Different Ways To Travel?
When we think about traveling to a new place we usually go with the option that’s the most convenient. Have you ever thought about other ways of getting to your destination? There’s more than a couple of different ways to travel solo.
Booking a commercial flight is often times the easiest, but where’s the fun in that? When you think about traveling, part of the experience is how you get to your destination.
Here’s a couple of different ways to travel to your destination you might want to consider if you’re looking for a different experience from a normal flight.
Repositioning Cruises
A repositioning cruise is basically a one-way cruise. Different companies might not call it a “repositioning cruise”, but all cruise companies have this type of cruise available. This type of cruise is usually available at the end of a cruise season when cruise ships switch to another port to start a new season.
If you’re planning to travel to another country, and don’t exactly have a set date on when/if you’ll be back. This might be a good alternative to a one-way plane ticket on a cramped economy flight. The downside to this type of cruise seems to be that they’re only offered a couple times a year, and the cruise will most likely take much longer than a typical one-way flight.
They’re also far more cheaper than a normal cruise, but still more expensive than a typical one-way flight. Even so, If you have the means It might not be a bad idea paying a little extra for comfort. Not to mention the experience of taking a cruise while potentially stopping at a couple different ports along the way could be a great way to kick start a solo trip to another country.
The 3 Major Cruise Lines
If you want to look more into repositioning cruises. You may have to call the cruise lines directly or talk to a travel agent to find specific prices. These are the three major cruise lines.
- Carnival
- Royal Caribbean
- Norwegian Cruise Line
These are the parent companies of other popular cruise lines. looking into these companies would be a good start if you want to know more about the different cruises available.
Travel Abroad Programs
If you want to avoid the hassle of planning everything, you might want to look into travel abroad programs. Travel abroad programs aren’t anything new, but if you’re traveling solo you might as well consider all the options available to you
After all, you are on your own, and finding as many resources to help you with your travels is more than just good advice it’s a necessity.
Joining a program can also help you meet people while abroad. It’s easier to become friends with people when you’re all in the same program together. When you’re traveling solo it’s always a good idea to find people you can rely on.
- GoAbroad.com – This website has a ton of information about the types of travel abroad programs and different programs across the world.
- Different Travel Programs:
- Study abroad programs
- Language programs
- work abroad programs
- Teach abroad programs
- Volunteer programs
- Adventure travel programs
- Different Travel Programs:
Some travel abroad programs can be pricey, but there’s also some that are either free or inexpensive. It’s good to note that even if a program is free or relatively cheap you still want to make sure you have extra funds just to be on the safe side.
Even if a program seems expensive, these types of programs usually come with other benefits like free housing, food, tours, and other resources to help you navigate the country/city. So if you have the money, and want guidance while traveling this could be a good option for you.
Train Travel
Sort of an old school way to travel, but it can turn out to be an enjoyable experience. Seeing sights you would only get to see from the window seat of a train. Could be a great opportunity to get a couple of good pictures to look back on. Also, traveling by train will have you experiencing a destination in a way that taking a plane could never provide.
The downside to this is that depending on what country you’re in, and what company you go through, train travel can either be more or less expensive than taking a plane. Some trains even have amenities you can find in a luxury hotel. Almost like a luxury hotel experience on wheels.
Here’s a couple of websites to check out if your looking for train trips in other countries.
- 12Go – This company offers trains, buses, ferries, and flight tickets mainly across Asia and some parts of Europe.
- Trip.com – Offers trains, cars, hotels, attractions and other services across the major continents around the world.
- Omio.com – Trains, buses, flights, and ferries. This site focuses more on tickets you can purchase for travel around Europe.
It’s always good to compare prices from different companies to get the best deal. These websites also cover most of the main continents across the world.
Recommendation’s By Locals
This in my opinion is the best way to find other ways of getting around. Especially If you’re traveling on your own. Befriending locals will always be a challenge, but if you’re able to break the ice, and maintain a real friendship with a local they can be a wealth of information.
The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to stay in a place a little longer than you originally planned. I know it’s difficult staying in a place if you have plans traveling to multiple destinations (sometimes it’s better to take it slow),
but to make a real connection with anyone (doesn’t matter if they’re from a different country or not), it only makes sense that it would take some time to develop any type of relationship.
If you want to look at this from a practical point of view, it would only prove to be a benefit knowing people in different places (part of solo travel is being street smart after all). It also just feels good to know that you made a friend in another place.
The “How” Could Make All The Difference
Most people like to focus on the end goal of travel. Which is important, but thinking of different ways on how to travel to your destination could leave you with more opportunity than you originally anticipated.
Maybe you meet new people, and decide to change your plans on the fly. Or you might even discover an interesting destination you might have overlooked when planning for your trip.
Of course it all depends on your goals, and it might not be as great as I’m making it out to be, but isn’t that the point of travel? Taking a chance on the unknown, and seeing where it all takes you.
The most convenient way is most likely the safest, and surest way to get to your destination, but when you confine yourself to only taking the most convenient path you might miss out on an experience worth having.
If you’d like to read more on solo travel or just travel in general check out the main page at Traks&Paks.
