Ten Different Types of Travel
Many people tell us that they would love to travel like we do, but it just doesn’t fit with their lifestyle. We agree that our style of long term travel would not work for everyone. However, we also think that there are so many different types of travel out there that you are bound to find something that works for you.
None of these types of travel are good or bad as they each have their own advantages and disadvantages. You will probably find that you will end up enjoying several different types of travel throughout your lifetime. Here are 10 examples of travel styles:
1. The Weekend Break
So you love to travel, but you also love your 9-5 job and you don’t want to give it all up to travel around the world for 6 months? Don’t worry, you can still travel by taking short weekend getaways. Look for cheap airfare deals, fly out on Friday evening and return on Sunday and make the most of the short time you have.
The ultimate expert on this is Justin from 48 Hour Adventure. He is an Australian living in London and working in IT and he spends his weekends jetting off to different destinations throughout Europe. Check out his fantastic blog for 48 hour guides to lots of different cities.
2. The Package Holiday
The beauty of a package holiday is that all the work is done for you. You simply pick which beautiful beach you would like to be lounging on and your travel agent will make sure that everything is arranged so that your hardest decision is whether to order a Pina Colada or a Margarita from your sun lounger.
Although the package holiday is sometimes looked down upon by hardcore backpackers, there is nothing wrong with wanted to spend your hard earned two weeks holiday on a sunny beach partying with friends and family.
This is not one of the types of travel where you learn a lot about another culture or get to know the locals. It’s all about spending a week or two having the time of your life in paradise!
3. The Group Tour
Group tours can describe busloads of 20-year-olds who want to drink and party to groups of 80 year olds who want to visit historical monuments and everything in between. No matter what your interest, from art history to ghosts to cheese-making to fishing, there is a group tour out there for you. Your itinerary is usually packed with many different activities so you will never be bored.
The advantage of a group tour is that you will be automatically thrown into the mix with a lot of people who share your interests and you will probably make some new friends. However, some people just can’t stand the thought of having all of their activities laid out for them and prefer the freedom of independent travel.
4. The Caravan/RV Road Trip
Buckle your seat-belt, put on some great tunes and hit the open road for a road trip!
When you own a caravan you will always have the option for a cheap holiday and whenever you get a free weekend you can pack up and drive somewhere new. This is a great way to explore the natural beauty that lies close to home and is also one of the most child friendly types of travel.
6. Long Term Slow Travel
This describes the style of travel that Lee and I do most of the time. Long term slow travel is when you take several months or years to make your way around the world, staying in each location for long enough to really soak up the culture.
Long term travelers are often budget backpackers, trying to make their travel fund stretch for as long as possible by staying in hostels and looking for cheap food and attractions. Rather than other short term types of travel, long term travel often becomes more of a lifestyle choice.
Sometimes these types of travel experiences are funded by savings, or sometimes long term travel can be funded by working on the road.
7. The Gap Year
A Gap Year is when you take a year off usually to work, volunteer or study in another country.
When you hear the words “Gap Year” you might think of a University student trekking around before they join the “real world”. However, there is no reason why you can’t take a “Gap Year” and
travel at any point in your career no matter how old you are.
Obtaining a working holiday visa is a great way to spend a Gap Year because you will be able to earn money while abroad in order to fund your travels.
8. Visiting Friends or Relatives
Another one of the many types of travel is when you go to visit friends and family who live abroad. Because you have someone to stay with, you are usually able to afford to stay a bit longer than you could if you were paying for accommodation.
Your friends and family abroad are always offering for you to stay, so why not take them up on the offer?
An advantage of this is that you will get the insider perspective on the culture that comes with staying with a local. The only downside is that when you are a guest in someone’s home you will not always have the freedom to explore on your own.
9. Event Travel
This is when you travel to a destination specifically to attend an event, such as the London 2012 Olympics, the 2014 Brazil FIFA World Cup. It might also include attending a music festival or following your favorite band around on tour.
One of the main advantages to these types of travel experiences is that you will be visiting alongside thousands of people who share the same interest as you.
10. Business Travel
The best thing about traveling for business is that usually your company is footing the bill. Being paid to fly first class and stay in luxurious hotels at someone else’s expense is a great way to see the world. While you do not have a choice of where you go and you will be spending a lot of your time working, getting paid to travel rather than being stuck in a cubicle is a great way to spend your working week.