Inspirational Travel Quotes
Are these the best travel quotes of all time? Feed your wanderlust with these inspirational travel quotes from famous travelers along with beautiful images you can share. Let the adventure begin!
I’m slightly embarrassed to say that I love inspirational travel quotes.
These memorable travel quotes accompanied by stunning photography have the ability to capture little moments of clarity that highlight truths about travel, adventure, and life.
Great traveling quotes like these remind me that emotions I’ve felt while traveling the world for the past 9 years have been experienced by many others.
We’re all beautifully connected with each other by a love for travel!
Here are my favorite travel quotes of all time, paired with some photos from my personal adventures around the world. I often share them on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
You have permission to share these quote images on your own accounts too, all I ask in exchange is to please credit me when possible. Thanks!
I hope they inspire you to pack up everything and head out into the unknown, to explore the farthest reaches of our planet (and your soul) — to see the world for what it really is.
Browse these fun quotes when you need wanderlust motivation — to make travel a priority in your life!
Best Travel Quotes With Images
Traveling is one of the best ways to open your mind and heart to the world. As a result, I’ve experienced the full range of emotions during my travels.
Although this has sometimes meant having my lifestyle and point of view challenged, I wouldn’t give up a single second of it because it helped shape me into the person I am today. Travel can change your perspective.
Like a less-intense version of an astronaut’s overview effect.
Many of these travel quotes have inspired me to keep exploring. If you’re looking for inspiration to fuel your wanderlust, you’re certain to find the perfect quotation below!
Inspiring Travel Quotes
1: “Adventure is worthwhile.” – Aesop
It doesn’t get more simplistic than Aesop’s take on traveling, the ancient Greek fabulist and storyteller. But that’s exactly why this classic travel quote continues to inspire me. Adventure can remind you about what’s important in life.
2: “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain
The late, great Anthony Bourdain really hit the nail on the head here. Many think of traveling as a way to relax, and it absolutely can be. However, I’ve always found that traveling helps you learn about the good and bad parts of the world.
3: “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta
I’ve seen awe-inspiring things that I thought I’d never be able to explain to another person. Somehow, these experiences have turned me into a much better storyteller.
4: “We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin
Anais Nin’s words about our constant search for things that will make us feel whole sums up the desire to keep learning through experiences.
5: “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill
I couldn’t agree more! I’ve made many friends around the world, and it’s the time I’ve spent with them that has made my travels so fulfilling. People are always more memorable than checking off a bucket list.
6: “The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton
Sir Richard Burton eloquently captured the spirit of wandering off into the unknown. The moment of anticipation is often sweeter than the final result. Before I arrive in each new place, I often daydream about what is soon to come.
7: “No place is ever as bad as they tell you it’s going to be.” – Chuck Thompson
Have you ever looked at your hometown through the eyes of a tourist? I understand how easy it is to get jaded, but the truth is that every single place in the world has something of interest to show you.
8: “I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
I often gaze at the stars when I’m visiting a new destination. It’s amazing to consider how they’re the same, yet so very different, from my home. Seeing these changes helps you begin to understand your place in the universe.
9: “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert
Flaubert continued Radmacher’s wise observation in this insightful quote. I definitely used to think that my life, and my country, played a bigger role in the world until I strapped on my backpack and began traveling.
Famous Travel Quotes
10: “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous
I feel a heavy weight on my heart when I don’t travel for an extended amount of time. As soon as I set off for someplace new, the burden of stagnation falls away and I feel renewed. Traveling always restores my zest for life.
11: “The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.” – Henry David Thoreau
I’ve heeded Henry David Thoreau’s advice on many occasions. In fact, of all the quotes about traveling I’ve collected here, this one has been the most influential. We can make excuses for not doing something, and in many cases, we blame others.
12: “To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark
A change of view always helps give me a new perspective on life. Traveling allows waking up to a different view on a regular basis. I know that I can always clear my mind by visiting new places. The perfect traveling quote.
