The best types of travel magazines come in many forms. Some feature advice for holidaying on a budget, while others cover luxury trips.
Divya is an engineer turned writer. She is a seasoned freelancer who loves writing about food, travel, and lifestyle.
What travel magazines do you pick up when planning a trip?
Humankind’s Thirst for Travel
Wander thirst is not a new notion; it has been in our history since the nomadic age. Early humans moved across continents and geographical locations, scouring the land in sight and searching for food, shelter, and pastures for livestock. They recorded their journey in the form of crudely shaped drawings on cave walls.
Today, even after centuries of evolution, humankind does not want to stay in one place — it wants to move, fly, and progress. Millennials consider travel a critical ingredient of life as traveling is unwinding and sustaining the sanity and sanctity of the mind. and documenting travel experiences has come a long way.
As technology has evolved, the world shriveled into mobile phones and tablets. Many people now prefer to read online for convivence —but don’t you agree with me that it’s nearly impossible to resist the charm of sleek, shiny pages with colorful photographs?
Now . . . lose your eyes and imagine you are opening a magazine, breathing in the aroma of the new glossy pages, and looking at the dreamy photographs, fascinating travelogues, and unheard stories from across the globe. Wouldn’t the bibliophile in you be more than beatific?
The best types of travel magazines come in many forms. Some feature advice for holidaying on a budget, while others cover luxury trips. Many of the best give readers a glimpse at the nicest resorts in the world.
I believe Travel magazines are the plane, the train, the road, the destination, and the journey. In short, they are every traveler’s home!!! With that thought in mind, I have curated a list of top travel magazines that feeds the globe-trotter in you.
National Geographic Traveler
1. National Geographic Traveler
This is my favorite read of all time. I first stumbled upon NatGeo books in 2012 when I was dawdling through one of those small, run-of-the-mill pre-loved bookstores in my neighborhood. The vibrant photo framed in a bright yellow panel on the cover was a head-turner for the traveler in me.
Here is why you must read the NatGeo magazines.
Since its launch in 1988, National Geographic magazine has strived to make travel sustainable and accessible to everyone. It’s a monthly publication with occasional special editions and provides you with everything you need to know.
The magazine’s pages are packed with materials on budget trips, family-friendly trips, solo trips, walking trails, trekking trails, exotic locations, flight information, local know-how, and fascinating history. The writers have unparalleled traveling experiences seamlessly blended with photographs of scenery from all ends of the earth.
This award-winning magazine has a wealth of vacation ideas combined with practical travel advice and relatable stories. Attesting to their tagline, “Nobody knows the world better,” each article brings out the best of world destinations by capturing the essence of the vicinity. The magazine not only makes you hanker for a vacation but also encourages you to quash the fear of the unknown.
Condé Nast Traveler
2. Condé Nast Traveler
There is an interesting story behind how I came across Condé Nast. A few years back, when I signed up for a freelance project with a resort, I had to ruffle through magazine after magazine to understand the essentials of what a travel magazine was like. That’s when I came across the Condé Nast website and subscribed to their publication.
When the first copy of the magazine arrived, I was amazed by the quality of the paper, photos, and content. I got so hooked on the content and quality that even after four years, I still renew my subscription.
This contemporary magazine is a one-stop solution for the latest luxury travel ideas. It is well-framed for its quirky, impeccable quality, uber classy, and all-encompassing style of writing in collaboration with rich, colorful, and vivid pictures. The magazine offers extensive and explicit materials on destinations, gourmet food, modes of transportation, culture, lifestyle, and pretty much anything and everything related to travel. In addition, their niche segments on trailblazers and adventures keeps readers glued.
Escapism Magazine
3. Escapism Magazine
Escapism is United Kingdom’s largest independent travel magazine. It is a high-quality, bi-monthly travel magazine featuring rich and more in-depth stories, essential gear and destination guides, and the latest news from all corners of the earth.
Each article of each issue transports the readers from urban life to the most inspiring places on the planet, from close-to-home hideaways to far-flung tropical escapes. The distinctive tone and style of the content cater to a unique, enthusiastic community of travel lovers. They say the world is ours to explore — well, Escapism has it covered!
Alas, I did not have a touch-and-feel experience with this incredible magazine. However, some of my friends who live in the UK and the US are regular readers and big fans of Escapism. If you are someone from these regions, do pick up the latest print edition of compelling travel stories and let me know your feedback in the comments section.
Lonely Planet Traveler
4. Lonely Planet Traveler
Here is one of my other favorite reads!
Lonely Planet is the world’s most trusted source of travel and one of the very few magazines that issue local editions tailored to suit the needs of travelers in each country with inspirational stories and travel suggestions. The magazine helps local people divulge their culture, antiquity, food, drink, and the natural marvels surrounding them.
Each edition presents the readers with incredible stories about the world’s most exciting destinations and new experiences through vivid writing. The stunning colorful spreads are from award-winning and seasoned travel writers and photographers. The magazine has a wealth of information on budgets, travel planning, destinations, food, and hotels. It also has a Q&A section specially designed to cater to the needs of travelers of every type. And even the environmentally conscious people are happy as the pages are 100% Ancient Forest Friendly. It is a win-win situation for all!!!
Travel + Leisure
5. Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure magazine is one of the most renowned travel publications in the world. The magazine specializes in leisure travel, puts readers in touch with luxury vacations, and gives tons of insider travel tips about destinations worldwide. The articles featured in the magazine are exceptional works of novelists, artists, poets, designers, and non-travel journalists.
It is known for its impeccably smooth writing style and stunning photography. Sections of the magazine showcase information about the best hotels and shopping areas, the finest eateries, bars, stores, and things to do in some of the world’s most exhilarating destinations.
Wanderlust
6. Wanderlust
With nine awards in its pocket, the UK’s leading independent travel magazine, Wanderlust, has outshone all the other travel magazines. The magazine covers destinations near and far and combines detailed, practical information with stunning photography and award-winning editorial.
Wanderlust is like an Aladdin lamp for travelers who seek unique, enriching, adventurous, and memorable experiences. Inside each issue, the magazine presents the readers with trip inspirations written by leading travel writers, ideas and tips on a variety of topics such as travel health, reviews of the best travel gear, books, films, around-the-world events and more. Whether you want to climb mountains, follow a food trail, or even explore sanctuaries, you’ll find all the information here.
© 2022 Divya Shivaji
