Who’s excited to travel in 2026? I know I am. But, it’s important you know all of the new travel tips for 2026 first. Here are 10 new travel tips 2026 you need to know.
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Keep Your Shoes On At Airport Security
First, one of the most exciting travel tips for 2026 is that you are no longer required to take off your shoes in domestic USA airport security lines. This change was made nationwide in July of 2025, and there’s no doubt that the change makes security feel quicker and less chaotic. Prior to July 2025, the only passengers that could routinely keep their shoes on were TSA PreCheck members, elderly passengers and passengers with certain disabilities. Now, everyone can keep their shoes on. You can read more about the end to TSA’s “shoes-off” policy here.
Get Your REAL ID
Another change to TSA regulations is the introduction of mandatory REAL ID compliance. As of May 7, 2025, all airline passengers need to have what’s called a REAL ID when flying domestically. The purpose of the REAL ID is to make domestic flying and entering federal facilities more secure. So, if you don’t already have your REAL ID and you’re from the US, you need to get one.
To check if your current ID is a REAL ID, locate a gold star, black star, encircled gold star, encircled black star or yellow starred bear on your driver’s license. If your ID does not have one of these symbols, go to your local DMV to get a new ID that is REAL ID compliant. Otherwise, you may be subject to additional screening. And, starting February 2026, you will be subject to a $45 fee if you do not have your REAL ID. Alternatives to a REAL ID are a valid US passport, US passport card, DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST) or other forms of ID that you can find here.
How To Maximize Your PTO In 2026
Next, like every new year, there are new dates to make sure you are maximizing your PTO in 2026. Traditionally, salaried employees are given certain holidays off routinely each year, which means you can optimize your trip calendar and take the most PTO-friendly trips possible in 2026 by using these holidays off to your advantage. However, you’ll want to submit your requests to take these days off as early as you can, as your coworkers are likely going to try to take these dates off too.
To maximize your PTO in 2026, considering taking the following days off:
- Friday, January 2, for a 4-day weekend.
- Tuesday, January 20, for a 4-day weekend.
- Tuesday, February 17, for a 4-day weekend (perfect for a romantic Valentine’s getaway).
- Tuesday, May 26, for a 4-day weekend.
- Monday, June 22, for a 4-day weekend.
- Tuesday, September 8, for a 4-day weekend.
Suddenly, you’ve maximized only six days of PTO into six whole 4-day long trips. Of course, these are just a few suggestions, which could vary depending on your employer. You can easily tack on another day of PTO to any of these dates for a full 5-day trip too.
Take Shorter Trips More Often
Speaking of four to 5-day trips, another new travel tip in 2026 is to take shorter trips more often instead of longer trips less often. Not only will shorter, more frequent trips be more PTO-friendly, like we saw earlier, but you’ll also be able to knock more destinations off your bucket list. And, many destinations make great short trips from the US, such as the best US domestic destinations, Canada, Iceland, Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean islands. Or, if you’re feeling extra adventurous, you could even take international day trips, which I call “micro trips,” just like travel creators like Kevin Droniak take on the regular.
I know I personally will be prioritizing more shorter trips in 2026, especially because we have a cat who requires someone to stay with him during our longer trips. I’ll be saving literally hundreds of dollars in housesitting costs purely by taking shorter trips more often.
Apply For Visas And Electronic Travel Authorizations Early
Visa requirements for travelers are always subject to change per country, but it seems as though there were even more changes in 2025 than usual that you need to be aware of. So, always check for any visa, visa applications and/or electronic travel authorizations with your destination well in advance before your trip. It takes some destinations longer to approve visa applications than others, which is why you want to check early. The last thing you would want is to pay for your flights, pay for your hotels, plan your entire trip, and then be denied entry because you don’t have the correct travel documentation.
