4 Bucket List Trips You Should be Planning Right Now

Last Updated on April 7, 2024 by Adam Watts

You’re stuck at home right now, wishing you could be somewhere – nay, anywhere – else. Unfortunately, travel isn’t possible given the current state of everything. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be planning things for the future. Here are 4 bucket list trips you should be planning right now.

A Great American Road Trip

The only people that don’t dream of a trip across the US are people that have already done one, or people whose car broke down in the Arizona desert and they had to walk 100 miles in Death Valley to find help. Those people are rightfully traumatized. But for everyone else, this is one of many trips you should be planning.

You could go with the classic Route 66 for a look back into American history. But as this motoring website ominously notes, “since Route 66 is technically decommissioned, it won’t show up on GPS.” Good luck, amigo. Send us a postcard if you make it back.

Alternate great trips are below, with some links to help you get your planning started:

• The Pacific Coast from Washington to California
• Exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, and other eastern states. I have something to whet your appetite here.
• Take in many routes in New England. Visit in the autumn for some of the most beautiful foliage you’ll see anywhere.
• America’s train network is regularly criticized, and generally with good reason, but the trains themselves are beautiful and cover some of the most stunning scenery anywhere in the world. Here are some route ideas.
• Alaska! We did it by train but you could be really adventurous and rent a car and explore to your heart’s content. Watch out for bears!

That’s enough to get you started on some American trips you should be planning. Go forth and research!

Exploring Southeast Asia

There’s a lot to Southeast Asia. A lot of languages, a lot of different foods, a lot of different ways of life. So there are obviously a lot of trips you can plan.

If you’re not a particularly adventurous person, start with Singapore. It’s super clean and easy to navigate, the food is incredible and very cheap at hawker centers, and there’s a lot to see.

And there’s almost zero risk that anything bad will happen to you. If you go to Rome or Barcelona, pickpockets and low level crime of that kind is extremely common. But, “petty crime such as pickpocketing and street theft are extremely rare in Singapore. Violent crime is also deemed as extremely rare and almost non-existent.”

It is expensive though. Its average hotel room costs upwards of $200 USD. It’s also a small city state so you don’t exactly need to stay for a two-week vacation. Fly in, spend a few days seeing the sights and adapting to the ridiculous humidity, then branch out to the rest of Southeast Asia…

• Try a two-week itinerary to Vietnam and Cambodia. You’ll see incredible world wonders like Angkor Wat, confusing big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, pleasant smaller towns like Hoi An, and spend time enjoying nature in Ha Long Bay.
• Thailand. Thailand has something for everyone: thrill-seekers, beach-lazers, and history-fiends. So you can make whatever kind of trip you want.
• Indonesia is a country that takes “island paradise” to ridiculous lengths. It’s a country of nothing but island paradises. There are five main islands, but over 13,000 islands in total. Here are the 21 most beautiful. Oh, and one of them is Bali. Start there!

Diving Into Eastern Europe

Europe is a huge continent, almost all of which is worth visiting (I don’t think I gave Slovakia much of a chance, sorry Slovakia). But Eastern Europe, specifically everywhere that’s not Budapest or Prague, isn’t given much of a mention.

A place like Kosovo, of which your opinion is probably not favorable, can produce some really memorable experiences.

Here are some Eastern European trips you should be planning:

• North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. Here’s a sample itinerary but you can make your own version of this for a fraction of the cost. Highlights for me were Prizren in Kosovo and Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia. And if you need to get from Albania to Kosovo, I have a blow by blow guide for that exact thing here.
• A Game of Thrones location tour in Croatia. Dubrovnik = King’s Landing. Klis Fortress = City of Meereen. And lots more. Combine with Ireland for more Game of Thrones than you can handle.
• A wine tour of Moldova. I’m not saying I’m an alcoholic, but I am saying I want to visit Moldova, a country I’m fairly sure you can’t place on a map, just to drink wine. Cheers!

And yes, Budapest and Prague are also both amazing cities you should check out but look into some of the above and plan a trip that suits your interests.

Well-Trodden South America

South America is a massive place and has a lot of trips you should be planning buried within it. Man-made wonders? Check. Natural wonders? Check. Amazing food? Checkity-checkeroonee. Here are some ideas:

• Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. I actually made a post that lets you make your own adventure to Iguazu Falls, so start with that. Combine a visit with Buenos Aires and Montevideo, capitals of Argentina and Uruguay respectively, on the Rio de la Plata. Get your tango on!
• Trek with the Incas and visit Machu Picchu and Cusco in Peru. I visited Peru many years ago and seeing Machu Picchu is still seared into my mind like it was yesterday. Of all the unforgettable things you’ve ever seen in your life, Machu Picchu will top them all. Also Peru has some interesting food stuffs you can try.
• On the backpacking trail. South America has some well-worn backpacking trails. I should know, I wore some of them in myself. Try Death Road in Bolivia or Rainbow Mountain in Peru.

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There you have it, my friends. So many great ideas for trips you should be planning across four different continents.

If you have any other ideas for great trips I should add to this list, let me know. I could definitely do a part 2 sometime!

And if you’re tired of reading and just want to look at some pretty photos, I have a whole section for that.

Bye for now!