Our Top Ten Travel Infographics

Who doesn’t love a good infographic? What’s not to love about those winning mixes of data, imagery and information that are presented in a neat easy-to-digest format?

Well, sometimes, they can be a little bit ‘all style no substance’, and whilst they may look the part, fall short in terms of actually being useful or performing on any deeper level.  The challenge is to present key information in a nutshell, where the design instantly draws people in, and holds their attention.

I’ve had a browse through the archives of travel infographics to be found on Visually, in the search for those that managed to achieve the winning combination of:

• Featuring interesting or relevant information and
• Being presented in an interesting and easy to understand format

Here are my personal Top Ten in ascending order:

Number 10 – An Appalachian Trail packing list

This comprehensive infographic is designed to help long-distance hikers plan their equipment and make sure nothing vital gets left at home.  It was designed for Appalachian Trail thru-hikers but would be just as useful for anyone about to go on a multi-day hike.  It is an Infographic winner because it combines attractive imagery with a clear layout and plenty of useful tips and information.  The information is obviously compiled by someone ‘in the know’ and would be genuinely helpful if you were considering the particulars of what equipment to take with you.

Number 9 – An African Bucket List

This clear and concise infographic effectively highlights the Top Ten attractions of the South and East of Africa.  This vast area is teeming with wildlife and exotic things to see and do, and this infographic helps to pick out some of the stand-out experiences to seek out if you plan a trip to this part of the world.  There are also interesting facts along the way, to further entice the curious traveller.

Number 8 – What should I bring on my UK family holiday?

Although this infographic has been designed with visitors to Center Parcs in mind, it also applies very nicely to pretty much any family holiday in the UK.  It has ideas for what to pack dependant on your holiday focus/es and may well flag up a few ideas that you hadn’t thought of, to hopefully make packing a more streamlined and stress-free affair, as well as providing a few ideas about how to keep the whole family content and entertained whilst en route and when you have arrived at your destination.

Number 7 – Big things of Australia map

This is an intriguing map highlighting a selection of the 150 Big Things to found on major roads across Australia.  I found it fascinating because I had no idea of the existence of these Big Things prior to looking at the map.  Basically, for the uninitiated, the Big Things are large-scale sculptures or structures that have become a bit of a cult phenomenon, with people taking road trips to find them and have their photo taken with them to prove that they did indeed stand next to a giant banana or prawn!

Number 6 – Are you more travelled than James Bond?

This slick and stylish infographic will appeal not only to fans of 007 but also to the well travelled amongst us, who can compare our travel history to the ever-relocating James Bond.  It scores bonus points from me, for showing costs in both pounds and dollars and clearly illustrates the super-spy’s many stopovers globally, as well as in which films he appeared there.  I’m sure many Bond fans and avid travellers will now hope to tread in his extremely agile (albeit slightly risktaking) footprints!

Number 5 – The Balance of Britan’s breaks

This colourful and informative infographic highlights how we are paying for our holidays both at home and abroad – often with credit cards!  The infographic also cleverly illustrates other associated information using cheery holiday themed imagery.  There is information related to the hottest holiday destinations worldwide for plastic payments.  There’s also statistics about who is spending money online, and also the kind of holiday we like best, in relation to how many children we have in our family.

Number 4 – You brought home wot?

The sole purpose of this beautifully produced infographic is to highlight the most clichéd/iconic keepsakes or mementos that are in all of the local souvenir shops and that many of us can’t resist bringing back to Blighty either to keep as a reminder of a great time away or to give to a lucky recipient back home. These are the ‘no-brainer’ trinkets that somehow instantly bring to mind the place that you had so much fun.  Confession time – how many of these have made it back home via your suitcase?

Number 3 – Where should I go on holiday?

This clever and highly interactive infographic is very cool once you get to grips with how it works.  You must select a month of the year by clicking on one of the initials at the top and then changing the average monthly temperatures or sun hours settings and seeing which destinations are pinpointed as falling within those parameters by checking out the red dots.  It also sounds very complex, but it is fun to play with and definitvely highlights the different climate patterns around the world.  It also allows you to find your choice of destinations around the world when you are trying to find your ideal climate at any time of the year e.g. you want to find some pleasant warmth and Winter sun in the depths of a British winter – wonder what made me think of that scenario?…

Number 2 – The Ultimate Guide to Worldwide Etiquette

This handy interactive guide serves as a reminder that there are many cultural differences around the world, and that it pays to be mindful of understanding how society works in the parts of the globe that we are lining up a visit.  The UK is one of the destinations featured, the guidance and advice is very accurate – and no, we don’t like queue jumpers! It doesn’t profile every country worldwide, but there are lots that are covered.  The areas that are explained in a clear, concise and relevant way, are: tipping, gestures, dining and do’s and dont’s.  A great guide to help avoid social embarrassment and get ‘in the know’ like a local.

Number 1 – How to relocate to another country

This had to be our number one really, as we are one of the leading travel insurance providers for one way or emigration cover.  Notwithstanding that, it is a highly useful infographic that includes valuable information for those that are considering emigration and also those that are in the process of doing it. It clearly identifies the most popular global destinations for UK emigrants, and also identifies which country in the UK most tend to leave from.

There is a host of practical information, flagging up things that ‘people often forget’, a handy schedule for what you need to do all the way along the relocation process, plus a cautionary section entitled ‘what people wish they had done differently’.  It is interesting to note that insurance is clearly an aspect that people wish they had arranged prior to emigrating, with the benefit of hindsight.  The infographic identifies ‘not arranging medical insurance in advance of arrival’ and ‘not taking out adequate property insurance for shipping’ as key regrets that have obviously caused stress and financial loss as a result of their omission.

Our First Class Emigration Policies can be taken out globally, for a period of either 5, 17 or 21 days and offer cover for emergency medical expenses and repatriation, as well as a host of other benefits.  One-way travel is no different for any other kind of travel, in that you need cover for all of the risks that are in play, and to offer essential peace of mind, should something go amiss along the way.  Another key benefit of our First Class Emigration policies, is that the cover extends beyond immigration control at your destination and covers you for a specified period while you are settling in and making more permanent insurance arrangements.

**Update we now offer Go Walkabout Emigration Gold and Silver policies, which have replaced the First Class Emigration policies, take a look at all of the details here **