Travel Snobs

[joe7f]

Originally Posted by lilwings

I'm pretty sure they stereotype us too with the image of a grubby backpacker, sleeping in a train station in Germany, craddling a EURAIL pass like a golden ticket, scrounging Euros at the bottom of our packs for breakfast.

Oh boy do they do that

Most people thought it was so out of character for me to go backpacking since I am not exactly a hippie. I couldn't really understand that because very few backpackers I met were hippies. Most long term backpackers I met were great people who were just interested in seeing sites with other wanderers.

Originally Posted by zmsmith

there is a reason its the beaten path, cause it has all the culturally and historically important sites and experiences when youre traveling.

Bingoisimo.

Originally Posted by TheJake

Tourists = Conservative Republicans
Travelers = Liberals

We both want our way of travel to be the way of travel and we can argue till we are blue in the face but the conservatives are always going to win in the end cause they have all the money.

Sad fact of life.

At the risk of starting a political flamewar, I am not sure that travelers are more inclined to be liberal. I would think more inclined to be individualistic (which should not be confused with being a modern liberal).

--Joey

[juliagulia]

I went to Greece and it came with a three day cruise to the islands and Turkey. The one tour we did with the cruise was in Crete because it was a Sunday and the city was basically dead. And it was the worst tour we'd been on the whole trip (they reconstructed ANCIENT RUINS using CEMENT! WHAT?!!). But then again, the tours we did in the mainland were amazing. We'd have our tour guide for most of it and then we got our own time to do our thing. I think its just what you make of it. I happened to be with a group of people who were genuinely interested in the history and the ruins and the awe and whatnot.

In cancun, my family left the beach most of the days and went on our own daytrips. we rented a van, got directions to the ruins, explored, ate at odd restaurants, but we hired a tour guide (who only spoke spanish! ohh yeah ). its travel and i love it, and if i dont, then i make myself like it. i modify it and change it.

i like to think of the cruise to the greek islands as a taste. i know i loved santorini and want to go back. i know that while patmos was beautiful, its not at the top of my list of places to go to when i can stay longer. you know?

its all good. its travel, its experience, its love and laughter and all in good fun.

mmmm, greeeeece...

[LaurieL622]

the way we travel is not everyones cup of tea....so we shouldnt be snobs about it.

why be a snob about anything in life?

when i start to hear people go on and on about their cancun stories i smile and engage in their excitement. i mean, it's exciting to them...not everyone enjoys roughing it, living out of a pack, treking through jungles and forrests, being a traveler and not a tourist, and pushing the limits. so they just don't get it. its ok. there are plenty of things we just don't get either. i'm not a fan of snobs. i think its a very unattractive quality in a person.

dont get me wrong, i dont pretend i enjoy that type of vacationing...i tell people all time...i'm not a club med gal, and i'm not into cruises..it's just not my thing. but i do it politely to respect people who DO enjoy that stuff. i mean....they shouldn't go around making fun of me and calling me a cheap, hobo, gypsy. lol. so why make fun of the way they vacation.

in the end, its their loss (and im sure they think the same about me)

[TheJake]

joey - it was a whatchyamacallit. Basically it's the way I see travelers vs tourists but yeah... either way whether you use liberal or independent we still are going to lose in the long run as tourists continue to take over the backwater berths of vagabonding history.

[DC_Jessica]

I seriously think that my mom has an inkling that I pick my travel destinations by browsing the latest State Department travel warnings.

I have never really thought of it as snobbery, just a different choice. And a lonely one, at that. A lot of my friends seem very interested in doing budget traveling to more popular places (which isn't nearly enough budget for me, after having put myself through two extra years of unnecessary school...unfortunately). I like doing hotel-ly stuff in the US because I don't have a car, so I like to be central and easy to get around.

And honestly, though I'm loathe to admit this, with the way they slash cruise prices in some of the off-seasons, I'd be 100% okey-dokey with just floating for a week and taking a looksie at some pre-packaged destinations. Just to maybe give my brain a break and ease my ever-present worst fear ever that my mom is right and I *am* going to get kidnapped and or killed somewhere exotic!! I want to see everything all over, and a lot of places are just great to see in package deals or cruises (Aruba was mentioned in another thread). If the opportunity arises for anything, I'll take it. So maybe travel whore is a better descriptor than travel snob?

