The new word in travel for 2026-STRUCTURE

Well that doesn’t sound fun! ; )

This is what I found for Key 2026 Travel Trends. Those would lend themselves away from the need of as many very early tickets reserved.

• Alternative/Authentic Tourism: Due to ongoing overtourism in major hubs, 2026 travel focuses on seeking "alternative" destinations to find a more authentic, less crowded experience.
• Personalized/Sustainable: Travelers are shifting toward personalized, intentional, and sustainable experiences over mass-market, "bucket-list" only travel.

The cities on my trips this year (minus the RS tour itinerary) continue, as per my last few years, to be much more in line with the two bullet points listed here. My overall trip Excel sheet details are much less “things to do” and much more blank spots signifying an openness to spontaneous enjoyment of “just be”.

I’m not trying to sway anyone to change their priorities; everyone has their own desires for what constitutes a wonderful trip. And part of this shift is very likely that I have done a lot of travel already to Europe, so I don’t feel that “must do” drive.

Since one of my trips this year is something new for me - a 1-week art workshop in Ireland, I will say my word for 2026 is “creative”.

"Planning is a must " For effective and efficient traveling, how true.

While I've done a lot of traveling in seeing the sites I wanted both the usual popular and the "off the beaten path" , "back water" , 3rd or 4 rate places (all relative), esoteric , unvisited places (by whom ?) in Germany and France, I still have a good deal to see and explore, very much so, in both countries, ie lots of them. , regions such as the Champagne-Ardennes, the Loire valley, Lorraine in France, etc, the Uckermark region, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Frisia (Ostfriesland) etc in Germany.

If it keeps getting worse the new word in travel will be East. I was shocked in Rome a month ago. They charged for things that were free a few years ago and the crowds were unbelievable and certainly the pick pockets were having a field day, and 4 months prior no reasonably priced well located hotels. Why do it? Okay, well I did. But London and Paris are on indefinite holds.

Uh no. I reject such a thing. "Structure" beyond transportation is not nor has ever been part of my travel planning

Planning is a must.

No argument. Unless you enjoy standing in lines for hours or don't care about being completely shut out of seeing a specific site, planning and reserving are now a necessity rather than a preference. Advanced sales allow for all the sites to better staff and monitor expected crowds. It makes the experience better for everyone actually.

Maybe in the off season you can "wing it", but during the height of the tourist season, the better prepared and planned you can be, the better experience you will have each day. I am convinced of it.

"planning and reserving are now a necessity rather than a preference"

I respectfully disagree. We just spent a few days in Barcelona in March, booked the flights on a whim, the hotel a week or so before arrival, and no prebooking of anything - for example, we decided to take the train to Montserrat one morning - no preplanning. Went to Istanbul in Feb for a couple of weeks, nothing booked in advance. We're booked to go to Mumbai soon, have booked only flights and accomodation.

People get really stressed about booking in advance, but that could be because they're trying to do too much in too little time.

As an example, for a UK visit, if you want to visit Westminster Abbey tomorrow, you can - just go in the afternoon. There are even tickets still available for the Chelsea Flower Show. We're off to London tomorrow for a week, with nothing booked beyond accomodation.

Each to their own, but generally I go with the flow.

Maybe not for more than an hour but standing from 30 to 40 mins is no problem, very doable. There are are times I wing it on doing day trips be they from Paris or Berlin, getting the ticket from the machine the last minute or literally the last hour for riding the ICE or TGV with a radius of not more than 2.5 hrs. Or, I use travel day on the Eurail Pass r/t. , always exceeds the daily travel amount.

This last minute day trip is on , ie winging it, if I am desperate enough to see the place, lots of places fit that description in Germany and France, esoteric, out of the way places, totally off the visitor radar.

We’re just coming back around to the age-old debate of detailed planning vs spontaneity, or fast v slow travel.

I appreciate the logic that planning helps avoid lines especially to an attraction I'm specifically building a trip around to visit that site. There are those anchor sites. But, I am not structuring a trip to be a calendar of timed entries like a series of Dr. appointments rather than a vacation. I’ll skip a "must-see" and instead spend an afternoon somewhere else that interests me.

