There are so many purposes and ways of traveling that you may not even have thought of, but that’s what makes it so exciting. There isn’t just one way to travel – it’s what works best for you and the time in your life. To learn more about the types of vacations that you can take throughout your lifetime, here are 30 different types of travel styles that you can choose from. You may find that you veer more towards one category and are even a mix of a few different ones – and that’s great! Because the more you travel, the more you get to learn about yourself and others. Use this list to inspire travel in you, your friends, and your family. Or try them all and check each one off of your travel bucket list!
For Nearby Travel
1 – Day Trips
Day trips are probably the easiest kind of trip to take as you don’t necessarily need to take any time off to make one of these happen. It’s also the cheapest way to travel as you can drive to your destination there and back within one day and you won’t need to spend on flights or accommodations. They also make for a very convenient getaway and work well for a quick change of scenery when needed.
You can even Make Local Trips As Exciting As International Adventures For Every Traveler.
2 – Road Trips
A level up from day trips is road trips. Technically a day trip is a road trip, but when I’m thinking of road trips, I’m picturing that I’ll be gone for at least a minimum of 2 days and I can be anywhere within my province or even all the way across the country. You could even be doing road trips in another country as long as you have a way for transportation for your journey. It’s also a great way to travel according to your time and interests and perfect for seeing everything along the way.
Here are 22 Vital Lessons Learned On My Summer Road Trips – you may find this useful as you plan our own.
3 – Weekend Getaways
Other different types of travel styles for nearby travel include weekend getaways. And I find these especially exciting and worth it if you have a long weekend getaway, with a statutory holiday or adding your own personal time off to your regular weekend. I like to take advantage of these kinds of time off and make it into a weekend getaway so that I can insert some adventure into my otherwise boring work week.
For destination inspirations, here are Long Weekend Getaways For Canadians to take.
For The Solitary Wanderers
4 – Business Travel
If you’re lucky enough to get to go on business trips and it’s a location you would want to explore, take advantage of the opportunity while you’re abroad! Usually, you’ll either travel on your own or with coworkers. And if your significant other is able to, then you can bring them along with you and you can save on their hotel (and sometimes even food) expenses since it’s covered by your company. But for the most part, you’ll likely be traveling on your own – and to be honest, I rather spend the time alone away from coworkers while I’m on business trips after work hours. I’m already spending all day with them, I really need a break at night! I sometimes extend my business trip by a day or two, pay my own hotel and other expenses and explore the city I’m in. because who knows when or if I’ll ever visit again!
For those trying to take advantage of business travel, here’s How To Work And Travel At The Same Time.
5 – Digital Nomad Travel
For those who are lucky enough to be location-independent and have the flexibility to work remotely at all times, this type of travel can be done anytime and anywhere. You can work and travel at the same time, for months on end and can move about as you please. This makes it so convenient for traveling purposes and exploring the world, and it really saves you time and money of having to take multiple trips when you need to request time off from work in order to get your “yearly vacation”. Of course, you probably need to keep in mind your country’s rules of how long you can be out of the country otherwise there will be tax repercussions or you lose your health benefits and such.
6 – Solo Travel
One of the most popular types of travel styles is to experience traveling on your own. It is a great way to get to know yourself and discover how you can adjust to being outside of your comfort zone. It also allows you to push the boundaries of what you are familiar with, be more present and alert wherever you are, and maybe even come out of your shell. There are so many positives to traveling solo, but of course you’ll need to be wary of your safety as well.
Here are the Best Advice Solo Female Travelers Need To Know.
For Group Travel
7 – Couples Romantic Getaways
One of the types of travel styles that you may tend to go on more often as you grow a little older and wiser in your years are couples’ romantic getaways. I always find this to be fun as I love traveling with my significant other and seeing the world together and experiencing new activities that we don’t normally do back home. It’s also nice being able to focus on each other with slightly fewer distractions and spend time together and figure out how to travel together or even co-habitat for a short duration. Or if you’re already married, it’s always good to have those romantic times away together rather than just your weekly dates or nights out.
8 – Girls’ Trips
It’s always a good idea to go on a girls’ trip at least once or a few times in your life! It’s a great way to get to know your friends better, do the girly things you want, and go on adventures you’ll talk about for years to come. I’ve been on several of these with different girlfriends and had an amazing time, but I do also want to say that these trips can even make or break a friendship. Depending on how much you are on the same page, the things you want to do, or even how high maintenance someone can be – it’s something to take into consideration. But if you think your friendships are strong enough, these will be some of the best trips you’ll ever take.
Here are 8 Important Lessons I Learned When Traveling.
