9 Things You'll Only Understand If You're A True Traveller

There is a frightening moment after a certain amount of time on the road, especially when travelling solo, when you start to talk to yourself, and even more frighteningly, answer your own questions. You start to develop certain habits, specific routines and tendencies. If you relate to these 9 commonalities, then you are most likely, a bonafide vagabond.

You’re constructively critical

To be clear, this does not mean you become negative, it means you do critical comparisons between places, whether subconsciously or otherwise. Deep down, all travellers love being on the move and are always trying to find the perfect place, and the more places you visit, the more you understand yourself, your likes and dislikes, and what fits your view of paradise.

You love yourself, but not in that way!

The road is home

The common question pops up, “So where are you from?” and the answer to this question, the longer you are on the move, becomes more convoluted. Where you were born does not necessarily mean that’s where you are from, where you are from does not necessarily mean that is where you live, and where you live is not necessarily where you call home – and if you are a perpetual traveller, home is simply where you are laying your head that night.

Monotony is torture

A normal day travelling can contain the excitement equal to a month in the corporate routine, and as you return from the fast-paced, exciting life circling the globe, the pace of a normal day back home has you climbing the walls in search of some excitement. You’re like the energetic little kid whining to his mother “Mum, I’m bored!”

You can’t stand still

You would think, spending so much time living out of a backpack, reusing grubby stinky clothes, and having no place that really feels like home, you get you craving a stay in one place, however, this is often far from the truth. A few short weeks into your return, you are spinning a globe, checking flight websites, and watching travel shows – the idea of disappearing on a jet plane is creeping back into your mind.

Bucket list beater

If your bucket list is of any worth, chances are a number of things on it will include you crossing borders, and the more items you tick off, the more you tend to add. You’d think that the more time you spend on the road, the smaller your bucket list would get, but instead, the opposite occurs.

The bottom bunk is king

It is truly the little things in life that can make all the difference and when hostels are home you realize the value of the bottom bunk. No climbing up the completely vertical ladders, shaking the unstable bed, and feeling the heat of a poorly ventilated bunk. Instead, you hang up your towel to give you some privacy in your bottom bunk cavern, and having to go to the bathroom requires no rappelling from the top bed.

You hate the cookie cutter questions

You will have maxed out the amount of Facebook friends you have if you swapped info with everyone who you met along the journey but who has time for that? Also, the same boilerplate questions of ‘How long are you travelling for?’ start to get on your nerves and you start to genuinely contemplate getting a shirt with point form notes of your journey written on the front.

A night bus ain’t no bad thang

To keep the pennies in your pocket, you’ll do anything to save money and making the half reclining seat on a bus your bed for a night, saves you from paying for a hostel bed. By now, you have a special technique for getting just the right angle for maximum comfort and can either catch a good kip during the overnight journey, or you have enough podcasts and games on your phone to occupy you for days.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.