Smarter Travel publishes slideshows and feature length stories on a"range of consumer travel topics, including booking strategies, saving money, avoiding scams, packing tips, best places to go, travel tech, travel trends, and travel tips that represent all kinds of travelers and travel experiences." Story length is flexible but is generally around 800-1,000 words. According to their pitch guide, they pay $175-$300 depending on the story length and level of research.
Hawaii Magazine is a regional travel magazine with a readership of more than 250,000 per issue. It’s for “people who love Hawaii and visit often.” They use freelance writers for “travel stories, personality profiles, stories on activities, history, culture, music, food and environmental sustainability.” Pay rates are not stated publicly. To learn more, refer to their freelance guidelines.
Wanderlust is a British travel magazine. Our previous research indicated they accepted submissions to their website as well as their print magazine and paid £220 per 1,000 published words for feature articles, but current rates are not clear. To contact them, refer to this page.
Travel + Leisure Magazine tells stories from around the world: stories that are big or small, visually driven or essayistic, first-person or as-told-to or service-oriented. They’re interested in stories about a place that is misunderstood or changing, stories about seeing the world in a new way, and especially stories by writers or photographers who bring a new voice to the conversation about a place or topic. They don’t pay by word count; according to their pitch guide, they have a flat rate by type of story. That being said, previous calls for pitches have indicated pay rates of $2.00 per word. To learn more, refer to their pitching guidelines.
International Living publishes articles on living overseas. They’re looking for unique, personal articles about global travel, living, retiring, investing, and real estate that is not available anywhere else at any price. They don't indicate pay, but have previously stated pay of $75 for “daily postcards,” which share stories from expats and up to $400 for other articles. They state that pay is based on word count. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Traveltalk is an Australian travel trade publication that also has consumer readership. It's the country's highest circulated travel industry magazine. Though they have no pitch guide available, you can contact the editors through their contact us page.
Travel Pulse offers the latest travel industry news, videos and expert interviews. They publish daily updates on cruises, hotels, airlines and international travel. Though they previously indicated to pay $50 per article, their guidelines have been removed, so rates are no longer clear. To pitch them, refer to their contact us page.
Travel Weekly is another well-known travel trade publication. They have a circulation of 37,000 and have both a print edition, as well as digital edition. In addition to topics like cruises and hotels, they also cover corporate travel and breaking news. To contact the editors, refer to their contact us page.
Recommend is one of the most well-known travel trade publications. Its main demographic is travel agents, so stories should focus on hotels and tour operators that work with travel advisers. Popular destinations include the Caribbean and Mexico. They have no submission guidelines, but you can contact their editors here.
Porthole Cruise Magazine is a consumer focused travel magazine on the topic of cruises and cruising. They publish cruise ship reviews, destination travel information, and photo essays. Rates are not mentioned, but according to an old payment report, they paid $0.50 per word. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Cruise Industry News is a trade magazine and website for the cruise industry. They publish news articles of interest to industry executives and professionals. They have no submission guidelines, but you can contact their editors here.
Transitions Abroad publishes articles on “travel, work, study, living, and volunteering abroad.” They want practical information gained from first-hand experience. They are not always open to submissions. According to their writers guidelines, they pay up to $150 an article.
Perceptive Travel is a monthly web magazine dedicated “to plug a hole, to fill a niche, to serve an unserved need for quality writing aimed at independent travelers.” Editors accept only articles from authors with book(s) in print. According to their writers guidelines, they pay $100 for a 1,200-2,000-word article.
Verge Magazine is for "people who travel with purpose." They are a travel magazine for people interested in volunteering, working, and studying overseas. They previously indicated pay of 10 cents (CAD) per word. Department articles are typically 800 words. Features are 1,500 to 2,000 words. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Rider Magazine is for mature, discerning and affluent motorcycling enthusiasts. They buy mini travel stories called Favourite Rides, full-length travel/tour features, and other topics – which is almost anything in the world of motorcycling, including unusual museums or events, or stand-out motorcycle organizations. According to their submissions guidelines, they pay $200 and up. It is unclear whether those guidelines are still valid. To contact them, refer to this page.
Adventure Motorcycle showcases "courageous people on inspiring rides around the world." They profile riders, publish industry news, bike reviews, event reports, and DVD reviews. They require photos with their articles. According to their submissions guidelines, payment is $200 and up for Features and Ride Reports. For News, Reviews and Spotlights, payment is between $100-$150.
