Whether you're planning the trip of a lifetime, or you just want a weekend away, we've scoured the globe for the most exciting things going on in travel in 2018. We've investigated the best tours and cruises launching in the next year, as well as brand new tourist attractions and exciting new flight routes. Get the full list on loveEXPLORING here, but for now, find out which destinations we're rating for a trip in 2018.
As Barcelona struggles to cope with overwhelming numbers of tourists, savvy travellers should turn their attention to the Spanish capital of Madrid. Madrileños are fiercely proud of their city and although it might not have the landmark sight of other capital cities, the architectural backdrop across the city is stunning.
And exploring its neighbourhoods turns up delightful local bars – where tapas is still served free with una caña (a small draft beer) – and there’s a refreshingly unpretentious post-midnight nightlife scene.
Recent gentrification of Downtown Los Angeles makes 2018 a great year to visit if you’re keen on arts and culture. Joining the world-class Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (renovated by Frank Gehry) and The Broad (lauded for its free entry, unusual for LA), the new kid on the Little Tokyo/Arts District block is the Institute of Contemporary Art, which was founded in Santa Monica and moved here in late 2017.
The surrounding streets are packed with public art and galleries; on the second Thursday of each month there’s a self-guided Downtown Art Walk with special programming into the evening.
If your idea of a spellbinding destination is Iceland without the tourists, then take an hour’s flight from Scotland to this remote and rugged archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Faroe Islands’ landscape is pristine and the beauty of its fjords, mountains and lush green valleys is staggering.
Most of its 18 islands are connected by tunnels and bridges, so it’s best to hire a car to explore. You might not see another vehicle for hours. Still not convinced? You can now explore them on Google Street View thanks to a savvy campaign by the tourist board.
Co-host of the 2018 European Capital of Culture is the tiny capital of Malta (they share the title with Dutch city Leeuwarden). The fortified city of Valletta might be diminutive in size, but its successful bid has proved it has huge cultural potential.
Integral to the win was the redevelopment of the covered market (is-Suq l-Antik tal-Belt) and the old civil abattoir (il-Biċċerija) for project space – plus the street art and entertainment that are a part of everyday life on the atmospheric squares and lanes around the city.
Hampshire will be playing a key role in the 2018 celebrations of the centenary of the RAF with events and exhibitions, including at FAST (Farnborough Air Sciences Trust) and its museum, and at the 2018 Farnborough International Air Show from 20–22 July. If planes don’t float your boat then head to Hampshire for gin instead.
You can tour the Bombay Sapphire distillery at Laverstoke Mill (pictured) where the popular gin is made on site and cocktail masterclasses are on offer. Hampshire also produces high quality English sparkling and white wine at its vineyards such as Hambledon, plus you can ride the Real Ale Train on the famous Watercress Line.
The UK’s first UNESCO City of Design (nominated for its diverse contributions to fields including medical research, comics and video games) was also recently named Scotland’s “coolest little city” by GQ Magazine.
Dundee deserves the accolades – 2018 will see the fourth-largest city in Scotland emerge as an arts and design destination, with the V&A Museum of Design (pictured) opening at the heart of an ambitious £1 billion waterfront regeneration. Dundee is already known for modern Scottish cooking and boutique hotels are opening to keep pace with visitor demand.
The vibrant centre of sprawling and multicultural Johannesburg, or Jo’burg, epitomises southern hemisphere rejuvenation. Public art installations, cool gallery spaces, street markets and a weekend music scene that oozes sophistication (think jazz, electronic and hip hop) are all attracting favourable worldwide coverage.
2018 is the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela, and Johannesburg and the Nelson Mandela Foundation are at the epicentre of honouring his life and work with initiatives, projects and events.
Moscow is one of the hosts of the 2018 FIFA World Cup (other host cities include St Petersburg and lesser known Kazan – the destination of a new three-hour high-speed train from the capital).
The Kremlin, Red Square and Lenin’s Tomb are the emblematic heart of the city; a lively nightlife, an extravagantly ornate Metro system and Europe’s highest observation deck (set to open in January) are less expected.
The Cairngorms is the UK’s largest national park – twice the size of the Lake District – and its high tundra and pinewood forests are havens for wildlife. Hiking takes you up close to ptarmigan and capercaillie (both part of the Grouse family), red squirrels and osprey, and perhaps even Britain’s only herd of reindeer.
A great family destination; you can travel there on the Caledonian Sleeper, visit castles, an adventure park, or head to Loch Morlich, which has the highest beach in Britain and a watersports centre where you can rent kayaks. Oh, and the Snow Roads Scenic Route has been launched – a 90 mile journey from Blairgowrie to Grantown-on-Spey, crossing the highest public road in Britain and travelling through the outstanding landscapes of the eastern Cairngorms.