13: “The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have.” – Anna Quindlen
Anna Quindlen’s words have made a big difference in my life. It’s so easy to get stuck believing that what we’re doing right now is all we’ll ever do. It’s also way too easy to get sucked into identifying too strongly with the mistakes of our past.
14: “Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain
I wish the entire world could understand Mark Twain’s insight into traveling. The only way to truly learn about the world and other people is by getting out there. We all have preconceived notions, but traveling has shown me that they’re usually false.
READ MORE: How To Work & Travel The World
15: “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide
I used to be so afraid to reach beyond my comfort zone. This travel quote about throwing off the so-called safety net of my comfortable surroundings let me discover parts of the world I’d long assumed I’d never see. More importantly, I’ve discovered things about myself that I never would have guessed.
16: “The use of traveling is to regulate imagination with reality, and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson
There’s so much wisdom in Samuel Johnson’s quote on travel. Take a second to visualize a place you’ve never been. If you make that your next vacation spot, I bet you’ll find out that it’s completely different from your internal image.
17: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine
We may feel safe in our little bubble, but it’s also boring. That’s the primary reason I started traveling several years ago, and I’ve fallen in love with the thrill of discovery. The world is a beautiful piece of literature that constantly surprises me. It doesn’t get any more real than this short travel quote.
18: “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca
When I travel, I’m able to give my mind something new and exciting to focus on. Studies say that we need to keep learning in order for our minds to thrive. Each time I travel, I learn hundreds of new things that I never would have encountered from the comfort of my living room.
19: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” – Mark Twain
Mark Twain proved once again to be an extremely wise man with this travel quote about the power of regret. I cannot imagine reaching the end of my life with a huge bucket list of things that were never crossed off.
Anonymous Quotes On Traveling
20: “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” – Anonymous
This simple travel quote says it all. My mind craves new experiences, and I quite simply cannot get them from my hometown anymore. By going somewhere new at least once a year, I continue to grow in numerous ways.
21: “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” – Anonymous
Money makes traveling a possibility, but it doesn’t enrich you like sharing experiences with new cultures. I’m not sure who coined this inspirational travel quote, but they hit the nail on the head!
22: “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley
In perhaps the timeliest travel quote of all, Huxley reminds us that countries themselves aren’t bad, nor are their residents. Governments can be corrupt, but the spirit of the people always lives on.
23: “Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” – Ray Bradbury
Nothing can replace the thrill of travel for me. I’d rather see things in the real world than spend my time imagining them. None of the entertainment devices that humans have invented can come close to the joy I experience exploring the world.
24: “Traveling tends to magnify all human emotions.” — Peter Hoeg
I’ve been at my best, and at my absolute worst while traveling. Emotions are bigger during these trips because there’s so much new information to process. Peter’s travel quote reveals a truth that many travelers can relate to.
READ MORE: My Favorite Travel Books & Writers
25: “You don’t have to be rich to travel well.” – Eugene Fodor
Creator of the famous Fodor Guides Eugene Fodor’s quote helps highlight that people of almost any budget can travel. For example, a few years ago I hitchhiked across the United States for 5 weeks, and it was one of my best travel experiences.
26: “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener
I completely agree with Michener. There’s really no point in traveling to a new country if you’re only interested in staying inside the walls of a resort. I believe that the point of traveling is to learn about new cultures and customs and truly open our minds.
27: “People don’t take trips, trips take people.” – John Steinbeck
Going on a trip may start with a lot planning, but the truth is that once you arrive somewhere new, the area instantly begins to change you. Traveling can truly be transformative if you allow the trip to take hold of you.
28: “When overseas you learn more about your own country, than you do the place you’re visiting.” – Clint Borgen
If you think your country does everything the right way and is revered by other nations, you’ll definitely have those notions put to the test when you enter another country. I’ve learned so much about the way my nation is viewed on the international stage. This is the perfect travel quote for Instagram or Pinterest.
