How to Start a Successful Travel Blog in 2025

Even in the age of social media, thousands of people still write travel blogs that captivate readers with their experiences.

If you want to share your globe-hopping with the world, all you need is motivation to write and the right software. We'll show you two options and let you know what the keys are to a successful travel blog.

Do you collect frequent flyer miles, explore the world in your RV, or love discovering new places? Would you like to share your experiences with others?

You're not alone: There are thousands of travel bloggers all over the web. However, with so much competition, it's hard to stand out let alone make money with a travel blog.

To build a loyal readership, start by thinking about what you'd like to focus on. Posting one week about a hike through snowy mountains and the next about luxury hotels in the Caribbean won't work well, since you won't be able to attract a specific audience.

The most successful travel blogs focus on specific types of travelers, destinations, or traveling. For the first, these include blogs by and for solo female voyagers, families with children, or pet owners.

If the second category is more appealing, you can focus on a specific region or country. For example, some travel blogs about Southeast Asia or Africa are very popular.

Another option is to blog about types of traveling, such as RV, backpacking, gastro-tourism, or cruises. The most important thing is to stay authentic. Ask yourself these questions when you start:

Once you've got the idea for your travel blog, you'll need software to bring it to life. The most popular travel blogging platforms include website builders like Wix and content management systems like WordPress.

Let's look at the pros and cons of both options.

Thanks to website builders, blog owners no longer need to deal with HTML code. These allow anyone, even those without coding skills, to easily create a website from ready-made elements like menus, boxes, photo galleries, and text blocks.

In the editor, you'll be able to quickly add elements and adjust colors, sizes, and fonts. Because of the WYSIWYG principle (what you see is what you get), you can instantly see how each change you make affects your blog's look and appearance.

There are different types of website builders for various target groups. We like to split them into four categories:

Almost all website builders support blogging. Usually, blog management happens in a separate panel or area where you can manage existing posts and create new ones. Of course, you'll also get an editor with common formatting tools to write and shape your articles according to your preferences.

Features do vary from platform to platform. Some website builders let you manage authors and assign articles to different editors. Other platforms even have built-in monetization options for blogs.

Some website builders let you create a blog for free. However, there are a few catches: you'll have to park your blog on an unattractive provider domain and put up with ads.

If you want to run a professional travel blog on a custom domain, you'll need to spend at least $5-10 per month - which is how much the cheapest website builders in our comparison cost.

A content management system (CMS) is a platform that lets you create and manage website content. WordPress is by far the most popular CMS, powering 43 percent of all websites worldwide.

At first glance, WordPress and website builders seem similar since both let you create websites without having to code. However, after downloading WordPress' free, open-source software, it's up to you to get your website online by organizing hosting and domain registration.

The upside: You get much more control over your website's technical settings and aren't tied to a single commercial provider and their features. With WordPress, almost anything is possible – and there are countless plugins that add more features.

The downside: You need to be more hands-on and take care of things that website builders include in their packages (like security or backups). WordPress might be too much of a good thing if you only want to publish posts on your travel blog and don't need advanced technical features.

Website builder or CMS? The choice is entirely up to you.

Many travel bloggers start with website builders since they're simple to use and can be tried out for free. You can upgrade to a paid, ad-free plan with a custom domain at any time without losing your content.

In the following sections, we'll show you how to set up a travel blog and create your first post with Wix, our top-rated website builder.

Go to Wix's website*. To sign up, you only need to provide an email address. Wix will then ask what kind of website you want to create (personal or business) and suggest blog categories. Look for the "Travel Blog" option.

Wix now even offers an AI website assistant that can help you set up your travel blog:

Next, pick a template. This serves as the visual framework for your travel blog. Luckily, Wix offers several templates specifically designed for this purpose. You can also use other templates and customize them to fit your needs.

Now you can edit the template using Wix's editor. Add pages, adjust global design settings like colors and fonts, and integrate text and image content.

If you choose a template without a blog, you'll need to add a blog page in order to get your posts online.

Wix's editor is fairly extensive and includes many features. Take some time to get familiar with these. Here's a detailed guide with screenshots that explains the most important steps:

You won't manage your blog posts directly in Wix's website editor but through its main dashboard. There you'll find all the features you need to run your blog.

Click "+ Create New Post" to start writing your first blog article.

In Wix's blog editor, you're able to write posts and drag and drop elements onto the page, just like in the software's website editor. You can add images, GIFs, videos, galleries, tables, polls, and more. It's also possible to insert custom HTML code.

Once you're finished writing and formatting your first post, click Publish in the top right. You can also save a draft or schedule content to go live later. Published posts can be edited or deleted at any time.

Even the best travel blog is useless if its target audience can't find it on Google or social media. Where content appears in search engine results depends on SEO factors. On Twitter and Instagram, you'll get attention with relevant hashtags and stunning images.

With that in mind, we'll show you how to optimize your travel blog for social media and SEO.

SEO stands for search engine optimization and describes methods to improve a website's visibility in organic search results on search engines like Google.

While Google's algorithm is secret, certain practices have proven successful in improving rankings:

Many website builders offer SEO assistants that help optimize your blog for search engines. For example, Wix's App Market has many apps that check your blog's conformity to SEO best practices. WordPress offers even more options with countless SEO plugins like Yoast.

Both website builders and WordPress let you automatically share your posts on social networks to reach a wider audience. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok make it possible to reach thousands of users with a single post.

But your content can easily get lost in the daily flood of digital information. Here's how to stand out:

Before starting your travel blog, pick a clear topic to focus on. This will help shape your content and target audience.

Next comes the technical part: Different platforms are available depending on your skills and needs. WordPress, a CMS, offers maximum flexibility and custom design options, while website builders like Wix provide easy handling and built-in hosting, which saves time and effort.

To increase your reach, embrace SEO best practices and use social networks to spread your content. If your articles are engaging, authentic, and published regularly, chances are good that you'll be able to build a loyal readership and make your blog successful in the long run.