Pros and Cons of Group Travel | What You Need to Know Before Booking
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- 🚌 Group travel tours are not inherently good nor bad. It depends 100% on the trip, and your specific situation and travel goals. This video will help you decide when to travel with a group, and when to give it a miss.
Thank you to Suzanne for giving me the fodder for this episode! I love this community of active engaged viewers. If you want to join my inner circle, click here (bonus: you get a free travel gear cheat sheet just for joining!): bit.ly/3AFfiTq
📚 RESOURCES I MENTIONED:
👉🏻 My episode about the Newfoundland expedition cruise: • Newfoundland Circumnav...
👉🏻 My in-depth article about Newfoundland culture - www.theprofessionalhobo.com/t...
📚 Resources for Solo Travelers!
Tours with the single supplement waived: solotravelerworld.com/solo-tr...
My interview with Solo Traveler founder Janice Waugh about solo travel over 50 - • SOLO TRAVEL Over 50: W...
💻 Facebook Groups that Suzanne mentioned:
Over 60 Women Travel & Meetup Group - / over60travelmeetup
Over 60 Solo Women Travelers - / over60solowomentravelers
Over 50 Solo Women Travellers - / womenover50solotravelg...
Solo in Style: Women over 50 Travelling Solo & Loving It - / 1423255857779766
🌆 Tour companies mentioned (and a few others)
Adventure Canada - bit.ly/32Y6ogI
Road Scholar - www.roadscholar.org
Odysseys Unlimited - www.odysseys-unlimited.com
G Adventures - www.dpbolvw.net/click-1007136...
Intrepid Travel - www.intrepidtravel.com
00:00 - Introduction to Pros & Cons of Group Travel
00:34 - Suzanne’s travel secrets
04:03 - Hassle-free wanderlust
04:57 - Ultimate travel shield
05:18 - What you’re missing out on
05:46 - Deep dive
06:39 - Bonds beyond borders
07:09 - Pick n choose
07:47 - How to save big
08:16 - Into the unknown
09:45 - Hidden costs
11:00 - The price of group exploration
11:27 - Solo in a crowd
12:00 - Drama unfolds
12:31 - Peeling back cultural layers
13:13 - Race against time
13:41 - The iron grip of control
13:57 - A bit claustrophobic
14:35 - How to choose between solo & group travels
#grouptravel #prosandcons #travelrevelations #traveltruths #travelsecrets
____________________
Greetings! I'm Nora Dunn, aka The Professional Hobo. I've been a digital nomad since 2006. I help people design their lifestyles and arrange their affairs so they can travel long term while working remotely. (I also have a ton of crazy travel tales to share from almost two decades of lifestyle travel).
For more info, check out: www.theprofessionalhobo.com/
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Thank you for watching! Remember to subscribe for more travel tips and insights. Safe travels! 🌍✈️
Thank you to Suzanne for giving me the fodder for this episode! I love this community of active engaged viewers. If you want to join my inner circle, click here (bonus: you get a free travel gear cheat sheet just for joining!): bit.ly/3AFfiTq
📚 RESOURCES I MENTIONED:
👉🏻 My episode about the Newfoundland expedition cruise: ruclips.net/video/Sc2puLBMoMY/видео.htmlsi=0MILUq9oIijhp7kG
👉🏻 My in-depth article about Newfoundland culture - www.theprofessionalhobo.com/this-is-the-best-way-to-visit-newfoundland/
📚 Resources for Solo Travelers!
Tours with the single supplement waived: solotravelerworld.com/solo-travel-deals/
My interview with Solo Traveler founder Janice Waugh about solo travel over 50 - ruclips.net/video/dsBm3g3OW_k/видео.htmlsi=uGMfnNBtKRsZWAwO
💻 Facebook Groups that Suzanne mentioned:
Over 60 Women Travel & Meetup Group - facebook.com/groups/over60travelmeetup/
Over 60 Solo Women Travelers - facebook.com/groups/Over60SoloWomenTravelers/
Over 50 Solo Women Travellers - facebook.com/groups/womenover50solotravelgroup/
Solo in Style: Women over 50 Travelling Solo & Loving It - facebook.com/groups/1423255857779766/
🌆 Tour companies mentioned (and a few others)
Adventure Canada - bit.ly/32Y6ogI
Road Scholar - www.roadscholar.org
Odysseys Unlimited - www.odysseys-unlimited.com
G Adventures - www.dpbolvw.net/click-100713654-15664272
Intrepid Travel - www.intrepidtravel.com
Even if you are going on a group tour, do read up on the places and sights you will see. Read some guidebooks about the country or countries you will visit.
