How to be the Best Traveler in the World

Who is the best traveler in the world? This question came up when I was talking with a friend about the overwhelming amount of information available to travelers about how to travel better/faster/cheaper/funner (not a word). It got me thinking about how I might find the best traveler in the world.

What makes someone the “best” traveler? Perhaps surprisingly, several individuals have made this claim for themselves or have been described that way by others. If we consider historical figures in this discussion, Marco Polo immediately comes to mind as a pioneer of world exploration. He traveled extensively through what would become known as the Silk Route.

We may also think of Ferdinand Magellan, Christopher Columbus, Captain James Cook, Jeanne Baret (first female traveler to travel around the world), and Xuanzang (17 year journey through the Himalyas).

More current prominent travelers include Charles Veley, who has claimed to be the most traveled person in the world. He even has a website for people to log their personal travel histories. Gunnar Garfors of Norway was the first to visit every country of the world at least two times. Famous individuals including Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson have also been known to travel extensively.

So which of these is the best traveler in the world?

Who is the Best Traveler that you Know?

I decided to do a little experiment to figure this out. You can help me figure this out too if you’d like to play along. Let’s start with who you know. Of the people that you know personally, who is the one person that you would say is the best traveler? The term “best” can mean whatever you want, like the most experienced traveler, most organized, or the best at finding cheap travel deals.

So again, who’s the best traveler that you know? Now here’s the important part. You much choose the one factor that makes this person the best traveler you know. You can only choose one reason, no hedging here. Go ahead and think about it, then read on.

Keep your answer in mind as I explain the process of my experiment. I did some research on the topic to see what anecdotal or scientific evidence I could find to shed some light on the world’s best traveler. Then, I started a twitter discussion with that same question (totally scientific, I know!). Finally, I took the themes of best traveler traits to include in this post.

The Top Four Traits of the World’s Best Traveler

In no particular order, here are the four themes that describe the best traveler in the world:

• Curious – If you go where everyone else already is, you’re missing a critical aspect of travel…exploration.
• Informed – Without an understanding of the local culture, customs, and language, you may see plenty but not understand much. Plus, you may lose out on some practical guidance and tips from the locals.
• Flexible – This comes in many forms. For example, flexibility in adjusting when the inevitable-but-somehow-still-unexpected transportation problems interrupt your itinerary. Can also mean flexible in your timing of travel.
• Disciplined – To travel much and to travel well both require steady discipline to have sustained success.

How You Can Travel Like the Best

I have posed to you the question of who is the best traveler in the world. There’s actually an even more important question. How can we apply the traits that make the world’s best travelers to develop our own travel skills and abilities?

To do that, let’s take your personal answer from the question above and combine it with the results of my search. To complete our little experiment, fill in the blanks below:

The best traveler in the world is __________ (pick one of the four themes listed above) and __________ (insert your response).

On my next trip, I’m going to be like the best traveler in the world by using these two qualities. One specific way I could do that on my next trip is by ______________________.

*Keep your two themes in mind for your next trip, and you’ll find yourself traveling in a smarter way!*

Of course, to complete the process of being the best travel, you have to know how to recover after your vacation as well. There you go, now you’re well on your way to cutting through all the vast travel advice in the world to become (like) the best traveler in the world!

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For more on smart travel, including one of the best (and most inexpensive) books for tips on how to travel cheap, check out Matt Kepnes NY Times Best Seller How to Travel the World on $50 a day.

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Happy Travels,

Dr. L
Founder, psychologyoftravel.com