There are so many different ways of travel. We enjoy traveling by car, RV, cruise ship, and air. What are the pros, cons, differences, and benefits of each?
I hope we have already answered a few of these questions in our stories these last few years. We want to inspire you with our excitement and share some of our favorite experiences along the way.
We get our trip ideas from books, guidebooks (including the internet), TV, other travelers, personal curiosity, etc.
Why do we love to travel?
We are neither big shoppers nor big eaters but enjoy local shops and restaurants wherever we go. Mingling with the local people, learning about their culture, and discovering the histories of small towns are of particular interest to us.
Traveling by car, RV, cruise ship, and air offer different experiences and benefits. We enjoy each of these travel experiences. We started our retirement off with a bang with our retirement cruise to Spain, followed by weeks exploring Italy by plane and train.
See these earlier posts describing our grand adventure:
17-day transatlantic cruise
Retirement Extravaganza
Beautiful historic and artistic Barcelona
Beautifully historic Florence
Five days in Pompeii
Naples
Salerno
Rome – Andrà tutto bene
What about car road trips?
We understand that when planning a trip, the options can seem endless. A car trip may not always be the first consideration, which is why we want to share the reasons why it may be a great option for your vacation.
The car provides freedom of movement and cost – essentially, you can go anywhere for less than $100 a day. When managing the costs associated with extended travel, the challenge is to find a way to get from one point to another that doesn’t break the bank.
It’s now a well-known fact that car travel vacations are one of the best ways to see the country. While air travel is convenient, it can be pricey and stressful. The story of why people choose to travel by car for their vacations is much different than you may think.
A recent study revealed that travelers who drive their own car will save $3,000 on average over a plane traveler. With those savings, car travelers can stay in hotels and bed and breakfasts as often as they like, eat at good restaurants and not skimp on any of the sights they want to see.
They can also visit some of the more obscure places and locations that planes can’t reach, such as remote beaches, scenic byways, and other off-the-beaten-path sites. These reasons are also valid for RV travel.
In fact, while driving, you have so much time to yourself to sit back and enjoy the ride. You can take in all the sights, smells, and sounds of the world around you. It’s a very relaxed mode of travel.
From relaxing on the beach soaking up the sun to hiking along scenic trails – there are plenty of fantastic summer getaways within driving distance from virtually anywhere in the United States.
Drawbacks
Of course, there are drawbacks too. Gas prices are always going up, which means you have to plan your trip carefully when it comes to gas stops and food on long hauls. It is also necessary to be sure you have plenty of cash with you while traveling, so you don’t get stuck without money.
Take your house with you when you travel
I am sure you know the numerous benefits of traveling in an RV, but not everyone thinks it’s a great idea. Here are some of the pluses and minus to help you decide if this kind of travel is for you.
Steve and I often travel in our motorhome, have had many terrific experiences, and learned many lessons. We have had perfect trips where nothing goes wrong and our share of minor and not so minor fiascos, although each trip has ended well, and we have enjoyed them all.
For many seniors, the freedom of driving a motor home or touring the country in a motor home is their primary goal when they retire. It is desirable to travel cheaply by staying on the road and sleeping in their own bed each night and avoiding the hassle of flying.
Others are looking for an economical way to travel with their friends and family. RV travel serves that purpose wonderfully.
Our experience is that driving our Class C motorhome across the country is a delightful, affordable, and adventurous way to travel. We thoroughly enjoy our RV travel.
Drawbacks
Traveling in a motor home just doesn’t work out for some. They discover life on the road is more expensive than anticipated. After only a few weeks, they start missing their home and friends. The reality of travel in a motor home just doesn’t match the dream.
A drawback to consider when deciding if RV travel is suitable for you is that it can be a bit of hard work as you dismantle your campsite when you decide to move on down the road to the next adventure. Each time you travel to a new destination, you must move your entire home.
Sometimes you find yourself maneuvering through tight circular spaces or low overpasses with your RV, whether with a pop-up camper, small trailer, fifth wheel, Class A, B, C motorhome. Each time you move your RV to a new location, it means negotiating new streets and roads with an oversized vehicle.
The weather is always a consideration when traveling, but very much so when driving an oversize vehicle on a highway. Stormy weather or icy road driving is not fun and high winds are particularly treacherous for high-profile vehicles. Always check the weather.
How about cruising?
We love being out on the ocean, the incredible sunsets, night skies, the wide variety of entertainment and activities available, the food, drink, and spending time with our fellow cruisers. Cruising has always been a fabulous experience for us. Our cruise line of choice is Royal Caribbean.
Cruise ship travel is a great vacation. You get to see beautiful scenery and visit exotic ports of call. There are many different types of cruises; cruises are just a few days, long weekend cruises, 7-day cruises, 10-day cruises, and more.
Drawbacks
Perhaps cruising does not appeal to you, and you wonder why anyone would choose to vacation on a cruise ship. Is it necessary to be so restricted? Isn’t there something unattractive about being herded around with thousands of other people?
You have to make all your meals and entertainment arrangements in advance and follow set itineraries. You can’t just wing it or do things as you like. What is your opinion on cruises?
Do you enjoy traveling on guided tours?
This is our very least favorite way to travel. One of my favorite things about travel is planning the trip, making all the choices for ourselves, and having the freedom to change them on a dime if we choose to.
I know there are fabulous tours we are missing out on, and one day we may choose to let someone help us out with travel decisions. We have many friends that choose guided tours exclusively and have had incredible experiences during those trips. They are just our choice right now.
I’d love to hear from you guys about the tour vacations you have taken and the experiences you have had. We are always ready and eager to learn new tricks and methods. There are so many ways of travel!
