Try Something New This Year!
(7 min read)
A new year invites fresh perspectives, new experiences and the chance to step outside our comfort zones.
New Year always brings those familiar resolutions. Gym memberships soar, dreams of warmer climes percolate (if you’re in the northern hemisphere!) and a desire for a more fulfilling existence fill our minds. With that comes a chance to really push boundaries and try something new.
Three different perspectives from three Traveleyes adventurers… from our team!
When it comes to travel, it’s often other peoples’ experiences that quietly shape the adventures we choose next. So, we invite you to hear three accounts from three members of our Customer Support team, each of whom embarked on their very first Traveleyes holiday – not as staff behind the scenes, but as sighted travellers sharing the adventure.
From Ireland’s wild Atlantic coast to the historic streets of York, and on to the dramatic mountain landscapes of Austria’s Seefeld Plateau, Tom, Carol and Jackson each experienced a different Traveleyes trip across Europe. What united their journeys was a shared discovery of what inclusive travel really means, and why it’s such a powerful way to see the world.
What makes Traveleyes different?
Our trips are built around connection: awakening the senses, fostering meaningful friendships and opening up the world through shared experience.
Sighted travellers, guide and describe the world to a different blind traveller each day and in return, they receive significant discounts, gain unforgettable memories and often come home seeing the world in an entirely new way.
Tom headed over to Ireland: The Emerald Isle
Tom, who’s in his twenties, was the youngest of the three team members to experience Traveleyes as a sighted traveller.
“I was definitely a bit apprehensive at first,” Tom admits. “It was my first time travelling alone and my first time guiding.”
Those nerves soon faded as the group settled into the rhythm of the Traveleyes way.
“Everyone was so friendly and approachable. I just kind of went for it and settled in pretty quickly with the group”
As the journey unfolded along Ireland’s west coast, exploring County Clare and the Aran Islands, Tom noticed how different this style of travel felt. Describing places encouraged him to slow down and absorb more of his surroundings than he would have done travelling alone, or in a typical group. Experiences like the Cliffs of Moher brought that home in a powerful way, becoming about the sound, scale and atmosphere rather than just the view.
“It made me think differently about how I describe things. Rather than just describing the colours and the textures, it became about getting across the feeling of standing somewhere so vast. With the wind coming off the Atlantic and spraying our faces and the sound of the crashing waves below, it became a very sensory experience!”
In contrast, and one of his highlights, came towards the end of the trip during a traditional Irish night in Dublin, filled with live music and Irish step dancing. It proved to be a joyful evening and a memorable finale.
“It was a good way to end the trip definitely. They even got volunteers to go up and try the tap dancing. The atmosphere that night was incredible.”
Tom’s second standout moment came in the form of an impromptu parkrun in Dublin. Two vision impaired travellers joined two sighted travellers and Tom for the morning workout using a hairband as a make shift tether.
Parkrun Dublin
“I think it must be the first ever park run on a Traveleyes trip. I really enjoyed it!”
The excitement of doing something simple together in a completely new place added to the whole experience.
Looking back, Tom reflects on his Traveleyes adventure: “You pick up on things you wouldn’t necessarily pick up on if you’re travelling independently, because you’re absorbing so much more when you’re guiding. So, you just take home loads more memories. The trip definitely exceeded my expectations. It was amazing. I think if anyone’s hesitant about it, I would say, just do it!”
Inspired by Ireland? You might love our 2026 UK countryside escapes, including to the stunning Peak District:
👉 Discover the Peak District – dramatic scenery and grand architecture
Carol ventured out to the Yorkshire Dales
Carol’s first Traveleyes experience took place closer to home, on a UK break to the Yorkshire Dales. Like many new sighted travellers, she arrived feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves.
“Before I went, I kept thinking, am I going to do this right? I was worried about getting things wrong or not being helpful enough.” Those doubts quickly eased, helped by open conversations with her blind travel companions. “The vision impaired travellers were so reassuring. They tell you what works for them, what they prefer. It becomes a proper partnership rather than something to feel anxious about.”
As the group explored Fountains Abbey, Grassington (the location of popular TV show All Creatures Great and Small), Haworth’s Brontë Parsonage and York Minster, Carol found meaning in both the big sights and the everyday moments. “Reading labels in shops for my blind partner – someone who loves shopping – those small things were so appreciated, and it makes you suddenly realise how much we sighted people take for granted.”
Carol (3rd across) dressed up and ready for dinner at Newfield Hall.
By the end of the trip, Carol felt more confident and quietly transformed by the experience. “Some of the blind travellers were doing far more than I was and it made me realise that my mindset was a bit closed about myself.” That realisation stayed with her beyond the trip. “If they can travel, try new things and push themselves, then so can I. It genuinely inspired me to do more and not put limits on myself.”
Carol’s journey shows why UK breaks are such a powerful introduction to Traveleyes.
If this experience inspires you, take that first step on one of our UK escapes, including Brecon in South Wales:
👉 Exploring Beautiful Brecon – stunning landscapes and rich history
Jackson explore Austria’s Seefeld Plateau
Jackson’s Traveleyes experience took him to the Seefeld Plateau in Austria, surrounded by Alpine scenery and mountain landscapes. This was his first experience of guiding on an overseas Traveleyes trip.
“You can read about Traveleyes and understand the idea, but it’s only when you’re actually there that it really clicks,”
He soon got into the rhythm of the trip, and especially enjoyed its sociable side. “A Traveleyes holiday is very, very sociable. You’re meeting different people every day and so the group tends to gel together really well. Some of the sighted guides on the holidays were saying that they were really struck with this type of holiday, and particularly from an emotional point of view, they really enjoyed it.”
Jackson also highlighted the amazing skills of the dedicated Traveleyes Tour Manager. “She was so efficient. You always felt supported. Everything was organised, so you could focus on the experience and the people rather than logistics.”
Exploring Innsbruck, mountain paths and gorge walkways encouraged Jackson to engage more deeply with his surroundings and learn more tactile ways of discovering places. “In, Innsbruck, there was the old town hall, which is probably one of the oldest buildings in the city. We touched the rock and it was really nice to have a sort of physical connection with something so old.”
He was struck by how much vision impaired travellers brought to the experience themselves. “It’s very much a two-way exchange. I might be describing the architecture, and then my partner will explain the history or meaning behind it. You’re constantly learning from each other.”
Jackson describes the interior of the cathedral
Jackson was also impressed with the accommodation. “The facilities were amazing. There was an infinity pool on the roof. There was also a panoramic sauna, which had one entire wall of glass so you had a mountain view from inside the sauna which a lot of the group took advantage of!” For Jackson, Austria highlighted how Traveleyes trips blend adventure with comfort, learning and connection.
If you’re tempted to embark on your own European adventure, you might be inspired by some of our upcoming breaks:
👉 Seville City Break – culture, colour and conversation
👉 Rome City Break – history, architecture and timeless storytelling
👉 Warsaw City Break – a city of resilience, culture and contrasts
👉 Finland Summer Escape – nature, space and tranquility
What Tom, Carol and Jackson all discovered is that a Traveleyes holiday isn’t about giving something up – it’s about gaining something unexpected. Deeper connections. Heightened awareness. A renewed appreciation for the world around you.
If you’re looking for a new experience this New Year, these stories show how a shorter UK or European trip can be the perfect introduction to Traveleyes, offering a chance to understand the concept, build confidence and experience inclusive travel before trying our more adventurous destinations further afield.