In this travel blogging guide, you’ll learn the important 10 step process of how to start a travel blog on WordPress (updated for 2022).
We’ll be covering choosing a travel blog domain name, finding a host, WordPress installation, setting up your blog’s basic settings, selecting the best travel blog themes, and much more. Let’s get started.
Are you passionate about travel? Do you love to write and share your stories with the world? If so, starting a travel blog and making money may be the perfect way for you to turn your passion into a career!
Whether you are a first-time blogger or you have some experience with blogging, this guide will help you with – how to start a travel blog quickly. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your next adventure, and let us help you get started on your brand new travel blog!
How To Start A Travel Blog In 10 Easy Steps?
Many people dream of journaling their travels, but they never take the first step because they don’t know how to start a travel blog.
They think it’s too complicated or that they need to be an expert writer. But that’s not true! You can start a travel blog with little or no experience, and this guide will show you how.
Follow these simple steps, and you’ll be up and running in no time:
1. Pick A Specific Travel Niche And Choose A Blog Name
The first step to starting your own blog is finding your niche and naming your blog. Do you want to write about budget travel? Family-friendly travel? Luxury travel?
There is a wide array of travel blog niches to choose from! So, once you know what kind of traveler you are, it will be much easier to come up with content ideas and an angle for your blog.
Tips For Picking The Right Niche
If you’re having trouble picking a niche, try thinking about the kinds of questions you get from friends and family about travel.
For example, do they always ask you for advice on where to go on vacation? What are the best places to eat in town?
If so, then chances are you’ve got a pretty good handle on what people want to read about when it comes to travel.
Choosing Your Travel Blog Name
When it comes to choosing a name for your brand new blog, try to choose something catchy and memorable. You also want to make sure that the blog name is relevant to your niche.
E.g., If you’re planning on blogging about budget travel, for example, then something like “Budget Travel Blog” would be a good choice.
2. Register A Domain Name and Get Web Hosting
Once you’ve settled on a blog name, you’ll need to choose a domain name. This is the web address people will use to find your site (i.e. startingablog.io). You can head over to sites like Namecheap or Domain.com to purchase your domain. You can read a Domain.com review on our blog.
Quick Tip: If you plan to use Bluehost for your travel blog hosting, they are offering a free domain for one year.
How To Choose a Travel Blog Domain Name?
- Keep it short and sweet
- Make sure it’s easy to spell and pronounce
- Avoid using hyphens or numbers
- Use keywords that describe your site
Your domain name should be reflective of the content you plan to publish on your travel blog.
Another important thing to keep in mind when choosing a travel blog domain name is SEO.
While it’s not a requirement to rank well in the search engines, it may help your SEO a bit if your domain name is reflective of the keywords you want to rank for in search engines.
With all of these things in mind, choosing a travel blog domain name shouldn’t be too difficult. Just make sure to put some thought into it and choose a domain name that reflects your travel blog’s content and purpose.
You can choose and register a travel blog domain name for free through BlueHost (our recommended blog host).
If you choose one of our other recommended hosts, you can purchase a domain name with Namecheap or Domain.com
How to Choose a Travel Blog Web Hosting Provider?
The next important step is to choose a web host. This is where your website’s files will live on the internet.
Think of it like renting a plot of digital land where you can build your blog.
There are many different hosting companies out there, but we recommend Bluehost.
They’re affordable, reliable, and easy to use (which is important if you’re just starting out). Plus, they offer a free domain name when you sign up for annual hosting.
If Bluehost isn’t for you, we also like Hostinger, Siteground and Hostpapa as alternative blog hosting options.
We have an in-depth Hostinger review on our blog as well as a thorough review of Bluehost and SiteGround.
Lastly, you could take a look at our article on the best web hosting services of 2022 to review some additional options.
3. Install WordPress
Once you’ve chosen your hosting provider and registered your domain name, it’s time to set up your WordPress site.
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that makes it easy to create and manage your website content.
While there are other blogging platform options out there (like Joomla and Drupal), WordPress is by far the most popular option for travel bloggers.
If you are new, installing WordPress might seem like a daunting task. But don’t worry; our recommended travel blog host offers a 1-click WordPress installation. This makes the process super simple and it basically installs WordPress for you.
