Family travel, backpacking, luxury travel, adventure travel,… When you are talking about travel, it isn’t really talking about just travel, is it? There are many different aspects to travel. Travel is like music. Just like not everyone likes classical music or hip-hop, not everyone wants to spend their entire holiday on a beach or in museums. When planning a vacation it is of great importance to know what you want to get out of your time away from home and work.

First, let’s figure out the purpose of your holiday or vacation. Some people like sports, other people are into history. While certain people travel to relax and get away from it all, other people jump on planes in search of thrills and adventure. What are you looking for? If your job is stressing you out or your children are too much sometimes, then a relaxing beach holiday may be for you. City breaks are usually ideal for people who are interested in architecture, food and/or history. Mountain ranges, deserts and woods attract the adventurous types – cyclists, hikers, canoeists… What you do is, of course, completely up to you and is strongly influenced by your purpose for travelling. Therefore it is important to determine why you are going on a holiday in the first place.

The second aspect to take into consideration is how long you should go on a holiday. Most people have between ten and thirty vacation days in a year, depending on the country they live in. If you have only ten vacation days you may want to save them up and use them to go on a two-week holiday in summer. On the other hand, if you happen to live in a country that allows thirty days of vacation, you can start thinking about longer holidays, multiple times per year, to various destinations. Many people also prefer to go on weekend trips – Friday evening to Sunday evening – which doesn’t require them to use any precious vacation days, but still allows them to see a new place. Again, how long your vacation should be depends on what you want out of it.

A third and important something to consider is whether to travel with friends or family or to travel alone. Each has its pros and cons. Family holidays can be great fun and are a good way to spend quality time together outside of the daily environment. When travelling with friends it is important to decide what the vacation is going to be about. Is it partying or adventuring or road tripping? You need to know what the other people in the group want and expect. When travelling with friends for a longer period of time, a good level of understanding is essential. Travelling as a couple is something else. Longer periods of travelling together can really make or break a relationship. The memories you create will last a lifetime, but remember to give each other some space from time to time. When travelling solo you really need to take care of yourself and you will be vulnerable sometimes, but a big pro is that when alone you will also meet lots of new people and easily make new friends.

Last, are you a luxury, budget or mid-range traveller? The purpose of your holiday will give you answer to that question.

Some of the above-mentioned aspect you will already know, while others may only be learned from experience. Also keep in mind that your travel style may – and–probably will – change over time. You might also find that your choices in travel wardrobe change as you get older…..

photo credit: Vanessa (EY) via photopin cc