6 Thrilling Travel Trends To Experience In 2025
It’s time to start mapping out your 2025 travels. The year ahead promises a shift in how we approach our journeys, with a focus on deeper immersion, indulging in personal interests, and more intentional, mindful choices when it comes to modes of transport and location. EVA RAMIREZ unpacks the trends that are set to define our future vacations and the best places to go to experience them
Hotels that feel like a home
A convivial atmosphere, characterful communal areas, flexible dining and check-in options, and a slightly unbuttoned service style – this travel trend takes the comforts of home and elevates them with the perks of a hotel stay. In 2025, travelers are seeking the feeling of being ‘in residence’ rather than just passing through as temporary guests. Hotel design is aligning, too, with lobbies that feel like living rooms, hotel libraries, staff on hand to share local knowledge, and ever-increasing in-room amenities, such as a cocktail-making station. For those who like to feel like a local rather than a tourist when they travel, this trend facilitates a more authentic experience. Ett Hem in Stockholm epitomizes the concept: set across three beautifully restored townhouses connected by a lush garden, guests are encouraged to treat the hotel as their own. There’s an eat-in kitchen, an in-house sourdough bakery and stylish social spaces filled with Scandinavian art. With a luxurious yet intimate feeling, it’s like your own chic pied-à-terre for exploring Stockholm.
Detour destinations
Tellingly, 63% of travelers say they’re keen to include lesser-known destinations in their itineraries for 2025 trips, and so the idea of detour destinations is taking off. If you want to get the most out of your next vacation, adding an extra night or two to explore a nearby spot that may not be quite as popular adds a sense of adventure. Think hidden gems, locals-only experiences or day trips to the countryside. Often overshadowed by its neighbor Los Angeles, San Diego offers a great alternative, with its rich Hispanic and Latino culture influencing everything from art and architecture to delicious Mexican food. The Granger Hotel in the city’s buzzing Gaslamp Quarter is a lively design hotel that’s the perfect base from which to explore the rich contemporary culture and fun nightlife.
Rail journeys
The saying “it’s not about the destination, but the journey” comes to mind when you think of a long and languid train ride. Views whirr past, the gentle hum of wheels on tracks lulls you to sleep, and, if you’re lucky, the snack cart is worth visiting. Indulging in the luxury of a long journey, rail trips are a big trend for 2025. This isn’t entirely novel, but there are some newcomers set to offer incredible trips. La Dolce Vita Orient Express, promoted as Italy’s first luxury train, will offer eight Italian round-trip itineraries setting out from Rome. New from Belmond, The Britannic Explorer is a luxury sleeper train that will depart from London and offer three-night journeys with three routes through the spectacular natural landscapes of Cornwall, the Lake District, and Wales. Fine dining and an on-board wellness suite add to the magic and feel miles apart from your typical train ride. As we all try to make efforts towards more planet-conscious travel, this is a mindful option that offers something unique and memorable.
A refined take on all-inclusive
The new era of all-inclusive travel redefines the concept from fluorescent wristbands and saccharine cocktails to a far more luxurious experience. Bookings for all-inclusive hotels and private properties rose by 24% last year, proving that travelers are eager for the seamlessness of such a vacation. Today’s all-inclusives go beyond the crowded buffets and beachside aerobics, with places such as Ikos Porto Petro in Mallorca delivering an elevated take, with private villas, childcare and hyper-curated experiences. The all-inclusive packages at Windjammer Landing Resort & Residences in St. Lucia even include fine dining, private pools and activities to enjoy, both at the resort and beyond.
Vineyard hotels
A stay at a vineyard hotel combines the essential ingredients of an idyllic holiday: a connection with nature, a taste of local culture and the pleasure of fine wine. It’s no surprise, then, that wine tourism is a travel trend poised to grow in 2025. Millennials, now the leading consumers of wine, are driving this growth with their appetite for immersive travel experiences. While Portugal is the most popular destination for enotourism, Moldova is also emerging as a strong contender, with extensive underground cellars, historical wine heritage and gorgeous weather. Despite its small size, this Eastern European country accounts for nearly 2% of the world’s total vineyard area. Umbria’s Hotel Castello di Reschio is a thousand-year-old castle on a sprawling Italian wine estate that’s worth getting lost in. For something a little more avant-garde, Hotel Marqués de Riscal in Rioja Alavesa, Spain, is the Frank Gehry-designed hotel with a Caudalie vinotherapy spa and a Michelin-starred restaurant serving molecular gastronomy.
Cool-cations
As summers in Europe get hotter, travelers who want to avoid extreme heat are looking to cooler destinations for their summer getaways. This trend can skew two ways: by visiting your favorite summer destinations in the off-season or shoulder months, when temperatures are milder, or by exploring naturally cooler destinations such as Northern Europe and Canada. Scandinavian summers have seen a 26% rise in bookings. With pristine lakes perfect for wild swimming, long sunny days and plenty of fresh fish, countries such as Norway and Finland are particularly popular. For a stylish stay in Norway, the Wood Hotel Bodø is made of timber and has striking views of the surrounding fjords and forests. The ‘outdoor resort’ is perfectly located for adventures in nature and outdoorsy wellness, like saunas and Nordic baths.