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?

I guess this was to see the Iguazu Falls - I think that's one of the most amazing places I've seen in my life.

I'm late 30s, visited 40+ countries in every continent bar Antarctica.

TOP 3:
Argentina
Croatia
India

BOTTOM 2 (not many places I've not enjoyed):
Brazil
Dubai

TO DO LIST:
Japan
South Africa
Canada

Long haul travel doesn't need to be expensive if you do your research. Book everything yourself and go for AirBnB's rather than hotels. Flight prices are undoubtedly on the rise and will likely continue to go up, so that'll be the sticking point for most.

Keep an eye on budget airlines for European trips, see where the cheapest flights are to. I've been to loads of European cities that I hadn't previously considered just because it was cheap to get there.

I agree that slow and immersive is best. Some people tick things off and if you try to cover too much ground you realise that half of the time was checking in and out of accommodation and travelling between places on public transport which may but be a pleasurable experience.

We have worked out that you can squeeze almost a month out of the xmas break if you are still working and get a great deep experience if you research and focus on one area…..if funds allow you can do this every year. It would be long haul because of the weather. But we have been to India, Brazil, Australia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Colombia this way over the years.

I am noting PP about doing it when younger and plan to ‘save’ much of Europe until I retire.

Spent about 3 years travelling

Still on to do list South America, Iraq, Japan and Antarctica

Around 40 countries due to work and leisure, although that slowed down considerably 15 years ago due to having a baby, changing my line of work and yes, guilt over flying. Mainly w Europe and E Africa. I'm longing to do more in the next few years if finances allow. Japan is high on the list but I'd like to do more train travel around Europe.

Just looked through a list of countries of the world and I've been to 19, although one was Vatican and another San Marino, so only went for a afternoon.

I used to travel about quite a lot - as a teacher I got 13 weeks a year, which was fab! But somehow I stopped. Kids made it more awkward (and more expensive) and because id made connections in certain places I found I was visiting those places over and over to see friends id made. Then pandemic stopped it all.

Over last year or so I have got this feeling that I need to show my kids more of the world before they are adults. They are teens now so travel much more easily with me. We've been to a few European destinations (that I'd already been to - stuff I wanted to show the kids) and planning a long haul this winter (to another place I've already been - won't be adding to my total anytime soon).

Fave countries:
Canada
Italy - particularly southern, Rome, Naples.
France - the language, the rivers, the beaches, the mountains, Paris, the coffee, and it's just across the channel!

I want to get more into slow travel - trains, buses, ferries etc.

My dream trip would be the slow route to visit New Zealand - over land, then island hop as far south as possible before flying the last leg.

I've been to loads of different places through a combination of two gap years, a sabbatical from work, living abroad, work travel and holidays (pre children not sure when I'll next get anywhere exciting now 😢).

I highly recommend South America for the scenery and variety, but it's obviously a big place. It's possible to rush round, and see the highlights, but if you are able to take the time and get more of a feel for a place, it's definitely better.

However,life is such that can't always be done, and I'd say I think you can actually get anywhere in the world and make a good job of it in two weeks, you just have to focus in on where you really want to go... for example:

Two weeks in Australia: I'd only visit one state
Two weeks in New Zealand: I'd only visit one island
Two weeks in South America: Peru only, or Chile only, or Northern Argentina only.

Now, I'm saying that on the basis of wanting to immerse yourself, but if you were dead set on e.g. Machu Picchu, Iguazu Falls and Rio, for example, and don't think you'd be able to make a repeat trip, you can do that. You just need to take internal flights and move at a pace.

Lucky to have been all over the world. My favourites are Argentina, Egypt and northern Spain. I spent two years in Australia as a young twentysomething and travelled through Asia on the way home so got to experience a lot there.
My bucket list now has Japan on the top.

Yes, absolutely incredible.

I've been to 26 countries including Aus and NZ. Best things have been Iguazu Falls, Japan generally, Croatia, Mostar in Bosnia Herzegovina, Abel Tasman National Park in NZ, Sydney and Florence.

I've travelled in the past and worked in different continents but I got back to my small shire in England and could quite happily stay here forever!

If you want to travel that's brilliant, you should do it

I've travelled a lot and we've been fortunate enough to bring dd along too since she was a baby (she's late teen now) she's been to Australia 4 times, Asia, Canada, as well as the majority of European countries and many multiple times.

We travel for pleasure and I travel for work too. This year I will be abroad a minimum of 8 times, all to different places and one of them is a month long trip to a major European capital. DD will be on 4 of those trips including the month long one.

I cannot imagine what my life would be without travel and it was the aspect of lockdown that most affected me in many ways.

Places I would love to visit
Russia, I studied history and would love to see St Petersburg and Moscow etc but doubt I ever will now

Japan - this is on the cards in the coming years

Greece - we've never been!! So that's one for the list

Travel is life!