I've never been to Belize. If somebody's been to Belize, since I haven't, I'll be jealous. I don't care how much they got out of it; I'd get something that I'd appreciate out of it, even for a few hours. Maybe take travel out of the equation, and it's just a different people thing? I don't "shop" too much here in the US per se (unless I'm rocking the shabby a little more than the chic, and I need a revamp), so when I travel, I'm not going to prioritize shopping too much. Probably the same in reverse for the Poland-pottery and Czech-crystal ladies, am I wrong?

[lilwings]

Originally Posted by DC_Jessica

I seriously think that my mom has an inkling that I pick my travel destinations by browsing the latest State Department travel warnings.

You know you're in love with the backpacker lifestyle when your copy of 1000 Places to See Before You Die is accompanied by a beat-up copy of The World's Most Dangerous Places.


Hey, it's not to say that I haven't done the 'tourist' thing. I have. I freely admit that! I have stood in line to see the David! It's THE DAVE! But it's those little things that backpackers seem to appreciate that are cool. Tell a backpacker that you drank mint tea in a hammam in Istanbul, and the backpacker nods in appreciation. Tell that to my 'cruise crew' and they ask if it's really as dirty and dangerous in Turkey as everyone says.

[MeTurk]

I just had a run in with this last week. A friend was telling me how him and the family did an all inclusive holiday somewhere.. (I zoned out a bit after "all inclusive") for around €2500. He thought it was great and that's what he will be doing from now on. He said he never left the hotel complex and all the food and drink was free he didn't have to worry about the kids or anything even they where taken care of. I resisted the temptation to tell him about everything he was missing out on, he looked so happy with his holiday.

The thing is this is a guy that works his ass off 7 days a week for his family (3 kids) and I could see why all he wanted to do was have some time off to relax without any planning or thought put into anything.

I'm halfway in between, I'd hate the idea of being stuck on a cruise ship, if there's free drink involved I'm bound to make a complete ass of myself. The thought of being stuck on that boat with all those people after a drunken rampage doesn't appeal to me atall. I don't like being stuck in any particular place so the actual traveling (by plane or train) is the worst part but being where I'm going is worth it. I like to just do very little when I get there so guided tours are appealing in that the hard work is done. I've never gone on a tour outside of school though I'm too cheap to pay for them.

[juliagulia]

I've only been to Turkey because of a cruise. I only stayed a few hours. I saw the most magnificent ancient city and learned a lot about a place I never had a previous interest in, and loved it. I was able to connect it to my daily life and things I know previously, and I can honestly say that I feel like I've taken something from it that I won't ever lose.

Just because you see someplace through a cruise doesn't mean you can't appreciate it. Turkey isn't as dirty and dangerous as everyone says, but what would I know, I saw it because of a cruise.

Honestly, I think it just depends on the person. There's some people who stayed at port and waited for the bazaar to open or even STAYED on the ship. Then there's the people who bought the excursion to Ephesus. I saw them there, and they seemed like they enjoyed it.

My group decided to walk around the city and after a bit, we shopped around for a couple of taxis to Ephesus. We got at the site and bought our own tickets. Then we decided to hire a tour guide so that we could basically understand what we were seeing. It was all amazing, but I would've had no idea about the complexity of the public toilets or the paved walkways. I wouldn't have recognized Nike or known that the library was a library.

On our way back, our taxi driver took the longer route and showed us the area he and his family lives in. He offered to take us to his brother-in-laws rug store when my teacher mentioned Turkish rugs. We told them we had no intention to buy anything, but he still offered to show us their rugs and how they make them. Then we drank apple tea and talked about our families.

Probably not the backpacker style. They probably took us to the rug store in hopes that they could get their family some business. They probably offered tea in order to make us feel more comfortable and more likely to buy something.

But you know what, I got to see silk worms. I got to see how a Turkish rug is made and I understand why my mother is so anal about not eating in the living room. I drank the most amazing tea and found something that I would have to buy at the bazaar (while giving my Uncle a great souvenier that reminded him of his own travels). I can reread The Comedy of Errors and imagine these places and wonder, Are they near the library? How close are they to water? Is this what Shakespeare imagined?

