The Definitive List of Travel Subreddits to Help You Tour the World
I’m a Redditor through and through, and here are my favourite travel subreddits to talk travel, and do some learning along the way.
For years and years, I’ve been using travel subreddits to help me tour the world, and it’s been absolutely invaluable. Recently, when I’ve brought up just how valuable travel subreddits have been to me, people often give me a look like they have no idea where to start, so I figured I ought to put a post together to help folks out.
If you don’t know what Reddit is, think of it as a user fuelled, conversational social network where you can choose to be as anonymous or open as you like. Reddit is split up into a collection of subreddits which each cover a different topic of theme. For example, as a Toronto sports fans, I’m a member of r/leafs, r/torontobluejays, and r/torontoraptors. These subreddits stream into my home feed (along with the other few hundred subreddits I’m subscribed to).
Reddit is my favourite thing about the internet, and I’m a proud Redditor. Many people have this notion that Reddit is just the world’s greatest time waster, but I couldn’t disagree more. Reddit, I’m confident, has made me a more interesting and interested person. Not to mention, I’m fairly sure it’s Reddit alone that allows me to be pretty darn good at random trivia.
I’m writing this post because Reddit as an information source is particularly impressive when it comes to travel. The travel subreddits that I’ll list below help those interested in things like nomad living, supporting local tourism, learning about backpacking destinations for beginners, who have travel anxiety or anxiety about travelling alone, or simple want to get more familiar with a country or city.
Reddit, used properly, is a place to support and be supported in your travel goals and travel dreams. First, you’re gathering and learning travel tips, and before you know it, you’re writing your own travel tips. I’ve been a Redditor for five years, and at this point I’m subscribed to hundreds of subreddits, but travel subreddits are my bread and butter, so let’s get started.
Want to Tour the World? Let’s Talk About the Best Travel Subreddits
For the sake of ease, I’m going to split the travel subreddits into three categories.
Firstly, I’ll talk about the travel subreddit starter kit, which will include some of the basic and fundamental subreddits that all those interested in travel should have.
Next, I’ll include a list of travel subreddits which I’d classify as being inspirational. These are subreddits that are worth subscribing to if you’re trying to get inspired or motivated about seeing the world. I love these threads for people with travel anxiety because it shows that you don’t have to be remarkable to travel to remarkable places.
Finally, I’ll include an extended list of niche travel subreddits which represent travel communities which are a bit more on the fray, but some of which I’ve found invaluable. I do firmly believe that travel subreddits like the ones that I’ll list below have the potential to transform how to you understand travel and tour the world.
The Travel Subreddit Starter Kit
r/shoestring
This is an essential travel subreddit because it combats the notion that you need a bulging bank account to tour the world. This community is all about finding creative ways to keep travel costs down. It’s everything from cost effective travel for beginners to some fairly advanced travel hacking. In terms of travel subreddits, this is firmly in the “must subscribe” list.
r/travel
There’s no two ways about it, this is the preeminent travel community on reddit. If you subscribe to one travel subreddit, it should probably be this one. There are nearly two million subcribers and the information bar at the top of the sub is travel gold, as it covers basics around departures, arrivals, travel tips, destinations, and a list of other travel subs to follow. It’s a treasure trove of travel information like no other on Reddit.
r/wanderlust
If you’ve got the travel itch, welcome to your new home. This travel subreddit covers travel pretty broadly, but think of it as a place where you can find people who are just as stoked as travel in general as you are. It’s a place for travel discussion, travel information, and everything in between. These are people who already know the value of travel, and can’t wait to talk about it with you.
r/solotravel
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what this travel subreddit might be about. In all seriousness, this is an incredibly useful resource for solo travellers, especially if you have anxiety about travelling alone in the first place. The user really shines here, as it’s really just the stories and experiences of solo travellers trying to help other solo travellers, and there’s nearly half a million of them in this community to aid in that task.
r/travelhacks
The tips and tricks of experienced travellers who want to share their small victories from the road, but also mistakes they made that you can learn from and ensure you don’t make the same mistake.. This travel subreddit, in my opinion, is particularly good for asking questions if you’re a beginner travel looking to tour the world effectively. I’ve also heard some suggestions here that I likely wouldn’t have come across anywhere else.
r/backpacking
This is one of the largest travel subs on the entire site, and for good reason. I travelled for a long time with my trusty Gregory travel pack, and there’s something distinctly liberating about having everything you own on your back. This is a community that understands that feeling, and wants to share in it with you.
