2018 Most Inspiring Travel Blogs Awards
2018 Most Inspiring Travel Blogs Awards
Last updated: Mar 11, 2020

The Top 40 Most Inspiring Travel Blogs of 2018 !

After scouring the internet and carefully weighing our decisions, LuggageHero is proud to present the very best of the Inspiring Travel Blogs of 2018 !

Traveling is a core concept of what we are about at LuggageHero and our passion for discovering the globe is one of the many things that unite us. We have asked ourselves where our inspiration to travel was coming from. Thus, after an extensive research, our team has gathered all the Travel Blogs that were the most inspiring to us.

The 40 blogs who have made the final list have been selected following a selection according to 4 criteria:

  • Quality of the content
  • Originality
  • Practicality of the tips and advices
  • Purpose of the blog

In this Award you will find talented photographers, skilled writers, wanderlust addicts, foodies, family travelers and eco-friendly travelers. Additionally, it is necessary to mention that some websites awarded are not, strictly speaking, travel blogs. However, in every case the usefulness of their tips or their great content have convinced us to include them.

As the content of each of these blogs is very unique and exceptional in its own way, it is impossible to rank them according to their quality. Therefore, we have decided to rank them alphabetically.

Thanks to all the nominated bloggers who played along and have contributed to this Award by answering our questions!

We would like to congratulate again all the 40 bloggers that made this list thanks to their awesome work !


Award-badge

The nominated bloggers are more than welcome to paste the following code on their website to use the badge and share their nomination with their readers!


A Cruising Couple

These two love birds are living a dream. After travelling around the world, Dan & Casey, two highschool sweethearts, have built a little nest in Costa Rica from where they plan their next adventures. These two are very talented photographers and their tips can save you a lot of trouble. They also give great ideas and suggestions of local gems. Adventurers with a touch of style.


A Life Of More

Hayley has one motto : “Travel often, Live simply, Be happy”. This blog is more than a travel blog, it is a guide for a better daily life. Hayley is taking us with her through her journey towards a balanced life of positive thinking, healthy eating and living every tiny moment to the fullest. She also provides tips useful for any type of traveler, such as “how to make friends in hostels” or “how to convince your over-protective parents you’re going traveling” as well as very detailed travel guides. Reading A life of More should be prescribed by doctors in case of grey days.


Adventurous Kate

Kate is for sure very adventurous ! At 26 years old, she quit her job to become a full time traveler and live of her passion and dreams. She achieved a personal goal by visiting 126 UNESO sites, she’s definitely living the dream ! Kate inspires a wide audience through her life story and shares with lucky readers her travel hacks and recommandations.  She lives, eats and breathes travel. We love her enthusiasm and her positivity.


American Travel Blogger

Turner is the travel mate that everyone would want on any trip. Funny and sharp, his articles are a very nice source of inspiration for future trips in the USA or all over the world. “Things to do in Vegas once you have lost all your money and hope in life” is a great example. Despite not posting as often as we would like him to, Turner’s articles is a good way to put your mood up !

What inspires you to write your articles ? “I love to journey relentlessly and to push myself to more unknown destinations and places. I think sharing this blog has helped inspire myself to always grow and to be on the lookout for the next adventure. “ Turner


Backpacks and Budgets 

Backpacks and budgets has everything that you would require from a travel blog. Hollie helps her readers to plan your trip from A to Z and gives smart advices about the travel lifestyle. This exotic food enthusiast has been wandering around the US since she was a little child. She is now an experienced traveler and brings us her positive energy through her articles.

What has motivated you to create this blog? : “After travelling for multiple years, I would on a daily basis get messages asking for help as to planning and budgeting their trips. It only made sense to me to create a platform that would help aspiring travellers in every aspect of their planning. That is when I created Backpacks and Budgets – to save people the trial and error I had with my own travels going in blind and have them join me in my experiences!” Hollie


Beers and Beans

Beth and Randy, a journalist and a photographer, have created this blog to document their exciting experiences and to inspire people to dare to live the way they desire. There is definitely an artistic feel to their photos and reading their articles always written with a touch of humor is as refreshing as the first sip of a cold beer in a sunny afternoon. This blog is good for your mood, we read it and so should you !


