Now that you have your bucket list and an idea of how you like to travel, it’s time to think about transportation. Your bucket list should consist of 3-10 places to visit. Pick three for now. Don’t overthink it, you can switch later if you change your mind. Decide what the best mode of transportation will be for each of your three selected destinations.

For now, think just about how you will get to your destination. We will talk about how to get around when you reach your destination in a future post. You may not find a “perfect” option for you. Each of these modes of transportation will have noises and other stimuli that could be an anxiety trigger. Think about your triggers when considering each option. Here are your basic options.

• Car – This is more time consuming than air travel, but faster than a bus and can be more fun.
• Bus – Inexpensive, still time consuming, but takes away the stress of driving.
• Train – More time consuming than air travel, but usually faster and more scenic than a bus. Train travel is fun and relaxing if you like to stare out the window at scenery.
• Plane – Convenient, but expensive if you don’t travel hack. The airport is often stressful.
• Boat – Simple and convenient, but there can be a lot of interaction with other travelers. Freighters offer a unique experience but can be extremely noisy.
• Walk or bike – Lots of people do this across countries or even entire continents. You need to be adventurous and in pretty good shape.

You can rank the options in order of most to least preferable before you begin if you like.

For me, it looks like this (with a few caveats):

1. Train
2. Boat
3. Plane
4. Bus
5. Car
6. Walk

Although train and boat are my favorite ways to travel, I have done most of my travel by plane and car. I find train and boat travel soothing and like to be able to look out the train window at the countryside rolling past. These are more time consuming and have not always been a better option than air travel due to time constraints. Bus is fine when I don’t want to drive myself, but I often find it frustrating that I have to go so many miles out of my way on some bus routes. Unless you are connecting from one big city to another big city, a bus is typically not direct. As long as you are not in a hurry, it can work well.

While I claim to prefer bus over car, I have traveled more by car. I usually hate driving and only do it when I have to. That said, I don’t mind driving in more rural areas in nice weather. For example, I can manage a road trip to the western United States, but not to the east coast.

I might do some long distance wandering on foot someday, but for now the only walking I’ll be doing is on walking tours and short hikes. I hate riding a bicycle, especially in areas with vehicle traffic, and I’m not likely to ever try it. I simply don’t feel safe on a bicycle.

Here is an example of what an advanced traveler’s list might look like at this point.

• Netherlands – work with travel agent, plane
• Samoa – solo trip, boat
• Paris, France – solo trip, plane

I hope these examples help guide you through the thought process of figuring out what transportation to use on your next trip. You can get creative with your transportation!

If I forgot something, let me know!

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Let me know if you have any questions and keep the community updated on your plans by leaving a comment.

Happy travels!