9 – Boys’ Trips
Just like a girls’ trip, a boys’ trip is occasionally needed as well. Having that guy time is important to let loose and be able to have that social connection that just isn’t the same with the opposite sex. Obviously, there will need to be a certain level of trust here because I know many women are not always okay with these kinds of trips. But I always think it’s healthy and much needed for my man to have his time with his friends. He’ll always appreciate it too.
10 – Family Trips
Another one of the most popular types of travel styles and probably one of the first kinds you’ll go on is none other than a family trip. It’s the perfect way for families to spend time together and have fun outside of their daily routines. The kids can have time away from school and the adults can take time off work to actually enjoy their hard-earned money with their families. It’s even better when you can go on these trips with extended families. My grandma used to take about 16 of us to go on family cruises every year and it was a major vacation we looked forward to all the time.
For Theme-Based Travel
11 – Special Occasions
One of the most fun types of travel styles is those for special occasions. This can include birthdays, bachelor/bachelorettes, weddings, honeymoons, anniversaries, graduations, or whatever else occasion that may be important to you. It’s a sure way to celebrate an occasion to the next level and make it even more meaningful and memorable.
12 – Dark Tourism
Dark tourism may be a type of travel style that is not often taken, but it is an interesting one. It is a trip specifically to visit places where some of the darkest histories have taken place. It helps you better understand history as well as gives you an opportunity to immerse yourself in it. This could include war tourism, prison tourism, disaster tourism, ghost tourism, and more.
13 – High-Risk Area Traveler
If you can believe it, there are some people who like to take advantage of cheap flight tickets and travel to high-risk areas. Others who do fly to these high-risk countries may also be there for other reasons including photojournalism, visiting family, or just wanting that experience. Of course, you’ll need to go with a high degree of caution.
For Purposeful Travel
14 – Culture Tourism
Traveling for the sake of learning about your or others’ culture and history is a kind of trip that is taken quite often as well. Educating yourself through travel and absorbing a different country’s culture that way is one of the best ways to do it. You can take the time to learn some of the language, traditions and values, foods, and even religion to better understand the country and its people.
15 – Event Travel
A big reason for many people to travel can include an important event like a concert, a sporting game, a convention, a fashion show, or others. Sometimes these events don’t always happen in your hometown and you need to head to the nearest city or country to be able to attend these sorts of things. It’s a great reason to travel and you can even allocate some leisure travel and fun time while you’re going on your trip for these purposes.
16 – Sustainable Travel / Ecotourism
These types of travel styles are based on the principles of sustaining the environment as well as the social, and economic values of a country or place. This kind of responsible travel takes into consideration and prioritization the conservation of the environment, the well-being of the locals, and aims to minimize the negative impacts of traveling to a certain location. Being more eco-conscious and aware of how you can positively or negatively impact a place that you visit during your travels can make a world of a difference to the community there. You can consider staying at hotels that are more eco-friendly, such as those that are committed to carbon-zero existence and those that integrate waste reduction and incorporate elements of nature to reuse water or produce energy.
17 – Nature And Wildlife Tourism
Going on a trip solely for nature and wildlife is a specific type of travel style that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a great experience to enjoy if you do go on one of these adventures. For example, the Great Migration safari in East Africa is a sight to see and you’ll be able to experience seeing all the herds and millions of animals going across Kenya and Tanzania. Even going gorilla trekking, visiting penguins in Antarctica, and exploring the Amazon are some pretty serious wildlife adventures to go on!
18 – Volunteer Travels
One of the most meaningful types of travel styles is volunteer travel. You’re spending the time, money, and effort to go to a different country and volunteer to help them improve their community, build homes or schools, and even water systems. Mixing humanitarian work with recreational travel is an opportunity that can serve both you and others. I have always wanted to volunteer at Habitat For Humanity to help build houses abroad, and I hope to be able to do so one day. If I am able to find other causes that I am interested in, I will definitely add it to my list!
19 – Religious Tourism
Religious, spiritual, or sacred tourism are types of travel styles with a goal of pilgrimage or education through the exploration of religious artifacts, places, monuments, and sacred sites. One of the most well-known religious journeys is the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia or Israel’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
20 – Slow Travel
A type of travel style that is gaining popularity is slow travel. Because of the longer length of time spent, or being more intentional with what you do and where you go when visiting a foreign country, you are able to take the time to explore, self-reflect, and understand the history, culture, and environment of a particular area. You can better connect with the local people and their way of life, which in turn can impact both you and them in a way where you can’t if you were constantly jumping from place to place, only seeing the tourist attractions. Being in the moment and being present to support local businesses and giving yourself time to be a part of it all will provide more meaning to your travels.
Health And Wellness Travel
21 – Health And Wellness
For those who are prioritizing their health and wellness, these types of travel styles have the purpose of self-care, relaxation, and finding yourself. Yoga and detox retreats, rejuvenation getaways, and even sports retreats prioritize physical and mental health. With how fast-paced everything is nowadays, sometimes this type of travel will really do you wonders and come back home with a different perspective on taking care of yourself.
