With the holidays behind us, it’s fun to look forward to the adventures 2025 will hold. You’re exhausted from the holidays and getting back to work and into routine, and you need something to look forward to this year—a vacation on your calendar. With the excitement a new year brings, there are also some things to factor in when planning your trips for 2025.
You’ll want to make sure to obtain your REAL ID card in addition to doing your research for the best times of year to travel to various destinations to ensure you go at the optimal time of year and maximize your time off and funding. You don’t want to end up in your favorite place after a long-planned vacation when all the roads are closed for a race or you’re fighting traffic for a music festival. While you can’t always plan for the weather on your trips, you can plan to avoid being in Italy with no A/C in the hottest months of July and August.
Real ID Act:
Beginning on May 7, REAL Identification cards that meet the REAL ID requirements of further verification will be required for all flights (including domestic) in the United States. So, if you are planning to travel after May 7 of this year, you’ll want to take steps to obtain your new ID via the Homeland Security Website. You may already be ‘Real ID Ready’ and can check if your driver’s license or ID card is compliant via the Homeland Security website or to find the necessary steps to complete this for your state.
Maximize Your Vacation Time this year:
The stars have aligned this year so that several U.S. holidays line up with weekends in 2025! The Fourth of July is just one great example of a holiday that falls on a Friday this year. You can use it to plan a long weekend trip to spend the Fourth somewhere new! When booking your travel destination, just take note of where the busiest places will be for Fourth of July celebrations so you’re not working against the crowds or met with museum closures in a new city you’re excited to explore!
While St. Patrick’s Day and Valentine’s Day are not Federal holidays, they are two holidays that also line up with weekends this year, so even if you don’t have those days off work, you could consider taking those days off to extend your Valentine’s or St. Patty’s celebrations or book that weekend trip! There are many fun destinations that have fun St. Patrick’s traditions and hotels tend to run sweetheart discounts for couples on Valentine’s Day, it might make requesting that day off work extra worth it! Also, if you have off work on February 17 for Presidents Day, then you can make your romantic Valentine’s getaway even longer.
Hot spot for U.S. travel -Puerto Rico:
If you don’t have a passport, or the time to go get your passport renewed, Puerto Rico is a hot spot for travel right now, and you don’t need a passport to get there. While it may be trending, it is also affordable -and rich in history, culture, and flavorful tropical dishes. Even though it’s part of the United States, Puerto Ricans think of their beautiful island as their own country and identify as Puerto Ricans first. They have a nature of making everyone feel like family and visiting the island could be a great opportunity to practice your Spanish and learn about a new place. Plus, you don’t need to call your credit card company or alter your cell phone plan before you go, as it is a U.S. territory.
If you do opt to visit Puerto Rico, Old San Juan in the capital of San Juan is a wonderful tourist destination – with a historic town square, well-preserved statues and fortresses holding over 500 years of European history. The architecture of this beautiful town will make you feel like you’ve flown all the way to Spain – without the expense and the jetlag! Also, you can fly right into San Juan and begin your vacation there. You have to make sure to try mufango, a delicious plantain dish if you go. The colorful streets of Old San Juan are also very picturesque if you’re looking to have an Insta-worthy moment.
Your man or history-buff significant other will also enjoy Old San Juan because of the forts dating back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, some of which were later used as U.S. military forts and induction stations during the Vietnam and Korean Wars. Castillo San Cristobal, later known as Fort Brooke, also has spectacular views of the city from many different vantage points, including a bunker, and a hidden tunnel, which makes this a perfect date spot or educational morning along your tour of Old San Juan. Make sure to check out the local artisans near the town square just down the streets from San Cristobal and make sure to try the sugarcane Pitorro drink, an Old Harbor if you’re a beer drinker – or a coquito ‘Puerto rican eggnog,’ if you visit near the holidays.
Jetlag tips:
Considering those further destinations that may be on your 2025 Bingo card, there are some great ways to combat jetlag or plan ahead to tackle it. Hydration is key in this feeling of fatigue that often fits itself into the ritual of adjusting your schedule. Make sure to start hydrating a couple of days prior to long flights to hold you over and help your body stay healthy while traveling. When you arrive at your foreign destination, you really do have to try and force yourself to adjust right away – even if that means keeping yourself awake after an already long travel day. It can be difficult to eat and sleep when you’re not tired or hungry either, but the sooner you start to adjust your routine, the sooner your body will follow.
In addition to scheduling or sleep apps that help you with jetlag, you can also try grounding yourself, or “earthing” by going barefoot to walk around for 15-20 minutes to help your circadian rhythm adjust. Whether or not this is evidenced, some fresh air and a brisk walk couldn’t hurt after a long time sitting on a plane.
If 2025 is your year for a cruise or you plan to take a boat excursion on your vacation, there are also some precautions you want to take to plan ahead to ensure your vacation isn’t ruined by motion sickness! You can pack Dramamine to have on hand in case you start to feel nauseous but drinking Ginger tea or bringing ginger chews such as these Ginger Rescue chews can help prevent you from feeling seasick before you even set foot on a boat.
Booking Air travel:
When it comes to booking flights, the Hopper app is a very useful tool to help you sift through different flights and compare different airlines and packages. It shows you what dates are the best to book to be most cost-efficient and you can set notifications to ‘watch’ different flights for potential price drops and estimations before you book. Even if you have loyalty or miles you want to use with a particular airline, you can search through Hopper and book via the airline’s website once you lock down a schedule as this tool still helps you have a projection of demand and pricing.
When it comes to booking your vacay, just make sure to plan ahead to make the most out of it. Even if you’re a serendipitous, go-with-the-flow traveler, it can be great to have a loose idea of what stops and tours you might like to make to prioritize along your trip. It is also a great idea to plan ahead to have an idea of what events or holidays might take place while you’re there.
What's Your Reaction?