Cookie Sound

Nisa & Ulli form an interesting duo. This mother-daughter combo travels around the globe to take amazing photos and go back to Vienna to plan their next journey. They provide guides for travelers that would like to visit a country outside of the track, in an unconventional way. In their articles they present their experiences raw, without trying to sugarcoat it. It results makes in a very insightful blog. It feels real and it is definitely inspiring.


Drew Binsky

Drew travels at an unbelievable pace. He has traveled to 133 countries in 6 years ! This professional video-maker and content creator is a talented blogger that is worth following on Snapchat and Instagram, he posts the behind-the-scenes of his crazy adventures there ! He takes to exciting destinations such as Korea, Antarctica, Israel or golfing in Scotland through his articles. A reference in terms of travel blogging.


Drink Tea Travel

Oksana and Max are the faces behind the beautiful blog Drink Tea Travel. They share a strong desire to make a positive impact on the destinations that they visit and leave nothing but footprints. This eco-conscious blog is designed to encourage us to think about traveling in a new way, a completely eco-friendly way. This couple quit their job and sold everything 3 years ago and became professional photographers and bloggers. Their picture and videos are mind-blowing.


Expert Vagabond

Expert Vagabond is a great blog run by Matt, a professional photographer and adventurer. In 2010 he quit his job, sold everything he owned to follow his dreams. In his posts he advises us, motivates us and makes us learn from his traveling mistakes. The quality of his photos off the charts and his destination choices are very original. The content of his articles would be suitable for any type of traveler interested about stunning landscapes, cultural immersion, exotic food or photography.

Why have you created this blog ? : “I enjoy sharing the excitement of adventure travel with others, inspiring them to discover new destinations that may not have been on their radar. To dive deep into a local culture and learn something new about the world we all live in. To help give them the courage to venture outside their comfort zones. The catalyst to start my travel blog was working an unfulfilling job, and feeling a bit lost without a purpose. So in the hopes of injecting some inspiration into my life again, I took a risk by saving some money, quitting my job, and backpacking through Central America for a year while sharing the journey with family and friends via the blog. But soon other people started to follow along too. And I was having such a good time, that I did everything I could to figure out how to make travel blogging my full-time job.” Matt


Girl Gone Travel

Carol is as close as a real-life Superwoman as their is. On top of being a talented writer, photographer and CEO of her own media agency, the blogger behind Girls Gone Travel is a homeschooling mom. You might ask yourself, does she have any time to travel? She does, to a big variety of destinations actually ! Carol encourages all of the people that don’t especially live an “instagramable daily life” to grab a backpack and live extraordinary experiences alone or with their loved ones.

What has motivated you to create this blog? “The inspiration for my travel writing has always been the audience that so much of travel media overlooks. I think that travel media tends to fixate on things that are sexy, and young, and honestly, not very diverse. There has long been this idea that travel should be sold as some kind of fantasy, or glamorous lifestyle for people to want it. But there are everyday people, with regular jobs, with kids and homes and communities that they love that like to travel too, regardless of the physical abilities, age, gender, race, and even economic limitations. Of course, my writing is for everyone and anyone, but I most especially love it when it can change minds and put courage in the hearts of others to get out there. “ Carol.


Girls That Travel

The idea of traveling alone as a girl can be intimidating. Who would possibly be more qualified to give advices on solo traveling than Gemma who has been enjoying the freedom of solo travels since she was 12 ? This beautiful blog is here to help and encourage every girl that would like to experience the world as a solo traveler. However Gemma’s tips and guides can be used by all kinds of travelers and her beautiful photos make us want to travel even more ! A re-assuring blog from a talented writer.

What has motivated you to write this blog? : “I wanted to write about women, like me, who travel on their own and want specific advice for solo travel. I also wanted to open up a community and a platform for others to share their experiences.”


