Solo travel comes with oodles of benefits. It unleashes this unrivaled sense of freedom that’s hard to find any other way. You can just take off to a destination of your choice, see the sights, and meet new people.
But, if that doesn’t sit right with you or you’re just not sure that’ll fit in with your personality, consider group travel. It’s a lovely way to experience a new culture within the safety and comfort of a group of like-minded people.
You also don’t have to do much planning beyond, in most instances, your airfare. Everything else is taken care of for you. Together, let’s take a walk down the group travel lane and see if it’s a door you might like to walk through.
Friendships
The first and, perhaps, most obvious benefit of a group trip as a solo traveler is you won’t be solo anymore. You’ll have instant friends because the basis of any friendship is commonality, isn’t it?
Whether it’s the location itself, the history, or the theme of the group, you’ll have no trouble striking up conversations and bonding with new people. You may find yourself enjoying a week full of laughter and wonderful new experiences as you learn from your like-minded insta-friends.
Security
Security comes in a few forms when you embark upon group travel. First, There’s safety in numbers. So, there’s security in terms of not needing to worry about walking down a dark street at night after a wonderful meal in town.
But, there’s also security in the fact that you’re probably booked into well-reviewed hotels and are seeing all the sights that you definitely don’t want to miss in a new city. Still, whether you’re in a group or flying solo, here are 20 safety tips to help see you through.
Convenience
Travel planning is half the fun of the trip – or is it? Does the idea of coordinating all your hotels and transportation worry you? If so, let someone else do the travel planning!
Often, in group trips, you have to arrange your own airfare. But, once you touch down in your new destination, the rest is usually taken care of for you!
Pay for Everything at Once
Maintaining a budget while traveling is not… impossible… but, it’s not easy, either. If you’re traveling to a few different cities or countries, it’s easy to watch the money fly out the window when you have to coordinate planes, trains, and automobiles.
Then, you have to factor in the meals and trinkets you pick up along the way, or the museum admission tickets and last minute Uber. It’s nice to know that, when you embark on a group trip, the lodging and transportation is (usually) already accounted for and all you have to budget are food and gifts.
Options
Group travel also comes with plenty of options. Would you like to join a flock of future friends in Florence, London, or Dubai? There’s likely a group trip out there. And, if you’ve ever been uncertain about going to any of these destinations on your own, you’ve just opened the door to a host of new opportunities.
Favorite YouTubers
If you’re a loyal follower of a few different YouTubers, you might notice the increasingly popular trend of group trips. They’ll book group tours through companies like TrovaTrip and do all the planning for you.
Let’s say you’re a royal watcher. Then, you’ll find that the host of a channel called Royal News Network regularly organizes group trips around destinations like London or Scotland to visit royal-related sites.
There’s a traveling couple on YouTube called Matt and Nat. Recently, they arranged a group trip to Ireland and had the time of their lives. You can see it in the video they posted. The friendships that were made on each of these trips are sure to last a lifetime.
Luxe Destinations
There’s another YouTuber, Shallon Lester, who arranges group tours to luxe destinations. In the past, she probably used a company like TrovaTripa, but she’s since switched. Now, she plans group tours with her followers and books into super-luxe locations in places like the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany. So, it’s easy to find group tours that not only offer security but also luxury.
Education and Learning
Often, group tours go on mini-tours together. So, for example, if you’re a royal watcher and you’re in London with Brittany from the Royal News Network, it’s likely you’ll enjoy educational experiences as you explore the Tower of London together or wander through a historic neighborhood.
In essence, you won’t wander around aimlessly. You’ll always have a destination in mind with a pre-planned activity that’s likely to impress. If you’re interested in something like that, here are 20 of the best royal attractions in London.
Clear Expectations
If a group trip doesn’t have a firm itinerary, you should probably think twice about it. One of the joys of group travel is the fact that you don’t have to plan everything yourself.
With group travel, you’ll have an organized itinerary for the whole week, including destinations and activities in each location. Some even have everything planned, down to the restaurants and meals at night. If that’s something you like to see – a well-charted course – then you’ll find great comfort in a group tour.
No Self-Worry
And that sort of ties into our final point. With a group trip, there’s no opportunity for self-doubt. Did you book the best flight? Did you choose the top five things to do in that city? How is that hotel, really? For better or for worse (and it’s usually for better), there’s no need to worry about all that, as everything will be taken care of for you.
Group Trips for the Win
What do you think? Is group travel something you’d explore? Here’s another idea: if you’re not sure yet, start with a group tour via a platform like Viator to see how you feel for a day on a group trip. If you enjoy the experience, that might be a nice foray into this form of travel.
To get a sense of where in the world you’d like to see next, take a look at our library of destination guides. They’ll be sure to satiate some of your curiosity as you make plans to see the world, whether it’s a solo trip, group trip, or any other method of travel. We hope to see you out there someday!