17 Different Ways To Travel The World From Home
Dreaming of taking a vacation to an exotic island or the old towns of Europe? Me too! 😊 Sometimes taking a trip can be a challenge due to lack of funds, no time off from work or maybe recovering from surgery. For when you can’t get away or are in between trips, there are so many different ways to travel right from the comfort of your home!
Using the ideas I have listed below can really help to satisfy your wanderlust cravings as you explore the globe from wherever you are.
These activities can even generate new places for you to travel the world once you get the chance. Come along on this adventure with me as we have fun discovering new ways to enjoy traveling!
Tip: Why not consider doing some home decorating that is themed around travel? To get awesome travel-themed decor inspiration, explore 15 Ways To Bring In A Sense of Wanderlust Into Your Home!
That way you can quench your wanderlust without leaving your house…
Different Ways To Travel From Home
1. Create A Memory Book
Growing up, I would always look forward to getting my vacation photos printed and put into an album. Old school I know, but it was fun to look back and remember the trip.
In the age of taking digital photos, we take more photos than we humanly need but rarely if ever print any out. I’m guilty of taking several 1,000 photos per trip…
Over the last few years, I started making photo memory books or a coffee table book of my trips. This way I could easily see the best photos of my trip instead of scrolling through my phone or laptop to find.
There are probably many companies that you can load your photos and make a book of, but my experience is with Shutterfly which I find easy to use their software. You can even create a calendar using photos from all your favorite trips with Zazzle and Shutterfly!
2. Puzzle Of Travel Photos
If you are stuck at home and are looking for a way to remember a scene from your trip, you can order a puzzle! You can create your own puzzle with a picture of your choice from your vacation. That way you can customize your puzzle using one photo or make a collage.
You get to determine the size and number of puzzle pieces you want with the max number of pieces around 1014. A few companies that can make custom puzzles are Shutterfly, Create Jigsaw Puzzles and Zazzle. But if you don’t want to make your own, you can order a travel scene puzzle like these from Amazon!
3. Travel Themed Subscription Box
How cool is it if you could get travel inspiration sent straight to your doorstep each month? Well, you can! Get products that will either transport you back to a favorite place or serve as a reason to book that next trip.
There are all kinds of travel-themed subscription boxes and it really depends on your interests. Plus, they make great gifts that are original and creative for every travel lover. Here are some great ones to check out:
- Life’s A Wave – an ocean-themed goodie box
- Explore Local Box – local products from various cities in the USA!
- Vacation Crate – handmade treasures from around the world
- Spice Madam – spices, recipes, and music from around the world
- Finders Seekers – an adventure mystery much like escape rooms
- Globein – designed for women with products from around the world
- Try The World – Curated food and snacks from chefs around the world
- Kizuna – yummy snacks from Japan!
- The Hawaiian Box – items and snacks that will bring Hawaii to you!
- Paradise Delivered – the paradise inspired items to make for a dreamy staycation!
- The Wordy Traveler – curated selection of books, organic tea and art from across the globe!
4. Watch A Travel TV Show
There are so many cool shows out there that will surely bring out your wanderlust! Watching scenes from either a unique destination or one that you have longed to visit can be an inspiring way to travel from home.
I have rounded up some of my favorite TV shows or series that can all be found on Netflix or Amazon. So get watching and enjoy the shows listed on 31 Best Travel TV Shows and Movies of All Time!
5. Get Cooking!
When I was younger or prior to traveling a lot, I wasn’t a big fan of cooking. Heck who am I kidding, I still don’t love it. Ha! I would rather just focus on the eating part… But on my travels, I have grown in my appreciation of various cuisines, spices, and flavors that are incredibly delicious.
Having the right spices for a meal especially from an exotic destination makes a meal superb!
Whether for yourself or a gift for someone else, get a box delivered with 3-4 various spices, recipes, music, and cool facts from around the globe when you order from Spice Madam!
On my more recent trips, I have started to take part in food experiences and even cooking classes so that I can hopefully bring some skills home with me. For when you can’t take that exotic vacation then try cooking food from your favorite country with the help of some chefs. I’m salivating just thinking about the yummy dishes to make!
- Nonna Live – homemade pasta from an Italian grandmother, yes please!
- The Chef & The Dish
- Udemy
- Masterclass
- BBC Food
Or order a travel-inspired cookbook and become your own home chef. Get your cookbooks on Amazon by clicking on any of the images below!
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6. Read A Travel Book
If you are an avid book reader and love to travel, then you will enjoy the travel inspiration a book can give you!
What I like most about reading, is that you get to use your own imagination. You can picture a place or person in your own way that is somehow magical.
Reading can truly transport you to another world right in the comfort of your own home. I’ve put together a list of travel books, that will take you on a mental vacation!
Are you looking for additional travel reading inspiration or maybe want to get a unique gift for a fellow travel lover?
The Wordy Traveler is the perfect choice as you get 3 handpicked books, an organic tea from around the world, and printed art from the region in the world you choose. What a treat to get in the mail!
7. Listen To A Travel Podcast
I admit I am fairly new to listening to podcasts but I am slowly getting hooked on them! What I love about podcasts is that you can listen to them while you are driving, cooking, relaxing or even cleaning. It makes the time go by fast while being entertained or learning some awesome info.
Here are some standout podcasts centered around travel that provide excellent travel tips, laughter, inspiration, and info on destinations.
I access them through Apple Podcasts but you can search for them in Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or any other place you listen to podcasts.
- The Global Travel Channel
- Women Who Travel
- Not So Bon Voyage
- Zero To Travel
- Alpaca My Bags
- JUMP
8. Visit A Local Winery, Distillery Or Brewery
Depending on whether you are a wine, whisky or beer drinker (or all), you can have the drink of your choice shipped to you! You can order different tasting options of your favorite bottle or have them pick an assortment for you to try.