Girls Wanderlust

This blog is run by two skilled Dutch bloggers, Daphne & Tamara. They provide all kinds of advices to ensure their readers the best experience possible in their future trips. They give hacks about backpacking, local food-spots and hotel reviews. Their city guides are insightful and well written. We have also enjoyed their motivational posts such as “10 ways to overcome loneliness while traveling solo”.

What has motivated you to create this blog? We have always had a passion for travelling. That’s also the reason why we have studied a Tourism Studies and why we are working in the travel industry. The combination of writing down our experiences to inspire our readers, together with our passion for travelling, make it that we started our blog.


Green Global Travel 

Bret & Mary inspire their readers to have a conscious approach to traveling, to preserve the environment and the local populations. According to them, eco-tourism is the future of traveling. Their blog is a very enlightening source of information and tips to plan your trip in the best way possible. On top of a great concept and engaging articles, their photos are outstanding.


Gypsy Nesters

Veronica & David courageously decided to go from an empty nest to no nest at all ! They have adopted the motto “The plan is no plans” and since then, have traveled to a big number of countries, immersing themselves into the local culture and making the world their playground. Their articles are written like a journal which is making us feel like a part of their trips. They also contain very detailed information about each destinations monuments, culture and history. Veronica and David encourage their readers to live and celebrate the thrill of going on adventures after the kids left the house.

What has motivated you to create this blog? : “Like most every couple, we faced that “now what?” moment when the last kid moved out of the house. So after sending our youngest out into the big, wide world, we set out to break the empty nest rules by selling everything and hitting the road. We bought a used RV (extremely used actually, it was older than any of our kids) and set out on what we thought would be a short term adventure. Along the way we rediscovered the couple who fell in love years ago, and chronicled the journey on our website: https://www.GypsyNester.com. As the site became more popular we decided to keep on going and have now visited over fifty countries on six continents.” Veronica


Hand Luggage Only

This Blog is run by Lloyd and Yaya, two very fun dudes who have traveled to one of the biggest travel destinations list we have ever seen ! Do you have a trip in mind ? Check out their blog, they probably have the hacks and recommandations you are looking for. Their photos are prodigious and give us itchy feet. Our favourite sections of their blog ? Without a doubt their videos showing the atmosphere of the beautiful cities that they visit.


I am Aileen

Aileen is a true digital nomad, living out of wandering around the globe and sharing her exciting adventures to her readers. She quit her corporate job at 21 years old and never stopped traveling since ! Her tips aren’t only practical travel tips, she also addresses lifestyle and food topics. Scroll a little while on her very esthetic blog and we can assure you that you will be hooked. Aileen’s adventures are incredible (she just came back from Antartica) and she puts an emphasis on conscious traveling, a topic that we should all pay closer attention to.


Loving New York

Looking to plan a trip in the Big Apple without knowing what to do ? What to see ? Which attractions are free ? This blog should definitely be part of your planning. Steffen gives his insiders’ scoops to discover New York in a brand new way with cultural events, hot foodspots and hidden gems. This blog can be appreciated by any kind of traveler looking to have a unique and experiencing what most travelers don’t.

What inspires you to write your articles? : Every article that we write comes from our deep passion for the city of NY and is written for our many fans that share our love and fascination for this city. With so many quality restaurants, bars, and attractions to choose from, we want to share our absolute favorites with our fans. With our local team in NYC we are able to always bring our fans the inside scoop, making it possible for them to experience NYC in all of its beauty like a true local. When we visit everything from a place that we love or a restaurant with exceptional service to an attraction we didn’t think was worth it, we want to give our fans our true opinion. Every article, every review, and every to make sure that their trip to NYC is the best it can be.” Steffen


My Itchy Travel Feet

Donna & Alan, a lovely couple have created a guide to inspire baby boomers to make the time when the children have left the nest, the most exciting time of their lives ! My itchy travel feet is a big source of motivation to grab a map and your passport, hop in a plane and make the most of a dynamic and fulfilling life experience. Alan’s photos are outstanding and Donna’s article are worth the time. Don’t leave this blog without checking out their “Boomer Travel Gear” section, a big inspiration to know what to pack !

