Choosing where to travel is one thing. Choosing what type of travel is something completely different. Are you going to travel in luxury or sleep on the ground? Are you going to travel on your own or with a group of people? We think there are so many different types of trips to take and that you should try them all at least once. These trips will help you explore new things, grow as a person, and develop your own travel style. Keep reading to see all of the best types of trips to take at least once in your lifetime.
Volunteer Travel
It is such an amazing feeling to get to know a local community by volunteering in it. This is one of the best types of trips to take because it allows you to give back to the community. I spent a few weeks in Panama in college helping to work in a traveling medical clinic. I was invited into people’s homes and shown a multitude of generosity that I haven’t experienced on any of my other travels. There are several organizations that focus on volunteer travel that cater to a variety of talents that you may have.
Road Trip
There is nothing like the freedom of the open road. Road Tripping is an art, an acquired taste and something you are in total control of. We love road trips and they are what we always gravitate towards. However, striking out and planning your first road trip can be intimidating. But don’t worry, you can do it! Whether you plan a one-day trip or a multi-day trip, try one today!
Take a trip with a parent
Remember stressed out family vacations when you were a kid? Wipe it all away with one very laid back vacation with your parent. Learn to connect as two adults who now get to be friends instead of parent and child. I road tripped along route 66 with my mom and got to stop at all the random roadside attractions and had fun just being goofy with her. Scott vacationed to Las Vegas with his dad where they got to drink beer together and be rowdy. Whatever vacation you choose, have fun together and let loose. This is one of the best types of trips to take as it allows you to visit a new place AND bond with a parent.
Conquer a fear
Take a trip that helps you conquer a fear. Even if you aren’t the type to bungee jump off of a bridge, you can always find a fear to conquer on your travels. We firmly believe in trying something that scares us at least once. So whether that’s scuba diving, traveling solo or flying for the first time, stepping out of your comfort zone will help you grow. And who knows, you may even like what you try.
Work Abroad
This is a great type of trip to take if you want to spend more time abroad or immerse yourself in a culture. Working abroad will introduce you to so many amazing people and give you such a sense of what life is like where you are working.
I spent a summer working for a non-profit child development organization in Grenada. This experience taught me so much about the culture. It also allowed me to develop a greater sense of the country and make friendships with people in a way that I hadn’t before.
Go Camping
No matter what your skill level, you can camp! A camping trip is an opportunity for everyone to disconnect from the world and reconnect with nature. Spot the stars, roast some s’mores and leave your phone at home. Camping is such a recharging experience, we think everyone should try it once.
Travel Solo
Take a trip on your own. This one is the hardest for both of us as it requires some bravery to strike out on your own. I traveled to Grenada on my own and learned to make friends in a different country and navigate public transportation on my own. Scott has traveled to Canada and New York on his own and learned to eat in a restaurant on his own. Where ever you go and whatever you decide to do, learning to do it on your own will help you build skills and independence.
Visit a National Park
There are National Parks all around the world. We love visiting these National Parks and exploring what they have to offer. National Parks trips are often times less expensive than other trips as well. You can find National Parks that offer different natural formations, wildlife and historical context so there is a National Park for everyone.
Go to a Festival
Go to a National or International Festival. Whether you want to go to a music, art, or food festival, you’ll have such a fun time exploring a small niche with really enthusiastic people. This is one of the best types of trips to take because it allows you to see a destination completely decked out for the tourist crowds. One of our favorite festivals is Tall Ships in Duluth Minnesota and the Fall Hootenanny along the Mississippi River.
Learn a New Language
I always try to learn a bit of the language when I’m traveling for emergency purposes. However, if you can level up your language skills, you’ll be one skill the wiser and travel better. If you can stay longer and immerse yourself in the language, your skills will come even quicker.
I learned French in high school and college and was able to put those skills to use and even work on my accent when I spent two weeks in France.
Live in a different country
This is one of the best types of trips to take and also requires the most commitment. Living in a different country allows you to truly explore that country. You’ll be able to spend time with locals, make friends and explore all of the off the beaten path areas.