Years ago, I took a group tour to Ireland. I took my sister with me to avoid the single supplement. I read guidebooks ahead of time. When we stopped for a break in a small town, my sister and I went to a convent store that sold lace items made by the nuns. I was the only one who knew about it.
Great suggestion!
Thanks for doing this video. It reconfirmed what I thought of group travel. Rick Steves is another great tour operator to consider. Although his single supplement can be a bit high, I've yet to go on a bad RSE tour (I've done five so far, with another scheduled for next year, to Poland). He curates unique experiences for his tours, has the best local guides in Europe, and doesn't nickel-and-dime you to death. They also give you enough free time on tours to explore on your own, absorb the culture in a local cafe, or just rest, if you want. I found that his tour members are always happy travelers who want to be there, never complain, and get along well with other group members. As a single traveler, I was always welcome to hang out with other couples on the tour; I never felt like an intruder, but I think that's the type of traveler Rick Steves attracts. IMHO, I would highly recommend any RSE tour.
Awesome - thank you for the recommendation!
I just got back from my first Rick Steves tour. It was awesome! We liked it so much we have already booked another for next year. Btw, his company has a “No grumps” policy that you are made aware of up front.😊
@@michellestevens2454 Cool!
A really balanced summing up of the pros and cons - as a solo traveller I do a combination of both and that works for me
Thanks Suzanne!
I’ve done both as a senior. Just remember, traveling in a group is like high school. Lots of different personalities. The partiers, populars, studiers, and athletes. And you typically figure out them out day 2 so you can gravitate towards like minded people.
Ooh - great analogy!
I've used organised group tours when I wanted someone else to figure out the transportation, and where it would have been tricky as a solo female traveler. I've gone with Flashpack twice, both taking us away from the usual tourist sites, showing us unique experiences only a native speaker could access (rural Thai village wedding!) and giving us a deeper appreciation of the places we visited (Northern Thailand + Laos, and separately Sir Lanka) ... also did a 3 day Margaret River Region (Western Australia) tour with the delightful family-run Mcleod Tours. I was the only solo and the only non-Aussie but it was still super fun.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
With the summer off due to grad school, I did a solo group travel to Australia back in the mid-80s. The 30-day Australian tour was camping (I saved $1000 by sleeping in a tent) and my random tent mate was a lovely German woman a few years younger than me (I was 29). I ended up being the only American out of 39 people and was called upon to show my patriotism on the 4th of July, in Alice Springs, by singing the National Anthem--no pressure! With someone else doing the planning and driving, I was able to see SO much of the country, from Melbourne to Cairns to Darwin to Alice Springs and Uluru (then called Ayers Rock) and continuing, past the paved road, to Adelaide and Melbourne. Over half the tour group were Aussies, and a good number were Kiwis--I learned so much more about the country and that part of the world than if I had traveled by myself. After a week in Perth and Hobart, I headed across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand for a 28-day tour of both the North and South Islands. Had a wonderful time with another great group of people but felt I could've done the same on my own. Just goes to show that every trip is different😊
What an amazing experience that must have been, Sharon! Thanks for sharing :-)
Another consideration is group size. I took a small group tour of Australia and New Zealand by Adventures Abroad in 2019. Yes, there was a single supplement but not outrageous. Group size was limited to 12. I was able to opt out on certain days to do my own thing, and on one day when one of the planned activities was something I did not want to do due to my fear of heights the tour leader arranged for me to do something else nearby.
Thanks for your input, Linda! I agree about group size. Great point!
While riverboat cruises can be quite expensive, they do allow you to explore small regions in depth or exlore places along the length of a long river or rivers. Most of them include shore excursions in the fare. So you can get the benefits of group travel and maintain some independence. You can leave the docked boat on your own without going on the organized tour(s). Remember, these cruises include meals, lodging, and transportation. Some include wine and beer at dinner & maybe lunch.
