclusion: Is Starting a Travel Blog Worth It?

I make over $10,000 per month with my travel blog, so I’m the first to tell you that starting a travel blog is seriously worth it.

To be clear: blogging about travel (or blogging of any sort) is a long-term game. You’re not going to earn thousands right out of the gate. But if you’re willing to put the work into it, you can see some serious ROI.

There are plenty of sub niches within the overarching travel category, meaning whatever you’re interested in there’s an audience for you.

Whether you want to talk about your solo travel adventures or share travel tips and tricks for heading out with a toddler, the right keywords and content can help you find the perfect audience.

If you love creating content (particularly written content), can snap a quality photo, and might even be interested in hosting a YouTube channel (totally optional), then travel blogging might be worth it for you.

I’ve seen some great success, and I love sharing tips and tricks for getting there.

That dream life you want, traveling and sharing your adventures, it’s well within your reach as long as you’re willing to put the work in.

Read More About Travel Blogging!

  • 100+ Best Travel Blogs that Accept Guest Posts
  • 60 Best Travel Affiliate Programs for Bloggers
  • How to Make Money as a Travel Blogger: 15 Ways I Made $30k
  • Travelpayouts Review: 6 Figure Travel Blogger Weighs In
  • 19 Best Cameras for Travel Blogging & Vlogging
  • Travel Blogging Summit Denver 2022 Review & Key Takeaways
  • Basic SEO for Travel Bloggers: 19 SEO Tips to Scale to Full-Time Income
  • Best Travel Blogging Courses: Which is Worth Your Money?
  • 500+ Travel Blog Names: How to Choose a Unique & Memorable Name in Any Niche
  • 69 Travel Blog Statistics You Need to Know
  • 50+ Best Facebook Groups for Travel Bloggers to Engage and Grow
  • 140+ Engaging Travel Blog Post Ideas for Every Niche
  • How I Grew My Travel Blog by 45k Pageviews in 6 Weeks
  • Niche Site Deep Dive: A DA 13 Travel Blog on Adthrive?

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Nina Clapperton is a multi-6 figure travel blogger and the founder of She Knows SEO. After sharing her stories of living in over 12 countries in 10 years on all platforms and making $0, she learned SEO and scaled her blog to 50k sessions in 6 months. Within 13 months, she was making $30k/mo passively. Now Nina runs a portfolio of niche sites and helps over 3,500 students grow their blogs. She's on a mission to help bloggers achieve financial freedom via passive income from their hobby blogs.

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What is a Travel Blog: Tips from a 6-Figure Travel Blogger in 2024

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WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A TRAVEL BLOG?

If you’re asking what is a travel blog, then you’ve come to the right place to find the answer because I’m a 6-figure travel blogger. I have leveraged my know-how to create multiple successful travel websites.

👩‍💻  To help you with your travel blog, I highly recommend taking a course!  Head here for info on the  best travel blogging courses . If you want to read a full review about the best one I’ve done,  head here .

Whether you want to know what the features of a travel blog are or if you wish to be a travel blogger yourself, this post will give you a foundation to build on.

Not only will I talk about what a travel blogging website is, but I’ll also share how to become a travel blogger and make money doing what you love.

What is a travel blog?

Travel blogs are essentially online guidebooks offering information about travel. Travel blogs are also updated regularly and are usually written from the perspective of one person or a small group of people.

woman working on her laptop during a vacation

Unlike guide books like Lonely Planet or Rough Guides which are trying to please everyone, travel blogs usually provide in-depth information on a specific niche, like a region or travel style.

For example, my blogs Travel Mexico Solo and Tulum Travel Secrets are about Mexico. Other popular travel blogs focus on luxury travel, vegan travel, RVing, cruise ships, traveling with pets, backpacking, etc. 

This means that travelers are more likely to find exactly the information they are looking for.

On a related note, if you’re wondering what is a travel blogger ? or what do travel bloggers do ? Then by extension, a travel blogger is a person who writes a travel blog 😊.

Can you make money with a travel blog?

I personally make over $40,000 or more per month from travel blogging. Of course, a travel blogger salary can be way less or way more than that.

payout for one affiliate travel blogger earning

A lot of bloggers don’t have plans in place for making money with their blogs. However, it is totally possible to monetize your travel blog 🤑 with the proper strategies. I’ll talk about them more later in this post.

How much can you make with a blog?

Nomadic Matt , The Blonde Abroad , and One Step 4 Ward are successful travel bloggers who all have blogs that make them $1 million yearly . Those are all big-name bloggers who’ve been in the industry for years.

affiliate marketing payout | what is a travel blogger

A travel blogging salary range will vary greatly from person to person. I personally earn $40,000 or more every month 🤑 from my travel blogs. In 2022, I made $272,175 from blogging 🤯.

Other bloggers who are just starting out or have a less successful strategy may make anywhere from zero dollars to a few thousand a month.

6 Tips for Starting a Travel Blog

Wondering how to start a travel blog? Or looking for travel blog examples? Or maybe you are questioning how to be travel blogger ? Start with these six travel blogger tips and then go from there.

1. Be clear about your blogging goals

instagram influencer with a camera on a selfie stick

The first step to starting a travel blog is to be clear about your goals . Do you want to do this as a hobby or would you like to make money?

If you want to start a hobby blog, there are plenty of different tools and websites you can use to learn about travel blogging for beginners. Blogging is a fun way to share your experience with friends and family.

However, if you want to make money 💰, you’re going to need to be very strategic . Sign up for courses to gain the skills you need to be successful.

2. Choose your niche carefully

Travel Mexico Solo homepage

Once you’ve decided on your blogging goals, the most important decision you’ll make is what niche to focus on and what to write in a travel blog that relates to your niche.

🤔 How to decide on a niche

Picking a good niche is crucial . It needs to be something you’re passionate about .

Ideally, it will have a unique twist, something only you can bring to the blogosphere. Give it a domain name (a blog name) that relates to your niche. Like Travel Mexico Solo .

However, it also needs to be something that appeals to a wider readership . Think about who your ideal reader would be. Who do you want to write your blog for?

There are many types of travel blogs so having a well-defined niche will help you stand out as an expert, attract a loyal audience, and give you a well-defined focus on what to write about.

It’s also ideal for SEO. 💡 Google LOVES a clear niche.

3. A theme & reliable hosting platform are crucial

homepage of lyrical host - seo for travel bloggers

Another important step in starting a travel blog is setting up a reliable web hosting platform and a WordPress theme . I personally use Kadence theme on my websites.

Why is this important? Because both your theme and your blogging platforms impact your website speed and performance . Google will rank your website higher in search results if it is fast and optimized.

Don’t shoot yourself in the foot from the beginning by choosing a cheap web host. Choose one that is within your budget but has exceptional performance.

The same is true with your theme. Rather than focusing on making your website pretty, make sure it is functional and fast . No one is going to wait five seconds for your gorgeous website to load. It’s better for it to be ugly and load quickly.

For hosting, many people use Bluehost or A2 hosting , but I personally love using Lyrical Host . They are slightly more expensive, but you will be rewarded with a super speedy blog and 5-star customer service. 

🤑 Lyrical Host Discount Code: Use code TRAVELBLOGGING101 to get 10% off all Lyrical hosting plans.

4. Create quality content

Text says "content is king" on smartphone

What’s going to set your blog apart? Quality content . Readers don’t want to struggle through a long post full of grammar mistakes, repetitive phrases, and confusing syntax. When you write, write well .

Part of writing well is meeting user intent . That means if someone is searching for “best food tours in Antigua Guatemala,” your post provides them with exactly what they are looking for.

If they want a travel guide to Hierve el Agua , give them all the information they need to have an amazing trip. If you’re wondering “Is travel blogging beneficial?” the answer is most certainly yes…if you’re creating useful content .

Be the last click. That means if someone clicks on your post, they don’t have to return to the search results. They’ve found everything they need in your post.

5. Master search engine optimization

branches of SEO - seo for travel bloggers

One thing that will make or break you as a travel blogger is search engine optimization (SEO) .

Writing with SEO in mind means you optimize your content so that Google will bump your post to the front page of search results.

You cannot succeed as a travel blogger without SEO. Become an SEO pro, and your travel blog will be positioned for success.

💡 Note: You do NOT have to be active on social media platforms in addition to mastering SEO. Social media channels are a bonus, but not as essential as some people will insist them to be.

If you want to learn how to find keywords with big potential to earn affiliate income, check out my How to Find Affiliate Marketing Keywords Class .

6. Monetize your blog early on

Travel Payouts Affiliate Program sign up

A lot of bloggers don’t have a plan for how to make money. Don’t make this mistake. If monetizing your blog is your goal, then have a plan for how to monetize your travel blog from the get-go.

To be clear, you won’t make lots of dough from the beginning. It’s going to take time and effort, but once you have a certain amount of traffic, there’s no reason why you can’t start making $s.

If you are wondering how you can start earning affiliate marketing money from day one, I’ve written an article all about it here ► How to Monetize Your Blog from Day One .

5 Ways to Make Money with Your Travel Blog

Wondering how to make money with your travel blog? I’m going to cover the most popular ways to monetize your blog. You can get as creative as you wish, but these are a good place to start.

1. Affiliate marketing

affiliate marketing manager at their computer

Do you know what affiliate marketing is? It’s basically recommending a product, a tour, a restaurant, or anything you’ve loved to another person.

In the blogging about travel sphere, affiliate marketing is basically the same. For example, I often recommend travel gear , tours , hotels , rental companies , travel insurance , etc. on my website. Then, I add affiliate links to these products or services.

When someone clicks the link and makes a purchase, I earn a small commission. Over time, those affiliate sales can really add up.

The best part about affiliate marketing is that you don’t have to have a ton of traffic to make some money.

In fact, I made over $160K from affiliate marketing in 2022 🤑 ($163,706 to be exact) — and I can show you exactly how in my  How to Find Affiliate Marketing Keywords Class .

2. Advertisements

mediavine ads | how to make money as a travel blogger

Another common way to make money from a travel blog is through advertisements. If you’ve noticed the ads on my sites, they account for 35-45% of my blogging income 🤑.

The great thing about ads is that they are 100% passive income . I am making money while I swim at the beach and even while I sleep simply by having them on my website.

🤑  How much I make on Ads:  In 2022,  I made $85,130 🤯 from Mediavine .

3. Sponsored Content

Woman checking a travel blog on her laptop

Sometimes a tour company, hotel, or other travel-related company will offer to pay you to write a blog post about their product or what they offer.

They want the post in your voice so it’ll appeal to your audience, and they pay you to write it. You can even reach out to companies that you love and suggest they pay you for a sponsored post.

📝 Note: If you do a sponsored blog post, it’s essential for SEO to mark it as a sponsored post on the back end of your website and check that all links are no-follow.

4. Offer Paid Subscriptions or Consulting Services

affiliate marketing masterclass

Another option for making money from a travel blog is to use it as a marketing tool for coaching or consulting services .

For example, if you have a course on email marketing, you can use your blog to send people to your webinar and from there get them signed up for the course.

You can also offer paid subscriptions as a way to bring in more money.

5. Sell Travel Itineraries, Books, or E-Books

Travel Mexico Safely e-book

Selling travel itineraries, books, and e-books is another creative way to bring in income from a travel blog.

Matthew Kepnes of Nomadic Matt started making $50,000 to $60,000 a year in 2010, and e-book sales were a massive part of his income.

What Is a Travel Blog: Frequently Asked Questions

blogger working on her blog

Do travel bloggers make money?

Travel bloggers CAN make money. I personally make over $40K or more every month , and there are plenty of other top-notch bloggers who make even more.

With proper strategy and skill, it is entirely possible to make money from a travel blog. I’ve done it , and I’m not special, I know you can do it too.

If you implement the suggestions in this post, you’ll be well on your way to monetizing your blog.

Are travel blogs still popular?

Travel blogs play an important role. They offer genuine, up-to-date travel information for people searching in a specific niche.

Travel blogs are no longer prolonged journal entries about one person’s experience riding an elephant in Thailand or answering the question of what solo travel teaches you.

Now the focus is on providing quality in-depth information so that other people can have the same experience you did.

While there is still room to share personal experiences and travel perspectives, being helpful and informative takes center stage.

Now if you are asking the question of how to start a travel blog without traveling, then I would caution against this, simply because you won’t be able to provide authentic first-hand travel experience.

More and more Google has started to prioritize E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

And if you haven’t traveled before, it will be pretty hard to convince Google to take your blog seriously.

How do you write a travel blog?

How to write a travel blog starts with keyword research . The goal is to find a search term that many people are looking for and that your travel blog site can rank for.

Woman checking out her phone while working on her laptop

Next, you should look at other blog posts that rank on Google for that search term and create an outline based on what the user wants to know .

Finally, write the content as concisely and completely as possible . This is basically your travel blogger job description.

What makes a good travel blog?

A good travel blog offers engaging storytelling, high-quality and inspiring visuals, practical advice and tips, authenticity in sharing personal experiences, and up-to-date information.

This can include travel tips, restaurant recommendations, tour reviews, suggestions on where to stay and what to do, entertainment, humor, and more. 

All of the information in a blog post should be clear, concise, and flow well . A good travel blog is beautifully written, well-organized, and easy to read.

Most of all, it provides the information people need to travel and experience a place themselves.

Is it hard to become a travel blogger?

Becoming a travel blogger requires hard work and perseverance. It isn’t sipping cocktails on a tropical beach and taking Instagram pictures.

Woman working on her laptop | what is a travel blog

In fact, many travel bloggers quit after a year.

It takes time and a lot of effort to see results. If you are willing to stick it out for the long haul, work hard, learn continuously, and implement new strategies, you will have a higher chance of success.

How to create a travel blog for free?

Creating a free travel blog is simple; platforms like Wix or WordPress.com offer free plans. You can choose a template, personalize it, and start sharing your journeys. However, if monetizing is your goal, investing in a self-hosted blog with a paid domain and hosting is a smarter move.

How to start a travel blog on Instagram?

To start a travel blog on Instagram, create a dedicated account and post captivating visuals with engaging captions . Remember, Instagram is a platform known for micro-blogging — short and sweet posts. It’s also a good idea to have a website where you can share longer travel stories.

Final Thoughts: What is a travel blog, and is it worth launching one?

woman with camera around her neck on holiday

A travel blog is a website all about travel. Most travel blogs focus on one specific sub-topic or niche related to travel. You can find a wealth of travel blog description examples to get an idea of how diverse these niches can be .

The options are endless and can range from a blog about Wisconsin to blogs about budget travel, camping, national parks, family travel, and travel for retired folks.

Starting a travel blog and turning it into a successful business will require a lot of time, hard work, and perseverance. And it isn’t for everyone.

However, if you are passionate about traveling, online business, investing in yourself, and travel blog writing about amazing places, travel blogging can absolutely be worth it. It has been for me.

Don’t forget to look at what is travel writing examples for inspiration and to improve on your own work. In the end, if you’re still thinking, “I want to be a travel blogger” then go for it!

If you’re ready to start your profitable travel blogging journey, I suggest investing in the courses for travel blogging :

  • Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures  (Best General Blogging Course)
  • How to Find Affiliate Keywords that Will Make You a Ton of Money  (Best Affiliate Marketing Course)
  • SEO Roadmap for Travel Bloggers  (Best SEO Course)

CLIMB

What Does a Travel Blogger Do?

Find out what a Travel Blogger does, how to get this job, salary information, and what it takes to succeed as a Travel Blogger.

travel blogger meaning

Embarking on a journey as a Travel Blogger involves weaving narratives around various destinations, cultures, and experiences to inspire and inform a diverse audience. This role transcends mere storytelling; it encompasses the art of capturing the essence of travel through engaging content, photography, and social media engagement. By sharing personal insights, practical tips, and immersive stories, a Travel Blogger not only fuels wanderlust but also serves as a guide, helping readers navigate the complexities of travel planning and decision-making. Through their explorations and reflections, they contribute to a global conversation about travel, offering a window into the world’s myriad landscapes, traditions, and communities.

Travel Blogger Job Duties

  • Research and plan travel itineraries to diverse destinations, ensuring a mix of popular and off-the-beaten-path locations.
  • Create engaging content, including blog posts, videos, and social media updates, documenting travel experiences and providing travel tips.
  • Photograph landscapes, cultural events, and local cuisine to visually complement written content and social media posts.
  • Network with tourism boards, travel agencies, and local businesses to arrange travel logistics and secure partnerships or sponsorships.
  • Review accommodations, restaurants, and attractions, providing honest opinions and recommendations to the audience.
  • Analyze website and social media analytics to understand audience preferences and adjust content strategy accordingly.
  • Manage the blog’s technical aspects, including website design, SEO optimization, and troubleshooting issues to ensure a smooth user experience.
  • Organize and lead group travel experiences or tours for followers, handling logistics, itineraries, and on-trip content creation.

Travel Blogger Salary & Outlook

Factors affecting a Travel Blogger’s salary include audience size, engagement rate, content quality, niche specialization, monetization strategies (affiliate marketing, sponsored content, product sales), brand partnerships, and experience level. Diversified income streams, such as ebooks or online courses, also significantly impact earnings. Social media presence and SEO skills are crucial.

  • Median Annual Salary: $80,325 ($38.62/hour)
  • Top 10% Annual Salary: $162,000 ($77.88/hour)

The employment of travel bloggers is expected to grow faster than average over the next decade.

This growth is driven by an increasing demand for authentic travel experiences among consumers, who seek personalized and immersive content. Travel bloggers fulfill this need by providing unique insights, destination guides, and visual storytelling, making them invaluable to tourism industries and digital marketing strategies.

Travel Blogger Job Requirements

Education: A Travel Blogger typically has diverse educational backgrounds, with many having some college coursework, often in journalism, communications, or marketing. High school diploma holders succeed by leveraging strong writing and storytelling skills. Those with bachelor’s or associate degrees may have majored in English, creative writing, or digital media, enhancing their content creation and SEO knowledge. Education in photography or videography is also beneficial for creating compelling visual content.

Experience: Travel bloggers often start with varied levels of experience, ranging from beginners to those with up to a year of dabbling in the field. Key experience areas include writing, photography, and digital marketing, with a strong emphasis on storytelling and audience engagement. On-the-job learning is common, as bloggers continuously adapt to new trends and platforms. Many also benefit from informal training programs or workshops focused on SEO, social media strategies, and content creation to enhance their skills and grow their online presence. Networking with fellow bloggers and attending travel-related events can also provide valuable insights and opportunities for growth in this dynamic field.

Certifications & Licenses: No specific certifications or licenses are typically required for the job of a Travel Blogger.

Travel Blogger Skills

SEO Optimization: To rank highly on search engine results pages, incorporating relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and tags is necessary. For travel bloggers, keeping abreast of the latest algorithm changes and trends in travel search queries ensures their blog posts attract both globe-trotters and casual vacationers.

Photography: Through their lenses, travel bloggers capture the essence of destinations, transforming fleeting moments into timeless narratives. This skill not only enhances the visual appeal of their content but also connects the viewer’s imagination to the reality of far-flung locales.

Video Editing: By turning raw footage into visually compelling stories, travel bloggers create engaging narratives that captivate audiences and inspire wanderlust. This skill boosts viewer engagement and retention, making it a crucial part of their digital storytelling toolkit.

Social Media Engagement: Engaging content that resonates with followers, coupled with active interaction through comments, shares, and direct messages, expands a travel blogger’s reach and influence. This interaction fosters a loyal community and elevates the blogger’s brand, increasing its attractiveness to potential collaborators and sponsors.

Storytelling: Travel bloggers craft captivating narratives that transport readers to distant lands, cultures, and experiences. Their ability to weave the fabric of their adventures into engaging, relatable stories establishes a loyal following eager for the next journey.

Destination Research: By exploring the cultural, historical, and social nuances of destinations, travel bloggers offer stories that resonate deeply with their audience, providing insights beyond typical tourist experiences. This approach not only enriches the content but also positions the blogger as a trusted source of travel wisdom.

Travel Blogger Work Environment

Travel bloggers often find themselves in a dynamic work environment, where the world serves as their office. This means their physical setting changes frequently, from bustling city cafes to tranquil beachfronts, depending on their current destination. The essential tools of their trade include a reliable laptop, camera equipment, and a strong internet connection, allowing them to document and share their experiences in real-time.

Work hours for travel bloggers are far from the conventional 9-to-5, offering a high degree of flexibility. They may find themselves working odd hours to catch the perfect sunrise for a shoot or to meet deadlines across different time zones. Despite the lack of a strict dress code, the need to adapt to various cultural norms and climates influences their attire.

The nature of their job requires a significant amount of travel, making interaction with diverse cultures and communities a routine part of their work. This exposure not only enriches their personal experiences but also enhances the content they create, making it more engaging for their audience. However, this constant mobility demands a strong emphasis on work-life balance to prevent burnout.

In essence, the work environment of a travel blogger is characterized by its variability, autonomy, and the continuous opportunity for personal and professional growth through the exploration of new places and cultures.

Advancement Prospects

Travel blogging offers diverse advancement prospects, primarily through audience growth, monetization strategies, and niche specialization. Successful bloggers often expand into related fields such as freelance writing, travel photography, and social media influencing, leveraging their established platforms and audiences.

To accomplish these advancements, a travel blogger should consistently produce high-quality, engaging content that resonates with their target audience. Specializing in a niche within travel blogging, such as eco-tourism or luxury travel, can help in standing out and attracting dedicated followers. Monetization strategies, including affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and product sales, are crucial for financial sustainability and growth.

Expanding into visual content by mastering travel photography and videography can significantly enhance a blog’s appeal, opening doors to partnerships with travel agencies, tourism boards, and brands. Engaging with the audience through social media and email newsletters helps in building a loyal community, further fueling growth and opportunities.

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How to Start a Travel Blog: The Complete Guide

how to start a travel blog

Many people dream about traveling the world for a living; and there are people that are actually able to do so that aren’t pilots, flight attendants, or businessmen. These people are known as travel bloggers and they get paid to visit and write about their major passion in life: travel.

Before you think it’s all a dream, it’s time to debunk a few myths and tell some truths about how to start a travel blog. 🏖

Travel Blogging Truths

Who wouldn’t want to be a travel blogger? Travel can be expensive and the idea of having someone else cover your costs is certainly enticing. But it’s not all about grabbing trips to Paris in first class. Travel blogging is just like a job .

Travel blogging isn’t easy. The fact that you’re traveling and getting paid to do so while staying in top accommodations is what most people see. They don’t realize that there are a lot of struggles that go hand-in-hand with figuring out how to start a travel blog.

Here’s what you need to know before getting started as a travel blogger:

  • It’s a saturated niche. Everyone wants to ride the wave of being a travel blogger, thinking it’s all rainbows and sunshine—that by virtue of having a travel blog (and a few followers), they can request comped stays at 5-star hotels. But it’s not that easy . There are plenty of travel bloggers that spent a long time building their empire before they took off to the point where they received any special perks (or compensation).
  • Many times, you’re behind your computer. Being a blogger is like having your own magazine and being the editor, photographer, writer, and stylist—all in one. Some bloggers have teams now, but in the beginning, it will be just you . Taking and editing photos and/or video, write-ups, SEO , social media scheduling: all these tasks will require a fair amount of time stuck in front of your computer.
  • Writer’s block. Companies pay you for content, and to be a successful travel blogger, you have to follow deadlines like any regular job. Creating great content while at the same time, experiencing what every place has to offer isn’t easy, especially when you just want to relax and you’re on a tight deadline.
  • You won’t earn a fixed income. As with freelancing in general, you’re only as good as your next project. You’ll also have to think of travel blogging as an expense at the beginning. After all, how will you start writing about places you haven’t been to? You have to invest some money to do the traveling that will serve as the subject for your content.
  • If you’re a solo travel blogger, it can be lonely to go from place to place on your own. And since you aren’t in a place for too long, you’ll constantly make and break friendships and connections.
  • Not knowing what’s next. Becoming a travel blogger may seem exciting at first, but you have to be constantly planning for what’s next. There may be a time where travel loses excitement or you run out of funds and you’ll need to plan accordingly.

If you just want to learn how to start a travel blog for the sake of sharing your travels, then these truths may not apply to you. Your expectations and ambitions will be based on self-fulfillment (and perhaps sharing your adventures with friends and family) more so than building a brand to appeal to sponsors.

How to Start A Travel Blog

Not scared away by the harsh truths of travel blogging? Here’s how to start a travel blog, step by step:

Hippie in Heels travel blog

Choosing a Niche

There are two basic ways to get started: travel then figure out how to start a travel blog , or plan to start a travel blog then do the actual traveling . The motivation for the people in the former situation is likely just that they want an outlet to share their travels to family and friends, while the latter is more suited to those that plan to expand and monetize their travel blog in the future.

Like food blogs , travel blogs are a dime a dozen, so it’s best to start by choosing a niche (especially when you eventually want to earn from travel blogging) that will help differentiate you from the pack, since general travel blogs will usually not fare well when it comes to SEO efforts.

Travel Blogging Sub Niches

There are so many travel blog niches you can think of and fill a need for. To some, their niche comes naturally. For others, it could take a while to make a decision. Here are some questions you can ask yourself when determining a niche for your travel blog:

  • Why do I want to blog?
  • What am I passionate about telling or teaching to others?
  • What are my skills, strengths, interests, and expertise?
  • Can I write about this topic for a long time? The niche shouldn’t be too broad or too narrow.

If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some of the more popular travel niches:

  • City blogging: Focused on your city (you don’t have to travel that far, and you perhaps know the topic better than most)
  • Country-focused: Destinations around the country
  • Area/Region: Like South America or Southeast Asia-focused
  • Demographic-focused: Like travel blogs specifically targeted to Americans/American passport holders
  • Budget travel
  • Luxury travel
  • Solo travel
  • Female travel
  • Traveling for work
  • Adventure travel
  • Family travel
  • Empty nesters/traveling for seniors
  • Traveling with disabilities

Or if you’re really ambitious, you can even blog about your worldwide journey, as Gary Arndt has done on Everything Everywhere . He sold his house in 2007 and has been traveling around the world ever since (over 175 countries and counting).

Travel blog around the world

To be sure that someone will want to read your blog, search for your competition (to validate if there’s an existing audience for your idea). You might even want to utilize a tool like Ahrefs  or BuzzSumo to look up some of the most popular content in a niche, such as “Traveling in South America,” to get an idea of what other bloggers are writing about. Then ask yourself, can you do this better?

Traveling in South America

Alternatively, you may want to try and be the first in your niche. If you can, find a gap in the market. If you find yourself asking “Why hasn’t anybody done this?”—do it yourself!

Most bloggers market themselves as brands. Your brand is what you’re known for and known as. It’s what makes people say “That is so XX!” when they see a piece of your content.

Aspects of blog branding include:

  • Your blog name and niche
  • Your blog’s overall look: the theme, fonts, logo, color palette, images you use, and so on
  • The voice of your writing

Coming up with your Blog Name

Your blog name is important because it’s also what your blog is known as (your brand). While you’ll be able to change many things about your blog over time, your name is something you should stick with. Give it a fair amount of thought before deciding on it.

Not sure what to call your shiny new travel blog? You might start with your own name, a play on that name, or a mix of your name and travel-related terms. A few general rules for settling on a blog name (which will also be your domain name):

  • It must easy to recall and easy to spell
  • It should also be not too long
  • It must not contain hyphens or numbers

For more tips, you can take a look at our guide:  How to Choose a Domain Name (8 Tips to Stand Out).

Some brilliant travel blog names to look to for inspiration include Nomadic Matt , which is about a guy who travels the world, Adventurous Kate , a blog about a girl who quit her job to travel the world, and The Blonde Abroad , which is about a solo female traveller who is (you guessed it) blonde. There’s also Tanks that Get Around , a travel blog/travel tank top shop.

Nomadic Matt travel blog

Setting up the Blog

A professional blog has three technical elements you’ll need to setup: domain name , blogging platform, and web host.

Choosing a Blogging Platform

There are many free blogging platforms out there, like Blogger, WordPress.com , and Tumblr. Any of these options is fine for a personal blog, but if you plan on monetizing your site, a self-hosted WordPress blog is your best bet .

The other platforms come with their own restrictions, but with a self-hosted WordPress site, you’re free to customize it completely. Self-hosted WordPress also allows you to grow and not worry about having to change platforms later if your travel blog suddenly becomes super popular. Read more about the differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com .

WordPress powers 42.7% of the internet , is super user-friendly and has flexible customization options. It is used on many different kinds of websites , be they blogs, ecommerce sites, news portals, or business sites. Due to its open-source nature, WordPress is free to use, however creating and maintaining a site might cost you some money .

While the content management system you choose is free (assuming you choose WordPress), you’ll have to pay for your professional domain name and web hosting.

Choosing a Reliable Web Host

The web host is where you store your website’s files. Hosting plans can be as cheap as $4/month and can be upgraded to give you more storage space and bandwidth for visitors as your blog grows.

It’s important to choose a reliable and stable web host that does not have too much downtime. If you’re starting out, you might be better off with shared hosting, which means you’ll be sharing a server with other blogs. The downside is, your blog may load slower because you’re sharing resources with other websites. Also, you might have to spend more time fiddling with your site.

Application hosting , database hosting , and managed WordPress hosting through a company like Kinsta have its advantages for those interested in how to start a travel blog.

Since you’re on the go, the last thing you have time to worry about is downtime or messing around with your server. Additionally, you might not always have access to the best internet connection to fix things. Falling back on a reliable managed host might actually save you money.

You’ll also get access to a variety of tools which can make managing your site a lot easier, such as Kinsta’s custom dashboard .

MyKinsta

A few other things to look out for when deciding on a web host:

  • WordPress optimized
  • Good customer support
  • Automatic backups
  • Ample storage space

Read more about how Kinsta is different than other hosts.

Customizing the Blog’s Look

After you’ve installed and setup the free WordPress CMS with your web host, you can focus on setting up your blog’s look and feel—an important aspect of branding.

Customizing the following will help your travel blog become your own:

  • Theme: You can choose from both paid and free options . There are themes that cater specifically to travel blogs. When you’re just getting started, don’t overthink your blog’s theme. You might want to start with a free one first, because unlike your blog’s name, you can change the design later on .

How to Start a Travel Blog 6

To help with the process of choosing the blog’s overall look easier, you can make a branding board. A branding board includes:

  • Color palette : Have a set of 2 to 3 complementing colors (anything more would be distracting).
  • Fonts : 3 at most. Think one for your logo, one for headings, one for body copy.
  • Images that reflect what you want your blog to evoke when visitors drop by your site.

