I hope these quotes inspire you to pack up everything and head out into the unknown, to explore the farthest reaches of our world — to see the world for what it really is.
Feed your wanderlust with these inspirational travel quotes from famous travelers along with beautiful images you can share. These memorable travel quotes have the ability to capture little moments of clarity that highlight truths about travel, adventure, and life.
Whether you're looking for a little bit of motivation to book that plane ticket or just want some destination inspiration, these quotes about travel are guaranteed to give you a serious case of wanderlust.
1. “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. We all have preconceived concepts, but traveling has shown me that many are usually false. One of his top travel quotes!
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
Many think of traveling as a way to relax, and it absolutely can be! However, I’ve also found traveling can help you understand what’s going on in the world.
3. “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” Ibn Battuta
Everyone wants to see inspiring things, that'll inspire people. For example, witnessing the unreal-looking black sands seashore. It like right out of a fantasy novel!
4. “No place is ever as bad as they tell you it’s going to be.” Chuck Thompson
Have you ever seen your hometown through the eyes of a tourist? It’s easy to get jaded, but the truth is every place in the world has something of interest.
You’ll always hear about the negative before you hear about the positive. Because people love to complain! Don’t listen to them, and go see for yourself.
5. “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 trip quote. I definitely used to think that my life, and my country, played a bigger role in the world until I packed up and hit the road.
6. “He who would travel happily must travel light.” Antoine de St. Exupery
This is one of my travel slogans after an unfortunate experience trying to schlep a massive travel backpack from the airport to a hotel via public transportation. I know exactly what Antoine was talking about in this travel quote!
7. “To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” Freya Stark
A variety of views always helps give me a new perspective on life. Traveling allows waking up to a different view on a regular basis. The better traveling quote.
8. You can't find new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Andre Gide
This is a great travel quote about throwing off the so-called safety net of your comfortable surroundings to discover new parts of the world (and yourself).
9. “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, you’ll find out that it’s completely different from your internal image.
10. “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” Saint Augustine
We may seem 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. It doesn’t get any more real than this short travel quote.
11. “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.
12. “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.
13. “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.
14. “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” James 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 think that the point of traveling is to learn about new cultures and customs and truly open our minds.
15. “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.
16. “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.
17. “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.
18. “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.
19. “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.
20. 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.
21. “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 amplified and changed my mind. This travel quote shows Holmes clearly grew in a similar way by visiting new countries.
22. “Investment in travel is an investment in yourself.” Matthew Karsten
It's True. 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.
23. “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.
24. “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 or aggressive, but the spirit of the people always lives on.
25. “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.
26. “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.
27. “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.
28. “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.
29. “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.
30. “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.
Traveling is one of the best ways to study your mind and heart to the world. Travel can change your perspective. I hope these quotes inspire you to pack up everything and head out into the unknown, to explore the farthest reaches of our world — to see the world for what it really is. Browse these great quotes when you need wanderlust motivation — to make travel a priority in your life!