Great intel on river cruises - thanks!
I spent over three weeks traveling independently with a friend in SE Asia four months ago and just got back from a two week fully escorted tour for the first time in Europe. I agree that it didn’t cost that much more in many cases after we paid the last minute airfares between countries. Plus every evening we were planning our next day or so adventures. I’ve come to realize in my 70’s it’s not quite as much fun planning all the small details as it was in my 30’s and with my spending rate I’m not going to run out of money before I die most likely.
Great video too.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Fantastic video. As a solo traveler who has done both small group and independent travel, you have done a great job of describing the pros and cons. These days, I will book a small group for a destination that would be more challenging to do on my own. For example, my first India trip was independent but I found the logistics, travel, and language issues difficult so I did my second visit with a small group. Another group advantage is having someone to go out to dinner with. I tend to find dinner as the most challenging time to go solo. Adding to your points, the punctuality issues goes both ways. You need to be punctual, on group tours but you also must be willing to deal with the delays caused by those who are not. Another negative for many tours is shopping. I am not a shopper and many tours cater to those who want souvenirs and make money by taking you to shops that that they have deals with. In terms of costs, I always find the tours to be much more expensive, especially with the single supplement. You are getting more (in terms of guides, education, social interaction), but you need to be comfortable with that additional cost. Another tour pet peeve is their deceptive ways of counting tour length. A 14 day tour is really always a 12 day tour because they count arrival and departure days when they, at most, have a welcome meeting. Finally, there is a big difference between small group tours and the big bus tours. I like a group size of 10-14. That allows you to have enough people to find some to hang out with while not so many that you are being herded around.
Ian, this is incredible information - thank you so much for sharing your experiences!
I like small groups too, and look for tours that have at least 2-3 nights in each hotel. Having other people around makes eating mo
More congenial
We are going on our first group tour of Ireland and Scotland this summer. We have done many cruises and wanted to spend a little more time in each city. Thanks for this video.
You're welcome! Glad it helped! Happy travels.
My husband and I have been on a few group tours. Our first one was to Australia, I have a friend that lives there and considering how long and expensive the flights were we wanted to spend time seeing the country. My husband decided he wanted to go with a tour and instead of flying home at the end of tour we would visit my friend then fly home. That worked out well we used a local travel agent and the tour company booked our return flight on the dates we gave them. The tour guide and the group were wonderful and everyone was friendly and I didn't have to plan the trip. The next couple of trips made realize we were lucky with guide and the group. Our trip to Scotland and Ireland started out with everyone complaining that the hotel rooms weren't ready at 9 am (like almost all hotels check out was at 11 am) The majority sat in the lobby and complained while we went out to explore and find somewhere to eat. At 12 when we got back they were still complaining about the room and being hungry. Their go with flow ability did not improve during the rest of the trip. Then on a Roads Scholar trip in here in the US the guide must have had the group confused with a grade school field trip. She had so many petty little rules we were all glad when on the last day she got sick and entrusted us to the bus driver for our last day. I'm going as a single next month on tour for quilters to Ireland. (thanks to hubby paying the single fee) I'm hoping since it isn't going be all couples I can find make some friends and hang out with them.
Great point about the importance of a good guide and a good group, Rosanne!
I've been on several Road Scholar tours and several Rick Steves tours. All were enjoyable. With Rick Steves solo travelers, they rotate roommates for each location, so you're not stuck with the same person every night. (And with an odd number of solo travelers, some nights you get a room alone.) With several tours, I've stayed in the area or traveled on my own for a week after the tour. It was very helpful being with a tour to get comfortable, and then to strike out on my own. Best of both worlds.
Interesting about rotating roomies!
