15 Unique & Inspirational Travel Quotes for Every Mood (with personal stories & moodboards)

This post is a curated collection of my favorite unique and inspirational travel quotes from well-known authors, writers, adventurers, wanderers. Travel quotes can sometimes seem pretentious. So that’s why I have curated unique ones over years of travelling and from Goodreads to motivate and inspire you as you travel the world.

Whether you are planning a trip, needing some motivation during a trip, or feeling nostalgic about a past trip – powerful quotes help capture the true feelings and emotions of travel.

For visa-required travellers like myself, travel comes with a lot of burden, stress, and anxiety. The planning, logistics and bureaucracy needed can sometimes suck the joy out of planning a trip.

Ultimately, travel is always worth it. It’s not just about the destination – but the feelings, adventures, lessons and moments through the journey.

If you are looking for some travel inspiration, I hope these words of great speakers and writers, and the associated visual mood boards, can give you a boost.

🌍Adventure & Exploration

” Live, travel, adventure, bless and don’t be sorry “
― Jack Kerouac

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson

If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.
― Anthony Bourdain

I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.

Anthony Bourdain

These quotes are the essence of my love for travel. Life is short, and we have to live every day to the fullest. I think of these quotes whenever I have booked a last-minute trip.

I went to the Balkans without a set itinerary – just an arrival and departure date. Some years ago, I booked a flight to China with only a week’s notice. Each of these seemingly crazy actions has always led to new adventures and treasured moments.

✨Reflection and Slow Travel

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
― Lao Tzu

“The value of your travels does not hinge on how many stamps you have in your passport when you get home — and the slow nuanced experience of a single country is always better than the hurried, superficial experience of forty countries.”
― Rolf Potts

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
― Anthony Bourdain

“Slow travel is being in a place long enough to experience it without having a strict itinerary. It isn’t about seeing everything but experiencing the soul of a place.”
― Bhavana Gesota

[Slow travel] isn’t about seeing everything but experiencing the soul of a place.

BHAVANA GESOTA

I think about slow travel a lot. I’ve been lucky to live in 6 countries – Kenya, US, UK, Belgium, France and Denmark. Being a tourist and spending longer than a few weeks somewhere offer completely varied experiences. Slow travel gives you the opportunity to experience the soul of a place and become part of its fabric.

💫Wanderlust, Freedom & Inner Journeys

“The Wanderlust has got me… by the belly-aching fire”
― Robert W. Service

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
―Terry Pratchett

“Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost.”
― Erol Ozan

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
― Marcel Proust

I remember growing up and having that inner desire to travel and see different places. It was never about escaping anything – I simply wanted to experience life more fully. This quote captures that feeling perfectly.

If you’re curious, I share the story of getting my first Schengen visa here.

🌅 Cultural Connection & Solitude

“Travelling – it gives you home in thousand strange places, then leaves you a stranger in your own land.”
―Ibn Battuta

“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.”
―David Mitchell

Travel far enough, you meet yourself

DAVID MITCHELL

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home.”
― James A. Michener

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.”
― Anita Desai

Travel constantly reminds me that we are more similar than we are different. In Brazil, I expected people to be distant as we didn’t speak the same language. The people welcomed me like family, despite any language barriers.

Bonus Quote about the bureaucratic hurdles of visas

“I thought of all the hours that I have spent at passport and visa counters, and the stark terror that an immigration officer’s frown could still send through me.”
― Amitav Ghosh

Oh dear, where to start. How I wish everyone had the freedom to travel. This quote really encapsulates that frustration of preparing visa documents, searching for elusive appointments, proving yourself to visa powers, and waiting for visa decisions.

If you’re thinking of travel, then check out my visa application tips that save time and stress on every trip.

Creative Ways to Use Travel Quotes

Travel quotes aren’t just words – they can become part of your travel planning mindset.

Here are some ways I make use of these quotes to make them more meaningful:

• Use them as journaling prompts: Start your travel journal with a quote that matches the mood. Let your words guide your reflections.
• Turn them into captions: perfect for sharing that adventure on Instagram, Pinterest, Whatsapp Status – even while you’re on the road
• Add them to your vision board: If you’re planning a future trip, then quote one of these alongside a destination photo for some daily motivation.

Keep the Wanderlust Alive With these Travel Quotes

Travel quotes remind us of past memories and also encourage us for the journeys that lie ahead. Some inspire us to book the ticket, and others remind us the small details of a past trip. Ultimately, they capture that deep feeling that makes travel more than just moving from place to place.

If you’re feeling inspired, start by checking out Lonely Planet for some inspiration and ideas for your next trip. Or check out my Schengen visa guides for steps on applying for your European visa.