Stuck in the house? Don’t worry, we’ve found the 5 best travel magazines that can bring the world to your doorstep! These magazines will allow you to escape to breathtaking destinations from the comfort of your own sofa.
These 5 best travel magazines are personal Get Lost favorites. We have subscriptions to three of the magazines listed and are frequent readers of the other two. So grab a coffee, put your feet up, and get lost with us as we travel the world through their pages.
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5 Best Travel Magazines
We’ve listed the 5 best travel magazines below to help you escape to new destinations without leaving the house. Keep reading to find out the best bits of each magazine, and why we love them!
The Sunday Times Travel Magazine
This British travel magazine is published monthly. To date, it has virtually no online presence, with 95% of its content being print only. This exclusivity means that you’ve got to get your hands on a physical copy.
Ideal for…
The Sunday Times Travel Magazine is ideal for destination snippets. They have fantastic double-page photographic spreads of lesser-known destinations with a summary of the history, travel tips and prices. They highlight a huge number of varied destinations in each magazine; perfect if you’re looking to stumble upon new ideas.
Best bits…
The Hotlist is an exclusive focus on travel trends; everything from trending destinations, fashions, and must-have travel accessories. This section comprises of digestible articles that can be read in a number of short sittings. The most interesting is the ’10 things we’re excited about’ segment, which shines a light on 10 events or facts from the travel world.
The Knowledge is your behind-the-scenes glimpse of the travel industry. It contains fascinating insider information from travel experts in a range of topics. Content such as travel photography tips, accommodation guides, and travel tips regularly feature.
Instant Escapes is a brilliant series of ‘cut out and go’ guides. These handy double-sided features can be snipped from the magazine and popped into your luggage so you have all of your destination information in one place. They feature a map, things to see and do, where to eat, where to shop and a tip from a local.
Why we love it…
The Sunday Times Travel Magazine is perfect for digestible articles, which are great for on the go or are easy to pick up and put down throughout the day. We love the variety of destinations they cover from European city breaks to luxury beach escapes. It’s impossible to not find an article that catches your interest in this magazine!
The Sunday Time Travel Magazine is no longer in print as of October 2020.
Wanderlust
Wanderlust is a British magazine that publishes 10 issues per year. It was established in 1993 by Paul Morrison and Lyn Hughes, who found a gap in the market for a magazine combining their interests in wildlife, activities and cultural insights.
Ideal for…
Wanderlust is perfect for digging deep into destinations. They have some fantastic long articles giving detailed insights into the places and the people. The magazine has a strong focus on the authentic beauty of places; the landscape, wildlife, people, and culture.
Best bits…
Trip Planner is a huge feature spanning several pages. Each issue highlights a popular destination and provides all of the information you need to plan the perfect trip. Packed with maps, expert tips, and itineraries, you’ll be itching to make travel plans.
Travel Tips is a unique feature of reader recommended travel tips. In each issue, there is a specific destination focus, and readers who have visited can submit their travel tips. This remarkable concept lets you learn from regular travelers who have been there and done it.
The Big Read is a single-page feature that recommends travel-related books. As an avid reader, this section is a personal favorite as a great way to discover new books and authors.
Why we love it…
Wanderlust sets out its philosophy very prominently at the beginning of every issue. They stress that responsible, conscious and sustainable travel is at the heart of everything that they do. This theme is constant throughout the magazine and we love them for that!
Get your copy here.
National Geographic Traveller
The longest-running publication on our list, National Geographic Traveller was first published in the US in 1984. Although no longer published in the US, the UK variant was first released in 2010 and is still a popular choice for travellers.
Ideal for…
As you’d expect from National Geographic, the magazine has a heavy focus on nature. It features several remote destinations with beautiful landscapes and outdoor activities. It is a perfect guide to relaxed escapes at a slower pace.
Best bits…
On the Trail is a short article which features a beautifully illustrated map. Each issue delves into the highlights of a chosen destination. The illustrated map walks you through a recommended itinerary while providing an overview of each stop along the way.
The Weekender feature provides an ideal two-day itinerary for a destination that is perfect for a weekend escape. It draws attention to the top things to see and do and recommends a breakdown of each day for the morning, afternoon and evening. No need to worry about travel planning, they’ve done the hard work for you!
Travel Geeks is the section of the magazine that shares all of the expert travel tips. Within here though, it also features some fascinating facts and figures about travel destinations and the travel industry. It also has some great travel accessory recommendations for those of us who are travel geeks at heart!
