Dreams about traveling – what do they mean? (Dream interpretation travel)
To be traveling in a dream is something a lot of people dream about. And no wonder, because “travel dreams” are often about our own journey of life – our movement forwards (or backwards) in life, that is. The following describes various aspects of what it means to travel in dreams.
To be traveling in a dream as a symbol of movement in life/journey of life. When seeing yourself traveling in a dream, either by car, by train, by ferry, etc., well, then it is usually about your own journey in life – the inner (and outer) development you are going through. Which mode of transport you use can also be of significance – see for example the blog posts about driving a car and riding a bus. The interesting thing, then, is what you experience on these night-time travels; is there something which prevents you from getting there? Are you struggling to make it in time (see the blog post about being late)? And where are you actually going?
A classic theme in travel dreams is that you are carrying a lot or too much (heavy) luggage, making it difficult or maybe even impossible for you to catch the bus, train, ferry, plane or whatever it may be in your dream. The main question for the dreamer could then be; is something we are carrying with us in our life story somehow pinning us down in our current situation, and making it difficult for us to move on before we let it go? (See the post about luggage in dreams)
Dreams about being scared of losing your passport (your identity papers) are also common when you are at a point in your life when you are about to move into the unknown, for example in your career. In real life, the fear of losing your identity (status etc.) can of course prevent you from taking the plunge into the unsafe and unknown. You can also encounter various barriers on your (dream) journey. These often symbolize your own mental barriers, but they can of course also be barriers that someone else puts in front of you (for example your partner or your parents trying to talk you out of doing something). However, always look inwards before you look for outside reasons.
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When trying to understand your dreams it is important to know that your dreams are… your dreams. As such, you are the best person to figure out the true meaning of your dreams.
However, it is important to learn how to generally approach your dreams. Dream dictionaries like this one are only a supplement, and if you want to fully utilize the potential of your dreams, you should start at a different place.
My online course “Unlock your DREAMlife” gives you a great foundation for understanding (and recalling) your dreams.
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As mentioned, the mode of transportation in your dream is often important. If you’re driving a car, it seems that you are well on your way in life – in a car, you decide where you go – but if you are a passenger in a car someone else is driving, it may mean the exact opposite. In this case it might be this other person (in the outside world) or what this person represents within you that have taken control.
The car is often also a symbol of your body (the body that brings you around). If you drive a bus (public transportation), it may mean that you live your life in keeping with what others are doing and what they might expect from you – you are not following your own path. Traveling by ship represents a somewhat larger perspective on your life’s journey than traveling by car and bus – you can dream about shipwrecks, giant storms, etc. And you can also experience taking the ship to sea – this may symbolize a break from the family or the life you have lived until now.
The road you travel – if by land – can curve and bend and suddenly split in two, and you may be unsure about which way to choose. This will then usually equal a similar dilemma you face in your life right now – which way should I go? There are very many aspects of dreaming about being on the road, and only you – the dreamer – would know which of these is right for you in your life right now.
As a last point, I want to highlight the importance of your destination in the dream. Are you heading to unfamiliar countries? In this case, this will often be a picture of you in your waking or conscious life (including home life) where you might be exploring uncharted territories. Or it may be new aspects of yourself, a new leisure activity you wish to start, etc. You might be experimenting with new sides of yourself. If, in your dream, you are sure that you are heading towards your “final destination”, then it may be a warning about your own death – your final destination in life.
Dream dictionaries are a very helpful tool when interpreting dreams. However, generally learning how to approach your dreams, will give you a better foundation for understanding them. My online course “Unlock your DREAMlife” teaches you how to much better utilize – recall and understand – your dreams.
Return to the index of dream themes and symbols:
Dream interpretation A-Z ↵
Also read: Why I no longer interpret dreams for free
NOTE: Dreams are 100% individual, and when you dream about traveling, it’s almost certainly about something else for you than it is for your friend, who has also dreamed about traveling. Dream interpretation / dream analysis is sometimes a difficult art, and a particular interpretation of a dream is only correct if you feel “affected” by it. Therefore, it is not certain that the above mentioned interpretations are relevant to you.
I’ve dreamt of me flying over the world picking destinations in my head and landing there sometimes in a canon ball and walking up to sore in their native clothes like I lived there and spoke their languages. Also bringing down tornadoes and hurricanes with a twist of my arm if I landed in such conditions. Traveling outer space too!
I was in the village and and wanted to travel to town though a car when I break the car unfortunately a cliff called and covered the car so I ran forward then I saw one bike coming down the road then I stopped the bike and ask the bike to take me to my destination and we were going we saw cows and so many obstacle in the road but we made it to my destination….