How to Start a Travel Blog 6

Increase Blog Functionality with Plugins

What attracts many users to WordPress is the customizability it offers thanks to plugins, which are codes you can install to add functionality to your site. Since you’re just getting started, defer to the experts. Blogging Wizard shares some of the must-have plugins that can help with SEO, analytics, backups , safety , and speeding up your blog .

There are also some plugins to consider that were created specifically for travel blogs. These include:

Travel Map

You might also want to add an Instagram plugin to show off your travel photos on your blog.

Instagram feed plugin

You might also consider installing affiliate plugins , but we’ll talk more about that in the latter monetization section.

Content Creation

The most important part of a blog is the content. Content shouldn’t just be confined to articles (or text); it can also take the form of photos (graphics, infographics), videos, and audio ( podcast ).

Of course, you shouldn’t start with all of these different types of content at once—it can be overwhelming. Instead, you can start adding new content types as your blog starts growing and you get the hang of running it.

To get some inspiration we recommend you to take a look at these guide:

How To Be A Solo Content Marketing Ninja

How to Create Evergreen Content That Lasts (17 Tips and Tricks)With WordPress

5 Things More Important for Your Content Than Content Length

There is no right or wrong way to write. Many people adopt a journal way of writing—telling people about their day or experience, while some go for how to guide types of posts.

The best kind of blogs are the ones that deliver a mix of content types. Many people that read travel blogs are after the information you can give them about a place, while your unique voice (which adds to the branding part of the blog) is what will draw readers to you.

If you plan to travel after setting up your travel blog, you can plot out what content to write, what places to feature, what angles to write about. Ideally, you’ll have at least 15 posts ready to go before launching. This will give you time to consistently release content as you work on your next pieces, while giving readers enough content to stick around and read.

Tips to Optimize Content for SEO

There’s no hard and fast rule for content length and ranking on Google but in general, the longer, the better.

Though the in’s and out’s of proper on-page SEO are outside of the scope of this article, here are a few quick hits for setting up content for success:

  • Use headings to organize your article (and to strategically make use of keywords )
  • Write titles that people will pique people’s curiosity so they will share your post, but don’t be clickbaity (meaning, truly back up the article with great content). Also, write titles the way people search.
  • Use keywords in URL slugs

For a more advanced study of SEO (that’s still beginner-friendly), check out our SEO checklist  and some recommended SEO plugins  you should start off.

Asher Fergusson, a successful travel blogger, and Kinsta customer said that the secret for his rapid growth in organic search rankings was to conduct a controversial research study. After having a nightmare Airbnb experience with his wife and 10-month-old son in Paris he decided to review over 1,000 horror stories to see what’s most likely to go wrong. The resulting article titled, “ Is Airbnb Safe? ” led to being featured on the front page of Reddit and was picked up by dozens of mainstream media outlets. This boosted the SEO strength of his entire website.

Photography

People are visual creatures, which is why platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are so successful and growing at a rapid pace .

Taking great photos or videos that make viewers feel like they are there or will want to be there will attract more visitors to your blog. The photos will also be used for your blog promotion; pretty photographs with catchy titles attract people on sites like the aforementioned Pinterest.

While you’re thinking about images, don’t forget to optimize your images , both for performance and for SEO . You can’t just upload full resolution photos to your blog and expect them to load fast. You’ll need a little help from an optimization tool or plugin. Name your files something meaningful (and short), as Google looks at things like these when it chooses what to index for Google image search. Which tools and how to showcase your photos you can read our guide:  8 Best WordPress Photo Gallery Plugins .

Optimize photos for travel blog

There are three main ways to promote your blog:

  • Social media: The easiest way to promote your travel blog is through your own network, but social media, with hundreds of millions of monthly active users, is also known for targeted advertising, meaning that it can help your content reach the people most likely to care about it. Hand Luggage Only’s Instagram is a great example of a beautiful travel photo diary. Another awesome platform where you can promote your content is Pinterest. We wrote a detailed guide on the best Pinterest marketing tips .

Travel photos on Instagram

  • Traditional media: Getting featured on newspapers and magazines is good exposure, even for an online entity. In fact, this is how popular blogger Nomadic Matt quickly grew his following.
  • Search engines: The largest potential source of traffic, but comes with a lot of competition.

Writing guest posts is another way to get backlinks to your site from more prominent travel blogs. On another note, collecting email addresses and sending out email newsletters is an effective way to get more views because it gives you a direct connection with your subscribers (unlike social networks, which may restrict reach to your existing followers).

Nomadic Matt, arguably the most popular travel blog, recognized the potential for these tactics but went in a different direction . He pitched guest blog posts to finance blogs on how to save money traveling. He guest posted on entrepreneurship podcasts to talk about how he was able to build a business from his travel blog.

These tactics set himself apart from others, and also introduced his site to multiple different audiences.

Travel Blog Monetization

There are several ways to monetize your travel blog , but when you’re starting out, it can be tough. What many travelers (or digital nomads) do to sustain their traveling lifestyle while working on the road involves accepting jobs as virtual assistants, doing freelance writing, consulting, or offering some other type of service.

Ways to Make Money from Your Travel Blog

Besides using your personal brand to get clients for services you may be interested in offering, there are many other ways to make money from your travel blog:

How to Start a Travel Blog 2

  • Sponsored trips : Work with private companies or brands and tourism boards. Tourism boards usually want press to encourage more people to visit their country. They will usually pay for food, lodging, activities, and sometimes even airfare. Since they want resulting posts to reach a wide audience, this might only be offered to those with bigger followings. Some companies may also invite you to sponsored trips to launch their products—with everything paid for.

How to Start a Travel Blog

  • Workshops : After growing a following and being recognized as an expert, you may be invited for speaking engagements or workshops that you can charge for.

Blog not making enough yet? Check out these 65+ ways to make money online on the side while you continue to grow your travel blog up to where hopefully one day it can financially support you.

This guide by Firstsiteguide includes a few more ideas if you are looking to start your travel blog.

How to Start a Travel Blog

A travel blog is a good way to document and share your love of travel, but it also brings about the potential for income. First decide whether you’ll be blogging for passion or profit, then follow these guidelines to help you with the specifics of how to start a travel blog.

What are your tips when it comes to the question of how to start a travel blog? Tweet at @Kinsta and we’ll share the best insights! Or drop them below in the comments.

travel blogger meaning

Maddy Osman creates engaging content with SEO best practices for marketing thought leaders and agencies that have their hands full with clients and projects. Learn more about her process and experience on her website, The Blogsmith and read her latest articles on Twitter: @MaddyOsman .

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This post was seriously the most helpful post I have read!!!! I just need to bust out more content and focus on affiliate marketing now! I’m looking for a course on this. Thanks for the helpful post!

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So glad to hear it, Laura! Best of luck on your blogging journey. :D

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I’m Happy that I came across this post as I am still on my way building my site as a travel blogger. :)

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Glad to hear that! Let us know how it goes :)

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This is the one of the most honest and truthful post’s I had read! Thank you!

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Hey, thanks for all your tips and tricks. :) Greetings from Vienna

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I enter your website regularly almost every day. You have some great articles. I Love Your Suggestions. Thanks.

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I just start my blog but with your tips, I can improve my blog so much. Thanks a lot for providing the information.

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Very helpful article for those who are willing to write a travel blog to provide very practical help

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Much needed blog, I was thinking of starting my own blog but was not sure how to start after reading your i felt quite good of starting new one.

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I haven’t seen a post as helpful as this one!!! Just need to create more content and focus on affiliate marketing now! This is something I’d like to learn more about. You made a great point! Thank you!

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Finding the Universe

Travel tales, photography and a dash of humor

Laurence252520at252520sunset25255B525255D

How to Become a Travel Blogger

Last updated: July 21, 2022 . Written by Laurence Norah - 70 Comments

I’ve been a travel blogger professionally since 2010. I’m often asked what that’s like, how to become a travel blogger, how I started my own travel blog, how we got our travel blogs to where they are today and how we make money as travel bloggers. After all, we travel for a living. It’s the dream, right?

Of course, like any dream, it takes a lot of hard work, frustration, mistakes, and learning. However, it is possible to build a business and generate a full time living as a travel blogger.

In today’s post I want to share some of my observations on what travel blogging is all about, and of course, how to become a travel blogger. I’m also going to answer a number of questions about travel blogging.

What is a Travel Blogger?

Sadly, the Oxford English Dictionary is a little light on the description as to what a travel blogger is. However, if we break it down into its constituent parts, it’s someone who has a “blog”, or online journal, largely focused on sharing the story of their travels.

Being a professional travel blogger in my mind means two things. One, it means this is something that generates an income. Two, it means that you are in this for the long term, and can be expected to deliver a professional level of service to both your readers and any clients that you might have.

There are all sorts of ways to generate an income, and there are hugely varying opinions as to what a travel blogger *is*, varying from a journalism approach, through to writing more personal stories and tales.

In my mind, if you have your own website that you regularly update with articles about travel, then you have a travel blog. If it’s generating you an income, and you hold yourself to defined standards of conduct and ethical behaviour, then you are a professional travel blogger. Beyond that, we move into semantics, and before we know it we’ll be arguing about the difference between a traveller and tourist.

how to become a travel blogger

Let’s not do that, and instead look at my detailed guide to how to become a travel blogger.

Here are some tips on becoming a travel blogger, based on my years actually doing it.

1. Find your passion

If you’re going to be doing something that isn’t going to be generating a tremendous return for at least the first year or two then you need to be doing something that you enjoy.

I’m going to be honest, most blogs on the internet don’t survive very long, with the average life of a blog being something silly like a week, and one post. Travel blogs are no different, and making a full time living from a travel blog can take a long time.

This is often because people aren’t writing about what they are passionate about. If you’re passionate about something, you will find the time to do it, whatever your schedule, and your passion will come across in the content you create, meaning it will be engaging and interesting to your potential audience.

Travel blogging has a whole range of niches, from food, to budget, to luxury, to adventure, to family and more. We focus on independent travel and photography on this site, because that’s where our passion lies. Find something you love doing, that you would keep doing even for zero reward, and build your blog around that.

One more reality check – if you don’t like travel, writing, photography, self-management, the regular feeling that no-one cares, as well as hard work for little immediate reward, then travel blogging might not be for you. Starting out as a travel blogger can be tough, with new blogs popping up every day, and there is no such thing as overnight success.

2. Pick your Blog Name

Picking your blog name is a key part of setting yourself up, and you want to make sure you get it right from the beginning.

I will freely admit that when I set this blog up in 2010, I did not spend a lot of time on this – the name just popped into my head, it was available, and off I went without a care in the world.

Jess on the other hand spent at least a week thinking about her blog name and brand when she started Independent Travel Cats in 2013.

I would definitely advise taking Jess’s approach rather than mine!

The important things to consider are for the name to match your brand and goals, so it’s instantly clear from your site name what your blog is about. You also want to try to stand out from the crowd, and avoid anything that will age badly, like having a year, date or other number in the name of your blog.

Having a memorable name that people won’t forget will help, and I’d also advise against any kind of hyphenated name as people nearly always forget that there’s a hyphen and will type it in wrong.

It’s also important to make sure that the name you choose is both available, and will fit on social media. For example, Finding the Universe is 18 characters, which is longer than the 15 character limit on Twitter. So you’ll either want to pick a name that’s easy to abbreviate, or will fit on all the networks you want to use!

You can check if your preferred name is available on all the social media networks using this tool .

3. Set up Your Blog

Once you have picked your domain name, you’re going to want to actually set up your blog!

There are a number of different options for doing this, from using a free platform through to going what is known as “self-hosted”.

Our advice is to start down the self-hosted route straight away, using the most popular blogging platform in the world – WordPress.

Self hosted means that rather than having your blog sitting somewhere like yourblogname.blogger.com, with a company like Google in charge of the backend of your site, you have it sitting on a server somewhere with the name yourblogname.com, and you have control over the site.

Whilst this might sound complicated and difficult, there are lots of companies out there who will help you do everything from registering your domain to getting your site up and running. These are also usually great value for money as you start out.

Our recommended host for beginning bloggers is Bluehost .

Jess started out with Bluehost, and used them for a number of years before she outgrew what they could offer.

Bluehost offer a great deal on packages for startup bloggers , including hosting, a domain name, 24/7 support, free SSL and a money back guarantee if you aren’t happy. Jess found them to be perfect for her needs when she was starting out.

Check them out and sign up here  – you even get a special discount by using our link , so the price is $2.95 a month instead of $3.95.

travel blogger meaning

Once you become more established, you might find yourself outgrowing Bluehost. This usually happens at around the 10,000 – 20,000 visitor a month mark, although will vary depending on your blog.

We have tried a number of different WordPress hosts, and they all have good points and bad points.

We currently host our blog on Cloudways , which offers a great balance of performance and price. As your site starts to grow beyond that 10 – 20,000 visitor point, Cloudways is the host we would recommend. We’ve written a detailed Cloudways review to help you decide if it’s right for you.

You can also save 10% on your first three months with our exclusive Cloudways discount code , which is TRAVELCATS .

Two other options that we can recommend, which offer a good balance of price, performance and service, are Liquid Web and Big Scoots . However, if you are just starting out these will likely be more than you need.

I actually started this blog on Blogger, the free blogging platform from Google. Whilst Blogger does let you have a custom domain name, it is very restrictive in terms of what you can do from a design and SEO point of view, making it a lot harder for your site to reach its full potential.

I’ve written a whole post on why that was a mistake, and why I should have started on WordPress from the beginning. I had to migrate my blog from Blogger to WordPress to truly reach its potential.

Definitely my advice when starting out is to start with a self-hosted WordPress solution – in the long run this will work out to be a lot easier for everything from SEO to customisation.

We have a whole guide to  how to start a travel blog which has lots more information to help you out. We also have a guide to choosing a WordPress host which has many tips and suggestions on what to look for.

4. Write regularly, and well

Now, I am far from an expert in grammar, but I do my best, and Jessica and I work together on the posts to try and catch any glaring errors. Getting the basics right is important if you’re going to be seen as a trusted expert on your subject.

It’s also important to write regularly, or at least, consistently. There is no hard and fast rule as to how often to post, or even how long your posts should be – you need to come up with something that works for you. But you do need to keep at it, and you do need to be consistent if you want to build up an audience.

My personal suggestion would be not to overstretch yourself and commit to posting every day, but also keep it to at least a post a fortnight. You’ll find the most successful travel blogs tend to have a schedule that has content coming out one to eight times a month, although there are naturally exceptions to that rule.

5. It’s all about the content

To be successful, you need to be putting out high quality content that answers the questions your readers have. As you get into blogging, and read advice on building an audience, you will hear people talking about things like search engine optimisation (SEO), using social media networks to drive traffic, and all sorts of tips and tricks for getting people to your site.

All these things have a place, but the most important thing you can do in order to be successful is to ensure that your content is the best it can be, every time you post something, to any network. Don’t just throw something up to meet some schedule you’ve invented. Make it your best, every time.

Keep putting out high quality content, and your audience will find you, they will grow, and they will keep coming back.

No-one is going to keep coming back to a site that has poor content. From your photos to your writing to your video – whatever content you share, always make it your best. No exceptions.

6. Define your goals

One great way to keep yourself on target and turn your blog from a hobby into a business is to set out a series of goals that you can track. The only person you are in competition with is you, and setting goals will ensure that you know you are doing well against your targets.

These goals will vary depending on your focus, but I’d advise setting goals around things like visitor traffic, social media statistics, income, mentions on other publications, and so on.

Make your goals specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time based ( SMART !) for best results, and check back on yourself every few months to be sure you are on track and review accordingly.

7. Establish your niche / expertise

It is easier to be successful if you have a specific area of expertise that your blog focuses on, that over time results in you being the go-to place for certain things.

I will admit that we are not the best in terms of practicing what we preach on this one – we focus on our photography content as our niche, but pretty photography isn’t really niche in that way that luxury travel or adventure travel is. Oops.

8. Know your weaknesses

Not everyone is great at everything. You might be a whizz at writing and social media, but terrible at website design or time management. Figure out your strengths, and identify your weaknesses.

There are people out there who are good at the things you aren’t, and you can hire them to handle those things for you.

9. Pick your social media platforms

There are a lot of social media platforms, with a new one seeming to start every day. A trap that many seem to fall into is seeing social media as a way to drive traffic to a blog.

This is of course possible, but in my opinion, every social media platform should be seen as a place to reach a different audience, rather than a funnel. A funnel is only of value if you have something to sell at the other end. Raw traffic numbers mean very little without a reason for them.

Here are the five social media platforms I give the most weight to, in order of my personal preference. Social media can be overwhelming, and you can find yourself spread out, trying to cover too many bases, and not achieving what you want.

I’d advise picking at least three from the list and excelling on them.

  • Facebook. Facebook is the most important social media platform, simply because it is where everyone is.I apply what I call the “Mum” test to these platforms – i.e., does my mum use them? The answer for the rest of the platforms on this list is no, which indicates to me that however important we might think they are, the rest of the world probably doesn’t care that much.Facebook is fantastic for reaching a wide audience, provides you with more data about that audience and how you are performing than any other social network, and for some reason, gets a terrible rap from some users about how awful it is as a result.My tip for Facebook is the same as anywhere else – if you’re not getting results, take a good hard look at your content, and ensure it is top notch.
  • Instagram. As a photographer, I find Instagram to be a wonderful network. Focused on images, it can be used to share what’s going on in the world around you, or to tell stories from your adventures, both past and present. There’s an excellent guide from Photoshelter for using Instagram as a photographer , which you might find useful.
  • Youtube . If you do video, you have to be on Youtube. It has a huge audience, gives you plenty of data on that audience, and even lets you monetize your content.  A no-brainer.
  • Pinterest. Pinterest is one of the top drivers of traffic after Google, and is definitely a good place to focus your energies. It’s a very visual platform, where great photos shine.
  • Twitter. I hold my hands up – Twitter is not my favourite social network. It’s a great tool for conversation and customer service, and is beloved by brands. I find it’s wonderful for asking airlines about late flights, or seeing what my favourite celebrity had for dinner, but as a travel blogger, I’m not a huge fan. Jodi from Legal Nomads is however, and you can see her tips for Twitter here .

Finally, another trap that many fall into is pushing the same content out onto all the platforms. This isn’t the best way to go about social media, and will not give solid results. Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, and you should work to those.

Further reading: Liz from Young Adventuress has written a great post on how not to suck at social media, and another friend, Jodi of Legal Nomads, has this excellent piece on being awesome on all sorts of social media channels.

10. Build a mailing list

Advice I wish I had followed from the start! If you look at the most successful bloggers out there, they tend to focus on two things – a great website with awesome content, and a mailing list of subscribers. Why? Because these are two things that you as a blogger can control.

Social media platforms are all well and good, but the reality is you have no control over them. One day, you could wake up to find they’ve switched the algorithm around, and suddenly no-one is seeing your content any more.

A blog is different. It’s your castle, and no-one is going to be changing the rules on you. A mailing list is the same thing. A reader letting you e-mail them directly is a hugely powerful example of their trust in you, and it’s a great channel to directly contact people. It’s also a good way to sell products, down the line.

The best mailing list service I’ve found so far is Mailerlite. These guys are free up to your first 1,000 subscribers, and are the only service I found which come with an autoresponder system on the free tier. Sign up here.

11. Just start already!

When I started blogging, I ran a series of articles on this blog where I interviewed some of the most popular travel bloggers in the world, and asked them for their tips on how to run a successful travel blog. This was actually a fairly selfish endeavour, as I wanted to learn as much as possible, and asking the experts seemed like a good way to do that. You can check out that series here .

Overwhelmingly, when asked if there was anything they wish they had done differently with their blogs when starting out, these experts all expressed the opinion that they wished they had started earlier.

You can plan something forever – but the only way to make something succeed is to try.

how to become a travel blogger

How to get traffic to your travel blog and be noticed!

So you’ve written a few posts, you’ve shared some tweets and you have a Facebook page . And your mum has e-mailed you to say how nice it all looks. Other than that, tumbleweed.

Welcome to blogging. You can spend hours on your content, push it out into the cosmos, and then sadly watch as the entire world happily ignores you, instead choosing to watch endless cat videos on YouTube.

Here are some things you can do about that.

1. Learn some SEO techniques

The most important thing you can do for your blog is to create great content. I think I mentioned that already, but it bears repeating. Great content will be discovered, and people will share it. It’s also important to write on topics that you know a lot about, as expertise is valued, and which answers questions people are likely to be asking.

There are also some simple techniques you can use to ensure your posts are found and indexed by search engines, meaning that people will actually find your content if they’re looking for it.

SEO is a complex beast, and there’s a lot of misinformation out there – largely because the way that search engines actually work is a closely guarded secret.

My tip would be to write your posts well, make them easy for human readers to read through with plenty of paragraph breaks, clear heading titles, and links to other relevant content.

Then, ensure your site is registered with places like Google Search Console , where you will get feedback as to areas you can improve, and of course track your stats with Google Analytics , so you can see where your traffic is coming from.

For further reading, check out the official Google Webmaster blog , and the Moz Blog , both of which have a wealth of useful information, from meta data best practice through to optimising for mobile devices.

2. Become part of the travel blogging community

There is a huge blogging community out there, and a lot of support and advice that you can tap into, often for free, sometimes for money.

There are Facebook groups specifically set up to talk about travel blogging , or running your blog as a business . Some are focused on newer bloggers , others on more targeted topics like photography .

All of them have many members who will chime in on questions and dispense advice. My advice for anyone looking for free advice in a group like the above is threefold:

  • One – read the rules of any group you join. Breaking the rules with your first post is bound to annoy other community members and is unlikely to result in you getting the answers you need.
  • Two – take on board all the advice you are given, but don’t take anything as gospel. What works for one, might not work for another, so try and get a number of opinions and figure out what applies best to you. There is no one right way to do anything.
  • Three – try and give back as much as you can. If you join a group and see an opportunity to help someone out, go for it. Over time, you might even become recognised as an expert in a particular field, and before you know it, you’ll be able to sell your services to other interested parties.

There are other communities as well, including content sharing groups on Triberr , and those which come as part of association membership or conference attendance, which are tackled a little further down.

3. Get known for something

One way to get noticed is to get known as being an expert at something. If you’re looking for a budget travel expert, most people would instantly think of Matt Kepnes, the blogger behind Nomadic Matt . Couples Luxury Travel? Independent Travel Cats . Fixing broken blogs ? Chris Richardson. Story telling ? Mike Sowden.

Carving out a name for yourself as an expert in an area, either through regular participation in groups like those previously mentioned, or by specifically targeting it on your blog or social media channels, will over time result in you being the go-to person for quotes, articles and commentary on related activity.

4. Invest in your product

A travel blog is a business, and like any business, you have to spend money to make money.

This could be anything from hiring someone to design you a professional looking website, to a social media manager, to someone to help out with your personal branding, to something as simple as getting business cards printed.

In addition, don’t underestimate the importance of learning. There are a number of courses you can take to help you take your blogging and content creation to the next level. I’d recommend m y Travel Photography Course . Sorry, this is a shameless plug! I truly believe that having great images on a blog make it stand out, and investing in your photography skill is critical to succeeding. I wrote this course to share everything I know about photography, and am incredibly proud of it. Ok, no more self-promotion, I promise.

There are countless resources and options out there that will let you improve both your personal knowledge, and the product you are offering. Just check around first to be sure that you aren’t paying for information that you might be able to pick up for free.

5. Write guest posts

One excellent way to get your name known is to write posts for other sites. This is a particularly good way to get yourself known as an expert in a topic. I, for example, have written a number of guest posts for other sites on the subject of travel photography, and it’s a topic I have spoken about at various conferences.

Whilst guest posting has had a black mark over it of late due to Google penalising folks for poor quality attempts at building links in order to improve their search engine results (see sponsored posts below), it is still a good way to reach a new audience if you find the right blogs to post on.

When reaching out to a fellow blogger, ensure that they accept guest posts, and approach them politely with your pitch. Don’t fire off a generic pitch e-mail to hundreds of bloggers and expect a positive response – offer something of value tailored to their audience, and you are likely to get a more favourable response.

6. Attend conferences and travel shows

A great option for upping your game and getting noticed is to attend a conference or event. There are two distinct types of event to consider:

Travel Blogging Conferences:

Travel blogging conferences are aimed specifically at travel bloggers, and feature workshops and training experiences to help you improve your skillset in all the relevant fields, from content creation through to social media management and working with brands. They also offer opportunities for networking and meeting with brands.

The best travel conference currently available in my mind is  TBEX (North America and Europe).

TBEX happens a few times a year, usually at least once in Europe and once in North America, and sometimes somewhere else as well.

It attracts a great many travel bloggers and brands, and offers networking opportunities and learning at the various workshops.

I’ve spoken at TBEX am happy to recommend it to those starting out in blogging.

There are a number of other travel blogging conferences, with some, such as the Social Travel Summit , offering smaller, more specialised or more advanced topics, for when you want to take it to the next level. But as a starting point, I can highly recommend TBEX.

For tips on visiting a travel blogging conference, see our detailed guide to attending a travel blogging conference .

Travel Trade Shows

Travel Trade Shows are enormous events, usually held once a year, and unlike travel blogging conferences, they are focused on the entire travel industry, with representatives from travel brands around the world in attendance.

They are fantastic opportunities for networking and getting your brand in front of the travel industry. Some simple tips for getting the most out of these events:

  • Dress appropriately – these are business events.
  • Plan your schedule in advance, and schedule meetings with the people you really want to meet beforehand.
  • Take plenty of business cards, and know what your pitch is going to be, as well as the value you offer.
  • Be polite, don’t be pushy, but be clear about what you want and what you can offer.

The best idea is to attend a travel show that is relevant to either your home location or your audience location. For example, for Germany or Europe based bloggers, I’d recommend ITB Berlin. For UK based bloggers like us,  WTM London is a good event.

Dos and Don’ts of Travel Blogging

So that was how to get noticed. I figured, based on my experiences, that you might like a list of dos and don’ts for travel blogging. In no particular order:

Don’t judge yourself by the success of others

This is a really easy trap to fall into, particularly as you are likely going to be spending a fair amount of time on social media.

The only person you should be measuring your success against is yourself and the goals you have set yourself. There will always be those who are doing better, and those who are doing worse – it’s called life.

The problem with social media is that people tend to share the more positive things, and as you participate in the travel blogging community more and more, and start to make friends, your social feeds might start to fill with success stories from those you follow.

Don’t ever let these things get you down. You might feel left out, or passed over, or that someone less deserving than you has got something that you should have got.

The truth is: everyone has worked hard to get where they are. The best thing you can do is be pleased for them, and try to learn from what they have achieved. Then, get on with doing your own thing.

Success will come, but it is never overnight, and despite what it may look like on social media, always comes after hard work.

Do be professional

The word Professional is used in this blog post for a reason. If you want to be taken seriously as a travel blogger, content creator, influencer or whatever you choose to call yourself, then you need to behave in a professional manner.

If you commit to doing something – do it.

If you don’t feel that something is right for you or your audience – don’t do it.

If you turn up to do work for a client, remember that it *is* work. You are not on holiday, you are not a celebrity – you are there to fulfil a function, and are part of a larger effort to meet a goal. It’s not rocket science, but it is important.

Don’t abuse the trust of your readers

A travel blogger is nothing without an audience – that’s you out there, right now, reading this.

You trust that what Jessica and I write on this blog is based on our opinion and personal experience, rather than marketing dollars. Sure, we work with companies from time to time. We might get paid to take trips, or share products with you.

But the bottom line is that you have to trust that we are only sharing our honest opinion with you. If something isn’t right for us, or we don’t feel it’s right for you, then we turn it down. And we always disclose any arrangement where we have received some form of compensation.

If you don’t trust that, then we are essentially of no value to you, and a travel blogger with no audience is of no value to anyone.

Do set out a code of ethics for yourself

Speaking of trust, a good idea is to set out a personal code of ethics, and stick to it. This might be things like promising to deliver within a certain timeframe, or always to make it clear up front when something is paid for, rather than hidden on a disclosure page somewhere.

Whatever your personal code of ethics for your blog might be, and whether you choose to share it with your readers, setting one out up front may help protect you from making poor short-term decisions that affect the longer-term viability of your blog.

You can see our code of ethics here .

Don’t believe the hype

This one is much like professionalism.

When you have been on a hosted trip or two, you will notice that you are likely treated very well. You’ll be put up in nice hotels, fed gorgeous food, and taken on spectacular adventures.

You might start to believe that you are special, that you are an important person, that you deserve five star treatment.

Of course the destinations and people you work with will want to show you a great time, because if you have a great time, then you are more likely to write good things about where you’ve been. And let’s be honest – it’s not hard to write great things when your job is based around travel.

Sometimes, though, things will not go to plan. The wi-fi might not work. The plane might be late. The activity might not be available.

This is not the point at which to throw a giant hissy fit on Twitter and demand that your bowl of brown M&Ms be brought to you Right This Instant Or Else.

Things go wrong, you have to deal with it, and tackle it as a professional. Sure, if the service is terrible and the attraction awful, then you owe it to your readers to share that. Honesty and integrity are vitally important. But behaving like a spoilt brat when everyone is doing their best will do your profession a disservice, and won’t do your personal reputation in the travel industry any favours either.

Do keep at it

Think of some big names in Travel Blogging. Want to know what makes them stand out above all else? It’s easy. They’ve likely been going for longer than anyone else.

Like anything, building a name for yourself and acquiring a reputation takes time and effort. The longer you go at something, the more likely you are to succeed. It might take one, two, three, or even more years for you to start getting where you want to be.

Don’t give up. The most successful blogs have been at this for a long time, and you’ve got a fair bit of catch up to play.

Do get your own domain name and get a decent website design

If you want to be taken seriously, you need a nice-looking website, and your own domain name.

MyTravelBlog.Blogspot.com isn’t going to cut it I’m afraid – you’ll look like a hobbyist.

Like everything – there are exceptions to the rule , but generally, getting your own domain name and a nice website design will help you immeasurably.

Do keep learning

No matter how much you know, there is always something new to learn, and new people to learn it from. Thankfully, the internet is full of advice, tips and courses on how to do things, from mastering YouTube to photo editing, much of which is free.

Beyond that there are conferences, groups, classes, communities, talks, books – you name it, someone is likely doing it.