Until October of this year, the only way to reach remote St Helena – “the Galapagos of the Atlantic” – was a five-day journey by Royal Mail ship from Cape Town, South Africa. Although it’s still possible to arrive by sea, the tiny island has now opened its long-awaited airport with flights from Johannesburg or Cape Town via a stopover in Namibia.
It’s worth the journey to enjoy marine wildlife watching and swimming with whale sharks, hiking to the island’s highest peaks or stargazing (the night sky here is phenomenal). If you’re PADI certified, you can dive crystal-clear waters to deserted wrecks, seamounts and caverns.
New Mexico has never been that accessible to UK budget travellers, but thanks to Norwegian Airlines launching a low cost transatlantic flight to Denver, this is set to change. The artistic hub of Taos is the ideal road trip from Denver – you can drive down in just four hours, or break up the journey at Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado.
Once you hit New Mexico, the roads are practically empty: you’ll see the stunning vistas, expansive skies and colourful wildflowers that so inspired artist Georgia O’Keefe. Historic Taos has unique landmarks, including Taos Plaza and the multi-storey adobe buildings of Taos Pueblo (not a museum, but a home to Native American Puebloan people). Just outside town visit the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge for spectacular views.
Science and industry meet art and design for the Great Exhibition of The North, a one-off celebration of everything that’s great about the north of England. Between 22 June and 9 September the twin cities of Newcastle and Gateshead will be exhibiting inspired technology, street performance, cutting-edge culture and magical experiences, set to the overarching theme of "The Blazing World – The Fires of Invention".
Throughout the Great Exhibition, visitors will be able to explore the cityscape on three themed walking routes: the "Seeing in Wonder" art route, the "Thinking in Style" design route, and the "Dreaming in WOW" innovation route. Meanwhile, the BALTIC centre for contemporary art (pictured) will invite five northern and five international artists to create work on the exhibition’s themes.
Special centenary events in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (including a rumoured visit from Pope Francis) will celebrate the 1918 independence of the Baltic States. The collapse of the German and Russian empires led to independence for these three Eastern European countries, which they kept for nearly 30 precious years before WWII took it from them once again (only to be returned in 1991, as it continues today).
The capital cities of Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn (pictured) are distinct from each other, but all are exciting cultural hubs, with beautiful old towns – and don’t forget that each country sits up against the Baltic Sea, with a gorgeous coastline of white sand beaches and sleepy seaside resorts.
Skellig Michael – the larger of County Kerry’s two offshore Skellig Islands – has hit the headlines as a filming location for blockbuster movie Star Wars The Last Jedi. To visit this tiny, craggy UNESCO World Heritage Site, take a boat tour from Portmagee (landings are seasonal and weather dependent – book well in advance) and see where monks in the sixth century once built modest, dry-stone homes.
Back on the mainland you can enjoy phenomenal views of the Skelligs from Skellig Ring, an 18km offshoot of the famous Ring of Kerry, but much lovelier and more wild, as the road is too narrow for coaches.
This sleepy seaside resort on the French Atlantic coast gets overlooked all too often for the south, but it’s the perfect family escape. You can get the train from Paris in a couple of hours, or wend your way down from the St Malo ferry port in Brittany. La Rochelle has a gorgeous old town, great beaches and atmospheric seafood restaurants dishing up mouth-watering moules frites.
To extend a weekend, head just offshore to chic Île de Ré, which (outside peak season) makes for an idyllic getaway.
Costa Rica is a clean, safe and family-friendly destination, with a tropical climate and decent infrastructure. Its natural beauty boasts a coastline on the Atlantic and the Pacific, rugged mountain ranges, rivers, volcanoes and rainforests. This tiny Central American country is already a must-visit destination, even before you add its conservation and ecotourism credentials (Costa Rica has ploughed investment into protecting its biodiversity for years and plans to be the first carbon-neutral country by 2021).
Families who are keen on outdoor adventures such as ziplining, rafting, horse riding, snorkelling and hiking, or spotting incredible wildlife including sea turtles, dolphins, birds, butterflies, monkeys and sloths, can fly direct from the UK or USA.
This year, tour operators cruise liners are pulling out all the stops to help travellers reach far-flung, and closer-to-home, destinations around the world. G Adventures have a host of new tours, including an exciting sailing trip in Sri Lanka (pictured), plus tour operator Explore are tackling overtourism with their newest range of tours in underrated destinations. Click here to see 18 of our favourite tours and cruises for 2018.
There's a lot to look forward in 2018, from family theme parks to excellent museums. There's a brand new aerospace museum in Bristol, and Yosemite National Park's Mariposa Grove reopens for visitors. Plus, a brand new human towers museum is opening in Valls, Spain, which hosta the bi annual competition (pictured). Click here to find out about some of the coolest attractions opening in the next 12 months.