Why it's hard to think of anywhere
When you can go anywhere, it's surprisingly hard to think of somewhere. Too much choice makes every option feel equally good, or equally risky, and you end up going back to the same place as last year.
The trick is to stop asking "where should we go?" and start somewhere narrower. Pick one starting point below, and you'll have a shortlist in minutes.
1. Start with the month
If your dates are fixed, start with where's at its best then. It rules out a lot of places straight away (nobody wants Marrakech in August or Tromsø in June) and points you at places you might never have thought of.
Our month pages list the places at their best in each month:
- Where to go in February, for half term sun or snow
- Where to go in May, before the summer crowds
- Where to go in August, for the summer holidays
- Where to go in October, for autumn half term
2. Start with the kind of trip
Decide what kind of holiday you want before you decide where. A beach, a city, mountains, a road trip or somewhere to do absolutely nothing are very different holidays, and each one narrows the map.
Browse by type: beach holidays, city breaks, nature holidays, road trips or relaxing holidays.
3. Start with how far you'll travel
Set a limit on the journey, like "no more than three hours on a plane" or "somewhere we can drive to". That one rule turns the whole world into a short list. A short journey matters more than people expect with small children, or on a long weekend.
4. Start with what you loved last time
Think about the best holiday you've had. What made it? If it was the food in Italy, try Puglia or Syracuse. If it was the mountains in Austria, try Ljubljana or Annecy. Somewhere similar but new is often a safer bet than somewhere completely different.
5. Do the opposite of last time
Or go the other way. If last year was a busy city break, make this one a quiet island. If it was a fortnight by a pool, try a road trip. A change is half the point of a holiday, and it's a good way to give someone who didn't love last year's trip their turn.
6. Follow a food, a film or a book
Plenty of great holidays start with "I've always wanted to try…" or "remember that film set in…". Ask everyone for one thing they'd love to eat, see or do, then find where it is. Pasta-making, the northern lights, a safari, a road trip from a favourite film: any of them is a good place to start.
7. Look at somewhere's neighbour
Love the idea of Santorini or Venice but not the crowds or prices? Look next door. Smaller islands like Naxos and Milos, or cities like Ghent instead of Bruges, often give you the same feel for less money and with more room.
8. Ask everyone for one idea
If you're choosing as a family or a group, don't do all the thinking yourself. Ask everyone for one place, however unlikely. You'll end up with a more interesting list than you'd make alone, and everyone will care more about the result. Our post on agreeing on a holiday as a family has more on this.
9. Leave the final choice to chance
If you've got a list but can't pick, let a draw choose. Put three to six ideas in, give everyone some points to spread, and let the draw pick, with the most popular places having the best chance. It's quicker than another week of debate, and it's surprisingly exciting. See fair ways to pick a holiday for how it works.