If you want to learn, and however you do that best, there will be an option out there for you.

how to become a travel blogger

How to Make Money as a Travel Blogger

Ah, the perennial question! How do you make money from a travel blog? The answer isn’t entirely simple, and usually involves a number of factors, depending on your site and your personal skillset.

However, the good news is that making money as a travel blogger is certainly possible, and I’m now going to share some of the various options you have for generating an income off your travel blog, with the end goal of going full time.

1. Banner advertising

You see the ads in this post? Those are paid for ad placements, one of the most common ways of monetizing a website.

Banner advertising rates tend to be linked to traffic, so when you’re starting out you won’t be able to charge very much. Programs like Google Adwords are likely a good place as any to get started.

Currently we partner with Mediavine for display adverts on the site, which generates a good income. They require you to achieve  a minimum number of sessions per month to qualify.

2. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a system where you recommend a product, and if someone buys that product, you get a commission. This works for all sorts of products, from hotel rooms through to goods sold on Amazon.

The best results are for blog posts which are full of information, where the visitor is in a purchasing sort of mood, having run a search for something specific in Google for example.

So say someone is wondering about what gear to take to the Galapagos , or what to pack as a digital nomad – they are looking for answers, and might then want to purchase directly based on your recommendation.

Unless you spend a lot of time optimising posts to rank highly in search results though, affiliate programs aren’t likely to generate a huge income, but it all adds up, and some bloggers do have tremendous success with these programs.

Take a look at sites like Booking.com and  Amazon , for affiliate programs that might work for you.

A good option is to sign up with a site like TravelPayouts , where you’ll find a range of travel focused affiliate programs you can work with.

3. Product placement / partnerships

A popular area for travel bloggers to generate an income is to partner with a brand and promote it to their audience. This can be in the form of posts on site talking about the product / brand, sharing content to social media related to the brand, and so on.

As with all partnerships that involve money, it’s important to disclose this to your readers up front – a legal requirement in many countries.

These partnerships are also generally only effective when partnering with brands or products that are relevant to your blogs audience – a budget travel blog for example likely wouldn’t offer much of value to a private jet charter service.

See the resources section below for some ideas on where and how to connect with brands.

4. Sponsored posts

Another way to generate income is to run sponsored posts, or what is sometimes referred to as “native advertising”. This comes in two forms, and can be content written by a third party or by the blogger to be hosted on the blog.

The first type of sponsored post takes the form of a blog post, just like any other, which aims to reach your audience, with the goal of raising awareness of a brand or product.

The second type of sponsored post has nothing to do with your audience, and is a way of gaming Google in order to improve the ranking of specific search queries in Google’s results.

Accepting money for posts which aim to manipulate search engine results is specifically against Google’s webmaster guidelines, and if caught, the offending blog runs the risk of being penalised by Google, and in a worst case scenario, being removed from Google’s results entirely.

You can see those guidlelines outlined here , as well as some suggestions for best practice. It’s up to you what you do with your site, of course, but we don’t accept any sponsored posts or link buys in this site as we deem the risk is far to great – the short-term rewards are significantly outweighed by the long-term risk.

5. Product creation

Finally, and this is a way to create money both on and off-site, some bloggers have created products based on their areas of expertise, which they sell to their readers.

These can be virtual products like eBooks, online courses, or apps, or physical products like clothing or printed books. If you’re creative and have a great idea, you might find your audience will love it too!

6. Content creation on other sites

If you’re running a blog, chances are you have a decent idea on how to create good content, be that video, photography or text. These services can be of tremendous value to brands, who are always on the lookout for good content for their social media streams or blogs.

If you can set yourself up as a freelance content creator in one or more of these areas, using your blog as your virtual “CV”, then you could start to generate a decent income.

7. Social media leverage and training

Most bloggers, over time, start to become pretty adept at social media. This blog’s Facebook page , for example, has a highly engaged following of over a million fans. That sort of following is of tremendous interest to brands, for two reasons:

  • You can share relevant content to your audience
  • You can advise brands as to how to improve their own social media presence, based on your experience running your social media accounts

Both of the above offer opportunities for revenue generation.

8. Speaking

As previously mentioned, I have spoken at a number of conferences and events, including TravelCon, TBEX, TDB Italy and the Arabian Travel Market, a travel trade show in Dubai.

If speaking publicly is something you are interested in, it is something you can turn into a fee-earner , given sufficient experience and expertise in a subject.

9. Travel advice and tours

Finally, some travel bloggers offer advice to their readers in the form of helping them to arrange travel itineraries. Wandering Earl for example offers full tours, helping travellers to experience the places that they have visited, know and love.

10. User supported

Some travel bloggers and content creators have a user supported model. This uses platforms like Patreon whereby readers and members of the community can pay a small amount each month to support their favourite creators.

This can work very well if you have a personality driven blog, where readers follow you because they like you specifically. It’s less likely to be successful on an informational blog, where readers find you via a search result, read that one post, and head off.

See this guide to whether a Patreon might be right for you.

how to become a travel blogger

Getting Paid as a Travel Blogger

Once you have figured out a means of generating an income, you will need to figure out how to actually get paid. This can be more challenging than you first think, because you are likely going to be generating revenue from multiple streams across multiple currencies.

Whilst many might suggest a service like PayPal, I find that the fees for both receiving funds and the poor currency conversion rate make it less appealing, and an option I’ll only use if I have no other choice.

Instead, I recommend and use Wise . They let me create actual bank accounts in a range of currencies around the world, and receive funds via direct bank transfer (supported by most affiliate programs, ad networks and businesses). You can create both a personal and business account and I have used them for years with no issue. You can sign up here .

Resources for becoming a travel blogger

Whew. That was a lot of information. To top it all off, I just want to include some other posts from some great bloggers, as well as some resources and communities that you should consider joining if you want to take your blog to the next level.

Advice from other travel bloggers

  • Jess has put together a detailed guide to How to Set Up a Travel Blog , from a more technical viewpoint
  • Liz from Young Adventuress How not to suck at social media
  • Kate of Adventurous Kate has a guide to whether a Patreon might work for you
  • I also interviewed nearly 30 leading travel bloggers on this site for their advice on travel blogging. Find those interviews here .

Miscellaneous

  • Tips on Twitter success from Jodi of Legal Nomads
  • A guide to migrating from Blogger to WordPress I put together following my own experience doing this
  • Our guide to starting a travel blog
  • We have a detailed review of Cloudways as a WordPress host to help you decide if it’s the right host for you
  • Our guide to picking the best WordPress host for your new blog

And that is it for my tips on how to become a travel blogger! Sold on the idea? Head on over to my Essential Packing List for Digital Nomads so you know what gear to pack for your journey!

Finally, please note that some of the links in this post generate a small affiliate income to me if you use them, at no cost to you. I’ve listed every resource I find useful though, regardless of whether or not there is an affiliate earning.

Everything you need to know about how to become a travel blogger, from making money, to do's and don'ts, to getting started, to social media.

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There are 70 comments on this post

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14th December 2023 at 6:55 am

Thanks for sharing this helpful guide about starting as a travel blogger! The steps and stories you shared are inspiring. It’s great to know that if you love travel and work hard, you can make a job out of it. The advice you gave can help new bloggers, reminding them to be themselves, keep learning, and not give up. It’s a fantastic guide for anyone dreaming of starting their blog!

Laurence Norah says

14th December 2023 at 1:55 pm

Thanks very much Sarah!

23rd September 2023 at 10:05 am

Hi, Becoming a travel blogger is a dream for many, and this guide breaks it down step by step. It’s inspiring to see how passion can turn into a fulfilling career. Thanks for sharing!

23rd September 2023 at 1:07 pm

Thanks Lucas, glad to be able to help!

ROHIT PATLE says

24th February 2023 at 4:18 pm

Traveling is not just about exploring new places, it’s about discovering yourself in the process. It opens your mind to new cultures, languages, and ways of life, and teaches you to appreciate the beauty in diversity

25th February 2023 at 6:06 am

This is true Rohit, thank you for sharing 🙂

19th June 2022 at 8:43 am

You gave many great tips. IMO passion is definitely the most “important” skill whatever you do. Thank you for sharing. 🙂

19th June 2022 at 9:56 am

My pleasure Jack, thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

Rajveer Singh says

20th May 2022 at 1:30 pm

Hey Laurence it was a great blog you clearly explained everything in detailed and in an easy way which is best for a beginner who just started or want to start travel blogging. Want to read more blogs and need guidance in other stream. So please post a new article soon.

20th May 2022 at 1:35 pm

Hi Rajveer,

Thanks for your comment! Is there anything in particular you are interested in learning about? I don’t write a lot of articles about travel blogging, but I have written a few, like how to choose a WordPress host , which I published quite recently. But if there is something you are particularly interested in, or if you have a question, I am happy to help!

Jejey Daga says

13th January 2022 at 8:05 am

Excellent information. I still have so much to learn. We are working on putting out more information and learning the correct way to do. Thank you for your help.

13th January 2022 at 12:51 pm

My pleasure, I’m glad you found this guide useful 🙂

10th November 2021 at 7:17 am

Thank you very much . Very nice information & very helpful. Congratulations on your success!

10th November 2021 at 10:22 am

Thanks Babak!

Reliablerider says

13th September 2021 at 10:51 am

Thanks for sharing this great info with us. Really inspiring blog.

13th September 2021 at 11:05 am

Jenifer S says

27th August 2021 at 2:36 am

Awesome blog. I enjoyed reading your articles. This is truly a great read for me. I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles. Keep up the good work!

29th August 2021 at 8:37 am

Thanks Jenifer!

Shreya says

14th August 2021 at 3:43 pm

Can I pursue travel blogging while getting an Academic degree or with a day job? Would love to hear back.

15th August 2021 at 1:39 pm

You absolutely can do travel blogging whilst having a day job or getting a degree. Many travel bloggers have a full time day job as well, it’s more than possible to do both, and especially with the inconsistency of earning from a blog, it is a good option.

Best of luck!

24th August 2021 at 11:28 am

6th July 2021 at 7:15 pm

Do you have to buy a domain name and if so, can i like buy it from go-daddy then use a different platform for my page?

6th July 2021 at 8:49 pm

So you don’t absolutely have to buy a domain name if you want to try out a free blogging service like blogspot or WordPress.com. However your url would then be yourblog.blogspot.com instead of yourblog.com. In the long term a domain name is definitely a good idea, but if you’re just testing the water it’s not a necessity!

To answer the second part of the question, yes, you can buy your domain name from anywhere, be that go daddy, name cheap, Google domains etc. Many blog hosting services will include a domain name as a bonus. Some may give the impression you have to buy the domain name as part of the service but that’s definitely not the case.

Good luck with the new blog and let me know if you have any more questions!

21st May 2021 at 6:31 am

Hey Laurence it was a great blog you explained everything in quite detailed and in an easy way which is best for a beginner who just started or want to start travell blogging.

21st May 2021 at 1:05 pm

Thanks very much Amit 🙂

Muskan says

4th November 2020 at 11:09 am

Thnk you for this great article ☺️ I want to become a traveller and this article very helpful ☺️

6th November 2020 at 1:35 pm

My pleasure Muskan – best of luck with your travel blog!

18th September 2020 at 1:30 pm

Good Article and informative. Newbie blogger will be inspired from your article. Good work!

18th September 2020 at 2:21 pm

Thanks very much 🙂

James Weinstein says

9th September 2020 at 10:35 am

Hey Laurence Norah Your information is very useful and it help me a lot. You told the right thing which need a traveler or any person because who travel first time in aboard they have to know about the place , environment, where the stay and many things. You highlight this kinds of things in your article that much better for traveler. I also know many information from your article. After this pandemic situation we travel again. Thanks a lot for your kind information.

9th September 2020 at 12:02 pm

Thanks James, much appreciated!

13th August 2020 at 4:29 pm

Travel blogging is something for me is passion plus money enjoying time

13th August 2020 at 5:25 pm

Good luck 😀

RAHUL Deo says

5th August 2020 at 6:51 am

great insight on how to start a travel blog. would like to know more from you.

5th August 2020 at 11:26 am

Thanks Rahul. If you have specific questions I am happy to help.

The Pahadi Traveller says

2nd August 2020 at 5:32 pm

Hi , Amazing and really inspiring article . Such articles motives and helps to peruse our dreams . Keep up the good work . Thank you .

2nd August 2020 at 9:04 pm

Thanks very much!

8th July 2020 at 10:27 am

Hi, thank you for great article. It´s great to be travel nomad 🙂

8th July 2020 at 12:25 pm

It sure is! Thanks for your comment 🙂

goinsee says

16th June 2020 at 5:38 am

Great tips, I’m just starting my blog. Your share helps me a lot. Thanks

16th June 2020 at 10:55 am

My pleasure – good luck!

Nathanael Nunag says

28th May 2020 at 11:09 am

Thank you for the advice!

28th May 2020 at 3:39 pm

Gail O says

18th December 2019 at 5:49 pm

Great post! Thank you so much for sharing!

19th December 2019 at 11:02 am

My pleasure Gail!

8th November 2019 at 8:13 am

Thank you for your post, advice and tips. It was an excellent read – with more to come in your archive. One question – where do you find the time for all the reading?

8th November 2019 at 9:07 am

Thanks very much 🙂 It’s always important to have a balance between work and everything else, and while that can be tricky when self employed, it’s something we strive for! For reading specifically, there’s always time for that!

Olivia Slate says

9th August 2019 at 8:10 pm

This is a long comment – sorry!

Firstly, this post has been extremely helpful for us. It is full of so much content I was actually struggling to find elsewhere! Myself and my partner, Aron, met each other a year and a half ago in Australia and continued to travel together for the whole year and a half through Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, South East Asia and we have now settled in Switzerland (where my partner is from) to save up for our next trip at the end of the year.

My question is, we obviously have heaps of experiences and hints, tips and information from our 16 month trip, but we did not blog our trip. Where shall I start? Do I backtrack to 16 months ago or start a fresh from our next trip?

It’s such a hard one because we have so many experiences and amazing photos, but I just wish we started to blog from the beginning – as my experience was content writing in my past jobs in the UK! It was our first time travelling long-term and meeting each other was all new so blogging just didn’t fit at the time!

Any help would be hugely appreciated!

10th August 2019 at 9:57 pm

Thanks for your comment and I’m delighted to have been able to help. So I actually was in a very similar situation to you – I travelled through Australia for a year and then started my blog. I started off chronicling some of the things I had done in Australia, and as I was travelling in New Zealand when I started it, I also wrote about that. Now we blog about all kinds of places, and it’s entirely non chronological.

To be honest, there’s no right answer. I think you should definitely cover some of your previous experiences, but it depends if you want your blog to be something chronological, or not. Most readers though will not read it chronologically, they will come looking for specific information and won’t start at the beginning. So my suggestion would be just to write what you want and when. Of course, it’s up to you 😉

Best of luck, and let me know if I can help any more!

Taru Gupta says

3rd August 2019 at 10:25 pm

Thanks for sharing all these tips! I am doing research of things to know before starting a travelling blog. This is my 3rd time in two days reading this post. I find it incredibly helpful and gave me a good starting to everything to consider before hand. I really appreciate it. Keep up the good work 🙂

4th August 2019 at 9:12 am

Our pleasure Taru – good luck with your blog!

Priya Singh says

17th May 2019 at 8:07 am

Marvelous work!. Blog is brilliantly written and provides all necessary information I really like this site. Thanks for sharing this useful post.

17th May 2019 at 9:06 am

My pleasure Priya, thanks for your comment 🙂

Shanese says

10th April 2019 at 12:47 am

This is a great post but it didn’t answer one question I have. How did you get your start with being able to be a travel blogger aside from setting up the blog? Did you just go somewhere in the world and document your experience?

10th April 2019 at 2:14 pm

Hi Shanese!

So everyone’s approach is different and I don’t think there’s a one size fits all approach. For me, I saved up from a number of years working and went travelling in Australia. I actually travelled for a year before I started the blog, and it was just a hobby, not something I expected to take full time.

However, many bloggers have success by writing about local travel experiences as well, so you certainly don’t need to quit a job and set off on a big trip to be successful. My wife for example started her blog writing about some of the larger trips she took whilst working, and then mixed that in with local experiences that she took on weekends and so on.

Now we do this full time and travel 3 – 6 months in the year to get content 🙂

Hope this helps!

Tony Turley says

6th February 2019 at 8:07 pm

Thanks for the tips. I used your Bluehost link to set up my first WordPress blog. It’s still rather spartan at only 3 posts so far, and site stats indicate I haven’t received much traffic yet. I’m still working on tweaking the layout.

I’m a long time photographer, and my specialty has been day trips of up to around a 4 hour drive from our home within the state of West Virginia. I have thousands of images from numerous hiking and biking outings, and I’m using the blog to share some of those adventures. I’ve spent almost 32 years working in aviation safety with the US government, and I’m planning to retire this Autumn and use the extra time to pursue blogging on a more serious level. I’ll hit 60 in a few weeks, so I’m rather late to the blogging world, but I want to eventually turn my blogging efforts into a side income to supplement my retirement. Lots to do before that, though.

6th February 2019 at 8:10 pm

Thanks for sharing 🙂 Sounds like you have a lot of content to share, which is always a good place to start from. Blogging is definitely a long-term game, especially when it comes to making an income, but if you stick with it you can definitely do just that 🙂 I wouldn’t worry too much about stats as you get started, just focus on creating some great content and learning what you enjoy sharing.

Timothy Gagnon says

11th December 2018 at 1:21 pm

Really helpful tips here! I like how you mentioned the negative side to travel blogging too. Awesome post!

11th December 2018 at 1:23 pm

My pleasure Timothy, I’m pleased you found it useful! And certainly, travel blogging is like everything else – there are upsides and downsides to consider 😀

Annisa Hasan says

21st November 2018 at 11:02 am

One more question I wanna ask. A friend of mine asked me “Why should I read your blog when I can find all the information on the company’s website?” How do I answer that?

Thanks Annisa

21st November 2018 at 11:08 am

Well, it depends on what you are writing about, but there are a few reasons. First, a blog is more personable than a company website. Second, you should definitely be adding value beyond what can be found on the website, that really answer questions that people might not know they have. For example, if you’re writing about an attraction, maybe there are some other nearby attractions that are also worth visiting that you can recommend. Maybe there are nearby hotels or better ways to reach the attraction that you can talk about.

Basically, it’s all about sharing your real world experience and advice, and having your readers trust your voice. We visit every place we write about in detail, and only use our own photos. We also often revisit a place multiple times. That way we know we are able to share the most accurate and up to date information we can 🙂

21st November 2018 at 12:34 pm

Thanks Laurence, that answered my question

Annisa says

20th November 2018 at 3:07 pm

Hi, these are really helpful tips for a starter. One question. I’ve researched a lot of travel bogs out there and even looked at popular keyword to get to the top of google search through SEO, I’ve seen many and I meany many GOOD quality contents online, how do I compete with that? I understand that I have to update all the time and schedule contents from a calendar but how do I get people to come to read my blog and not theirs?

20th November 2018 at 3:22 pm

Thanks! To be honest, this is not an easy question to answer – it takes a while. The answer is that you need to build a range of authoritative content on a specific topic. Rather than trying to compete with existing high ranking content, the better option is to research what topics are not well served by existing websites, and seeing if you can rank for those. Once you start to rank for some of those topics, you can look to expanding your coverage.

It’s a long game, especially for SEO and getting Google to rank you, and there are no quick wins unfortunately!

Hope this helps

20th November 2018 at 5:03 pm

Yes it did thank you Laurence

roshani says

4th July 2018 at 9:44 am

thanks for sharing all excellent tips,this is most important information for travel blogs.

4th July 2018 at 9:45 am

My pleasure 🙂

Isabella says

30th December 2016 at 12:39 pm

Oh my! this is a whole lot of extremely valuable tips! thank you so much…

Laurence says

30th December 2016 at 3:37 pm

My pleasure – thanks for reading!

16th April 2016 at 7:42 am

Thank you for all the wonderful information, this may be the most information for us novice travel bloggers that I’ve come across to in one place!

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What is a Travel Blogger and What Do Travel Bloggers Do?

Written by Samantha Sherer on Feb 2nd 2019. 14 minute read

It’s the ultimate dream, travel the world to experience all the major sights and hidden delights tourists don’t get to see.

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travel blogger meaning

Even better, the icing on the cake would be to earn an income from your travels. The question everyone asks is whether this really is possible. The answer is yes – with a travel blog.

What is a   travel blogger?

A travel blogger is someone who travels to different places, writes about their experiences and publishes them onto an online blog. If you have enough money saved to live on, you could use your travel blog to share your journey without worrying about readership or making money.

If you’ve ever wondered how travel bloggers can make money on Instagram or other platforms, the answer is – by  monetizing their blogs  with the aim of either funding their travels or earning a professional income. With that view in mind, let’s look at how to start a travel blog.

The top 12 tips for starting a travel blog

What profitable travel bloggers do is create high quality content and remain consistent. Many new travel blogs will cease to exist early on, so if you want to be published for many years to come and make a decent income from your travels, you need to put some thought into your blog. Just because you build it does not mean that your audience will come. Instead, you need to work hard at creating a platform people want to visit time and again.

To help you get the most out of your travel blog, and become what is considered a successful travel blogger , check out our 12 top tips:

Treat it like a business

Although it may be tempting to head off on a plane and write your blog when you have a spare moment, doing this is unlikely to make you money. Treat it like a business and decide how much you want to earn in advance.

Decide to get paid

When you love something, it is easy to fall into the trap of just doing it because it's your passion. Unfortunately, that sentiment won’t earn you money, so you have to decide in advance you are going to be paid for your work. How the best travel bloggers make money on their blogs and other platforms like Instagram , is by upkeeping an attitude of viewing their blog as a business, rather than a hobby.

Plan ahead and be organized

An essential component of beinga travel blogger is organization. As part of your business plan, you need to decide in advance how you are going to run your blog. Know where you want to travel, how you are going to get there, where you are going to stay, etc. Devise a content calendar outlining the content you will be publishing each month, and decide the methods you will use to monetize each post accordingly. In real life, it is likely your plan will change and fluctuate, but having a guide provides you with focus.

Build an audience

Before you can earn any money from your blog, you need an audience. There are many methods to build readerships, from paid advertising to organic searches. Make sure you always have several methods in place at any one time to maintain consistency.

Do it for your readers

What great travel bloggers do is write with their readers in mind. Do your research and find out what questions your potential traffic wants answered, and then address those queries. If you base your blog around solving your audiences' problems, they will return again and again.

Be different

There are many travel bloggers, so to stand out from the crowd you need to be original and change the generic idea of what a travel blogger is . Use a different approach, or find an exclusive niche within travel blogging. Create a unique selling point that no one else has.

Be yourself

Discover a niche that works for you and your audience and give it your own voice. If you try and copy someone else, your authenticity will suffer.

Learn all you can

You can always be better, so commit to learning all you can. Whether you improve your writing skills, your search engine optimization techniques, or your knowledge of traveling, always look to learn all you can.

Invest in your blog

In the early days when your budget may be tight, you may not be able to invest in hiring professional designers or other help, so initially invest as much time as you possibly can. When you have more money, invest some of it back into your website to ensure it is as professional as possible.

Record everything

While you are traveling, make it a habit to record everything as you never know when it may come in handy. Take photos of everything, record where and when you visit different places, jot down your emotions and details about the people you meet. All these notes will help when your creative juices need a push to put words on the page.

Be consistent and persistent

Your blog needs time to build. Your audience will need to get to know you before they trust you, so be consistent and persistent with your entries. Write as much as you can, particularly in the early days.

Love your job

A travel blog is as much a job as it is a way of life. You must love your job. If you don’t, you may need to question if you are in the right industry.

How much do travel bloggers earn?

When embarking on a new career, it’s normal to want to know how much you can earn. However, with any freelance role, how much you earn is dependent on the amount of work you put in. As a rough guide, an established travel blog can expect to  make $3,000-5,000  a month, although some make much more.

Here are a few examples of some successful travel blogs:

Derek Earl Baron  of  Wandering Earl

Derek has been traveling since 1999, but originally he funded his travels by odd-jobbing while on the road. However, this all changed in 2008 when he published an eBook about his journeys, which earned him enough to carry on traveling without working on the road.

This led to the Wandering Earl blog launching in 2009, with the readers of his book becoming his first followers. The blog grew, and by 2011 he was earning $2, 500 a month from his book sales and affiliate marketing. His earnings are now reported to be  $12,000 a month .

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Derek Baron (@wanderingearl)

Matt Kepnes  of  Nomadic Matt

Matt Kepnes earns a staggering  $50,000+ a month  from travel blogging. His blog grew from his desire to travel and make money on the way, but he started the site purely as a method of practicing his writing so he could work for  Lonely Planet . But the more he developed his blog, the more he realized there was a need for budget travel advice people could dip into online. So he changed his focus, and the rest is history.

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Matt Kepnes | Nomadic Matt (@nomadicmatt)

Bethany Davies of  Flashpacker Family

Bethany has been traveling since her early 20’s. In 2014, she and her family left New Zealand and have been traveling ever since. They fund their travels and earn an income with various sources, including advertising on the website, consultancy work, web design and renting out their home. On average they earn about  $5,000-10,000 a month .

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Bethaney Davies Travel Blogger (@flashpackerfamily)

How do I make money as a travel blogger?

Most travel bloggers make money through a variety of different income streams, rather than relying on just one method. Many travel bloggers are content to fund their lifestyle, whereas others achieve incomes that far exceed their travel costs. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that lucrative travel blogs do not happen overnight. They take a lot of time and effort to become established and develop a large following.

Money making methods include:

Affiliate marketing

Promote and sell products on behalf of a third party. When one of your leads clicks on your affiliate links and makes a purchase, you will get paid a commission.  With no stock involved, it’s a perfect method for the travel blogger to utilize to earn money.

Selling products

Creating and selling your own related products can be a great money earner as all the profits go straight to you. However, making the products initially can take some time and effort.

Advertising

Allowing automatic ads on your website can earn some extra money each month. You could also consider charging companies to run permanent ads on your site.

Sponsored posts

Established blogs often get requests from companies asking them to write sponsored posts about their products. In return, the company pays the blogger or offers products as remuneration.

Public speaking

Speaking at conferences or at professional networking events can be quite lucrative, if you have the confidence to pursue this form of income. Top travel conferences and events you can find us speaking at include  Women In Travel Summit  and  TBEX . 

Coaching  

Teaching others how to run a travel blog, either through mentoring, consultations, online courses or lecturing at colleges, is not only a good way to increase your income but also builds your credibility.

Freelance writing  

Getting paid by other businesses to write about your experiences and travel tips can provide a good income while fitting the lifestyle of the travel blogger.

Where do I find affiliate programs for my travel blog?

When it comes to finding affiliate programs that fit your travel blog, you can really think out of the box. Let’s say you are writing a blog about what insurance you should have as a travel blogger. You could discuss travel insurance and point to  affiliate programs  that match. Or perhaps you want to talk about how to find affordable  accommodation  while on the road. Whatever you want to write about, you can find a product or service to promote that will fit. Look to Awin’s  advertiser directory  for inspiration.

 A final word

Building a travel blog takes time and effort, but the rewards more than outweigh the hard work. For many, it is the dream job. However, to succeed you must stay focused and work at it. But most importantly, maintain the love for your job. Try to keep your knowledge fresh and this will come across in your blog. Your audience will feel your passion and buy into you. Following that, your blog will start paying dividends.

If this is your dream, follow it. You’ll never look back.

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16 Things Nobody Tells You About Being a Travel Blogger: No Bullshit Rundown

Home » Blog » Blogging » 16 Things Nobody Tells You About Being a Travel Blogger: No Bullshit Rundown

How to be a Travel Blogger

So you want to be a travel blogger? You’re not the only one. Our inbox is currently flooded with people reaching out asking for tips on how to start a travel blog.

It sounds dreamy, right? Traveling the world, sharing your experiences, and getting paid to do it.

Travel Blogging is truly my dream job, and I truly love doing what I do. Most mornings, I wake up and pinch myself that this is my life.

BUT there are so many things I wish I would have know when we first started out. There are so many misconceptions out there about blogging, and I bet there’s a lot you don’t know about this industry.

Being a Travel Blogger doesn’t mean all your days are spent lounging in the sun on a pineapple floaty, like the image above would have you believe… Disappointing, I know.

Today we’re pulling back the curtain.

We’re wiping away the glamorous facade of free hotel stays and unlimited freedom, and we’re giving you an inside look at what it’s really like being a travel blogger. The ugly parts nobody talks about. The daily struggles only us bloggers know. And the beautiful parts too, because there are many.

A Word of Warning: Before you read this, I want to tell you that some of this might not be what you want to hear (especially if you’re thinking of starting a travel blog). It might sting a little and get your spirits down, but I promise that if you are serious about blogging and want to be successful at it, you need to hear this before you buy your domain and start designing a logo.

Alright, are you ready for this is a raw and real, no bullshit rundown of what it’s actually like being a travel blogger?! 

I sure wish someone had sat me down, gave me a mug of tea and calmly told me what I’m about to tell you…

1. Being a full-time blogger is hard f*%$ing work. 

There are still quite a few people out there that think blogging is a “cute hobby” where people write down their feelings online instead of in a physical diary. While that might have been widely true in the days of Xanga (remember that?!), today is a whole different story.

We have had so many conversations with people over the years — strangers, friends, and even family members — where it’s clear they just don’t understand the amount of work we pour into our blog.

Blogging is a business, and successful bloggers work hard – often more than 40 hours a week (doing much more than just writing an online journal).

Which brings me to my next point…

2. If you want to be a successful blogger, you must treat it like a business.

How to Start a Travel Blog Working on Laptops

Essentially, there are 2 types of blogs:

Hobby Blog: Blogs that don’t earn much money (or any at all!). The purpose of this type of blog is that it brings the author joy, and it is fun!

Blogging Business: Blogs that earn the owner a living. This might be their full income, or it might be a supplemental income in addition to their full-time job. But it is a significant amount of money. (Hint: Check out our income report to see how much money travel bloggers can make.)

If it is your goal to have the latter, you need to treat your blog as a business: You need to set deadlines. You need to operate professionally. You need to dedicate time (lots of time!) to your blog. You need to have a plan. You need to learn from people who have been blogging for a while. You need to invest in your business, with time or money (or better yet: both).

