This confirms what I have always believed based upon my personal experience:
Research consistently shows that we’re often happiest before we ever leave for a trip. In fact, 97% of people report feeling happier simply by having a vacation booked. A well-known 2010 Dutch study found that planning and anticipating a trip can generate more happiness than the vacation itself. Why? Because anticipation lets us imagine the ideal experience—without flight delays, illness, or unexpected stress. It becomes a low-pressure mental escape, a “mini vacation” we can enjoy for weeks or even months.
Planning travel also boosts our daily mood. The moment we start researching destinations or picturing ourselves there, we begin “mentally consuming” the experience. It gives us something positive to look forward to and a sense of control in our lives. A 2014 Cornell University study even found that anticipating experiences—like travel—brings more happiness than anticipating material purchases. And while vacations do improve well-being, research suggests the happiness peak typically occurs beforethe trip, with post-trip mood often returning to baseline fairly quickly.
If we want to stretch out the joy, the research is clear: plan trips well in advance, or take shorter, more frequent getaways. The anticipation boost can last far longer than the trip itself. In other words, sometimes the sweetest part of travel isn’t the departure—it’s the dreaming!
