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Everything You Need to Have an Epic Travel Year

The surprising destinations, off-grid-spots, and dreamy, over-the-top trips ready to make 2024 your best year ever.

Aislyn Greene

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We’re a couple months into 2024 now: Maybe you're a freshly minted, idealized version of yourself. Or maybe your new year's resolutions are as distant as the icebergs of Antarctica. No matter what your life looks like, there's one thing you can count on: Travel.

I’ve spent the last decade-plus in the travel industry as a writer, editor, and now podcaster (as host of AFAR’s Unpacked), and I still love the freshness of a new travel year. What adventures will it bring? What memories will I make? And most importantly: Where will I go? So I’ve channeled all that excitement and inspiration into a guide on where to travel in 2024—the surprising destinations, the off-grid-spots, and dreamy, over-the-top trips.

And of course, you don’t need to be a type A, spreadsheet planner type to dive into this goodness. Let these stories, podcasts, and shows wash over you—and get to dreaming about an epic year of travel.

The 25 Most Exciting Places to Travel in 2024 [LISTEN]

“I’ve never thought much about Estonia. And I’ve certainly never thought about its bogs. But after recording this episode—an exploration of AFAR’s ‘Where to Go in 2024’ list—I had such a hankering to not only visit but also hike across a bog, of all things. Estonia is just one of 25 inspiring places on the list—and in this episode I geek out about them all with the three AFAR editors who put it together. Listen and you, too, might find your Estonia.” -Aislyn Greene

Broadcast: In Search of Silence [LISTEN]

AG: “It’s a noisy, noisy world, and sometimes all you want is a moment of quiet. In this episode of The Wild podcast, I love that host Chris Morgan explored the power of silence and places to experience it—places like Olympic National park in Washington, which is one of my favorite spots on the planet.”

Where to Travel in 2024, Without Crowds

AG: “Overtourism—or overcrowding in popular travel destinations—has been a hot topic these past few years, especially as we emerged from the pandemic and everyone was traveling everywhere. So I’ve appreciated seeing more and more attention on places that aren’t the biggies. Places like Albania, North Carolina, and Fukui, Japan, (hello, gorgeous).”

The Ultimate Italian Food Crawl Through New Orleans

AG: “I’ll take any excuse to revisit New Orleans, especially to eat, so this Saveur ode to Italian food in the city caught my eye. I want to eat BBQ shrimp at Pascal’s Manale and fried oysters and Casamento’s. And at Adolfo’s, over garlicky linguine I want to ‘fall in love with New Orleans and its strange magic all over again.’”

Season 7 [WATCH]

AG: “Aw, Samantha Brown. She’s just so chipper and friendly and passionate—her PBS show, Samantha Brown’s Places to Love, is like a dip in the ocean on a hot day. So refreshing! Plus, I always learn something. Like where to find Melbourne’s hidden murals and the best diner food along Route 66.”

Where, and Why, to Cruise in 2024

AG: “While I respect those who drool over Icon of the Seas, AKA the world’s largest cruise ship, you couldn’t pay me to set foot on that monstrosity. I do, however, like smaller cruises, especially ones that really know how to get you beyond the port towns. Which was why I was so delighted to interview Fran Golden, a cruise expert who’s been on more than 170 cruises, and has literally written books on the topic, and get her take on where, why, and how to cruise in 2024.”

This 80-Day Luxury Train Trip Covers 13 Countries on 4 Continents on the World’s Most Iconic Trains

AG: “OK, so Icon of the Seas isn’t my vibe. But this 80-day, 13-country, $114,000 journey is absolutely a yes in my mind. I mean luxury hotels, luxury trains, no-waiting-in lines in places like Turkey and South Africa? Sign me up—once I win the lottery.”

Aislyn Greene

Aislyn Greene is a writer, editor, and podcaster who heads up all things audio for AFAR. She hosts and produces both of AFAR’s podcasts, Travel Tales by AFAR and Unpacked, and travels as much as life allows. A Seattle native, she graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in journalism and has written or worked for several publications, including Sunset, New York Magazine, and of course, AFAR. She lives on a houseboat in California with her wife and one grumpy cat.