How To Vacation Like A Travel Editor

No one has a better pulse on the goings on within the travel industry than travel editors. In addition to their demanding job in publishing, they're constantly traveling to far off places to scout what's new and what's hip. No one knows how to better disconnect and savor time off than a travel editor. By taking a look at their travels via their social media feeds from the last couple years, several trends emerged. Here's how to vacation just like a travel editor.

They're not afraid of roughing it. 

Though they might spend the majority of their work weeks in a city, they take time to reconnect with nature. They take hikes, sleep in log cabins, and camp in the Catskills. Their feeds are a great resource for outdoorsy destinations that might not yet be on your radar, like Packer Lake Lodge in California and Minnewaska State Park in upstate New York.

They enjoy being a tourist in their own city.

Whether that's San Francisco, Washington, D.C., or the Big Apple, it’s clear this group loves to dine al fresco, shop the cutest boutiques and watch movies in the park. For the best of the Bay Area’s farmer markets, o ysters, and hidden log cabins in public parks, you’ll want to follow AFAR Editor-in-Chief Julia Cosgrove. On the East Coast, Buzzfeed's Annie Daly shows what it's like to savor New York City in the summer at twilight.

They love the beach in the summertime just as much as we do.

From the Hamptons to the Cape, travel editors take advantage of a 'Summer Friday’ whenever possible. On the weekends, you're bound to run into them at the beach with the rest of the crowds.

They never overlook domestic travel.

Though they have the connections and the budgets to visit to the most amazing corners of our earth including exotic destinations like Tanzania, Croatia, Ireland, Mexico, and Norway, they balance that time with travel around the USA. Andrew Evans, National Geographic Traveler’s Digital Nomad, visited places like San Diego and Detroit, while Nathan Lump, Editor in Chief of Travel + Leisure, balanced his city time in Vegas with a visit to Park City and Zion National Park in Utah last year.

The one destination they have in common will surprise you.

And finally, what's the one summer destination that every travel editor returns to each year? Nope, it's not the Hamptons or the Cape (though they love it there, too). It's Rhode Island! The U.S.'s smallest state is full of beautiful beaches, seafood and cute cottages. It's one travel secret travel editors keep close to their chest.

Marie Frei

One Carry-On is a blog managed by Marie Frei, a travel expert and photographer with a passion for exploring off the beaten path locations. The blog covers honest and personal stories about living and traveling as an American abroad, shares her global appreciation for culture and design, and promotes traveling to far-flung destinations with a carry-on as fun, affordable, and easy.