Happy New Year from Globe Trot Guides!
It's time to start making travel plans and wish lists for the coming year, and I, for one, am ready to hit the road again after a bit of a travel break. The New York Times just released its list of the top 52 Places to Go in 2025, so it seemed like a good time to dive in to some 2025 planning and dreaming. Whether you're thinking about summer, April break, or February break trips, you'll likely find some good inspiration here.
(Disclaimer: I know that people have mixed feelings about "best places" lists, and I get the argument that they can "ruin" previously undiscovered locales. It's also true that over-tourism is becoming a major issue in environmentally fragile locales, such as Venice and the Great Barrier Reef. But in my view, the entire point of travelling is to learn about and share different places and different cultures - while keeping in mind, of course, our individual responsibilities to be considerate visitors.)
While the list contained some usual suspects, like New York City and Amsterdam, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the suggested locations, including a mention of two of my neighbors here in the Boston area: Lexington and Concord!
We're considering a trip to Peru this summer, but with the kiddos in tow, we'll likely skip the crushing crowds of Machu Picchu. Ollantaytambo looks like an amazing alternative. While it may seem very odd to travel to Peru and not experience Machu Picchu, I'm a firm believer in doing what works best for you as an individual/family traveler. I've never once regretted not taking my daughter into the mass chaos of the Louvre when she was 7 years old; the much more manageable Musée de l'Orangerie was a better choice for us on that particular trip.
Take a look and let me know what you think! Which places would you add to this list? What's missing? Tell us below in the comments.