I lived abroad for three months while working in Grenada and I was able to visit all of the top tourist destinations while I was there. Additionally, I was able to find some amazing hidden gems like waterfalls in the backyards of neighbors and an amazing roadside stop where you could feed monkeys. After coming home, I was even more appreciative of my home and I spent so much more time and effort being a tourist in my own town.
Learn a new skill while traveling
Make sure you add a skill while traveling. Whether you learn how to cook in Italy or glass blowing in Utah, we think that this will take your travel game to the next level. Adding a new skill to your travel itinerary will let you go home with a new skill which is one of the best souvenirs ever!
Go Overnight Hiking
Overnight hikes are some of the most challenging and rewarding trips to take. You’ll come out of it so proud of what you were able to accomplish, from starting your own fire to going an extra day without a shower. You can hike somewhere close to home or go abroad but the overnight experience will make you feel like a hiking champion.
There are places that you can do multi-day hikes where you can even hike from one hotel to another. So even if you aren’t a nature person you can still enjoy this type of trip. But before you set out for your hike, make sure that you have prepared for it. You’ll need to train for your trip and make sure that you have all the gear that you need before heading out.
Take an Adventure
Take a trip that is focused on doing something adventurous. You can push yourself to your limits and find out that you are strong and brave. Whether you do something challenging for a day or a week, you’ll have fun doing it and have some great stories to tell.
Our adventure trip was scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef. We had such an amazing time. It pushed us to our limits, was physically exhausting and was the best trip we’ve ever taken! If you’re looking for an adventure trip, we highly recommend focusing on scuba diving.
Visit a wonder of the world
There are some many different Wonders of the World lists out there. One of the best types of trips to take is to one of these amazing destinations. You could visit Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal or the Great Barrier Reef. Where ever you decide to go, focusing your trip around a Wonder of the World is sure to make your trip wonder-ful.
Take a luxury trip
As much as we love being one with nature, sometimes you just need to sit by the pool in between spa treatments on a luxury vacation. Whether you splurge on a fancy hotel for a night or do a full week at an all-inclusive resort take a trip where you can relax and live large. These luxury types of trips may require you to save a bit more but it’s worth shelling out the extra dough at least once to try it.
Our luxury trip was a week at an all-inclusive resort that included spa services. While we did get a bit board of sun bathing and spa treatments and left the resort to tour the jungle and go sailing, it was amazing to live large. We had couples spa treatments, room service, fancy multi-course meals, and a fancy room with a view.
Try strange food
Take a trip somewhere with completely different food and challenge yourself to only eat like a local. This will push you out of your comfort zone and let you try something you may even like. We’ve tried kangaroo in Australia (good!), salt fish for breakfast in the Caribbean (bad) and the spiciest Chorizo in Arizona.
Take a Trip with Your Adult Family
We hope that everyone has been able to take those great memory making family vacations as children where you get the fodder for stories told at holidays for the rest of your life. But what happens when everyone grows up. Take an adults-only family vacation to a fun for grown-ups destination. We’ve gone on family trips to Napa, Seattle, London and the upper Peninsula of Michigan. This type of trip helps you to re-learn how to live with your family and bond as gown adults. While this may sound stressful for some families, we think it’s worth doing at least once.
Girls/Boys Trip!
Take a trip with all of your best friends and party! Scott and I have both been on girls/boys trips to Nashville. This is a fun experience to have at least once. It lets you learn to travel with a large group – which can be challenging. You’ll also be able to do all of those fun party-type activities that you’ve wanted to try like partying the night away.
Take an Impromptu Trip
Throw a dart, spin a globe or randomly open your atlas – then go! Take a trip with no plans. This is such a fun thing to do and lets you to let go of control and just fly by the seat of your pants. You never know what hidden gems you may find in a random destination or how much fun you can have doing whatever strikes your fancy.
We think these are the best types of trips to take at least once in your life. It is our hope that you’ll get to try them all someday. We think they’ll allow you to grow as a person and develop your travel style to learn what type of travel you like to do and who you like to do it with. If you have any questions or have picked a type of trip but need some itinerary suggestions, please leave a comment below.
Great post! Love the inspiration for different travel experiences.
Awesome post filled with so many different ways of traveling and getting out of your comfort zone! Can’t wait to take my first solo trip and get out of my comfort zone!
Solo trips are amazing! Have fun and learn a lot 🙂