It’s easy to skim through this and nod along, but it’s an entirely different thing to put it all into action. At your core, you have to be incredibly self-disciplined and committed to making your blog succeed. Because if you’re not, you might as well just stick with hobby blogging.

Let me just take a moment to say, there’s nothing wrong with aspiring to be a hobby blogger. We live in an age where it seems everyone is trying to turn their hobby into a side hustle: Selling knit hats on Etsy or (gasp!) getting paid to write about travel. But it’s totally fine if you just want to blog for fun .

3. Blogging isn’t just about good writing and pretty photos.

A lot of people email us saying, “People always say I’m a great writer and that I should start a blog.” But here’s something most people don’t consider: Just because you love to write doesn’t mean you’ll love blogging.

Wouldn’t it be nice if all you had to do was write a killer article and add photos and BOOM: People would come to your site, like mosquitoes to exposed ankles.

That would be a dream come true for me because I went to university for journalism, graphic design, and photography. Basically a “Blogging Degree”, right?

Simply typing articles and pressing “publish” is going to bring in zero dollars. ZERO. So it’s important you understand what else is involved with blogging. Keep reading, because we’re about to spill…

4. There are aspects of blogging that aren’t fun.

Coding, optimizing SEO, keyword research, building backlinks, affiliate marketing strategizing, comparing analytics, creating captivating email funnels…

These are just a few of the things I don’t love about blogging. There’s a hell of a lot more, but I don’t want to bore you (too much).

Did you know about all these bits of the business? If so, great; you’re coming into this with a lot more knowledge than we did.

But if some of these terms are making you scratch your head, there’s likely still a lot you’ll need to learn. And in order to be successful, you’re going to have to be okay rolling up your sleeves and doing the boring stuff.

5. The image of a laptop by the beach (or a pool) is a lie.

I’m gonna let you in on a secret… This photo was STAGED *gasp*! There’s no way I’d actually work on my laptop this close to water!

I’m gonna let you in on a secret… This photo was STAGED *gasp*! There’s no way I’d actually work on my laptop this close to water!

If your idea of being a travel blogger involves a lot of hammocks and mojitos, I am about to shatter your illusion…

There are days like that. But sometimes it seems like they are rare.

The image of working on your laptop from the beach is a beautiful one. And the whole “digital nomad” movement seems to be based off the idea that having a remote job means your days aren’t spent in an office, but rather at a pool with a daiquiri in hand. It’s easy to sell that image, but it’s not exactly true.

Blogging, just like most remote jobs, give you lots of freedom, but it also requires hard work. More often than not in a cafe or co-working space rather than on the beach. Trust me, sand and laptops don’t mix well. And neither does sun glare.

As a travel blogger, you will have a mix of excitement-filled days where you wander around new cities and go on epic adventures; but there are normal days too, where you spend the majority of your time behind a laptop.

6. Blogging is NOT a way to get rich fast.

In fact, when you’re first starting out, you’re going to need to work for free. Yes, for FREE.

You’ll also need to invest your own money for your domain and hosting. And that’s just the minimum. Some people choose to hire designers or take courses to accelerate their growth.

Even if you monetize quickly, there will be times in the beginning where you’ll spend hours upon hours working, and see a big fat zero in your bank account.

Here’s my advice: DO NOT start a blog (travel or otherwise) if you are simply looking for an “easy way to earn money while traveling”. There are plenty of easier, quicker ways to earn a living while still giving you the flexibility to be remote.

Take a look at these remote jobs that will give you the flexibility to work wherever you want, but have a quicker path to a decent income.

7. You’ll likely need to have a second job for a while.

Unless you have a nice chunk of change saved up (or have a partner with a great income), you’ll likely be working another job while you start your blog.

We now generate our full income from this travel blog, but it didn’t come easily (or quickly!). Throughout most of this journey, we’ve held other jobs — we taught English in Korea and worked at a ski resort in Washington state. And we’ve held a few different location-independent jobs that helped us earn money while traipsing around the world: Ben taught English online through VIPKID . I did freelance graphic design, copywriting, email marketing, and even managed social media accounts.

It wasn’t until just recently — 5 years in — that we let go of our parachutes (aka other jobs) and decided to free fall with this blog as our only source of income. Maybe that’s a bad analogy…

I’m not saying it will take you as long as it took us to make a decent living. We made a ton of mistakes along the way, and could have had a much faster path to success. But sometimes it takes even longer than 5 years… And some bloggers never quit their other jobs because they just don’t want to lose the steady (and reliable) income. Either way, there’s a good chance you’ll have to spend some time balancing blogging with other work.

8. The market is SUPER saturated, but…

I hate to break it to you, but the travel blogging market is super saturated, and getting more and more saturated by the day.

But wipe that sweat off your brow, because here’s the good news: Just because the market is a crowded one, doesn’t mean it’s a death sentence to a new blog.

It was pretty saturated when we started, too. You can carve your way into the high rankings in Google, but it takes time, patience, and (lots of) hard work.

And being that there are so many travel blogs out there, it makes it all that more important to create quality content and have a personality that stands out from the pack.

How to become a Travel Blogger

BE MEMORABLE.

Be yourself. Get vulnerable. Hone in your voice. Don’t be afraid to be controversial. Or goofy. Share the ups AND the downs. Stand up for what you believe. Share your stories.

Make your audience feel like they know the real you .

9. Blogging and Instagramming are 2 different jobs.

You know the whole “a square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square” saying that was pounded into you during elementary geometry?

Well, it’s kind of the same thing with Blogs and Instagram: Bloggers usually have an Instagram account, and Instagrammers typically have a blog. But they are 2 different jobs:

Bloggers focus on writing content and monetizing through a website (affiliate marketing, advertising, etc.) and growing traffic. Posting on Instagram builds brand awareness and community. Income is derived from website traffic.

Instagram Influencers focus on creating content for a social media platform (like Instagram) and growing this following. And their monetization strategy often focuses on sponsored content on this platform. A blog is their secondary focus and serves as more or less a landing page and a way to collect audience emails or sell a product, like Lightroom presets. Income is derived from social media following.

Bloggers and Social Media Influencers are often lumped into the same category. But if you want to be successful in the industry, it’s important to understand the differences.

Determine which medium you want to monetize. There can (and should!) be overlap. But these are two completely separate jobs with different purposes. Prioritizing one will give you focus andwill help aid in your success.

10. Blogging is an industry that’s constantly changing. And you’ve gotta keep up.

What it took to be a successful blogger 10 years ago was vastly different than today. Even when we started back in 2014, blogging was a whole different world. We ranked for articles that Google would never notice today.

Blogging in 2019 is going to look different from 2020. And you better believe that 5 years from now, things will be much different still. This is an industry where you can’t just put in the time learning now, then coast by and expect to earn a completely passive income.

In order to keep up, you need to stay up to date with trends, algorithms and technology. As a blogger, you will need to commit yourself to constant learning.

11. Blogging while traveling is hard to balance.

Real Talk: Traveling and Blogging at the same time is downright exhausting.

Travel blogging requires a delicate balance that we have very, very slowly learned how to manage. It definitely didn’t come naturally. And we’re still far from perfect.

Any time we talk with other travel bloggers, we all eventually start talking about how difficult it is to travel AND blog at the same time.

Planning things to do, booking hotels and transportation, going out and doing stuff, meeting other travelers…. Add to that writing articles, optimizing SEO, posting on social media, replying to emails, pitching to companies, sticking to partnership deadlines, creating newsletters and email funnels. Whew! My heart is racing just typing that sentence.

We’ve done long-term trips while trying to produce content, and it ultimately leads us to become stressed and worn out. We actually have found that we produce our best work and grow our blog the quickest when we’re not traveling at all.

12. You don’t have to ALWAYS be traveling.

People often ask us how we will continue to be travel bloggers if we someday “settle down” and buy a house. Ben and I usually give each other a smirk, and just say, oh we’ll figure it out . But the truth is having a real home base is going to make this job SO much easier.

Whenever we are settled in one spot we absolutely crush our goals and are far better bloggers than when we’re actually traveling . (This is why we’ve been basing ourselves in Chiang Mai and Bali during the last year and a half.)

And trust me, there’s no way we’ll run out of content. I have somewhere around 75 articles saved as drafts right now that mayyyybe I’ll have time to get to when we’re “settled down”.

Oh, and can we also talk about the fact that even when we do have a home, that doesn’t mean we’re not going to just STOP traveling. I mean, traveling is a passion of ours — one that we intend to continue pursuing even if we do have a picket fence someday. And it’s also our job, so like, we have to keep doing it, ya know…

Learn this lesson from us: You DO NOT need to travel full time to be a travel blogger. And actually, long-term travel can make growing your blog hard.

13. Free Travel isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.

I know what you’re thinking: Did she really just use the words “free” and “travel” in the same sentence and say it’s not all that great?

Bear with me for a minute…

A lot of new bloggers (ourselves included!) get all starry-eyed at the prospect of free travel.

Getting a complimentary hotel stay or whale-watching trip or backpack sounds awesome — and most of the time it is — but it is also a lot of work. With a rise in the number of influencers, companies often expect quite a bit of value in exchange for a free experience or product.

In the past, we’ve spent countless hours editing photos, creating videos, and typing up thoughtful articles for no monetary compensation . And you know what we’ve realized? It’s just not worth it (in most cases). I don’t know about you, but our student loans can’t be paid in Mariott credit or in packing cubes.

When you’re just starting out as a blogger, it can be a great way to build your portfolio and gain exposure. We’ve been able to have a lot of wonderful experiences this way, and you can too. But if you want this to be your full-time job, free travel shouldn’t be the core reason you start a travel blog.

14. Blogging is a job you’ll constantly have to explain (and sometimes defend).

Blogging is still a very new profession – one the general public knows very little about it. So if you intend to make blogging your full-time job, be prepared to explain. And defend.

I recently went down the foxhole of a forum on one of the blogging Facebook groups we’re part of. In one particular thread, someone asked this:

How to Start a Travel Blog

There were 54 comments replying to this question. And roughly 90% of the bloggers who replied explained they don’t refer to themselves as “bloggers” at all.

Instead, people used terms like “ website owner”, “content creator”, “digital publisher”, “travel writer” … the list goes on. This illustrates how many people in the industry have had their fair share of Doubting Debbies, and feel like people take them more seriously when they call themselves something other than a “blogger”.

While we still proudly call ourselves Bloggers (in most situations), it can be downright exhausting explaining what we do. And we often feel like we have to defend it as being a “real job”.

Most of the time people are simply curious how, in fact, you’re able to make money online. But sometimes it feels as if they expect you to divulge exactly how you earn your money in a concise 1-minute explanation over drinks, whereas asking the same questions to an accountant or an engineer would be seen as straight up rude.

So if you plan to become a full-time blogger, get ready to answer all sorts of Facebook messages from people you haven’t spoken with since high school asking, “How do you afford to travel so much when you don’t have a job?” .

Get ready to defend your job when that guy at a networking event uses air quotes when he says, “Ah, you’re a “travel blogger”… but what do you really do?”

And get ready to tell your neighbor’s cousin that, yes, you do have a job.

15. There will be moments where you want to quit.

Trust me when I say there will come points where you wonder if you should just stop. Throw in the towel. Hold up the white flag. Or whatever they say.

Over the years, we have had so many of these moments. There have been tears and fights. Self-doubt and frustration. We’ve been close ( really close) to quitting more times than I’d like to admit.

But each time when we step back, we realize that blogging has become a part of us. It is something we love. It is our passion, and that’s why it affects us so much.

There will be ups and downs. Good days and bad days. So it is essential that you actually love what you’re blogging about. If you don’t, those voices that tell you, “quitting would be so much easier” will eventually get the best of you.

But if your blog truly is your passion, you can tell those voices to “back the eff off”, put your head down and get back to work.

Now that you’ve stuck with me through the scary stuff, here’s the good news:

16. Blogging can be Ahhhmazing.

How to become a Travel Blogger Campervan Sunset

It can be a way to create the life of your dreams. Blogging can bring freedom. It can lead to opportunities you never imagined.

If you stick with it, blogging can make you money . Good money. Money that isn’t capped when you reach a certain point.

Blogging can teach you more skills than you learned in university. It can open doors and it can connect you with others you might never meet in real life.

It can be the opportunity to share your voice. Your story. Blogging can be your platform to start a business. To make a difference in this world.

Blogging can CHANGE YOUR LIFE. It certainly has changed ours.

So the big question is this: Is blogging the right fit for YOU? 

It depends. 

Ask yourself these questions (and be honest):

Am I okay with working for free (in the beginning)?

Am I on board with more than just the writing part? Will I want to put the time into learning SEO strategies, constantly networking on social media, and maybe even coding?

Is blogging something I can see myself being passionate about?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, then I’d tell you to proceed with caution. Maybe blogging as a hobby is going to be the best angle for you. See if it’s something you enjoy andcan commit to before diving in. 

But if you honestly and wholeheartedly answered “yes” to all of the questions above, then I would tell you to absolutely GO FOR IT.  And go all in.

The fun part

Now it’s my time to take away your mug of tea, replace it with a glass of wine and make a toast… 

Congratulations for sticking with me through all the scary stuff. Because just like any job that’s worthwhile, it is hard work and it’s not always pretty. You’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and do some things that are boring and things that you really hate doing (like coding, ughhhh). But if it’s something you’re passionate about, it will 100% be worth it.

One of my favorite things in life is connecting with people and sharing our journeys. I would love to hear more about you and your blogging goals and see how we can work with each other. 

So if I haven’t scared you away and you still want to be a travel blogger after getting this deep in the article, keep reading…

Your next steps

Lucky you! We have an article that will walk you through the exact steps you need to take to create a blog that is successful . This is a much more in depth and valuable article than most of the “how to start a blog articles” you’ll find on the Internet. Promise.

And we’re not stopping there.

We poured years worth of blogging experience and knowledge into our completely revamped Blogging Bootcamp and we certainly think it’s worth your while. In fact, we’re so confident about that, that we’re willing to give you a little sneak peak to decide for yourself…

You can get the first 3 lessons of our Blogging Bootcamp TOTALLY FREE. No strings attached. 

In these first 3 lessons we’ll touch on how to pinpoint your perfect audience, how to set blogging goals that’ll set you up for success, and how to create a customized monetization strategy that works for your blog . 

We value your time, so trust me when I say this course will be well worthwhile. Plus, it’s totally free to sign up for the first 3 lessons, so go ahead and click the image below to sign up.

Blogging Bootcamp Free Lessons

Interested in learning more about blogging?

Be sure to check out our Blogging Resources Page for the chance to enter our FREE mini-course on starting a blog, plus all sorts of other great info about blogging! Here are some of our favorite articles about blogging below… 

Get Paid to Travel: How to Start a Money-Making Travel Blog Today

How to Create a Blog Name That Doesn’t Suck!

How We Made $74,367 in 3 Months: Q4 2019 Income Report

How to Start a Successful Travel Blog: Step-by-Step Guide (+ Free Course)

Hope you enjoyed this article. Here are some pins, I think you know what to do next…

16 Things Nobody Tells You About Being a Travel Blogger

We want to hear from you!

If you still have questions on starting a travel blog, please comment below. We read them all and will try our best to back to you!

Comments (12) on “ 16 Things Nobody Tells You About Being a Travel Blogger: No Bullshit Rundown ”

Thank you so much for the article. It is very informative and much appreciated. I am a new travel photographer and am trying to just get things going, while I work my full-time job. Thanks again and wish you the best in all your future endeavors.

Many thanks for this useful information! Katie & Ben

Thanks for the info! The article was really interesting!

Guys this is such a fantastic article about the real real of blogging!

Excellent post – so many great tips and very helpful

this is a great article – i have enjoyed following you so far. I like the honest approach you have, look forward to learning more!

As a person considering travel blogging and just starting your bootcamp, this gave me so much insight! Thank you for those mindful questions at the end. I can safely say I said yes to all of them, so I’m here for the long run!

Haha. I totally agree with this. I have felt all these things and more. I have also never used a laptop by the pool and never will. And I am also forever trying to convince people blogging is a REAL where you make REAL money. Lol

Thank you so much for sharing great post very detailed explanation about competitor Keyword and learned somethings new.

Thank you so much for sharing your helpful information. It’s very unique post

Katie and Ben! I been enjoying the Bootcamp and thank you for all the hours that you have invested in this information and material. God bless you … I keep nodding the whole article understanding each word even the tears and fights! Keep the good work … greetings from Costa Rica!

This was an awesome insight guys! Thanks so much for the no BS info, 3 whole-hearted yes’ from me! Can’t wait for the next article, and can’t wait to get started. I was wondering, would you wait until you had perfected/posted a certain number of blog posts before going live with a blog? Or just publish and go live on the completion of the first article?

Looking forward to the bootcamp too guys! Much love x

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VickyFlipFlopTravels

Travel Bloggers: What to Write and How to Write a Travel Blog in 2024 (50+ Tips)

“I want to start a travel blog, what do you think I should write about?”

True story.

I was a few drinks down at a London Travel Massive event and a lady unknown to me had just targeted me with the above. In fact, interrupting the conversation I was having midflow. Usually full of advice and happy to dish it out this question had me stumped, as much as her demeanour.

travel bloggers writing

There’s no sugar coating it: I really think you should have at least a few ideas of what you want to write about before you start even thinking about setting up a travel blog. If not a few fully written posts so you have some material to play around with when it comes to style and design.

Since then I’ve often been asked how to write a travel blog, and think back to this night. 

Travel Blogger High

Talking about the interaction with a close fellow travel blogger the next day we established that both of us had lists of at least tens of articles we wanted to write, but seeing as we both worked full time at that point, never had the time to see them through. Though I could always rely on a  professional essay writing service  to help me with the writing part, that’s something that I prefer to do myself.

You can’t win.

If you’re in ‘clueless Cathy’s’ camp above, and are stuck for what to write about on your travel blog, what you need is some travel blogging inspiration.

Take a look a the ideas below on what to write in a travel blog and think about which idea appeals to you most. Then, just get started! 

This is a pretty long post so if you’re all good for inspiration but need some advice on how to write travel blogs , click to go to the second half.

what to write about

What to write in a travel blog: 10 ideas 

If you’re trying to work out what to write in a travel blog, here are 10 ideas for you. When it comes to travel blog writing you might just need a few ideas to start you off, and then the creative juices will start to flow and travel blog ideas will be flowing out of you. 

Use two or three of these to get you started writing your travel blog.

If you want to see a travel blog example, take a look around my blog, obviously – and also check out this list of the top 50 travel bloggers in the UK . If that doesn’t give you inspiration, I don’t know what will!

FAMIL RETREAT OASIS

1. Write about your first holiday

This is a good way to get started in blogging about travel. Tell your readers about your memories of your first holiday – I did this when I found some Euro Disney memorabilia when I was cleaning out my room. It was my first holiday abroad and I’d kept the sugar sachets from Disney for almost 20 years! Think about describing the way it affected all your senses to get you started. Are there particular sounds, smells and sights that take you back to that moment in time?

Take my advice, first printed in Wanderlust Magazine in Could You Write a Travel Blog?

“Before you decide on a name, platform or topic, take a deep breath and close your eyes,” says travel blogger Victoria Philpott. Vicky, who blogs alongside her day job, suggests wannabe bloggers start by conjuring up their happiest travel memory and letting the story flow.”

2. Write about your locale

Travel blogging

London is the number one travel destination in the world, if you live there you’ve got enough content to see you through for years. Find unique events, have a unique view and there you have your next article. And that’s just an example of my blogging gone wrong – I lived there for years, got to know a few neighbourhoods really well, but did I write about them? No. They’re straight on the never ending to do list.

I spent my first 18 years in a village in the Midlands called Barton-under-Needwood (pop. 5000). A quick Google search shows me that no one has written any sort of guide to things to do there. There’s a unique opportunity, especially as there are new developments in the area. This might not seem like the most exciting post if it’s covering somewhere you lived for so long but your insider knowledge is invaluable and someone, somewhere, will be interested.

You never know when world interest in any place could start to peak and you’d be all set up to be the go to person on that area.

Writing in a travel bullet journal is a great way to get started.

Subscribe on YouTube to see more of my adventures

First travel blog post

Travel blog writing doesn’t have to be about exotic, faraway places, it can easily be your own neighbourhood. In fact, I find that a lot of travel bloggers who’ve been doing it as long as I have, have come back to England and decided to concentrate on writing their travel blogs about here, as it suddenly becomes so much more appealing. 

Follow me on Instagram @VickyFlipFlop for the latest.

Instagram VickyFlipFlop

3. Where shall I go on holiday next year?

Don’t answer me by saying , answer by writing in blogging about travel. Create a blog post with all the reasons you have to advise why I should go to a certain place on holiday. Another aspect of travel blogging is persuasive writing.

There are a few destinations I’ve been to that I’ve really, really loved and I want my readers to see them too. In writing about New York , Vietnam , Porto and now Tokyo I want to persuade my readers that they should go too.

If they like my blog I know they’ll like them, and a happy reader will come back for more.

Watch this little video of what to write about for more ideas…

4. Write about you

The juiciest posts are the most personal ones. They’re the ones I like to read to get to know the blogger I’m reading about. I admire people who can be so honestly open about life, people like Toni over handling mental, health and family issues while travelling and Planet D about how their travel blog saved their marriage .

Travel blog examples like these help you to see there are real person at the end of these blog posts – real people with real problems.

Me as a travel blogger

I find it very difficult to write posts like this. In fact there are only two on my blog: one about why I was going travelling when my boyfriend dumped me  and a dedication to my nan when she died, which I can’t read without crying as I’ve just proven to myself.

If you’re suffering from blogger’s block – bit like writer’s block – then this is the post for you.

READ MORE: 66 Positive Affirmations for Writers

5. Your thoughts on a destination

I really like writing about my impressions of a country once I’m back and have processed my thoughts, feelings and photos.

Posts like What Vietnam was Like For Me and What is Cuba Really Like? Busting the Tourist Myth may not be as instantly appealable as a quickie list post on the destination but writing them makes me happy.

I like to read back over them to remind me of how I felt when I was there as you can really use your experience and creativity in posts like this.

Pin this travel blogging guide for later?

writing a travel blog

Lists are popular for a reason – they’re easy to read and quick to do. Whole websites have been created to just feature lists although they’re usually pretty flakey.

Outlandish titles like 11 Awesome Ways to Sneak Alcohol into Festivals will usually generate a few more views too – if audience figures are one of your travel blogging goals that is. Look at other bloggers’ travel blog examples for inspiration.

Travel blogging course

When I’m in a destination I’ll look for the best things to do there and it’ll be a list I’m after, not some think piece I mention above. So give your audience what they want and write a well-researched useful to do list.

7. What’s popular?

Some of the most popular topics on my blog are Vietnam and Glastonbury. I rank well for these in Google and I can see from my analytics that my readers keep coming back for more. Once you know that you have a popular topic or post on your blog it makes sense to keep creating more valuable content around it.

Someone once said to me: “Go the extra mile, it’s less crowded there”. Meaning, put the effort in, more than anyone else, and you will be rewarded. Or something along those lines anyway. 

You can link from your already popular posts and know that your readers will enjoy it. Take a look at the keywords they come in on on Google Analytics for inspiration on how to write more.

how to write travel blogs

8. What do you want to read?

When you’re looking for information on a destination make sure to note the questions you have and the answers you can’t find – then you know the gaps to fill when it comes to you writing up your trip. 

From my research and subsequent article on The Best Things to Do in Vietnam According to Travel Bloggers I found that no one had really done a guide to travelling around Vietnam, it was just all advice on particular aspects.

What to write about

It took me ages to plan that trip so I wrote up all my findings and now my Two Weeks in Vietnam Itinerary is the second most popular post on my blog. More importantly, it’s inspired loads of people to explore Vietnam by themselves, rather than book on expensive tours.

I’ll pat myself on the back there.

9. Go niche

Sometimes the nichest of niche things work well when you’re blogging about travel, as you’ll be answering very specific questions.

Another of the most popular articles on my blog is 9-Hour Stopover in Qatar: Is it Worth Exploring? Not something an average reader would be interested in but because it’s so specific and not many people have written about it, it does well in Google search and again, I’ve helped people decide on what to do in Qatar.

Insider, actual tried and tested travel knowledge, is what makes a travel blogger stand out over the average travel company.

10. Interviews

Interviews are a great way to get started if you need some inspiration. Don’t just look to other travel bloggers though – unless you’ve got an exclusive or they’ve got a really interesting story there are already so many about.

What is Papua New Guinea Like?

Instead, interview people from your travels and write a profile of them rather than just a Q and A. This will help you to get more of you in there as well as them. It also means it’s not just an email exchange but a well thought out background piece.

How to write a travel blog without travelling

Learning how to write travel blogs isn’t easy, and it may take a while for you to find your style. Stick with it, it’s fun!

As you’ll have just read in those examples, you don’t actually have to be travelling to write a travel blog. Interviews, lists, you, they all work if you don’t have the time and money to be constantly on the road. 

Look on the bright side – you have the opportunity to spend the time over your writing instead of rushing between destinations. If it was me, I’d pick a destination or theme, and stick steadfastly to that.   

If you’re good at budgeting, you can help people plan their budget for their next trip, for example. Topics about  finding cheap flights  or hotels are in high demand. You can do some research and cover these types of helpful topics on your travel blog.

Having a tight niche is another way to really stand out over the many, many other travel bloggers. 

What is Guernsey like?

How to write a travel blog

Travel blogs examples to inspire your travel blog writing.

Once you have a few posts done and your fingertips are finding their way round that keyboard with rhythm start to think about the kind of writer you want to be. Think about how you want your travel blogging voice to develop, how you want readers to feel when they’re on your blog and what kind of topics you want to cover.

This is how you’ll start to gain a distinctive voice in the world of travel blogging – something that can be very difficult to do.

Travel blog examples

Here are a few travel bloggers, with travel blog writing examples, who really stand out to me for having been able to do this. When you’re writing for travel blogs, you can really make it your own, like these guys…

Becki Enright

Travel blogging what to write about

Becki from bordersofadventure.com writes serious travel blog about sides of countries your average traveller wouldn’t get to see.

She’s even been on Sky News discussing tourism in North Korea and regularly produces the kind of political posts you won’t see on any other blog.

  • Inside the ‘Den of Espionage’ – Getting Inside the former US Embassy in Tehran
  • Visiting the West Bank in Palestine – Understanding the Conflict from Both Jewish and Arab Perspectives in Hebron

Brenna Holeman

Travel blogging what to write about

Brenna from thisbatteredsuitcase.com creates beautifully written heartfelt stories about her life on the road.

She’s so open and powerful I enjoy reading her posts and know I can go to her site to be transported into her world.

Check out her travel blog for some major writing inspiration.

  • The Last Time I Saw You: London Edition
  • Being Happy with Being Content

Travel blogging what to write about

For another distinctive voice in the travel blogging world check out Dylan’s blog at thetravelingeditor.com. At a risk of sounding like an imbecile, he uses a lot of ‘big words’. He’s an eloquent sesquipedalian .  These posts are a good example of the tone and style of writing Dylan is known for.

  • The palatal awakening of Mercatino del Gusto
  • The thunderous convergence of Rotterdam Unlimited

How to write a unique travel blog

All three of these travel blogger examples are very different to what I aim to do on my blog. There may be some crossover in topics but the four of us have very different writing styles and I bet you could spot it if we wrote for each other.

When you’re writing a travel blog you should sound like you , be passionate about the things you’re passionate about, and relay in your own style. In that way you’ll stand out above what is now a very crowded and saturated market place. 

writing for travel blogs

Writing my travel blog

As well as inspiring people to travel , like these guys, I also want to give practical advice on how to do it. My blog has advice on transport, money, where to stay, trip planning, itineraries and packing lists to make travelling as accessible as possible to my readers.

The best compliment people can give me about my blog is that it inspired them to travel, entertained them and made them laugh.

You don’t have to define and limit yourself straight off though when you’re writing for travel blogs. My advice would be to let your style, tone and topics instinctively evolve over time and with every post you write. You’ll soon come to find your natural writing flow and hopefully be distinctive too.

50 tips for travel bloggers on what to write and how to write a travel blog

Always be yourself

When I went to the Traverse conference in Brighton everyone was excited to see Will Peach on his panel. His open, truthful and at times offensive writing on thegonzotraveller.com and the now defunct travelsexlife.com was definitely entertaining whether you loved it or hated it. When I met him he didn’t seem the same as his douchebag online persona and a few weeks later he came out with this article about his disillusion with the travel blogging industry. After that he only posted a few more blogs before he went on to focus on the brilliantly written, yet less offensive, willpeach.com.

Will’s angry voice was so distinct in the hyperbolically positive world of travel bloggers, but he wasn’t being himself. I’m glad he’s found his flow on his blog now – it’s still one of the most insightful out there.

Travel Blogger High

You’ve got to be yourself in travel blogging.

That’s the number one rule about putting any creativity in the public space. This is scary. I used to worry about people reading my stuff and sometimes I look back at my past work and wonder what I was on. But, I did what was right at the time. If you start worrying what advertisers / other bloggers / your mum, thinks then you’ll lose what’s interesting about you in the first place.

I also think that when you start writing a travel blog it can be hard to portray who you really are. You may be so used to writing for school or work that writing with a blog style and flair doesn’t come easily. This can also be improved with practice. The more you read travel blogs, and write your travel blog, the more you can work on your travel blogging voice. 

READ MORE: How Much Do Travel Bloggers Get Paid ?

How often should I blog?

Whenever you have something to say is always the best answer. I aim for at least twice a week but usually end up doing quite a bit more. Under promise and over deliver is my motto – even if it’s between me, myself and I.

The more you write the easier and better it will become. Worryingly I’ve seen a few resolution lists for this year where bloggers have said they want to ‘up their blogging output’, but I just think this is a dangerous goal. Set your aims too high and then travel blogging just becomes another pressure to live by, and for most people pressure is a fun killer, which ruins the whole point of travel blogging.

How to be a successful travel blogger

My writing style  

I tend to write everything I want to and then fit it together. I just keep going until it’s all out and then go back and edit. Often I’ll write it on my phone when the inspiration hits then just use my laptop to edit as when I sit at my laptop I get to distracted.

I like to write into Google Sheets and then I’ll upload to WordPress and edit. It takes me AGES to write a blog post now. With all the research, writing, picture research, look at SEO and formatting, it’s at least a day.

