12 New Year's travel resolutions for 2025

Let’s scrap the crash diet on the 1st Jan and focus on some travel resolutions to kick start the new year!

It’s that time of year again, when you reminisce on the past year and look forward to what’s on the horizon. For our family, most of these conversations tend to revolve around travel, the places we’ve seen and the destinations we’re excited to visit.

2024 was another epic year of travel for us (check out our 2024 travel roundup) with a move to Penang, Malaysia, 45 days backpacking Vietnam, and trips to Essaouira, Bucharest, Abu Dhabi, Langkawi, and Kuching.

But as we draw to the end of 2024, thoughts are turning to plans and expectations for the new year. We’ve already lined up a couple of trips to neighbouring countries which we’ll be able to share with you soon, but we’re always adapting our way of travel, whether it’s to be kinder to our planet or to more in the moment with our travels.

Does this resonate with you? Or perhaps your family travel goals are to travel more, or make that once in a lifetime trip happen?

If you want to get the most out of your family travels, try out these New Year’s travel resolutions. Now you don’t need to take on all these travel resolutions. Perhaps just pick a couple, and they will get you that little bit closer to your family travel goals.

If anything, they’re a bit more exciting than cutting calories 😉.

TraveLynn Family at Penang National Park

1. Start a travel savings account

It’s an unfortunate reality that you need money to travel. So, until you win the lottery, try to put aside a little each month solely for travel. It might mean you have to prioritise travel over material items, but we promise it’ll be worth it.

If you’re looking for some tips, check out our post on how we afford to travel. Years ago, we also setup a travel savings account just for the boys for when they’re 18 (with a proviso it must be spent on travel).

2. Use up all your annual leave

How some people finish the year with annual leave outstanding, I will never know. If you’re in regular employment, take the paid break from work you’re owed and go on an adventure and make memories with your family.

Or if you need more time, don’t forget you can always take unpaid parental leave if you’re not self-employed.

3. Be overseas for your kid’s birthday

Kids’ birthday parties can be expensive. Rather than another manic soft-play event, go overseas and make it a birthday that everyone will remember. Both our boys have celebrated many birthdays overseas and they’re always ones to remember!

4. Travel to a completely new destination in your home country

You don’t have to fly somewhere exotic to have a holiday. Save your airfare and find somewhere new to explore in your own country.

Check out these best city breaks with kids in the UK. Or want to make it a super cheap holiday? Pack a tent and go camping!

5. All talking family members learn 5 foreign words for each country you travel

Hello. Goodbye. Thank you. Yes. No. These words go a long way and will guarantee a smile from any locals you encounter. Especially if it’s your little ones saying them.

6. Travel lighter

It just makes travelling life easier; take only the bare essentials. Don’t bother packing any toys, you know they won’t play with them. If you’re travelling with babies, remember that nappies can almost always be bought on arrival.

Check out our post on how we manage to pack light for family travel, helping to avoid excess baggage fees and sore backs.

7. Step outside your comfort zone

Try to find one thing in 2025, however small, which takes you out of your travel comfort zone. It might be visiting a particular region of the world for the first time, taking extra time off work and school to travel, or embracing slow travel.

In 2023, we took a leap of faith by deregistering our kids from school again (it feels harder as they get older), Jay taking unpaid parental leave, and heading off to Southeast Asia for ten weeks. The change in circumstances definitely felt like a step out of our comfort zone but any challenging moments were massively outweighed by the incredible memories we created together as a family. This then led to even bigger changes for 2024 with our move to Penang and Jay quitting his software engineering job of over 20 years, and joining my blogging business.

Once you step outside of your comfort zone, go with with the flow and grab whatever opportunities come your way.

8. Make a photo book or calendar

I’m sure I’m not the only one who plans to make a photo book from each holiday. I’ve succumbed to the true realisation that I will never have time to do this. Instead, I try and do one each year. This is much more manageable and they are a beautiful memento.

Still don’t have the time? Well in that case, make a travel calendar. There are 12 months in the year, that’s just 12 photos you need from your previous travels.

9. Get in the photos

Getting a photo of the kids is easy. Hubby and kids – also easy. Me and the kids – need to work on that a lot.

I’m (Jenny) always the one behind the camera, and I get rather particular about my photography and rarely want to hand my camera over to someone else. But in future years, the kids are going to want that reminder that Mum was on holiday too with them! There’s been a definite improvement in 2024, but I still need to get over the need for camera control!

We also need to work at getting more photos of us all as a family, that aren’t just selfies. We’re also getting better at this, but it’s a work in progress.

10. Eco-conscious travel

Think about how your travel effects the environment. We all see the videos going round social media about the devastating effect of our plastic use – but are you doing anything about it?

Use a water purification bottle, pack metal straws for drinking and a bamboo toothbrush. Ladies, use a menstrual cup rather then tampons/pads. If you’re visiting a beach, collect any rubbish and dispose of correctly.

Also consider staying at an eco-resort and if you’re flying, offset your carbon emissions.

Plus, slow down. Rather than flying between lots of destinations to tick off more countries, embrace slow family travel, which is not only better for the environment, but is also far more rewarding.

11. Forget about social media

This is easier said than done if, like us, you’re a travel blogger. However, we can get obsessed with getting the ‘right shot’ and posting our perfect holiday on to social media, that we forget to live in the moment and appreciate the now. Try leaving your phone at home for a weekend away. Sounds bliss, right?

12. Travel more

Make 2025 The Year of Travel! 😄

Wishing you all a very happy New Year! Let 2025 be filled with your best adventures yet.

Jenny, Jason, Arthur and Ezra xxxx