Hi I saw myself traveling in bus with my uncle and he said stay safe you have special and important energy’s in you and I will protect you what this mean?
Hi
Last night i dreamt about riding a ski boat from land to water. I was really enjoying the view along the road. I saw a sea with rocks and a person enjoying his ski boat but while i was watching the person sking, I realized that the place i was heading to is very unfamiliar so I started to develop fear. The ski boat stopped at the middle of a vast water and told me that that’s the end place but after he asked me, he slowly maneuver the ski back to the shore and I ask him how much is the fare. That was the end of my dream. Do you know what is the meaning of this? Thank you!
I was driving the vehicle with two tour operator to get the permit for travelling in local area in foreign country but interrupted on the way. Driving in congested steep down, but interrupted, what does it says in dream?
I was in the car, a fortuner. We’re in a high road, specifally Baguio, Philippines. I love the climate there brcause it’s cold. I just like the place. I’m also with someone, my lover. Someone is driving for us. And I was enjoying seeing and being beside him. I took a picture of him while wher on a way to I guess more good thing. Next scene, we’re already standing in the land cover with small rocks and high tress from the side there are other people like going to a party/ball. We’re wearing formal clother and we’re helping each other to get ready. I even hand him over a small aromatic scent like katinko. I thought it’s really important when you get dizzy or something. Then I went to the restroom to fix my outfit there I saw my friends, that I don’t talk to before but I guess they’re also heading same venue wearing gown and all. I had a hard time with fixing the zipper of my gown but not reallt sad about it cuz i just covered it with some cloth. I saw him outside chatting with guys ehile im on th restroom.
And that’s how my dream end. Feels like i dont wanna wake up on that dream. Cuz not with him . Anyway i hope the translation of my dream is not terrible or scary. Thank u in advance-joe
Dear Joelyn,
I am sorry to inform you that I currently don’t help out here, as I am focusing fully on the completion of my next book. You can try asking this one major question with regards to the dream; how might this dream in any way be relevant for my waking life? I can however offer to help you in a private session (with payment), please see more here. Best regards – Michael
Hi again, the previous day I dreamt I was with a group of people getting ready for a journey and packed a heavy bag, went to get more things only to find the bus was just about to leave me. Everyone was on board with their bag and I grabbed the only one out, which shd have been mine. Found it wasn’t and someone had taken mine. Theirs was much lighter. I jumped on the bus as doors were closing and barely made it. Was asking whose bag it is so as to get back mine and woke up
Hi again Adfi, still – I am sorry to inform you that I currently don’t help out here, as I am focusing fully on the completion of my next book. You can try asking this one major question with regards to the dream; how might this dream in any way be relevant for my waking life? I can offer to help you in a private session (with payment), please see more here. Best regards – Michael
Hi, I dreamed about getting ready to travel back home to Africa and excitedly packing, saying bye to friends and paying for the flight only to discover last minute that I could not go and was going to lose the money I had paid for the flight
Dear Adfi,
I am sorry to inform you that I currently don’t help out here, as I am focusing fully on the completion of my next book. You can try asking this one major question with regards to the dream; how might this dream in any way be relevant for my waking life? I can offer to help you in a private session (with payment), please see more here. Best regards – Michael
In my dream we headed to TJ for the day, and I was with my immediate family, in the dream I realized I forgot my Real ID or passport when we were already in Mexico, and for some reason one of my parents didn’t have papers in the dream and there was a random checkpoint in Mexico where they had us go through the scanner and they let us go through without questioning our US citizenship.
Dear Jennifer,
thank you for your comment and very interesting dream! I currently cannot keep up with the enormous amounts of comments I receive daily (currently more than 200 unanswered), so I have decided to no longer offer this kind of help. I would however love to help you understand your dream in a private online session – see more here. Best regards – Michael
I had a dream about travelling with unknown group of people not sure where we were heading to. At one point we were all coming out of helicopter and the other moment i found myself sitting on a two wheeler with one of my college mates. The dream looked liked some sort of mission we were on than just being a travel. I had this knowing that i will join my group members later but then woke up.
