Travel Blogs: Definition, Types, Income & 25 Examples [2022]

Travel blogging can be a highly rewarding and lucrative career.

You get to travel, share your experiences with others, help other people have good travel experiences, and make money while doing it.

There are a lot of travel blogs out there. If you want to be successful, you have to create a stellar blog and stand out from the crowd.

In this article, you will learn about travel blogs and how to start your own.

What Is a Travel Blog?

The purpose of travel blogs is to share travelers’ experiences and help others as they plan their trips.

Everything on the blog focuses on some aspect of travel, whether it’s tips for finding cheap flights, the best places to go in Amsterdam, or the top things to pack for a beach trip.

What Does a Travel Blogger Blog About?

The travel niche is huge and there are plenty of options for bloggers.

Travel bloggers may travel about the places they visit, their top tips for travel, products they use, and more.

Some blogs are hyper-focused, such as on a particular place, while others cover a broader range of topics.

What Is Included in a Travel Blog?

Below are some of the most common features you’ll find on a travel blog.

You’ll want to be sure to include these items in your blog as well.

Trip Recaps

Readers love trip recaps. Many like to live vicariously through travel bloggers and imagine themselves in far-off destinations.

Bloggers who are descriptive writers can do well with these sorts of recaps.

Readers also like trip recaps because they can learn from the blogger’s experience.

For example, if someone wants to plan a trip to Tokyo, a trip recap can help them figure out fun things to do and give them tips to make their trip even better.

Tips

Travel is expensive and planning can be time-consuming.

Readers come to travel blogs for tips to make their trip better and help them avoid any pitfalls.

Bloggers share all sorts of tips like how to fit all your things in a carry-on, how to entertain children on a plane, and the best places to eat like a local in a foreign country.

Photography

It’s nearly impossible to have a travel blog without some stunning photos of the places you visit.

If you’re hoping to become a travel influencer, you will need to include photos of everywhere you go.

These pictures don’t necessarily need to have human subjects in them, but if you want to add a personal touch to your blog, a few selfies definitely won’t hurt!

About Page

While personal information isn’t essential for all blogs, many travel blogs aren’t just about the content, but also about the person creating the content.

Readers want to know about your passions and motivations for travel.

They also want to know where you’ve been and other things you’ve done that can lend to your experience as a travel blogger.

An About Page can establish your credibility and help your readers feel more connected to you.

Recommendations

There are many decisions and purchases involved in making a trip.

You can advise your readers on hotels, transportation, products, and even credit card types to help make their journeys easy.

Other Things That You Can Find on a Travel Blog

Below are some other slightly-less-common topics you may find on a travel blog.

• Video: The demand for video content has grown tremendously in recent years. Many bloggers are adding videos to their content.
• Special Offers: Some bloggers partner with companies to offer their readers special offers and discounts on products.
• Lists: Bloggers often include lists of places to visit, top things to do at a destination, and packing lists.
• Financial Advice: Many travel bloggers quit their jobs to travel full-time. They may advise others who wish to do the same and discuss how to make it happen.

Types of Travel Blogs

The travel niche is such a broad topic that many bloggers find they’re more successful when they niche down.

Most focus either on a certain type of travel or traveler.

Below are some of the most common types of successful travel blogs.

• Digital Nomads: Travel blogs help digital nomads quit their 9-to-5 in favor of living and working from locations all over the world. These blogs are often a mix of work/finance tips along with travel content.
• Solo Travelers: Many people decide to set out on their own and see the world. Blogs for solo travelers give them advice on meeting new people, staying safe, and more.
• College Students: Lots of college students travel either while taking classes abroad or on their breaks for school. These blogs tend to focus on helping students afford to travel.
• Influencers: Influencers are a large part of their travel blogs. Visitors come for tips but also just to follow the influencer and see where they’re off to next.
• Travel Nurses: Travel nurse blogs help nurses explore the many places they visit and give tips for life on the go.

Do Travel Blogs Make Money?

While the travel niche is competitive and saturated, travel bloggers can make good money if they’re willing to put in the time and effort.

The most successful bloggers are willing to wait until their blog starts to make money.

It can take a longer time for travel blogs to turn a profit, but they have the potential to earn quite a bit.

How Do Travel Blogs Make Money?

There are many ways to monetize a travel blog. Blogs that get high traffic can join an ad network like AdThrive or  Mediavine.

Blogs with a YouTube channel may also monetize through ads.

Many travel blogs make money through affiliate links.

Bloggers recommend and link to products.

When readers follow the link and make a purchase, the blogger gets a small commission.

Many bloggers monetize by creating digital products and selling them through their blogs.

They make products like packing lists, destination guides, travel tips, and more.

How Much Do Travel Blogs Make?

