How to Establish Your Travel Style in Your 20s

This blog post was updated on September 27, 2019.

Your 20s is the time in your life when you can finally travel on your own and have the last word on any decision about where you go. During this first full decade of adulthood, it’s important to keep in mind that you’re developing habits and attitudes that will affect the way you travel for years to come. So, ideally you’d want to get things right and set a course for a lifetime of fulfilling adventure ahead of you.

From booking round trip flights with multiple stops around the globe to choosing to go deep and really getting to know a destination, visiting the best places to travel in your 20s and establishing your own unique travel style takes some thought but not all that much effort. It’s essentially about having the right attitude and thinking “big picture” when planning your trips.

Here, let us show you how …

Go Big or Stay Home

Welcome to full-fledged adulthood. It’s going to have all sorts of sucky moments but plenty of real thrills too. That goes for your education, your career, your love life, and your travels. We’re only here to assist with the travels but maybe some of the tips here can apply to other important parts of your life. Indeed, now’s the time to take risks, make mistakes, follow whims, explore your options, and be inspired and influenced by all kinds of things. For better or worse, you’re going to be set in your ways before you realize it. There’s still a bit of a kid in you during your 20s; go play (but as a grownup) and enjoy the heck out of the opportunity to do so.

Think about what appeals to you and reflect on what you can do for your next trip so you can have more meaningful and richer travel experiences down the line.

Ready for your next adventure? Check out these cheap round trip flights that can help you save!

Live and Learn

Do you know why folks go to college when they’re in their early 20s? Because that’s when they’re most ready and able to learn. Same goes for hitting the road. During your 20s, you’re at a stage when you can best absorb the lessons that new destinations can teach you. You’re also most likely to achieve success when facing challenges and will be able to apply those successes to a variety of future situations. This is the decade to push yourself, broaden horizons, test your mettle … all that good stuff.

Jump into adventures and life-affirming travel opportunities. There’s a rock face, bungee cord, diving certificate, overseas volunteer teaching job, or mountain trail with your name all over it! You’ll be wiser and more aware for doing so and have a better grip on what makes you most happy when traveling.

Hang Time

For many on the other side of their 20s, the thing they miss most is the free time they had in their younger days. Soon enough you’ll discover that simply hanging out somewhere without much of an agenda is a luxury. If ever you’re going to enjoy that gap year or micro-gap, take a job waiting tables on some far-flung island, or be a ski instructor in the Alps, it’s probably going to be during your 20s.

Be aware that in your 30s and beyond you probably will have more commitments and responsibilities and less time to yourself than you did in your 20s. Seize the decade and don’t squander the chance to travel freely.

Numbers Game

Have a romantic rendezvous for two. Ship out with your besties for a no-holds-barred weekend away. Meet up with old friends in an old haunt. Seek out somewhere you and an acquaintance both have never been and explore it together. Drop in on the family. Travel solo.

Are you someone who loves to see the world with a buddy or in a group — or on your own? Try out traveling by yourself and in different group sizes to see which way suits you best.

Mix Things Up

To determine your own travel style you need to play around and experience different travel scenarios and be okay with a little trial and error. How do you know you don’t like all-inclusive beach vacations? Are you sure you wouldn’t love zip-lining through a rain forest?

Get to know what you do and don’t like when you travel by mixing things up while you’re still young. Gain as much experience and perspective as you can.

So what are you waiting for? Follow these tips so you can hop on some round trip flights to make the most of your 20s and discover what kind of traveler you REALLY are!

What’s your travel style and how did you develop it? Share your story with us in the comments.