Hi Apurva – thank you for your interesting dream and comment! You could ask yourself; what kind of “mission” might you be on right now in your life? This might be related to you breaking free of expectations / influences from your group (your class mates? / the people you surround yourself with). Just ideas from my side. Since I really don’t know anything about you / your life situation, it will only be pure guesswork. Best regards – Michael
Hi Michael,
I dreamed travelling with my baby ( alive) and my sister (dead) and in the bus I did not feel comfortable where I was sitting then I changed my seat. while on the way we stopped for a moment to help ourselves. on where we stopped there was a broken vehicle i went back of that vehicle and suddenly saw a kids, teenager age but was crying for help like they are sick and starving, I take some money to give them before i give them it dropped down and the same moment i was being called in the bus to proceed with journey.
please what could it mean.
Dear Elin,
thank you for your dream about traveling! It is quite hard for me to say exactly what this dream might be about, since I know nothing about you/ your life situation. But immediate thoughts: You feel uncomfortable in the bus – uncomfortable with the way your (real) life is progressing? This might be related to your feelings/thoughts in relation to your sister (I understand that she is dead in real life?). The teenagers might then be images of a new /better way / direction in your life – you help them briefly. The dream might invite you to investigate those teenagers further – what inner dreams do you carry around that might need your support / you taking them more seriously? Best regards – Michael
I live in africa and dreamt that I had travelled to Arkansas in the USA with my grand mum. Meanwhile, it has always been part of my plans to travel to the united states. What could this dream mean?
I had a dream that I stayed late with friends hanging out, and when I wanted going home it was late and could not find taxi that will drive me home. Instead I treak carrying a mattress trying to find my way home. And on the way there are securities trying to arrest people for late hours. Can someone help me with the interpretation?
Hi,
I’ve had a pregnancy dream twice in about 2 month’s time.
The first my sister, my mom, a colleague and myself were pregnant. My sister and I already delivered and my baby could already sit up not to mention that right after I delivered I was pregnant again.
The second one I also went in labor but this time I was pregnant with 8 babies I did not get to the point to deliver before my little one woke me up, but what also gets my attention in this dream along with the pregnancy is that we traveled far.
I had a dream that I was traveling but laid off in an old traditional village-like airport surrounded by a lot of natives and old people. I kept missing my bus to take me to the airport because I kept falling asleep and feeling fatigued. When I finally caught the bus, it didn’t drop me off at the airport where I’d be catching my flight to Brazil. It dropped me 30 minutes away from the airport. What could this mean?
Hi Lucky – thank you for your highly interesting dream! It is hard for me to guess what it (precisely) might symbolize, since I don’t know anything about you / your life situation (dreams should always be related to the waking life situation). Your dream illustrates “forced delay” – together with natives and “old people”. Is it trying to say that you should somehow slow down in your life and try to learn from the “vast experience of mankind throughout history” – maybe you are tired and fatigued in real life – and not too conscious about it. The dream might say – STOP – slow down… And start catching up on yourself / your soul. It seems the dream invites you to have reflective breaks in your everyday life / in your life in general. Just ideas. Best rgds – Michael
My girlfriend travel without me & didn’t notify me when leaving. Am I safe?
Hi – hmm – quite hard to know actually 🙂 You could try and be very objective – are there any real signs that this is the case? If not, a dream like this might simply mean that the two of you might be a bit distant at the moment. Or, that you are simply afraid of this happening. The Corona-virus might also be intensifying feelings – and causing fear-related themes like this to happen. I a so-called “inner interpretation” – you could see your girlfriend as a side of yourself (something that is “like her” in you – or a more feminine aspect of you) – what would it mean losing this side? Just some ideas. Best – Michael
I dream about travelling in bike with my opposite gender best friend to temple.. on the way of journey i sleep in his shoulder and my sister is also in bike beside me.. he droped us in the temple..
My son dreamt where he was in a train/bus he said he can’t remember but It either one .and the driver saw a groundnut seller and stop and he bought this groundnut and brought out money to pay and he woke up . Please what does this dream denotes
Hi,Michel
We were with my younger brother our last born,traveling with a bus that I didn’t know where we were heading to. All over sudden the bus stopped and I went to a short call. while am still there the bus left me…so I wonder why did my brother call me to tell me that the bus is going? I was so worried….. Help me please understand this.
what is meant if u dream that u traveled with an actor u recently started to love so much to holland and I never been in Holland then u go to this place where it’s so big and has many thing ,like games (not video games ) and shopping areas for each country of the world ,and all of this happened without my parents knowing like I sneezed out and went to the airport and went on a plane without them knowing .
And after I come back I had bought a dress that I tried on with my mom and when I came out of my room after I tried the dress that the actor that I love bought me ,she said it gorgeous and even my sister said the same .
After that my mum told me that my dad had a surprise for me (she said it in a way that it’s a good surprise)
Yeah that’s my dream and I wanted to know if I can know the meaning of it