These are the 7 types of travelers I encounter abroad

After traveling for 5+ years, I’ve met countless unique characters from all around the globe. While they each had their quirks, I’ve realized along the way that there are seven core types of travelers. 

From wide-eyed newbies on their first-ever trip to seasoned globetrotters who have seen it all. 

People can change their traveler type throughout their lifetime. I’ve transformed from a budgeting first-time solo traveler to a professional travel writer. You could also resonate with a couple of different categories at once. 

Traveling with each genre of explorer has its own benefits and challenges. Based on my own experiences, let’s categorize every type of traveler and break down the best/worst parts of exploring with them. 

#1 – The Counter

Interesting stories and experiences to share, but see destinations as just another number.

The counter is perhaps the easiest type of traveler to identify off the rip. Their social media bio usually goes a little something like this: “35 countries and counting✈️”. The first thing that comes to mind for these people when the subject of travel arises isn’t the countries or cities themselves but a number. 

Travel is less focused on appreciating each destination and more about racking up as many pit stops as humanly possible. They’re on a mission.

Counters have usually been traveling for years if not decades. They have a ton of intriguing tales and travel experiences. It’s fun to speak with them and hear about the treasure trove of places they’ve explored. 

However, they travel fast and I mean seriously fast. I met a counter who claimed to have “visited” places they’d only seen through a window at the airport during a 2-hour layover. That’s kind of cheating in my opinion, but to each their own. 

These folks often visit a lifetime’s worth of countries in just a single year. That’s incredible, but this mindset can make these travelers feel artificial. 

Pros: 

• Vast wealth of travel experience 
• Lots of interesting stories 

Cons: 

• The numbers game makes them feel inauthentic 
• Less focused on each destination 

#2 – The First-Timer

These travelers have bright-eyed awe and a constant good mood, but no experience and are prone to anxiety.

I love visiting a new place with a first-time traveler because they have this sparkle of awe in their eyes. Everything is new and alluring, leaving them in a contagious state of wonder. It’s how I imagine parents feel when they watch little ones experience rain for the first time. 

One of my closest friends, Tali, came with me on her first international trip as an adult to Colombia. I was nervous at first. It was a semi-rough destination and she didn’t have much experience, but it was beautiful to watch her fall in love with travel. 

One day in Minca, we hired some locals to give us a ride up the mountain on the back of their motorcycles. Tali’s driver zoomed away and out of sight in a flash. 

I was struck with worry thinking that she’d be a puddle of fear by the time I reached her. Instead, she had a huge smile painted across her face and she squealed with delight, “That was the coolest thing I’ve ever done.” It’s those moments that make traveling with newbies so special. 

On the flip side of that, first-time travelers have absolutely zero experience and are less willing to leave their comfort zone. For instance, it took Tali weeks before she attempted to speak out loud in Spanish. Plus, they’re often plagued with more nerves than seasoned travelers.

Pros: 

• Constant good mood
• Left in awe from even small sights  

Cons: 

• Very limited experience
• Prone to solo travel anxiety and mishaps 

#3 – The Elite 

Access to all the best stuff and lots of wisdom, but difficult to impress and easily agitated.

Some people view travel as a way to treat themselves and they expect nothing less than the best. I introduce the elite traveler. Traveling with these sorts can be quite an enticing experience. 

Their wanting the best means that you’ll have access to all that top-tier stuff if you’re their companion. You don’t have to do the legwork to find the hidden gem restaurant or worthwhile tourist attraction – they’ve already done it and vetted which ones are overrated. 

I would’ve never known about the Ha Giang Loop motorbike route in Vietnam or the luxe district of Gion in Kyoto if it weren’t for this kind of experienced traveler’s wisdom.  

Elites have usually been traveling for a long time and they have a lot of wisdom that you could benefit from learning. One of them introduced me to my favorite photo-editing app, Lightroom, which I still use today. 

The main drawback to traveling with these sorts of people is that (opposite to the first-timer) it is very difficult to impress them. 

They’ve seen so much of the world’s beauties that something has to be seriously incredible to blow them away. They’ve built up a travel tolerance. It can be a drag because they roll their eyes at some pretty awesome things. 

I’ve also found that the “elite traveler” is quicker to aggravation than other sorts of travelers. Since they have high expectations, it doesn’t take much to let them down and it can create an awkward atmosphere. 

Pros: 

• Knows about all the best places 
• Lots of wisdom to bestow 

Cons: 

• Nothing impresses them 
• Easily agitated 

#4 – The Couple

Traveling couples provide a fun little group that can split costs, but there’s a high chance of arguments and drama.

Being the third wheel gets a bad reputation, but it can actually be a good thing when you’re traveling. Visiting a destination with a couple means that you guys automatically have a tight-knit group for activities. It can make nightlife a lot more fun as well. 

On New Year’s Eve 2019, I was all by myself on an island in Thailand and was initially feeling out of place. That’s when I met a couple from the Netherlands who took me under their wing for the night. 

What began as a lonely start to the new year turned into a memorable blast. We went to a paint party on the beach, watched fireworks, and stayed up most of the night laughing. Despite the fact that we barely spoke each other’s languages. 

The other major upside to the coupled unit is that you can split the cost of things like taxis with a larger group. There are a few big issues that can arise when hitching your travel wagon to a couple, though. 

First and foremost: the potential for conflict. Nobody is more likely to argue on a trip than couples and I say that as someone who has traveled with a few romantic partners. It kills the vibe terrifyingly fast and you don’t want to be stuck with a bickering couple abroad. 