101 Honeymoons, run by the same company as 101 Holidays, focuses on travel destinations suitable for honeymoons. According to their submission guidelines, they pay between £50 and £100 per article.
101 Holidays is a travel website based in the UK. They publish travel articles such as "6 of the best beaches in Sicily" and "6 French country retreats for families." They do not have strict word counts, but most articles are between 800 and 1,500 words. According to their guidelines, they pay between £50 and £100 per article published. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Escapees Magazine is the magazine of the Escapees RV Club. They offer articles, tips, and personal views about RVing. They particularly want technical and informational articles about RVs. They're primarily written by members of their club, but they do accept submissions from non-members as well. They previously indicated to pay up to $200 per article, but their guidelines are no longer available. To contact them, refer to this page.
Hidden Compass is a literary travel magazine, published online. They want true stories that push "the travel genre and delve into the spirit, culture, history, ecology, perils or residents of a place. They want "all the nuanced, narrator-driven, non-listicle stories that need to be told. We want a tribe of storytellers who journey together." According to their pitch guide, they pay $550 for all stories, plus 50% of fundraising proceeds. They pay an additional $75 per photo.
Travelers’ Tales Collection accepts nonfiction travel essays for consideration in its anthologies. Editors look for personal nonfiction stories reflecting “that unique alchemy that occurs when you enter unfamiliar territory and begin to see the world differently as a result.” Previously published essays are considered. Shorter pieces have a better chance of being accepted. According to their writers' guidelines, they pay $100.
RoadRUNNER is a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to providing active motorcycle enthusiasts with information on national and international tours, exciting new places to ride, review of new motorcycles, and information about products that enhance motorbikes’ riding experience. For Tour Editorial, they are looking for articles about motorcycle tours throughout the U.S. and Canada. Articles must be 800-1000 words long and writers must submit 30 to 50 original, high-resolution photographs. They do not want pitches, just complete drafts. According to their writers' guidelines, they pay $100.
AFAR is the 'experiential travel guide.' They cover travel stories from a more personal perspective, telling their "stories through people, allowing readers to explore authentic local cultures from the inside out." According to their pitch guide, pay for their magazine starts at $1 per word. Pay for Afar.com starts at $0.50 per word.
The Los Angeles Times Travel section seeks original destination articles that evoke a sense of place and time, with trips taken within the last two years. They look for first-person pieces (about 2,000 words) and Guidebooks (500 to 700 words). According to their writers’ guidelines, payment starts at $200, with extra for photos. Destination feature story payment starts at $350. Submissions can be mailed or emailed.
Backroads Online is a publication for motorcyclists, and was created with the idea of giving their readers places of interest to ride to and getting the most enjoyment out of their motorcycles. Although it is geared towards the motorcycling population, it is not limited to motorcycle riders. Our previous research indicated that they had several columns open to freelancers and that pay was $75 and up, but that information has been removed from their website. To contact them, refer to this page.
The Green Parent is a UK publication that assists parents in the pursuit of green living and other parenting goals. Word length varies; full-length articles can be around 1500 - 2000 words and short opinion pieces are 600 words. According to their pitch guide, they pay £75 per 1,000 words. To learn more, refer to this page.
Simply Family Magazine (Montana) is a monthly magazine designed as a free resource for families in Montana. They cover every parenting stage from newborns through college freshmen. Although they like a local tie-in, there is room for humorous stories and “how-to” articles from non-locals. For more details, refer to their contact us page.
Mississippi Magazine covers the people, places, food, history, events, and culture of the state. They previously indicated pay of $250 to $350 for featured articles, and $150 to $250 for most department articles. Current rates are not clear. To learn more, refer to their contact us page.
Adoptive Families is the leading information resource for parents before, during, and after adoption. They cover various topics related to different aspects of adoption, in addition to publishing personal essays. Their guidelines have been removed, so current pitching information is not clear. To contact them, refer to this page.
ADDitude Magazine is ''the leading destination for families and adults living with ADD and learning disabilities.'' ADDitude is mostly written by journalists and mental health professionals, but they also accept articles by parents who have personal experience with ADHD and learning disabilities. Pay rates are not mentioned, but according to a payment report, they paid $0.39 per word. Check out ADDitude’s writing guidelines here.