For example, I live in California now but I miss my Oregon wines (Pinot Noir anyone?) and can order them straight to my home! It seems that every region in the world has a winery, brewery or even a distillery that can mail you a delightful package of liquid gold… Take your tasting outside to your backyard or balcony and make it a picnic tasting!
If you don’t have a favorite yet but would like to try different selections from around the world, try:
Bright Cellars – get bottles of wine from around the world delivered to your home for your own private tasting!
Whisky Flavours – how cool is it to get small bottles of top whisky, snacks and a glass to try at home?
9. Take A Walking Tour
There are two main ways to take a walking tour at home. You can hop on a trail near your home and go for a hike exploring the natural beauty of your hometown.
Or even take a walking tour of your city such as a food walking tour or a beer walking tour. But if you aren’t able to leave your house, take a virtual walking tour of a city while lounging on the couch.
Go to Walks and take a tour of some of Europe’s most popular cities and attractions. Or you can take a Google Maps Virtual Tours of U.S. National Parks, Google Earth UNESCO World Heritage Sites, The Cliffs of Moher and The Great Wall to name a few!
Go to Google Maps to find your favorite city or landmark to view. One of my favorites is at the Hawaii Volcano National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii.
10. Watch a Travel Movie
Sometimes you might not have the time or be in the mood to start a new TV series but a movie is a great choice. There are so many movies out there that can inspire you to go on an adventure, to find yourself and get out of your comfort zone. They can transport you within minutes across the world to a new place.
Movies that inspire travel can be a drama, comedy, a love story or a mystery. But they all have one thing in common and that is to ignite the desire to travel. Click here to find some of the best travel movies that will be sure to feed your wanderlust!
11. Get Take Out For Dinner
Craving Indian, Italian or Mexican food and wish you could fly to those countries for dinner? Or always wondered what Moroccan or Thai food tastes like? These days it seems that you can get food delivered of pretty much every cuisine you can think of.
It can be a fun-themed date night centered around the meal of a specific country. That way you get a tasty spread that feels like you are in say Portugal or Vietnam.
You gotta use your imagination a bit of course! It is also a great way to support your local restaurants and become a foodie in your own town.
12. Pick A Country
A fun activity that only involves a map and some wifi is to close your eyes and put your finger somewhere on a map. Open your eyes and discover everything that country has to offer!
You can find out the language they speak, the history, unique traditions, and what the climate/terrain is like. Maybe finding out the best time to go can be the push you need to visit one day!
And of course, you must find out the types of food that are eaten in the country and the kinds of alcohol they drink. For example, I found out Moldova is known for their wines and it just became a location I really want to visit now. You can even partner this activity with #11 and get takeout of that country’s cuisine!
13. Get Your Cultural Fix
Now is an excellent time to get your cultural fix by taking a virtual tour of the most famous and awe-inspiring museums in the world. When I am visiting a new city, I enjoy going to one or two museums but sometimes it can feel like museum overload if I do more.
What I like about taking a virtual tour, is you can see different ones and spend as long as you want. Or maybe you visited a city and didn’t have time to go to a specific museum? Now you can feel like you didn’t miss out.
Some museums have their own tours on their websites but if you go to Google Arts & Culture, you can access a virtual tour of many notable museums. Below are just some of the museums that you can expand your cultural side on.
- British Museum, London
- Guggenheim Museum, NYC
- National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
- Musee d’Orsay, Paris
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- Getty Museum, Los Angeles
- Uffizi Gallery, Florence
14. Listen To Music
Playing music from a certain country or region can be so relaxing. And if you close your eyes you can imagine yourself listening to steel drums on a Caribbean island or maybe some salsa music and envision yourself dancing in a café in Spain.
Whatever your music preference, you can search for a genre in the listening station or app of your choice. I listen to both Pandora and Sirius XM so I can usually find something good to listen to from the type of music of my choice!
15. Learn A New Language
If you are someone that likes to travel, then learning a new language can come in very handy! Why not brush on on a language you started learning way back in school or as a way to get excited for your next destination?
If you have a location that you know you want to travel to, using a language learning app can give you an edge on knowing some basic phrases at the minimum.
I always try to look up the essential words or phrases to get by but it would be wonderful to be able to converse with people in each country I am in. The language apps that are the easiest to use and most effective are:
- Babbel
- Duolingo
- Memrise
16. Ancestry
This is one that I have not done myself as my ancestry is documented going back a few hundred years. My grandfather and his brother made it a project over their lifetime to map out the family tree. But I still think it might be fun to see what my DNA actually says with an Ancestry test.
I know people who have taken the test and been inspired to travel to where some of their roots are. I think that is a fantastic and exciting prospect along with being a great excuse to go somewhere new. Well with a new perspective that is…
17. Plan Your Next Trip!
There is no better time to plan that next trip. Maybe not the actual booking of plane tickets and hotels necessarily but researching where you want to go. That can involve reading blogs (like mine!), asking friends or possibly buying a book from Lonely Planet for example.
Even though I do most of my research online I still like to buy a physical book about a country. Many times you get different information than what is online. Start putting together your ultimate travel bucket list and put your must-visit destinations in the top ten spots. Those are the ones you want to focus on.
Next, find out the best time of year to visit each depending on weather, festivals, etc. If there is something unique like a festival that you don’t want to miss, make note of the time of year it occurs.
You can then start a Pinterest board for those particular locations. I was never a fan of Pinterest, but it is an excellent way to research a trip and get awesome tips on where to travel to.
Get started on planning that next trip and find the best flight deals today!
Have fun with these activities and hopefully you find inspiration on the different ways to travel the world from home!
Get Travel Insurance For That Next Trip!
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