Route cause: how to rediscover the joy of travel

It started happening a few months ago. Conversations on travel repeatedly came back to a feeling of overwhelm, as friends, family and colleagues grappled with a discombobulating array of choice and a sense of pressure to book the ‘best trip ever’.

And no wonder: those scrolling through social media are presented with countless videos of recommendations, hacks and ‘hidden gems’, while Reddit forums harshly critique itineraries and booking companies jostle for attention in your inbox. Through excessive noise, guidance loses clout and weariness takes over. But how did this sense of ennui and reluctance come to be, and how can we embrace the joy of travel again?

Ignore the algorithm, and don’t overthink it

“It was much easier in the ‘olden days’,” says Hilary Bradt MBE, founder of Bradt Travel Guides. “My first big trip was hitchhiking to the Middle East in 1963. The only information we had, and needed, was a map of western Europe including the Near East.” Bradt has encouraged travellers to go off the beaten path for more than half a century, long before any algorithm suggested 25 ‘must-visit’ ideas to cram into a weekend city break.

“For my three-month trip through Central and South America in 1969, I had a guidebook – the only vaguely relevant one – called How to Travel Without Being Rich, which just gave the main trade routes throughout the world and encouragement on taking local buses. It was enough.”

Bradt has published guides to destinations including Uganda, the former Yugoslavia, North Korea, Eritrea and Madagascar, which did not previously exist. In her book, Taking the Risk: My Adventures in Travel and Publishing, she recalls “eye-poppingly wonderful” journeys trekking through the Andes and weeks spent with wildlife on the Galapagos Islands. “We visited Chile, just after the coup that toppled Allende. It exemplified the importance of listening to local people rather than getting second-hand opinions from our own media.”

Bradt’s trips serve as a reminder that the joy of travel comes from simply hitting the road; marvelling at a landscape and way of life that differs from your own and gaining a fresh perspective.

Slow down and embrace local culture

“Today you can buy it all on your phone and you don’t need to bother to learn the language,” LA tattoo artist Tati Compton previously told Roadbook. “I used to visit places for a long time and integrate myself into the culture. Now I don’t think so many people do that.”

While the internet has undoubtedly made it easier to obtain information, a 15-second video clip is no substitute for learned experience or a local recommendation. Put your phone down, spend longer in one place and get to know the businesses and communities that make it tick. Don’t agonise over planning and instead take joy in spontaneity. Often the best ramen is not found at a much-hyped restaurant, but stumbled upon by chance and slurped when most hungry.

Soft travel: welcome spontaneity

This desire for simplicity and spontaneity on trips is now referred to as ‘soft travel’. The term also relates to visiting lesser-known and offbeat locations, with a focus on mindfulness and authentic experiences.

“Your holiday doesn’t have to be a checklist, and those spontaneous moments of joy only happen when we consciously create space for them,” says Justin Francis OBE, co-founder and chair of Responsible Travel. The agency curates climate-conscious holidays that bring you closer to nature, from complete itineraries to recommending authentic guesthouses. “Some of the most memorable moments happen when you simply allow yourself to wander in a new place.”

Zina Bencheikh, managing director EMEA of Intrepid Travel, agrees: “Appreciate the journey: the interaction you may have with a shop owner or the thrill of travelling by train in a different country.”

Intrepid Travel releases its Not Hot List each year, spotlighting underrated destinations worth visiting. Among them for 2025 is the Adirondacks, New York, where a new rail trail for cyclists, runners and hikers winds through open wilderness.

Both tour operators extol the benefits of a local guide. “A genuine expert who knows their own backyard and can take you to a hidden restaurant, someone’s home for a cooking class, or on a walking trail that you may never find online,” says Bencheikh.

“You might not see everything or tick all of the pinned locations off your maps list – and that’s OK,” says Bencheikh. “When I look back at my travels, my favourite moments have been unplanned, like sharing mint tea and stories with Amazigh women in a village in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. These unexpected connections are often the highlights you remember the longest.”

“The curiosity about our world and enthusiasm for travel is the driver,” summarises Bradt. “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”

Read more: from travel apps to positive impact, Roadbook breaks down how to travel better in 2025