If you want more information on the installation process, you can also take a look at our guide on “how to start a blog on WordPress.”
4. Setting Up Your WordPress Travel Blog
Now that you have WordPress installed, it’s time to choose a theme for your blog. A theme is basically a pre-designed template that you can use to give your site a specific look and feel.
You can either choose one of the free themes available or activate a premium theme. There are literally thousands of themes to choose from, so it can be daunting to try and pick one.
How to Pick the Right WordPress Theme for Your Travel Blog?
- Think about what kind of design you want for your blog.
Do you want something simple or something more elaborate? There are both options available, and it really just depends on your personal preference.
For example, do you want a sidebar on your blog? Do you want a responsive design that also looks great on mobile devices?
- Consider what kind of functionality you need for your travel blog.
There are many different plugins and features that you can add to your blog, so you need to make sure you pick a theme that has everything you need.
- Take some time to look at other travel blogs and see what themes they are using.
This can give you some great ideas and help you narrow down your options. Just remember to take your time and don’t rush into anything!
Recommended Themes To Use For A Travel Blog
Quick Tip: You can find some really great travel blog WordPress themes here.
Also, be sure to check out our Envato Elements review. While it’s not free, Envato Elements gives you access to an amazing set of blogging tools and resources for one low price. You can check out Envato Elements here.
How to Write Your First Travel Blog Post – Tips
Here Are a Few Tips to Get You Travel Blog Started on the Right Foot:
- Your first post should be an introduction to who you are, what your blog will be about, and why you’re passionate about travel.
- It’s also a good idea to share your travel goals and experiences thus far. This will give readers a sense of what they can expect from your travel blog.
- Be sure to include plenty of photos and personal anecdotes to make your first post engaging and relatable.
- If you have any insider tips or advice for fellow travelers, this is the perfect place to share them!
- Don’t forget to include a call-to-action at the end of your post.
- Invite readers to subscribe to your blog or follow you on social media so they can stay up-to-date with your latest travel adventures.
Remember, the key to a successful travel blog is providing useful information from just the beginning to help your readers plan their trips.
Some popular niche travel blog content ideas include:
- Travel guides
- City blogging
- Country reviews
- Hotel/restaurant recommendations
- Exclusive travel tips and advice
- Photo essays
- Personal travel stories
Adding photos and videos to your first blog posts can really help to engage your readers and add visual interest.
By hosting your own videos or embedding them from YouTube or Vimeo, you can easily add engaging content to your blog without having to worry about file formats or optimization.
If you’re planning on including a lot of photos or videos, you may want to consider using a plugin like Ewww image Optimizer to help optimize them for faster loading times.
If you choose to embed your video from YouTube or Vimeo, all you need to do is copy and paste the embed code into your blog post. WordPress will automatically handle the rest.
How to Host a Video on Your Travel Site?
- Make sure the file format is supported by WordPress (typically .mpg, .avi, .mov, or .wmv files).
- Optimize the video for web delivery by keeping the file size as small as possible while still maintaining good quality.
- Make sure you have a good hosting plan that can support hosting videos.
If you’re not sure, contact your web host and ask if they recommend any specific plugins or settings for hosting videos on WordPress.
7. How to Get Visitors to Your Travel Blog
Now that you have your first post published, it’s time to start marketing your travel blog! Here are some tips:
- Start by telling your friends and family about your blog. Ask them to share your posts with their networks. Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the best ways.
- Utilize social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to share your content. Make sure to use relevant hashtags so that people can find your blog easily.
- Submit guest posts on other popular travel blogs. This will help you get exposure to a new audience and build links to your own site (although these will most likely be nofollow links).
- Participate in online forums related to travel blogging. Share your insights and connect with other like-minded individuals.
Keep writing quality content and promoting your blog regularly, and you’ll soon see results!
The biggest mistake most travel bloggers make is giving up to soon. Getting first page rankings in Google takes quality content and time.
8. Promoting Your Travel Blog on Social Media Sites
If you’re serious about travel blogging, you’ll need to promote your content on social media channels. This is how you’ll reach the largest audience and grow your blog and personal brand (at least initially).