Ideal length of a travel blog post

I like to write over 2000 words per article when I’m blogging about travel. Not all posts on my travel blog will be that long, but that’s the goal. In reading other travel blogs I think it’s hard to get your points and personality across in any less. 

READ MORE: How to Make Your Travel Blogging Career Last for 10 Years+ !

top UK travel bloggers

How to write a travel blog post

Learning how to write a good travel blog can be quite formulaic in the way it’s set out. Of course the creativity comes when you decide which words to choose. Think about these ‘rules’ when it comes to writing your travel blog.

  • Decide on a cool idea that you’re passionate to spend time writing. 
  • Write it, thinking in sections though. The best travel blog posts are divided by headers to make it easier for the reader. 
  • Think of a good headline that will draw the reader in and make them want to read more. 
  • Think in 500-1000 words. I know I said I do 2000, but I think that can be quite overwhelming if you’re still learning how to write travel blogs. 
  • If your idea is too big, then break it down into easier sections and write a few blog posts instead. You can always craft them back together again when you’ve finished, like my backpackers guide to Vietnam . 
  • Use photos to bring the post to life. If you know how to use Photoshop or Lightroom them brighten and edit for the best result. If not, don’t worry about it. 
  • Make sure you have a few H1s and H2s in there to help us readers, read the post. 
  • Proof read. 
  • Publish. 
  • Share! Social media is really important for travel bloggers. It might feel scary at first, to share your travel blog. I mean, I kept mine secret for at least a year. But the sooner you share the sooner you’ll get readers. And at the start your friends will help you to get word out there. Then they’ll get jealous of you travelling, but that’s future yous problem. 

Once you’ve learned how to write a travel blog, you can really start to have fun with it, and learn to express yourself through your love of travel.

Travel blogging writing tips

travel blogging changed

  • Write whenever the feeling hits you – even if that’s in the ‘notes’ section of your phone.
  • Keep practising – you don’t have to publish everything you write.
  • Read other travel blogs analytically as well as for fun.
  • Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
  • Write about what you want.
  • Use Pinterest to see what’s popular and for inspirational titles
  • Sign up to bloglovin ( follow me ) for a whole resource of inspiration. Make a note of the titles you actually click on.
  • Keep a spreadsheet, or similar, of all the titles you want to write. Use when necessary.
  • Keep a folder in your bookmarks of articles that have inspired you.
  • Offer to write for others to create your own incentives.

On that last point I remember way back when and I pitched to Flight Centre. I got a commission for three articles. At the time it was this financial incentive and the idea that they thought I’d be able to do it that got me going. I was so proud to see my work up on their blog and it just inspired me to write more.

Once you feel confident enough, start to pitch to other websites and blogs and see if they’ll accept your ideas. Here are a few travel websites that will pay you to write for them .

how to write a travel blog

More travel blog examples

If you’re looking for an example of a travel blog post, then check out a few of these, from me…

Travel blog example 1: ‘Things to Do’ listicle

Fun things to do in a destination. There’s a bit of snobbery around listicles in travel blogging, but personally I think they’re a really important and useful example of a travel blog.

You need to do them carefully though, and with heart and experience. If you want to write about traveling, listicle posts can be a good way to get started.

Check out my guide to fun things to do in Hobe Sound , or the best things to do in Levi, Finland . My guide to the best things to do in Lake Maggiore is pretty good too.

What to do lake maggiore

Travel blog example 2: a trip itinerary

Trip itineraries are so important, and often the backbone of any good travel blog. A tried and tested step by step trip itinerary is worth so much for people trying to plan a trip to the destinations you’re writing about.

Check out my two week itinerary for the Philippines , or my Norfolk road trip to get an idea of how to set these travel blog trip itineraries out.

Travel blog example 3: a real insight

Only you can experience a destination in the way you do – that’s why the real insights into destinations are one of the ways you can stand out from the travel blogging crowd. If you feel like you’ve had a really unique experience, or want to share exactly what you thought of a place, then these honest insights can make for a great travel blog.

Check out ‘ What is Cuba Really Like ‘, and ‘ What is Vietnam Like ‘ to see what I mean.

one week in vietnam

Travel blog example 4: personal stories

Ooo you can’t beat a personal story on a travel blog. The trouble is, you either need to really enjoy writing it, or not care if people read it or not. These personal stories are very hard to rank in Google, but they’re good to help your readers get to know you.

If you want to read some of my personal stories then check out these posts about when my boyfriend and I split up , the shock of going into lockdown, and my best moments in travel blogging.

Travel blog example 5: helpful guides

My helpful guides to what you can for for 9 hours in Qatar on a layover , how to avoid festival toilets and how to manage the overnight trains in Vietnam are some of the most popular posts on my travel blog.

If you’ve had a unique experience that will help other people who may go through the same then write about it!

Fill it with useful advice, personal anecdotes and interesting titbits to keep your readers intrigued, and Google showing it to them.

If you’re blogging about travel there’s no end to what you can write about!

Kokkari Bay

How to blog about travel in a pandemic

Ok, so feeling inspired to blog about travel during a global pandemic has been difficult.

Us travel bloggers have had to rethink, reuse and try harder than ever to keep readers interested and ourselves inspired. It’s not been easy.

You can see my latest posts to see what I have managed to write a travel blog about – mainly paddleboarding in winter , my pledge to walk 1000 miles, and responsible travel tips , as well as my camping trip to the Outer Hebrides and the most fun days out in the UK .

Writing a travel blog

How to create a travel blog in 2018

What you write about on your travel blog goes back to what you think a successful travel blog is . If you’re after views something like 50 reasons to travel in your 20s will do well, but if you want to flex your first hand experience a heartfelt think piece could be just your thing. I like to mix things up depending on my mood.

I really hope these travel blog writing tips have helped you see how to write a travel blog post. Writing a travel blog isn’t easy, and keeping it up is even harder. But once you settle in, and find your groove, you’ll start to enjoy it. 

When it comes to your travel blog you could write about anything – so long as you have the passion for it – that’s what’s so good about being a travel blogger. Just a coffee you enjoyed somewhere unique, an interaction with someone or a whole guide to your take on a destination could make for an interesting article with the right enthusiasm, interest and execution.

How do you decide what to write about on your travel blog?

Let me know in the comments box below. 

PIN HOW TO WRITE A TRAVEL BLOG TIPS FOR LATER

writing a travel blog

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Hi, I'm Vicky! I wrote this. You can find me on all the social media @VickyFlipFlop. I love a bit of adventure, will try anything once, and have a strong passion for the local food and drink, whatever it may be. I'm here to help inspire you to travel to places a little out of your comfort zone, or at least to explore the usual destinations in a different way. Stay, have a look around, and if you have any questions – let me know below.

127 Comments

Such a lovely guide. Just what I needed. I am just starting my own travel blog. I have put it off for too long but the passion of travelling… I struggled with what to write and was already focusing on likes and audience. Your post has really inspired me and now I have about 6 topics I can write on(that’s after I figure out how to use WP properly). Thank you very much.

Thanks for this – some good advise and ideas for me. I have had my blog on hold for the past 6 months. I have quite a few posts written but everytime I go back to them the message I want to give changes as I am in a different mood! So everything remains in edit mode!! Hopefully after reading your posts I will get the confidence to post soon.

Yeah the passing of time and changing of self is a weird one. I’ve got posts on here that totally make me cringe because I don’t necessarily agree with what I was on about at the time. But, the thing is, it’s like a time capsule. It captures us and our thoughts in a moment in time which is exactly why we should publish right away. Our thoughts and opinions can have an expiry date!

Great post with some good ideas for me as I am thinking of getting on with the bog I have had in edit mode for the past 6 months! Just need that confidence to post, but find what I want to say about each idea changes depends on the mood I am in when I go back to it!! So nothing posted yet… soon, I hope.

Before it was difficult for us to get idea and find topics to write about. But what we did is to just find out what is popular and create something about it.

Yeah that totally makes sense! Good plan!

Good idea Tristan!

Points are really great and I really love them. As we all know that writing something regarding traveling without getting your audience bored is not so easy. These points would definitely help us in creating new and unique posts.

Hello, oh I’m happy I could help!

Interesting points you have here. Like it! 🙂

Thanks Julex!

This is good beginning

i didnt notice that you wrote this on your blog, what an inspirational advice for someone like me. Thank you for let me know another inspirational travel blogger. It encourages me to write more

Great news! Glad you’re enjoying my work and to hear that it’s helped. I try!

  • Pingback: VickyFlipFlopTravels » Cool Festivals and Epic Holidays |Lessons I've Learned from the Top Travel Vloggers

First time I’ve seen this; have to say it’s a really great series. Best of luck with it.

Thanks for the mention too. Couldn’t have put it better myself!

Ah good, just read it again and I’m glad you didn’t find it offensive!

  • Pingback: VickyFlipFlopTravels » Cool Festivals and Epic Holidays |Travel Blogger High: The Online School for Wannabe Travel Bloggers

A really long detailed insightful post which is such a help to those starting out. Liked the tips about compiling engaging titles – something I really struggle with particularly when Google insists on short titles! Many thanks for sharing your tips.

Holy Cow. I’m so unbelievably glad I found you. This is by far the best advice I have ever read. Thank you so much!!

Aw, thank you! That’s one of the nicest comments I’ve read! 🙂

Great article! I love Brenna’s blog and started writing one when in moved to London from Australia but rarely update it even though I have so many notes with adventures I have been on. I know people back home like reading what im doing but I am just lazy after I finish work.

Yeah, it can be pretty hard to get the motivation when you’ve been working all day. I know the feeling!

Another awesome post Vic! I couldn’t imagine starting a blog if I didn’t already have an idea of what to write but you handle the subject of getting started really well. Plus I remember those guest posts you referred to – you were our go to girl for great content 🙂

Thanks Jayne. Yeah nor me, but I think sometimes there’s so many options it can be hard to pick something. I remember for my A Level English coursework I could choose any two books I wanted to write about and it took me about three months to choose the book and then a week to write it. I imagine getting started can sometimes feel like that. You just need some guidelines to get down to it.

Ha, thanks!

Again a really helpful and interesting post! My travel blog is just a travel diary at the moment but I’m looking forward to expanding it and writing about more things! Your vietnam writing was how I found your blog too, and it inspired and helped me so much with booking my trip out there in November! Thanks Vicky! X

Yay, love it when people tell me that Vikki 🙂 And happy I’m helping you to think about your blog too. Thanks for reading!

Thank you so much for including me here! I’m loving all of this advice so much – this is such a great guide for both beginners and those of us who have been around for a few years. x

No worries Brenna – I love your blog!

I can’t remember where or when I read it but it went something like this: “when the student’s ready the teacher will appear” and here you are! In my quest to create a useful blog I’ve read a lot, in fact I’ve read so much I have no idea what’s right and what isn’t. I’ve had a yearning to be me “warts n all” to write in my voice but have been scared it would hold my blog back, here you are giving permission to be me. I hope one day in the future when I have an audience I can write a post that has such a profound effect as this post has for me. Thank you Vicky for writing this post.

Aw, thank you Rob. Your comment has made me really happy. I’m really enjoying helping people in Travel Blogger High, and getting all these comments. And yes, the best, most honest and most interesting person you can be is you, so go for it and have fun!

Some great tips – lots of food for thought. I’m usually in the too many ideas, not enough time camp, so I’m actually trying to focus on writing the right pieces this year, whether that’s the ones I really want to do or the ones I think will appeal to readers (both for usefulness and hits…!). Like you say, when you’re putting pressure on to hit targets, the fun goes out of it.

Some of the best ones I’ve done have been ones which really touched a nerve with me, and so with my readers too, or the ones which filled a niche as no-one else has written about them, like you mention. I slightly fell into those by accident, so the tricky bit for me is working out what other niches are waiting to be filled!

That’s a good idea to think about their usefulness. I find that I go with the one that inspires me most in that minute that I’m choosing which one to write. I guess it depends whether you want to be a bit more tactical about it, which I probably should be. Yeah, if you can find something you’re interested in that no one else has written about you’re definitely onto a winner!

I don’t really have much to add to this. I come from another niche (whoop whoop for lifestyle/food/fashion) but thoroughly enjoying the challenge of writing for the travel niche. I started out with a spreadsheet of over 100 titles for blog posts and it keeps growing. I have so much to write and there’s not enough time. Ahhhhh!!!!

I love blogging, writing, sharing and travelling – so for me, travel blogging is a real passion project.

Agree with the spreadsheet and reading blogs analytically as well as for pleasure.

Yeah that’s how I feel. Especially when you’re travelling full time as well. Every day you see new things and have new experiences you want to write about it’s really difficult to keep up! I love it too though – wouldn’t have it any other way 🙂

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Pros and Cons of Being a Travel Blogger

You’re probably reading this because you want to get paid to blog , and your dream job is to be a travel blogger. It’s in your best interest, however, to first inform yourself of some of the pros and cons of pursuing the travel blogger or travel influencer lifestyle.

Before I get into the pros and cons of being a travel blogger , I should preface this by explaining that I’m not a full-time travel blogger. I earn an income by writing website copy, acting as a content strategy consultant for various companies, writing content for various clients, and freelance writing on various topics. Travel writing is only one of many types of writing I do, so this advice is coming to you from a part-time travel blogger, not someone who does it as a full-time career. However, there are pros and cons to this so-called “dream job” that you should be aware of if you’re keen to pursue it. 

Below are some pros and cons of being a travel blogger that you should consider if becoming a travel blogger is your goal:

Pro: Free Vacations

The most obvious pro of travel blogging should of course be mentioned first. Yes, you might get some free vacations. Sometimes everything is paid for, from flight and food to hotel and activities. Other times, your trip is partially paid for in exchange for your travel writing skills and online influence. Not every travel blogger has a huge social media following. Some are chosen strictly based on their high-quality blog, or their stand-out writing skills.

Con: It Doesn’t Always Feel Like a Vacation: There’s a Lot of Hard Work Involved

After a full day of activities on a press trip, you might feel like relaxing. However, typically you have to write, not relax. Why? Because as a travel writer, it’s best to write while things are still fresh in your mind. 

Additionally, always having to worry about creating content or taking photos for your blog can actually take away from the travel experience itself. It’s important to schedule some “off” days if you can, even though as a travel blogger, you’ll never really feel like you’re “off” work while you travel.

Image: @The_Babe_Report in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Pro: Unique Experiences and Broadened Horizons

Let’s take my Croatia trip as an example of how travel blogging broadened my horizons. I don’t think I ever would have gone to Croatia if my writing didn’t lead to the invitation. I’m not sure I would have chosen Croatia as a travel destination. I had no idea what I was missing out on, and I didn’t know how amazing Croatia truly is. It was an incredibly unique experience that travel writing gifted me with. 

Some of the invitations travel bloggers receive are to destinations they either had never heard of, or never would have otherwise travelled to. That’s one of the most beautiful things about being a travel blogger, is its ability to completely broaden your horizons and shift your world view. You’ll discover a whole new range of interests, passions and hobbies you didn’t know you had.

Con: Post-Travel Obligations

When your trip is over, you’ll have a huge to-do list of obligations. You’ll likely have made promises to the hotels and travel companies that have hosted you, and you’re responsible for the production value of your travel blogs. All on your own, you’re responsible for everything from content creation and photo editing to blog formatting and distribution. 

The distribution strategy you’re responsible for as a travel blogger is especially stressful. The onus is completely on you to promote the travel blog you’ve published, on a wide variety of social networks. The best travel bloggers deploy a distribution strategy that involves answering questions on Quora and Redditt with a link to their travel blog, as well as sharing it across various social media channels and tracking the blog’s performance. It’s wise to pitch magazines to see if you can get your travel writing republished or ‘scooped’ by a big publication for maximum exposure. Pitching, teasing content, following up, optimizing for SEO and tracking analytics requires hours upon hours of your time. A ton of strategy and discipline goes into this, but this hard work won’t typically be broadcast across a travel influencer’s social media highlights. 

You’re running a business here, and you’ll have to be savvy in digital marketing, content strategy, and media communications. 

Image: @The_Babe_Report at the Beverly Hills Hotel

Pro: The VIP Experience

Since hotels, tourism companies and travel agencies want to get positive reviews, bloggers and media representatives will often get the VIP treatment. If you don’t come from wealth and you’re not used to the VIP experience, you’ll get a thrill out of it, there’s no denying that. 

I’ve had luxury hotels like the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel Air upgrade me to rooms that would normally cost $2,000 to $4,000 per night and given me complimentary room service because I am a blogger. I’ve dined at 5 star restaurants where the hotel manager covered the entire bill, along with my suite. I’ve gotten press passes and VIP tables at music festivals. I’ve experienced the luxury lifestyle, always keeping in mind that this is not real life. I can appreciate the VIP experience without feeling entitled to it on a regular basis, and that’s key.

Image: @The_Babe_Report in Rome, Italy

Con: It Can Get Lonely 

As a travel blogger, I’m a one-woman show. I don’t have any coworkers, or a team to work with. It feels very isolating working on my own all the time. It’s just me – by myself on my laptop – working and writing. It definitely gets lonely. Even the trips themselves get lonely, because travel blogging trips don’t always involve a group of bloggers. Sometimes as a blogger, you’re invited by yourself to experience a destination or resort, and you’re not with a group. You’re often not even allowed to bring a plus-one. Even if you were allowed to bring a guest, you might find that you can’t find anyone to go with you, since many travel blogging opportunities are very short notice. It all depends, and it’s always different, but for the most part, I find that it does get very lonely. Luckily, solo travel is something I got used to, and I now consider solo trips to be very therapeutic and recharging. 

Pro: Exposed to New Cultures and History

Travel blogging requires a lot of research and first-person participation in the area’s culture and history. In Croatia, I spent an entire afternoon learning about how olive oil is made, and visited olive trees that are over 1500 years old. The next day I got a tour of old-town Dubrovnik and learned about its medieval history. For example, I learned that in the Middle Ages, Dubrovnik’s maritime influence resulted in it being the principal competitor of the Venetian empire for the Adriatic waterways. Today, Dubrovnik is renowned for being one of the most well-preserved medieval cities in the world. It’s truly a fascinating site to see, and if you’re a fan of Game of Thrones, you’ll enjoy it that much more for its filming locations. 

At the iconic and historical Beverly Hills Hotel, I got a tour of the over 100-year-old grounds, and was shown Frank Sinatra’s booth at the hotel’s polo lounge and Marilyn Monroe’s favorite bungalow. Tales of other Hollywood royalty who lived at the Beverly Hills Hotel were told while I was also shown the interior of the exact bungalows they lived in.

In Rome, I received a private tour of the most historic landmarks, visited the Vatican, and got a guided tour of the colosseum complete with a history lesson.

Con: Unfair Judgments from Your Peers

If you become a travel blogger, you might be surprised at how unkind some people can be if they’re even the slightest bit jealous of your travel blogging life. I’ve always wondered why some people feel the need to be cruel just because they’re envious of you. It’s one thing to feel that sting of jealousy, but it’s a whole other thing to decide to give that person attitude or cast judgment. 

As a travel blogger, many people unfairly assume that you’re spoiled, entitled or not in tune with reality. You will be misunderstood and misjudged a lot, but you can’t control other people’s perception of you.

It seems most people aren’t ready to acknowledge that being a travel writer is a real job that requires actual hard work. It’s therefore quite difficult to gain the respect of your peers, especially if they think what you do is cool, but that it’s not actually a real job.

It’s important to celebrate the success of your friends, family and peers. Travel blogging is unique and exciting, sometimes it’s even very luxurious. However, there is a dark side of it from loneliness on work trips and potentially dangerous situations while solo travelling, to unfair stereotypes and a struggle to make any real money. Why do you think I’m not a full time travel blogger? Because it’s very difficult to earn a living, since most of the time, you’re offered a hotel stay, press trip or some sort of travel experience in lieu of monetary compensation. 

I’m personally very aware of the trade-off. The more I pursue travel blogging, the more I risk losing valuable relationships and connections to my roots. 

Image: @The_Babe_Report at Quivira Los Cabos

Pro: A True Passion for Your Work 

People always say, Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. Well, who doesn’t love travelling? If travel is your passion, and your job is to write about travel, you won’t be lacking any passion for what you do, that’s for sure. This job might not be easy, but it’s certainly not boring.

Con: Unexpected Costs 

Unexpected costs arise all the time in the travel blogging industry. I’ve been invited on an all-expenses paid trip before, and committed to it, only to later find out the cost of the flight was not included because I’m Canadian. I’ve missed flights before that a travel company paid for, and of course had to pay for the new flight myself. One time I was on a press trip and I used the phone in the hotel room to call home a few times, not expecting a $200 phone bill later. These are only a few examples of unexpected costs that travel bloggers get hit with, so just be aware of this possibility, and prepare for it.

Image: @The_Babe_Report at a bloggers’ dinner in Pag, Croatia

Pro: You’ll Always Have a Story to Tell

Anytime and anywhere, a travel blogger always has a story to tell. People will want to hear your travel stories, and sharing your tales of adventure is a great way to re-live the experience, too. Someone who has chosen to pursue the life of a travel blogger will never have a shortage of stories to tell, and the stories I’ve told in this article only account for about 10% of all my travel stories. 

Con: Relationship Issues

You’d be surprised how many relationship issues can arise from being a travel blogger. It’s not easy finding a partner who is okay with you being away that much. A ton of trust is required. Codependency can’t be a thing. 

Not only will your partner not always be invited to join you on press trips, but if they have a traditional corporate job, they won’t always get the time off to join you, either. You’ll need a partner who misses you while you’re gone but supports your endeavors, and appreciates their time with you when you’re back home. 

Another surprising relationship issue I’ve dealt with from being in this line of work is contempt. I’ve had a partner who was jealous of my lifestyle and held contempt for me, which led to arguments I didn’t sign up for and some mistreatment. It didn’t matter that he often reaped the rewards of my job such as complimentary hotels during our trips together. Contempt was in the air, and it’s not a great feeling.

Pro: Leaving Your Comfort Zone

One major lesson I’ve learned from travel writing is the truth behind that expression, The best things in life happen outside of your comfort zone. There are countless occasions where travel writing presented me with an opportunity that was outside my comfort zone. For example, flying all the way from Canada to Croatia by myself and putting my trust in a brand new tourism company I knew nothing about to take care of me when I got there? Ballsy. Outside my comfort zone? Yes. But I’m going to cherish that experience forever. 

When I travelled to Orange County, California for the grand opening of a new Marriott hotel in Irvine, I felt grateful to have been invited. However, that event was very social and required so many meet-and-greets, I definitely had to push myself out of my comfort zone since I struggle with a bit of social anxiety. I’d get ready for big events alone in my hotel room, and I’d have to walk to the venue alone and bravely introduce myself to all the movers and shakers. Professional photographers were snapping candid shots of me (another thing I’m not super comfortable with) and I had to feign confidence the whole time. This did help boost my confidence authentically, though.

In Italy, I went on several private tours for travel writing purposes as a solo, single female. I ended up in a couple of dangerous situations when one particular tour company wasn’t what it seemed. However, I learned a lot and I value the experience. 

Con: Living Out of a Suitcase and the Physical Toll of Travel

Many travel bloggers feel like they don’t have roots. They spend so much time travelling, that they don’t see the point in investing into making their house a home, since they’re simply not home enough. This can lead to a sensation of not having roots or a proper home base. 

On a similar note, living out of a suitcase can be very stressful. The novelty wears off when you’re always living out of a suitcase, and this digital nomad lifestyle comes with its own set of drawbacks along with the perks.

As far as the physical toll of constantly traveling goes, a few things that stand out are the jet lag, early mornings and long days that come with organized press trips, and the expectation to eat a little more food than your stomach can handle. This is especially true if a hotel grand opening wants its media reps to also promote the hotel restaurants, and they want the media to sample a lot of different menu items. Sounds amazing, I know, but your stomach bears the burden later.

A more casual travel blogging adventure, however, involves a complimentary hotel stay without the organized press events. The absence of an itinerary, and the notion that all you have to do is experience a stay at the hotel, is much less taxing.

Pro: Opportunities are Truly Endless

The truth about travel writing is that you’ll have a very rich and fulfilling life, especially if you’re passionate about travel. If you start a travel blog and it becomes popular, or you land an authorship at a big travel magazine, you will have an email inbox full of exciting travel opportunities. The places you can go – and the opportunities presented to you – are truly infinite. Many travel writing opportunities are very out-of-the-box, unique experiences. I was once invited on a river cruise through Europe, and had to turn it down due to a friend’s wedding, but that’s an example of the type of opportunities the average person doesn’t get offered. There are downfalls and trade-offs, and you might have to sacrifice personal relationships or a sense of belonging. But if you decide you can find aspects of love in your travels, you’ll be set for life.

What Skills Do You Need to be a Successful Travel Blogger?

The most important skill required to be a successful travel blogger is being a good writer. Your grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary and ability to write in a way that engages the reader is crucial. 

Photography skills come in handy too, as do sales skills. You have to know how to sell yourself, especially when you pitch yourself to magazines, or pitch yourself to tourism companies. 

Let’s not forget the very important skill of SEO content writing. SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization”, and the best travel writers tend to use strategic keywords and a well thought out writing style that promises the article will rank on search engines like Google. 

Digital marketing skills are crucial in this industry. Marketing strategies can be very complex, but you can self-educate by taking online courses or reading digital marketing resources.

A travel blogger is the ultimate digital nomad, requiring the above skills in addition to a ton of self-discipline and self-motivation. Remember that you don’t have a team, colleagues or coworkers. Your success as a travel blogger rests entirely on your shoulders. With the right skills and dedication, you could get paid to blog as a travel writer, and collect a plethora of unforgettable life experiences along the way.

Want More Opportunities as a Blogger or Influencer?

If you want to open yourself up to more opportunities as a blogger or influencer, you should sign up for Scalefluence today. Scalefluence helps connect people like travel writers and Instagram influencers with brands and travel companies that want to sponsor them. Take action today and get that much closer to your dreams.

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Travel Blogger Academy

Write. Travel. Get Paid for Both.

3 Types of Travel Blogs (and Which Pays Best)

travel blogger meaning

Make sure you're headed this way...

You’ve only got three choices…

… and depending which you choose, your blog either blossoms into a wildly profitable, scalable business – equipped with an army of writers, recurring passive income and the possibility of a six-figure buyout…

… or it sputters along like a near-dead VW bus along the frigid Icefields Parkway.

You’ve only got three choices… those are two of them.

But the third option kills it.

It’s the method used by Lonely Planet, Frommers and Travelfish to rise above the noise and deliver world-class travel info/entertainment.

And once you understand this method, you’ll take a good, long look at your travel blog and suddenly see a world of opportunities.

Sure, the other two might work (at least in the short run) but the stone cold truth is…

Most travel blogs – financially speaking - are designed to fail.

The three types of travel blogs are as follows.

First, there’s…

The personality piece

Personality pieces are conversational. It’s a chance to speak directly with your readers and convey your own thoughts. I can think of no better example of conversational travel writing than Geraldine over at The Everywhereist… her writing positively reeks of personality .

In a good way.

Personality can be extremely important to your travel blog. Used improperly, it could be killing your blog.

Don’t get me wrong: personality is a good thing . In fact, in this overcrowded travel industry – surrounded by corporate giants like Lonely Planet and National Geographic – personality is the one advantage you do have.

After all, these publications have a steady rotation of writers and editors - many who come and go over the years – and they’re all ordered to do the same thing…

Maintain the voice.

If you’ve ever read a Lonely Planet region guide (e.g., Southeast Asia on A Shoestring ) you know what I mean. It’s damn near impossible to tell the difference between writers. And there’s an obvious reason for that: while several writers contribute to your guidebook, one clear voice establishes the book’s tone.

But at what cost?

What if a writer got roaring, blackout drunk one night and woke up wearing nothing but socks and a mustache? Wouldn’t that be worth reading?

Of course it would!

But sadly, such a story would never, ever make it to print… not in a million goddamn years.

So as I mentioned earlier, personality is a good thing. Personality makes your writing shine, makes you real in the eyes of your readers and ultimately bonds you together in ways “professional” publications never could…

Don’t believe me? Ask any professional travel writer if they’ve ever had lunch/dinner/casual sex with their readers. Then ask a travel blogger the same question. Matt Kepnes has. Gary Arndt has. So have I (food and drinks, anyways).

There’s a deeper, more personal connection with travel blogging.

And like Samuel Jackson says in Pulp Fiction:

“Personality goes a long way.”

Indeed. But here’s the painful truth: personality doesn’t pay the bills on its own .

Advertisers are less likely to pay a premium if your content is quite literally all over the place.

Which is why you must focus.

This leads us to the second type…

The destination blog

You go to Google… type in “things to do in Austin, Texas” and - as if by magic – a website appears with articles on the best bars in the Warehouse District, top-notch BBQ for music lovers and why hundreds of people stand over the bridge on Congress Street each night…

… but it ain’t magic.

Destination-focused blogs target popular areas around the world and offer in-depth advice without going too wide.

Instead, they go deep.

Deep into a city/country/region.

So deep they’ll tell you what the best BBQ is… where to get it… what to order… the best day to go… who’s the best cook (and server)… and why asking for a fork is a death wish.

( Psssst : If you love BBQ… then you must visit either Kreutz Market or The Salt Lick just outside Austin. Actually, you should visit Austin regardless… it’s the best city in the U.S.)

Destination blogs have the right idea. Their focus on a specific area enjoys two HUGE advantages:

First, region-specific websites build authority . This point is extremely important, as it improves search engine rankings and traffic referrals.

Don’t believe me? Travelfish.org features content on Southeast Asia only… and receives over 15 million impressions per year for their troubles.

And because their content is laser targeted, advertisers pay a premium to reach their readers .

Looking at their media kit, you can see they charge anywhere between $3 - $8 eCPM (per thousand pageviews), which is substantially higher than you’d expect with non-direct ads (e.g. Google Adsense).

Let’s “reverse-engineer” Travelfish’s approach. If they charge $22 per eCPM – based on four ad spots per page as outlined in their media kit – and they receive 1.25 million pageviews each month, then that means they make roughly…

Sorry buckaroo, I’m not going to tell you.

Instead, here’s the math you need to use:

Divide pageviews by 1,000, then multiply by eCPM.

So in this case:

1,250,000 / 1,000 X 22

Do the math yourself to see how much moo-lah Travelfish probably pulls in each month. As you’ll see, it’s enough to pay for plenty of pad thai .

Oh, and by the way? The owners of Travelfish could easily sell this site to an interested party. Since it’s not plastered with one particular personality – and thanks to its focused content – a new owner could step in without affecting the brand.

