The summer travel season is in full swing, but let’s face it, summer travel was not created equally. Here, we’ve assembled what’s in, and what’s out this year—from the celeb hotspot that you just have to be spotted at this summer, to how to pack in style, to how to get around when you are traveling (hint: cars are so last year).
OUT: Gas-Guzzling Super Yachts. Sure there are plenty of celebs and high-rollers vacationing on super-yachts this summer, but it is not exactly the most green way to be spending summer vacation.
IN: Vintage Yachts. The yacht everyone wants to be on this summer? The Marlin, the former yacht of President John F. Kennedy. The boat is currently owned by Tod’s President and CEO Diego Della Valle, and Kerry Kennedy and daughter Mariah Cuomo were spotted just this week soaking up the rays off the coast of Ischia in Italy aboard it. Collective sighs of jealousy were heard around the world.
OUT: St.Tropez. Besides Marc Anthony, not many celebs have been spotted in St.Tropez this summer. Is the South of France officially over?
IN: The Greek Isles. In the war between hot summer destinations, the Greek Isles haven’t been ranking that high in recent years, but that has changed in a big way this summer. The Kardashians got the trend started in late spring—vacationing on a mega-yacht around the Greek Isles. And now Modern Family star Sofia Vergara has been vacationing in Mykonos, taking some of the best selfies of the summer oceanside.
OUT: Hipster Fedoras. It might be time to take off that straw Stetson fedora that you have had permanently attached to your head since the summer of 2007.
IN: Head Scarves. Do like Dolce & Gabbana did on its spring 2013 runway and wear a head scarf to the beach. So you won’t look exactly like Bette Franke did on the runway, but still, it will be exactly the right touch of Sicilian chic.
OUT: All-Inclusive Luxury Resorts. Let’s be real, staying in an all-inclusive luxury resort (no matter how many bells and whistles it has) has never seemed so mediocre.
IN: Private Luxury Villas. The latest luxury travel trend to try is to rent a private mansion, and thanks to Airbnb it has really never been easier. The house that we are lusting after as a summer rental? This 10-bedroom farmhouse in Provence outside of Arles that rents for over $2,000 per night.
OUT: Glamping. When Mick Jagger is glamping at the Glastonbury Festival, you know the trend has probably jumped the shark.
IN: Pop-Up Yoga Ashrams. The du jour activity for travelers looking for what is next are pop-up yoga retreats. Popup Ashram is hosting two retreats this summer, one in Bali and one in Italy. Thanks to early buzz, it is going to be next to impossible to secure a spot.
OUT: Luxury Cruises. Going on a luxury cruise through the Riviera, or even somewhere more adventurous like Antarctica, just seems so last year.
IN: Space Travel. Everyone, and we mean everyone with money to burn (from Justin Bieber to Angelina Jolie) are booking space travel this summer on Virgin’s Galactic. It will cost you, to the tune of $250,000, and the trip only last three-hours. But, hey, if you’ve got, you might as well spend it, and nothing gives you bragging rights like going to space.
OUT: Farm-To-Table Dining. Aren’t we over knowing exactly how many miles away the chicken that we are eating was from? Yes, yes we are.
IN: Checking Out Wildlife From Your Dinner Table. The hottest dining trend this summer has nothing to do with knowing where your food is from, and more to do with watching the wildlife around you. Travelers staying at Nomadic Expeditions’ Three Camel Lodge in the heart of the Gobi Desert will be able to spot goitered gazelles, ibexes, argalis, golden eagles, and elusive snow leopards, from their dining perch. Now that is about as cool as it gets.
Out: Louis Vuitton Monogram Luggage Sets. Sure, you just spent over $4,000 on that Louis Vuitton Monogram rolling suitcase, but you aren’t going to want to be caught dead traveling with it this summer.
IN: Luggage Concierges. Major celebs these days aren’t even traveling with luggage and are relying on luggage services to deal with their luggage so they don’t have to. At Luggage Concierge, a luggage coordinator will schedule the pick-up of your bags, and then get them to your destination before you even arrive. Yes, that’s right, you don’t have to lift a finger.
OUT: Country Club Memberships. Why sit around the same pool, day after day, all summer long?
IN: Around the World Travel. One of the hottest summer travel trends this summer are out-of-this-world travel packages that actually take you around the world. The Four Season Around the World Trip will take you from Seattle, to Tokyo, to Marrakech (and several other spots) aboard a private Boeing 757. For $275,000 you can try every three-star Michelin restaurant in the world as part of a travel package from VeryFirstTo.
OUT: Luxury Convertibles. Driving around in a Mercedes-Benz or BMW convertible just seems so pedestrian this summer, don’t you think?
IN: Arriving Via Yacht. Live like Rihanna and arrive to all of your hottest summer parties this summer aboard a yacht. Rihanna made an entrance to parties this way in both Monaco and Istanbul earlier this summer, so what are you waiting for?
MORE:
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Americans Will Spend $84 Billion On Summer Travel This Year (And Other Summer Travel Stats)