Why revisiting your favourite places is worth it

travel

22 Dec

Some travellers may find revisiting places illogical. Why return to somewhere you’ve already been when there are still so many countries left to tick off a list? In the travel world, novelty is often framed as the whole point of going anywhere at all.

I’m not immune to the checklist mindset myself. I like the idea of adding new destinations to my map, and for a long time I felt the need to justify returning to the same places, as if revisiting required an explanation.

Yet each return feels slightly different. Revisiting places isn’t about recreating the original trip, but about noticing what stands out now – and what no longer does.

This instinct to go back isn’t just personal. A recent travel trend survey found that many people are drawn to revisiting nostalgic destinations or experiences.

Research suggests there are good reasons why returning to familiar places can feel more rewarding than we expect…

Reasons to revisit your favourite places (what research can tell us)

We underestimate how enjoyable revisiting places can be

According to a study on repeated experiences, people tend to undervalue how much enjoyment they will get from doing something again. While we often assume that revisiting places will feel dull or repetitive, studies suggest that repeat experiences are frequently more enjoyable than we predict.

If you once enjoyed walking the same streets every morning on a highland trip, or returning to the same cafe for their specialty bread, you may find that going back offers a similar sense of ease and pleasure.

Enjoyment doesn’t disappear simply because an experience is familiar; it is often more resilient than we expect.

Familiarity can make travel feel easier and more satisfying

People often avoid revisiting places because they expect familiarity to dull enjoyment. Yet the same research shows that this expectation is frequently mistaken: repeat experiences are less monotonous than we imagine.

While these studies do not directly measure effort, they imply that familiarity changes how we engage with an experience. Knowing what to expect can ease the pressure to absorb everything at once, allowing attention to settle rather than rush.

This way of travelling aligns closely with slow travel, where depth and familiarity are valued over constant movement.

It allows us to experience what we missed the first time

We often assume that once we have visited a place, we have already seen everything it has to offer. Yet repeat experiences suggest this sense of completion is misleading. After a single encounter, we may feel we have grasped the whole, when in fact many details remain unnoticed.

Revisiting creates the conditions for deeper attention. The quieter textures of a place – its rhythms, small interactions, and overlooked corners – are more likely to surface over time, not because the place has changed, but because our way of noticing has.

Revisiting meaningful places can strengthen our sense of social connection

According to research on place nostalgia, locations tied to past experiences often carry social meaning because they once served as settings for relationships and shared moments. Engaging with these nostalgic places has been shown to increase social connectedness – a feeling of belonging and acceptance grounded in memory.

If you once spent evenings talking with friends along the same waterfront, or shared routines with crewmates in a familiar port, returning to those places may quietly revive the sense of togetherness you felt then.

Revisiting places we’ve enjoyed before is not about recreating the past exactly as it was, but about reconnecting with the social fabric woven into it. In returning, we are often reminded that places can continue to hold people and relationships in memory, even when those people are no longer present.

Revisiting meaningful places can restore a sense of meaning

Beyond the pleasure of familiarity, returning to a place we once knew can invite reflection on the moments that gave it significance in the first place. The research also suggests that such places are often tied to meaningful life events, which helps explain why revisiting them can bring a renewed sense of purpose and coherence.

When we return to a familiar destination, we are not only encountering the place itself, but also revisiting the experiences, decisions, and relationships that shaped us there. In doing so, we may better understand how past chapters connect with the present, allowing the place to serve as a quiet reminder of what has mattered to us – and why it still does.

If you’re curious about how travel can support reflection and emotional grounding more broadly, I explore this further in my guide to travel as therapy.

How to plan a trip to somewhere you’ve already been

1. Think about when – and why – you want to return

Start by reflecting on why now feels like the right moment to revisit a place you once enjoyed. It might be a destination associated with rest during a hectic period, or a place that fits your current pace of life better than it did before.

2. Before you go, consider the following:

Would visiting at a different time of year change how the place feels?
Could a slower pace, shorter stay, or different purpose reveal another side of it?
What might have changed since your last visit – in the place itself, or in you?