29: “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson
Have you ever felt the rain on your skin in multiple countries? I have, and I’m here to tell you that it’s always a thrilling sensation each time it happens somewhere new. By traveling, I’ve learned to appreciate things that I would normally ignore.
Short Travel Quotes
30: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller
Just like everyone else, I spend some of my days sitting on a couch watching television. Of course, these aren’t the moments that define me, nor are they what I think of when wandering through my favorite memories. It’s the adventurous side of life that makes living truly worthwhile to me.
31: “Travel is never a matter of money, but of courage.” — Paulo Coelho
Yes, travel does require some money. However you’ll also need to gather enough courage to temporarily cast off everything about your daily life that makes it so comfortable — and boring.
32: “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the trip.” – Babs Hoffman
I used to obsess over every single little thing that could go wrong during a trip. This caused me to overly plan everything. In some cases, it even convinced me to skip places that were less predictable. Little things can go wrong anywhere, so they’re not worth worrying about.
33: “He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de St. Exupery
This became one of my travel mottoes after an unfortunate experience trying to schlep a massive backpack from the airport to a hotel via public transportation. I know exactly what ol’ Antoine was talking about in this travel quote!
34: “Every man can transform the world from one of monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure.” – Irving Wallace
If we’re being honest with ourselves, the routines of daily life are monotonous. For me, all it takes is a trip to a new city or country to reignite my sense of adventure. Each new discovery is exciting, whether it’s trying a new meal or seeing an ancient castle.
READ MORE: How To Find The Cheapest Flights
35: “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien’s wisdom really shines through in this quote. I have applied it to several of my trips by allowing myself to simply wander through a new land as opposed to plotting everything out first. You can’t understand how freeing this is until you try it.
36: “The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.” – Shirley MacLaine
This quote is as relevant today as it was when it was first uttered. People have an unfortunate tendency to claim others as their enemy without even getting to know them first. This is an issue that’s propagated by fear of the unknown, and it has led to a lot of lost opportunities throughout history.
37: “I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” – Caskie Stinnett
Staying in one place for too long definitely makes my wanderlust start itching for a new adventure. Routine has its place, but too much of it makes me feel stagnant. I love shaking up my daily life by visiting a new place and immersing myself inside a different culture.
38: “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
Everything I’ve learned during my travels has forever expanded and changed my mind. This travel quote shows Holmes clearly grew in a similar way by visiting new lands.
39: “Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination.” – Roy M. Goodman
Many chase the elusive dream of happiness when they should be embracing it inside of each little moment, as Roy alludes to in this inspiring quote. I learned long ago that happiness is found in the details.
More Fun Traveling Quotes
40: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsch
What is your comfort zone? If I’d never learned to stretch mine, I’d still be sitting on the same couch after work every single day for the rest of my life. Instead, I challenged myself to tackle new challenges and to see areas of the world that had intimidated me.
41: “Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.” – Alan Keightley
One of my favorite travel memories involves sitting on a sidewalk in Nicaragua eating some chicken & rice. I watched local people walk by for at least 30 minutes, going about their daily routines. This simple experience still defines Nicaragua for me in a way that visiting a famous tourist attraction never could.
42: “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
I frequently remind myself of this quote about traveling from Henry Miller. After all, simply checking off travel locations means nothing if you don’t allow each trip to change you in some way. I love to soak up a new culture and learn more about the locals’ point of view.
43: “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag
Every place on the planet has great potential to help us learn and grow. That’s the primary reason that there’s nowhere in the world I wouldn’t go if I had safe passage. Right now, there are some cities and countries that aren’t very welcoming, but I’d still love to see them someday.
44: “Nobody can discover the world for somebody else. Only when we discover it for ourselves does it become common ground and a common bond and we cease to be alone.” – Wendell Berry
You cannot possibly hope to learn the true nature of the world by doing nothing more than reading about it. As valuable as reading is, it always takes a backseat to discovering the world for yourself.
