Most Popular Travel Guides of 2025
This was my third year of running Stay to Wander, so it’s time for my annual tradition of sharing the most popular travel guides on my website this year! There were some big changes around here in 2025.
Towards the end of 2024, I expanded Stay to Wander from just hotel guides to other travel guides and travel tips. This year, some of that content made its way into the most popular on my website. Interestingly, though, my hotel guides are still my most-read content, and make up the bread and butter of this website!
Speaking of that, Stay to Wander is only monetized through affiliate links (which is why you don’t see a bunch of pesky ads when you’re scrolling.) This means that if you click a link on my website and book a hotel, tour, or other travel experience, I will earn a small commission at absolutely no expense to you.
This is the best way you can support my website if you find my travel guides helpful in planning your own trips! And the support allows me to keep creating and sharing useful travel content with you.
Here’s a look at my top 10 most popular travel guides of the year:
1. Where to Stay in Lake Como Without a Car (5 Best Towns)
For the second year in a row, my guide on where to stay in Lake Como, Italy without a car took the number one spot! I’ve visited Lake Como three times now (including another trip in 2025!), and I’ve always used public transportation to get around. This guide is about the best car-free bases around the lake.
This year, I also wrote about how to take a day trip to Lake Como if you’re short on time.
2. What Not to Wear in Italy (Plus What to Wear Instead)
This is a fun one! While I’m far from a fashion expert, I think I do a pretty good job of dressing to blend in when I travel and balancing comfort with style. If you’re traveling to Italy and want to dress in a way that doesn’t scream “tourist” everywhere you go, and look chic while staying comfy, read this guide.
3. Where to Stay in NYC at Christmas: 10 Most Festive Hotels
This guide to the most festive hotels in NYC at Christmas has made the list every year since I started Stay to Wander. As a native New Yorker and a certified Christmas enthusiast, I consider myself uniquely qualified to share my opinions in this guide. A must-read if you’re planning an NYC Christmas trip!
And this year, I also shared my top tips for visiting NYC at Christmas.
4. 7 Best Hotels in 30A, Florida
This year, my guide to the best hotels in 30A, Florida was really popular. I’ve spent a lot of time along 30A (including staying for a full month back in 2021!) so I’m really familiar with this area and its many beach towns. This guide will help you figure out which town to stay in, and the best hotels.
5. Best Free Museum Days in NYC
Another non-hotel guide to crack the list this year is my guide to the best free museum days in NYC. I love New York’s museums, but unfortunately, a lot of them are really expensive (think $20 to $30 for admission.) Luckily, most museums offer weekly or monthly free admission days, which I’ve listed here.
In 2025, I also published a guide about more free things to do in NYC aside from museums.
6. Paris Bucket List: 75 Best Things to Do in Paris, France
I didn’t write this Paris bucket list until September of 2025, but it quickly shot up to be among my most-read travel guides of the year. After living in Paris in college and visiting many times since then, including for a month last year, this is my ultimate bucket list of things to do while in Paris.
I wrote several other Paris guides this year, but my favorite is about the best Versailles alternatives.
7. 13 Best Luxury Hotels in Tuscany
The rolling hills and vineyards of Tuscany are a bucket list destination for many people. With its bucolic scenery and charming hilltop towns, there’s a lot to love about this region of Italy. I put together this guide to the best luxury hotels in Tuscany if you’re looking for a unique and memorable stay.
8. Where to Stay in Cartagena Walled City
My guide on where to stay in Cartagena’s historic Walled City made this list for the third year in a row. This destination has really exploded in popularity in the last few years, and it looks like it’s not slowing anytime soon. I’d love to revisit Cartagena at some point, since my trip there occurred back in 2017.
This year, I also wrote about the great Rosario Islands day trip from Cartagena.
9. 8 Best Hotels with Pyramid Views in Cairo, Egypt
Last year, I traveled to Egypt for the first time and was blown away by this amazing, history-filled destination. A highlight of my trip was definitely staying at a hotel that had incredible views of the pyramids. This year, my guide to the best pyramid-view hotels in Cairo remained among my most popular.
10. Where to Stay in Seattle Before a Cruise
I’ve been to Seattle many times, because my brother lives there, and a couple of years ago, I took an Alaska cruise that departed from Seattle. In 2025, I finally got around to writing about the best hotels in Seattle to stay at before your cruise (I highly recommend coming to Seattle at least a day or two early!)
Just for fun, I also wrote about whether or not Seattle’s famous Space Needle is worth it or not.
Most Popular Travel Guides of 2025
This was another great year for Stay to Wander! This year, a variety of international destinations were among the most popular on my website, but for the first time, the United States was number one.
I had four guides about US destinations make the list this year, which is a first. This was closely followed by Italy, with three popular guides, and then one each for France, Colombia, and Egypt.
Like I mentioned earlier, this was my first full year of publishing other travel content outside of hotel guides. This new travel content obviously resonated with readers, with guides about travel fashion, free museum days, and bucket list ideas making their way into my most popular travel content of the year.
As always, I’m looking forward to what’s ahead in 2026 with travel and this website!
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