New year, new you: 8 ways you can travel better in 2019

Are you ready to leap head-first into the new year? We certainly are.

2018 was good and all, but as this year comes to a close, we can’t wait to start planning next year’s adventures. And what better way to start preparing for the exciting trips ahead, than by vowing to travel smarter and more confidently than you did the year before?

From savvier booking habits to choosing new experiences, these are the ways you can travel better in 2019. And then head over to KAYAK.co.uk to start planning your 2019 travels.

Search for flights

Be proactive

You know those people that seem to always get the best bargain? The ones who just happen to spy that £175 return flight to New York or just happen to come across that bargainous hotel room? They’re not lucky. They’re proactive. You see, coming across these deals takes skill and to find amazing travel deals takes some preparation and savvy know-how. This may sound like an oxymoron, but finding an amazing travel offer and spontaneously booking a trip takes a bit of planning. Our tip? Sign up to our newsletter. All it takes is a few minutes of admin and you’ll be able to have the best deals sent straight to your inbox. What’s more, if you have a specific route in mind, you can sign up for and price alerts that’ll let you know when flight prices go up or down.

Be a little more flexible

It’s understandable that you maybe have exact dates in mind when planning a trip, but it’s amazing how much you can save with a little bit of flexibility when you travel. You may want to save your annual-leave by travelling on the weekend, but picking mid-week flights is almost a sure-fire way to save. KAYAK lets you search with flexible dates options, so you can see when is the best time to fly.

Tick off somewhere totally new

Whether it’s ticking off a new continent or exploring a new part of a familiar country, make sure you see at least one new place in 2019. It’s easy to fall into a routine and choose the safe travel options, but seeing somewhere totally unknown to you should be top of your travel to-do list. If you need some inspiration about where to go, give KAYAK Explore a go. Our tool lets you see where in the world you can fly to on your budget. So filter by date and price range and then see which new and exciting places pop up on our interactive map.

Use our interactive map to find flights

Explore somewhere close to home

Whether you rent a car, jump on a train or dig out your hiking boots, this is the year to go on a mini-adventure. It is sometimes easy to forget how much we have on our doorstep. It’s amazing how much our little country has to offer.

Need some inspiration? The try Britain off the beaten track: 17 incredible places you have to see before going overseas

Travel for more than the Instabrag

You can act all sanctimonious when it comes to seeing people’s overly-staged holiday photos, but we can hazard a guess that you’ve planned a trip based solely on one wanderlusty picture on your Instagram feed. This year, we’re trying to be more in the moment, whether that means leaving the camera in your hotel room when going to visit some ancient shrine, or picking a location to visit based purely on trying its cuisine, its music or its culture (and not just to take pictures). It’s amazing what you’ll notice when you put down the camera.

Listen as well as look

It’s perhaps hard to imagine basing your travel plans on more than just how a place looks. But travelling is all about being in the moment and experiencing with all the senses. Taking a moment to really hear the destination your in will help you to understand it better and remember it even more clearly once you return. Whether it be noticing the different sounds of a city compared to your own, the new and interesting ways that people communicate or even just the intense silence of a mountain that you’ve spent hours climbing to the summit of.

Do your bit for the planet

It’s easy to fall into that “I’m on holiday” mode while travelling and start to slip up on the normal day-to-day rituals that help to that little bit for the planet. Yes, flying abroad isn’t exactly the best way to be Green, but there are ways you can travel that help benefit the places you visit and the planet as a whole. From simple acts like reusing hotel towels and picking a travel flask over a plastic water bottle, to bigger commitments, like paying for locally-made souvenirs and products, are a big way to be a more ethical and environmentally aware traveller.

Go solo

You’ve always thought about it. This is the year to do it. Whether you just book a weekend in a European city you’ve always wanted to visit, or make plans to embark on a South East Asia adventure, you’ll be amazed at just how rewarding a solo holiday can be. Seeing somewhere totally on your terms is one of the most rewarding ways to travel and you’ll probably be surprised at how confident you’ll be when navigating a new place.