There are lots of ways that you can travel, and I think that most if not all ways of traveling are fine, if that’s what you want to do. Generally speaking, I am a fan of the philosophy of “you travel how you want, and you let me travel how I want”
(SEE ALSO: I have 2 rules of traveling (for when things go wrong))
Today I wanted to talk a little bit about what I am calling “busy” travel and “relaxing” travel, and make a case for each one and mention which type of travel I usually end up doing. Of course, you travel however you want 🙂
The Case For “Busy” Travel
My son and I recently got back from a pretty fast-paced trip around the world using Aeroplan miles. We spent a day in Egypt, a few days at Universal Studios Japan, a day in Tokyo and a lot of (business class) flying.
I totally get that this kind of fast-paced travel is not for everyone. While flying business class (and therefore being able to sleep on the plane) makes it a bit more manageable, I can see how traveling like this might make you super tired and not be able to relax or enjoy your trip.
For me, I think the benefit is just being able to see more things. That is something that I value in traveling, but I understand that’s not everyone’s bag. For this particular trip, it came down to what my son wanted (since this was more of a trip for him). When I asked him whether he would rather spend more time in Japan or be able to see more places like Egypt and Abu Dhabi, he chose the latter.
The Case For “Relaxing” Travel
The other side of the coin is more “relaxing” travel. I’m sure any traveler has been in a situation where you get back home from a vacation and you realize that you need a vacation from your vacation. Sometimes, it’s just nice to sit at the beach and relax (though it does help if your beach bench is not at a huge angle)
As I mentioned earlier, I don’t often travel like this, but we have done a few trips like this where it was more relaxing. Earlier this year, we went to Hawaii for 10 days as a family and half of our time was spent in a “2 bedroom” condo right on the beach in Maui. It was fun to just relax and do whatever we wanted. Though I will say that at least for me personally, after a few days of this, I was itching to actually DO something 🙂
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- Fixing an Air Canada Aeroplan Booking (that included time travel)
- Which is better? “Busy” Travel or “Relaxing” Travel?
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- EgyptAir Business Class 787-9 Dreamliner Review IAD-CAI
- One Day in Cairo Egypt
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- Wow - everything is SO cheap in Egypt!
- EgyptAir Alioth Cairo / CAI Airport Lounge Review
- EgyptAir Regional Business Class Review CAI-AUH
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- Tokyo Street Karting Review (Mario Kart Tokyo)
- I'll admit it... I don't understand the Tokyo Subway system
- Tokyo to Osaka Shinkansen Bullet Train Review
- Osaka Hotel Universal Port Vita Review (Universal Studios Japan)
- Universal Studios Japan / Super Nintendo World Review
- Tokyo Narita Terminal 1 ANA Lounge Review (NRT)
- Air Canada Business Class 787-9 Dreamliner Review NRT-YYZ
- Outrageous Air Canada compensation
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The Bottom Line – Which One Do You Prefer?
I can see pros and cons to both busy and relaxing travel, and I think you can decide for yourself as to which one works best for you. But above all, let other people travel how they want and don’t judge them or tell them that they “should” travel differently.
Do you prefer busy travel or relaxing travel? Leave your thoughts in the comments below
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
It is a mix. Even if you have a long list of places, taking a deep breath and enjoying each place is a good idea. As far as Japan + Middle East, there is a cost of time, i.e. time lost flying compared to staying in Japan. On my first trip to Europe, I spent one day per city with the exception of London and decided the travel time was too great. For example, Stuttgart in one day (more like 1/4 of a day with travel time and bedtime).
I believe the compromise is fast paced initially then a little slower paced on later trips. Slow might mean 2-3 days in one city. I have been to about 10 countries where the exposure is so limited that it almost doesn’t count. An example could be a quick look during a multi-hour layover. I just came back from one of those countries where I, this time, spent 4 days. Much better.
Cake or steak? It all depends on what you’re in the mood for.
I like busy travel, and to try and visit 2-3 places in one trip, including visiting family in the UK. One of my best trips was in 2015, staying in CPH, HKG, & EXT, which was a mixture of miles and staff travel at the time.
I’ve also combined (on different trips) NAS/JNB, and SAO/JNB/LON.
Both….I enjoy full days of doing things. But also need time to actually relax for at least a half day. I’m pretty energetic so if I can rest a few hours I’m ready to go again.