Monday, September 5, 2011

Choosing the Best Way to Travel - Life and Leisure.com

travel map

Any smart traveler would tell you that there are different ways to travel from Point A to Point B. Since your part of your overall travel experience lies in the journey of reaching your destination, choosing which of the three ways to travel is very important.

Traveling by car, by boat and by flying on an airline are the most common ways we travel. Each of these have their own benefits and disadvantages.

Traveling by Car

Out of the three, traveling by car is the most common way to travel, whether its going with friends for a quick getaway or spending time with your family on vacation.

Advantages of traveling by car

Perhaps the main reason why traveling by car is often the first choice used by travelers is because it?s convenient. Travelers are not only of being able to travel to their destination at their own time. By bringing their car, they are more able to go around their destination more easily.

Traveling by car is also the most economical mode of travel because apart from the gas you?ll need to fill in your vehicle and the toll fare you have to pay in certain highways, there really isn?t any other fee that you need to pay. In fact, you can even lower your traveling expenses further by buying gas credits online that you can use when you fill up your vehicle during your trip.

Also, traveling by car is gives you, the traveler, more freedom in terms of what you can bring with you, how many times to stop over and how long to spend per stopover.

Disadvantages of traveling by car

Using a car or any personal vehicle as your way to travel to your destination also pose a number of challenges.

The most obvious is that unless you have your own driver, you?ll need to drive all the way to your destination. That can easily cost you to feel very stressful. By the time that you reach your destination, you?d rather choose to stay in your hotel room and just sleep it off.

Another disadvantage of traveling by car is the lengthy travel time. Heavy traffic, road speed limits and the need to stop over to stretch your legs or go to the bathroom can easily cause you to spend hours or even days traveling to your destination.

traffic jam

Traffic jams can easily make traveling by car a nightmare. Photo by Jess Johnson Flickr Creative Commons

Then there is also the increased chances of losing your way while traveling. In many countries where vehicle GPS systems are not yet that popular, you?ll need to rely on a map to get you to your destination if you?re not familiar with how to get there. Unfortunately, these maps may not be that accurate, especially when it comes to road rules like one-way roads and roads that have been closed for repairs. For those countries that have GPS systems, there can be instances where the GPS location provided by your hotel may not be found and the directions dictated may be hard to understand.

If you?re traveling with children, choosing to get to your destination by car may not also be the best choice. Children can get bored easily and unless you have a lot of things inside your vehicle to keep them busy on the road, they can get very restless, adding to more stress while traveling.

?Traveling by car is ideal for:

  • Destinations that are relatively close to your home,
  • Small groups with more than one able driver so that you can take turns,
  • Travelers that are already familiar with reaching to the destination.

Air Travels

The second most common way to travel is air travel. Air travel is used by most travelers to different international and domestic destinations.

Advantages of Air Travel

The most obvious advantage of air travel is that it?s the quickest way to reach your destination. It takes anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to reach your destination in what would take days or even weeks to reach using other modes of travel.

Another advantage of traveling by air is that its also relatively comfortable. Depending on how long the trip will take, you can enjoy a snack or a hot meal with your favorite drink, do some final touches to your business presentation, or catch on some sleep. If sitting too long is starting to hurt your back, you can always recline your chair to a more comfortable position or take a walk around the aircraft.

Disadvantages of Air Travel

One of the biggest disadvantage of air travel is the price. Airline tickets can be quite expensive, especially if you need to book a flight on the last minute. However, this disadvantage can easily be remedied simply by knowing how to buy airline tickets to get the best deals.

Another huge disadvantage of air travel is the long list of airline rules and regulations that you have to abide. Since 9/11, there have been so many changes on what you can pack in your hand-carry luggage and what you can include on check-in baggage. This, plus the many security checks that you need to go through can be quite frustrating for most travelers.

Speaking of luggage, there is also the chance that your?luggage can get lost?during your travel. Shamis of?Gawaya Travel Blog recently wrote an insightful article about the statistics of luggage getting lost during air travel and how to cope with this, and it?s definitely worth checking it out.

Lost Luggage Claim Area

Losing your luggage is one of the major disadvantages in air travel. Photo by Melvin Schlubman Flickr Creative Commons

Weather conditions can also cause delays in air travel. It can also easily ruin your entire vacation plan since it severe weather conditions can cause flights to get cancelled. Of the many disadvantages of air travel, this is probably the most frustrating.

Air travel is ideal for:

  • Travelers visiting international destinations,
  • Travelers who want to arrive to their destination at the shortest amount of time.
  • Business travelers who need to travel to a domestic destination and want to come back immediately.

Traveling by Boat

When people think about traveling by boat, they often think cruises. But really, there are certain parts in the world that offer ferry and commuter boats to local and domestic destinations as well.

Advantages of traveling by boat

Compared to traveling by car, traveling by boat is a lot faster since you can reach your destination without to worry about dealing with traffic on the road.

Traveling by boat is also a more comfortable way to travel. Unlike traveling by car or by air where you tend to sit most of the time, traveling by boat gives you ample area to walk around, stretch your muscles and take pictures.

Another advantage is traveling by boat, especially on any of the many destination cruises, is you?re able to find a whole lot of things to do to keep you and your family busy. This is why traveling by boat is perhaps the best choice when traveling with children. At the same time, you?re also able to get more value?since cruise ships double up as your hotel, making it a very cost-effective way to travel.

Cruises and boats are the most enjoyable way to travel. Photo by Domenic Scaturchio Flickr Creative Commons

Disadvantage of traveling by boat

Just like the first two ways to travel, there are a number of disadvantages of traveling by boat. The most common is the fact that changes in the water?s current can easily make travelers feel ill throughout the entire trip.

In line with this, most cruises are docked only in specified ports. To get here, you may need to book a flight as well to reach the port.

Another disadvantage of traveling by boat is that the trip schedules are limited. Most commuter boats and ferry boats only service people for a certain period of time because of the changing tide. That means that you may have to cut your sightseeing short.

Traveling by boat is ideal for:

  • Travelers who don?t get seasick,
  • Families with children traveling on vacation,
  • Travelers that don?t really enjoy getting stuck in traffic

In addition to knowing the advantages and disadvantages of each of the common ways to travel, here are some questions to ask yourself to help you choose on which option is the best way to travel for your next trip:

  • How much is your budget?
  • How long are you planning to allot just for the travel?
  • Which is more important: speed or comfort?

What is your favorite way to travel? Share your insights.

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Tags: air travel, best travel, travel, travel by boat, travel by car, way to travel

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