Here are some tips for promoting your travel blog on social media:
- Make sure that you have social media buttons on every page of your blog. This will make it easy for visitors to share your content and help you gain social media coverage.
- Use hashtags when posting about your travel blog on social media. This will help people find your content more easily.
- Use attractive visuals when promoting your travel blog on social media. People are more likely to share posts that include attractive photos or videos.
- Engage with other users on social media. Commenting on other people’s posts and joining in on conversations is a great way to get people interested in your travel blog and build your own network.
Promoting your travel blog on social media is an essential part of being a successful travel blogger, so make sure that you’re doing it right!
Another tool that can help you our with social media promotion is Social Warfare. It’s one of the best social sharing plugins for WordPress.
9. Collaborate With Other Travel Bloggers
One of the best things about becoming a travel blogger is to be a part of the travel blogging community. There are so many amazing, supportive people out there who are passionate about travel (and blogging).
Collaborating with a successful travel blogger is a great way to meet new friends, learn from each other, and grow your audience.
There are a few ways to go about collaborating with other bloggers:
- Guest posting: This is when you write a post for another blogger’s site. This is a great way to get exposure to new readers and build relationships.
- Joint ventures: This is when you team up with another blogger on a project, such as hosting a contest or creating an e-book. This is a great way to promote your blog and reach a larger audience.
- Product reviews: If you’re reviewing products related to travel (such as travel gear, accommodation booking sites, or travel insurance), you can often get a commission for each sale that you generate. This is a great way to monetize your travel blog and make some extra money.
There are many other ways to collaborate, so be creative and see what works best for you.
10. Track Your Progress And Blog Growth
One of the most important things you can do for your travel blog is to track your progress and growth. This will help you see how far you’ve come and what still needs improvement.
There are a few key metrics you should focus on:
- Number of page views
- Number of unique visitors
- Bounce rate
- Time on site
- Social media engagement (shares, likes, comments).
- Website loading time
You can use Google Analytics by Monster Insights to track all of these metrics. It features detailed analytics of your blog’s performance on search engines.
Rank Math is another popular WordPress plugins essential for any travel blogger. Read our in-depth Rank Math review to learn more about this plugin.
It allows you to optimize your blog posts for search engines so that people can find your content more easily.
Your blog’s page loading speed can also effect your website rankings in the search results. Google likes a fast loading website. Take a look at our WP Rocket review to learn how it can make your travel blog website load quicker.
Once you have some data, start evaluating your results. Are there any areas where you need to improve? Are people spending a lot of time on your site? Is your bounce rate high?
Based on the evaluation, you can build your Search Engine Optimization plan too. The only way to know for sure is to track your progress and growth over time.
This will help you fine-tune your travel blog and make it even better. So don’t forget to keep an eye on those numbers!
How To Start a Travel Blog and Make Money?
Here are a few ways that travel bloggers make money:
- Affiliate marketing – This is when a travel blogger promotes a product or service on their blog, and if someone clicks on the link and makes a purchase, the blogger gets a commission. One example is the ShareASale affiliate network.
- Selling ad space – This can be in the form of banner ads, text links, or sponsored posts (where a company pays the travel blogger to write about their product or service). Ezoic is a good place to start for newer blogs.
- Writing e-books or creating other digital products – For example, they may create an e-book about budget travel tips or pack for carry-on-only travel and sell it on their blogs. Easy Digital Downloads is popular for selling digital downloads on your WordPress blog.
These are just a few of the ways that you can start making money from your travel blog. If you’re creative and resourceful, there are endless opportunities for money blogging.
Is Travel Blogging Profitable?
This is a common question that we get. And unfortunately, there’s no easy answer.
- It really depends on a number of factors, including your niche, your traffic levels, and how well you monetize your blog.
- That said, there are plenty of travel bloggers out there who are able to make a good living from their sites.
- Tourism Boards from all over the world are always looking for bloggers to write about their destinations.
- If you’re passionate about travel and have some good writing skills, then there’s no reason why you can’t be one of them!
Why Start a Travel Blog?
There are many reasons why you should start a travel website:
If you’re planning a trip or have just returned from one, a travel blog is a perfect platform to tell your story and share photos and videos of your adventures.