According to ZipRecruiter, the average travel blog makes $87,462 per year.

This won’t guarantee income, however.

While many travel blogs do make $87,000 per year and much more, other blogs only bring in a few thousand dollars a year or even nothing at all.

Your income will depend on a number of factors, including how many posts you publish, your ability to rank for relevant keywords, and the value of the information you provide.

Products To Promote and Sell on a Travel Blog

Travel blogs are great for monetization because there are so many products associated with travel.

For those who go the affiliate marketing route, you can recommend products for almost every aspect of travel.

Bloggers may recommend products like:

• Credit cards with frequent flyer miles
• Packing supplies
• Travel clothes/shoes
• Cameras
• Vacation packages
• Hotels

Travel bloggers also make money by selling niche products, such as a digital checklist.

Some even make physical products, like the Bucket List Family, who have released a line of travel gear.

Others offer courses or travel planning for people who want to find an adventurous lifestyle.

Best Travel Blogs: 25 Examples

Here are 25 examples of some of the best travel blogs on the web.

You can use these blogs as inspiration for your own travel blog or simply enjoy the content that they share with their audiences.

How Many Travel Blogs Are There?

There are an estimated 600 million blogs on the internet.

While it’s impossible to get an exact number, there are likely hundreds of thousands of travel blogs online.

Travel Blogs for Digital Nomads

Digital nomads are people who do the majority of their work from their laptops.

They have the freedom to travel the world while working.

Many blogs for digital nomads advise working while also enjoying visiting new places.

Nomadic Matt

Nomadic Matt’s blog has been around since 2008, making it one of the most well-established travel blogs.

He travels the world and gives tips to others on how to travel on a budget.

The blog is successful because it is a wealth of information.

It makes money through ads, affiliate links, and digital guidebooks.

Two Tickets Anywhere

Two Tickets Anywhere is a blog run by a young couple who decided to travel while working.

Their blog is a mix of information on traveling, living the digital nomad lifestyle, and working online.

Two Tickets Anywhere currently monetizes through affiliate links.

Some are for bigger ticket items, like insurance for other digital nomads.

Digital Nomad Soul

Digital Nomad Soul helps readers achieve their dreams of living like digital nomads.

Most of the blog focuses on earning an income while traveling, but also has helpful advice for the digital nomad lifestyle.

The blog makes money through affiliate links, ads, and its digital products and online courses.

Expert Vagabond

Expert Vagabond has a little bit of everything for a digital nomad.

It has lots of advice on traveling and travel photography.

It also has a helpful section to help people manage to work abroad, such as tips for jobs and countries that offer visas.

It makes money through ads and affiliate links.

The site offers a free download for people who join the mailing list.

Anna Everywhere

Anna is a blogger and influencer who has been living as a digital nomad since she was 20.

Her blog now contains travel tips, advice for living and working abroad, and content on family travel.

Anna Everywhere primarily monetizes through ad revenue and affiliate links to travel products.

Travel Blogs for Solo Travelers

Solo travel has grown in recent years.

As solo travel presents a unique set of needs and challenges, there are many blogs dedicated to people who travel alone.

Solo Traveler World

Solo Traveler World contains a wealth of information for people traveling alone.

It has tips on where to go, what to pack, meeting others, budgeting, and more. It even includes exclusive deals for its readers.

The blog makes money through ads.

It also has a members-only area where people can pay a monthly fee to access live events, forums, courses, and consultations.

The Blonde Abroad

The Blonde Abroad is a solo travel niche blog specifically for female solo travelers.

It contains advice for women to stay safe and make the most of their solo trips.

The blog makes money through ads, affiliate links, and some of the blogger’s creations, like photo prints and Lightroom presets.

Dan Flying Solo

Dan Flying Solo follows a man who left his job to travel the world and find himself.

The blog covers places to visit and travel tips.

He also advises on long-term travel.

Dan monetizes the blog through ads, affiliate links, and partnerships with brands.

Adventurous Kate

Kate is a solo traveler who quit her job in 2010 to travel the world.

She’s made a living through her highly successful blog.

She shares trip reports, information on different destinations, and advice for safe travel.

Adventurous Kate monetizes her blog through affiliate links and ad revenue.

World of Wanderlust

World of Wanderlust is another female solo travel blog.

The blogger advises on the best things to do while traveling solo, making money online, and luxury travel.

The blog uses ads and affiliate links to make money.

The blogger also sells a course on blogging while traveling and has digital guidebooks for various locations.

Travel Blogs for College Students

Travel blogs for college students cover topics like budget travel, studying abroad, and balancing travel and schoolwork.

PacksLight

PacksLight contains a wealth of information about travel for young people, including college students.

They advise GenZ travel and list PTO (Paid Travel Opportunities).