Try that with a personality blog. As soon as the lead blogger leaves, everyone notices… and the site’s perceived value plummets overnight.

Destination pieces make more money than personality driven blogs… but…

Why stop there?

Let me explain:

  • With a personality driven blog, YOU are the asset.
  • With a destination based blog, the SITE is the asset.
  • With a hybrid of the two, BOTH become assets.

Now I’m not really a “numbers” guy… but wouldn’t you rather be building two assets instead of one?

Wouldn’t you rather create a travel blog which builds your authority and personal brand (which can lead to press trips, speaking engagements, book deals, etc.)…

…. AND delivers laser-targeted content which lets you charge a premium for advertising…

… AND lets you quickly sell it for a giant lump sum whenever you want to move onto something else?

Of course you would!

In my opinion, the hybrid model gives you the best of both worlds, without any of their weaknesses.

And the best part is, it’s really, really easy to do.

How to build a hybrid travel blog…

First, loosen your preconceptions on what a travel “blog” should be. In fact, lay your preconceptions outside and stab them with a rusty screwdriver (Wu-Tang, anyone?).

Next, create an outline of your site content based on regions. If you write about Vietnam, break it up into smaller regions. If you blog about Southeast Asia, break it up into countries (like Travelfish).

And if you’re like most travel bloggers, you write about everywhere … so break that up into continents and then into countries.

If you don’t have a travel blog yet, write out your categories on a piece of paper.

See your outline? This is where 90% of your content will go. It should provide advice/insights/practical info on specific destinations without too much personality.

There are two reasons for this:

  • By maintaining an informative, editorial style of content you can hire other writers down the line. It’s much harder for someone to copy your personal style than it is to write editorially.
  • An editorial travel site is much easier to sell (and for a higher profit, too) because the site’s brand is unaffected by transfer of owner.

So this is where 90% (or more) of your content will appear. It’s factual, relevant and interesting.

But what about the other 10%?

The other 10% should go towards your blog. Remember, when I say “blog” in this sense I mean a traditional blog… one which lists your newest post first.

The URL should be something like www.yourdomain.com/blog/

You can use your blog for many, many things… but it should really focus on three things:

  • Gain links and social shares from other people.
  • Build both your brand and your website’s brand.
  • Hype up cool things your company is doing.

If you can do all three of things in one post, congratulations. Chances are, however, you won’t be able to hype your site in every post.

BUT – and listen closely, buckaroo - you should be gaining links and building your brand with every post.

Oh, and by the way… be sure to include links in your posts to travel articles you’ve written elsewhere.

For example, let’s say you wrote a destination piece on Paris. You then write a blog post called “7 Unknown (And Slightly Naughty) Things to Do in Paris” and link to it in your post. If you have other articles about Paris, link to them as well within the post itself.

I’ll bet you a beer your readers will click those links and read more of your content.

Which is the point 😉

What You Must Do Next…

… is quite simple, really.

Map your blog out by region. Offer in-depth advice on specific destinations. Move all “soft” content to the blog, and link to your destination articles.

Not only will your readers thank you… you’ll gain more traffic from the search engines, be perceived as an authority (instead of an amateur travel blogger) and advertisers will be willing to pay you more money for advertising.

Actually, before you do that…

… drop me a comment below about this strategy. Questions? Concerns? Leave ‘em in the comments and I’ll help you out.

travel blogger meaning

Adam Costa is co-founder and Editor in Chief of both Trekity.com and TravelBloggerAcademy. He currently lives... um... somewhere.

travel blogger meaning

Wow Adam… you have a ton of valuable content on this site for travel blogger - we’ve recently launched a travel blog so coming across this site is like striking gold. Keep the tips coming

travel blogger meaning

Great to hear you’re digging it so far - there is a lot more to come. What are you looking for specifically? (e.g. monetization, traffic, etc.)

travel blogger meaning

Interesting - the hybrid approach is exactly what I’m doing with my travel site - I’d just never seen it written down anywhere - I thought I’d invented it 🙂 Oh well , great minds at all that!

Great minds, indeed 😉

The hybrid approach works best for most bloggers, in my opinion, because it gives them a chance to spoon feed the search engines valuable, destination related content (which people search for)…

… and provides them a chance to brand the blog with their own personal flavor.

Good to see you here Lissie - what specific types of content would you like to see more of here?

travel blogger meaning

I cannot thank you enough for the article.Thanks Again. Really Cool.

travel blogger meaning

Great tips Adam. Going to be an interesting course. We have seen a huge increase in traffic (doubled) over the least 3 months so keen to see where it ends up over the next 3 months as we move into taking the blog full-time.

Glad you’re digging the course, and congratulations on doubling your traffic!

What methods did you use to boost it?

travel blogger meaning

Good post. Kinda ties into what I’ve been trying to accomplish with my blogsite. On the hybrid approach, when creating content for the 90%, do you create static pages or just regular blog posts and place them in categories based on locations?

I’d recommend regular blog posts and place them in categories based on locations. The trick is to separate the “blog” from the regular site. For example, your destination articles would go on http://www.mysite.com and blog posts would go on http://www.mysite.com/blog .

So, the destination articles will also show up on http://www.mysite.com/blog but have easy access to those posts on the home page http://www.mysite.com? I think I get it. We are just starting to create content so wanted to know the best way of organizing the site as it’s created.

Close… but not quite. The destination articles will be listed on http://www.mysite.com/category/your-article-destination here. Then, any personal travel pieces would go on http://www.mysite.com/blog/your-personal-piece-here .

For example, let’s say your blog covers the world, and your categories are countries. So if you write an article about Hanoi, the URL would look like this:

http://www.mysite.com/vietnam/hanoi/

And if you wrote a personality driven blog post about it, the URL would be:

http://www.mysite.com/blog/adventures-hanoi/

This way the destination articles are on the homepage, while personal pieces are on the blog.

Please keep in mind, this is just my opinion. As someone who’s been marketing online for five years, I bring a lot of experience to the table… but… there are more ways to build a travel blog than just this.

But if you want to build a hybrid blog, this (in my opinion) is the way to do it. http://www.mysite.com/blog/heloo

travel blogger meaning

You’re giving away all of my secrets… damn you! Ha ha & just teasing but I fit into the third ‘most profitable’ category you describe above though got there on my own rather than reading a post like this and mapping it out… I honeslty don’t see many others formatted like mine (with the blog section separate focus but a part of the website and included under a category ‘blog’) though many do the same thing, like Nomadic Matt who went in reverse, first his personality blog, then creating great destination content/guides.

So, shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, pipe down will ya Adam. I would rather folks have to do it the hard way like I did and figure it out for themselves… 🙂 Great post, wish I had had access to this information a year plus ago! Cheers, Molly

Sorry Molly, I had to spill the beans sometimes. I’m glad you’ve embraced the third model - it’s really the best way for travel blogs to leverage objective info while creating linkbait. I’m using this strategy on Trekity and - once we get all the development issues worked out (sigh) - I’ve gonna build that blog out something fierce 😉

travel blogger meaning

I’ve been wrestling with an idea for a bit and would love to run it by you and this theory of yours. My blog is an everywhere blog but I have been thinking of focusing a large portion of it to my home. Which is a major world wide tourist destination. Do you think it would be better to a site from the ground up focusing on that one destination or can it somehow be incorporated in to my everything blog?

Hi Alexandra,

Tough call - if you incorporate to your existing blog you’re leveraging your existing audience/links/karma, etc. Which is great.

You can leverage some of that goodwill to a new domain, but there’s dropoff. However, a new domain is easier to brand.

After looking at your site, I’d suggest using your existing blog.

travel blogger meaning

I’ve always been a big fan of “hybrid” travel blogs. There’s more on there than just a personality or guides.

My favorite of all time is www. thelongestwayhome.com he’s been doing it for years and helped me out so much!

I’m also a big fan of http://andeandrift.com it’s not hybrid but it’s got more personality with tom and his wife than many others do. Almost like a weekly tv show.

My question is how do these travel blogs go on for so many years? Are they earning through ads and content or other work? Would be great if you could do another feature and actually ask travel bloggers who have been traveling a long time how they are earning?

Many bloggers are making their money from direct ads (as opposed to Adsense). Some are selling their own products (which I recommend) and making money on sponsorships.

You can hear each blogger talk about it in the interview series here:

http://travelbloggeracademy.com/top-travel-bloggers/

I’ll be writing a lot more about monetizing sites in the future, too!

travel blogger meaning

Hey Adam great post! I am going to be taking my first big travel adventure soon. I will be teaching in English in Georgia (The Country) :). I have been playing with the idea of starting a travel blog, but I wasn’t sure how to go about it. I figured why not put my love for culture, writing, photography, and music on one site for the rest of the world to see. I do have a question though, I will be spending the next year in Georgia teaching English, I will be doing some traveling in Turkey and Armenia on my days off, but I wasn’t sure how to structure this blog. After my year is up I plan on going to Prague next to get a teaching job and then writing on the side. I just wasn’t sure if I should just dedicate this site to me being in Georgia or leave it open to my future travels as well.

Hola Brittanie,

That’s a tough one. If you’re looking to turn your blog into a business, then choose whichever you can work on for several years. If you’re doing it as a hobby, then feel free to lump them all together - it’s your blog, after all!

Thanks for your comment!

travel blogger meaning

Hi Adam, love this article, just starting my blog, http://www.the traintraveler.net. In 2000 I started a website called The Train Traveler, and did it for three years. Didn’t even know the word “blog”! Now I’m up and running again, have high hopes and great expectations. Your advice from the course and this site will be invaluable. Regards, Lynne

travel blogger meaning

Good job! We are trying to build a hybrid type kind of blog too. Keep up the good advice and thanks for this website!

travel blogger meaning

I have just realized this is what I want to do. I didn’t know where or how to start. But I am glad I came across your site so many tips. I want to thank you Adam. It’s good to know if I have any questions you will be there

travel blogger meaning

Thank you! I’m moving abroad in August and want to blog about it but didn’t want to have just another “20’something western lady goes on an adventure” blog (which, despite my best efforts, is exactly what I’ll probably end up with). This article really highlights some of the quintessential aspects of creating a more-than-just-a-blog-blog and has helped me organize my thoughts. AND you made me laugh. harharhar.

travel blogger meaning

It’s more than a year, and I’m reading it for the first time. 🙁 Now I have to work on my destination blog and arrange the categories once again. Anyway, thanks for the thought you shared.

travel blogger meaning

Thanks Adam for ur article.However, can u explain more the concept of editorial travel site?in comparison to normal travel writing, as u mentioned

or” personality writing”.

travel blogger meaning

This northern summer, we (my wife and I) will be driving a leased Renault from Paris to Istanbul and back, via Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, Hungary and Germany. This is our first experience of Europe.

We’ll be doing this on a budget, staying in budget hotels and apartments, eating in budget cafes and restaurants, etc., but we’ll also be ballooning over the Loire Valley, staying in a cave hotel, exploring the lakes district of the Swiss Alps, exploring the canals in Venice, staying with a family we don’t know in Serbia, paying our respects at Gallipoli and much more. We’ll also be seeking out the best music bars everywhere we go.

I am looking for publications or blogs that might be interested in paid daily blog posts or descriptive articles of this journey over about six weeks, which can include photos and video. I’m an experienced journalist and travel writer and an experienced budget traveller (flashpacker). I mostly blog on my own travel website (www.travelnasia.com) but I have been published by The Australian newspaper, The Age newspaper and many magazines including Australian Boating, Motor Manual and more. I don’t currently write for a living.

I’m also willing to blog occasionally in the lead-up about how we’re organising this trip. I am a bit of a planning nazi before we travel and I’ve already written a 30 page travel itinerary for my other half who struggles to get her head around what we’re going to be doing on this trip. I’ve also thoroughly researched how to stay connected throughout this trip without breaking the bank, and how to back up our photos, videos and dashcam footage without a PC (we’ll be taking an iPhone and an Android tablet). Will it all go to plan? Hell no, but that’s half the fun of it! I half expect we’ll get to Veliko Tarnovo in northern Romania and find ourselves in the middle of WW3!

What do you think is the best way to get published and paid for blogging this trip? Or do I just create yet another personal travel blog?

travel blogger meaning

Hey, sounds like a great trip. Because your trip is based on a specific geographic area, you’re going to have to research and contact larger sites that focus on that same areas and pay for guest writing. A car rental company based in Europe might be a good place to start. The good news… you have a solid itinerary and can research these websites pretty easily. Personally, I wouldn’t advise starting a new travel site just for this trip as most of your writings will be published elsewhere. Wishing you all the best and safe travels! - Darcie

travel blogger meaning

Hi Adam and Darcie

Firstly thank you so much for writing this post, the information in it is timeless although it’s a pity it took me so long to find it!

I’m in the embryo stages of putting my travel blog together, it’s already been through numerous redesigns because I couldn’t decide which voice to write in 1st/2nd person etc…

I started the blog by accident which resulted in me embarking on a 7000 mile walk (don’t ask) but it soon became apparent more than I was interested in it so the blog itself became a laser focused niche it just needed a direction and here we are.

This post is sort of where I decided to to take it, shame it took me months to come to this conclusion when it’s all here for me.

Appreciate all your efforts, wish you much success and look forward to reading much more.

Regards Rob

That’s awesome Rob! We’re glad you’ve found your way and hope the rest of the site helps you along your journey. Thanks for sharing.

travel blogger meaning

hey all, I am new to the blogging world so disclaimer if my questions seem unprofessional. Adam and Darcy,thank you for this.Trying to absorb the information like a sponge dropped in the sea. My question-you talk about moving all soft content to the blog and then link to your destination articles. I have a travel blog http://wangechigitahi.wordpress.com that has my work classified in continents and then countries.in reference to your above statement,should I have a website and a blog to have posts and articles or what did you mean? Heeeeelllppp

travel blogger meaning

Hey Adam, Thank you for this detailed post. When I decided to start a travel blog focused on traveling in my home country, the first thing I outlined was what all content I want to feature on the website. Structuring the blog was the toughest task because I wanted to strike a balance between travel stories and travel advice on destinations as the blog would be primarily focused on food and culture. My blog is still in the making and I absolutely love the concept of a hybrid blog. Surprisingly, this is the only post where the hybrid approach has been discussed clearly and I found it to be highly useful. It sounds like the perfect balance between providing off beat destination advice and sharing travel stories that will inspire people to set off to explore. The advice you provide on this website is paramount. I keep digging through the website and have found some gem like articles which will prove to be highly valuable to build my blog. I would be happy to read more about writing blog posts that will drive traffic, how to structure articles, should top-to-do lists be incorporated, etc.

Thanks again. Ankita

travel blogger meaning

Wow yor site and posts really inspire me

travel blogger meaning

Reading your piece today was a confirmation that I am on the right track. I am doing exactly that a hybrid. Thank you for making feel proud of my work.

travel blogger meaning

Great article. I think you’ve got it in a nutshell here. Without consciously having throught about it, I am doing the hybrid version, with an emphasis I’d say on option 2. It has served me well to date (just coming up for 10 years with my blog) and I am a full time travel blogger, doing quite well from it.

I do worry sometimes that the blog should be more about me, but my concern is more because that’s what all the other travel bloggers seem to do. I’m not really one for including myself in all the pictures, etc. It just seems rather narcissistic to me (not that I’m judging others who prefer to work that way) and I prefer to focus on the destinations than myself and my family who travel with me.

At the end of the day, each travel blogger should do what works for them, and what makes them happy, I guess…

travel blogger meaning

Thanks for this really informative article, it’s definitely inspired me to go back to the drawing board.

I was thinking of starting a new blog for this, and keeping my current one (called ‘Wander Studies’) for longer, personal pieces, because I’m not sure the name quite fits a more general blog. Would be great to get some opinions on this!

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How To Write A Travel Blog Post That Inspires Travel

  • August 14, 2023
  • by Margaret Bourne

Woman writing in a notebook - how to write a travel blog post.

There’s something magical about the way the best travel bloggers share their stories and travel tips. You want to learn how to write a travel blog that will have your readers planning their next adventure … and that’s why you’re here!

I have some experience with travel blogging.

My first blog was an outdoor adventure and travel blog. It ended up rebranding into a lifestyle blog when my travels switched to a mom life focus.

Blogging as a travel blogger comes with unique strategies and techniques.

You’ve probably started your travel blog recently, and you’ve got a list of great travel blog post ideas.

But how do you write and publish posts that will be successful?

Let’s dive into what it takes to make a travel blog post to grab your reader’s attention and feed their wanderlust. 

DISCLOSURE : This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a product or service, and decide to purchase it, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. All recommended products and services are based on my positive experience with them. For more information, please read my Disclaimer .

How to Write a travel blog post

How Is Travel Blogging Different From Other Niches?

Before we get into the basics of how to write a travel blog post, let’s look at what makes them different.

The truth is this not every blog niche is the same.

Here’s how they can be different.

Travel blogs tend to be informational and persuasive.

In comparison, a DIY craft blog is almost 100% informational with “how to” posts.

With a persuasive blog niche, your content will require something different: storytelling!

Your content will need to be compelling and we’ll look at this in just a second.

But before we go there, also remember that within the travel blog niche, there are micro-niches.

So a travel gear review site may have fewer personal stories in comparison to those that include actual travel.

| RELATED: Tips For Choosing The Right Travel Blog Niche For You

Why Is It Important To Write A Compelling Travel Blog Post? 

Other than positioning yourself as a knowledgeable expert in your travel niche, writing compelling travel blog posts is important for a number of reasons.

  • 33% of US travellers check out travel blogs for advice
  • We travel with smartphones and use them for research and booking
  • Influencers are deemed more trustworthy than brands .

So, you want travellers to discover you and stick around on your site. 

Ultimately, you want them to purchase through your affiliate links and your products.

| RELATED: Why It’s Important To Grow Your Personal Brand As A Blogger

How To Write A Travel Blog Post: The Basics

By now you should know the basics of a good blog post: the introduction, body and conclusion are essentials.

But what should you be doing differently writing a travel blog?

If you plan to monetize your travel blog , you’ll need to start growing an audience that loves reading what you’re sharing.

Let’s look at each section of a blog post and what you should include in each.

1. What’s The Best Way To Start A Blog Post?

Let’s learn how to write a travel blog post that grabs the reader’s attention immediately.

But first, the headline title needs to be engaging.

Begin by using descriptive, powerful words that catch the reader’s interest.

For example instead of “My London Day Trip” use something like “How To Plan The Ultimate Day Trip To London: 24 Hours Of Fun And Good Food”

Now that you have the headline completed, it’s time to look at the introduction section.

As usual, I always recommend using your SEO longtail keyword in the first paragraph. Get that out of the way!

Here are a few ways you can make your travel blog post introduction interesting :

  • Introduce your destination or topic with a brief overview
  • Add context and background information as to what they can expect (romance them with a hook)
  • Share a personal anecdote or story that will want the reader to learn more
  • Ask a thought-provoking question on the topic

Always remember that you want the reader to keep reading!

| RELATED: SEO Tips For Optimizing Your Blog Posts

2. How To Write The Body Of Your Travel Blog Post

The next section of your blog post covers the key tips that you’re sharing, as well as the stories and anecdotes that bring them to life.

Here you’ll be sharing your experiences, insights, and adventures.

For a typical travel blog post the body can include:

  • Places you visited: detailed descriptions, their significance and your personal experience.
  • Who you met: share stories of people you met, their culture and lifestyle.
  • The food you ate: local specialties, ingredients and flavours.
  • Travel challenges: what made your trip difficult and how you overcame them.

Product or service review posts that include affiliate links are different.

You’ll still need to add your personal stories and feedback, but they are more structured.

3. How To Conclude Your Travel Blog Post

Writing travel blog posts that are well-structured means you need a conclusion.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen bloggers finish their posts with just the body of their post.

The conclusion is where you can summarize your experience and key reasons for travel or purchase: why the reader should visit a destination, do an activity or buy a product or service.

It’s also where you can include a strong call-to-action : signing up for your free guide for your newsletter subscription or sharing your post with others on Pinterest are just two examples.

This is also where you can leave your readers with a final thought about your experience. Perhaps it’s an emotional lesson learned, an interesting twist or a quote that sparks their interest to travel.

| RELATED: How To End A Blog Post In An Engaging Way

How to Write a Travel Blog Post girl with phone

How Long Should Travel Blog Posts Be?

When you’re learning how to write a travel blog post, the last thing you should obsess about is the post length.

I’ll tell you a little secret: sometimes a post can be inspiring at 700 words.

In other cases, you’re inevitably going to write something longer.

Top bloggers are making their travel blog posts approximately 2000 words. This is easy to do. 

Consider all of the tips,  and recommendations you can provide in a standard “guide to [Destination]” type of blog post? 

If your post is photo-heavy, do try to balance it with text that tells the story more fully than just the images. 

How To Come Up With Interesting Travel Blog Post Ideas

Coming up with fresh ideas can sometimes be hard.

We all come up against “writer’s block” as bloggers at some point.

Aside from checking out my travel blog post topics, here are some other ways to come up with your very own posts.

  • Look at your own experiences. Consider all of the blog posts you can write based on them.
  • Read other bloggers’ general travel posts : write on the same topics but better.
  • Use Google itself. SEO tools like Keywords Everywhere give you an idea of what the popular blog topics are that you can recreate.
  • Use your old travel journals for inspiration

Just remember to always be authentic! If you haven’t gone somewhere, you shouldn’t be writing a guide when you don’t have firsthand experience.

How To Make Your Travel Blog Posts Stand Out

What will make your travel blog posts such a great read that people want to follow your blog?

That you become a well-recognized expert in your travel blog niche?

Here are some ways to make your travel blog spectacular:

  • Tell vivid stories. Use your own voice, as if you were telling the story to somebody. Avoid generic, vague content that doesn’t bring to life your travel experience. Make the reader feel like they were there with you as a spectator or fellow traveller. Romancing the experience is a persuasion tactic that smart travel bloggers use.
  • Use a unique angle. Share a lesser-known activity or attraction. Or share a personal anecdote or a travel quote that offers a fresh perspective that’ll capture your reader’s interest.
  • Use high-quality photos. Learn how to take the best photos using a quality camera. Edit your photos with Lightroom and make sure they are optimized to load fast on your site .
  • Include practical tips. Make sure you balance your stories with factually correct information that will help your reader make a travel decision, purchase or plan. From hotel recommendations, restaurants and activities, as well as staying safe. You’ll become a trusted source.
  • Be authentic. Use your own personal brand voice . Tell real stories and give your personal opinions on your experiences, including the pros and the cons. Readers want the full picture, not just the positive promotion of a destination or travel service.

Avoid These Common Travel Blogging Mistakes

When writing travel blog posts you need to avoid common mistakes .

These are extremely common, so don’t beat yourself up over them. We all make them!

  • Writing thin content that’s generic. Bring your post to life with personal stories, anecdotes and photos.
  • Overusing stock photos. Use your own if you can.
  • Not optimizing your blog posts and not updating your posts regularly.
  • Adding prices – these change regularly. Use “starting at” because this leaves it open to price increases

There you go! Avoid these common travel blogging mistakes and you’ll have a great site on your hands.

Writing Travel Blog Posts – A Fine Art

Now you have all the details for how to write a travel blog post that your readers will find interesting, useful and inspiring.

Here are some fantastic travel blog post examples:

  • Vancouver Island Road Trip – Expert Vagabond
  • 22 Best Places To Visit In Sicily – Adventurous Kate
  • Staying at Casanova dei Boschi: An 18th Century Farmhouse in Tuscany – The Blonde Abroad

Before you go, grab my free Pinterest templates for your gorgeous travel post pins.

I hope your travel blog posts are going to inspire some GREAT trips!

QUESTION: What do you think is the hardest thing about writing travel blog posts?

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53 Best Travel Blogs and Bloggers To Follow (in 2024)

Ankit Singla Master Blogging

Written by Ankit Singla

3K Followers

Last Updated on:

by Ankit Singla

If you’re searching for the best travel blogs today, look no further.

As always, I created this list to help aspiring travel bloggers learn a thing or two from these established sites.

However, people who are only looking for travel ideas and tips will also enjoy this post.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top travel blogs to follow in 2024.

Best Travel Blogs

  • Nomadic Matt
  • Backpacking Matt
  • Adventurous Kate
  • The Blonde Abroad
  • California Through My Lens
  • Dan Flying Solo
  • Travel With Lakshmi
  • Fluent in 3 Months
  • Cheapest Destinations Blog
  • Alex in Wanderland
  • I Am Aileen
  • Wandering Earl
  • Be My Travel Muse
  • Followtheboat
  • Matthew Woodward
  • The Opposite Travellers
  • We Seek Travel
  • Bucket List Journey
  • Migrationology
  • The Cranky Flier
  • Never Ending Footsteps
  • A Dangerous Business
  • Against The Compass
  • Everything Everywhere
  • The Longest Way Home
  • Global Grasshopper
  • Girl Gone Travel
  • Oneika The Traveller
  • The Adventurists
  • Time Travel Turtle
  • Hand Luggage Only
  • Travel4Wildlife
  • The Insatiable Traveler
  • View From The Wing
  • Uncornered Market
  • Jessie On a Journey
  • Legal Nomads
  • TravelFreak
  • The Everywhereist
  • Keep Calm and Travel
  • Practical Wanderlust
  • Expert Vagabond
  • The Voyageur
  • Amateur Traveler
  • Girl Eat World
  • The Adventure Junkies
  • A Broken Backpack
  • The World Travel Guy
  • Life Part 2

1. Nomadic Matt

Nomadic Matt

By:  Matthew Kepnes

I have to be honest with you — I love everything about  Nomadic Matt .  

Everything from his website’s design to his personal writing voice makes for an engaging reading experience. Not to mention that the name “Nomadic Matt” really sticks with me. 

Matthew Kepnes, AKA Nomadic Matt, was once a cubicle worker who admittedly wasn’t always a big traveler. On his first trip back in 2004, he went to Costa Rica where his perspective in life transformed forever. 

A single trip — that’s how easy it is to fall in love with travel. 

Today, Matthew continues living the life he was born for. He primarily blogs about travel tips, encompassing topics like how to save for a trip and things to do in Singapore. 

Blog Topics 

  • Travel Insurance
  • Travel planning
  • Saving money on travel
  • Travel gear
  • Destinations

Monetization Strategies

  • Display advertisements
  • Superstar Blogging online course
  • Affiliate marketing ( Check: Best Travel Affiliate Programs )

2. Backpacking Matt

Backpacking Matt

By:  Matt Kyhnn

I think there’s something about the name “Matt” that raises a person’s affinity for traveling. 

Backpacking Matt , owned and run by Matt Kyhnn, is a travel blog that has similar vibes with Nomadic Matt. It has a simplistic design, a memorable content tone, and striking travel photos that bring the blog’s stories to life. 

Matt Kyhnn also leverages videos — providing his audience a more immersive way to enjoy his content. 

Fresh out of college, Matt simply decided that he won’t settle for a 9-5 job. Instead, he spent months working and traveling across Ireland, Scotland, and other regions in mainland Europe. 

He then booked a one-way ticket to New Zealand where he now resides. In addition to his blog, Matt also runs his own travel planning and booking website — Planit NZ. 

Blog Topics

  • Affiliate marketing
  • Planit NZ travel planning and booking services
  • Brand collaborations

3. Adventurous Kate

Adventurous Kate

By:  Kate McCulley

Kate McCulley, AKA  Adventurous Kate , is a travel blogger with lots of adventures to tell.

She’s been to 83 countries, seven continents, and plenty of experiences to help women appreciate the traveling life. 

Kate’s blog was built during her time in Southeast Asia along with her freelance portfolio, which helped fund her travels. Her target audience is women who want to travel, but required guidance on how to do it safely and easily. 

The “Solo Female Travel” category on her blog consists of posts about travel safety, travel planning, destination guides, and more. She also compiled a list of travel resources that help turn her audience’s travel ideas into action plans. 

  • Travel safety for women
  • Sponsored posts

4. The Blonde Abroad

The Blonde Abroad

By:  Kiersten “Kiki” Rich

I covered Kiersten “Kiki” Rich of  The Blonde Abroad   in my list of the top lifestyle bloggers to follow in 2024. 

As her blog’s name suggests, she’s mainly a travel blogger who also discusses two other lifestyle-related topics — blogging and photography. 

Kiersten spent three, eye-opening months in multiple countries to re-envision the idea of “ success .” She succeeded in her goal and is now one of the most accomplished travel bloggers on the web. 

The Blonde Abroad covers a range of topics from travel photography to foreign cuisine. All of which draws wisdom from Kiersten’s personal travel experiences.

  • Photography
  • Travel destinations
  • The Travel Shop
  • Social media and influencer marketing consulting

5. California Through My Lens

California Through My Lens

By:  Josh McNair

Josh McNair, owner of  California Through My Lens , has a distinct writing style that vividly describes details of travel destinations. 

Unlike bloggers who discovered the love for travel in their adulthood, Josh has always been a passionate traveler at heart. He created California Through My Lens to document his adventures with the online audience. 

California Through My Lens is run by both Josh and his wife, Amy. The pair also has an active YouTube channel called Through My Lens where they share their experiences in video form. 

As you may have guessed, Josh’s content focuses on the beaches, caves, hiking trails, waterfalls, and various landmarks in California. Intricate details of each location, from hike distances to specific travel tips, are often included in his posts. 

  • National parks in California
  • Driving around California
  • California destinations
  • Selling eBooks
  • Advertisements through YouTube 

6. Dan Flying Solo

Dan Flying Solo

By:  Daniel “Dan” Clarke

Dan Flying Solo   is by Daniel Clarke — a travel blogger, photographer, and creative director at his own Portugal-based media company. 

Dan’s blogging life was ignited by his passion for photography. He was originally a frustrated restaurant manager who wanted more out of life.

Like me, Dan is a self-taught blogger. He worked day in and day out by doing free online courses, YouTube tutorials, and heaps of informative guides. 

What makes Dan Flying Solo an extra noteworthy blog is its library of video content. Daniel also makes it clear that the site has no particular theme — not unlike everything else in life.  

“ There’s not one particular theme to this blog because I don’t think that’s how life really is. We change and what we enjoy changes.”

7. Travel with Lakshmi

Travel with Lakshmi

By:  Lakshmi Sharath

Lakshmi Sharath worked on a desk job for multiple media organizations for 15 years. She then started her personal travel blog in 2005 — traveling to over 25 countries and across every corner of India. 

