top of page
FTLO Team

15 Travel Quotes that Will Inspire You to Explore

It's easy to forget what inspires us to travel and explore the world when we are caught up in the whirlwinds of work, home, and all things life. But every now and then, a good story, an awesome interaction, or in this case, an amazing quote, can put things into perspective to remind us of what travel is all about and why it's important. Whether we're quoting Frost or we're inspired by a lesser known line such as "We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us," these statements have a way of lighting a fire inside of us.

So read on and see if any of these quotes resonate with you and your life. Who knows? It could inspire you to take up your next adventure sooner than you had planned. These are our favorite quotes about exploring, adventure, and the world.

A man with a travel mug by a lake.

​1. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that 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

The Alps in Slovenia.

2. “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us." – Robyn Yong

A sailboat in Sardinia.

3. “And then there is the most dangerous risk of all — the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.” – Randy Komisar

A town in Crete.

4. “Travel far enough, you meet yourself." – David Mitchell

A purification ceremony in Bali.

5. “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

Leaving on an airplane for a trip.

6. “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” – Unknown

New friends on a boat in Portugal.

7. "A year from now, you will wish you had started today." – Karen Lamb

A beach in the Basque Country.

8. "It is a big and beautiful world. Most of us live and die in the same corner where we were born and never get to see any of it. I don’t want to be most of us." – Oberyn Martell, Game of Thrones

Travelers in Mexico City.

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

A view over the ocean on the Amalfi Coast.

10. “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” – Jack Kerouac

A globe showing Africa.

11. “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die...it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” – Maya Angelou

A street scene in Hanoi.

12. “Jobs fill your pocket, but adventures fill your soul.” – Jamie Lyn Beatty

Travelers watch the Northern Lights.

13. “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” – Dalai Lama

A temple in Japan in the fall.

14. “I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Hoi An, Vietnam is lit up at night.

15. “This is your world, you should come see it sometime.” – Unknown

A beach in Bali.

We hope you find inspiration in the wise words of others who have traveled and explored the world.

And if you've been moved to start searching for your next great adventure, check out FTLO's upcoming trips for 2023 and you'll be glad you took the first steps to start traveling the world!

bottom of page