Mapping Out 2026 DESIGN YOUR YEAR OF TRAVEL
It’s January 2026. Your New Year’s resolutions are already a whisper of a promise to yourself, and your calendar is blank… except for a few school plays, a tax deadline, and that family reunion you’re half-dreading 🥲
Let’s fix that.
Who says you have to plan one trip at a time, or wait until the last minute to realize you’re retired and you don't have travel plans for 2026 yet?
Mapping your travel year now means better pricing, better availability, and trips that actually fit your schedule (and budget) instead of just hoping they’ll work out.
Here’s how to start designing your perfect year of travel 🧭
5 Steps for Planning
YOUR TRAVEL BLUEPRINT
📌 STEP 1: Set Your Travel Goals
Decide what matters most: relaxation, adventure, cultural experiences, family time, or a mix. Once you have your priorities flushed out, make a list of destinations that align with each goal.
Ask yourself: Do I want a few big trips, a mix of smaller getaways and big trips, longer cruises, or cruise and land combinations?
📌 STEP 2: Review Your Calendar
Pull up your 2026 calendar and identify family celebrations, planned events, and anything else already on your calendar. If you're not quite retired yet, look for holiday weekends that can turn 4 vacation days into a 9 or 10-day vacation!
Helpful Tip: Creating a “vacation blueprint” now maximizes your days off without burning all your PTO on one trip.
📌 STEP 3: ESTABLISH A BUDGET
Consider how much you want to spend on travel for the year, not just per trip. Factor in flights, accommodations, excursions, meals, and “fun money.”
Bonus: Knowing your budget early helps me recommend destinations that align with your goals and your wallet, without unwelcome surprises.
📌 STEP 4: Map Destinations by Distance & Season
Save your longer trips or bucket‑list destinations (think Africa, Asia, or multi‑country Europe) for when you can travel 14+ days. Use shorter trips, think long weekends, for closer or domestic destinations, ideally during their best weather.
Example: Plan a hiking trip to a National Park for a long summer weekend, and save a warm‑weather escape for winter when home feels extra gray.
📌 STEP 5: LOCK IN BIG TRIPS EARLY
Choose your “anchor” trips first: milestone celebrations, summer vacations, or bucket‑list adventures. Then fill in the year with long weekends, week-long cruises from your close-to-home port, or room for spontaneous last‑minute getaways.
Advisor Tip: Booking early unlocks better flight schedules, the best cabins or rooms, and often perks like breakfast or upgrades.
Your 2026 travel year is a blank canvas. Map it with intention, and by the time January rolls around, you’ll already have trips to look forward to, PTO dialed in, and zero “we should’ve planned that sooner” regrets.
Hit reply and tell me where you’re hoping to go in 2026. I can help you start filling in that map 😉
🗺️ P.S. The best trips don’t just happen… they’re mapped. Planning now means better pricing, smoother schedules, and the joy of knowing your adventures are locked in!