What has motivated you to create this blog? : “ It may be hard to believe today considering the proliferation of travel blogs, but ten years ago when I started My Itchy Travel Feet, there were very few blogs or websites targeting baby boomers. And the ones that were concentrated on topics like assisted living, long-term care insurance and other depressing subjects. No one was championing the type of travel that Alan and I (and our friends) were experiencing: active, engaged, and adventurous. Our goal has been to share personal travel experiences through articles and photographs that inspire other boomers to get up off the couch and go. We want them to know that it’s never too late to try something new whether that’s an activity or an unfamiliar destination.” Donna.


Nomadic Matt 

Matt is a true reference in travel blogging. This Boston native is a New York Times best-selling author thanks to his book on money-saving trips. After meeting backpackers in Thaïland, Matt realised that he wanted to dedicate his life to discovering the world full-time and hasn’t stopped traveling since. His blog is an extensive source of information for all types of traveler (Solo Female, Couples, Seniors etc.) thanks to his experience of traveling to more than 80 countries in 12 years. This blog is a must-read.


NYC Style Little Cannoli

Rosemary has created this blog almost 8 years ago to encourage people to go out more and discover the wonders of New York City. She will tell you which museums and events are worth it and sprinkle her articles with NYC history. However, what makes NYC style Little Cannoli so unique is her reviews of coffee places, food-halls, bakeries and restaurants all over the city with mouth-watering pictures. If you plan a trip to New York City, reading her blog in the plane is definitely a must.

What motivated you to create this blog? “I was motivated to create the blog because I found people did the same things when the visit New York City. I felt I could show folks new places to explore as well as places to dine that they would not know about on their own. The beauty of the city inspires me along with my camera as my photographs determine the articles that appear on my site.” Rosemary.


Passport Delicious

The name is explicit enough, this blog is for foodies ! Gastronomic tourism is a growing movement and if you want to discover the globe one delicious typical dish at the time, this blog will definitely become one of your favourites ! Krista takes us in her suitcase and tells us the details of her trip as if we were her journal. She also gives reviews of hotels and restaurants which is helpful if you are currently planning a trip somewhere. A very pleasant blog to read.


Paulina On The Road

Paulina had the original idea to offer her blog both in English and in Spanish. Through her articles, she wishes to inspire her readers to travel in an ethical and responsible way. She gives great advices on hiking, boating and cycling as well as guides to discover a city in an different way. Her “scrapbook” as she calls it, is filled with exciting stories gathered in her journey.

What inspires you to write your articles? : “I am inspired by the beauty of our planet and the urge to preserve its diversity and richness. On Paulinaontheroad.com, I blog about slow and sustainable travel, thus everything which allows us to enjoy the great natural beauty of Planet Earth in a fun, but respectful way. I am especially interested in less known destinations, thus my articles are about hiking in Cape Verde, cycling in Luxembourg, glamping in Flanders (Belgium), or trekking in Trinidad and Tobago. My ultimate inspiration is the unknown and the experiences with the local population. Often those experiences are so strong that the best form to preserve and cherish them is by writing. On top, some of my articles were helpful to many readers, thus I hope to add value to their upcoming travels.” Paulina


Pint Size Pilot 

Tara encourages parents to travel and experience magical moments and not limit their family activities to theme parks and dinners. Through her very practical articles, she helps her readers avoiding any stress that could be caused by the planning of family trips. She also provides links to baby-friendly places and activities in all of the destinations that she displays. Do not leave this blog without reading her “resources” section, it is very insightful


Restaurant Girl

Danyelle is a professional Restaurant Critic for the New York Daily News and shares her expert’s opinion on where to eat (and where not to eat) in NYC first and foremost, but also in many cities all around the globe. This blog is a gold mine for anyone looking to discover a city with his or her taste buds. Following this blog will allow you to experience New York City in a brand new way.


