Discover the ideal vacation in a style that suits you
So, you want to plan a vacation or holiday, but aren’t quite sure what you want to do? With so many choices, it can be a tough ask to make the right decision..
Choosing the best travel type for you
These days, there is no shortage of different types of travel and vacations that you can take to thousands of destinations around the globe!
Depending on your preferences, you can enjoy outdoor active adventures in camping, backpacking, or biking. You can partake in more traditional holidays with group travel or package tours or travel for a specific event. Maybe take a cruise? Go on a safari and see some amazing wildlife or try eco-tourism .
There’s virtually no limit to the different travel types that are available, meaning there’s something for almost every budget, destination, duration, and personal interest.
Below, I have highlighted just some of the top types of travel and vacations or holidays that have become increasingly popular of late.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, and there are countless more styles or travel types.
But, these capture a good cross-section of the different types of travel that are generally available in the world today.
Further, I provide a bit of information about each type of travel, such as why it is popular, what it consists of, and so on, in order to help make your holiday planning decisions a bit easier. Bon voyage!
Backpacking
Backpacking has long been a popular travel type for youth, and it continues, with renewed interest from adults as well.
Many countries have excellent backpacking routes available, often recommended by experts, that allow travelers to take in a wide range of sights, both natural and man-made.
Traveling through ancient cities, landmarks, historic sites, natural parks, and other attractions is amazing in and of itself.
When you couple this with maintaining an almost Bohemian, minimalist footprint, living out of your backpack, staying in hostels or small inns, and so forth, it conjures up a certain romance and appeal that is hard to deny.
Backpacking is most ideal in countries with good public transportation infrastructures, since it’s not possible to walk or hike everywhere in most cases, and hitchhiking can be a dicey proposition.
One of the main appeals of backpacking, of course, is that it allows you to see things at your own pace, rather than on a predetermined agenda or timetable.
Anyone concerned about their environmental impact, or are looking for a vacation on a budget, see backpacking as an ideal choice.
I don’t know where I’m going, but I promise it won’t be boring!
Biking
For those who love active, outdoor holidays, and like to cover a lot of ground then biking may be the perfect travel type.
Many people are starting to go on trips to destinations of all types, with the intent of renting a bike, or using their own bike, to tour the countryside.
This can be particularly appealing in exotic and tropical locales, where the weather is wonderful and the scenery plentiful.
Others prefer biking vacations that take them to challenging courses or rides, such as hills and mountains in new and different countries.
Whatever your preference, there’s something timeless about hopping on a bike, getting some fresh air, and seeing the sights and sounds of someplace different.
Biking holidays can often be incorporated into other types of holidays as well. Obviously, you may go biking to visit and tour through different areas, but aren’t going to sleep on your bike!
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A popular choice is to combine biking holidays with camping, RV/caravanning, backpacking, and other outdoor holiday types.
Perhaps integrate some biking into a more planned getaway by taking a bike ride through a city or a scenic landscape as part of a broader travel package, group vacation, and so on.
Whatever your preference, various types of travel are available that make use of the fun of cycling for transport, leisure, and adventure.
Camping
Camping has made a resurgence in the last decade as a popular form of vacation travel for individuals, couples, and families.
With an increased global focus on the environment, as well as a wealth of scenic and amazing destinations for outdoor adventure experiences, some travelers are deciding to “get back to nature” with a camping vacation.
The great outdoors provides so many unique experiences, and is a great way to spend time with loved ones in a setting that you won’t soon forget.
Camping also conjures up something primal, harkening back to earlier times when humans lived as hunter-gatherers in similar conditions.
Of course, camping doesn’t need to be rough and primitive, either. These days, so-called “glamping” – glamorous camping – is also an option. Fully-appointed outdoor suites, tents with so many amenities.
Getting a hot stone massage in a gloriously appointed campground in the midst of a tropical jungle, or snuggling with your sweetie in an airy tent on a tropical beach paradise sounds like heaven.
Or simple, traditional camping to see major areas of natural beauty, also is quite appealing.
Whatever your preferred type of travel may be, consider camping for a change.
Event Travel
Event travel is another type of holiday that has become more and more common.
It makes sense to craft a travel package these days around attending a particular concert, sporting event, fan convention, or other major entertainment event than in years past.
Rather than traveling to a location specifically to see the sights or visit an attraction, these considerations become secondary with event travel.
Instead, the main purpose is to attend the event(s) that motivate the travel, and then take in whatever sights, sounds, and flavors you can while you are there.
This type of travel is probably more popular among younger people than it is with the older folk or those with families.
Nevertheless, it can provide a kind of “double vacation” experience, in the sense that you get to attend your desired event, and also swing through local landmarks, attractions, and so forth.
A key downside, however, is that these types of trips can leave you hard-pressed for enough time to see and do everything at your destination, so I recommend always under-scheduling your itinerary, and adding extra days to your plans where you can!
RV/Caravanning
RV travel, also known as caravanning in some locales, is kind of a mix between camping, backpacking, biking, and more conventional types of travel.
Renting an RV or caravan in which to sleep and base your travels enables you to cover a lot of ground, and see a lot of different sights and destinations in a relatively short time. It ends up being far more economical, in many cases, than trying to arrange individual flights or transportation between a whole bunch of disparate cities and sites.
Like camping, it can provide quality time with your loved ones, which is what a lot of people are looking for in a vacation or holiday in the first place.
Those who are highly concerned above the environment may not find RV or caravan travel to be ideal, as they tend to get quite poor gas mileage. But, that said, you have control over your carbon footprint.