Travel with Lakshmi has only grown steadily ever since. It won multiple awards, including “India’s best travel blog of the year” award from Indiebloggie.  

As an Indian herself, Lakshmi made sure to highlight the country’s top travel destinations on the blog. She also documented her travels to foreign countries — from Abu Dhabi to the United Kingdom. 

As a way to support aspiring travelers around the world, Lakshmi also covers important tips on starting a travel blog. This includes essential tips on photography, travel planning, and travel writing.

  • Social media marketing campaigns
  • Content marketing and writing services
  • Digital media consulting services

8. foXnoMad

foXnoMad

By:  Anil Polat

foXnoMad   is a unique travel blog run by digital nomad Anil Polat.

Anil was exposed to travel at a young age because his parents were journalists. Other than routine trips between Turkey and the United States, they also visited multiple destinations around the world. 

Even in his professional life as a computer security consultant, travel was a big part of Anil’s life. He eventually decided to quit his job and fixate on one goal: to visit every country in the world.

What makes foXnoMad unique is that Anil utilizes his knowledge in tech to provide insightful tips on traveling smartly. He also develops apps that can help travelers in situations like determining water drinkability and calculating tips.

You can check out his podcast where he talks about current events, new product tech releases, and all things travel-related. 

Blog Topics                                           

  • foXnoMad Shop
  • Paid mobile apps

9. Fluent in 3 Months

Fluent in 3 Months

By:  Brendan “Benny” Lewis

Fluent in 3 Months   by Brendan Lewis is created for travelers with a purpose. 

Apart from regular posts about travel planning and destinations, Brendan also writes a lot of guides on foreign languages. 

Remember, language is a crucial part of every culture. Brendan makes sure you learn dozens of useful words and phrases that will enrich your visit to any country. 

Some of the most prominent content formats in his blog are “ways to say” posts and phrase listicles. There are also fun, bite-sized stories like “How I Learned French on the Toilet in 6 Months.”

For more serious language learners, Fluent in 3 Months offers “The Challenge.” It’s a full-fledged online course that will enable you to hold a 15-minute conversation in a new language.

  • How to speak foreign languages
  • Language hacking 
  • Traveling jobs
  • The Challenge online course
  • Speaking engagements

10. Cheapest Destinations Blog

Cheapest Destinations Blog

By:  Tim Leffel

Cheapest Destinations Blog   is one of the oldest travel blogs on this list. 

It is created and run by Tim Leffel — an award-winning travel writer and author.  

Tim has made it his life’s goal to help people make the most out of travel while spending less. His blog contains posts that teach how to spend your travel money wisely and how to make every cent count. 

Other than Cheapest Destinations Blog, Tim also runs a handful of other blogs on different, travel-related topics. This includes Perceptive Travel, Travel Writing 2.0 Blog, and Cheap Living Abroad.  

  • Travel budgeting
  • Influencer marketing through 360 Degree Travel Network

11. Alex in Wanderland 

Alex in Wanderland

By:  Alexandra Baackes

Alexandra Baackes created  Alex in Wanderland   for two reasons. 

First, she’s been dealing with a case of wanderlust all her life. And second, she’s a fan of a beloved, fictional character — Alice in Wonderland. 

Alexandra is originally from Brooklyn, New York where she purchased her one-way ticket into the traveling life. She now blogs about the best travel destinations, outdoor activities, and her personal, travel-related gear.

One of the things I like about Alex in Wanderland is the presentation and categorization of content. 

On the “Categories” page, Alex makes sure articles are well-organized based on topics like travel inspiration, activities, and planning. This makes it easy for her audience to find the information they need at any given time. 

  • Outdoor activities

12. Hey Nadine

Hey Nadine

By:  Nadine Sykora

Nadine Sykora of  Hey Nadine   is a popular travel blogger, YouTuber, and social media influencer.

Over the past 10 years, she has traveled across 55 countries, spoken on expert panels, and became a keynote speaker. 

Nadine’s goal is simple: share her travel experiences with the world and help others do the same. 

Hey Nadine contains a host of content on travel advice, hacks, destinations, and inspiration. As a seasoned YouTuber, you can expect her blog content to contain a lot of embedded videos from her channel. 

  • Video production
  • Advertisements through YouTube
  • Sponsored content

13. I Am Aileen

I Am Aileen

Just like Kiersten Rich, Aileen Adalid is another travel blogger whom I also featured in my top lifestyle blogs listicle.

Aileen runs  I Am Aileen   — an award-winning blog that discusses just about everything there is to discuss in travel. She writes about destinations, the best travel activities, foreign cuisine, and more. 

What interested me the most about Aileen is her blogging background. At age 21, she quit her corporate job, which only paid $300 a month, to become a professional traveler. 

Since then, she’s been on a streak of smashing goals and breaking barriers. Thanks to her commitment to quality content, she’s recognized as one of the top bloggers in Asia. 

  • Online shop

14. Wandering Earl

Wandering Earl

By:  Derek Earl Baron

Here’s a fun trivia about  Wandering Earl . 

Unlike most bloggers who use their first names, the “Earl” in “Wandering Earl” is actually a middle name. Blog owner Derek Earl Baron only thought that “Wandering Derek” didn’t sound as catchy.

Derek is a one-of-a-kind, adventurous soul who discovered his purpose as a modern nomad relatively early into adulthood. After graduating in 1999, he planned a three-month vacation across Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. 

That three-month vacation continues to this very day. 

And that’s how Wandering Earl was created — documenting Derek’s adventures in over 100 countries. He also shares valuable pieces of wisdom on travel planning, food, budgeting, gear, and so on. 

Wandering Earl has that “old-school” look and feel to it. On the plus side, the site’s design only highlights 

  • Working while traveling
  • Selling “eGuides”

15. Be My Travel Muse

Be My Travel Muse

By:  Kristin Addis

Be My Travel Muse  is a solo female travel blog created by Kristin Addis. 

She studied in Taiwan and kept an investment banking job for four years. The only problem was, her daily routine rendered her creative, dreamer side claustrophobic. 

Her first step was a one-way ticket to Bangkok — envisioning a life of writing and travel. That’s exactly what she accomplished with her blog, which now caters to millions of readers all over the world. 

Kristin believes that solo traveling is the best way for women to feel empowered and more confident. She prioritizes solo female travel tips on her blog, including guides on safety, packing, and maintaining relationships. 

Be My Travel Muse also has heaps of content on popular travel destinations and self-care for women. 

  • Self-help for women
  • Relationships
  • The Photo Muse Masterclass online course

16. Followtheboat

Followtheboat

By:  Liz Cleere and Jamie Furlong

Followtheboat   is a unique travel blog that focuses on a specific mode of transport: sailing. 

It is created with love by a travel writer Liz Cleere and photographer Jamie Furlong. There’s also Millie the rescue cat, which functions as a source of inspiration and encouragement for the blog’s human founders. 

Despite the focus on sailboats, Followtheboat’s content isn’t just made for sailors. The posts are tailor-made for travelers who also happen to be interested in the art and joys of sailing. 

Don’t be surprised at the humor and dynamic range of topics on the blog. You’ll find posts like “tools you need on a sailboat” and “is this the weirdest loo in the world?”

Followtheboat also has a library of podcasts, which record Liz and Jamie’s experiences on their travels. 

  • Boat maintenance
  • Patreon donations

17. Matthew Woodward

Matthew Woodward

By:  Matthew Woodward

If Followtheboat is about boats, you can probably guess what  Matthew Woodward   is a blog about trains. 

Not to be mistaken for  Matthew Woodward  the internet marketer, Matthew Woodward the rail adventurer loved trains as a child. He owned model railway sets, traveled alone by train, and watched shows about trains on TV. 

In his time as a geography student, he explored Europe with his trusty Interrail pass. He set his passion aside to focus on his career, which he eventually gave up to become a travel writer. 

Today, he blogs about railway systems over different continents. He’s also an accomplished author of three books: “The Railway to Heaven,” “A Bridge Even Further,” and “Trans-Siberian Adventures.”

  • Railway systems
  • Traveling by train
  • Selling books

18. The Opposite Travellers

The Opposite Travellers

By:  Ryan and Rachel Riel

The Opposite Travellers   were created by married couple Ryan and Rachel Riel. 

While both loved to travel, Ryan and Rachel had contrasting preferences when it comes to traveling. 

Rachel prefers to travel in style and luxury — through the accommodations and services offered by establishments and travel agencies. Ryan, on the other hand, leans toward daring adventures like biking and trekking — on $5 per night accommodations. 

The couple, however, utilized their differences as a selling point in The Opposite Travellers. 

As such, the website’s “Travel” section has two main categories: “Luxury Travel” and “Adventure Travel.” In other words, the blog has a diverse content library for travelers of all tastes and budgets.

The Opposite Travellers also boasts high-quality visuals taken and produced by Ryan Riel. All of the site’s videos are published on Ryan Riel Media — Ryan’s official YouTube channel.  

  • Content production
  • Social media marketing 
  • Influencer marketing

19. We Seek Travel 

No Particular Place to Go

By:  Olly Gaspar

We Seek Travel is an adventure travel blog by traveler and adventure photographer Olly Gaspar.

Olly has been living out of his bags full-time since 2018, turning his passion for global adventure into a treasure trove of useful travel guides accompanied by his inspiring photography.

His travel blog serves as a window to extraordinary experiences around the world– from backpacking in India to climbing Himalayan peaks, crossing deserts on camelback, cycling over the Arctic Circle, hiking with gorillas in Uganda, and even fighting Muay Thai in Thailand.

But We Seek Travel is more than just a diary of adventures. It’s a resource-rich hub where Olly shares his firsthand experiences to help modern explorers discover unique outdoor adventures, off-beat hiking trails, travel photography gear, and helpful accommodation and digital nomad resources.

  • Travel Planning & Accommodation
  • Outdoor Adventure
  • Hiking & Trekking
  • Travel photography
  • Travel Gear
  • Photography licensing
  • Adventure Photography shoots
  • Tourism development

20. Bucket List Journey

Bucket List Journey

By:  Annette White

Travel is all about adventures, and so is life. 

That’s the essence of the  Bucket List Journey   by Annette White. 

The blog’s tagline is “tools and inspiration to live your list.” It refers to a person’s “bucket list,” which is basically a list of goals and experiences they want in life. 

Annette didn’t always have such a positive outlook in life. She used to be diagnosed with anxiety, which caused her to miss out on life-enriching experiences and opportunities. 

Eventually, she decided that she’ll no longer become a prisoner of fear and uncertainty. She had courage and took charge of her life’s direction — something every aspiring blogger needs to do at one point. 

Bucket List Journey talks about bucket list-worthy destinations, motivation, money, and travel tips. Annette also imparts knowledge on people who also struggle with facing fear and making braver life decisions. 

  • Overcoming fear and anxiety

21. Migrationology

Migrationology

By:  Mark Wiens

When I first visited  Migrationology , I wasn’t sure whether to classify it as a food or travel blog. 

Then I checked out Mark Wiens’s “About” page. There, I learned that he viewed food as a way to connect with people in various cultures. 

And to be exposed to these cultures, Mark dedicates his time, money, and efforts to travel. 

Mark makes sure the blog only focuses on content based on his personal travels. It’s made for people who want to experience the flavors of the world — in person or through Mark’s posts. 

Apart from general food travel blog posts and city guides, Migrationology also offers readers a “Food Tour” service. It is the result of a year of research done by Mark himself — in partnership with  Bangkok Vanguards . 

  • Bangkok Food Tour

22. The Cranky Flier

The Cranky Flier

By:  Brett Snyder

We already mentioned a blog about boats and another about trains. It’s time to talk about a blog on airplanes and air travel.

Cranky Flier   is a unique blog created by Brett Snyder — President and “Chief Airline Dork” of Cranky Flier LLC. 

Brett has been fascinated with airlines all his life. When he was young, he collected airline timetables and even spent a birthday with his grandmother watching planes land. 

As an adult, he spent several years in the airline industry fulfilling multiple roles. He became a sales intern at USAir, senior analyst at America West, marketing planning product at United, and so on.

Today, Brett publishes his opinions about the airline industry on Cranky Flier. He also updates several series, like “Worst Airline Ever,” “Airlines We Lost,” and “Across the Aisle Interviews.” 

I’ll let you determine what these series are all about based on what they’re called. 

  • Airline industry
  • Cranky Concierge service

23. Never Ending Footsteps

Never Ending Footsteps

By:  Lauren Juliff

Lauren Juliff is one of those bloggers who already knew what they wanted to be from an early age. 

She dreamt of traveling to new places, meeting new people, and exploring new cultures.  Never Ending Footsteps   is proof that she accomplished all three. 

The blog consists of posts about Lauren’s fulfilling travels to different countries. But unlike a lot of famous travel bloggers, she also talks about the downsides of being a digital nomad.

Never Ending Footsteps has a “The Incidents” blog section where Lauren discusses the not-so-sexy aspects of traveling. She has been scammed, attacked by monkeys, locked out of her room, lost her passport, and more. 

Despite these incidents, Lauren’s love for travel only grew. Such experiences increased her wisdom and travel acumen — resulting in some of the most insightful travel articles ever published.

Lauren also helps her audience get into the world of travel blogging. Check out “How to Start a Travel Blog” for information on web hosting, working with WordPress, and so on.

  • Travel safety

24. A Dangerous Business Travel Blog

A Dangerous Business Travel Blog

By:  Amanda Williams

A Dangerous Business Travel Blog   is a straightforward blog made to help people travel. 

It is created by Amanda Williams, who is a former journalist with degrees in journalism, hospitality, and tourism management.

Amanda first got into journalism by editing obituaries — eventually becoming a copy and layout editor at a newspaper company. She started A Dangerous Business Travel Blog in 2010 out of boredom and her need for a creative outlet. 

Fast forward to 2024, the blog now averages over 340,000 page views per month. Amanda also maintains a strong social media presence with thousands of followers across networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

A Dangerous Business Travel Blog contains posts about travel planning, packing, destinations, and inspiration. Everything is sprinkled with high-quality photos to keep readers engaged and enthused.  

The centerpiece of A Dangerous Business Travel Blog is “The 10-Day Adventure Project.” Put simply, it’s a collection of ready-to-use, self-guided itineraries that will shave hours off your travel planning process.

  • Packing 
  • DangerousBiz online course
  • Freelance writing

25. Against the Compass

Against The Compass

By:  Joan Torres

How do you make a travel blog stand out?

Joan Torres has a surefire answer: covering the most unusual and “off the beaten track” destinations.

Against The Compass   is a unique blog that talks about the travel routes and destinations you probably haven’t heard of. It covers destinations that people don’t normally include in their bucket list, like Pakistan, Tunisia, Syria, and other high-risk countries. 

Of course, Joan makes sure to highlight the importance of safety when traveling in relatively low-popularity destinations. He has comprehensive guides for solo female travel, travel insurance, and general travel safety.

  • Travel insurance

26. Everything Everywhere 

Everything Everywhere

By:  Gary Arndt

In travel blogging, a picture is undeniably worth a thousand words. There’s simply no excuse for any travel blogger to forego the inclusion of visual content in their posts.

Gary Arndt’s absolutely nailed it with his photography work for  Everything Everywhere .

Gary actually won multiple, major travel photography awards — more than any travel photographer. His photography is so good that I suggest you check the “Travel Photos” page on Everything Everywhere.

Go ahead, take a break and thank me later. 

Other than taking breathtaking photos, Gary also publishes detailed blog posts about the places he’s been. He’s been on the go for roughly 9 years non-stop, which means readers will never run out of material.

27. The Longest Way Home

The Longest Way Home

By:  David Ways

The Longest Way Home   started as the personal travel journal of David Ways — a solo traveler in search of home. 

The blog originally started as David’s private, digital diary. As he journeyed across Europe and gained experience, it turned into a full-on blog with travel guides to specific locations. 

David finally found home in Nepal before traveling to other parts of Southeast Asia. 

He’s not the most nitpicky blogger in terms of grammar and spelling, but he’s definitely a brilliant storyteller. He’s also skilled in capturing and immortalizing moments into photos, which you can view on his blog’s gallery. 

The Longest Way Home has a library of content about various destinations, trekking, and travel planning. It also features in-depth travel guides to Nepal, Thailand, and overland travel — plus a mini-guide to Portugal.  

  • Travel planning 
  • Overland travel

28. Global Grasshopper

Global Grasshopper

By:  Becky Moore

Global Grasshopper   is a travel blog run by Becky Moore and her team of professional travel photographers and writers. 

Becky’s first adventure was a six-month voyage in Southeast Asia. She considers herself a “semi-nomad,” traveling from country to country while nestling in Ireland, Australia, or parts of Southeast Asia. 

Global Grasshopper contains posts about popular travel destinations, hotels, and other places that deserve more attention. Readers will also enjoy the blog’s posts about dog-friendly travel — covering topics like dog booster seats and pet-friendly hotels. 

Since the blog is run by a team of experts, expect the content quality to be top-notch across the board. The team also organizes boutique tours, which readers can participate in for a memorable travel experience. 

  • Traveling with a pet
  • Boutique tours bookings

29. Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

By:  Carol Cain

Carol Cain is an accomplished professional in the field of communications. She is a social media marketing expert, public speaker, branding agency owner, and award-winning travel blogger.

Girl Gone Travel   is the result of Carol’s innate passion for travel and knack for digital marketing. It is a well-designed, engaging, and filled with quality content that shines with Carol’s personality. 

Other than her travel-related posts, Girl Gone Travel also publishes a lot of posts about blogging and online branding. This makes it an excellent place to start for hopeful travelers who plan to have their own blog one day. 

  • Destinations 
  • Online branding
  • Brave World Media company

30. HoneyTrek

HoneyTrek

By:  Mike and Anne Howard

Believe it or not,  HoneyTrek   is a travel blog about a honeymoon.

Yes — it’s probably the longest honeymoon ever.

Founders Mike and Anne Howard are a power couple with skills that can make any blog great. Anne is a former magazine editor whereas Mike’s a veteran digital media strategist and photographer. 

Together, they’ve honeymooned to over seven continents and 60 countries while creating the most romantic travel blog in the process. 

HoneyTrek contains a collection of posts about their travel destinations, experiences, and travel tips for all budgets. They also wrote two successful books: “Comfortably Wild” and “Ultimate Journeys for Two.” 

  • Travel budgeting 
  • Travel skills

31. Oneika The Traveller

Oneika The Traveller

By:  Oneika Raymond

Oneika The Traveller   is an award-winning travel blog by journalist, keynote speaker, and media personality Oneika Raymond. 

For those who don’t know Oneika, she’s the on-air travel and lifestyle correspondent for CTV Canada and NBC New York. Even more impressively, her blog won her a gold medal in the 2018 SATW Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism competition.

Oneika talks about travel destinations and her go-to tips for life on the road. With her experience in the field of journalism, she’s definitely one of the most engaging storytellers on this list.

  • Fashion and style while traveling
  • Traveling as a minority
  • Personal opinions
  • Social media marketing

32. The Adventurists

The Adventurists

By:  Tom Morgan

The Adventurists   is hands down one of the most well-designed travel blogs in this post. 

The blog proves that integrating tons of video content into one page doesn’t have to affect its loading speed. In fact, the site loads surprisingly fast despite having several video panels on the homepage.

I’m not going to delve too deeply into this technical feat. What I’m going to focus on, however, is the brilliant team behind The Adventurists. 

The site is founded by “Chief Idiot” — Tom Morgan. Apparently, most of the crazy ideas featured on the blog were his. 

Every page on the site reflects Morgan and his team’s wackiness and passion for great adventures. They do, host, and document daring outdoor activities on air, land, and sea — plus, a whole lot of charity.

Their audience can also participate in these activities, which can be held in various parts of the globe. The “Monkey Run,” for example, is an event where participants race through dirt trails on tiny bikes.

The bottom line is, it’s hard to come up with unique ideas that set you apart in the blogging landscape. The Adventurists, on the other hand, managed to do so multiple times. 

  • “The Adventures” events
  • The “Shop of Stuff”

33. Time Travel Turtle

Time Travel Turtle

By:  Michael Turtle

Time Travel Turtle   is created by Australian Journalist Michael Turtle. 

Michael was born to be a storyteller and he knew it from an early age. 

In school, he ran the student newsletter and contributed a weekly column. He also filled the role of deputy editor of a university newspaper. 

Time Travel Turtle’s contains mainly posts on the locations that Michael has visited over the years. 

Like most renowned travel bloggers, Michael captures amazing photos that travel enthusiasts can fall in love with. He puts some of these photos up for sale to companies who’d like to feature those locations or properties. 

Michael continues to explore the world as a digital nomad. He also shares practical travel tips so readers can experience these adventures themselves. 

  • Selling photography

34. Hand Luggage Only

Hand Luggage Only

By:  Yaya and Lloyd

Hand Luggage Only   is a hugely successful travel blog by couple Yaya and Lloyd. 

The site doles out travel advice, inspiration, photography tips, food reviews, and posts about must-see destinations. It also has a library of high-quality videos where Yaya and Lloyd describe their experiences in detail.  

Yaya and Lloyd started the blog in 2014 with a plan to share their travel stories with the world. Within a few hours, they published their first posts using photos they already took and edited. 

The moral of the story is, consider starting a blog if you already have a library of unused travel photos. 

35. Travel4Wildlife

Travel4Wildlife

By:  Christina Garcia and Hal Brindley 

It should only take anyone a second to figure out what  Travel4Wildlife   is all about. 

The blog is created by couple Christina Garcia and Hal Brindley out of their passion for wildlife. 

Hal is an experienced wildlife photographer for organizations like the Nature Conservancy Magazine, SEE Turtles, and RARE Conservation. Christina, on the other hand, is an experienced zoologist who worked on studies on wolves, cheetahs, and leopards. 

Travel4Wildlife’s goal is to increase awareness and increase the appreciation for wildlife. More importantly, it was Christina and Hal’s life goal to promote wildlife conservation through responsible tourism. 

Behind the scenes, the couple teams up to create compelling articles that focus on wildlife in specific destinations. The blog covers a range of species on different continents — from owls in South Africa to polar bears in Canada. 

  • Wildlife tour reviews
  • Responsible travel

36. The Insatiable Traveler

The Insatiable Traveler

By:  Susan Portnoy

Susan Portnoy, also called  The Insatiable Traveler   on her blog, is a seasoned travel writer and photographer. 

Susan’s last full-time job was VP of corporate communications at Condé Nast. When that door closed, she took on a freelancing career as she learned the art of photography. 

Fast forward a few years, and she has enough accolades to make photography degree holders envious. 

Her photographic works were featured by organizations like National Geographic and companies like Bing. She also won awards like the SATW Lowell Thomas Award and the 2018 Gold in the Muster Photo Competition. 

The main focal points of The Insatiable Traveler include destinations, cruises, photography, and travel gear. Susan also covers the safaris in various regions, like Tanzania, Namibia, and Kenya. 

37. View from the Wing

View From The Wing

By:  Gary Leff 

Just like Brett Snyder, Gary Leff of  View From The Wing   is an expert in all things air travel. 

Gary was named one of the “World’s Top Travel Experts” by Condé Nast Traveler since 2010. He also co-founded InsideFlyer.com — a community made by and for frequent flyers.

View From The Wing is a goldmine of timeless tips on airline miles, credit cards, hotels, and business travel. No matter your sub-niche in travel, I recommend checking it out for ways to maximize your frequent flyer miles. 

Gary also publishes posts called “Trip Reports” about establishments, food, and various attractions. 

  • Hotel reviews
  • Credit cards

38. Uncornered Market

Uncornered Market

By:  Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott

Dan Noll and Audrey Scott are a pair of adventurers, storytellers, and tourism advisors who advocate for responsible traveling. 

They created  Uncornered Market   — a responsible tourism blog — after leaving their secure and stable lifestyle in Prague. Prior to that, they lived in San Francisco and took a leap of faith for the sake of avoiding regrets.  

It’s clear that both Dan and Audrey believed that fulfillment can’t be found within the confines of your comfort zone. They explored, made connections, and shared their experiences through their travel blog. 

Some of the topics you’ll find in Uncornered Market are about destinations, sustainable tourism, food, and trekking. Dan and Audrey also write about personal growth and experiential travel. 

Uncornered Market is also a tourism development and marketing consultancy company. They help travel companies, destinations, and tourism organizations build their brands and deliver their message to a wider audience. 

  • Responsible tourism
  • Tourism development and marketing consultancy services

39. Jessie on a Journey

Jessie on a Journey

By:  Jessica “Jessie” Festa

Like plenty of bloggers, Jessica Festa needed a taste of life before discovering her true calling. 

In her youth, Jessie traveled to mostly cruises in the Caribbean and road trips in North America. She also experienced being a sightseeing guide in New York. 

Jessie on a Journey   is the result of her pursuing her dreams of getting paid to do something she loves. She now blogs about being a solo female traveler, blogging it, and profiting off of it. 

I’m sure a lot of big-name bloggers are all too familiar with how Jessie made the blogging vision a reality.

For a long time, she felt that the workaday lifestyle isn’t for her. It made her feel like she’s living everyone else’s life — not the kind of life she wanted to keep. 

Despite the disapproval of loved ones, Jessie decided to quit her secure job in favor of being a travel blogger. 

She was just as unprepared as most people before starting their own blog. The key difference is, she went out there and took her first step. 

  • Travel blog consulting
  • Tour company consulting

40. Legal Nomads

Legal Nomads

By:  Jodi Ettenberg

Back when Jodi Ettenberg was in law school, she never would’ve guessed she’d run a successful travel and food business. 

That happens to a lot of people, especially those who never thought of giving priority to their passions. 

It’s just a hunch, but I think the name  Legal Nomads   had something to do with Jodi’s background in law. 

Legal Nomads highlights destinations and local cultures just as insightfully as other travel blogs. What makes it different is that Jodi focuses on local cuisines to experience and tell the stories of each destination. 

A huge part of Jodi’s blog is about wellness and gluten-free eating. She then utilized her knowledge and experience to create detailed restaurant cards, which travelers can use when visiting certain countries. 

  • Gluten-free restaurant cards
  • The Legal Nomads Shop

41. Indiana Jo

Indiana Jo

By:  Jo Fitzsimons

Like Jodi Ettenberg, Jo Fitzsimons also used to practice law before becoming a successful travel and lifestyle writer. 

Indiana Jo   started way back in 2010 where Jo can comfortably type away her thoughts and musings. Fed up with her full-time job, she went out to see the world as a digital nomad.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Indiana Jo, however. According to her, she thought about quitting the blog several times before finally realizing that it’s a lifetime thing. 

Jo writes about her travel experiences, destinations, wine, and food. She also shares travel planning tips along with a long list of content about topics that personally interest her. 

  • Travel health and safety

42. TravelFreak

TravelFreak

By:  Jeremy Scott Foster

TravelFreak   is the brainchild of Jeremy Scott Foster who left America in the middle of a recession and to Australia. 

For a while, he racked up some savings as a traveling bartender. It took some time before he finally made the switch to be a digital nomad and online entrepreneur. 

Jeremy created the blog to help people create opportunities to achieve the fulfilling life they deserve. 

He writes about travel advice, destinations, gear, and ways to get your finances in order as you travel. This includes guides on how to land and keep a job abroad along with resources on reliable booking websites. 

I personally like the way Jeremy designed TravelFreak to provide the best possible user experience. Unlike a traditional layout, the site features a search bar so readers can jump right into the content they need.

TravelFreak has been featured in Forbes, National Geographic, The New York Times, and a few other big-name publications.   

43. The Everywhereist

The Everywhereist

By:  Geraldine DeRuiter

Before anything else, yes — that’s Rand Fishkin in the photo above. 

And yes, the next travel blogger on this list is Rand’s longtime sweetheart and wife. 

Geraldine DeRuiter was a former copywriter and went with Rand in his travels, which are often business-related. She then turned to the habit of documenting their travel experiences, which she described as “love letters” to her husband. 

Today, Geraldine works full-time on  The Everywhereist   — named by Time magazine as one of the best blogs in 2011. 

The Everywhereist contains posts about food and Geraldine’s travel experiences along with a comprehensive Philadelphia travel guide. The guide contains information on where to go, eat, shop, and stay. 

Geraldine also wrote a book called “All Over The Place.” It chronicles how she embraced her love for blogging after being laid off, which aspiring bloggers can draw inspiration from. 

  • All Over The Place book sales

44. Keep Calm and Travel

Keep Calm and Travel

By:  Clelia Mattana

Keep Calm and Travel   is a travel blog created by serial traveler Clelia Mattana. 

Ever since she was 19, Clelia is a certified sea lover and globetrotter. But like many travel bloggers, she was given a choice between a secure job and the traveling lifestyle. 

Clelia’s finalized her choice when she bought a one-way ticket to Asia. She then created Keep Calm and Travel to send a simple message:

“No matter what your age is, or your budget, or status, you can travel and live your life on your own terms.”

The blog’s topics include destinations across continents, photography, and travel gear. She also has a dedicated page for Sardinia, which is one of her absolute favorite travel destinations.

45. Practical Wanderlust

Practical Wanderlust

By:  Lia and Jeremy Garcia

Lia and Jeremy Garcia, who aptly labeled themselves a “travel couple” on Instagram, are the minds behind  Practical Wanderlust .  

Jeremy is a film degree holder whose passions include writing and directing. He also became a high school teacher who taught filmmaking and digital media art.

Lia, on the other hand, has a fashion design and apparel merchandising degree. She took on roles in corporate merchandising before becoming a business systems analyst. 

Why did I tell you all this? Simple: I want you to know what the pair had to give up pursuing their dreams of traveling. 

Practical Wanderlust’s goal is to help other people enjoy travel in the most realistic and sensible approach possible. The blog is filled with detailed content on planning memorable trips on a budget, where to go, and staying safe.   

Lia and Jeremy also host their own podcast, which is available on Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. 

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46. Expert Vagabond

Expert Vagabond

By:  Matthew “Matt” Karsten

Matthew Karsten, AKA the  Expert Vagabond , has been a travel blogger, photographer, and digital nomad for nine years.

He talks about budget travel tips, destinations, travel photography, and strategies to make the digital nomadic life work. 

Matt is a business degree holder who spent time freelancing as a nightlife and event photographer. While he admits it was fun, he knew that he wants and deserves something more. 

