70 Travel Writing Outlets That Actually Pay

A brand new collection of 70 publications that pay freelancers for travel writing.

Looking to pitch your next travel feature?

Today we’re sharing a HUGE new roundup of 70 publications that pay for travel writing, from prestigious print magazines and major digital platforms to niche adventure titles and regional outlets.

Whether you write destination features, personal essays, reported pieces, or practical guides, you’ll find outlets here that value fresh voices and original perspectives on travel, culture, and the world around us.

Each listing includes pay details, links to guidelines or mastheads, and insight into what editors are actually looking for, so you can send smarter pitches instead of guessing in the dark.

Use this as a working document: open a few tabs, build a pitching shortlist, and start matching your best ideas to the outlets that actually have a budget. This roundup is designed to help you move towards better‑paying and more creatively satisfying travel work.

If you have insights into specific pay rates, or if you’ve been offered different terms than those listed here, please let me know by replying to this email or by messaging me on Substack.

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70 publications paying for travel writing

Travel + Leisure aims to inform and inspire passionate travelers by offering both inspiration and practical service journalism across all stages of a trip, from early planning to logistics. Print rates can reach up to $2 per word, while online rates are negotiated individually, with pitching information available here.

BBC Travel is a feature section within BBC.com, publishing high-quality stories about destinations around the world that aim to amaze, immerse, inspire, and connect readers. The section commissions a wide range of travel features, with pay typically ranging from £0.30 to £1 per word depending on scope and complexity, and a full author brief available here.

AFAR is a print and digital publication focused on experiential travel, with magazine rates starting at $1 per word and website rates around $0.50 per word. Full pitch guidelines are available here.

Hemispheres is the award-winning onboard magazine for United Airlines, published by Ink and produced by a dedicated staff out of an Ink satellite office in Brooklyn, New York. Freelance writers typically earn around $1 per word for accepted work, and current editors can be found here.

Backpacker is interested in creative, high‑quality pitches on backpacking, hiking, and the outdoors, and prefers pitches over completed manuscripts. Pay can reach as much as $1 per word, often starting lower but open to negotiation with editors, with basic guidelines available here.

Men’s Journal is a lifestyle and adventure magazine that publishes longform storytelling and daily coverage of travel, gear, health and fitness, food and drink, and style. Freelance pay often begins at around $1 per word, and details of the editorial team are available here.

Canadian Geographic is a publication of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, dedicated to helping make Canada better known to Canadians and to the world. Freelance features can pay as much as $1 per word, and writers are encouraged to study back issues and submission guidelines available here.

National Geographic focuses on documenting the wonder of the world—including its beauty, mystery, and the threats it faces—and inspiring people to care and act, with its Travel section open to freelance pitches. Travel features often start around the $1 per word mark, and writers can find the current masthead and key contacts here.

Rest of World covers the impact of technology outside the West, with its Features section focusing on longform narrative journalism about technology and its social, political, and cultural consequences. The outlet looks for local stories with global implications from countries outside the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Western Europe, and Australia, with pay likely to fall in the $0.50–$1‑per‑word range and detailed guidelines available here.