Why we love it…
Although National Geographic Traveller is a travel magazine, what we take away from it is its focus on education. Rather than selling you must-see destinations, it scratches at the surface of places and unearths the authenticity of the place. National Geographic aims to teach us more about the people, places and cultures between its pages than the latest boutique hotels and hottest nightlife.
Get your copy here.
Lonely Planet
In 2009 the well-known travel publisher Lonely Planet added a monthly magazine to its repertoire.
Ideal for…
Lonely Planet Magazine is packed full of unique destinations and travel experiences. If you think you’re bucket list contains all of the world’s must-see sights, think again! Lonely Planet will introduce you to destinations you didn’t even know existed.
Best bits…
The regular Photo Challenge competition runs on the magazine’s Instagram page. Each month they will announce a theme for the photo submissions, then publish the winning shots in the magazine. It’s a great way to witness travel photography by other readers.
The Life Changer segment asks a travel writer to reflect on a trip that made them think differently about the world. These personal accounts of self-discovery remind us that travel is so much more than just ticking countries off a list. It’s a poignant reminder of just how much we can learn about ourselves by traveling the world, and how these experiences shape us.
The Urban Edit is a series of cut-out guides to a selection of the world’s bustling cities. Covering everything from where to eat and drink, to how to see the cities on a budget and even the best gift shop souvenirs. These guides are a great way to see popular cities from a different perspective.
Why we love it…
Without a doubt, our favourite thing about Lonely Planet Magazine is its focus on photography. While all of the magazines we’ve listed have stunning photos, Lonely Planet makes the images their focus. The majority of the features are made up of huge graphics and a smaller amount of text, making you feel like you’re truly experiencing the destination on the pages.
Get your copy here.
Condé Nast Traveller
Condé Nast was first published in the UK in 1997, but its American counterpart was established ten years earlier. The US variant has won 25 National Magazine Awards and the name certainly holds a lot of weight in the world of travel.
Ideal for…
Everything about Condé Nast screams luxury. While writing this, I’m lusting over a £5,000 handbag featured on one of their pages. While many of us can’t always justify the expense of luxury travel, Condé Nast gives us a glimpse of it through their pages.
Best bits…
Condé Nast themselves describe the Word of Mouth feature as ‘new and ground-breaking travel updates.’ There’s probably no better way to articulate what this section achieves. It shines a light on fascinating travel trends they have unearthed and certainly makes for inspiring reading.
The Style File takes inspiration from destinations and global celebrations to provide some travel-inspired fashion advice. While the featured items usually come with an eyewatering price tag, the section seamlessly merges travel and lifestyle in a way no other travel magazine has achieved.
Condé Nast regularly host Traveller Events. These events are aimed at celebrating the culture, food and history of destinations, and are a great way to get a taste of a destination before you even visit it. The magazine features a fascinating glimpse into these glamorous events to whet your appetite.
Why we love it…
The Condé Nast Traveller magazine is a work of art. The atmospheric photography and jaw-dropping destinations are more akin to a coffee table hardback than a travel magazine. Although the majority of its features focus on luxury in excess, a flick through its pages is a great way to live vicariously for a few fleeting moments, for those of us who are unlikely to experience their escapes first-hand.
Get your copy here.
Best Travel Magazines
So these are our 5 best travel magazines to helps us escape without leaving the sofa! Collectively, they open our eyes to stunning new destinations, provide expert travel tips and remind us why we love to travel. Let us know your best travel magazine in the comments!
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Hello, I’m Hannah! I’m a writer and photographer who loves experiencing the wonders of Yorkshire. My guides will help you escape from your daily routine by showing you that you don’t have to go far to find an adventure.
I always love getting lost with Nat Geo and Lonely Planet.
It’s a fantastic way to escape isn’t it? I love getting lost in great articles about new places. The problem is I just keep finding more places that I want to visit!
Ohh I think the Wanderlust blog would be the one I would choose! Thank you so much for sharing these great ideas to fuel wanderlust!
Wanderlust is a fantastic magazine. It has some wonderful articles in it. Happy reading!
What great suggestions! I think I need to plan myself a trip. 😊
I’m glad you like the recommendations! Travel magazines are satisfying our wanderlust during lockdown and helping us shape up lots of future travel plans!
Interesting magazines recommendations.Will definitely read one of those. Thank you!
I hope you find a travel magazine from the list to fuel your wanderlust! Thanks for reading!