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New Year Travel resolutions?
Published 4 months ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader
Here's wishing you a very Happy New Year, with new beginnings, plenty of fun and more of what you love in 2026.
While I don't have any firm resolutions for 2026, it's a good time to reflect and consider what you'd like to do more of this year. I've shared a few of these 'things I'd like to do more of' below (hint: food and hiking feature strongly, so I'm hoping they aren't mutually exclusive!).
How about you? In which direction would you like the new year to lead you?
January is also typically a time for bargains, as travel companies tempt us with the lure of discounts and offers. I've shared a few offers available from our favourite partners.
Finally, I've added a some things (not necessarily travel) I've been enjoying recently.
VRBO: Browse Early Booking Deals on holiday apartments and villas worldwide, when you book at least 60 days in advance.
Sykes Cottages: Search for special offers and discounts on holiday cottages around the UK.
Warner Hotels: Up to 20% off on adult only leisure breaks in Warner Holiday's own hotels.
Jet2 Holidays: Check out the £100 per person discount and other deals on sunshine holidays from the UK.
What I'd like more of in 2026
More activity travel
I love hiking and have made numerous hiking trips with friends and my sister, ranging from the Tour de Mont Blanc and the Dolomites, to the Thames Path in southern England.
For autumn 2026, I'm considering a multi-day hike on Corsica. I'd also like to finish The Cotswold way, which I only managed to walk half of, despite it being on my doorstep.
Climate change is affecting the way we travel, with heat waves, floods and ever more extremes of weather. I believe that every one of us can make some contribution to resolve the climate crisis and it's made me think more carefully about my travel style and choice of transport.
Ironically the flight I'll be taking in February to see my son in Australia is about as carbon heavy as you can get. But I do want to reduce my carbon footprint in other areas, by exploring my home patch in the UK, taking the train rather than the plane (check out the no-fly holidays at Byway Travel), or using public transport options wherever possible.
Running my own business, I do have the luxury of being able to stay longer in each destination, as a way to get the most out of the flights I take.
This is something I'll try to do more in 2026, either making longer trips to explore each destination in depth, or tacking on additional travel time to family visits.
As an example, we added on a week in the Athenian Riviera last September, to our annual trip to visit family in Zakynthos.
The author of raunchy novels like Riders and pal of Queen Camilla, sadly died in 2025, but this collection of writings from her newspaper columns made me laugh out loud.
Her observations on the chaos of family life, dinner parties and the juggles of marriage, took me right back to London in the 1980s and would make a lighthearted holiday read.
Looking forward to:
There are a couple of London exhibitions that I'm looking forward to visiting in January. One is the Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A, with joyful froth inspired by the Queen of France and leader of 18th century fashion.
The other I was gifted tickets by my children for Christmas; Lee Miller at the Tate Britain, to see the work of a photographer who dipped into fashion, war photography and surrealism.
Both remarkable women in their own way.
Travelling soon?
If you are travelling soon it really helps us if you use the booking links below.
We make a small commission at no additional cost to you, which helps keep this newsletter and blog free.
Hotels: I use Booking but Expedia is also good for flight + hotel packages.
Tours: For top end food tours, we recommend Devour Tours and small group tours with Take Walks. Both Get Your Guide and Viator are also great for tours and experiences.
Trains: For train bookings in Europe use Rail Europe. Byway Travel also offer great no-fly itineraries in Europe and beyond.
Car Hire: For car hire I use the car rental arm of Booking.com (but always check the scores and reviews of each provider).
Villas & Cottages: VRBOfor villas and holiday rentals worldwide and Sykes Cottages for UK cottages.
Printable resources to download
As a thank you for being part of the Heather on her travels community, I provide extra travel resources exclusively for subscribers (that's you!)
These FREE resources are easy to download, to print or save on your mobile as a handy reference - check them out below.
Authentic, sustainable travel with a little luxury
Join 1000+ subscribers for my weekly newsletter with travel tips and ideas for where to go next. It's for anyone looking for an authentic and sustainable travel experience with a little luxury, especially 50+ travellers. Come along with me to taste the food, explore the culture, go hiking or stay in a stylish boutique hotel. I feature exciting destinations in the UK and Europe, as well as further afield such as Canada & USA, Caribbean, India & Sri Lanka, Jordan and many more.
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