Type B travelers prefer more easygoing ways to explore, from making last-minute reservations to following local tips.
international travel tips
Use these tips to travel smarter and safer when traveling abroad.
- Type B travelers prefer spontaneity and flexibility over detailed itineraries and advance reservations.
- Although some people find this approach frustrating, proponents argue that it’s less risky than people realize.
The idea of arriving at a destination without accommodation makes many travelers nervous, but not Alison Mark, who considers herself “very Type B.”
Mark spent four years backpacking full-time, mostly on his own, before starting university in Australia last year.
“With backpacking, it’s kind of a culture to do everything in a hurry,” she said. “I was pretty flexible to begin with, and I’ve become even more flexible.”
When she arrived in Zimbabwe, she had a close call as she had no accommodation to list on her immigration form and no internet access to look for accommodation, but in the end, someone in the customs and immigration line at the airport referred her to a hostel.
“Unless there’s a big event happening in the city, there’s always going to be accommodation somewhere,” she says. “People have a lot more options than they think.”
For some travelers, the idea of arriving in a foreign country without a plan seems to cause stress and anxiety. The opposite is true for Frequent Travelers, Type Bs, who find their travels liberating and open to more meaningful encounters and unexpected adventures. Here’s how they do it:
What is type B?
Type B personalities are often the exact opposite of Type A personalities.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Type A people are seen as goal-oriented, fast-paced, organized, and in control, while, according to mental health app company Calm, “Type B people tend to be more relaxed, collaborative, and creative, with a natural ability to manage stress and prioritize their health.”
The latter may seem to be failing at times. Going with the flow is important for Type Bs, although that can frustrate their Type A counterparts.
Travel content creator Kevin Droniak, who has visited 54 countries, sees the best of both worlds. “It’s like yin and yang. You need both to have a good trip,” he says, noting that Type A travelers can be counted on to research the trip and make sure everyone gets where they want to go. “But it’s a really good balance to have us Type B travelers come too, because it allows us to lower the stress level of very rigorous planning and itineraries.”
decide where to go
When Mark was backpacking, she often chose destinations based on the cheapest flight tickets on sites like Skyscanner.
“I would choose somewhere I haven’t been before,” she said.
She has stuck with countries that are visa-free or allow e-visas or visas on arrival, but eventually hopes to visit every country in the world. She has already checked 45.
Rosalie Somogyi, who also has blood type B, has visited 44 countries. My online-based job as a Breathwork Master has allowed me to travel full time since 2020.
“One is, I feel a lot and then go after how I feel and so on,” the self-proclaimed eternal traveler said of his choice of destination. “I just want to go where I want to go.”
Price isn’t that important to her, but climate is.
“I like hot countries, tropical countries. I don’t like cold at all,” she said from Germany before heading to Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. “And if I go to a tropical country, I like to have a beach nearby. That’s very important to me.”
One of her favorite repeat destinations is Mexico.
“I love the culture. I love their passion. I love the music. I love the parties. I love the beaches, the food, the weather,” she said. “And Mexico is so big. I’ve already been to half the states in Mexico.”
Somogyi isn’t worried, though the State Department has advised against visiting certain areas of Mexico and other destinations due to safety concerns.
“Of course, in every country there are certain places, certain areas that you should not go alone,” she said. “Don’t leave the area just because you’re scared.”
decide what to do (or not)
Droniak travels every week and likes to “let the wind take me wherever I want to go.”
One of the first things he does when he arrives at his destination is buy a coffee and ask the local barista for recommendations on activities. “Normally I take these recommendations very seriously,” he said.
He doesn’t have a strict schedule, and he still remembers the time he went hiking along Kauai’s famous Na Pali Coast with some Type A friends, only to have to turn back after reaching a scenic lookout to make dinner reservations.
“Who knows when we will return to that perspective?” he asked.
At the time, he couldn’t stay there, but is happy to go his own way whenever possible, like a trip to Zhujiajiao in China, where he spent time roaming the canals while his friends ran around without him.
“There shouldn’t be any shame in saying to a Type A friend you’re traveling with, ‘Hey, I’m actually going to spend the morning alone and have a slow morning,'” he says.
Droniak added that type A travelers who invest time and energy into carefully planned plans can be irritated when type B travelers want to change their plans, but “a true friend will understand.”
Although Mark didn’t have to worry about traveling alone, her fellow travelers were still able to shape her journey.
“Sometimes I end up traveling with other people I meet while traveling,” Mark said. It’s like driving down the coast of Morocco with a new friend. “We want to keep it open so we can see what happens.”
She admits that short-term travelers don’t always have that kind of flexibility.
“Certainly, some people find not having a plan very stressful. If you find it very stressful, there’s no reason to do it that way, because you won’t enjoy it,” she said. “But if you can live with it, I think it’s really less of a risk than people think.”
(This story has been updated to add link.)