I think there should just be a "travel appreciator" group. Not "tourist" or "backpacker" or "cruise crew." So long as you can appreciate the beauty and the history and the weight of what you're feeling, experiencing, etc., then you're cool in my book, even if you stayed at 5 star hotels and traveled along on a cruise or if you slept on overnight trains and ate bread and cheese for dinner on a park bench while searching for a hostel.

It's travel and it's amaaaazing.

[LaurieL622]

Originally Posted by juliagulia

or if you slept on overnight trains and ate bread and cheese for dinner on a park bench while searching for a hostel.

been there, done that. WAY too many times.

it's not so fun, but in the end, those are the things you remember and laugh at. this is a small example that adversity builds a unique perspective.

the worse is when you get off the bus in a strange city, in the middle of the night, when nothings open, you're lost, it's raining, you lose one shoe that was tied to your backpack, there's no one to help you find your hostel, no one speaks your language anyway, and you think to yourself "f---- me!! how does this always happen"

a friend once told me backpackers go through 5 days like this for one amazing one. and the time we spend getting around on planes, trains, chicken buses, bikes, mopeds, taxis, dump trucks, boats, ferries, and of course hoofing it....makes it even more worth it in the end.

[lost in texas]

I don't like snobby pretentious people in general, and travelers who act that way are no exception. There's always going to be someone who's been somewhere most dangerous, remote, or "off the beaten path" than you. Most people that backpack are just looking to meet cool people, experience new places, and see more of the world. How and where you decide to do that doesn't make you a better person-- like several have already said, it just means you're doing things differently.

Ultimately I think it's about doing what you enjoy doing, and what's rewarding to you personally. If it's just about impressing people, what's the point?

[marc873]

Originally Posted by LaurieL622

.

a friend once told me backpackers go through 5 days like this for one amazing one. and the time we spend getting around on planes, trains, chicken buses, bikes, mopeds, taxis, dump trucks, boats, ferries, and of course hoofing it....makes it even more worth it in the end.

Now thats what I'm talking about. To me its the adventure!

[BelfastFlyer]

I'd freakin love to go on a cruise...

Anyway as much as I like doing my own thing I'd really love to be able to pay x amount of £ to be looked after every once in a while. Maybe I'm just getting old

[worldwidemike]

Hey...my ears are burning...!

Seriously, I'm flattered that Dio and Lil Wings have been inspired by my travels. However, it works both ways...we all inspire each other. That's why this site can be so addictive, and reading it makes the list of places you want to go to grow and grow. Look at Adam, off on his silk road trip. How many Tpunkers do you think are reading that right now, and have a dream building inside them?

I don't have a problem with cruises...I've taken two of them. However, I plan my own itinerary for each port stop and stay far away from the official cruise activities.

Honestly, it's good for some folks to do ANY kind of travel, so if an all inclusive or a cruise is the most adventurous thing we can get them to do, then that's better than nothing. There are some who never even leave home. Everybody has their own comfort level and their own level of adventure they will undertake. We shouldn't look down on folks because they don't want to wander South America for a month on our own, riding the chicken buses. That said, they shouldn't look down on us either because we're not staying in five star hotels.

So, no, I don't see me as a travel snob. Jake's brought up the tourist vs. traveler thing, and he has every right to his opinions. If he doesn't want to see Western Europe, he is perfectly right to go elsewhere. Right now, I have no overwhelming desire to see Australia, but I was enthralled by Dio's "Where's Jilly" travelog through that country. It was amazing to read, and it felt good to experience it along with Jill. One day, I know I will go to Australia...and I know who I will ask for advice about it!

Okay...I've rambled on and on, but thumbs up to all your opinions...!

worldwidemike

[d_fresh]

this has come up a couple times before on the board.
no one should look down their noses at anyone who travels differently than they do. we're all tourists whether someone wants to admit or not. imo, the self inflated egos of "off the beaten path" backpackers is far more annoying than the person who's excited they got the chance to see a few places they normally wouldn't.

don't ever think you're better than the person who does an all inclusive or a tour. you're not.

my respect goes out to anyone who has the courage to leave their safe zone and venture out in the world. I don't care how they do it as long as they do.

[lauren313]

Originally Posted by d_fresh

imo, the self inflated egos of "off the beaten path" backpackers is far more annoying than the person who's excited they got the chance to see a few places they normally wouldn't.

