Bucket List Travel Methods for Your Next Adventure

When you think of “travel,” you’re likely to gloss over all the commuting involved in a vacation and go straight to imagining all the fun you will have when you arrive at your destination. Things have changed a lot since the days when a steamboat was the most common way to travel across the world, and planes hadn't even been invented. People back then knew what many modern travelers forget: it's about the journey, too, not just the destination. Travel is about embracing the complete experience — including getting from one place to another — whether that’s by air, ground, or water. Let’s explore some travel methods you must experience in your lifetime.

Horseback

Traveling by horseback taps into a system of travel that humanity has used for more than 5,000 years. If you’re a novice, we recommend taking a few weeks of riding lessons before setting out on a long trip. Once that's over, prepare to experience wild, rugged, and often uninhabited spaces like never before. There are several gorgeous horse trails in exotic and familiar locations worldwide. Our favorites are:

• African Horseback Safaris — Okavango Delta, Botswana.

• Nomadic Expeditions — Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia.

• Blue Green Adventures — Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile.

Riding a horse through such wild landscapes gives you a feeling of connection to the planet, the flora and fauna, and to those who have ridden those trails before you like no other method of travel.

Private Plane

If luxury is the name of your game, this next one will be right up your alley. Traveling with a top-rated private jet company offers a travel experience that caters to all your preferences and gets you from place to place safely and quickly.

The cabin of a private jet is a monument to comfort compared to that of a commercial jet, which you’ll share with about 100 other passengers. Strap in for takeoff, and after that, relax and enjoy all the space you have to yourselves. Indulge in delicious meals provided according to your preferences and dietary requirements, the care of highly-trained flight attendants, and vastly superior in-flight entertainment.

Train

Stepping onto a steam train and hearing that shrill whistle blast is like stepping back in time. While most modern commuter trains are about efficiency and cost-effectiveness, the steam and modern electric trains that still chug long distances across the planet are about something more than just getting from point A to point B.

This mode of transport embodies luxurious comfort, reclaiming a bygone era of opulence and allowing you to enjoy every second of your travel time. Although most luxury trains no longer operate as an option for your commute, they remain an enticing way to travel. Our favorites are:

On these trains, you can eat your meals in an extravagantly decorated dining car with real silverware and linen tablecloths. You can fall asleep to the sound of the wheels cracking and sighing across the sleepers and rails or spend hours getting lost in an ever-changing landscape outside your window, and you will be treated to white glove service along the way.

Charter Yacht

More of a water baby than a train person? We’ve got you. Chartering a yacht (or another sailing vessel) is as simple as chartering a plane for you and your loved ones. The difference here is that you can step outdoors for a little fresh air and jump over the side of your vessel into an indescribably beautiful salt-water paradise. Charter yachts are available in most idyllic locales, but a few of the most sought-after destinations are:

• Thailand.

• Italy.

• Australia.

• St. Martins – the Caribbean.

• Greece.

Chartering a yacht gives you access to a floating hotel with a small, highly trained crew dedicated to the safe operation of the craft and your safety and comfort for the duration of the voyage. You can request a menu that suits your preferences and enjoy the highest quality of meals. In addition, you’ll have access to water toys and sports stops at nearby ports or islands and the most comfortable living quarters you’ve ever seen.

Car

Road trips are among the best chances we have as travelers to be spontaneous. Unless you’re renting a vehicle, you can spontaneously plan a road trip with very few arrangements. All you need is your trusty “steed” (the car) and your ride-or-die “pardner” (best friend or loved one), and you’re ready to hit the road. You can road trip through most parts of the world, but some trips have been undertaken by so many people that they’ve become legends in themselves:

• The Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean, Canada.

• The Ring Road, Iceland.

• Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, Oregon.

• The Garden Route, South Africa.

While some of these trips keep you within easy reach of civilization and a decent, hot meal, some take you out in often hostile wildernesses and require a lot of careful, educated, and well-thought-out planning. These trips take you along some of the most beautiful roadways on the planet, and they’re well worth the drive.

Explore More

The journey is as important as the destination and should be enjoyed and appreciated at least as much. Taking trips that involve an exciting and enriching form of travel helps you create memories that will last a lifetime — why not start now?