One notable change for people traveling to Europe in 2026 is that the EU is now requiring certain visa-exempt countries to apply for electronic travel authorization through their ETIAS program. This will become mandatory in Q4 2026 and applies to travelers from dozens of countries, including travelers from the US, UK, Canada and Australia. If you’re planning a trip to Europe in late 2026, plan accordingly.
Check Your Credit Card Travel Benefits
In addition, yet another aspect of travel that changes rapidly is the world of travel credit cards and traveling on points and miles. Travel credit cards change constantly, whether by new card releases, annual fee increases, changing travel benefits (for better and for worse) and more. So, it’s worth taking 10 minutes to check if any of your credit card perks or annual fees have changed before your next annual fee is posted. A couple notable changes made this year were the change to the Capital One Venture X lounge access benefits (cardholder guests are no longer free starting February 1, 2026) and the annual fee increase on the AMEX Platinum card from an already high $695 to a whopping $895. Yikes. I probably won’t be keeping my AMEX Business Platinum card open another year.
Earn Points On Your Mortgage And Rent
On the plus side, an extremely exciting and positive change in points and miles to look forward to is the launch of the Bilt Card 2.0, which will allow you to earn points on your mortgage payments. Besides taxes, housing is your highest expense every month, so why not be rewarded with free travel from the mortgage payments you’re making anyway? Bilt will announce more details on this new line of three cards in January 2026 to launch on February 7, 2026. Stay tuned.
Bilt also allows you to earn points on rent payments through their current credit card and free rewards program. Bilt Rewards points are becoming more and more valuable since the company launched in 2019, especially with Hyatt as a Bilt transfer partner. This means you can redeem the Bilt points you earn on your mortgage and rent payments for free Hyatt hotel stays. You can read all about why points and miles travelers (myself included) love Hyatt points here. Although Bilt has incredible transfer partners besides Hyatt too.
Earn Bilt Points For Free With Rakuten
Another exciting new way to earn Bilt Rewards points is through Rakuten. Rakuten is a free cash back program that allows you to get cash back on both online and in-store purchases. There’s even a free Rakuten Chrome extension that pops up with cash back offers when you’re shopping online. With this extension, earning these offers is a no-brainer. As I mentioned in my blog post about earning more credit card points without spending more money, Rakuten already allowed travelers to convert their cash back offers into AMEX Membership Rewards points. Points and miles can go a lot further than cash back if you redeem them strategically, which is why this new Bilt x Rakuten partnership is so enticing. Sign up for a free Rakuten account here.
Get Better Airport Lounge Access For Free
Airport lounges are becoming overcrowded. In fact, many airport lounges that are accessible to the general public through programs like Priority Pass are often full to maximum capacity with a waitlist to enter. Because of the crowds, the only selling factors that keep me coming back are the free food and clean bathrooms.
However, there is a way to get better airport lounge access for free — I’m talking access to exclusive luxurious airport lounges like the Centurion Lounges or the Delta One Lounges. How? By booking business class flights for free with points. When you book business class flights with points, not only are you experiencing luxury in-flight for only the cost of taxes and fees, but you also get access to the top-tier business class lounges. For example, in 2025, I booked a Delta One business class flight to Japan for $33 in taxes and fees. With that booking, I also received free access to the ultra-classy full-service Delta One Lounge in Seattle.
Try Something Out Of Your Comfort Zone
My final travel tip 2026 is to try a new travel experience outside of your comfort zone. If you’re used to traveling domestically, travel internationally in 2026. If you always travel to big cities, try leaving the city for the outdoors or epic national parks. Travel somewhere you don’t speak the language. Try new international foods. Your options are endless. And, I can guarantee that you’ll be proud of yourself afterward. Personally, I hope to visit my sixth continent in 2026 (Africa), which will definitely push me out of my comfort zone. I can’t wait. Here’s to traveling more in 2026!
More Travel Tips 2026
How To Pack Lighter For Any Length Trip
How To Get Free Hotel Upgrades (Email Template)
Step By Step Guide To Get Free Business Class Flights
Save These Travel Tips 2026
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