For those who have tried RVing and enjoy it, many swear by it and make it their preferred form of vacation it for the future. It’s definitely something everyone should try at least once!
Mancation
While the name may be unfamiliar to some, the concept of a mancation is not new. A “weekend with the boys” or trip with male friends is a classic type of travel.
Single adult males looking to hit the road for the weekend, or visit a destination known for its bachelor appeal, are quite common themes in travel and tourism for the better part of the last century.
Married guys also sometimes feel the need to blow off some steam and hang out with the “boys” for a few days.
This phenomena isn’t limited to just men, of course. Girls weekends or vacations are as popular. They may not have a well-known rhyming name like mancations do, but everyone, regardless of gender, deserves a fun vacation or holiday away from responsibility now and then.
Some fun in the sun, gambling, shows, dining, drinks, and general good times can be just what people need to get out of a funk or keep their more responsible, professional adult self “adulting” until their next vacation.
Package Holidays
Package holidays remain near the top of the list for most popular type of travel for many people, especially the older generation and retirees (though they really do appeal to travelers of all ages).
It’s not hard to see why – most package holidays include everything, or nearly everything, that one needs to have a good time on their trip.
The agenda or schedule is set, hotel bookings made, tickets procured, dining arranged, and so on. They also often come with a tour guide or similar arrangements.
Like group travel, package holidays help remove some of the stress and worry from travelers minds, by taking care of things for them.
The downsides are that you don’t always have as much control over what you do or where you go on your vacation as you do with other travel types.
However, the trade-off can be well worth it, with increased relaxation and enjoyment stemming from giving up some of that control and worry, and letting the professionals handle it.
This leaves you to immerse yourself in the experience, rather than get caught up in the planning and execution details of the trip.
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Packaged tours remain popular
Like a chastity belt, the package tour keeps you out of mischief but a bit restive for wondering what you missed
Group Travel
One of the classic types of travel remains near the top of a lot of people’s preference list, and that is group travel.
Visiting foreign countries can be daunting when you’re on your own – especially if you don’t speak the language.
Group travel helps put people at ease, even if it’s a group of mostly strangers.
A shared language and culture surrounding you can make you more open to learning about and sampling all that a different culture has to offer.
Many group travel options also come with tour guides, planned itineraries, and so forth, making it a managed, safe, and approachable experience.
Of course, group travel is not for everyone. Like package tours, the agenda or itinerary, set periods of time at certain attractions or sights, and a general lack of individual control over what you do or where you go can be off-putting for some travelers.
Aspects of group travel can be empowering and relaxing – not having to plan an agenda, worry about tickets and reservations, keeping an eye on the clock to know when places open or close, and so on. It can be very liberating.
Safety and security is found in groups, and you can see why group travel remains one of the most popular forms of tourism and holiday-making today.
Weekend Getaway
Sometimes, it is not always possible to plan to take a week or more away from home, work, responsibilities, and real life for a vacation. That doesn’t mean that holidays or vacation are impossible, though.
Weekend getaways can be a great option, offering a change of pace, relaxation, and sight-seeing, with relatively little impact to your finances, work or home life, and so on.
For busy professionals, single parents, and many others, weekend getaways can be one of the most practical and enjoyable types of travel.
The destinations and itineraries for weekend getaways need to be carefully considered, of course. You don’t want to spend half of your time on a plane or waiting around an airport.
However, in most parts of the world, there are a wealth of destinations that aren’t that far away, don’t take long to get to, and don’t cost a ton of money to visit.
A quick, relaxing or invigorating weekend getaway to an ideal destination near you can be an amazing experience, even if it is a relatively short one.
Cruising
For a completely different kind of holiday adventure, consider a cruise! Cruises come in all sorts of varieties, including singles/dating cruises, general cruises, family-friendly cruises, themed cruises, and more.
They can feature stops at exotic ports of call in different regions around the world. And, many modern cruise ships have so many activities and onboard amenities that they rightfully live up to their nicknames as “floating cities.”
Whether you’re looking for something different to your usual type of travel, this is a fun way to get to a particular destination. Definitely it is an ideal method to see many different cities and locations in a single trip.
Yes, a cruise is worth considering. Reputable cruise lines offer cruise packages in many diverse destinations around the world.
With all the fine dining, the colorful shows, musical acts, entertainment, watercraft, pools, and other amenities, you may not want to leave the boat when you get to your destination!
Eco-Tourism - The responsible travel style
Traveling Green takes a certain commitment if you want to really be an Ecotourist. We have heard about, probably read something about it and some of us may
have dismissed it as some tree-hugging fad that will pass. Ecotourism
is definitely not some indulgent hippy thinking indulgence held by a
few. It has grown into a powerful and respected sector of the tourism
market…
Wildlife Tours
There’s nothing that quite compares to an amazing wildlife tour or wildlife-based vacation.
Take a safari in a wild and rugged African landscape or, closer to home, visit an animal encounter experience at a local theme park. Go diving beneath the waves to visit a coral reef and the denizens of the deep in a tropical paradise, or even just going to a famous zoo, there are all manner of ways to engage with the animal residents of planet Earth.
Depending on your taste for adventure, and how wild you like your wildlife, this type of travel can provide fun, excitement, and experiences that are unforgettable.
Just be sure to get your medical shots, do your research, and talk to your travel guide to ensure you visit your chosen destination at the best time of year to see, here, and experience the most you possibly can!
Plenty of types of travel are available to explore. I would suggest try as many as you can.
No matter what your travel personality, one of the fundamental benefits of travel is to grow and break out from any self imposed limitations or perceptions of yourself.
Be bold. Be brave and ease your travel style into areas you may never have considered before