Seven Travel Tips to Elevate Your Vacations in 2026

Lately, each passing year feels like an entirely new era of travel as trends shift with the speed of a centrifuge. A decade ago, my job as a travel journalist meant unearthing new, cool things all over the world and bringing them to light. Today, it’s just as much about testing all the things everyone on social media is buzzing about and determining whether they pass the sniff test in real life. This year I did that for 200 on-the-road days, most of them researching Bloomberg Pursuits’ Two-Night Minimum city guide series.

Reflecting on it all, these are the strategies that pointed me toward my favorite finds. Consider this a report on the state on travel now, packed with of-the-moment tricks that’ll elevate your 2026 vacations.