Last week a reader suggested that I wasn’t a real traveler but without qualifying why that was the case. While everyone is entitled to their opinion without justification or explanation, it got me thinking – what constitutes a “real traveler?”
Criteria
The biggest question is what qualifies a “real traveler,” and not whether one achieves it. Deciding what qualifies though could be tough because the subject matter is remarkably subjective. It might be easier to think about what components would disqualify you as a “real traveler.” First, let’s explore a few types of travelers.
The Road Warrior
My husband kind of fits into this category now, though some have it worse (or better?) This is the weekly business traveler that flies 100,000+ miles year, (and for the truly unfortunate) qualifies for top-tier status by segments. They stay in hotels 100-200 nights/year and their travel is mostly domestic. They speak in airport codes and evaluate others by whether or not they can breeze through TSA in under 90 seconds. These travelers spend more time in airports and hotels than almost any other kind of traveler, but don’t have much time for vacations and who would want to get on a plane and stay in a hotel when you’re rarely home anyway? Are they the real travelers?
The Budget Traveler
It’s a whole lot easier to fly first class than hopscotch across the planet on Spirit, Ryan Air, and Scoot. These travelers are seeing the world on a shoestring budget. It is all about the most affordable ways to make a trip happen and seeing as much as you can on as little as possible. Just like Spirit Airlines says, “Less Money. More Go” this group will spend a night in a hotel, in a hostel, a tent – even a friend’s couch – how could this group not be “real travelers?”
Luxury Traveler
First class airplane tickets and beautiful five-star hotel stays are a must for some jet-setters. It would be hard to suggest that activities reserved for the gilded class like flying private, yachting in the Mediterranean, and dining at three-star Michelin restaurants don’t provide at least some credit to being a “real traveler.” You prefer your peanuts served warm from 30,000 ft and your slippers by the bed at turn down service, is this what a “real traveler” looks like?
Family Travel
You’ve experienced all the joy of traveling with children, dealt with a jet-lagged toddler, found a way to pack your whole family in a carry-on suitcase, juggled the car seat and stroller or two, all so that you can share the world with your family. Aren’t you a “real traveler?”
Country Counters
I count countries, so does Matthew, my husband, even our daughter. But we don’t choose our destinations solely on whether or not it will expand our passport stamp collection. Does age factor in? Our four-year old daughter Lucy has been to 24 countries in her first four-years, but compared to someone who has hit 50, 75, she’s a novice. It’s hard to argue that someone who has seen 100+ countries is not a “real traveler,” but what’s the minimum if this is the criteria?
Farthest Corners
London, Paris, New York City – those are standard issue destinations and not for “real travelers” according to some. The real travelers have climbed Kilimanjaro, photographed penguins in Antarctica, been lucky enough to visit Bhutan – twice. Seeing the wonders of the world and swimming in all of the oceans over a lifetime might qualify, but is there a frequency component? This group has a decent claim, but do extreme destinations alone don you the title of a “real traveler?”
Hacker Travel
Certainly you have to be a “real traveler” if you’re not even paying for your trips, right? You know all the ways to maximize the mile per dollar and accumulate points. Flights and hotel stays are cashed in so that you can travel the world for free in style. But if travel doesn’t cost anything how important is it to you? And is this group (we are included to a certain extent) cheating the system? I thought cheaters never win.
My Two Cents
Many travelers will fall into more than one of the categories listed above and I’m certain there are loads of other categories altogether. The point is, what may tick the required “real traveler” status boxes for some, might not even touch the surface for others.
Traveling is all about the experience.
The experience you have on your journey from start to finish will define who you are as a traveler and perhaps, as a person. If you can adapt to new places, sometimes tense or scary situations and make the most of an unexpected snafu, it’s impossible not to be shaped into “real traveler.” Can you immerse yourself in a location, attempt a little bit of the language, and try local cuisines? No matter how you got there or where you stay, the ability to step out of your comfort zone and carry yourself as a guest in a new place, is what makes you a “real traveler.”
There are a lot of other words you can use too: nomad, wanderer, wayfarer; but it’s not about what title you give yourself that even matters, it’s about what you take away from your journeys that will make a world of difference.
That’s what makes you a “real traveler.”
Do you think there are qualifications that make you a real traveler? If so, what are they?
Great post, I’m a road warrior plus family traveler and love it. So many great places to see, things to do, and friends to make.
Personally, I think people spend way too much time criticizing others for not being “real” travelers. I don’t know that I’d even require “stepping out of your comfort zone”, “speaking the language” and “trying local cuisine” (or I guess the whole “you have to live like a local” thing in general) as conditions for calling something “real” travel. One of my fellow writers criticized those who go to New York and visit “tourist traps” like Times Square and don’t stay at an Airbnb as “not real travelers”, but why? If someone stays at the Grand Hyatt and visits Times Square and the Statue of Liberty, and eats at TGI Friday’s, and enjoys their trip, are they any less of a traveler than someone who stays at a hipster Airbnb in Brooklyn and eats only street food? (Me personally, I’d probably split the difference. I don’t do Airbnb, and I see the value in some tourist traps, but you know all about my infamous trips in search of food.)
That’s a long-winded way of saying, I think we ought to keep things simple – did you enjoy yourself? If so, then you must have gotten some personal enrichment out of your experience. And that, however you define it, is what makes you a traveler.
Who cares what internet trolls think. You seem a little thin skinned by writing an entire post about an empty insult. Do what you want and do it well, that’s all that matters.
Are you not yourself an internet troll by calling her thin-skinned?
Good article! I think I’m a real traveler.. been charged by an elephant and camped out in lion country in the Serengeti. Hung out in the Kremlin and was almost detained in Moscow. Loved the call to Prayer in Istanbul and Bosnia and Herzegovina… But even with all that and so much more I had a woman tell me I’m just a tourist the other day. Whatever. My journeys and adventures mean everything to me. As I’m sure yours do to you. That is what really matters.
All of these types of travellers you have identified are ‘real travellers’ in my opinion. I straddle the ‘country counter’ and ‘travel hacking’ type of travellers. I do certainly pick some destinations mainly because I have never visited that country before (for example in a few weeks I’m doing a weekend in Bratislava because I’ve never been to Slovakia before) but for long-haul trips I get such a kick out of flying in a premium cabin thanks to maximising points, mistake fares etc. The only type of traveller I would really question is anyone who claims they’ve ‘visited a country’ because they had an overnight stopover somewhere and ‘entered the country/left the airport’ by going to an airport chain hotel and gone straight to bed then left the next morning back to the airport. I did this in AUH but do not count UAE as a country I have ‘visited’.
In order to have visited a country I would argue you would need to as a bare minimum:
1. Eat a local meal at a local restaurant/market/shop/street vendor, not just a restaurant buffet at a 5 star hotel; and
2. Do some sort of tourist activity there even if its viewing a monument/attraction; and
3. Walk around a bit outside not just get bussed or driven from one place to the next.
I just found your page and I have to agree with that person. Not that you’re not a “real traveler” but if your page it’s about “traveling” or how you call it on your IG “luxury traveling” its just pictures from your hotel room and hotel food. You’re just going to hotels and I’m not sure BUT it looks like you dont experience the cities you travel to. Again I’m just judging from what I see in your page.