Traveling locally is sometimes looked down on. It’s portrayed as not as exciting. But I think that is bogus. It can actually turn out to be some of the best times of your life.
I love traveling internationally, but traveling locally has so many benefits. In this post, I’m going to outline 6 reasons why you might want to consider a local trip and what that means. I’ll also give you some ideas to get started.
When my partner, Mike, and I first had kids, our travel budget was very small. We felt like the days of exploring Switzerland’s mountainous landscape to adventuring in Costa Rica were over or at least on pause. Our moments were spent keeping those little ones alive. However, this didn’t mean we weren’t thirsting for adventure.
Instead of traveling halfway around the world for experiences, we had so many adventures by exploring our own backyard. After all, traveling isn’t just about the location, but it is also about the memories and moments you make with each other.
We lived in Denver, Colorado when we had our babies. During those beginning years, we took short and incredible trips to Estes Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Breckenridge, Leadville, Crested Butte, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Grand Lake, Georgetown, Twin Lakes, Southeastern Colorado to see some historical sites, Silverthorne, and Fort Collins. All of these locations are in Colorado.
It helps that we lived in an incredible state with so many amazing places to discover, but I bet you could find some incredible hidden gems in your area too if you looked.
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What Does Traveling Locally Actually Mean?
Traveling locally is exploring the region around you. This could be your state, region, or country (depending on its size). Think about the area within a 2 to 4 hour radius.
These days we live in the Netherlands. When I consider places to travel locally, it could be anywhere in the whole country of the Netherlands. I did a lot of traveling locally in 2025 and want to continue exploring this country. There are so many destinations I still haven’t discovered.
So far, my favorite cities outside of Amsterdam that I have found are Groningen, Amersfoort, and Haarlem. In 2026, we are going to Zeeland and the Wadden Islands. I’m excited to explore these seaside areas.
Between 2016 and 2022, we lived in Bozeman, Montana. I would not even consider the whole state of Montana as traveling locally because it is so huge! We did however explore the nearby areas and discovered so many great places.
Regardless of the labels, there are hundreds of things to do in your own little section of the world, you just need to do a little research and go.
Why Should You Travel Locally?
There are quite a few reasons why traveling locally is wonderful. Below are six of the reasons why we like it.
Reason 1 – Local Travel Is Inexpensive
It is a lot cheaper to travel locally than internationally or even across the country! On a vacation, lodging and transportation can be two of the biggest expenses.
If you are visiting a nearby city or state park, you can sleep in your own bed at night, which means you don’t have to pay for a hotel.
Additionally, you can also use your own car or take a train in my case, so fuel or your ticket is your only expense.
With costs a lot lower, you could potentially take more adventures if you travel locally too.
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Reason 2 – Supporting Local Businesses And Your Own Community
When spending your money in your region, you can help support the local economy. Seek out businesses that are owned by community members and not big national or international businesses.
Supporting these local businesses has far-reaching positive effects on the community including economic growth, sustainability and community development.
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Reason 3 – Easier To Plan
When you are traveling nearby you can plan your experiences so much easier too. You don’t have to coordinate a lot of logistics. Just get in your car and go. You might have to make a reservation or two.
It may not be that easy, especially with kids, but you get my point. You don’t have to book flights, find hotels, figure out transportation to the hotel, make dinner reservations, research attractions, figure out where to go or what to see. There are bits and pieces of these things, but not the whole shebang.
Reason 4 – Don’t Need To Take Time Off Work
Since you aren’t going far away, traveling locally can happen on the weekend. This means you don’t have to use your PTO (paid time off) or take any days off work if you don’t want to.
One of the most important things I have learned about traveling locally is that you have to be intentional about it or it won’t happen. It is easy to say, oh, we’ll do it next weekend because it is so close. Ultimately you never go.
We have been saying for over 2 years now that we need to take a day trip to Schiermonnikoog Island because it is so close to us. We still haven’t been, but we will do it this year. It’s not on the calendar yet, but the plan is to go when someone visits us, so it will happen.
Consciously plan weekend getaways or day-trips throughout the year. Write them in your calendar and prioritize this time before other commitments get in the way!
Reason 5 – Good Way To Test Travel Out
Traveling locally is also a great way to start traveling if you haven’t done it much or you get anxious about it.
Maybe you are nervous about how your kids will react to traveling. This beginner run will show you if your kids can travel for a few hours in a car or can spend a full-day out and about. It will also teach you that kids are resilient and can do more than you think.
You will learn so much from the first few trips. Some things we learned along the way were that we should have brought a carrier instead of a stroller, that kids need more snacks than we ever thought, and that M&Ms are great bribes to get them a little further down the hiking trail.
The best way to get started is to, begin with a day out. Pick a date and a destination, and add it to the calendar. Plan how to get there, where to eat (maybe a couple of choices or make a reservation), and what you are going to do there.
If you are traveling with kids, keep your day flexible. Kids need breaks, snacks, and are unpredictable. If they are still doing well, do the next thing on the list. If they are starting to melt down, change directions. Don’t force anything. That’s when tantrums happen.
Next, make a list of everything you will need to bring and then pack. That is a beginner trip in a nutshell.
After your day trip is a success, graduate to an overnight trip. Do everything like the day trip, and adjust from the things you learned that went wrong. Staying overnight has some added elements to plan, like booking a hotel and packing an overnight bag.
While there are some extra things to think about, a nearby overnight trip is easier than one that is far away. It will be easy to grab things you might have forgotten because you are familiar with the stores in the area. Additionally, if things go sideways, you can easily return home if needed.
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Reason 6 – You Will Discover New Incredible Places Near You
The most exciting reason to travel locally is that you will find new hidden gems in your own backyard. This lake pictured above was a 2-hour drive from our home in Bozeman, Montana.
We had heard about these beautiful turquoise lakes that look like you are canoeing in the ocean and just had to check them out. It was a magical place. We loved that day trip so much, we tried our best to returning once a year.
This might happen to you too. You might find a picturesque treasure that you keep returning to year after year.
Ideas For Traveling Locally Near You
There are so many things you can do in your local area, but maybe you don’t know where to start. I have made a list of different ideas to get you thinking.
- Take a hike in a new national forest
- Rent kayaks, SUP or a canoe on a new lake
- Go tubing down the river
- Visit a museum in a new town
- Go to a waterpark
- Explore a new state park
- Go to an amusement park
- Visit a zoo in a different city
- Go to an aquarium
- Go miniature golfing
- Walk around a new park
- Find a new playground
- Go camping
- Have fun on a ropes course or go ziplining
- Go go-kart racing
- Splash around an indoor waterpark
- Go to a local festival or show
- Soak in a hot springs
- Learn something new together (cooking, dancing, art, pottery, etc..)
- Go to the beach
- Visit a nearby city
- Learn about and visit historical sites
- Rent nordic skis and fall on the trails, I mean go skiing…
- Check out a new ski hill
- Go on a drive to see the fall colors
Whatever your hobbies, I know you will be able to find something fun and interesting to do in your neck of the woods. Traveling means more than getting on a plane and going to see a world wonder. It is about making memories that will last a lifetime.
So, what are you doing next weekend? Nothing. Make a plan and see something new with the people you love. Or go by yourself. You deserve some me time too!
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