How much time have you spent travelling, and where would you like to go in future?

[isthisallnormal]

I didn't do the gap year thing or any travel in my twenties - just the way things worked out. Was fortunate though to visit European cities in my teens for short breaks, and then again in my thirties.

I've wanted to go to India for a long, long time and hope to some day spend a few months there, doing lots of yoga. Maybe I will be able to do this in my forties.

Would also like to see South East Asia. And Machu Picchu would be amazing.

Where have you been, and where do you want to go in future? Are the destinations you want to see doable in a couple of weeks, or do you want to go for a couple of months some day?

And finally, will long haul travel still be available over the next decade or twenty years, or will it get very expensive?

Ive been lucky that I’ve been to 45-50 countries through a combination of work and pleasure. It has been amazing and I think about those memories all the time. Due to health I haven’t been abroad since covid and miss it desperately. long haul will never go - it may get more expensive but business and families are global now. My top 3 once in a lifetime places I’ve been to so far:

1. amalfi coast - positano, sorrento, poempii all just amazing and the hotels are beautiful
2. northern lights - very cool but utterly memorable
3. South Island. New Zealand road trip - queens town, lake wanaka just incredible scenery and wonderful people.

ones that didn’t make that list…Thailand, Maldives, New York, Atlanta, Paris / Rome / Florence, Tuscany, puglia, Athens Ibiza etc etc

the one most over looked I’d say is Switzerland no beaches but the scenery is just like a postcard.

my top tip is try and take a sabbatical and get loads done at once…one trip a year it’ll take forever.

don’t take it for granted and go enjoy this wonderful world and cultures

Sorry forgot to say I enjoyed kerala region of India but I found New Delhi a bit too hectic for me. Lovely lovely people and scenery.

I’ve never travelled but I am fortunate to go on multiple holidays per year.
My favourite place is Cape Town and I would like to go to Australia.

Ive been lucky that I’ve been to 45-50 countries through a combination of work and pleasure.

Similar here. Depends how you count because some of the countries have changed names, have disputed borders etc. and frankly could be counted or not.

I fancy Bhutan, Uzbekistan, well all the Stans actually, Myanmar, Iran, Iraq, Ethiopia, Algeria.

Some of which may never be safe enough. I'm a bit of a wimp for actual danger.

MrsTerryPratchett I went to Algeria on a day trip from Corfu, it’s nice.

Wow! 45 - 50 countries! That sounds wondeful.

I think I've been to about ten Some much loved and keen to go back again.

I visited three countries in one day when I went to South America, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, that was a crazy day.

We did a “gap year” living in Melbourne in our late twenties then travelled a few months in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. travelled for work around Africa and Middle East. Did 2 weeks in Vietnam that’s very do-able.

I've currently got Guatemala, Argentina, South Africa, and Thailand on my list. Haven't done a gap yah either but tried to go on more interesting trips regularly even with kids. Personally I think trips tend to be better when you try to go off the beaten track and travel slow rather than just trying to tick off another country - for instance I loved the Languedoc and it was much cheaper than the standard 2 weeks in Nice because it was a bit of a pain to get to.

Lovely!

Have been to Russia, Australia (Darwin and Cairns), South America and many European counties (Poland twice, Spain (many parts), Greece, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Sicily etc

I have travelled a lot. I have been fortunate to find cheap flights and accommodation
Have been to most countries in Europe
A few African countries
Many Asian countries
Many Caribbean islands
A few South American countries
My next trip will be to Peru
I love travelling

Travelled loads in the past but when you have dc mostly that's curtailed to just holidays for most; although me and ds have had some great trips - Macchu Picchu, Pompeii, and Albania (arriving different ways) are the highlights. Sadly he hasn't wanted to go anywhere for ages and too old to be dragged along yet due to SN not quite capable of looking completely after himself.

But our passports are renewed and at the ready and I'm lining up a few days of respite for the days when I can take off again.

I bought a house in my 20s and had very few foreign holidays as all my money went on the mortgage.Then friends & family didn't fancy the places I wanted to go, and I stupidly let that put me off. Took the plunge on my own (joining group tours) in my 40s but work commitments limited it. Now I've taken early retirement so have plenty of time but my health/fitness are limiting what I can do.

My advice is to go where you can, while you can, especially as you never know how things will change. I didn't get to Syria (was booked to go April 2011.) Bhutan is on my list but I don't think I'll ever be fit enough. Lots of lost opportunities.

