2020 was going to be the year I went to the most amount of new places than I've ever done in a year. I had a long list of places I wanted to see and things I wanted to do. The year started out well with a quick one-night trip to Glasgow for my birthday to see my favourite musician, James Blunt. Then all hell broke loose and flights got canceled, tickets rebooked for a later date, and every plan for travel postponed.
In the first half of 2020, I was meant to have gone on a few mini trips, first to Amsterdam for two nights and then a quick one-night to Brussels. In between these, I saw myself exploring more of the UK to then fly home to Sweden for a few weeks over Midsummer. Then later this year I was planning on doing a trip to Malta as I've never been and it looks stunning! However, someone ate a bat in China and now millions have been infected with the virus and the travel industry has been on hold for a while.
While 2020 will not be the year of discovering new places it will be the perfect time to try and save up to, hopefully, make 2021 the year of travel!
My perfect type of trip is booking cheap flights, finding a decent hostel for the night, and then spending two days strolling around beautiful cities and towns, eating new food, and taking too many pictures.
While I love to write "dream" bucket lists I wanted to write my 2021 travel bucket list something I can actually achieve. While I'd love to fly to Australia/New Zeeland for a few weeks, relax in the Maldives, and do a Road Trip across Canada I have to be a bit more realistic.
When the pandemic properly hit I lost one of my jobs so any dreams I had of splurging on a holiday have come to a halt. However, this won't stop me from traveling, I'll just have to keep my budget in mind when booking.
So, if you are too looking for some great budget destinations to add to your 2021 travel bucket list then look no further!
Seeing as I am based in London the most budget-friendly destinations are within Europe and as I love to make mini getaways they're perfect for weekend trips so no need to take out any annual leave!
ONE NIGHT DESTINATIONS GREAT FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS
As I mentioned my favourite trips are the ones where I book an early flight out and a late flight home the next day, as I did in Paris last year. This gives you enough time to stroll around the city but also catch all the "must see's".
Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn popped up on my radar when I was learning how to use Pinterest. A pictured ended up on my feed and I fell in love immediately. With its beautiful architecture and to me and an unknown story I cannot wait to get to explore the Estonian capital.
Vienna, Austria
The Austrian capital has long intrigued me. There are multiple songs about Vienna, Sahara Hotnight's song comes to mind as what first initiated my dream of visiting Vienna. With incredible palaces, cathedrals, and impressive museums this is a must-visit as soon as we are allowed to travel freely again!
LONG WEEKEND DESTINATIONS
Sometimes you need a bit longer in a place. Last year I went to Budapest and stayed three nights which was incredible. While I love a one-night trip sometimes you want to take it slow so two or three nights are the perfect duration for the following destinations.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
I was meant to have visited Amsterdam in March of this year but the week prior to our departure countries went into lockdown. I often travel on my own but Amsterdam I have booked to go with two of my best friends which I really look forward to whenever it takes place! We're currently thinking March 2021 but who knows, anything can change at this point.
Wales
I used to live in Wales. For three years I lived in Aberystwyth on the Welsh Westcoast where I studied at the local university. During these three years, I didn't explore Wales at all, which I now realise I'm poorer for. I took my driver's license in February this year and by next year I can finally rent cars in the UK! So I want to do a long weekend driving around Wales and exploring all its nooks and crannies and truly enjoy the beautiful country that it is.
BUDGET FRIENDLY WEEK-LONG DESTINATIONS
For the past two years, I have done longer holidays. In 2018 I went to Italy for 10 days and in 2019 I spent a week on a sailing boat in the Greek Saronic Islands with Medsailors. While I had planned on spending a week in Malta this year I will have to postpone that.
Malta
I was trying to find a new place to travel to that had a good mixture of history, stunning architecture, great weather, and excellent swimming. To my surprise a lot of people recommended Malta! I had never really considered it but after doing some research it's actually one of the cheaper holiday destinations and I can definitely see myself enjoying the country. It's small enough to explore the entire island over the course of a week and I can still get in a few hours to work on my tan. After I saw Suitcase Monkey's vlog from Malta the other night I really do feel that I need to go to Malta as soon as possible!
Sweden
If you didn't know I'm from Sweden. Born and raised on the beautiful west coast there is another 95% of the country that I haven't seen. While I love going home to visit my parents there's not a lot to do where they live. So for 2021, I want to rent a car and drive, exploring new places, and really getting to know my own country. Whether it be a road trip of Southern Sweden or exploring the more northern parts with mountains and wildlife is yet to be decided.
What destinations are on your travel bucket list for 2021?
I feel six destinations a year is doable, both time-wise and money-wise. Two longer trips and four shorter feels within my budget and I'm excited and hopeful to at least cross some of these places off next year.