Senior Nomads

Debbie & Michael decided in 2013 to experience their retirement in a very original way, as they felt that they still wanted to experience adventures. They decided to live in AirBnBs and have visited over 200 cities in almost 70 different countries in just 4 years. In their blog they give advices based on their experience choosing the best AirBnBs on a budget, as well as publishing original articles such as booklists and lifestyle posts. Their story is truly inspiring and motivating.


Sunny In London

It’s not a secret, at Luggage Hero we are big fans of London. This blog run by Melanie allows us to continuously re-discover this beautiful city through her articles. She inspires her readers to go out and taste a delicious dish or attend an exciting event. Restaurant reviews, events descriptions and useful articles are what makes this Sunny in London very useful for anyone looking to visit London or for London lovers.


The Brunch Boys

The Brunch Boys is run by Jeremy, a successful food TV producer who is as passionate about food as anyone can be. His blog is a real reference for foodies looking to satisfy a craving in New York City. He also showcases travel brunch guides for other great cities such as Melbourne or Copenhagen. Discovering a city one brunch at the time isn’t it the best way to travel ?

What has motivated you to start this blog? “I was motivated to start Brunch Boys because I have always loved sharing my passion for food with people. It used to be in the food tv shows that I produced, but now its through my videos and photos for Brunch Boys.” Jeremy.


The Budget Minded Traveler

Thanks to Jackie and her blog, you won’t ever be stressed about planning and packing for your next trip. Her tips can be used by any kind of travelers. You will learn to travel smarter, in a more organized way and your credit card will thank you for it ! Moreover, her spectacular photos are triggering every wanderlust cell of our bodies. We strongly suggest you to binge listen her podcasts on your way to work to improve your morning mood.

What has motivated you to create this blog? : “Travel is an incredible medium for both internal and external discovery, and I want to do my part to expose as many people to that as I can. I created The Budget-Minded Traveler blog and podcast to provide inspiration as well as practical, helpful information to anyone seeking guidance on how to make travel happen in their own lives. “ Jackie.


The Roaming Family

Melissa & Keith’s adventures are a real delight to follow. Check out their wonderful wildlife photos and you will be convinced. Their destinations are very exciting and the fact that they have been able to travel so much with children is impressive. In their blog, they show you how it’s possible and give you all the information that you need in order to experience extraordinary family trips. We also really liked the esthetic of this blog.

What inspires you to write your articles?: “ My kids! I love that they have an insatiable desire to see other countries and cultures and I love telling their story. What motivated me to start my blog: Partially to keep friends and family updated on our adventures, at first. Then it became a goal of mine to inspire other families to see the world and show their kids cultures outside their norm.” Melissa


The Sweet Wanderlust

Brittany, a lovely writer from Texas has the perfect formula: combining food and travel in her blog. It results in a very nice blog, enjoyable to read with mouth-watering pictures. She has traveled to over 54 countries and use this platform to share her exciting experiences and what she has tasted in these destinations.

What inspires you to write your articles?: “ As someone who loves sweets and travel, I can’t help but combine the two as I discover new cultures through local dishes- especially desserts. I’ve traveled to 54 countries and from freakshakes to gelato, I’m uncovering the most delicious treats around the world.” Brittany.


The Wanderlost Way

Stephanie is a New Yorker that loves to travel on improvisation instead of planning her trip step by step. As she says it herself, she’s never been a map savvy. She travels around the world with her boyfriend and her family and gives us guides and hacks to make her benefit from her experience and her mistakes. Looking to make a trip to Portugal, Scotland or South Africa ? Check out her travel videos, it will give you a quick glimpse of how extraordinary these destinations are. Why aren’t you already following her on Instagram ?


The Whole World Or Nothing 

The Whole World Or Nothing is run by James and Sarah, two down to earth and captivating people that enlighten their readers’ days with their positivity. In 2014 they had corporate jobs and everything they wanted but it just wasn’t enough, they had the urge to experience more. They decided to travel and enjoy every little moments of their life for what they are. This blog is a source of motivation to follow your dreams whatever they are. Check out their section “Inspiration”, you won’t be disappointed.