After a year of downsizing his life, eating homemade food, selling eBooks, and saving every penny, he was ready. He set out to obtain a different kind of wealth — that which is made with adventures and experiences.

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47. The Voyageur

The Voyageur

By:  Pauline Chardin

Pauline Chardin is a France-based fashion designer, photographer, and art director. 

She always had a soft spot for travel — driven by her appreciation for picturesque architecture, landscapes, and good food. She started  The Voyageur   to help people view the world through her voice and eyes. 

The Voyageur is a simple, yet aesthetic website achieved through Pauline’s incredible photography skills. Apart from itineraries and posts about hotels, food, art, and architecture, the site also has a sizeable photo gallery.

Images are accompanied by a brief article that describes the destination’s history and Pauline’s thoughts and emotions during her visit. I’m not sure what it is, but there’s something about this content format that’s truly engaging and relaxing. 

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48. Amateur Traveler

Amateur Traveler

By:  Chris Christensen

Don’t be fooled by the name —  Amateur Traveler   is by no means run by an amateur.

Chris Christensen is a skilled photographer, travel writer, and podcast host. The site also utilizes a long list of monetization strategies that I believe every blogger should learn. 

True, he wasn’t the most experienced traveler when he started the blog. Before he created Amateur Traveler, he was a full-time EVP of engineering and operations for a company based in Silicon Valley. 

In his defense, he grew up in a family that traveled a lot to national parks in a trailer. He also learned a lot of foreign languages, which he believes is a window into understanding and embracing different cultures. 

Amateur Traveler discusses destinations, travel budgeting, planning, gear, and booking. The site also features a weekly podcast on the top destinations around the world. 

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49. Girl Eat World

Girl Eat World

By:  Melissa Hie

Melissa Hie is the “Girl” in  Girl Eat World  — a name that encapsulates what the whole blog is all about. 

You see, Melissa’s three passions are food, travel, and storytelling. She started the blog in 2015 as a digital diary for herself and friends who need travel tips. 

Prior to her blog’s success, she amassed quite a following on Instagram. This springboarded her blogging career, which she put in the back burner after focusing on her full-time career.

Girl Eat World is essentially a compendium of Melissa’s travel stories and travel planning guides. She also has an iconic style of capturing Instagram posts, which must be seen to be appreciated. 

50. The Adventure Junkies

The Adventure Junkies

By:  Antonio Cala and Amanda Zeisset

The Adventure Junkies   is definitely not your average travel blog. 

It’s not just about the travel stories of founders Antonio Cala and Amanda Zeisset. Upon visiting the blog for the first time, you’ll realize that it’s all about the community the blog has built. 

New visitors are encouraged to join “ Summit ” — a free community for people who seek adventures through travel and outdoor activities. There, members can connect, plan events, share posts, ask questions, form groups, and discuss anything related to travel. 

The Adventure Junkies also compile guides and resources about outdoor activities like diving, kayaking, mountain biking, and snowboarding. There’s also a section for visitors who’d like to learn about outdoor and underwater photography.

Antonio and Amanda started The Adventure Junkies as a personal blog about their three years of cycling. Over time, their readers began asking questions on how they can plan their own adventures. 

The couple then realized that they need to create something more than a personal blog. As such, they transformed The Adventure Junkies as a one-stop shop for adventurists.  

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51. A Broken Backpack Travel Blog

A Broken Backpack

By:  Melissa Giroux

Melissa Giroux used to be a social worker who only traveled once a year. 

Melissa created  A Broken Backpack   a year after her journey in the Canadian Rockies — hitch-hiking from point A to B. She continued working on her blog as a creative outlet while working on a farm in Australia. 

It didn’t take long before A Broken Backpack’s popularity gained momentum and gave Melissa a new frontier. 

The website contains crucial tips on travel gear, budgeting, destinations, and the life of a digital nomad. Melissa also put together in-depth guides on travel blogging, moving to another country as an expat, and backpacking.

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52. The World Travel Guy

travel blogger meaning

By : David Leiter

David Leiter is an American travel blogger currently based in Bali, Indonesia, with his wife Intan (who’s a Bali local).

They travel around the world and try to document the most scenic destinations by creating articles, photos, videos, and guides for other travelers.

David runs  The World Travel Guy , an adventure travel blog that he started when he was a solo traveler, but now covers their travels around the globe as a couple.

In total, they’ve visited dozens of countries, while also checking off some bucket list adventures like a Komodo dragon safari in Indonesia, the Mount Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal, and a bunch of world monuments like the Angkor Wat and Taj Mahal.

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53. Life Part 2

Life Part 2

By:  Jonathan Look Jr. and Sarah Wilson

The last blog on this list that your best life can start at any time you choose. 

Let me tell you the story behind  Life Part 2   and the people behind it.

Jonathan Look Jr. and Sarah Wilson are both happy retirees with a simple mantra: “don’t waste your retirement.”

To them, retirement isn’t about being comfortable and secure. Rather, it’s all about the freedom to listen to your heart and follow where it takes you. 

Jonathan and Sarah met in Chiang Mai, Thailand where they both agreed to see the world as a couple. 

Life Part 2 is a mix of all things travel. At times, there’ll be a post about remote destinations and backpacking, and at other times, the theme is luxury travel. 

You will, however, notice that the content topics on the blog often revolve around retirement, minimalism, and travel. 

Planning to go on your own travel adventures? Perhaps you’re thinking of starting your very own travel blog?

It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a case of wanderlust or the desire to be a travel blogger yourself. 

The list above has some of the best travel blogs ever created. They can provide you with ideas and inspiration for your next trip or first-ever travel blog post. 

If you think I missed a great travel blog that everyone should read, let me know in the comments below. Good luck!

Ankit Singla Master Blogging

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Ankit Singla is a full-time blogger, YouTuber, author, and public speaker. He founded and leads Master Blogging . With over 13 years of blogging expertise, he has assisted numerous aspiring bloggers in achieving their dreams of creating successful blogs.

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Judith Fein

What Slow Travel Is and Why You Should Try It

A personal perspective: when you do slow travel, your trips become more exciting..

Posted March 25, 2024 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

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I always wanted to be like explorers Marco Polo or Ibn Battuta. They traveled the world with wide eyes, curiosity, and a desire to share with others the marvels they discovered. Everything was new, fresh, and surprising, and they were constantly learning and having unexpected experiences.

They had no Internet, guidebooks, social media , blogs, vlogs, reviews, or slideshows. And with so much information available, how can one possibly be like these travel writing pioneers?

The answer may shock you as it did my travel journalism students. I plan nothing in advance except for a place to stay, especially for the first few nights. I just show up in a place and let it reveal itself to me on its own terms. And how does that work out? I have contributed to 130 international publications with articles about what I discovered.

I do not recommend this approach to everyone. But what I do suggest is that you give up your desire to have everything planned in advance. That you stop obsessing about all the trip details and trying to make it a perfect trip. Whether you are traveling with a tour group, friends, family, or solo, leave unstructured time so magic can happen. To me, travel should be transformative. It should lift you out of your daily life and transport you to a place where the food, the language, the customs, the culture may be different from yours. And that’s where the excitement begins.

Many people I know approach travel like a job, and a stressful one at that. They scour the Internet, read what everyone else says, plan a detailed itinerary, and make reservations. They want to make sure they cover all the bases and don’t miss anything. But in my opinion, they are missing a lot if they bring all of their information and expectations to a trip before they’ve even gotten on a plane or into their car. They replicate what others have done before them and check each site off on a list.

So how do you make your trip unique? I call it slow travel. It’s not just about slowing down. When you decelerate, your trips get more exciting. Instead of running from place to place, you look around you, you take your environment in, you notice things that perhaps no one has ever noticed before. And you start talking to people. Random people you meet and talk to are a key element you cannot plan for. They may tell you about places and events that will enrich your trip. They give you local insider tips. They may even accompany you or invite you to join them for an experience. They have enriched every trip I have taken. And the more you talk to people — even if you are shy — the more you develop the self-confidence to do more of it. And then you are really in the present, having an experience that is uniquely yours.

During the pandemic, my husband — a photojournalist — and I couldn’t travel around the globe like we always did, so we regrouped. We decided to travel around New Mexico, where we live. And we would look for special experiences.

We did this for two years. The experiences were artistic, historical, and culinary. We went on special hikes, attended indigenous ceremonies, met healers, naturalists, ecologists, and the manager of a natural wildlife refuge. We picnicked inside an ancient volcano. We saw the tracks of animals who lived tens of millions of years before the dinosaurs. We rode in a lowrider. And the question we always asked was, can other people do this as well?

If the answer was yes, we included the experience in our new book, Slow Travel New Mexico: Unforgettable Personal Experiences in the Land of Enchantment. The name of the book includes New Mexico, but the slow travel lessons are applicable anywhere.

It was a dream of mine to teach readers how to do slow travel. And now it’s a reality.

Once people ditch their over-planned approach to travel, who knows? They may even begin to consider changing their over-planned approach to life.

You don’t have to travel halfway around the world to have an exciting, meaningful trip. It can happen every time you leave your house, even to go to the grocery store, or when you visit the town next to yours. Start with talking to people — really talking with them — and you’re already well on your way.

Judith Fein

Judith Fein is an award-winning international travel journalist who has contributed to 130 publications, the author of three books about transformative travel, an inspirational speaker, and an opera librettist.

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Money blog: Eight major price hikes next week - but it's not all bad news as pensions, benefits and your take-home pay rise

National Price Hike Day is on Monday, with water bills, broadband, council tax and the TV licence among the things going up. Read this and more in the Money blog - your place for consumer and personal finance news. Leave a comment on the stories we're covering, or a Money Problem, below.

Tuesday 26 March 2024 22:01, UK

  • Eight things that are going up in price next week - and six major boosts to Britons' pockets
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1 April (next Monday) is nicknamed National Price Hike Day, as it's when government bodies and private companies traditionally increase the cost of goods and services ahead of the new financial year.

So what can we expect this year?

TV and broadband

BT, EE, Plusnet and Vodafone customers will be charged 7.9% more from April. These companies pin their prices to December's inflation figure plus 3.9%, which is common practice in the industry.

Virgin Media and O2, which merged in 2021, are upping prices by 8.8%, as they use the retail price index from January plus 3.9%. There are caveats which mean some O2 customers will see prices rise by less than this.

Sky is also implementing price rises, meaning most Sky TV and broadband customers will pay an average of 6.7% more from 1 April.

Council tax

Most people who live in councils with responsibility for social care in England will see their bills rise by the maximum of 4.99%.

In areas where the councils don't oversee social care, the rise for most will be 2.99%.

Birmingham City Council, which has declared effective bankruptcy, has been given permission to hike council tax by 21% over two years due to a black hole caused partly by equal pay claims and a botched IT systems rollout.

Council tax has been frozen by the devolved government in Scotland, while rises in Wales range anywhere from 3% to 21%. Northern Ireland uses a rating system instead of council tax, and rises are also expected here.

The annual cost of a standard colour TV licence will rise to £169.50 from 1 April - an increase of £10.50 on the current price of £159 a year.

Rent for social housing

The CPI rate of inflation in September - 6.7% - is used to determine the yearly rise in rents. 

For 2024-25, the limit will be 6.7% plus an additional 1%.

The average household water and sewerage bill in England and Wales will go up by an average of 6% from April . 

Water UK said the increases would leave households with an average annual bill of £473.

Vehicle excise duty will rise on all but the cleanest new and used cars in April.

Increases are generally calculated in line with the RPI rate of inflation and are expected to be about 6%.

Train fares

Rail fares will rise by 8.7% in April for those in Scotland, after the Scottish government argued previous fare freezes were not sustainable. 

For those in England and Wales, fares rose by 4.9% on 3 March. 

The Royal Mail will raise the price of stamps again as the company struggles with a decline in the number of letters being posted.

The price of a first class and second class stamp will increase by 10p to £1.35 and 85p respectively from 2 April.

It's not all bad news in April

National insurance

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in the budget earlier this month that the starting rate for NI will change from 10% to 8% from 6 April.

This will benefit 27 million workers, he said, and is worth about £450 a year to an employee on an average salary of £35,000.

NI for two million self-employed workers is also being cut.

Their rate will fall from 8% to 6%. The government says that is worth £350 to a self-employed person earning £28,200.

Child benefit

The amount people can earn before child benefit is reduced or taken away is increasing.

At the moment, people lose 1% of the benefit for every £100 they earn over £50,000. At £60,000, the benefit is cut completely.

From April, the benefit won't be reduced until one parent earns more than £60,000. And it will only go completely at £80,000.

Benefits and tax credits that are linked to inflation will rise by 6.7% in April.

That was the level CPI in September.

For joint claimants over the age of 25, universal credit standard allowances will rise from £578.82 to £617.60 per month.

The basic and new state pension will rise by 8.5% in April - to £11,502 a year.

The new state pension is for those reaching state pension age on or after 6 April 2016. It will rise to £221.20 a week - up from £203.85.

Minimum wage

The National Minimum Wage for those 21 and over will rise to £11.44 - an increase of £1.02, or 9.8%.

There are larger percentage increases for younger age groups -as well as a 21.2% rise for apprentices (going up to £6.40).

Energy price cap

From 1 April to 30 June this year the price paid by a typical household that uses electricity and gas will go down to £1,690 a year.

This is £238 a year lower than the price cap between 1 January and 31 March this year. 

For the first time, COVID-19 jabs will be available on the high street.

Boots has become the first major pharmacy to launch a private vaccination service, with at least 50 stores offering the single-dose Pfizer vaccine.

The shot will be available from 1 April for anyone aged 12 or over - but there's a hefty price tag.

The vaccine will be priced at £98.95. 

Boots has said it is working to make the vaccine more affordable, but the COVID jabs are more expensive to produce than others.

Some people are still eligible to get a booster vaccine for free on the NHS - including those over 65 or with weakened immune systems due to conditions such as cancer.

The discount supermarket has said it plans to increase its animal welfare standards by allowing more space for its chickens to roam. 

Chickens used in its own-label products will have 20% more space than the industry standard, with a maximum density of 30kg per square metre, Lidl said.

The transition will start this summer and should finish by early next year. 

The move will provide chickens with more space to roam, which Lidl said "enables them to engage in natural behaviours like stretching their wings, dust bathing and exploring, bolstering both physical and psychological well-being, leading to more fulfilling lives".

Lidl GB chief commercial officer Richard Bourns said: "Animal welfare is a priority for us, and we are dedicated to ensuring all animals within our supply chain lead good lives."

The supermarket was previously criticised by campaign group The Humane League UK, which said it was "very resistant" to making changes on animal welfare.

It had called on Lidl and other supermarkets to sign the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) - a welfare policy requiring the use of slower-growing breeds, more space, natural light and enrichment, less painful slaughter methods and third-party auditing. 

Partners Ocado and M&S appear to have been involved in a tussle for some weeks, but the former has now insisted they are "absolutely aligned".

The retailers have been in a dispute after M&S put its final payment for the joint venture on hold, saying the online grocer partnership had failed to meet key performance targets. 

M&S was due to pay £190.7m by August, dependent on the venture's performance against an undisclosed target in the year to November 2023. 

Last month, Ocado Group chief executive Tim Steiner said he believed M&S owed a "substantial amount of money" and if a settlement was not agreed it could pursue litigation. 

However, Ocado Retail chief executive Hannah Gibson has now insisted conversations are ongoing and it is not impacting day-to-day operations. 

Ms Gibson claimed both companies were "working really closely operationally together".

"They were in a board meeting and there were positive conversations and relationships going on focused on what we're doing now to grow and improve the business," she said.

"I think we're all absolutely aligned."

Nearly four million smart meters across Great Britain are not working properly , government figures show.

While some 2.7 million meters were not operating in smart mode as of June 2023, that figure increased to 3.98 million by the end of last year, according to data from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Read more here ...

Fundraisers doing door-to-door collections for charities will be monitored more closely , the Fundraising Regulator has said. 

News reports found recruits were being taught pressure-selling tactics, despite the Code of Fundraising Practice warning against putting "undue pressure" on people.

Charities must monitor subcontracting firms carrying out fundraising on their behalf more closely and must ensure fundraisers are given appropriate training. 

ITV racked up millions of pounds in legal costs last year as it dealt with the fallout of the Phillip Schofield scandal , according to a report.

The broadcaster paid £24m in legal fees in 2023, some of which were related to a KC review into Schofield's affair with a young colleague. 

The presenter of This Morning stepped down in May last year, saying his relationship with the studio runner was "unwise, but not illegal". 

ITV was cleared of wrongdoing and has denied it paid a settlement to Schofield or his younger colleague.

Dragons' Den star Theo Paphitis has called on the government to close a tax loophole used by fast fashion giants such as Temu and Shein.

He argued companies are avoiding customs bills in the UK by shipping individual orders directly from countries like China, rather than shipping in bulk to fulfilment centres. 

A UK rule means shipments worth less than £135 are exempt from import duties.

Basically, a recession is the decline of a country's gross domestic product (GDP).

It's worth explaining a bit more about what GDP is before we get in-depth on recession.

Gross domestic product is the world's most closely watched economic indicator. It measures how much is produced, how much is spent and how much is earned in an economy over a certain period of time.

When GDP goes up, the economy is considered to be doing well.

When it goes down - negative growth or economic contraction - it's not doing well.

The most commonly used definition of a recession is when GDP falls for at least two successive three-month periods, or "quarters".

The Office for National Statistics says the "two quarters" rule has the potential to be misleading, however, as there are other factors that might mean GDP falls for six months that won't mean an economy is in recession.

But it's widely used - including by the Bank of England - as a rule of thumb.

Recessions are temporary and part of the economic cycle. If an economic downturn is particularly severe or lasts for a long period of time, it's known as a depression.

Why do some people talk about a 'technical recession'?

You may have heard economists, journalists or statisticians use this phrase before.

As we've said above, in the UK a recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth regardless of how deep, wide-ranging and long an economic downturn is.

Some will use the phrase "technical recession" to identify that they're applying this prescriptive definition of a recession, compared to, say, the US where the National Bureau of Economic Research will consider a broader range of economic indicators, such as unemployment, job vacancies and wage data, before declaring whether the economy is in recession.

What causes a recession?

It's difficult to determine exactly what causes a recession, as a number of factors can be at play.

They can be triggered by rising interest rates, economic shocks such as that experienced during the COVID pandemic, excess debt in the housing market (2008 crisis) and oversupply of goods and services - among many other things.

What happens during a recession and how would it affect me?

During a recession there's less money circulating, which can mean job losses, pay cuts, recruitment freezes and businesses shutting up shop.

Getting a mortgage or loan during a recession will prove hard as banks tighten their lending criteria.

It is also likely a recession will not be felt equally across society, with those on benefits, in precarious work or without savings faring worse.

Are we in a recession now?

Figures released by the ONS last month showed the UK slipped into a recession at the end of 2023.

But the economy is set to grow more than expected in 2024, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility - the country's fiscal watchdog - which is also expecting better economic growth in 2025 than previously forecast.

Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, also hinted in February that the recession may "already be over". He told a committee of MPs he believed the downturn would be one of the most shallow recession events of modern times.

Read other entries in our Basically... series:

Prosecutions for low level offences such as speeding, truancy and TV licence fee non-payments are usually dealt with behind-closed-doors by the Single Justice Procedure (SJP).

It's designed to keep the court system efficient and minimise delays to more serious cases in the magistrates' courts. 

But the Magistrates' Association has intervened to call for a reform of the SJP system, saying "flaws" in the system mean magistrates do not have enough time to consider cases and that it is harming "some of society's most vulnerable people". 

The association is urging the Ministry of Justice to carry out a 12-point plan, including allowing prosecutors to see all pleas and mitigations beforehand, and letting the sittings be observed by journalists. 

Up to 40,000 SJP cases are currently decided in private each month. 

News reports say cases prosecuted by the SJP include a 78-year-old with dementia fined for not having car insurance while she was in a care home, a 33-year-old given a £781 legal bill after accidentally failing to pay £4 to the DVLA, and an 85-year-old woman prosecuted for not paying car insurance after suffering a broken neck and being admitted to a care home. 

A black Uber Eats courier has been given a payout to end a legal claim in which he alleged he was unfairly blocked from work because the company's facial recognition app was racist.

Pa Manjang had his courier account suspended after being told security selfie checks he provided had "continued mismatches". 

Couriers need to provide the photo checks at the start of their shifts, but Mr Manjang said he had been asked to take pictures of himself "multiple times a day" because the AI software failed to recognise him.

He told Uber Eats: "Your algorithm, by the looks of things, is racist."

The food delivery app has said its verification process also involves human reviewers.  

Mr Manjang was backed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the App Drivers and Couriers Union, who funded his case.

Both said they were concerned by the use of AI in this instance, "particularly how it could be used to permanently suspend a driver's access to the app, depriving them of an income".

Uber Eats has made a settlement in the case, but reports suggest it accepts no liability.

The company said in a statement to Sky News that the real-time ID check "was not the reason for Mr Manjang's brief loss of access to his courier account".

"Our Real Time ID check is designed to help keep everyone who uses our app safe, and includes robust human review to make sure that we're not making decisions about someone's livelihood in a vacuum, without oversight," it said.

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

The possibility of a new record high being reached by the most valuable companies of the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 has ebbed away. 

The index is down slightly (0.06%) this morning, no longer within touching distance of the all-time high in the combined value of the FTSE 100 companies recorded in February last year, as the rally that came late last week receded. 

The news that Asos sales fell 18% in the six months to March did nothing to dent the share price - it was up 7.6% but comes after a fall of 90% across the last three years. 

Performing well this morning is gambling giant Flutter, the owner of Paddy Power and Betfair brands. Today it announced it is moving its primary stock exchange listing to New York on 31 May, a blow to London. But it also recorded revenue growth of 17.3% in the UK and Ireland as it said its market share grew in the countries. 

Oil prices have fallen from the $87 a barrel cost of Monday and now the benchmark Brent crude oil costs $86.8.

A pound buys $1.2647 and €1.1659.

Chocolate is among the products placing upwards pressure on grocery inflation in the run-up to Easter, according to closely watched supermarket data.

Kantar Worldpanel, which tracks pricing and market share, reported a further slowing in the pace of price growth across the sector over the four weeks to 17 March.

It said the annual rate for grocery inflation eased to 4.5% - down from the 5.3% figure recorded the previous month.

The report credited price matching guarantees across the industry, as shoppers continue to seek out value amid the wider cost of living crisis that is continuing to damage household spending power despite wage growth firmly outstripping the rate of inflation.

Kantar reported that prices were rising fastest in markets such as sugar confectionery and chocolate confectionery.

Global cocoa prices have nearly doubled so far this year. Heavy rains in West Africa, where most of the world's cocoa is grown, have hit production.

Things falling fastest include butter, milk and toilet tissues, it found.

You can read more from our business reporter James Sillars here...

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  5. Time-Traveler Shows a Photo From the Year 6,000

  6. WHAT ARE THE MAIN PURPOSES OF A TRAVELOGUE?

COMMENTS

  1. What is a Travel Blog: Definition & Examples from a 6-Figure Blogger

    A travel blog is a blog that's specifically dedicated to travel in some capacity. Travel bloggers share stories, tips and tricks about traveling. There are a ton of different sub niches, which help bloggers curate their ideal audience with a focus. The more niche the blog, the easier it is to start growing.

  2. 15 Secrets To Becoming A Successful Travel Blogger

    1: Create Useful Travel Content. Writing Your Travel Blog. Writing a diary of your travels for family & friends is easy, but other than them, no one else cares. If you want strangers to read your travel blog, you'll need to provide something more useful.

  3. Travel Blogger: Definition, Lifestyle & How To Work Remotely

    A travel blogger travels to places of interest and writes about their experiences for other people to read. Some travel bloggers work locally, covering places in a general area, while others may travel worldwide. ... You can have amazing, ground-breaking content, but it doesn't mean a thing if nobody reads it. In order to avoid falling into ...

  4. What is a travel blog?

    A blog is a type of website that is updated regularly in the form of posts. These posts can be stories and/or snippets of information, reviews, photographs, images, podcasts and other types of content that can be uploaded online. More often than not, a blog is written from the perspective of one person or a couple/small group.

  5. How To Become a Travel Blogger (15 Expert Tips)

    Here are a few ways to make money and become a successful travel blogger: 1. Affiliate Marketing: This is by far our favourite earning method. Affiliate Marketing is when you share products on your website that you use and trust, and in turn, those companies pay you a commission when someone purchases their product.

  6. What is a Travel Blog: Advice from a 6-Figure Travel Blogger

    Start with these six travel blogger tips and then go from there. 1. Be clear about your blogging goals. Starting a travel blog can be an exciting and rewarding venture, but can also be confusing on where to start. The first step to starting a travel blog is to be clear about your goals.

  7. The Ultimate Guide To Travel Blogging: For Beginners and Pros

    Blogging about travel offers a plethora of possibilities. You can run your blog as a purely leisure-oriented enterprise or a business blog that sells products and services. These are the two forms of blogging most travel blogs are formed from. It is important to promote your blog, to build an SEO strategy, to use SMM, etc.

  8. What Does a Travel Blogger Do?

    Travel Blogger Job Duties. Research and plan travel itineraries to diverse destinations, ensuring a mix of popular and off-the-beaten-path locations. Create engaging content, including blog posts, videos, and social media updates, documenting travel experiences and providing travel tips. Photograph landscapes, cultural events, and local cuisine ...

  9. How to be a travel blogger: The pros share their tips

    1. Blog for the right reasons. Many people think of travel blogging as a great way to see the world and make cash while doing it. But the desire to succeed must come from a deeper place. "Have a ...

  10. How To Start A Travel Blog (Properly!)

    Then press "install". The set-up might take about 5 minutes — time to make yourself a cup of tea or tell a good travel story to your cat. Come back to your computer and WordPress should be all set up now. Step 3. Sign in to your blog! Okay, there isn't really a step 3.

  11. How to Start a Travel Blog: The Complete Guide

    Social media: The easiest way to promote your travel blog is through your own network, but social media, with hundreds of millions of monthly active users, is also known for targeted advertising, meaning that it can help your content reach the people most likely to care about it. Hand Luggage Only's Instagram is a great example of a beautiful ...

  12. How to Become a Travel Blogger

    Finally, some travel bloggers offer advice to their readers in the form of helping them to arrange travel itineraries. Wandering Earl for example offers full tours, helping travellers to experience the places that they have visited, know and love. 10. User supported. Some travel bloggers and content creators have a user supported model.

  13. Travel Blogs: Definition, Types, Income & 25 Examples

    Travel blogs usually feature incredible photography. Photographs entice people to go to new destinations. Photography blogs teach people how to take these stunning photos. Many travel blogs have a section on photography and vice versa. Happiness Blogs. One of the biggest reasons people travel is the quest for happiness.

  14. What is a Travel Blogger & What Do They Do?

    A travel blogger is someone who travels to different places, writes about their experiences and publishes them onto an online blog. If you have enough money saved to live on, you could use your travel blog to share your journey without worrying about readership or making money. If you've ever wondered how travel bloggers can make money on ...

  15. Travel Blogging for Beginners (Actually Useful Tips)

    So if you want to start a travel blog despite the odds, by all means do it - just make sure you are in it for the right (and realistic) reasons. #3: Building A Travel Blog Following as a Beginner Takes Time. A Lot of Time. Getting blog followers takes time. A lot of it.

  16. How to Start a Travel Blog, Successfully (in 10 Steps)

    Click the Install button. Choose the domain name to install it to. In the field next to the domain, you can enter a subfolder such as 'blog' or leave it blank if you want the site's main page to be the blog. If necessary, you can edit the email address, username and password for the new WordPress installation.

  17. 16 Things Nobody Tells You About Being a Travel Blogger

    And neither does sun glare. As a travel blogger, you will have a mix of excitement-filled days where you wander around new cities and go on epic adventures; but there are normal days too, where you spend the majority of your time behind a laptop. 6. Blogging is NOT a way to get rich fast.

  18. Travel Bloggers: What to Write & How to Write a Travel Blog

    Travel blog example 1: 'Things to Do' listicle. Fun things to do in a destination. There's a bit of snobbery around listicles in travel blogging, but personally I think they're a really important and useful example of a travel blog. You need to do them carefully though, and with heart and experience.

  19. Pros and Cons of Being a Travel Blogger

    A travel blogger is the ultimate digital nomad, requiring the above skills in addition to a ton of self-discipline and self-motivation. Remember that you don't have a team, colleagues or coworkers. Your success as a travel blogger rests entirely on your shoulders. With the right skills and dedication, you could get paid to blog as a travel ...

  20. 3 Types of Travel Blogs (and Which Pays Best)

    It's the method used by Lonely Planet, Frommers and Travelfish to rise above the noise and deliver world-class travel info/entertainment. And once you understand this method, you'll take a good, long look at your travel blog and suddenly see a world of opportunities. Sure, the other two might work (at least in the short run) but the stone ...

  21. How To Write A Travel Blog Post That Inspires Your Readers

    Here are a few ways you can make your travel blog post introduction interesting: Introduce your destination or topic with a brief overview. Add context and background information as to what they can expect (romance them with a hook) Share a personal anecdote or story that will want the reader to learn more.

  22. Travel Blogger

    Travel Blogger Employers. While many travel bloggers put together their own guidebook websites or blogs, there are gig opportunities working for somebody else's travel company. As the world's workforce increasingly shifts to remote work, travel jobs become even more common. World Travel Holdings is a great example.

  23. 53 Best Travel Blogs and Bloggers To Follow (2024)

    4. The Blonde Abroad. By: Kiersten "Kiki" Rich. I covered Kiersten "Kiki" Rich of The Blonde Abroad in my list of the top lifestyle bloggers to follow in 2024. As her blog's name suggests, she's mainly a travel blogger who also discusses two other lifestyle-related topics — blogging and photography.

  24. What Slow Travel Is and Why You Should Try It

    To me, travel should be transformative. It should lift you out of your daily life and transport you to a place where the food, the language, the customs, the culture may be different from yours ...

  25. Easter 2024: Date, Meaning, Celebration

    Easter 2024. Easter is a significant Christian festival celebrated worldwide to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It marks the culmination of the Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday and includes Maundy Thursday (Last Supper) and Good Friday (crucifixion). Easter falls on different dates each year, depending on the ...

  26. Money blog: Eight major price hikes next week

    As of Thursday, the average two-year fixed was 5.81% and for five years 5.39%, according to Moneyfacts. These are averages, so many buyers and those remortgaging will be able to secure lower rates ...