IS GROUP TRAVEL RIGHT FOR YOU?

Have you ever considered signing up for a group trip? Introvert or not, signing up for a group trip (if you've never done so before) may be a life changing experience because:

1. You will make new friends.

2. You get to meet people coming from all over the world.

3. You learn from others and get the chance to reflect (about your own life).

4. You find inspiration from learning about others' stories.

5. You get out of your comfort zone and find people who'll encourage you to try new things.

I've recently noticed a rise in travel groups, offering opportunities for likeminded people to connect. In a way, they're a great way to travel with others, especially if you don't have anyone to travel with, or you are not comfortable with solo travel. It is also good if you are fairly new to travel. After traveling to several destinations with multiple groups from different parts of the world, I have found that it is a hit-and-miss for me.

I recently met up with a friend and was asking her about her travels. She was telling me about a women's travel group she joined and her thoughts on it. What I found interesting is the way she approached it, stating that that specific company I was inquiring about (since I never traveled with them, but considered it) would be good for people who have not been exposed to a lot of traveling. With both of us being seasoned travelers, I knew exactly what she meant - referring to the type of experiences you get and pinpointing the value of the trip. However, another important aspect to group travel is the vibe that you'll be around.

Group travel is not an easy task, because you never know what kind of people you'll end up with. I have once been on a trip where it almost felt like they wanted to get someone sent home, as they were causing a disturbance to the rest of the group with the demands they had. At some point, this person ended up getting separated from the group, and would end up in the car with the driver who had the luggage. (Yes, it was that bad!)

After traveling with several groups, from budget travel to luxury travel, I found that you almost always get what you paid for. If you are considering group travel, these are some of the factors to consider:

1. Cost-Effective

As a solo traveler, my trips add up quickly, especially since I don't tend to stay in hostels. Often times, the only reason I opted for a group trip instead was to avoid the high costs of the same experience, if I were to do it solo. Depending on the destination, it makes more sense to join a group rather than doing it alone. There are some deals that you may come across that are unbeatable.

When I visited Bosnia, I originally never had the country in mind, but what peaked my interest was coming across a deal that would get me a full week of travel covered for less than $750 (CAD) with transfers to/from the airport, hotel, meals, activities - I knew it would be too good to miss. When I arrived, I was shocked that I even got my own room without any additional cost! I was the only one in the group from Canada, and everyone else was from the U.K. Additionally, this was also part of a school trip, so a lot of the families who attended already knew each other from past events in the community. While I was the odd one out, the trip was open to anyone who wanted to join despite it having mostly families and kids. To date, it turned out to be one of my best memories.

2. Convenience:

I never tend to plan my trips in advance. It is mostly always a spontaneous last minute decision. However, there were times where I would travel solo so much that I got tired. Booking out of convenience is a great way to avoid language barriers.

Travel is exhausting. I don't book anything through travel agents. I am my own travel agent. That means extra work for me: constantly having to do research on the neighborhood of the hotels I want to book, places to eat, where to go, how to get around, etc. With a group trip, it's all taken care of for you. Just show up and go with the flow. When I get tired of doing it all, this is one of the main reasons I consider a group trip.

I booked my trip to Kyrgyzstan as a group trip, because of language barriers. What I quickly realized was not mentioned in the itinerary prior to booking was the amount of travel we had to do, which to me felt like we spent more time on the road than we did seeing the country, and experiencing it to its fullest. With long hours of travel, sometimes over 6 hours a day, I made the decision to leave the group halfway through. For me personally, I didn't find the value of what I was paying was there. I left and continued solo, with my own travel style, which was much better for me.

What I learned from that trip? I was able to get the experience of staying in a yurt with a nomadic family. This in itself was enough of a reason to book, as it saved me the hours of research to find the right camp for me (especially as a solo female traveler), since there are so many to choose from. This experience can also be looked at from a safety standpoint, as keep in mind that most of the times, you won't find signal or be able to stay online in such remote places. Thus, in this case, the first half of the trip was still worth it.

3. Safety:

While I am very lucky to be allowed to travel alone, there are some destinations which I can't go by myself - for safety reasons. For those, I look into the option of doing a group trip. This way, I am able to cross the destination off my list.

4. Flexibility

Are you someone who can adapt easily to new environments? How do you view change? With group travel, there are often times where the itinerary may not allow you to do everything you want. There are groups that give you a free day where you can choose what activities and experiences to book for that day, but there are companies that keep an action-packed itinerary with every single day planned, leaving you with no extra time for personal preferences. This is something to keep in mind, but it's not that big of a deal as if you are not short on time, you can always extend your trip by a few days to get it done.

5. Travel Goals

One of the best things about group travel is the exclusivity. Depending on the company you are traveling with, often times, you will find specific experiences curated just for you. Now the question you need to ask yourself is, what is your travel style? What are your goals? What do you want to experience? Do you care about those exclusive experiences or are you looking for something else? On my trip to Jamaica, we had private chefs in the villa cooking up our meals on some days. Those meals were much more appreciated, as it tasted more authentic and was much better than eating out.

I was convinced to book my group trip to Egypt, as it allowed me the opportunity to visit a place that not many people consider (Siwa) when visiting Egypt, since it is so far away, tucked in the middle of nowhere. Going to Siwa felt like taking a step back in time, but I enjoyed it more than the city (Cairo). Evaluate your goals, check the itinerary offered and compare what you intend on doing with what you would like to experience. Keep an open mind though, as you may opt to try something new and fall in love with it. If you are someone with specific interests, it may not align with the group's itinerary.

If you are someone who prefer a slower pace or quieter environments, group travel may not be the right decision. If you are not comfortable in large social settings, you may opt for a travel group with a smaller capacity, though you must keep in mind that this may cost you more. By weighing these factors, you can determine if group travel aligns with your preferences and travel style.

Have you been on a group trip or considered it? Let me know!