What Do the Best Travel Experiences Have in Common?

What Do the Best Travel Experiences Have in Common?

If you look back over your best travel experiences, do you tend to see a pattern?  Are your best travel experiences the ones with family?  The ones where you got to do a lot of cultural stuff, like going to the theatre or museums?  Or the ones where you could just sit back and relax on the beach?  Everyone feels differently about different vacations.  However, there are certain things that the best travel experiences have in common.  If you want to make sure your next travel experience is a great one, try incorporating some of the following elements:

Try going with a large group of people.  If you’re going on a family vacation, you could take a part of your extended family too, like aunts or cousins.  Or you can join a guided tour where a number of different types of people go on the same tour.  At first, going with a lot of different people may seem like a nuisance.  But if you think about it, it can be quite useful.  If you want to take off with your spouse for some quiet time, you can probably find someone to babysit for you in a large group.  And since different people have different talents, some may be good at directions while others might speak the language of the place you’re visiting, both of which can come in handy.  Plus, if you’re going with a group you don’t know, you’ll also get to meet different people from different backgrounds which can be enriching.

Try socializing with the locals.  When you’re going to visit a different country, keep in mind that you’re not just there to see the sights.  Going to visit a number of monuments can be interesting but hanging out with the people is even more so.  It’s always fun to strike up unexpected conversations, even if it’s just with the cabbie, the waitress in the restaurant or the concierge of the hotel.  Understanding the people who live in a certain place can round off your travel experience.

Try new things.  There’s not much point going to a new place if you’re going to keep doing the same things that you do at home.  Instead, keep an open mind about things to do.  If someone invites you to a restaurant you’ve never been to, why not go?  If someone else is going to the theater and invites you along, say yes.  The whole idea is to practice saying “yes,” just like Jim Carrey in Yes Man.  Of course, you needn’t say yes to doing anything that isn’t good for your health.  But if it’s harmless, then be flexible and do it.  You might find that you have to alter your schedule now and then to fit yourself into the plans others have made.  But eventually, you’ll find that it will be worth it.

Contact us for more tips on improving your travel experiences.