22 – Medical Travel
Those who are seeking medical procedures sometimes opt for an out-of-country experience since they either do it better, or the prices are much cheaper than doing it at home. For example, flying to Gangnam, South Korea for facial treatments and even surgery is cheaper than doing it in North America and cost a fraction of the price you would otherwise spend at home. Brazil is also well-known for their body enhancement surgeries and many fly there to get some work done as well. Others also fly to different countries for non-elective procedures and it could be a matter of life or death. But always keep in mind to do your research and to choose a practitioner who is well-known, regulated, and legal! There could be so much that could go wrong especially when you have to do an invasive procedure and you want to make sure this will be a good experience for you.
Relaxing Getaways
23 – Ocean Lovers
One of my favorite types of travel styles is for ocean lovers to experience a relaxing getaway in the water. Seeing or being near water rejuvenates the soul and instantly makes me happy and I love diving and exploring the ocean to see all the sea life. It’s also a challenge to the body as well. Beach vacations are one of the most-taken trips when someone decides to travel because it really revitalizes you and it’s all about rest and relaxation.
24 – All-Inclusive Getaways
The easiest type of vacation to take are the all-inclusive getaways. You don’t have to worry about much especially when you pay one price and your flight, accommodations, and food is all included. The most you’ll probably have to think about is what excursion you want to take if you want to escape from the resort property or what you’ll be wanting to eat for your next meal. These are great for first-time travelers or if you are traveling in a large group as everything is mostly already organized for you.
Fun Travel
25 – Adventure Travel
For those who love adventure and new experiences, this type of tourism involved some level of risk and potentially needing certain skills and physical strength to do. This could include camping, backpacking, sailing, rock climbing, ziplining, cave diving, and more. It’s about connecting with the new location you’re in while challenging your mind and your body to stay active as well as quench the adventurer thirst in you.
26 – Culinary / Gastronomy Tourism
A very exciting and rewarding type of travel is to go on vacation just for the food! Having your palate guide your adventures and where you go next and fulfilling your food cravings (probably brought on by all the food TV shows) can be very satisfying. You can take cooking classes abroad, try to visit all the night markets and street food stalls, eat at all the best restaurants in a certain country, and participate in local culinary festivals. I don’t necessarily travel for food, but it’s one of my favorite things I look forward to when I’m visiting a new destination. Even in my hometown, I’m constantly looking at new restaurants to visit and my list has grown to over 300 – not sure how I’m going to do it all, but I’m going to try.
Extravagant Travel
27 – Gambling Tourism
Gambling tourism is widely growing and these types of trips are for those who can manage their money and have good discipline and self-control – although that is not always the case. Traveling to a location where gambling is legal and popular – such as Las Vegas, Singapore or Macau – is all about the fast, luxurious, and extravagant lifestyle. If your only intention is to gamble, these types of trips are not for the faint of heart. My brother once told me when his friend worked at one of these hotels, he got tipped a luxury car!
28 – Fashion Tourism
For those who are very fashion-oriented, flying to Milan or Paris is just another day. Attending fashion shows around the world and getting custom designs at famous ateliers is the purpose of your travel – it’s something you live and breathe. If you are a boutique owner, it’s also normal to take these frequent trips to different destinations to source your jewelry and meet your suppliers for new designs and stock.
29 – Luxury Travel
Probably one of my favorite types of travel styles is luxury travel. This travel style is all about lavishness, comfort, indulgence, and pampering. It’s always nice to have these kinds of vacations as a way to treat yourself, do something special for your significant other, or have an experience you wouldn’t normally have. As high maintenance as you may think I am (haha!), this type of travel doesn’t always work for me as I am very adventurous and sometimes a little too practical – I worry more about exploring a new country than getting spa treatments there. But when I visit a destination that is for luxury travel, I love to take it all in, relax, and get the treatment I deserve! I know a lot of people only vacation this way since it’s a lifestyle that they’re used to, and I wouldn’t suggest otherwise if it’s how they like to travel!
Other Types Of Travel Styles
30 – Budget Travel
Completely opposite of luxury travel is budget traveling. For those who are intent on experiences and visiting as many places as possible, budget travel is what makes sense and can save you a lot of money to do other things. Being cost-conscious and always looking for the next best deal by booking a flight with multiple layovers, staying at low-cost accommodations like hostels, and only paying for budget-friendly foods and experiences can help you go a lot farther if you are comfortable with these choices. The less money you spend at once, the more you can spend for a longer period of time in multiple places – or you can of course allocate this towards other expenses that are important to you.
For those who would rather stay home, here is How To Plan The Perfect Staycation.