lately, armchair travel has been the only ways to experience the world’s most beautiful places, but most of us continue to fantasize about the future when the “new normal” will result in a host of exciting travel trends.

we spoke to several leading travel experts who predict doorstep travel, social distancing escapes, secluded hotels, sustainable travel, river cruises, and bucket list trips will be major travel trends in 2021.

here are some of our favorite vacation ideas that fall within these trends.

doorstep travel

as international borders are slow to open, u.s. travel will likely boom in 2021. that could mean renting an rv from a company like blacksford and exploring america’s national parks, or heading to devil’s thumb resort in colorado for the best cross-country skiing in the west.

big bucket list trips

most of us have spent the past nine months reassessing our bucket list and prioritizing what is most important. this might be taking an epic bicycle tour from maine to north carolina with ride & seek or maybe joining the 10 year anniversary of the 20-day hannibal expedition across the alps.

social distancing holidays

lodging options like fireside resort, located minutes from jackson hole’s ski slopes, will remain hot in 2021. fireside capitalizes on the tiny house craze and the classic appeal of rustic cottages by offering 25 pint-size, luxuriously outfitted tiny house rental units designed by wheelhaus.

river cruises instead of ocean

as cruising returns, smaller ships are expected to be favored over large ocean liners. riviera river cruises’ modern, spacious ships carry between just 121 and 169 passengers on itineraries throughout europe. and there are no days at sea, with ships stopping at a destination each day, often just steps from the main sights.

remote island escapes

with limited access, an island vacation can offer a secluded alternative to the typical trip to the beach – and it does not necessarily mean just unrolling a towel to lie on. in 2021, adventure cycling association will offer active tours to martha’s vineyard and nantucket, the san juan islands, hawaii and puerto rico.

secluded hotels

even when most of us are vaccinated, the desire to avoid large crowds will likely remain. remote getaways like the 28,000-acre luxury resort, red reflet ranch, in wyoming will be more popular than ever. after all, the nearest town of ten sleep, wy is home to roughly 200 people.

sustainable travel

a pedal-powered tour can often be a sustainable travel option. to make it even more so, leave the support van and tour group behind and plan your own trip with routes and other resources from adventure cycling association. options include bikepacking the great divide in the rocky mountains or cruising the length of the pacific coast.