What kind of traveller are you?

I have been on most types of holiday and loved them all.

With the children, while living in Holland, we used to camp in France in various places until we found the perfect spot on a river with lots for the children to do.

We have explored many out of the way places in France, Italy, Portugal and Greece.
We have travelled to the US to stay with friends and stayed in a log cabin on the north shore of Lake Superior then visited family in Orlando.
We have been on river cruises and one ocean cruise and had many city breaks.
More recently we went away with the family in this country.
I have loved every minute but I do agree living abroad is the icing on the cake.

Could never understand why some people can go and sit in the sun all day and not explore the place
I always have to see what's around the next corner, although a couple of afternoons relaxing is fine for me, too.

TerriBull

I'm a great believer in travel expanding the mind, We took our children out of school on a couple of occasions and marched them around cultural places, amid loads of moaning and groaning. I was always having to visit castles, battlefields, cathedrals as a child with my parents, being bored to tears, I'd say to mine at the time, "you'll appreciate all this one day", and that has been the case, often it's in retrospect, as it was for me, they have told me as adults, "can't believe I was bored when we were at such and such a place"

That made me giggle TerriBull. You said you were bored as a child and then your children were bored. Maybe it’s not such a good idea after all?

My husband and I camped and caravanned all our married life. When he retired we let the bungalow and caravanned all over Europe for twelve years. When we reached a site and were asked how long are you staying our answer was maybe one night or a month according to how interesting a place maybe. Museums, art galleries as well as the countryside. I didn’t drive but after he died I went different places three or four times a year home and abroad until mobility problems forced me to give up when I was 82.
Could never understand why some people can go and sit in the sun all day and not explore the place.

Now that I am nearly 80 and on my own, I do love a cruise. Absolutely no worries, nothing to think about or plan, just go with flow. Unpack once and enjoy whatever comes along. I prefer a smaller ship and there's no need to be in a crowd all the time, there are plenty of quiet corners to relax in if that's what you want. For me, there's nothing to beat being at sea and enjoying the views as the ship comes into or leaves port. If my husband were still alive I'd no doubt be enjoying other types of holiday such as driving off somewhere and exploring, but as he's not, a cruise suits me just fine. Thoroughly recommended for anybody on their own.

We’ve never been able to afford more than the most basic holidays, certainly not every year, mainly self-catering in this country or cheap last minute deals in Spain or the Canaries.
Now we’re restricted by health problems, I can’t see us ever going abroad again and as I don’t like driving long distances we’re enjoying Wales and southwest England. Still self-catering and taking the dog with us - I do enjoy simple, no pressure holidays.

Snap grandtante

We now do what we always said we wouldn't - stay in the same hotel every year. For the last 7 years, we have been going Feb/Mar for 10 days to a lovely hotel in Tenerife. Adults only and we're mostly in the upper age bracket, lots of walking but also chill out time in and around the pool. It's so relaxing to get that bit of sun during the winter. We also try to do a Big Trip most years. DH was diagnosed with a cancer as we retired 13 years and then a different cancer two years later. So we decided we were going to do what we could, while we could. Last year we spent 3 weeks incorporating Seattle, an Alaskan cruise, Vancouver and V Island and the highlight -the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff. We take our rough ideas to a wonderful travel agency who usually add their own experiences and then they put it all together. So I'd find it hard to say what type of traveller we are. I'd always do a cruise at the drop of a hat - so relaxing and lots of places to explore - and tomorrow we're going to Chester for two nights. It's two stops away on the train from where we live but I've only ever been there on a day out. Time to explore in a bit more depth. I know how fortunate we are to be able to do what we do. Nobody needs to tell me how lucky we are. I remember my lovely mother in law who had money in her later life and wanted to travel but her health stopped her.

DH and I prefer booking a flight or train journey and a room in a boarding house or a cheap rented flat in a biggish town or city and doing our own catering, if we don't go out to eat.

We like visiting museums, churches, wandering around looking at architecture and the way life is lived whereever we are.

Neither of us cares for sunbathing, or seaside resorts, or package tours.

If we choose a package tour, it would be because it was the cheapest option, and we would tell the guide that we would not be taking part in any of the guided tours.

My (ex)husband and I went to Hawaii on three separate trips (we got married on Maui). Each trip involved going to different islands, doing car excursions, resorts - I’d say we covered that state.

Yes, there are definitely two kinds of travelers - those that plunk down and stay put, OR as I call “working” vacations where they only want to Hike, Bike, Climb and attack those vistas… whew!

I don’t know - I’ve always needed to step away from my strenuous job to Relax! Those hikers/bikers do this at home and can’t stop doing it wherever they go. Even coming home with broken collarbones, severe knee injuries.
You do what you want to do!
Enjoy!
USA Gundy

We mix and match. Have a house in Greece so have spent lots of winters there but now we have decided to sell and do all our long haul before we run out of energy!
My favourite way to travel is to load our Campervan up and just go with no return date. We plan to go to Northern Spain in September and eat and drink our way along the coast and then walk it off in the picos de europa. We stop when we find a nice place and then eat in or out. It’s just like taking your home comforts with you, a huge suitcase on wheels.
Never been on a cruise but worry I would get bored and hate being with lots of people around, never say never though!

Dcba, love to know which company you use please.

