Take in the city lights

Take in the hustle and bustle, glimmering lightsOpens in a new window, and spectacular skylines by plotting an urban vacation that everyone in your travel party will love. If you’ve thought about a city break, you’ve likely considered destinations like New York City, LondonOpens in a new window, Paris, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Singapore, which are among the top 10 most visited citiesOpens in a new window on Earth. While they are all popular for good reason, you could also look to “second cities,” aka those cities that are just a bit smaller and less traveled than their more well-known nearby siblings. Travel-worthy second cities include spots like Marseille, France, a city not too far from Paris that still delivers that same “je ne sais quoi,” and cities like Memphis, which has just as magical a musical scene as nearby Nashville. See even more second city options hereOpens in a new window.

Get out in nature

Camping has had a major renaissance moment as people seek out a vacation that still allows them to explore the natural worldOpens in a new window while remaining socially distanced. Thankfully, the world is full of ideal destinations for pitching a tent and roasting some marshmallows, including national parks across the United States like the Grand Canyon, Acadia National Park, and the Great Smoky MountainsOpens in a new window. While these are all superb choices, there is one way to up the ante on a camping getaway, and that’s by choosing a dark sky destinationOpens in a new window. Possibilities include national parks like Joshua Tree and the Big Cypress National Preserve and dedicated reserves like the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve.

Hit the road

Road trips are a perennial favorite getaway option and an excellent choice at that because you can come and go as you please. The best part? There are bucket list-worthy road trips all over the world. In the U.S., there’s Route 66, which takes drivers from Santa Monica, California to Chicago, Illinois, and the Great Northern Route across U.S. 2 from Bangor, Maine to Seattle, Washington. There are plenty of internationally renowned routes, too, like the Atlantic Road in Norway and the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Want to make your road trip a touch more unique? Before starting your adventure, sit down with your travel party and agree on a road trip theme. Think “foodie tour,” where you drive from destination to destination hunting down the best restaurants on the route, a “music tour” that takes you from iconic venue to iconic venueOpens in a new window, or “vista point tour,” which will take you to all the best views from point A to point B.

Dive into warm weather and clear blue water

Time and time again, the most searched for travel destinations are those featuring sugar-sand beaches, crystalline watersOpens in a new window, and are spots where you’re more than likely to find delicious fruity cocktails with tiny umbrellas in them for good measure. If a long-overdue beachside getaway is on your bucket list, there are a plethora of epic places to choose from, including domestic locations like Hawaii and the Florida Keys. But if you want to shake things up, try heading to the beach...then...keep on going right into the water with an underwater hotel stayOpens in a new window. Yes, there really are hotels that offer the unique option of not just staying above the water, but below it, with bungalows set well below the surface.