The Three Types of Travelers: Why We're Proud to Be "Comfort Travelers" (And You Should Be Too)
After over three years of full-time family travel across 20+ countries, we've encountered every type of traveler imaginable. From the backpacker squeezing their entire life into a 40-liter pack to the luxury resort guest who hasn't left their all-inclusive property in six days, the travel spectrum is vast and varied.
But somewhere in the middle, there's a growing tribe of travelers that doesn't quite fit the traditional mold. We call them comfort travelers, and spoiler alert: we're proudly card-carrying members of this often-misunderstood group.
The Travel Spectrum: Where Do You Fit?
Before we dive into why comfort travel with kids is nothing to be ashamed of, let's break down the three main travel personas we've identified during our worldschooling adventures.
Budget Travelers: The Minimalist Adventurers
Budget travelers are the legends of the travel world. They're the ones who can stretch $30 across three days in Bangkok, sleep in 12-bed hostel dorms without batting an eye, and somehow always know where to find the best $1 street food that won't give you food poisoning.
These travelers typically:
- Stay in hostels, guesthouses, or the cheapest accommodations available
- Eat exclusively local street food and markets
- Use public transportation religiously
- Pack everything into one or two backpacks
- Consider a private room a luxury splurge
We genuinely admire budget travelers. There's something pure about their approach to sustainable long-term travel. When you're living on $20 a day, every experience feels earned, every meal is an adventure, and every comfortable bed is a gift.
Luxury Travelers: The Five-Star Nomads
On the opposite end of the spectrum are luxury travelers who've mastered the art of experiencing the world without sacrificing comfort. They stay in five-star hotels, eat at Michelin-starred restaurants, and travel with personal concierges who handle every detail.
Luxury travelers typically:
- Book premium accommodations with full-service amenities
- Dine at upscale restaurants and avoid street food
- Use private transportation and first-class flights
- Have extensive luggage and professional packing services
- Consider anything below four stars unacceptable
There's absolutely nothing wrong with luxury travel if you can afford it. We've splurged on luxury experiences ourselves (that first-class Saudi Airlines flight to Bangkok for $2,000 total still makes us giddy), and we understand the appeal of having every detail handled professionally.
Comfort Travelers: The Practical Middle Ground
Then there's us: comfort travelers. We're the practical middle ground that somehow doesn't get much recognition in travel blogs and social media. Maybe it's because we're not as Instagram-worthy as luxury travelers or as inspiring as budget backpackers, but we represent a huge portion of family travelers who just want to see the world without suffering or going bankrupt.
What Defines a Comfort Traveler?
Accommodation Philosophy: Comfortable, Not Luxurious
We like to stay in places that feel like homes, not hostels or hotels. Our ideal accommodation has:
- Air conditioning (non-negotiable in tropical climates)
- Private bathroom for the family
- Kitchen facilities or kitchenette
- Washing machine access
- Reliable WiFi for work and schooling
- Space for the girls to spread out and play
A budget hotel or even a nice hostel might work for one or two nights, but we're not cramming our family of five into a space with no AC for a week just to save money. We value our sleep and sanity too much for that kind of budget travel sacrifice.
Our sweet spot is usually Airbnb apartments, serviced apartments, or mid-range hotels that offer the amenities we need without the premium price tag of luxury resorts.
Food Adventures with Familiar Backups
Here's where we probably shock the travel purists: we love local food, but we also love our comfort foods from home. During our six months in Da Nang, Vietnam, we became regulars at both the incredible local pho stalls and Gordon's New York Pizzeria—the closest thing to authentic New York pizza we've ever had outside the US.
Our food philosophy includes:
- Trying local specialties and street food regularly
- Having familiar backup options for when kids need comfort food
- Not feeling guilty about Western chains occasionally
- Cooking familiar meals at our accommodations when needed
Our kids aren't particularly picky—they'll try most things we put in front of them. But they're also kids, and sometimes they want mac and cheese or tacos instead of another bowl of rice.
We've eaten at Chili's in Manila, Outback Steakhouse in Shibuya, and yes, McDonald's in more countries than we care to admit. And you know what? We're not apologizing for it anymore.
When Cora is having a meltdown about trying new food, sometimes the solution is chicken nuggets and a familiar environment. When we've been eating rice for two weeks straight and desperately crave some good Mexican food, we're hunting down the best tex-mex or cali-mex we can find. This doesn't make us bad travelers; it makes us practical parents.
Transportation: Comfort Over Adventure
When we land in a new destination, we almost always arrange private airport transfers in a large, comfortable van. We don't try to cram our family of five plus luggage onto two tuk-tuks or navigate public transportation with jet-lagged kids and multiple suitcases.
This doesn't mean we get white-glove black car service everywhere (although that one time in Tokyo was pretty amazing). We just prioritize comfort and convenience over the adventure of figuring out buses and trains with exhausted children.
Our transportation preferences:
- Pre-arranged airport transfers in appropriate-sized vehicles
- Grab/Uber for daily transportation when available
- Public transportation for exploration (we love trains and buses, just not with six suitcases)
- Domestic flights over 12-hour bus rides
- Comfort over cost, but not luxury over budget
The Luggage Situation: We're Not Minimalists
Let's address the elephant in the room: we currently travel with six suitcases. Yes, six. Before you judge us too harshly, understand that this is temporarily inflated because we're carrying souvenirs back to the States and we somehow thought bringing a laser jet printer from Vietnam to Thailand was a good idea (don't ask).
