What kind of traveller are you?

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.

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.

Snap grandtante

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Like many on here. We’re a mixture. We like city breaks, road trips and beach holidays . We normally book independently and book self catering or b & b . So that we can experience local cuisine . I detest organised tours so we diy , ditto evening entertainment .If a beach holiday we hire a car to give us independence and alternate beach days and exploring days . On exploring days we jump in the car and head off away from the coast and the crowds . Just meander and sometimes get lost . Finding villages, beautiful churches and restaurants half the price of those on the coast . I also love sitting in squares or piazzas just people watching . My DH is a petrol head , loves driving and one of our dream holidays is a road trip through Italy.
We’ve done AI in Mexico , Cuba and the Dominican Republic and although the hotels have been 5* and fabulous, we get stir crazy after a few days and have to leave to explore the area . Hence we now go b & b in the Caribbean and find a hotel walking distance from the town .
I don’t fancy a cruise as I hate huge hotels with loads of people .
We’re going to Spain next month to see friends and the Greek islands of Mykonos, Paros and Naxos in September.
We’re now retired and have some bucket list places on the agenda

I love cruises, we always eat by ourselves. It’s nice to see new places but it’s very much a whistle stop tour. We booked a tour of Sicily a few years ago and, although I loved Sicily, I hated having to eat with strangers every night. It was made worse by the fact that it was all buffet meals so you weren’t even sitting down at the same time and everybody was bouncing up and down all through the meal to replenish their plates or get their next course whilst other people were still on previous courses. It was like being in a over priced roadside cafe.

We always booked independently and often had 2 or 3 centre holidays where we would go to cities and see things like galleries or any thing interesting/cultural and then end up on a beach or by a pool for the last week or so for relaxation. Have been on cruises but only on small ships ( Regent Seven Seas) to places like Alaska and Russia where we were able to visit all the sites we wanted to without any of the hassle.

All the cruises we have been on had a proper waiter service restaurant included in the price, as well as the buffet. You could choose to sit with a group or sit in a twosome. We used the buffet for breakfasts and lunches and always sat at a table on our own.
Also have to agree with skate about solo cruising. We met a lovely elderly gentleman who was on his own. As he said, he could be on his own for a week at home seeing no one much or he could take a cruise, meeting new folk. He never got off the boat but just enjoyed all the company, the activities, waiter service for meals and drinks and the staff who really looked after him. It was Tui cruise, always very friendly.

No cruises for me as I suffer badly from Vertigo and have been advised that it could be a permanent thing if I were to go on the water for an extended amount of time.
I am an adventurer willing to take the local transport to visit all the sights, go to non touristy areas to see how the other half live, etc. DH likes a "holiday" so wants to sit in an all inclusive hotel and rest. We compromise. We go to a resort where he can enjoy the food and drink whilst sitting by the pool every other day. On the other days, we go where I want to go. It works or us.

How do you manage on 'local transport' if you can't cope with sea travel? I've been far sicker on bumpy local buses than on ships which only cause motion sickness on rough seas but are generally lovely and smooth and glide along.

We like cruising. Turn up at terminal, hand over car keys and cases and very efficient and quick boarding. Disembarkation also well organised. The onboard entertainment is plenty and diverse - theatre, films, pubs, clubs, coffee, guest speakers (Gervaise Phinn on our most recent cruise), art gallery (and art talks) and enough time in ports to make the visit to them worthwhile ... and decide whether it is a place you'd like to re-visit for longer in the future. There are pools and jacuzzi's, a spa and deck games (quoits,shuffleboard, archery crazy golf and even a skywalk activity. You can dine as a twosome or share a table or visit buffet. It's all so easy - especially as we get older.

Over my life time have done all sorts. After I was grown up and did not have to travel with parents, I walked and bussed round cornwall, went by road in a mini van and camped all over europe especially to transyllvania, roumania and down to istanbul. Have always loved Venice so tended to call there on the way to or from somewhere else we had visited. Lived for two years in Portugal and was a professional singer there so met many different people and found out lots of things through getting to know people. Worked for a n airline so went to Thailand, never got to Macchu Picu or Ulan Bator, which I had hoped to. Sailed my own old westerly centaur all round outer hebrides and ireland etc etc Lived in Damascus. Done a lot of camping round uk, then when my back didnt allow me to camp did a lot of YHA or b/b on farms mostly. Was never interested in cruising - certainly on big boats- like going alone where you are obliged - well i enjoyed - to speak to local people , but now with health problems and not being able to do all the walking I used to, have been on a Fred Olsen ship to portugal and maderia on a cheap last minute offer. Of course had lived there so didnt go on any trips from the boat but had a great time going by train or bus to old haunts and visitng botanical gardens etc. So am now going up to Norway on another trip. Same Idea, small ship, do my own thing, have been quite a lot to sweden and denmark but never got to Norway. So going on my own cheapest way possible and will enjoy doing my own thing, whilst being able to have excellent food and swim etc on the boat as I need to take it a bit easier than before. enjoy taking my binoculars and getting up very early and just watching the sea, the places and feeling that at least I can still manage to do a bit even if not as I used to be able to. As you say, Each to their own. Dont think I would enjoy a large ship with loads of people but with the pandemic and less people aboard found the firs trip fine. shall see how this one works out.

