Girl, get up, it’s time to travel! More and more Gen-Zers are packing up their bags and hitting the aisle… the airport aisle that is, to tackle their Summer bucket list.
In a report completed by Expedia in 2024, travelers are embracing the spontaneity of just getting up and leaving! Many more travelers are planning more short-term trips, with international travel searches for 0-6 days spiking.
With this in mind, as Summer approaches, micro traveling is the best option to still make sure you see the world while maximizing your PTO and being wise with your coins.
Microtraveling is a term used to describe shorter, destination stays or trips, normally ranging from 0-3 days at a time. These micro traveling adventurous however, are jam-packed with touristy sites, the best restaurants, and views the city has to offer. They can be done via train, road trip, or plane. They can even choose to stay in the state that you’re from.
According to a survey done by Club Wyndham, 17% of travelers plan to take a quick trip in 2025, with road trips being the most popular amongst the travel types.
Micro-traveling is an alternative to longer vacation stays because it offers flexibility. Shorter trips often allow travelers to bounce from hotel or other lodging setups to another. This can have great benefits in terms of pricing and finding deals with local hotels or hostels. Micro-travel is a unique way to add stamps to your passport or check off bucket list goals. Locations in close proximity to one another can often maximize the trip if you want to travel from city to city.
According to Sojourner White, a micro-traveler and travel content creator, micro-travel looks different for everyone, it’s about creating a plan that works for you.
Take for example White’s preferred method of travel, which she often documents on her social media accounts, is via the Amtrak train. She began micro-traveling in 2021, by chance and took her first “special” train route from Chicago to California on the Amtrak train after looking up the most scenic routes. From Milwaukee where White is based to Chicago, she notices how accessible train travel could be. And, with the added views from certain routes in the Midwest, it became her go to for seeing the world around her. She ho
“I had the money to do it. [I said] let me book it and like, go enjoy it,” White told GU. “And, the rest is kind of history. I booked it for July 2021, and I fell in love with it.”
For travelers wanting to make the best out of their time, White encourages them to research what’s around them and consider starting there. Using sites like Pinterest, TikTok or other travel blogs can be a great way to see what other people are exploring. While micro-traveling, consider visiting a festival or conference, she said. This can give you a sure thing to do when you touch down in your desired location. And, if you’re traveling alone it is a great way to meet new people with shared likes.
“There’s different ways you can kind of make travel a little adventure in your life that doesn’t require you to take an 8-hour flight,” White explained. “I think people would be surprised to know, like, there are things that people do travel to [in] the US to see, you know that we don’t know exists.”