r/campingandhiking
I’ve camped and hiked all over the world, and part of that was utilizing this group as a resource. There are some incredibly knowledgeable people in this subreddit who travel around the world (though it’s fairly North American focused) with nothing but a sturdy pair of boots, a lightweight tent, and a dream. The stories and photos shared in the sub are also exceptional.
r/country
You’ll notice there’s not a link above because I’m not actually referring to a particular sub. I’ve had incredible luck actually going to the sub of a country I’m about to visit to ask advice. The people are often more than happy to help when they know you’re actually invested in exploring their nation. If I’m not mistaken, every country on the planet has a subreddit. You’ve got huge subreddits for countries like Canada, Brazil, Germany, and so on, and smaller, no less helpful, subreddits for places like Iran, Armenia, and even Greenland.
r/city
Similar to the addition above, I’m not referring to a particular city here, so there’s no link. I’m again trying to communicate that each city tends to have their own subreddit, and they’re more than happy to field travel questions. Since I’ve moved back to Toronto, I’ve used r/toronto religiously as a source of news and information, especially to explore Toronto in winter. Even better, large citied tend to have a separate subreddit to ask questions, which are simply gold. For example, whenever I have a question in Toronto, I simply head to r/askTO. These subreddits help you truly support local tourism, with information directly from the locals.
Travel Subreddits to Get You Inspired to Travel!
r/travelphotos
If ever I need to take a moment to remember why and how travel became such a large part of my life, then I head here. The travel photos on selection here are also quite eclectic, so it’s more than just Europe, for example. You’ll find people sharing everything from a beautiful picture of a church, to intriguing animals and endless landscapes. Naturally, this sub encompasses all he beauty that travel can offer, but it’s a relatively small and personal travel subreddit, which gives it a nice vibe.
r/adventures
If it’s something related to travel that will increase your heart rate, you’ll find it here. It isn’t explicitly a travel subreddit, but I’ve followed it for a while because it covers diving, caving, climbing, hiking and so much more all over the world. It’s very much a globally minded subreddit, and I particularly appreciate how empowering the group is. I’ve seen things on this sub where I just think, “alright, if they can do that, so can I.”
r/studyabroad
If you’re looking to study abroad, this is quite a good spot to get some more information from the source. I think this subreddit has the potential to inspire because it’s a resource for people who have considered going abroad, but might not have all the answers they’re looking for. It’s small, and not overly active as far as subreddits go, but if you ask the right question, you’ll get the answer you’re looking for.
r/remoteplaces
Their byline sums it up pretty well - here you can find “places on the earth not everyone has seen before.” I find this sub to be quite inspiring, and that’s largely because I’m a travel writer and blogger by trade, so it’s amazing to encounter all of these places that I know little about, despite writing about travel for nearly a decade. Of course, Reddit being the community it is, I get to ask questions about these places to people who have been there and begin to chart my own course. I love it.
r/earthporn
There’s a fair amount of insidious stuff on on reddit but, thankfully, we don’t have to worry about that much with travel subreddits, so don’t be thrown off by the term “porn.” It is as it seems it would be - absolutely breathtaking landscape photography showcased by talented photographers. I also personally think subreddits like this help to battle serious issues facing humanity like prejudice and climate change, as it forces you to note that there’s beauty all over the world, and, we ought to do something to preserve that.
r/mapporn
This is the ultimate subreddit for map enthusiasts. Before I joined this subreddit, I wasn’t even aware there were so many variations on maps. Think broadly, though, with this subreddit - it’s not just maps of places, but also maps which show statistics which are often highly informative and occasionally perspective altering. Map lovers, rejoice!
r/villageporn
If you understand how the above two travel subreddits function, then you’ll understand how this one functions. Simply put, it’s all about high quality images of villages all around the world. Occasionally, when I’ve been travelling, I’ve used this subreddit to seek out villages around the cities I’m in and get off the beaten path just a little. Hey, why not tour the world a little differently, right?
r/iwantout
This subreddit is described as “Reddit’s expatriate community.” Basically, it’s a place for people who are considering living abroad to discuss with others who are thinking of doing the same, or are already situated elsewhere than their home country. I find this sub inspiring because it’s incredible to see how many different ways people are living their lives in different places. It’s also very supportive, and people will help you with even the most basic of questions for the most part.