PacksLight makes money through ads and affiliate links.

Faraway Lucy

Lucy is a 20-something running a travel blog for college students and people just out of college.

Her blog includes information about places to go, things to do, and ways to make trips more fun.

She also has helpful info on budget travel and running a travel blog.

Faraway Lucy monetizes through ads, affiliate links, sponsorships, and collaborations.

A World in Reach

A World in Reach features posts specifically for college students and younger travelers.

There’s information on destinations, preparing for travel, and budgeting.

There’s also a group of posts on studying abroad.

The blog makes money through ads, collaborations, and affiliate links.

Periodic Adventures

Periodic Adventures focuses on travel for students and young people.

It contains travel guides and tips along with free resources and downloads.

The bloggers organize the content well, with plenty of images and picture icons.

The blog earns money through ads and affiliate links and has a page to attract sponsors.

The Awkward Traveler

The Awkward Traveler is all about traveling in your 20s, but it has lots of good information for college students as well.

The tone is witty, which should resonate well with the audience.

It has plenty of tips and destination info.

The blog makes money through affiliate links, partnerships, and referral codes.

Travel Blogs for Influencers

For an influencer travel blog, the influencer’s persona is a large part of the blog.

Users still get travel tips, but they want to see the influencer in the many places they visit.

The Bucket List Family

The Bucket List Family is a family of five who sold everything and set off to travel the world.

They run a website, YouTube channel, and social media accounts.

They share tips, but the majority of the blog is focused on what their family is up to.

The family is creative with how they monetize.

They’ve released their own line of products and Lightroom presets.

They’ve also started their own production company.

Gypsea Lust

Gypsea Lust is a blog created by Lauren Bullen.

She travels the world to luxury spots.

Her blog and social media focus more on where she is and what she’s doing rather than tips.

The blog earns a profit primarily through collaborations, sponsorships, and selling Lightroom presets.

Murad Osmann

Murad Osmann is a travel blogger and photographer. He travels the world with his wife Nataly.

The two have become famous for the hashtag #followmeto with pictures of Nataly leading Murad into new destinations.

His blog has info on starting a photography business.

Murad monetizes through partnerships and collaborations.

The Common Wanderer

The Common Wanderer follows Mark and Mim, a couple who travels the world.

Both their blog and Instagram feature gorgeous photos.

The blog has travel guides and responsible travel tips.

They monetize through ads and by selling prints and Lightroom presets.

The Planet D

The Planet D is a couple’s adventure travel blog and is one of the most popular travel blogs online.

The bloggers encourage everyone to find adventure.

The blog features itineraries, information about destinations, nomad life, and more.

The blog receives funding through ads and affiliate links.

Travel Blogs for Travel Nurses

Travel nurses often get to see some incredible places while working.

These blogs help them make the most of their time off.

Highway Hypodermics

Highway Hypodermics contains travel advice for nurses along with opportunities for connections between nurses and recruiters.

It also contains many important forms nurses may need to download.

The blog earns money through coaching and digital resources.

Traveling NP

Traveling NP is a blog with advice from a nurse practitioner who has been working on the road for the past ten years.

She shares details of her travels along with advice for balancing work and travel.

The blog earns money primarily through referral links.

Passports & Preemies

Passports & Preemies is run by a traveling NICU nurse. Her blog is full of helpful information.

It’s a mix of travel tips and advice for nurses. Her goal is to prevent burnout in nurses.

Kylee monetizes her blog through affiliate links and a digital product.

Off-the-Clock Nurse

Off-the-Clock Nurse follows the adventures of a travel nurse in her 30s.

She shares details about the places she travels and answers questions about being a nurse on the go.

The blog makes money through sponsorships, affiliate links, and referral codes.

Vintage Traveling Nurse

Vintage Traveling Nurse is another blog about a nurse making her way around the world and sharing tips as she goes.

The blog offers tips and also deals with many of the challenges traveling nurses face.

The author monetizes the blog through affiliate links and through a podcast she hosts.

How to Become a Travel Blogger

Are you ready to become a travel blogger?

Read on for the best tips on how to start a blog.

By laying a solid foundation, you’ll be on the road to success in starting a travel blog.

Determine the Direction of the Blog

Start by thinking about your ultimate goals for your blog.

What do you hope to accomplish?

Consider your motivations for starting a blog.

The answers can guide you toward the type of travel blog you want to create.

You should also do keyword research to uncover opportunities.

By looking for keywords with lower competition but high search volumes, you may be able to find the direction of your blog based on where you may be successful.

Select a Niche

The travel niche is so competitive that you’ll need to niche down at the beginning.

You can expand to more topics as your blog grows.

Because choosing a niche is essential, it’s important to know how to choose the right niche.