Even my Dutch friends ended up getting into a drunken squabble at one point in the night. You can quickly get pulled into disagreements as well because you have to compromise with two extra people about everything. 

Pros:

• Automatically provides a little group 
• Chance to split costs 

Cons: 

• Potential for quarrels 
• More people to compromise with 

#5 – The Budgeter 

Knows money-saving tips and keeps companions on budget, but they might rough it a little too much. 

Traveling on a budget allows you to see more places in your lifetime and there is a lot to learn from the budgeters who explore this way.

They have the know-how to cut down the costs of a trip by hundreds if not thousands of dollars. When I was solo traveling in Italy, this budget mentality helped me figure out that museums in Florence are free on the first Sunday of the month. 

In Thailand, I met a budgeter who giggled at my naivety when I told them I used Booking.com to find accommodations. They advised me to always use Agoda in Asian countries because it’s cheaper for the same room and to throw a VPN on my phone to make the prices go down even more. 

This single piece of guidance has saved me tons of money throughout my travels. Traveling with budgeters usually allows you to spend even less than you plan to. 

However, these folks do have a tendency to budget a little too close to the sun. That’s why budgeters can be incompatible travel companions for a lot of people. 

They try so hard to save money that they actually end up making the trip borderline miserable. This can result in staying in unsavory hotels or missing top attractions to save a buck. 

When I considered myself a full-blown budget traveler, I was willing to put myself in a world of pain for just a bit of savings. 

For instance, I took several 12-hour bus rides through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand just because it cost a good chunk less than flying. Of course, that protected my travel budget, but it also brought me to the seventh layer of transportation hell. 

Pros: 

• You spend less on your trip 
• Chance to learn new money-saving travel hacks

Cons: 

• They have a tendency to ‘rough it’ a bit too much 
• Can be cheap in more ways than one 

📚Related Reading: What I spent during a 2-week trip to Vietnam

#6 – The Solo Traveler 

Friendly, easy to meet, and flexible, but fiercely independent, and friendships are usually short-lived.

I am a proud advocate for the solo travel lifestyle. I think that everyone should try it at least once in their life, even if it is just for a day trip. As an avid solo female traveler, I’ve met lots of others like myself and I’ve gotten to know the breed fairly well. 

There are so many reasons to love exploring with a lone traveler, the primary of which is that they’re incredibly easy to meet and become friends with. Anywhere you go in the world, there are solo travelers around who are eager to connect with others. 

People who go on trips with friends from home don’t need companions to share their travel memories with and they’re not necessarily looking to forge a bond with strangers. But, that’s not the case with solo travelers. They’re open, social, and looking for friends. 

I’ve found solo travelers to be some of the most fun personalities to visit new places with. They’re adventurous by nature and more flexible than most because they’re used to making things work (as I know from experience). 

Solo travelers have introduced me to some of my favorite destinations, attractions, and travel hacks. But, the caveat of all their good qualities is that these types are extremely independent. Almost to the point of stubbornness. 

There is another big con to linking up with the person traveling alone: they’re capricious. 

I once met a solo traveler friend at a market in Thailand in the morning. By the evening they were on a bus to another city after spending the day together. You could bond with these types of travelers in an instant and then literally never see them again in this lifetime. 

Friendships with solo travelers burn bright, but fast. 

Pros: 

• Friendly and typically looking for friends
• Adventurous and flexible 

Cons: 

• Short-lived friendships 
• Independent to the point of stubbornness 

#7 – The Professional

Organized and have insider destination insight, but they can make traveling feel like a job.

I’m proud to say that I’ve transcended into the professional archetype, but I used to be left in awe of these sorts of travelers. They had somehow cracked the code to combine the experience of travel with income. I wanted it. 

I met my first professional travelers while I was completing the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam. A Swedish pair of photographers caught some of the most jaw-dropping footage over the landscapes with a drone. 

Traveling with professionals can take your trip photos up a major notch. I loved getting to see Ha Giang through their lens. 

Since these explorers are usually on a strict deadline, they’re extremely organized and on the ball. This is ideal for any non-professional companions who happen to reap the benefits of their preparations. 

These days, I’m a professional travel photographer and writer, so I know the pitfalls of these types very intimately. The worst symptom in my opinion is that traveling professionally can make the endeavor lose its magic. 

The rarity of travel is part of what makes it so special. Most people only have a week to see a new place and there is a high chance they’ll never see it again. It makes them appreciate every second. 

The professional doesn’t have to hold onto every travel memory quite as tightly. They know there are more just around the corner and it dissolves the raw wonder of traveling. 

For instance, the second time I ever visited La Sagrada Familia, it was strictly business for a Travel Lemming article. I was worried about capturing the perfect photos of the windows and getting info for future travelers. Instead of taking in the architectural wonder with my own eyes. 

Professionals don’t just leisurely wander around without a care in the world – we have a bunch of cares because it’s not just a vacation, it’s work. This means that professionals travel at a faster pace and the entire experience can feel less organic. 

Pros: 

• Amazing photos/videos
• Extremely organized 
• Inside knowledge of the best stuff to do 

Cons: 

• Travel is work for them
• Less budget-conscious 
• Moves at a faster, less organic pace

***

I’ve met (and been) a swath of traveler types in my life so far. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of them and nothing is set in stone. It’s very possible to be every type of traveler at one point. 

The big epiphany that set in over years of meeting travelers is that there are amazing and annoying things about every single one of them. 

I started off as a first-time solo traveler and now I lean more toward being a professional with independent tendencies. To learn more, check out my perspective article about how traveling has changed me.