25 Short Travel Quotes to Inspire Your Wanderlust

Knowledge is power. Without language, this phrase, and all of the other symbols on this page, would have no meaning.

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Language is the single most important factor to being human. It gives us our depth, and provides us with a means to describe our world. It allows us to differentiate between black and white, apples and oranges, and good and bad. It allows us each to have a name and an individual identity. It gives us a chance to understand all the mysteries of the universe. But the most incredible thing about language is its undeniable power to make us feel something. One group of phrases that are able to stir up inspiration are travel quotes. Although travel quotes allow us to transport our mind to a new destination, they can also be the catalyst to change. The right travel quote can, quite literally, change the direction of your life.

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Bearing that in mind, here are the top 25 short travel quotes that have inspired us to explore the world.

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1. "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." - Lao Tzu

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If you want to travel, but you’re not sure where to start, you just need to take the first step. Research places you’d like to go - if you need some inspiration, check out our instagram (@SmallerEarth) to see some of our favourite places in the world.

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2. "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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It’s amazing that a guy named “Waldo” has a quote about being unique and getting lost in the world. The beauty of travel is that there are no rules - you can blaze your own trail, and go wherever you want. You never know where you may find yourself - and who else you may inspire to follow in your tracks.

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3. "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

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Coming back home after travelling is tough to describe. Everything that’s familiar to you will seem different, somehow. You’ll appreciate the people, places, and things in your life in a way you never expected.

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4. "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." - Robert Louis Stevenson

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It doesn’t matter where you go. You’ll discover new things, and appreciate making the decision to get out into the world.

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5. "Because he had no place he could stay in without getting tired of it, and because there was nowhere to go but everywhere. So just keep rolling under the stars.” - Jack Kerouac

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If you’re feeling stuck, unmotivated, or uninspired, travel is a great way to break that cycle. You’ll get lost in finding new things, and you’ll be way too busy exploring to get bored. There’s not just one specific destination meant for each person - but that’s why we love exploring (and why we love this short travel quote).

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6. “If I'd learnt one thing from travelling, it was that the way to get things done was to go ahead and do them. Don't talk about going to Borneo. Book a ticket, get a visa, pack a bag, and it just happens.” - Alex Garland

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This one is the ultimate “just do it” quote. Thinking about travelling is a bit like standing high on a diving board, and deciding whether or not to take the plunge. You can stand there, trying to convince yourself to jump, for as long as you want - but at some point, you just have to go for it.

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7. "Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you’ve travelled." - Mohammed

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The experience you gain while travelling is a completely different type of education. In an increasingly global world, the ability to find common ground with people of all backgrounds is more important than ever. Travelling can help you find and develop the skills that a more rigid traditional education won’t provide.

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8. "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

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Along the same lines as #7 - travelling the world exposes you to different people, cultures, and perspectives. We believe that cultural exchange has the power to change the world by removing the hard divides between people of all backgrounds. Simply put, the best reason to travel is to make the world a better place.

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9. "To travel is to take a journey into yourself." - Danny Kaye

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If you want to learn about yourself, travel. You’ll learn to rely on yourself, because you’ll surprise yourself with the decisions you’ve made. Your self confidence will grow, and you’ll find a whole new world of things you didn’t know you were passionate about.

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10. “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

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The creator of ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ knew a thing or two about travel. His character Bilbo Baggins was a homebody who turned up his nose at adventure - until he went on one of his own. It may just be that getting lost in the world is where you’ll find yourself.

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11. “All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.” – Samuel Johnson

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If there’s something about your family, your hometown, or your country that you wish was different, going to a new place can help you learn new ways to approach those problems.

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12. “We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.” - Ray Bradbury

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Whatever your reason, see, enjoy and explore.

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13. “Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world, the way it is, not the way you imagine it.” – Mark Jenkins

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Our perception of the world is influenced by the places we live, and the people we interact with. The risk of seeing the world is that our perspectives may change, and we might not be the same people we were before. But the first sentence suggests that there is a destination to the winding, twisting path of travel.

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14. "Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” - Dalai Lama

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We often go on autopilot mode in our typical, comfortable surroundings. The novelty of going to a new place can break us out of that cycle, and allow us to be more intentional with our lives.

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15. "I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad."- George Bernard Shaw

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One of the best things about travel is that every decision you make is yours alone. Getting out of your comfort zone is easy to do in a new place. Travelling is a great way to challenge yourself and give some contrast to the relative comforts of home.

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16. "Maybe you’ll get more than you ever could have imagined. Who knows where life will take you - the road is long, and in the end, the journey is the destination." - Whitey Durham, One Tree Hill

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Ah, One Tree Hill. Who ever thought a show about people growing up in a small town would appear on a blog about travel? The school’s basketball coach, Whitey Durham, makes a great point. Life might take you anywhere - but don’t forget that you have the power to choose which direction you go in.

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17. “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” - John A. Shedd

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This one is pretty self-explanatory. If you’re going to stay in your comfort zone, you might be rejecting your true purpose in life.

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18. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” - Steve Jobs

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Apple’s founder is a commonly used example of someone who lived life on their own terms. Having the courage to listen to yourself, even when other people might doubt your decisions, will get you to new places that you never knew you wanted to be.

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19. "Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.” - Francis Bacon

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Travel is for everyone. If you’re just starting your own explorations, travel will teach you things that will change you. If you’ve been on a thousand adventures, travel will remind you about the things you’ve forgotten.

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20. "Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves." - Henry David Thoreau

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Another great quote about understanding yourself through travel. You’ll be free to try things out, and learn about yourself, without being influenced by others. You’ll be alone in the world, so you won’t have to put a filter on anything but your Instagram photos.

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21. "I love waking up in the morning not knowing what’s gonna happen or who I’m gonna meet, where I’m gonna wind up." - Leonardo DiCaprio, as “Jack” in Titanic

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Firstly, there was definitely room for two on that door. Secondly, any adventurer knows this feeling. You’ll learn that the anticipation of the unknown doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If you want to find ways to deal with anxiety, travelling can help you learn to be excited about what’s coming next in life.

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22. "I wandered everywhere, through cities and countries wide. And everywhere I went, the world was on my side." - Roman Payne

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This one is a comforting reminder that the world may seem like a scary place, but you’ll make friends, and come across great people, everywhere you go. There’s no better way to learn about the kindness and generosity of fellow human beings than travel.

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23. "There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, there is a rapture on the lonely shore. There is society, where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar. I love not man the less, but nature more." - Lord Byron

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This is a fancy way of saying that getting out into the world and connecting with nature is a good thing. By exploring, you’ll discover a deep appreciation for the earth and all things in it.

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24. “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” - Saint Augustine

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Saint Augustine was a heavy hitter when it came to words. The world as we know it is made up of thousands of different characters and stories. The first page of any good book should inspire you to read the rest of it - so if you’re reading this, maybe now is the time to start your next chapter.

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25. "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

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You’ve probably heard this one before - and no matter how old you are, it’s still relevant. If you’re thinking about doing something big, whether it’s travel or otherwise, be honest with yourself. Consider your options. Typically, there’s only two - to take the leap, or to stay? Twenty years from now, which decision are you going to regret more?