The season has arrived — and this one is packed with reasons to be somewhere extraordinary.
After a year that has thrown us geopolitical drama, market volatility, and more political plot twists than a prime-time boxset, I’ll admit summer 2026 arrives feeling like genuine relief. The world isn’t fixed — it rarely is — but the Strait of Hormuz is open, oil prices are falling, and there’s a particular energy in the air that shows up when people who’ve been holding their breath finally get to exhale. I’ve felt it. This, right here, is the moment I want to lean into.
The only question I keep turning over is how to spend it. Because this summer isn’t a passive season — it’s one of the most event-rich, experience-dense summers I can remember. The FIFA World Cup is running across North America through July. Everyone I know is eyeing ‘coolcation’ spots to dodge the Mediterranean heat. Solo travel has hit an all-time high. And slow travel — real time in fewer places, rather than sprinting through an itinerary — is finally having its moment. Good. It’s how I’ve come to travel myself.
“Restraint is not the same as going without. A perfectly chosen long weekend beats a sprawling plan that only looked good on paper.”
Let me talk you through where I’d go
If you want to travel with the crowd, the World Cup has lit up cities right across North America — Kansas City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles are the hottest searches, with watch parties and festival energy transforming host cities even for people without a match ticket. And if you’re in Europe chasing that same buzz closer to home, keep an eye on Vienna — free outdoor film screenings and open-air concerts all summer, extraordinary culture for almost nothing.
But here’s where I lean, personally. The World Cup has handed us an accidental gift: every city it isn’t in is quieter than usual. Europe without the crowds is a far better proposition in the summer of 2026, and I don’t say that lightly. Coolcations — places with mild summer climates — are surging: Scandinavia, the Scottish Highlands, Ireland’s west coast, all drawing travellers who’ve had quite enough of queuing in 38-degree heat for a gelato. I’m firmly in that camp.
And for the slow travellers, my kind of people: searches for ‘slow travel Italy’ are up 100% in a single month. Portugal’s coastal towns — Lagos, Cascais — are pulling people in with a rare mix of stunning beaches and real sustainability credentials. And Japan’s Kyushu region is quietly emerging as a refined alternative to the more crowded main-island spots — hot springs, heritage, and that feeling of genuine discovery I keep chasing.
Now let me tell you how I actually make the most of it
The data from Expedia and Hilton tells one clear story this summer, and it matches what I’ve learned the hard way: the happiest travellers aren’t the ones who booked the most ambitious trips — they’re the ones who booked with intention. Shorter, better. One great destination over three rushed ones. A room with a view over three rooms with a price tag. Hilton found that for 56% of travellers, the top reason to go anywhere is to rest and recharge — and in my experience, travel built around that honest priority almost always delivers.
A word from me on timing: I’ve already sorted mine because summer searches are up 15% year-on-year and the best properties in the trending spots are tightening fast. I’ve learned that waiting for the mood to strike usually leaves you with whatever’s left over.
But here’s the thing about summer 2026 I really want you to sit with, because it’s bigger than logistics. It lands at the end of an exhausting stretch. Markets have lurched. Governments have fallen. The world has felt precarious in ways that are real and draining. So I’ve started treating summer as permission — permission to put all of that down for a moment. To swim in cold water. To eat a long, unhurried lunch. To read an actual book somewhere beautiful. I used to call that indulgence. I’ve come to see it as maintenance.
So that’s my plan: rest well, spend intentionally, come back sharper. In the second half of the year, we need to be at our best — and I intend to meet it that way.
The Jacqueline Brand — knowledge builds confidence, confidence builds wealth. This is editorial commentary for inspiration, not financial or professional advice. Always do your own research. The Collection
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