Looking for something new? For holiday-goers, lying on a beach with a cool cocktail and no worries is a recipe for a great time. But if you’ve done it a few times, it’s rather easy to get a bit bored of it all. We live in a wide, wonderful world with a lot more to offer. Here are a few ideas of how you might get something a little different from your next holiday.

Build it around your passion

You don’t have to go to your destination just for the destination. To make a particularly special vacation, why not consider building it up around an event or a festival you’re looking forward to? There are music festivals all throughout Europe for you concert lovers. If you’re an F1 or a football fan, there are package providers like BAC Sport that offer whole holidays around the biggest events of the years, too. Give yourself a little something extra to get excited about.

Add a little more adrenaline

If sitting on the sidelines isn’t enough for you, then the adventure holiday might be what you’re looking for. You could be exploring the beauty and the awe of the Alps on a skiing trip. Or storm chasing in Tornado Alley. Take a look at some of the wild ways people get their thrills on their journeys.

Learn something old

If you’re a history lover, then you shouldn’t turn your nose up at some of the immense opportunities that Europe has to offer. Bruges is known as the Venice of the North, built around canals that have been operating since Roman times. Maastricht in the Netherlands has a whole network of underground tunnels from medieval times used for the defence of the city. If you’re sticking to Europe, you have some of the best chances to come up to structures that have stood for hundreds or thousands of years.

Giving a little more back

There are some people who just can’t take an entire break to themselves. They always have to be doing something. To them, a vacation might offer an opportunity to do something that’s good for the place they’re staying at or the world at large. In Australia alone, there are Eco Escapes that get you up close to some of the most gorgeous wildlife in the world. Not to mention helping as part of the conservation effort.

Chill

Then there are those to whom a sunny holiday doesn’t sound much fun at all. There are a lot of us who love Winter best of all. Especially since you get to see some of the most romantic cities in Europe up in lights. In particular, Abisko, Sweden, offers one of the best opportunities to see the Aurora Borealis up close and in shocking color.

The immersion of history right up in your face. The thrill of seeing your favourite sporting legends in their element. The rush of throttling down a snowy white mountain. There’s plenty more than sun, sea, and sand. Just take a couple steps on the path less travelled.