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Traveling is a huge passion of mine! Since transitioning into becoming a full time content creator two years ago, I’ve gotten to do a ton of traveling. I’ve knocked a lot of cities and countries off of my travel bucket list and I wanted to share these travel destinations and some of my tips for all of your travels in 2020! I’ll be sharing my favorite cities in Europe, Central America, the United States, and some state parks in the U.S. as well!

One of my favorite travel websites is Expedia because they provides travelers with the best deals, making planning and booking travel easy! Expedia is one of the world’s largest online travel brands, so they have a leg up when it comes to analyzing travel trends across air travel, hotel stays, bookings, and experiences. The Expedia 2020 Travel Trends Report aims to arm travelers with everything we need to know to travel smarter in 2020! In this blog post, I will be sharing trends from the report as well!

EUROPE

BRUGES

Bruges is a picturesque, fairytale town in Belgium. It’s become a major tourist destination because of it’s charming buildings, canals, and bridges. It’s a very walkable town and easy to get to by train. Bruges should definitely be on your destination list!

TIP: During the summer there are a lot of tourists visiting Bruges, so I would suggest visiting during an off-season! Early Spring would be lovely because of all the flowers.

BRUSSELS

There were so many beautiful things to see in Brussels from the Mont des Arts to the Royal Palace! Most of the main attractions in the city aren’t far from each other so you can easily see them all by foot. Brussels is home to the European Union headquarters so people from all over the world live there making it a very diverse city.

GHENT

Ghent is a beautiful, medieval city in Belgium. It’s much smaller than Brussels but still has tons of things to see and it’s full of quirkiness and charm. The architecture of the buildings was absolutely amazing! I loved visiting Ghent and would highly recommend the city as a travel destination.

LUXEMBOURG

Luxembourg is a very small country bordered by France, Germany, and Belgium. Luxembourg City is highly influenced by French culture and architecture. It’s a beautiful city with tons of history and unique areas to visit like the “Grund” area below the city and the old town area of Luxembourg that’s perched on cliffs above the Grund.

COLOGNE

Cologne is one of the smaller cities in Germany. It’s the perfect day trip destination while visiting Germany or any of it’s bordering countries. I loved the charming old town area and walking along the riverfront.

AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam is one of those charming European cities that’s on almost everyone’s travel bucket lists and for good reason! The architecture in the city is just amazing, I loved the crooked homes and buildings along the many canals in the city. I could stroll through the canal streets for hours.

PARIS

Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world! There is SO much to see there. I’ve been to Paris several times and there are still so many attractions and areas of the city that I haven’t seen.

TIP: Paris is a huge city and a lot of the tourist attractions are fairly far apart. The best way to travel through the city is by metro! It’s very inexpensive and easy to use once you figure out the subway system.

Another tip is to book tickets well in advance! Especially for the Eiffel Tower, the tower visit in the Notre Dame, and the Arc du Triomphe.

LONDON

London is another European city that you have to visit! There is of course a ton of history and beautiful architecture in the city and numerous attractions. London has a certain charm to it with it’s double decker buses, famous red telephone boxes, and flowers along every street corner.

TIP: An Oyster card is the best way to see the city! It will get you on the subway, buses, trams, and more.

The Expedia Travel Trends Report identified these cities in Europe as popular destinations for 2020:

Spain: Beachy Ibiza (+50%), Balearic capital Palma de Mallorca (+35%), and the history Oviedo (+30%) and Alicante (+15%).

Portugal: Porto (+55%), Faro +(35%), and Lisbon (+10%), all of which are beautiful cities!

Italy: Typical destinations in Europe are Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast and for good reason! These areas are stunning, however there are some lesser known cities that have started picking up popularity like Cagliari (+40%), Genoa, Olbia, and Calabria all at +5%.

CENTRAL AMERICA

CANCUN

Cancun is a tourist destination that is most known for it’s all inclusive resorts and beaches. But there is actually so much more to do besides sitting on the beach!

