I really have to start by saying that 2015 was another great year (check out the best bits here) – but where will I be off to in 2016? Here’s a glimpse into what I have planned.

While 2014 was a year of frantic country-hopping and exploring new places, 2015 was a year of going back; a year of revisiting old haunts and of seeing old places with new people. In 2016, I hope to combine elements of the two. Yes, there are still some countries I want to revisit, but I also need to make some good headway on my quest to visit every country in Europe before I turn 30 (19 left to go in the next four years and five months…)

So where exactly will I be going?

Bucharest

Credit: Vlad Mateescu

This was really a no-brainer: my good friend Vlad of Eff it, I’m on Holiday is the city’s biggest advocate and I absolutely loved Romania when I visited last June. Bucharest really doesn’t have the best reputation in comparison to beautiful Transylvania, but the city’s less-than-stellar image really appeals to me. After all, I love me a good hidden gem.

So far, Bucharest is the only city trip I have planned for 2016, but I won’t be jetting off until early March. We’ll hopefully be fitting in a day trip to Sinaia, too – home of the famous Peles Castle.

Wales & Scotland

Beddgelert | Credit: Andrew Stawarz, Flickr

Having explored North Yorkshire, Kingston-upon-Thames and Belfast in 2015, I will be seeing even more of the UK in 2016. In mid-February, I will be heading on a long-overdue family holiday to North Wales. We will be staying in (or at least close to) Porthmadog, site of all my childhood holidays and our favourite places in the area, including: Beddgelert, Portmeirion, and Criccieth, as well as hopefully taking a trip on the Welsh Highland Railway.

Then in June, I will hopefully be jumping into a car with a few friends and hitting the road to see the Scottish Highlands. A new driving route named the North Coast 500 starts and ends in Inverness, covering the entire northern tip of Scotland. If you need any more persuading, check out 10 reasons to drive the route here.

Hamburg

Speicherstadt, Hamburg | Credit: Marcus Pink

But it’s not just the UK I’m planning on seeing more of this year. Since moving to Dusseldorf, I’ve done a decent job of exploring the Rhineland and Western Germany, but apart from return trips to Leipzig and Dresden, I haven’t strayed too far. So this year I’m hoping to visit Hamburg, a city I’ve heard nothing but good things about. Hamburg is Germany’s northern metropolis and cultural centre that boasts an incredible nightlife (including Europe’s largest red-light district) and a unique history as part of the Hanseatic League. Thanks to the HKX (Hamburg-Cologne express), cheap train tickets are easy enough to come by – perfect!

Peru (!)

Macchu Picchu | Credit: Dennis Jarvis

Peru is definitely the wildcard this year. I had absolutely no plans to go to South America next year, but some too-good-to-miss flights soon changed my mind. I paid just €290 (around £210) return with Urlaubspiraten (Holiday Pirates in the UK) for two weeks in Peru in early November. Having Peru on my itinerary is a pretty big surprise (even to me) but I’m genuinely really excited at the prospect of going somewhere so new and exotic. I know very little about Peru, but have already started reading up on the history of South America and can’t wait for my first introduction to the continent!

To aid in my planning, I’ve discovered this great article from Leave Your Daily Hell: Two Weeks in Peru.

The Balkans

Plovdiv, Bulgaria | Credit: Juan Antonio F Segal

In truth, I haven’t thought too much about any trips past those listed above. But I think it’s very likely I’ll return to the Balkans in 2016. In order to complete my travel quest, I need to get a good few new European countries under my belt this year and Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo are high up on the list. A long weekend in Sofia and Plovdiv would be a great budget trip, as would a week-long sojourn taking in Skopje’s architecture, Ohrid’s beauty and Prizren’s history.

As I said, these trips haven’t really made it past the ‘inspiration’ phase, but don’t surprised if I end up back in the Balkans before too long…

So there you have it: my blueprint for 2016. Of course, these plans are incredibly likely to change (and almost always do) but should you have any suggestions on things to do, places to go or even things to avoid, please let comment below!

Where will 2016 be taking you?