To me, the best part of my travel is the blank spots Jean mentioned and the ability to pivot based on the weather, a local recommendation, or just how I feel that morning. If a destination requires a six-month-in-advance spreadsheet and then performing the hokey pokey just to get through the door, I’ll just find something else to do.

I've never once had an issue getting a ticket for popular sites the morning of.

I could tell that I've become accustomed to the structure that is required for some sights in some destinations, and perhaps at certain times of the year - because it took some adjustment to realize that I didn't need to book anything in advance (except hotel, flights and a Flamenco performance at a small Cafe) to spend a week in Valencia in April.

Sure, there's no Mona Lisa. No David. No Last Supper. And no stress.

I do also realize that this is my luxury of having traveled and seen so many things during the decades when prebooking wasn't necessary or perhaps even available.

CW, can you send mr tyr name: "Flamenco performance at a small Cafe"

Flamenco message sent, Mr E.

Being a planner, scheduler or forming a structure is not a sign of weakness nor is just "winging it" a sign of strength or recklessness.

Both are just personal strategies. Pick the one that makes your trip the most enjoyable. The only caveat is that if you choose a strategy such as "winging it", be prepared in the current busy tourist environment to possibly miss out on some things that require planning.

Likewise, if you over plan, don't be disappointed you can't stay and watch a parade or attend a festival you bump into because you have to be to your next scheduled event.

Each has its pros and cons. Whatever makes you comfortable and heightens your travel enjoyment you should do.

Sometimes not over planning can pay dividends. I've just been checking what time evensong is tomorrow night at St Paul's Cathedral.
And to my surprise I found it is a ticketed service - the 371st Clergy Support Trust Choral Festival- the oldest Choral Festival in the world. I've just booked a free ticket, as I happen to have nothing planned after around 1pm, and a fully flexible train ticket home.

The Livery companies and the Lord Mayor will be there in all their finery. St Paul's Choir are joined by the Choirs of St Albans and Blackburn Cathedrals.

Should be a treat.

...Both are just personal strategies...Each has its pros and cons. Whatever makes you comfortable and heightens your travel enjoyment you should do.

Exactly what Threadwear said. At the end of the day, these are just personal strategies, not moral imperatives. Each has its pros and cons, but neither is inherently reckless or virtuous, and one style doesn't make you a 'better' traveler than another.
We all work within our own comfort zones. If your approach heightens your enjoyment and minimizes your stress, then you’ve already won. There’s no right way to see Europe, only the way that works for you. You do you, or "Hike your own hike".

the 371st Clergy Support Trust Choral Festival

a shame that I have a conflict due to a doctor's appointment - would have been there with bells on otherwise.

I just checked and there are still tickets now

Anybody not otherwise tied down might consider... it starts in less than 23 hours

Thank you CW. My son his wife and two kids .... wait, 1, 2 .... yup, 2 are forcing me to go to Valencia to visit them in July.

”Likewise, if you over plan, don't be disappointed you can't stay and watch a parade or attend a festival you bump into because you have to be to your next scheduled event.”

Give yourself full permission to pivot if you wish. I’ve had a few. Here’s one example- My husband & I had a cooking class in Rome followed by timed tickets to the gorgeous Borghese Gallery. While we were at the cooking class, we were having such a good time! I noticed the time was getting tight, so I asked my husband if he wanted to leave to catch a taxi, or if we should just skip the Borghese Gallery. We skipped it and continued with our enjoyment of the group, chef & could linger as dessert was served.

”Likewise, if you over plan, don't be disappointed you can't stay and watch a parade or attend a festival you bump into because you have to be to your next scheduled event.” Exactly! On our last 8-day trip, we booked one item - a 2.5 hour tour to Pompeii the first day after arrival & went back 2 more days, because we just couldn't get enough of it. Who knew ahead of time??

When I read some crowded itineraries for Rome, it just makes me sad. Why run around to see the main sites before rushing off somewhere else that's crowded, without having time for a leisurely meal and a passeggiata in the evening? Those are worth so much more to us than Another Monument!