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45: “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” – Chief Seattle
This is one of the classic travel quotes that everyone would be well-advised to remember. It breaks my heart to see historic areas filled with trash by careless travelers. We have a responsibility to preserve things as much as possible.
46: “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.” – Robert Frost
I took Frost’s words at face value in my teen years, but as an adult, I realize there’s much more to his sentiment. Seeing and doing the same things as everyone else can make it difficult to discover your own true identity.
47: “There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” – Charles Dudley Warner
The start of each new trip is an exciting time that’s characterized by a mixture of wonder and fear. You have no idea if the trip will go as planned, but the unknown is what makes everything so exciting.
48: “Oh the places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss serves as a reminder that we can go anywhere if we stop putting restrictions on ourselves. The world is waiting; we just have to have the courage to answer the call. Doing this, again and again, has given my life meaning.
49: “It is not down in any map; true places never are.” – Herman Melville
Much like the hidden parts of our souls, we cannot hope to find something completely original and unspoiled without wandering off the map. I give myself the freedom to explore anything that catches my attention.
50: “Investment in travel is an investment in yourself.” – Matthew Karsten
Yup. I’m Matthew Karsten, and I totally just snuck in one of my own travel quotes. Haha! But I really mean this too. When I first quit my unfulfilling day job to go backpacking around the world, I didn’t know what I was doing, or where it would all take me. But traveling taught me a lot about life, as well as myself.
51: “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Stevenson was much more than just a revered novelist; he was also a travel writer. This particular inspiring quote has always spoken to me. The urge to go somewhere new, no matter where it is, frequently grabs me.
52: “Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.” — Lawrence Block
There is nothing more exciting than turning a corner while traveling and finding something riveting. I remember this happening when I stumbled onto a work of art by street artist Banksy. I don’t even remember my original destination, but I do remember the way I felt looking at Banksy’s art!
53: “Better to see something once than hear about it a thousand times.” – Asian Proverb
This is, by far, my favorite Asian proverb, and it’s truly one of the world’s most accurate travel quotes. I am always in awe when I find myself standing in front of an iconic landmark. Sometimes, they’re less impressive than the stories I’ve heard, but even that’s a worthwhile experience.
54: “Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac
Is there anyone more uniquely qualified to provide insightful quotes about traveling than the author of “On the Road?” Traveling doesn’t always go as smoothly as you’d expect. Despite this, I’ve discovered many times that the trip itself is every bit as exciting as the destination.
55: “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comforts of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things — air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky. All things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese
Pavese’s books often spoke about loneliness and the inability to connect to others in a meaningful way. Although his commentary on traveling does contain some truth, I’ve always taken it with a grain of salt. Yes, traveling can be brutal at times, but I believe it’s also one of the most freeing experiences a person can have.
56: “Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” – Shel Silverstein
57: “And then there is the most dangerous risk of all — the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.” – Randy Komisar
Many people say inspiring things, but Komisar has lived them as a successful venture capitalist. Don’t fall into the trap of believing there will eventually be a perfect time to follow your dreams. Through traveling, I’ve learned the only perfect time is now.
58: “Life is short and the world is wide, the sooner you start exploring it, the better.” – Simon Raven
Controversial author Simon Raven said a lot of odd things in his time, but his travel quotes were typically spot on. After all, the only way to see the entire world is to start taking travel-sized bites out it as early as possible.
59: “The journey not the arrival matters.” – T.S. Eliot
Eliot’s poetry inspired countless writers, but I’ve always been the most taken by this simplistic quote. When I first started traveling, I placed way too much focus on getting to my destination. By learning to let that go, I’ve developed some of my fondest travel memories.
60: “What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do — especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon
Heat-Moon was so dedicated to writing unique travel books that he journeyed across the U.S. in a 1975 Econoline van. This is an adventure I long to duplicate. I also love the idea of getting a fresh start in every new town, and that’s exactly what happens if you’re willing to leave your past behind.