TIP: There are tons of cool ruins to check out in this region of Mexico like Chichen Itza, Coba, and more. There are also beautiful cenotes (underground water holes) everywhere in this area. To see these beautiful places, I would recommend renting a car! Tulum, about an hour outside of Cancun is not be missed either!

TULUM

Tulum is a town about an hour outside of Mexico. The main town near the highway doesn’t seem like much, but there is a strip near the beach with tons of boutique hotels, restaurants, shopping, and amazing beach views that you can access via a road off the main town. It’s not to be missed! We absolutely loved the bohemian feel of this area.

TIP: The beautiful Gran Cenote is located about 30 min outside of the town of Tulum! There are signs that you can follow to get there or ask a local!

The Expedia Travel Trends Report indicates that Cancun and Puerto Vallarta are still as popular as ever, but there are a few other cities in Mexico that are having a moment as well such as Campeche, Oaxaca, and Puerto Escondido.

BEACH DESTINATIONS

If you love beach vacations, then you should consider the travel destinations that Expedia suggested for 2020!

Ras Al Khaimah, UAE (+255%)

Borocay Island, Philippines (+250%)

Positano, Italy (+130%)

Nadi, Fiji (+125%)

Budva, Montenegro (+120%)

Phuket, Thailand (+100%)

Tahiti, French Polynesia (+90%)

Canggu, Indonesia (+80%)

Nosara, Costa Rica (+75%)

Thassos, Greece (+65%)

UNITED STATES

NEW YORK

New York City is one of those cities that you just have to see at least once in your life! It’s a massive city that goes on for miles with so much to see.

TIP: I highly recommend taking the subway to get to all of the tourist spots. It’s cheap and super quick to use! I would plan on visiting either in the Spring, early Summer, or early Fall. It’s freezing during the winter months and very hot in late Summer, both of the times that I visited the city.

SAN FRANCISCO

San Franciso is another charming city that should be on your destination list! I love the Victorian architecture and beautiful buildings scattered across the hills that the city was built on. There are so many amazing views to be seen in the city. It’s truly unique!

TIP: If you plan on driving or renting a car in the city, make sure that you do not leave anything in your car! Break-ins are a problem in the city, my friend and I learned this the hard way.

LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles is another one of those cities that’s on nearly everyone’s travel list! There are so many fun spots to check out in the city like the Hollywood Sign, Melrose, Beverly Hills, and more.

TIP: I also highly recommend checking out Universal Studios and Disneyland while visiting Los Angeles!

LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas is anther city that you have to visit at least once in your life! The strip has tons of cool hotels and casinos with themed architecture. You can find deals to fly there all year long for as little as $100 a ticket!

TIP: If you love vintage buildings and old neon signs, I recommend checking out the Fremont area of Las Vegas where there are tons of old chapels, motels, and casinos. This is the oldest part of Las Vegas.

CHARLESTON

Charleston is a beautiful, smaller city in South Carolina. It’s one of the oldest cities in the country so it has tons of history! I loved the southern charm of the colorful homes and buildings. It’s very walkable and the food there is amazing!

TIP: It was VERY humid when I visited the city in July so I wouldn’t recommend visiting in the summer.

NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans is another U.S. city that’s filled with history! I absolutely loved the charming, French Quarter and the architecture there. The Garden District was especially stunning too, so many beautiful old mansions!

TIP: There are several old cemeteries in New Orleans that are really cool! The cemeteries are one of the main tourist attractions in New Orleans. I didn’t get the chance to see them when I was in New Orleans for the weekend because I showed up after hours. Make sure to check the hours of the cemeteries before trying to visit because they do close early!

CHICAGO

Chicago is another great city to visit in the states! The architecture in Chicago is stunning. I loved the buildings along the street parallel to the “Bean” monument! A river runs through the city and it’s right next to Lake Michigan so it’s truly a unique city.

TIP: We visited Chicago in March and it was absolutely freezing! Summer would be a great time to visit Chicago, especially to take advantage of the beach along Lake Michigan.