Our normal setup is closer to three or four rolling suitcases, which still puts us firmly in comfort traveler territory. We're not trying to fit our worldly possessions into two backpacks, and we're not ashamed of that choice.
Family travel with multiple children requires more stuff than solo backpacking. We need:
- Clothes for different climates and seasons
- Educational materials for worldschooling
- Comfort items that help kids adjust to new places (more stuffed animals than I'm proud to admit)
- Electronics and work equipment for our businesses
- Medical supplies and emergency items
Could we travel lighter? Probably. Do we want to? Not really. The extra luggage fees are worth the peace of mind that comes with having what we need.
Breaking the Travel Purity Myth
There's this unspoken idea in travel culture that you're not a "real traveler" unless you're sleeping in hostels, eating exclusively local food, and carrying everything you own on your back. This authentic travel mythology suggests that any comfort or familiarity somehow diminishes the travel experience.
The Comfort Travel Closet
Most travelers engage in comfort travel behaviors but hide them because they think it makes them less authentic. How many "authentic local food" Instagram posts conveniently leave out the McDonald's stop later that day? How many hostel travel bloggers actually stay in private rooms half the time?
We bought an air fryer in Da Nang. Not because we couldn't find good food (Da Nang has incredible cuisine), but because sometimes you want to make the kids some familiar chicken nuggets or reheat leftover pizza. This appliance purchase improved our quality of life immeasurably during our six-month stay.
Comfort Doesn't Equal Inauthenticity
Staying in comfortable accommodations doesn't prevent cultural immersion. Eating familiar foods occasionally doesn't mean you're not experiencing local cuisine. Using convenient transportation doesn't make you a lazy traveler.
Some of our most authentic cultural experiences have happened precisely because we were comfortable and relaxed enough to engage genuinely with local people. When the kids aren't melting down from discomfort and we're not stressed about basic needs, we're better travelers and more open to new experiences.
The Economics of Comfort Travel
Mid-range travel budgets often provide the best value for families. Here's why comfort travel makes financial sense:
Cost Per Experience
Luxury travelers might spend $500/night for a hotel room they barely use because they're out exploring. Budget travelers might save money on accommodation but spend extra on dining out because they don't have kitchen facilities.
Comfort travelers find the sweet spot: decent accommodation with kitchen facilities allows home cooking, comfortable spaces mean better rest and happier kids, and mid-range pricing leaves budget for experiences and activities.
Long-Term Sustainability
Sustainable family travel means creating a lifestyle you can maintain long-term. Extreme budget travel can be exhausting with kids, while luxury travel can be financially unsustainable for extended periods.
Comfort travel creates a sustainable middle ground that allows for longer trips without burning out physically or financially. In our One Week In guidebooks and video series, we typically target around $300 per day for our family of five, covering everything from lodging and entertainment to food and local transportation. Keep in mind this is only for our GO GO GO weeks, we're we are cramming in every activity under the sun, usually staying in hotels more in the city center and eating out for every meal. Our normal life budget on the road when stay in a place for months at a time is closer to $100 per day for our entire family including accommodation.
Comfort Travel Categories Breakdown
| Travel Style | Accommodation | Food | Transportation | Luggage | Budget Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Hostels, guesthouses | Street food, markets | Public transport | 1-2 backpacks | $30-50/day |
| Comfort | Airbnb, mid-range hotels | Mix of local and familiar | Private + public | 3-4 suitcases | $100-300/day (family of 5) |
| Luxury | 4-5 star hotels/resorts | Fine dining, room service | Private transfers | Multiple suitcases + services | $500+/day |
Tips for Embracing Comfort Travel
Accommodation Strategy
- Book places with kitchens for meal flexibility
- Prioritize air conditioning in hot climates
- Look for family-friendly amenities like pools or play areas
- Read reviews from other families, not solo travelers
Food Balance
- Try local specialties but don't force it on kids constantly
- Find Western options for familiar meal backups
- Shop at local markets but also international grocery stores
- Cook familiar foods at accommodations when needed
Transportation Planning
- Pre-book airport transfers for arrival convenience
- Use ride-sharing apps when available with car seats
- Take public transport for exploration when kids are fresh
- Don't feel guilty about choosing comfort over adventure sometimes
The Future of Family Travel
We believe comfort travel represents the future of sustainable family travel. As more families choose long-term travel lifestyles, the all-or-nothing approach of extreme budget or luxury travel becomes less practical.
Comfort travel acknowledges that families have different needs than solo travelers, that children require more stability and familiarity, and that sustainable travel means finding a pace and style you can maintain long-term.
Owning Your Travel Style
After three years on the road, we've learned that the best travel style is the one that works for your family. We're proud comfort travelers who eat local pho for breakfast and hunt down the best Mexican food for dinner, who stay in nice Airbnbs with washing machines, and who prefer private transfers over dragging luggage through subway systems.
This approach has allowed us to visit 20+ countries, maintain our sanity, keep our kids relatively happy, and build a sustainable worldschooling lifestyle that works for our family.
So whether you're squeezing five people into a hostel room or booking the presidential suite, stop apologizing for how you choose to see the world. There's no wrong way to travel as long as it works for your family.
The world is big enough for all types of travelers. We're just grateful to be exploring it together, air fryer and all.
Ready to plan your own comfort travel adventure? Contact Lindsay at [email protected] for personalized travel planning through Journeys by Linds that fits your family's comfort level and budget.
Want to see our comfort travel adventures in action? Subscribe to our YouTube channel where we share weekly vlogs from our worldschooling journey, and follow us on Instagram @adamandlinds for daily updates from the road.
