Have you ever wondered how to create a travel bucket list? Most people think of a bucket list as a collection of things to accomplish before you die, but this couldn't be further from the truth!
Right now, you can create as many bucket lists as you want. In fact, creating a travel bucket list is a fun way to stay motivated to pursue your dreams, especially if traveling is something you want to do.
No doubt you've always dreamt of visiting a few places like taking tours in Iceland, but you've just never gotten around to it, or you think it's outside your reach. Creating a travel bucket list helps to set a plan in motion to complete your goals. When written down, goals are reinforced and more likely to be completed. So, by creating a physical travel bucket list, you are one step closer to your dream destination.
There's a right way to make a bucket list, and a wrong way. Well, maybe not wrong, but there are definitely things you can do to help your bucket list better drive you towards your goals.
Want to know the secret?
Put these easy tips for creating your travel bucket list into practice, and you'll be asking all the right questions to compile a practical yet inspiring list you can't wait to complete.
Brainstorming
What kind of adventures do you like?
Take a look at the places you've visited in the past and consider what kind of places you'd like to go to next. Do you enjoy hiking in the alpine mountains? Trekking through a tropical jungle? Relaxing on a quiet sandy beach? The destinations you want to visit revolve around the adventures you want to experience.
What's your reason to go somewhere?
This goes hand in hand with the previous point. Why do you want to visit the places on your list? Is there a certain food or experience you want to try? Do you want to volunteer? Are you trying to learn more about a hobby, or do you want to try something completely new? Thinking about your purpose in going to a destination may provide inspiration for more places to visit and things to do. For example, if you want to learn how to learn to scuba dive, you may consider visiting Vietnam, Thailand or Indonesia.
Where can you find inspiration?
If you're looking for once-in-a-lifetime places and activities to add to your bucket list, the resources available are limitless. The internet is full of ideas if you know the right places to look. Great places to find bucket list inspiration include:
- "Best of" Lists - Travel bloggers and tourism boards are always creating lists and articles full of the best of whatever you're looking for. These "best of" lists can be broad like "The Best Beaches in the World" or ultra specific like "The Best Underground Restaurants in New York City". Find a list of places or activities you're interested in and add your favorite items to your bucket list.
- Social Media - In recent years, this has become one of the best travel inspiration sources. Check out gorgeous travel images on Instagram, watch scenic videos on Tiktok and YouTube, or research new and beautiful places on Pinterest. These are only a few of the many social media platforms that have high quality, inspiring travel content.
- Ask Your Friends - Speaking of social media, use Facebook to ask your friends for recommendations of places to go and things to do. Or, if you know a friend who has traveled a lot, ask which places have been their favorite. If your friends know you well, they can make recommendations based on what they know you'll like or dislike.
- Learn from the Experts - Read travel blogs and travel magazines for helpful articles on places to visit, not to mention beautiful travel photos to inspire you. Movies and books set in foreign locations are also a good place to start.
Creating Your Travel Bucket List
Once you've finished brainstorming ideas, it's time to create your list. You'll need to decide what type of travel bucket list you want to make. Here are some examples:
- List for the year - It's common to make a bucket list for the new year the same way you make new year's resolutions. But you don't have to wait for 1st January to start a bucket list! Make a list to complete in the next 365 days, or even for a certain month if you're feeling ambitious.
- List for your 20's, 30's, etc. - It's a great idea to create a list of all the places you want to travel before you turn 25, 30, or whatever age you're turning next. You can make one for each year of your life, or just before the "big numbers" like 30 or 40. See my example Before 30 Bucket List.
- List for different seasons - Make a bucket list for each season or for your favorite season of the year. For example, when you're looking up "Best of" lists, find one for best summer destinations in the USA or best winter activities in Canada.
- List for a certain destination - You could make a bucket list for places to travel all over the world, or you could narrow it down to destinations you want to visit in a certain region, country, state, or even city. So, a bucket list could be for Europe, Italy, Tuscany, or Florence.
- List of places in a certain category: Once you've figured out what kind of adventures you like, make a bucket list for one of the categories you're interested in. For example, make a list of the best hikes in national parks, or perhaps make a bucket list for visiting all 50 states in the USA.
How should you organize your bucket list?
When choosing destinations and activities, it's important to prioritize and organize destinations based on both your desire and realistic ability to go. You should dream big for your bucket list, but the reality is that some places will require you to save up a little more money.
Does that mean you should leave out the more expensive activities and destinations? Absolutely not!
Find clever ways you can save money and draft a timeline of how long you think it will take you to save enough funds. Then, you can work on the easier items on your travel bucket list while saving up for the harder ones.
So how do you actually create your bucket list?
When you are ready to physically create your travel bucket list, think about how you want to keep track of it. Most people would just grab a piece of paper and start writing things down, but a scrap of paper is easy to lose or forget about.
There are so many creative ways to keep a bucket list, but here are a few of my favorites:
- Paper List - The tried and true way of making a list: write it on paper. But like I said, a random piece of paper is easy to lose. Write it down on a nice list or printable to hang on your bulletin board, stick on your fridge, or keep securely with your travel documents.
- Maps - There are many different kinds of special maps for sale on the internet that will help you track your travels. Whether it's using push-pins, scratching off destinations, or pasting a photo from each country onto the map, there's never been a prettier way to display your bucket list.
- Journal - If you're passionate about travel, consider keeping a travel journal. Not only is this a way to remember details of your travels, it's the perfect place to keep your detailed plans for future trips and, of course, your bucket list.
Are you ready to start checking off items on your bucket list? There's no time like the present. Keep these tips handy while you create your ultimate travel bucket list.
Now go book that flight, take that trip, and start living your dreams!