I hadn't thought about group trips after hearing bad things about them so I'm glad that you and Suzanne tackled this topic. You gave me many things to consider, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for your time and posting. Did I lose my first post? Oh well. Great information and nicely laid out. If you are a wallflower, then a group tour may be best. I'm an extrovert so when I travel by myself, I have no problem meeting people, and the important part is, that I meet the people I want to hang with, and I'm rather particular. I haven't traveled extensively, but I have moved extensively. I traveled for three months in Australia by myself and had a fantastic time. I did pick up a group tour, a three-week camping outback tour from Perth to Darwin. Still one of the greatest experiences in my 70 years. I'll stick with the solo travel and if I find a group tour, I'll 'book em Danno'... I mean Nora. Thank you again.
Thanks for sharing your experience, David! I agree as an extrovert (and one who is particular about who you hang out with), it may be easier on the whole for you to travel on your own. Group tours here and there can still be helpful depending on the destination or activities.
Nora, another excellent video! One factor I don’t believe you mentioned that pushes the notion of group travel from a back-burner to the front for an otherwise solo traveler is aging. I have been a solo traveler most of my life over frequent and long trips, the most current upcoming this fall in Europe for 2 1/2 months. I just turned 80 and while I am blessed with good health and mobility I simply cannot ignore the math. And so, increasingly I feel less like striking out for the unknown without a companion. The risks at my age are probably no less in reality than they were when I was 40 (once I work on my lousy sense of balance that isn’t what it used to be). Nevertheless, and I think quite understandably, I find myself erring on the side of caution and thinking more and more of group travel as a way to hedge my bets and still keep moving. Having never traveled as part of a group (except side-trips), I have to say that the IDEA of joining a group is almost as daunting as a solo trip to the unknown.
You make a FABULOUS point - thank you so much! The ease and safety of traveling with groups is not to be underestimated as we age.
We have been doing about 1 to 2 group tour a year since retiring 9 years ago. We have used Road Scholar once, Overseas Adventure Travel 7 times and have booked a trip with Gate1. We enjoy OATs small group size and they also have no single supplement on most trips. Group trips have gotten us to places that I'm not sure we would go on our own. We also do a lot of cruises which I think of as independent/groups trips.
Thanks for sharing your group travel experiences!
Some travel agencies put together their own group tours. Check around your city.
Where my friend lives they frequently have travel presentations on upcoming trips. She attended one on a CruiseTour to Alaska. As a result, we are going on an escorted group tour this summer that includes 7 days on land and a 7 day cruise from Whittier, Alaska to Vancouver, Canada. We will have plenty of time to do things on our own as well as group activities.
Awesome! That sounds like a great trip.
Have traveled independently, solo with group trips and done long 3-4 month world cruises-each has its pros and cons and loved them all. Have done several group tours with company Gate1-always well organized, nice hotels and great guides. Groups usually 20-25 people but some smaller groups available (15). Mostly reasonable single supplements.
Thanks for sharing! Glad you've had good experiences.
I’ve been on a couple of group trips to places that I really wanted the support. I went alone and fit right in and loved both trips. Now I’m trying to plan a trip with a large group of friends and it is MUCH harder than just joining a group of strangers. I’ll get back to you with how it went!
Ha ha! Yes, planning a trip for a group of people can be even more challenging! That's next-level stuff ;-)
We have visited Europe 4 times with 2 different travel companies. The trips were fabulous. While I was married, before my son was born, my husband did not like traveling, so my travel buddy was my mother. We just literally showed up at the appointed hour and our group (40) climbed into our beautiful coach and off we went. We stood in no lines for attractions, museums, etc. The drawback to this type of travel is that you live out of a suitcase and the tour days begin at 8:00-8:30am. If you like structure, research tour companies. We used Brendan Tours for 3 trips: U.K., Spain, and Italy and Trafalgar for France. We are looking into Trafalgar for Germany and Austria. Thank you for this excellent video.
Thanks for sharing!
This was an excellent and informative summary of the pros and cons of group travel.
Thank you Paula!
I’ve enjoyed my group tours in Europe, and there are some places I would love to go back to, as an independent traveler. I’ve used Insight Vacations and their services have been superb.
Indeed, tours can be a great way to cover lots of ground, then to select the places you want to return to for more in-depth explorations.
I really like the pros and cons of group travel as opposed to solo or independent travel. I am going on my first group tour next year and I chose a group tour because of the destination. I was hesitant to go there alone, however, I know I could. I know there is the option of ditching the group for a few hours but with the understanding that you need to be back to catch the bus or continue to the next activity. I also chose one with a lot of free time which is important to me.