61: “To travel is to live.” – Hans Christian Andersen
I grew up reading Anderson’s fairy tales but didn’t know about his travel writing until later. Now, I know that his many quotes about traveling truly captured the essence of why it’s so important to explore new areas.
62: “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson
If you want to read humorous but insightful books about traveling, you should definitely check out Bill Bryson. He’s absolutely right about not taking things for granted when you’re on the road.
63: “Travel makes a wise man better but a fool worse.” – Thomas Fuller
Fuller broke new ground with his literary skills, which allowed him to earn a living long before being an author was a viable full-time career for writers. Some say that everyone is changed for the better by traveling, but Fuller warned us that this wasn’t the case.
64: “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain
American treasure Mark Twain wasn’t one to mince words, but his humor made even the bitterest truths easier to swallow. Unfortunately, I found out the wisdom behind his words the hard way through experience.
65: “The most beautiful in the world is, of course, the world itself.” – Wallace Stevens
Stevens had a love for the simple things in life, as evidenced by one of his titles: “The Emperor of Ice-Cream.” He’s also right; the entire world contains beauty. That’s why I long to travel to every country on earth.
66: “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru
It’s unsurprising that someone who learned directly from Gandhi would have such an inspiring way of looking at the world. Open your eyes to the beauty of a sunrise or waves rolling into the shore. No matter how many times you’ve seen them, they’re still full of beauty.
67: “I’m in love with cities I’ve never been to and people I’ve never met.” – Melody Truong
Melody Truong’s words resonate with me because they’re so full of truth. The feeling of loving unexplored parts of the world is exactly what pushes me to keep traveling.
68: “When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” – Susan Heller
Heller’s widely quoted travel adage has influenced the way I travel. I used to pack way more than I needed, and this hindered my travels. Cutting your luggage down and packing more money always makes things easier.
69: “Live your life by a compass, not a clock.” – Stephen Covey
People have turned to Covey for business advice for years, but I’ve found the most value in this one simple quote. I used to meticulously plan each trip down to the minute.
70: “Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” – David Mitchell
David Mitchell’s best-selling novels typically involve traveling, as evidenced by this quote from “Cloud Atlas.” It’s difficult to get to know yourself when you’re stuck in the rut of normality. I always have the best self-awareness breakthroughs after a period of travel and inner reflection.
71: “I travel because it makes me realize how much I haven’t seen, how much I’m not going to see, and how much I still need to see.” – Carew Papritz
Being born in Yosemite National Park enabled the travel bug to bite Papritz at birth. His thought-provoking spin on the purpose of travel has greatly influenced me. I may never see it all, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try.
72: “Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” – Anita Desai
Indian novelist Anita Desai nails this one with her inspiring quote about traveling. We’re all shaped by each of our experiences. I love it that every new adventure helps shape me for the better.
73: “We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.” – Ray Bradbury
Bradbury’s books often transport readers to another time or place. We cannot travel to other time periods in the real world, but we can take in the architecture of the past.
74: “Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like and celebrate it for everything that it is.” – Mandy Hale
Author Mandy Hale embodies her viewpoint as the “single girl with a story to tell.” I try to remind myself of this quote whenever life seems to be spinning out of control.
75: “Wherever you go, go with all your heart!” – Confucius
Confucius was an early proponent of social equality who urged people to live a life of morality and sincerity. I’ve interpreted this quote to mean that it’s important to be fully committed to each new experience.
Ready To Travel The World?
Congratulations on reading down this far! I know that was quite a list of inspiring travel quotes from famous writers. But if you’re still sick with wanderlust, and ready to travel more, you’re in luck.
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Packing Guide
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Book Your Flight
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Rent A Car
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Book Accommodation
Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent local apartments on Airbnb ($35 discount!). Read my post for tips on booking cheap hotels.
Protect Your Trip
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Have any cool travel quotes I missed? Which is your favorite? Drop me a message in the comments below!
This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.
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