The best niches are those where there is a demand for content, but not a lot of competition.

Ideally, you’ll be able to choose a niche where you have some interest and expertise.

For example, if you have kids and travel a lot, you may choose to make a blog about family travel.

Select a Name

Coming up with a blog name may seem challenging.

Some people spend days trying to choose the perfect name for their blog.

While you need to pick a good name, you shouldn’t waste valuable time trying to find something that’s “perfect.”

Focus on coming up with something catchy and easy to remember.

Choose something related to your niche.

Simple and short is always better than complicated.

Try to avoid odd spellings as it’s harder for people to get correct.

Select a Blogging Platform

There are many different blogging platforms available, each with its pros and cons.

WordPress is the most widely used platform on the web, with over 30% of all websites using it.

It offers a lot of flexibility and customization, but there is a learning curve.

Platforms like Wix and Squarespace don’t offer as many features as WordPress but are much easier to use if you don’t have advanced tech skills.

Register a Domain Name

Once you come up with a name for your blog, you need to register a domain name.

Your domain name is usually the name of your blog followed by “.com,” “.net,” etc.

You’ll need a registered domain if you want your blog to become a business.

There are so many places online to register a domain, it can be difficult to choose the best domain registrar.

Once you’ve chosen an available domain, you can shop around to which registrars offer the best pricing and features.

You may also be able to register directly through your web host, often getting a discount.

Get Web Hosting

A web host provides the servers that house your blog.

There are many web hosts available.

We suggest managed WordPress hosting.

These hosts work seamlessly with WordPress.

Installing WordPress is easier. Your site will be faster and easier to maintain.

Build the Blog

Once your plans are in place, it’s time to build your travel blog.

These steps involve a lot of technical elements, so it may take you some time to figure things out.

However, if this is your first blog, you should build it yourself instead of hiring someone, just so you’ll have a better understanding of how everything works.

Themes

A WordPress theme is a group of folders that manage how your site looks and functions.

There is a huge library of themes to choose from. Some are free while others cost a fee.

Choose a theme that works well with the type of site you want to create.

Do your research to ensure you choose a theme that loads quickly and allows for the customizations you want.

Your web host should let you install a WordPress theme.

Plugins

WordPress plugins are extra bits of software or code that give your website additional features or functionality.

You use plugins to customize your site and give it everything it needs.

While there are some plugins that almost all sites will use, such as an image compressor, some plugins will be specific to certain types of sites.

For example, you wouldn’t need a plugin to create a store on your site unless you were selling goods.

Keep in mind that too many plugins can slow down your site, so only use the ones you need.

Essential Pages

Next, you’ll need to create the essential pages for your blog.

Some of the main pages you’ll want to include are a homepage, a contact page, and an about me page.

You may also want pages where you can link to certain categories of content.

For example, with a travel blog, you may want one page dedicated to each continent.

Produce Content for the Blog

Content is one of the most important elements of your blog.

It doesn’t matter how great your blog looks or functions, if the content isn’t valuable, people won’t come back.

Use keyword research to determine topics that you may be able to rank for on Google.

Build your content around these keywords. You can expand to more challenging keywords as your blog grows.

When it comes to creating content for your blog, more is better

If you can’t produce it all yourself, consider hiring freelance writers to help you.

Launch the Blog Publicly

Once everything is ready, you can launch your blog.

Launching a new blog can be as simple as going live or you can do it with a little more fanfare and announce it on social media and other channels.

Promote the Blog

There are many ways to promote a blog.

You can buy ad space on Google or social media.

You can advertise on your social media pages and within other social media groups, or get other bloggers to recommend you.

You can also write guest posts for other blogs.

Similar Blogging Types to Check Out

There are many different types of blogs that make money. Check out the ones below for more inspiration.

Alternative Blogs

Alternative blogs usually involve getting outside, seeing new places, and even doing extreme activities, like rock climbing.

Alternative blogs usually have a travel element, as people often go on adventurous vacations.

Photography Blogs

Travel blogs usually feature incredible photography.

Photographs entice people to go to new destinations.

Photography blogs teach people how to take these stunning photos. Many travel blogs have a section on photography and vice versa.

Happiness Blogs

One of the biggest reasons people travel is the quest for happiness.

Seeing new places, getting outside of our comfort zones, and meeting new people are some of the best ways to discover happiness.

Travel and happiness are two sides of the same coin.

Happiness blogs encourage many of the same behaviors as travel blogs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have any more questions about starting a travel blog?

We have answers!

Wrapping Up

Travel blogging is still a viable career opportunity in 2022.

While the market is competitive and saturated, everyone brings a unique view to the travel niche.

If you’re passionate about traveling, then you probably have something valuable to offer.