Tips For Family Trips

Allison is a very talented writer who is dedicated to provide families traveling in the US with the best advices possible to ensure them a great experience. This mother of two is a real expert of family trips, she has traveled around 22 states and 15 countries.  More than just money-saving tips, she gives very unique information such as “tips for traveling with a baby or toddler”. This blog is definitely very useful.

Why this blog ? : “I believe that travel makes families stronger, smarter and happier I love sharing information that may make another family’s vacation better. I always try to answer all the questions I had before our own trip and share what we learned when we got there.  It’s so rewarding when a reader tells me that my tips helped them plan a great family vacation.” Allison


Travel On Inspiration

This blog run by Jason & Sarah, two lovely parents obsessed with traveling, motivates their readers to explore the globe. They put us in their luggages as they go from one exciting destination to another. The advices in this blog are financial, cultural, gear, reviews and of course inspirational. This blog should be a source of inspiration for your travel bucket list.

What has motivated you to create this blog? “We first created our travel blog, way back in 2012, to inspire not only ourselves but also people just like us to travel, see, and experience more of this awesome world. With the birth of our son a couple of years ago now, and with another on the way, we continue to write new articles to help inspire future generations too.” Jason


Travels With Tam

Tam is an adventurous midlife woman who travels even more now that her children don’t live with her anymore. She is a skilled writer and her city, landscape and underwater photos are worth the click. Tam wants to inspire other empty-nester to take on life with dynamism and excitement and to experience the wonders that the world has to offer.

What has motivated you to write this blog? : “I created this blog to talk about travel, especially solo travel for midlife women. My nest is empty, but I have a lot of life left to live and I encourage my readers to do the same!” Tam


Urban Travel Blog 

Duncan is a professional travel journalist who wrote for The Guardian and CNN. He has created this blog 9 years ago to provide a real guide for travelers and since then he has been joined by other talented writers that share the same passion for traveling. This blog distinguishes itself with posts about very original topics such as nightlife, trends or festivals. Check out their photo stories, it’s definitely worth the time !


Wanderlust On a Budget

Danielle shares her experiences about traveling with a restricted budget in this blog. She inspires her readers to go on with their travel dreams, to experience something new and to dream. According to her, in order to travel the world you don’t need a big bank account, only a lot of imagination. This blog contains her tips, hacks and reflections to give us the opportunity to learn from her experiences and her mistakes.

What has motivated you to create this blog? : “The motivation to create this blog comes from years of wanting to see the world and then finally realizing that nothing was stopping me except for myself. Now friends and family are always looking to me for advice on their travels, so I figured if I am helping them, why not help everyone? I love sharing my travel adventures after seeing new places and learning new cultures. Travel makes us richer, but you don’t have to be rich to travel.” Danielle


Watch This Space 

Watch This Space is run by Elly-Grace, a very talented young writer addicted to traveling. She combines with grace traveling, lifestyle and art in her articles and photos. Her articles are short but enough to make you dream about new destinations. Her poems about traveling are surprising, yet sweet and beautiful. This blog is the refreshing touch that you need after a dull day at work.

What motivated you to write this blog? : “ I write as a means of escaping to my Greek summer fantasies. I feel that I have a lot to say and my parents are tired of hearing me- alas, Watch This Space blog is born. From name change to name change, over the span of 6 years the one thing remaining is my love for encouraging and inspiring ‘at least’ one person each post they read. Being apart of a society so focused on fabricating a perfect life, I have been motivated to show the authenticity and realness in anything I do. If I trip and fall down, than you fall down with me, we laugh about it and get back up. Through Watch This Space I take you on my journey, both personal and travel related. It is what it is with me. Why hide? Because this life thing hey, it’s wild, exciting and definitely worth the ride. “ Elly-Grace.


Y Travel 

Caz and Craig are a real inspiration for couples looking to ditch the routine and live the moment to the fullest. For them, the meaning of life is to accumulate memories and experiences, not possessions. This Australian couple has visited over 50 countries and takes their two daughters with them. Their travel tips are very original and well written and if you are concerned about the perspective of planning a family trip, reading this blog will definitely help you !

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