SEATTLE

Seattle is another U.S. city that was built in a beautiful setting! It’s nestled along Elliot Bay and has amazing city views from the waterfront to Kerry Park. Seattle is also known for great coffee (birthplace of Starbucks), the Space Needle, and Pike Place Market. There are so many other great areas to explore in Seattle like the Ballard Area, Alki Beach, Queen Anne, and more.

PENSACOLA

Pensacola is one of the smaller cities in the western part of the Florida panhandle. It’s white sand beaches are absolutely stunning! The water is beautiful and clear too. The downtown area is really cute with shopping and restaurants. It would be a fun place for a beach rental vacation!

The Expedia Travel Trends Report identified a few other U.S. cities that are rising in popularity, all of which are actually college towns near outdoor recreational areas!

Cedar City, Utah: Only one hour from Zion National Park and home to Southern Utah University!

Flagstaff, Arizona: Known for strong brews, bluegrass music, great cycling and home to Northern Arizona University.

Bend, OR: Bend has so much to offer from snow sports and kayaking to great breweries and camping. It’s about an hour from Smith Rock State Park and the Painted Hills too!

Eugene, OR: Home to the University of Oregon, friendly locals, great restaurants, and lots of outdoor recreation options!

Gainesville, Florida: Surrounded by wetlands, numerous lakes and state parks, and a short drive to three national forests. Home to the University of Florida.

STATE PARKS

VALLEY OF FIRE

The Valley of Fire is a state park in Nevada just outside of Las Vegas. It’s the prefect day trip destination from the city filled with so much natural beauty.

TIP: I recommend renting a car for the day and starting early in the morning to take advantage of seeing as much of the state park as you can! Make sure you have a full tank of gas because there is no where to fill your tank in the state park.

SMITH ROCK STATE PARK

There are so many beautiful places to see in the state of Oregon where I live. One of them is Smith Rock State Park. It’s filled with amazing views and tons of hiking trails.

TIP: I recommend camping in or near Smith Rock so that you can take advantage of all the hikes in the area!

AMAZING WATERFALLS

Expedia’s data revealed that travelers are seeking destinations with some of the world’s most amazing waterfalls! Here are the destinations that made the list:

Niagara Falls, Ontario (hotel demand up by 40%)

Kaieteur Falls, Guyana (flight to demand to Georgetown +30%)

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (hotel demand +25%)

Sutherland Falls, New Zealand (flight demand to Christchurch up by 20%)

Iguaza Falls, Brazil (flight demand +10%)

Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park (hotel demand +10%)

OTHER TRAVEL DESTINATIONS FOR 2020

Canada: These Canadian cities were by far the champions of the Expedia Travel Trends Report; Winnipeg (+465%), Saskatoon (+425%), Regina (+400%), Calgary (+385%), Halifax (+365%), Ottawa (+340%), Victoria (+270%), Toronto (+265%), St. Johns (+170%), Vancouver (+145%), and Quebec City (+125%). Canada has a favorable change rate, friendly locals, and beautiful outdoor settings!

Peru: Peru offers impressive archeological sites in Trujillo (+35%) and beautiful colonial architecture in cities like Lima (+15%) and the White City of Arequipa (+5%).

Australia: Cities “Down Under” like Sydney (+20%), Cairns (+20%), Adelaide (+15%), Melbourne (+10$%, Gold Coast (+10%), and Perth (+5%) are rising in popularity.

Japan: Tokyo will be a hit destination next summer but these cities have picked up in interest as well; Okinawa (+45%), Sapporo (+40%), and Osaka +20%).

Brazil: Demand for this country will continue to grow in 2020 now that Brazil has dropped it’s requirement for U.S. citizens to obtain a tourist visa earlier this year! Some of the cities rising in popularity are Fortaleza (+35%), Iguaza Falls (+10%), and Sao Paulo (+10%).

India: Goa (+25%), Ahmedabad (+15%), Delhi (+15%), and Kolkata (+10%).

I hope this guide helps those of you looking to travel more in 2020! I can’t wait to see where this new year will lead me. Stay tuned for more travel adventures in 2020!

XOXO