Not my idea of cruising any more though janipans. We really only like the much smaller ships that focus on interesting itineraries and don't have pubs/clubs/shows etc.
River cruising is lovely. Slow paced and smaller ships. We always meet up with interesting people and enjoy the company at meals (or not if we prefer). I like that we can land in the centre of small villages and wander off if we want to rather than go on organised tours.

Aveline

How do you manage on 'local transport' if you can't cope with sea travel? I've been far sicker on bumpy local buses than on ships which only cause motion sickness on rough seas but are generally lovely and smooth and glide along.

I don't travel on local transport. I have always suffered with car sickness if I travel in the back and there are certain cars which cause me to be sick in the front. I have always suffered with seasickness too. My Mum had a boat and I couldn't sit on it for long in the Harbour. When I got off it, I got giddy from the land appearing to move. It is the most horrible affliction and according to the consultant, if I went on a cruise, when I got off at the end of it, I might suffer that giddiness on land which would not switch off again. Quite frankly, it wouldn't be worth the risk to me.

icanhandthemback I am another who suffers from travel sickness. I am alright on a bus or coach travelling down a motorway at a steady speed, but once it is stopping and starting, and going round bends and corners, I go green.

I am OK in cars if I sit in the front or am driving, although a holiday in Wales a couple of years ago, showed that if the roads are bumpy and windy, as they all seemed to be, even driving was no protection against travel sickness.

On ships, I am weather dependent and never travel without seasick pills. We go to France a lot and, fortunately most seasick tablets are based on antihistamins, which have the same effect on me as a blow to the head. I am asleep within minutes and will sleep for hours without waking, no matter how bad the weather, by which time we have arrived. The downside is I feel half with it and drugged for the next 12 hours.

It's awful, isn't it, M0nica. At the time I was given the travel advice, I was struggling to get off the sofa. A heavy bout of rain when I was driving back at night, with the windscreen wipers going at full speed, was enough to trigger a vertigo attack which went on for months. The body is an incredible thing...until it goes wrong!

Thankfully I do not suffer from vertigo, but not being able to travel by bus is a real disadvantage. Local buses with their stopping and starting are where I am most likely to feel queezy. It means taxis to and from the station, which in our area are very expensive, or nearly as expensive car park charges.

Fortunately several park and rides in our local city are within 2 miles of the town centre, so I specifically choose them so that I can walk to and from town rather than use the bus.

A friend of mine suffered from Ménières, a severe form of vertigo. She had the Epleys manoeuvre several times and all sorts of treatments. But it was debilitating and she was not allowed to drive. Her OH was a keen sailor, but she never went with him because of the above. One Summer, he begged her to go with, taking a sailing boat from Croatia to Italy. She finally gave in. One night they had a terrible storm, and she pushed around all over the place, so sick, and very angry. When she woke up- for the first time in years- she was 'cured'. And it never came back.

Used to love beach holidays with warm sea and water sports - we all enjoyed waterskiing, among others, and dds were true water babies from 2 or 3 - in pool or sea virtually all day - so utterly worn out by bedtime.

Those days are past, but I do still love some warm Vitamin Sea. Greece is a favourite now, since we can combine Vitamin Sea with so many antiquities, traditional village tavernas, etc., not to mention exercising our limited Greek, though dh’s is a lot better than mine, since he worked for many years with Greek speakers on site.

But dh and I have been well off the beaten tourist track several times, inc. in Indonesia, where he was based for a year or so. Lake Toba in particular stands out there, astonishingly scenic - and at the time it was dirt cheap. We had a whole cottage a few steps from the edge of the lake (which was lovely to swim in) for IIRC £12 a night! And eating out was largely on the little verandahs of local people’s houses - they were very happy to cook for the few (at the time) tourists.

Sorry did not explain, the Epleys manoeuvre is done by a doctor or physio, 'throwing' the patient around in a specific and precise way, to try to re-arrange the cristals in the inner ear which are causing the nausea and vertigo)