Traveler Stereotypes

0 Comments

Travel Stereotypes: Which One Are You?

There's stereotypes for just about everything nowadays. And the different types of travelers is no exceptions. And while sometimes the stereotypes prove to be true, sometimes you just can't judge a book by its cover. So what stereotypes do I fit into? I'm a mixture on the optimist, the budget traveler, the planner, and the solo traveler. You can never really pin someone into a category, but sometimes those categories really do explain you're style. So here are some of the different types of traveler stereotypes that I've found.

The Foodie

Who cares about all the sights when you really just want to try all the food. I believe there's a little foodie in all of us, but the foodie traveler takes it to a whole new level. They experience the culture through their taste buds and digest its craft in their bellies. All the adventures of their trip happens in the form of what meal they choose to order, not shying away from the local delicacies.

Chantilly Castle, France

The Guide

It seems like they not only have one guidebook, but multiple on the same city. All of their suggestions come from the guidebook and they don't stray from the recommendations. They can be spotted with money belts under their shirts and a guidebook glued to their hands. To the guide, the guidebook is not just a suggestion, it's the bible.

The Optimist

These are the people that don't let it rain on their parade. The flight was late. No problem, more time spent in the city. The accommodation is not what they expected, oh well, it's just an adventure. They got lost in a not so nice part of the city, at least we get a well rounded picture now! The bumps in the road just don't seem to affect them, and when they do, they just seem to laugh it off afterwards.

The Backpacker

The Backpacker or the Hippie, whatever you want to call them, is the stereotype that people think of when they think of people wandering around Europe for prolonged periods of times. The stereotype is that they smell bad, have been living out of a backpack for years, and sleep on people's couches. They have no set plan and go where the wind takes them, a true nomad. And they always seem to have the craziest stories. And the backpacker, like all of these stereotypes, has exceptions, as nowadays, a backpacker can be anyone who's willing to let their free spirit take them places. And they don't always smell bad anymore.

The Budget Traveler

Different from the backpacker, the budget travel will do what they can to save a buck, but they're not always one for couch surfing. They're the ones that set budgets for each city and stick to it. Only allowing one or two indulgences. The budget travelers are willing to sacrifice quality by choosing to stay in low rated places and will take the ten hour train ride to save some money. How extreme the budget traveler will go varies, but general they do have some limits, somewhere in there.

Backpacking in Krakow

The Travel Resorter

Sandals and Club Med are hot spot destinations for these travelers. These are the people that enjoy all inclusive packages where everything they need within reach. They see traveling as something that should be relaxing and that usually should be spent on a beach somewhere tropical. The people who prefer the resorts prefer the comfort and the relaxation. You don't run into many of them while traveling Europe.

The Tour Groupie

These travelers only like to go on guided tours. Whether it is an entire tour throughout a country or continent, or just a small tour through a museum, these travelers find comfort in groups. They put their trust in the hands of their tour guide. But what makes the travel groupie a travel groupie is that they always go in tour groups and rarely venture out on their own. Though now that I have planned a monstrous trip, I have respect for those who would rather have the no stress no hassle route of going in with a guide.

The Partier

These are the people that go abroad just to hit up the bars. Then they spend their day sleeping off their hangover just to do it again the next night. Their forms of sightseeing includes trying shots from different cultures and bar hopping. Sure, like any stereotype, there are exceptions, and some people do actually get out and experience the culture, but it seems that these days, partying your way across Europe is more of a right of passage than going to college now.

The Planner

Lists are key to being a planner, lists with itineraries, to be precise. These are the ones that don't make detours because it wasn't on the printable walking tour. These are the ones that time how long they should spend in each place and have mini panic attacks when things don't go as planned. Though the stereotype includes money belts and agendas, planners come in all forms, from the list makers to the itinerary keepers. I fall under the list maker category.

Borough's Market, London

The Clueless

These are the people that just have no clue what they're doing. They'll stop anyone on the street and ask them for help, no matter if they're a tourist or a local. They're the ones that have no clue what to do and how to get around public transportation. They can quickly be identified with their puzzled expressions and wide eyes as they stare into the city, unsure of what to do.

The Know it All

It doesn't matter if this person has been there twenty times or once, they seem to think they know everything about the city. Watch your ears as they have no problem pouncing on the opportunity to tell you all about their experiences and what they learned, even if their experience was just a layover. These people are also sometimes known as travel braggers as well.

The Complainer

These are the people that you just can't please. The water tastes funny, the bed is uncomfortable, the food is different, their feet hurt, it's too hot, it's too cold, it's not what they thought it would be. If there's a problem, they'll complain about it. And no, these aren't the people that are exhausted and having one melt done, these are the people that find something wrong in every day. Unfortunately, there are people that fit into this stereotype.

The Solo Traveler

For some reason, there is a lot of mystery to this stereotype. People are intrigued by the person sitting alone at the train station. The solo traveler is rumored to be fiercely independent, wildly adventurous, and very outgoing. Though if you've been keeping up with my blog this year, you'll notice that I'm none of these, oh well! No a true solo traveler can be anyone, adventurous or not. But this post is about stereotypes, and apparently you need to be super adventurous to travel alone.

Tyn Church, Prague

The Minimalist

These are the people that only have a backpack. The ones that make things work and don't bring anything unless they specifically need it. Even then they question it, throw it out. If they need it they'll buy it there. These are the people that save money on checked bags and sanity on dragging bags across cobble stones. And if the weather changes, at least they get to bring back a souvenir.

The Over Prepared

These are the ones that just can't seem to grasp the concept of carry on. They're the ones dragging their suitcase, which is usually bigger than them, all over the place. Ten pairs of shoes and dozens of outfits still seem squished in the fifty pound suitcase. Then all the 'in case of emergency' stuff that for some reason they believe will not be available where they are going, plus enough variety to range from the Sahara desert heat to the Antarctic cold. The bright side for these travelers is they can indulge in whatever food they want since they have a workout of moving their suitcase.

The American

Known for being overly friendly and loud, American tourists seem to have their own stereotype. Whether they're a family vacationing in Europe together, or a group of college students making their way across Europe, Americans are immediately recognized. They are known for smiling at people and not knowing how to whisper in public.