Amen, I'm with you.

[Delaney]

Originally Posted by d_fresh

this has come up a couple times before on the board.
no one should look down their noses at anyone who travels differently than they do. we're all tourists whether someone wants to admit or not. imo, the self inflated egos of "off the beaten path" backpackers is far more annoying than the person who's excited they got the chance to see a few places they normally wouldn't.

don't ever think you're better than the person who does an all inclusive or a tour. you're not.

my respect goes out to anyone who has the courage to leave their safe zone and venture out in the world. I don't care how they do it as long as they do.

TOTALLY agree!

[TheJake]

i'm better. I know cause I asked myself.

Seriously people there is a major difference in the heart. Major. It's the difference between someone shopping at wal-mart and someone shopping at mom and pops. Yeah yeah I know I get crucified over this argument everytime but I have worked in the tourism hospitality recreation industry my entire life. Honestly I am not sure I can convey the disgust I have for petty tourists but I am sure most of it comes from the years of putting up with their crap.

In all honesty there are two types of people and both of those people could be on the same cruise ship.
One will be like my mother who refused to walk to the fish market in ensenada with my father because it was "out of sight of the ship"
and the other
Will be like my father who dragged her there anyway cause he did not want some nasty ass fish taco that were being served within sight of the ship.

Two different worlds, Same ship, oddly enough same family.

p.s. dad liked rubio's fish taco's better... weirdo

[d_fresh]

Originally Posted by TheJake

i'm better. I know cause I asked myself.

Seriously people there is a major difference in the heart. Major. It's the difference between someone shopping at wal-mart and someone shopping at mom and pops. Yeah yeah I know I get crucified over this argument everytime but I have worked in the tourism hospitality recreation industry my entire life. Honestly I am not sure I can convey the disgust I have for petty tourists but I am sure most of it comes from the years of putting up with their crap.

In all honesty there are two types of people and both of those people could be on the same cruise ship.
One will be like my mother who refused to walk to the fish market in ensenada with my father because it was "out of sight of the ship"
and the other
Will be like my father who dragged her there anyway cause he did not want some nasty ass fish taco that were being served within sight of the ship.

Two different worlds, Same ship, oddly enough same family.

p.s. dad liked rubio's fish taco's better... weirdo

whatever. I'll take hanging out with the person who doesn't have their head up their arse over how superior they are to "tourists" because they're "travellers". it's all the same thing, you're delusional if you think they aren't....and if you honestly think you're better than someone who chooses to do an all inclusive or some other way of travel...shame on you. seriously. it really doesn't get much more petty than that.

[DC_Jessica]

I'm actually planning on going to the UAE, constructing my own island with the Emiratees, hanging out there for a week or two, then blowing the whole thing to smithereens so NOBODY ELSE can see it but me!!

I'm torn, because I really respect anybody who puts themselves out there, but I still have this nasty human streak in me that holds my putzing around and getting into trouble in higher regard than a "safer" trip, just because if I didn't think it was the *best* way to do it, I wouldn't be doing it myself...dig? And as far as snobbery, even people who prefer group tours or planned outings will certainly sit at a bar or picnic or whatever and attempt to *dazzle* you with their travel expertise and their "this is totally the best way to see the world" attitude. Otherwise, they'd be taking one pair of pants for 6 years of travel like some of us on the board! And hell yeah when I can afford it I'll try a cruise out. And I will tell everybody who asks me that it is the BEST way to see the world!

[steve7100]

I new to the backpacking scene, but I was wondering why is it travelers vs tourist? I have never really backpacked, but lived out of a backpack for year trying to find some thing to eat and a place to stay with no money. I just did it where I was from in Philadelphia due to a drug addiction.

I enjoy both sides of the fence. I have been on cruises, all inclusives, extended road trips, high end hotels, etc. Personally, I hope people enjoy whatever it is they are doing. Work, family, travel, etc. Would you be snobby to a person if the don't eat meat? or like a different sports team??

I try to remember that when I am judging people(and most(all) of us do , I am only judging them on the 1% that I know of them.

That backpacker or tourist probably is a great father, wonderful daughter, or a strong mother. The great thing about life is we are all different. It helps for me to see what I have in common with people, rather then seeing how we differ.