Dcba

I’ve had to rethink my holiday plans in recent years …..I’m in my 80’s and fortunately active and healthy and my husband is too and I still want to travel but he doesn’t. So now I go on singles holidays all over Europe specifically for like minded mature travellers ….to places I’ve never visited before. I enjoy being in the company of others without the worry of sorting out my own itinerary. Safety and security is a big issue now at my age and I never have any worries on these types of trips. Many of my friends would still like to travel but admit they don’t have the courage to ‘go solo’ …… it’s a great option …..I’ve recently returned from Sorrento and heading to Puglia in the Fall.

which travel company would you recommend?

We alternate days or half days - something active/interesting, some basking/reading. Like to find out about the area (research beforehand too) and don't want to come home so worn out we need a holiday!

(We are in Belgium.) We like to drive to a country of our choice ( next month it'll be Germany but often it's the UK, France, Norway, Denmark etc.), book several hotels each for a few days depending on what's interesting in that region. What we do all day is walking, looking around (so literally sight-seeing), making pictures, visiting musea, castles, art galeries, walking in cities/towns and browsing bookshops etc., sitting down with a nice glass of wine, going to nice places for dinner. We sometimes walk nature trails but not often. I love to be near the sea or big rivers so walking on the beach or along the river is always a must!

We enjoy most types of holidays from visiting different areas in the UK, exploring the towns and countryside to holidaying abroad. I enjoy the sun but can get bored with just sunbathing even though I catch up on my reading, so read up on places to visit and then book visits to the places that I would like to see. We have been on cruises and they are ideal for seeing places that we would like to stay on the next holiday. The only thing that I am not interested in is skiing, I loathe snow having experienced horrendous snow-drifts of 6 foot + when having to walk four miles to school and home, back in 1963/4.

I love visiting other countries. In 3 years time we are hoping to rent out the house and spend a gap year in Spain. However Brexit has dashed these hopes unless we can be illegal immigrants in Spain and Italy. Anyway I have started decluttering the house and have enough time to do that..3 years

I’ve had to rethink my holiday plans in recent years …..I’m in my 80’s and fortunately active and healthy and my husband is too and I still want to travel but he doesn’t. So now I go on singles holidays all over Europe specifically for like minded mature travellers ….to places I’ve never visited before. I enjoy being in the company of others without the worry of sorting out my own itinerary. Safety and security is a big issue now at my age and I never have any worries on these types of trips. Many of my friends would still like to travel but admit they don’t have the courage to ‘go solo’ …… it’s a great option …..I’ve recently returned from Sorrento and heading to Puglia in the Fall.

We book the flight to the country we want to visit and a flight back a couple of months later and also a few nights accomadation, We then just make it up as we go along. Meet people on our travels who suggest places to visit. Have had great times visiting places we have never heard of.

I am more interested in the people than the buildings etc in the countries that I visit, so I like to be in the one place...away from the tourist areas. Preferably a quiet leafy spot where I can see how people live and go about their daily lives and hopefully get to know them a bit.

I know people who have a huge itinerary of 'sight seeing' and rush all over the place, often in buses with lots of other people... for me that would be exhausting and actually not a great quality of experience. I've never been on an organised holiday and it doesn't appeal to me at all but I know some people love that.

I value one day in the home of someone from a different culture rather than all the 'sights' and rushing. I have been invited into different homes in other counties and always feel that is a huge privilege.

Each to their own... we are all different.

We went on a West Med cruise once and visited several ports. However, in my husband's words "there's hardly enough time to have a pee" whilst you're on shore. I much prefer a leisurely wander around away from the main drag, enjoying quieter streets.

These days it's just self catering UK holidays for me, but having worked as a holiday rep I have seen most types of traveller/holidaymaker. And been to lots of places. I always thought it a bit sad when people arrived on holiday and did nothing but sit by the pool or on the beach all day, eating in the hotel and not experincing the local culture, But I suppose whatever takes your fancy does you good.

I have never been on a cruise, when they advertise those huge ships that look like floating towns they make me shudder, I couldn't bear not being able to get away from it all.

Fleurpepper

Agreed SquirrelSue. Each to our own- but yes, I don't get it.
People say they have been to such and such a country, but talking to them they saw nothing apart the Hôtel complex and perhaps the local town or village or beach. Seems a huge shame to me, but hey ho- as said, each to their own.

Some people, some experiences.
We are all different and some of us genuinely love immersing ourselves in the culture and life of the country we are visiting. Going back year after year to a particular holiday home or rented gîte or apartment.
You say,
People say… well I think it entirely depends who you talk to.
But I think you mean “holidaymaker” rather than “traveller” anyway - a holidaymaker may be looking for relaxation, or a stimulating experience , beach or abseiling - they are perfectly entitled to choose a particular destination which suits their tastes.
A “traveller” is, I think something different.

We like to use gîtes or villas as a base for exploring the region we are visiting. On the other hand we also loved doing a river cruise. So restful, lovely food lots of socialising and a choice of what we wanted to do. We saw an amazing Van Gogh sound and light display in a cavern last time.

I like to visit places as an independent traveller staying in small hotels/B&Bs and putting some money back into the local economy, rather than major tourist companies. I like places that are very different to home where just wondering around the back streets is an education.

I know this type of holiday would be hell to many, as would a cruise or “all in” package holiday would be for me. Good job we are all different.

One of the best places I’ve visited was Syria, but sadly no longer possible. I love exploring European cities too.