Niche Travel Subreddits That Might Be Up Your Alley!
r/longtermtravel
A community specifically for people who are interested in long term travel. I’m not talking about a “long trip,” though necessarily. It’s much more about people who consider extended travel a lifestyle. I’d focus more on the threads here asking questions, or ask questions yourself, as there is also a fair amount of content here not explicitly related to longterm travel, but more travel in general.
r/digitalnomad
If you don’t know, a digital nomad is an individual whose work isn’t location based, and that means they can be anywhere in the world to do their job, providing they can get their hands on some solid wifi. This travel subreddit deals with everything from the emotional toll it can take to be a digital nomad, to the sheer magic of being your own boss, working with a beer in your hand, and the beach in your sights.
r/hitchhiking
This is a sub for those interested in hitchhiking, but it’s not just the pragmatic details of how to be a hitchhiker per se. I see an almost spiritual undertone to some of the posts and the way in which users to their stories of train hopping, unexpected adventures, and everything in between. As the group description says, this group is for all the “nomadic vagabonds out there.” If it’s your thing, you just found about ten thousands new pals.
r/flights
This is technically still under the umbrella of the r/travel community, but I think of it as something different and separate. It focuses on all things flights and what you might encounter at airports, with different airlines, and just general travel information that’s worth knowing if you’re going to tour the world by air. There is also a fair amount of information on frequent flyer miles, reward programs, and other information of that variety.
r/onebag
Talk about niche, this subreddit is committed to the idea of travelling with less stuff. It’s all about discussing about what you actually need with you to travel, and allowing you to travel the world with ease because you’ve only got to worry about one bag. It’s part theory and ideology, but also a lot of excellent information on practice if this is something you’re interested in. It’s an active and supportive community that boasts over fifty thousand subscribers.
r/couchsurfing
If you’re a “couchsurfer” or part of the Couchsurfing community, then this subreddit is for you. It’s all a bit meta, as you get to talk about the site itself and how it works, while not being on that site at all. A lot of the time, it’s people sharing stories or experiences they’ve had, and trying to establish what is and isn’t acceptable when it comes to Couchsurfing. It’s an open forum to discuss the pros and cons of the Couchsuring community and website at large.
r/airbnb
Whether you’re new to Airbnb or have been using it from the onset, there’s room for you in this subreddit. Primarily, guests and hosts discuss their experiences and try to understand how to best use the site. If you’re having issues with Airbnb that isn’t an emergency, then this is an ideal place to learn about how to deal with different situations like your booking being cancelled or not honoured, or a host or guest not living up to their end of the bargain.
r/travelpartners
If you have anxiety about travelling alone, or you just really appreciate the opportunity to share moments on the road with another soul, this is the ideal community. More so than anything, it’s a place to list where you’ll be and see if anyone else on the subreddit will be around that area of the globe at the same time. It seems people have a fair amount of success in linking up with members of the subreddit and creating some pretty epic memories.
r/cruise
I went on my first cruise to the Caribbean this summer, and, overall, both Bri and I appreciated the experience. I ended up subscribing to this Reddit community as a result, and it’s clear that some people are absolutely gung-ho about cruises, and they’ve decided it’s the only way to go. This travel subreddit is a place for those interested in cruise stories, news, tips, and more. They actually helped me plan the summer cruise, so I can personally vouch for it being a quality resource.
r/awardtravel
This is one of the most unique and useful travel subreddits out there. This is the headquarters for discussing how to effectively utilizing airline miles and hotel points in your travels. It’s not all that dissimilar from r/churning, which deals with making use of credit card sign-up offers and so forth. It’s for people who have travelled a bit, and recognize that they can make their money work for them in the form of points and so much more.
For travel bloggers:
Lastly, If you’re a travel writer or blogger like myself and you’re looking for a few more places to share your content, there are a few travel subreddits where that’s welcomed. I should note here that Reddit can be harsh if you’re posting content in certain subreddits where it’s clear that your intentions are based in self-interest (such as getting traffic for a post), so that’s why it’s important to know where you can post. Here are a few where you should be just fine:
Reddit is The Place to Turn Your Travel Dreams into a Reality
Listen, I’m not being paid a cent by Reddit to put any of this together. I’m putting this together because I firmly believe it’s worth my readers knowing about all of the incredible travel communities that you can access through Reddit for free.
Deeper and deeper down the travel rabbit hole I went on Reddit until I realized that, after some time, the value I was getting was astronomical. Reddit is actually my go-to for trip planning now and a whole lot more because it’s unadulterated information that happens peer to peer where large companies and so forth aren’t paying to have certain opinions written, or certain ways of doing things highlighted.
Reddit, at first, can be a bit of a confusing, somewhat overwhelming place, but if you operate with humility and kindness, you’ll be embraced. If you’re a traveller who isn’t currently using Reddit, I urge you to consider creating an account. You can be as anonymous as you want, but the information you’ll get, and the learning you’ll do has wonderful real world implications.
Let me know below if there are any travel subreddits on this list that you love, or whether there are some I should consider adding to the list. Feel free to comment below, as I take the time to read and respond to each and every one.
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