The Best Travel Decisions I Made In 2025

This year I was in a position where I could travel a lot more than normal, and I don’t take that for granted for a second. I was lucky enough to visit some new destinations and return to a couple of my favourite places.

Behind every trip are a lot of decisions that need to be made along the way. So, looking back on 2025, here are some of the best travel decisions I made.

1) I booked early for peak travel dates

In December 2024, I made a decision - I was going to go island hopping in Greece. And once that decision was made, I thought I’d just see if there were any reward flights.  This is something I’ve always left too late to properly take advantage of… but not this time.

I was so excited when I managed to grab a reward flight to Corfu over the May bank holiday. Proof that reward flights are possible on peak travel dates,  you just need to book early and be quick when you spot a good option.

If you’re hoping to use points for a popular time of year, the best tip I can give you is simple: don’t wait.

2) I travelled to Europe in May

I’m fortunate that I can travel outside the peak summer months, so I’m not stuck with only July and August. This year I chose May and early June, and it was such a good call.

I spent six weeks in Greece and Albania, and it really was the sweet spot. The weather was perfect. The sea was a little cold, or do we say refreshing (?) (it’s fine once you are in), but the best part was how calm everything felt.

No big crowds meant:

• I had my pick of sun loungers
• beach clubs were genuinely relaxing (without needing to tackle a waiter for attention)
• accommodation was better value, with more choice
• and I didn’t need to book my favourite restaurants days in advance (very happy to leave that lifestyle behind in London)

By the time I was heading back to London in June, I could really feel the shift - more people arriving, prices creeping up, and suddenly you needed to be much more organised with excursions, beach clubs and restaurants.

3) I returned to a destination I already knew I loved

I love France and try to visit a different part of the country every year, but this year I met family in Provence, a place I’ve spent a lot of time in and love.

What made it special was going with people who hadn’t been before. It meant I could return to places that hold really fond memories for me, but experience it with people seeing it all for the first time.

It was a reminder that returning to a destination doesn’t mean it’s less exciting.   Provence will never disappoint me.

4) I holidayed somewhere popular, but stayed in a quieter spot

At the end of August I met friends in Montenegro, which seemed to be on every “Hot Destination for 2025” list, and deservedly so.

We knew we wanted to stay on the Bay of Kotor, but we chose not to stay in Kotor town itself. Instead, we based ourselves along the coast in the small village of Perast.

Perast still had a bit of daytime buzz - it’s on the coast, and you do get day tourists coming in (especially with cruise ships docking in Kotor). But by late afternoon it turned back into a relaxed village vibe, and that was exactly what we wanted.

It’s one of my favourite travel approaches: enjoy a popular destination, but choose a base that feels calmer once the day-trippers go home.

5) I ticked off a bucket list destination

Most of us have a travel bucket list, and mine includes destinations where I want time to properly experience the place, and where I assumed I’d probably only visit once.

Georgia and Armenia had been on my list for a while, and this year I finally had the time but not the people to go with.  So I booked a solo holiday and took the opportunity to go (and to include Azerbaijan too). It was absolutely a highlight of my 2025 travels.

And I’ll be honest - I’m not sure I won’t be back. Turns out a bucket list destination can be somewhere you return to… well, at least I like to think so.

As we’re only a few weeks from the end of 2025, my head is already deep in 2026 travel mode. I’m not sure 2026 will give me the same travel opportunities, but I’ll definitely be open to them if it does.

For now, I’m starting with planning a trip to Southern Italy in May. Wish me luck as I head back to the BA app to look at reward flights.

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