A Travel Editor's List of the 6 Best Places to Travel in May 2025
Spring fests, glorious gardens and urban buzz
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Whether you are daydreaming about a multi-generational trip or a weekend excursion with only one carry-on bag, if you're anything like me, right now you're just itching to get away. Whether filling that three-day Memorial Day weekend is priority number one or you're looking for an earlier May trip to beat the summer crowds, I've rounded up some of my favorite destinations to plan the ultimate spring escape. Throw on a pair of travel pants and join me at some of the best places to travel in May 2023.
How I Chose the Best Places to Travel in May 2025
To choose the best places to travel in May 2025, I looked toward the sun—because globally, traveling during the so-called "shoulder season" between winter's chill and summer's balmy temperatures can result in not only value, but more importantly activities to shake off winter gloom. I drew on my experience as an writer-editor at travel publications in knowing to avoid May's overly touristed Spring Break spots (sorry Cancun) but to enjoy more sophisticated spectacles, such as the blossoming gardens of Tokyo and the Kentucky Derby. Finally, I chose gorgeous destinations rich in culture—art in Santa Fe and San Miguel de Allende vies with the landscape for memorable beauty.
This Month, Don't Forget Your Real ID
After years of projected and unenforced deadlines mandating government-issued Real ID cards, the TSA has announced that starting Wednesday, May 7, 2025, every air traveler 18 years of age and older must have a REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver’s license or another acceptable form of ID to board a commercial aircraft. While passports will also be accepted, travel insiders are predicting potential airport delays and border snarls if travelers who are eligible for REAL IDs don't offer those up as identification.
Dan Koday
Freelance PureWow Editor
Dan Koday is a travel and lifestyle writer and editor with 15+ years experience creating content for your favorite websites, print publications and brands. As a native to the NYC metropolitan area, Dan is an expert on all things Gotham, but likes to get out of town, too. After a recent trip to Antarctica, he's officially traveled to all four corners of the globe.
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