Do you mean Albania? There's no way you would do a day trip to Algeria from Corfu.

I had my gap year when I was 40.

I had a two week trip to Egypt, then flew to Nairobi and travelled on an overland truck to Cape Town, travelling through Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola, Namibia and South Africa. Took about 5 months- camping most of the time.

I did a totally mad 3 week expedition to the Mountains of the Moon in Uganda.
I’ve also done overland trips in Mali and Libya, plus Morocco with my son. We have also travelled independently in Gambia.

Ive had a few holidays in Greece which I loved so in future I’d like to do a bit of island hopping.
There are several countries in Africa I’d like to visit, some not safe so will probably not get there, my son also has family in southern Africa so one day I would like to go with him to meet them

I’ve travelled a lot, both work and pleasure.

Started inter-railing in EU as a student 25+ years ago, that progressed to an extended year travelling in SEA and India. Since done longer breaks in many countries during holidays, to tagging on weeks after work trips.

I have such a different perspective than I did from all the travel - but I also feel guilty. I mainly fly with 2 airlines long-haul and have seen how many air miles I’ve racked up (some had to be for work), think multiple, multiple times rounds the earth - let alone all the EU flights. I now feel v conflicted about it as whilst I’m ‘green’ in other areas, I’m v aware of my carbon footprint.

I've been to 35+ countries - this has been a lucky combination:
Parents working in airlines when I was a child that gave me the travel bug / cheaper travel
Getting a TEFL qualification so I have lived abroad
DH also loving travelling
DH working for airline - again cheaper flights

So many places I haven't visited though:
Iceland
Morocco
Vietnam
Egypt are top of a long list!

Top places I have visited:
Japan
Australia
Italy
Northern Ireland
China

This year I have done Dubai / Abu Dhabi and soon Italy / Switzerland and am thinking of some sort of USA trip in summer but the thread about Greyhound buses has put me off a bit - did this as a 20 something but am now far from that and will be with DD (17)

My DC also love travelling - even my grand daughter went to Mexico as a baby! Although at the time I thought they were mad doing that!

Zero, and nowhere 😃

Hahaha maybe Albania 🇦🇱

I’ve been to 55 or so countries but as someone told me recently it’s about the quality of trips not numbers - I probably don’t qualify as a good traveller as they were mostly short work trips.

Kerala, India is a lovely, reasonably calm, safe place for a yoga retreat. Varkala probably the best location to look at. Definitely avoid the Delhi - Jaipur triangle if you are a first time traveller.

I've been to about 35 countries (mix of work and general travelling).

Favourite places (mostly for scenery/rural natural beauty)

Uganda
Vietnam
New Zealand (despite its stench, I loved Rotorua)

Least favourite place

Nepal (the Monkey temple was like hell on earth to me)
New York (fun for about a day and then just dirty, busy and expensive)

I'm very lucky that as a child my parents preferred to go on one big holiday every 3-4 years rather than smaller annual holidays so I've been on some great trips. As a child I went to Australia (3 times as I have family there so grandparents paid for 2 trips for the whole family whilst they could still travel), Costa Rica, Mexico, Malaysia and Florida. As a teen I went on two 10 days trips to Europe covering Amsterdam, Prague, Budapest, Berlin, Krakow. Been to NY with DP and a few beach holidays in Portugal/Spain/Greece.

Shortfall I went to do plenty more city breaks as well as ticking off more Greek islands and parts of Eastern Europe.

Long haul top of the list are Japan, Singapore and Canada.

I've spent about 2 years travelling in total (as in continuously, not just holidays or weekend breaks.) I never did a gap year either, I saved up in my twenties to go for a year, and now in my forties DP and I have let out our house and used savings to travel for a few years (about 10 months in now.) Most of it has been across Europe, the Middle East, India and the Far East. I'm currently in Cambodia. I've been before, but China top is top of my wish list, followed by Japan, Iran, the Pamirs in central Asia and many counties in south America.

There are places I would definitely rather visit for a holiday, rather than on this long trip. South Africa, west Africa in general, the US among them.

Also meant to add I try to be as eco friendly as possible so I am starting to feel guilty for how much I want to travel, it's so hard as both are important to me. I try to remind myself that me flying once a year isn't the issue.