My advice is to do all the travel you can whenever you can.

Spend all your spare money on travel and not flash cars or new kitchens or jewellery. You're not gonna remember your new BMW in 50 years but you'll probably remember trekking up that mountain in that place to see the sunrise or swimming off that reef when a pod of dolphins swam past.

Ahhh....cant wait to go again!

I second that on South America - I took a 3 month sabbatical from work and travelled Argentina to Panama. It was an incredible experience!

I'm in my mid-30s and I've visited around 50 countries and lived abroad as well. I didn't do a gap year but I did live abroad as a student and covered a lot of Europe in that time. Since then I've taken jobs where I know I get to travel and then I've extended trips where feasible and also accumulated air miles which helps to lower the cost of personal travel. I don't specifically try and visit new countries all the time, I just love exploring and prioritise travel over other things. I don't have a car or buy expensive clothes for instance. I usually go on one long-haul and one or 2 short haul trips a year.

I actually love Europe and particularly the meditteranean but also South America - the people are so nice. The Caribbean is beautiful as well. You can combine several countries even in a 2 weeks trip - once I visited Singapore, Malasia and Indonesia in 2 weeks.

My favourite trips have been to:

Argentina
Peru
Colombia
Italy
Spain
Croatia & Montenegro
Greece
Bali
Thailand
Iceland
Costa Rica
St Lucia

On my bucket list is: New Zealand, Fiji, Japan & more of the Caribbean

I think you mean Albania - Algeria is not very close to Corfu!

I've travelled in the past and worked in different continents but I got back to my small shire in England and could quite happily stay here forever!

I don't think that travel always needs to be a far-flung place - I'm a big fan of exploring local spots too. Anything new makes me feel more alive.

Great thread! I'm a travel junkie too. Most of it solo which gives you amazing confidence once you get over the (first time) OMG to totally being able to navigate yourself through it all.
As a solo traveller you get to meet so many people, locals and travellers from all walks of life. I've also met people that I have travelled with for a while because of both heading in the same direction.

There's a thread above which resonates with me.....

@Ted27

^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 could have almost written this myself. Didn't do the overland in Africa but have been in many of the countries you write about. Mali was amazing. (Well, all of them really).

Even down to the son with African connections. 😊

I've done about 30 countries but am not a fan of flying so don't plan anymore long haul trips. I have European countries still to visit - Sweden, Finland, Montenegro etc. I have got quite into train travel so have a bucket list idea of a trip around Scandinavia using trains and ferries. A good friend of mine will move to Kosovo this year, so whilst not on the list, I shall certainly make the effort to visit.

@Iflyaway

I love Africa so much, its the contrast of landscapes - we went through deserts, mountains, rain forests, savannahs from heatwaves to bitter cold in Cape Town, and the most,amazing kindness and generosity from so many people with so little.
Mali was amazing, if a little ‘dusty’ did you go to the Festival of the Desert ?

I've been to about 35 countries. Short haul my favourite is Italy by a country mile - just so beautiful and so easy to get around by train/bus/ferry. Long haul I love Mexico and Thailand, amazing food, amazing sights and great people - also direct flights. Jordan is probably the country I think is most under rated. I haven't been to S America or Aus/NZ so those are places I would like to get to, hopefully taking a year out to do it.

Some of the most amazing things I've seen/done:
Petra, Angkor Wat, Chichen Itza, African safari, swimming with whale sharks, swimming in bioluminescence, Caminito del Rey,

I'm lucky that I get to travel and work all over..... currently in Iraq.
Places I've travelled to and loved Turkey, Japan, Oman
@MrsTerryPratchett I spent 6 months in Algeria (3 months of that trying to get out) at the start of Covid.
The 'Stans are nice...more history in Uzbekistan than Kazakhstan (haven't been to the others) spent a year in both.
Best trips....4 days in the Madives with friends, an overland trip from Cape Town to Vic Falls in Zimbabwe (loved Cape Town and Botswana).
Worst Places.....Jakarta (Indonesia)... but was a long long time ago,
Places I want to go to......everywhere I haven't been. Top 10 at the moment Canada (July hopefully), Argentina, Azerbaijan, N. Macedonia, Albania, New Zealand, Korea, Norway, Hungary, Guadeloupe.

@Ted27
^I love Africa so much, its the contrast of landscapes - we went through deserts, mountains, rain forests, savannahs from heatwaves to bitter cold in Cape Town, and the most,amazing kindness and generosity from so many people with so little.
Mali was amazing, if a little ‘dusty’ did you go to the Festival of the Desert ?^

I agree with you there about Africa.

Festival of the Desert. Sadly no. Was planning it for 2012 when the shit hit the fan. So sad. And still no let-up.

Did go to the Festival Sur le Niger though with my son in 2011 in Segou. That was amazing.

OMG! 😮😍

It's back on! Maybe next year then.....

festivalsegou.org/?lang=en