7 travel tips that will make your vacation unforgettable in 2026

(Bloomberg) — Lately, each passing year feels like a whole new era for travel, with trends changing at the speed of a centrifuge. A decade ago, my job as a travel journalist was to discover new and interesting things around the world and bring them to light. Today, it’s so much about testing everything that’s trending on social media and determining if it’s really worth it. This year, I did it for 200 days on the road, most of it researching the “Two-Night Minimum” city guide series. [Pelo menos duas noites, em tradução livre] da Bloomberg Pursuits.

Reflecting back, these are the strategies that led me to my favorite discoveries. Consider this a report on the current state of travel, packed with trending hacks that will improve your vacation in 2026.

Include board, card and table games on your list to get to know places

In recent years, running clubs have been a reliable way to socialize while traveling. Now, we’re heading back indoors… to play mahjong. The tile game became a “fever” in the USA and beyond. In Washington, D.C., the hardest table to reserve is in Lucky Danger’s gaming room, where once a week the owner’s elderly father teaches newcomers how to play over cocktails.

Games in general are on the rise. In Las Vegas, try Casino Quest, where you can hone your blackjack and poker skills alongside aspiring dealers (and get top tips for the best restaurants and bars off the Strip). Toronto has created its own chain of board game cafes called Snakes and Lattes, which recently opened locations in Arizona and Chicago. Starbucks take care.

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Great attractions should not dictate your itinerary

Blame the old tour guides for presenting museums, parks, temples and other popular attractions as pillars of any itinerary. Instead, plan around “action verbs” — what you want to taste, drink, and do — and trust that you’ll cross things off the list organically as you explore.

Don’t prioritize a specific viewpoint in Lisbon, for example; you will find incredible views at dusk on your way to dinner. In Milan, heading straight to the Duomo is a mistake — there are lots of vibrant neighborhoods around it, so you’re going to see it anyway. In Kyoto, you miss the point of the temples if you get stuck in the crowd — the most vibrant cultural experience is visiting the nearby offering shops and noodle restaurants.

Ignore o Michelin

In recent years, the famous tire brand ended up codifying a haute cuisine manual so strict that chefs began following predictable formulas to try to win stars. The resulting restaurants are often soulless and forgettable — and standards seem applied inconsistently across different markets, like a teacher grading tests on a curve. Because of this, many food enthusiasts have told me to simply ignore one-star restaurants in their cities.

It’s worth using the Michelin website as a reasonably complete aggregator of luxury meals and hotels, but lately I’ve been paying more attention to the annual Opinionated About Dining (OAD) lists. The site aggregates thousands of reviews from unpaid enthusiasts and uses a proprietary algorithm to highlight contributors’ favorite restaurants across geographic and price categories — a good café can get as much attention as a 20-course menu. He found an essential middle ground between Yelp or Google, where anyone can give their opinion without much expertise, and Michelin, where establishments depend on one or two reviewers.

I suspect that the much hyped “best in the world” lists are heading towards obsolescence. Consumers are more aware of the pay-for-play business models that the majority use. At the same time, economic and social factors keep wealthier customers away from the more formal experiences that these lists love to focus on.

In Washington, for example, renowned restaurants like The Dabney are ditching set menus to better meet diners’ budgetary needs as the cost of living (and eating out) rises. Now you can move on to wine and a delicious catfish sandwich on sweet potato bread instead of a full feast.

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It’s okay to choose a restaurant just for the vibe

We live in the Age of Ozempic; going out to dinner is on the rise, while appetites are on the wane. This means that the vibe of the restaurant can be just as important as the food — perhaps even more so. Even for gourmets, there is no problem with this. These spaces can function as membership clubs with no annual fee; another way to self-select yourself as part of a cool local group. Why pay for a Soho House membership when you can eat with the same people at Pastis?

This all means that you should really evaluate their recommendations. When asking someone, friend or stranger, for a recommendation, make sure you know exactly why they recommend the place. For the best pizza in Milan, chefs highlight the soft dough and premium ingredients at Confine, but socialites cite La Specialità — which shows that the cool spot has just opened a branch in Miami.

Hotels are also cashing in on the vibe economy, using their hospitality know-how to create inviting spaces for locals and guests alike. Traditionally, my first instinct upon arriving in a new city is to rush out of the lobby to explore, but lately I’ve been staying longer as more and more hotels serve as neighborhood hangouts.

I had to convince myself a lot to try a Mexican restaurant in London, but the trendy Side Hustle, at NoMad London, focuses heavily on sociability, with talkative waiters and premium tequila tastings. It’s surprisingly fun. And the funkadelic bar Nubeluz, at the top of the Ritz Carlton New York, NoMad, enchants with fluorescent cocktails that match the maximalist decor, not to mention the panoramic views of the city.

Find the padel club and you will find the coolest neighborhood

While Americans prefer pickleball, padel has more international appeal. Use this tip to discover the coolest neighborhoods in any big city. Padel venues often take advantage of not-so-expensive real estate in emerging areas already full of cafes, bars and other alternative spots.

The Matcha Club is the point in Dubai for some racket (good) with Pilates and salad — it’s in Al Quoz, the coolest neighborhood in the city (and perhaps in the world), anchored by the trendy Al Serkal Avenue. In Lisbon, Nave is in the trendy Marvila; its relaxed breweries and galleries are the perfect antidote to the crowded, clique-filled alleys of Chiado and Alfama.

Embrace third culture cuisine

Let’s put aside gastronomic clichés — spaghetti in Italy, bagels in New York, ramen in Japan — and broaden our culinary horizons to other communities and immigrants who run kitchens around the world. Can I say that the best pasta I ate this year was at Mother Wolf in Las Vegas? And no one beats the Margherita pizza at Savoy Tomato & Cheese in Tokyo.

Let’s not forget that Milan has a large Chinese population who arrived decades ago to work in the city’s tanneries. Stroll along Via Paolo Sarpi to taste delicious ravioli (or rather, dumplings). And a trip to Dubai is not complete without Indian cuisine — citizens of the subcontinent make up more than half of the emirate’s population. Try a curry in the Karama neighborhood or elevate the experience with dishes from Tresind Studio, like pani puri and scallop with guntur pepper sambal, that are sure to broaden your definition of Indian cuisine.

Call the West Villagers with torches: After I stopped worrying about Icelandic cardamom twists, I found the best bagel ever at a Reykjavik bakery, topped with fresh cream cheese and local salmon.

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The professional travel agent exists to save clients from hours of research and analysis paralysis; Now, there are so many of them that choosing one among so many candidates has become an equally difficult task. Make your life easier and use the Gladwellian principle in your decision: at least 10,000 hours of relevant destination experience (around five years) are essential. Your planner should also be able to use hundreds of data points to tailor suggestions to your taste and needs, not just convey their preferences, as well as guaranteeing more than the standard breakfast included at the hotel.

Know that life as an agent is a game of volume — a luxury planner typically devotes attention commensurate with your budget. Manage your expectations or, if you’re the type who needs to evaluate each item on your trip, continue planning on your own.

And while we’re talking about seeking expertise, use the same test when considering TikToks and Instagram Reels about your next trip. I spent the last month in Tokyo combing through thousands of posts, and I can categorically say that every “I spent two weeks in Japan, here are my expert tips” post was wrong about the country — and its best discoveries.

To contact the author of this article:
Brandon Presser in Indianapolis via email

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