Plus, it can be a great source of information for other travelers. For example, when you’re planning a trip, it’s helpful to read blogs about destinations to get first-hand accounts of what to expect.
And when you return home, your travel blogging journey can be a valuable resource for others who are interested in hearing about your experiences.
Maybe you start a travel blog and it’s just not working out the way you had hoped. Don’t give up too soon or try another blogging niche!
Some popular blogging topics also include food blogging, fashion blogging, tech blogging, pet blogging, and many more.
FAQs on How to Start a Travel Blog
If you’re thinking about starting a travel blog, you probably have a lot of questions. So if you’re ready to start your own travel blog, read on!
How much money do I need to start a travel blog?
This is a question we get asked a lot. And the answer is…it depends!
If you want to build a successful travel blog, we recommend investing in some paid tools and resources.
Here are some of the expenses you might incur when starting a travel blog:
- Domain name: $15/year (we recommend Namecheap)
- Web hosting: $60/year (we recommend Bluehost)
- Theme: $50-$200 (one time) (we recommend ThemeForest)
- Logo design: ~$100 (one time)
- Stock photos: FREE-$30/month
- Plugins & software: FREE-$100/month (see our best WordPress Plugins list)
These are just some of the potential costs you might incur when starting a travel blog. If you want to become a professional travel blogger, I recommend investing at least a few hundred dollars.
Remember, if you are looking to make money from travel blogging, a couple hundred buck is a small price to pay to start an online business. Yes, blogging can be a full-time business that can create be highly profitable.
Do I need to be a good writer to start a travel blog?
No, you don’t need to be a good writer to start a travel blog. In fact, many successful bloggers are not professional writers.
However, it is important to be able to communicate clearly and effectively in order to engage your readers and keep them coming back for more. So if you’re not a confident writer, don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to improve your writing skills.
We recommend reading other travel blogs and taking note of the things that you like (and don’t like) about their writing style. You can also find helpful articles online on how to improve your writing skills.
What else do I need to know before I start my travel blog?
Before you launch your blog, there are a few important things that you need to do.
- You need to choose a travel blogging niche and come up with a list of topics that you’ll be writing about.
- You need to set up your blog and choose a design template. Some are free but we like the premium travel blog themes over on ThemeForest.
- You need to start promoting your blog and building an audience.
We’ve written a more detailed guide on how to start a WordPress blog here.
Do I need experience traveling before starting my own travel blog?
No, you don’t need to have any prior experience traveling before starting a travel blog. In fact, many successful travel bloggers get started by documenting their very first trip!
Of course, if you do have some travel experience under your belt, it will be easier to write about topics that your audience is interested in.
But even if you’re a novice traveler, there’s no reason why you can’t start a successful travel blog. The most important thing is to be passionate about travel and to have the desire to share your experiences with others.
Do I need to be good at photography to start a travel blog?
No, you don’t need to be a good photographer to start a travel blog. In fact, many successful bloggers are not professional photographers.
However, it is important to have at least basic photography skills. This means knowing how to take good photos with your camera (or smartphone) and how to edit them to make them look their best.
If you’re not confident in your photography skills, there are plenty of resources out there that can help you improve. We recommend checking out some online tutorials or taking a travel blogging course.
With a little practice, you’ll be surprised at how quickly your photography skills will improve! And remember, even if you’re not a professional photographer, there’s no reason why you can’t start travel blogging.
A Few Final Travel Blogging Tips
- Be consistent with your postings. Try to post at least once a week, especially when you first start out. This will help attract readers and keep them coming back for more.
- Use social media to promote your travel blog. Post links on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., and encourage people to check them out.
- And most importantly, have fun! Travel blogging should be enjoyable, so make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.
Starting a travel blog is a great way to document your travels and share your experiences with others. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a successful blog that will help you connect with other travelers and inspire others to explore new places.
So there you have it – everything you need to know about how to start a travel blog and make money. I hope this guide was helpful and that you now feel confident enough to start your own travel blog!
Ready to get started? The easiest and quickest way to get started is to start a travel blog with BlueHost.
If you have any questions or need more information on how to start a travel blog, don’t hesitate to contact us. Happy travels!
