4 Ways To See The World
The old movie, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” describes many forms of transportation that can be used during your traveling experiences. These days, there are more options than ever before when you choose to travel. There are many price points to fit into every budget and each form of travel has its own unique advantages.
Guided Tours
In the old days, these “bus tours” were considered crowded and rushed. Today, many tour operators have modified their coaches to include Wi-Fi, and extra leg room. They have restricted the number of passengers per coach to allow guest to have plenty of room to spread out. We have taken two different guided tours and the key word to remember is not bus or motor coach, its guide. The guides on these modern tours are well-informed and will educate you about the culture, history and lore of your destination. They are a built-in guidebook with information about each stop and in many cases, they can get your group local experiences that you could not get traveling on your own.
Cruises
The people who choose cruises as their form of travel are a group unto themselves. You either love this style or you don’t. It is always good to try each style of travel to find out which suits your individual travel needs the best. The advantages of a cruise are that you can see many different places, while remaining in the same hotel-style cabin and unpacking once. A cruise ship will stop for several hours at each port of call and you can experience the attractions and activities in that port or remain on board and enjoy all the amenities that the ship has to offer. There are many different sizes of cruise ships and many different price points. Some cruises can be found for as little as $499 per person and include all your meals. Other cruise experiences can be much more luxurious and pricey. There is a cruise experience for every type of cruise traveler from oceans to rivers, boats are very popular.
Resort Vacations
A resort vacation is for the traveler who wants to stay in one destination. The Caribbean and Mexico offer a wide variety of resort experiences. Some resorts cater to families, while others are for couples only. Many of them are all-inclusive and include your food, water activities, drinks and sometimes even gratuities. The advantage to this type of travel is that you are in one destination for a period of time. You can explore outside the resort on day trips or stay in and relax by the beach or pool. Either way you can rest assured that you have a place to lay your head and eat your meals without any extra expenses.
Self-Guided Trips
This is the way that I have traveled for many trips. I have vacationed in all four modes of travel that I have outlined today, but I have probably done this the most. It is not because it is better, it was simply because I love to research and plan trips. The bonus is that I also get to travel on them. This mode is great for those that do not want to be tied to a schedule. You can still have your hotel or bed and breakfast booked for the night, but you are free to travel the back roads and villages to get there. If you need to change your route to visit some place that you just heard about, it is possible, as long and you have refundable reservations and your own car. There are also companies that promote “self-guided drive tours”. They will book your accommodations, purchase any ferry tickets and draw you a map to interesting places. All you have to do is drive and show up at your resting place by evening. This mode is almost the best of both worlds. You have the experience of a tour company to choose your route and destinations, but the freedom of diving yourself and guiding your days.
How ever you choose to travel for your next vacation, I know that your experiences will change your view of the world around you and help you to understand the cultures and destinations that share the world with us. There are many ways to experience the world around us through travel. Each one offers its own unique experiences to see new places and new faces.