I've done a fair number of group tours with choirs but it's not the same when you have to perform--that's like a working tour. :) I do find the single supplement to be unfair but thankfully, my friend wanted to join so no single supplement needed!
One interesting thing someone told me was that they looked at a group tour and used the itinerary as a guide to planning their own trip. They had a fabulous time! I may look into that someday because it gives a good idea of how to structure a trip in a new country.
Before I stop rambling, I would like to say Newfoundland is wonderful!! I want to go back and see more. I was there in the summer and it stayed light until 11pm and the sun came up around 4am.
Interesting tip about using a group tour itinerary as a base to plan an individual trip!
Always great to connect with a fellow fan of Newfoundland :-)
Thank you. I recently went to Europe with a group tour provider.. I took two of tours back to back. I did see a lot.. the first group there were three other solos and myself. The second I was one of two solos. And there were two groups that knew each other traveling together we all had a good time. the negative with those other than the free days with nothing scheduled, we did not know when the tour of the day would be starting and stopping. The second Guide had to juggle some things around from being on a boat, which we did not do because of the weather to traveling on public transportation in Italy. Next month, I will be going to a presentation for another group Travel Company and I will ask them plenty of questions.
Thanks for sharing, Laurel! This is great info.
Great video with great info! Thanks Nora. Before my husband passed at we took a few group trips to Europe and my main problem with them is they move WAY too fast and you can’t really take in much. I now prefer to move slower and take more in, even if I don’t cover as much ground.
I totally appreciate your viewpoint! Indeed, tours don't allow much time for in-depth exploration.
Loaded with thoughtful tips regarding group travel. As I have yet to go to NL finding your feature video is a nice find. Will use it to help plan a future visit.
Thanks Dave! I highly recommend the Adventure Canada cruises; I saw and did more interesting and culturally insightful stuff in Newfoundland than I possibly would have been able to any other way.
Thanks!
Wow - David! Thank you so much for your generous super-thanks! You made my weekend. :-)
Thank you for a great video, info.
Take care
Glad you enjoyed it!
Your videos are some of my go-tos! Thank you, Nora!! I appreciate all your hard work!
Glad you like them!
Thanks for the video Nora! Never heard of the 2 tour companies, now I have more options. 😁😁
Yay! Thank you.
I've travelled in groups with a friend and solo. I prefer solo. When I went with my friend we were sharing a room and it wasn't great. I went to bed early he went to bed at like 6 or 7am so he would wake me up. He did things that I didn't enjoy doing for example sunbathing and going to nightclubs. I did things he didn't like for example sightseeing and museums.
Too bad you and your friend weren't compatible travel partners. Great point about choosing roomies carefully!
@@NoraDunn well it was cheaper to go with him and I did hang out with him a bit in the evenings. Might be going to Berlin with him in the late summer. He has been before but I haven't so he could show me around it will only be for a few days so I might be able to cope with him.
@@garyrobinson8665 Happy travels!
Hi Nora! Thanks for another great video. You mentioned you were considering visiting Tanzania later this year and I wonder if you would share what group you were considering going with. I spend several weeks there independently some years, and am always looking for more off-the-beaten-path opportunities. It is a wonderful country! I hope you get to go!
Hi Dory! I'm actually looking at going with Remote Year, which is a coliving coworking program, so it's a bit different from an organized tour, but the concept of group travel is similar.
@@NoraDunn I look forward to you sharing your experiences their!
I would appreciate more referrals for good travel companies, especially any based in Canada. After viewing your video (thanks Nora), I checked out the two mentioned. Roads Scholar is in the USA. Solo Traveler had good basic articles. However, I found the site not too mobile friendly, finicky, and with pop up ads. Perhaps it's better on a computer. Please keep the tips coming! 😊
Thanks! For Canada-based companies, I love both Adventure Canada and G-Adventures.
I’ve used GAdventures for several tours (Turkey, Vietnam, Machu Picchu, Morocco, and Bhutan), and been very happy with them. Small groups, well organized, interesting people.
I've always thought I'd book a European trip via Rick Steves, if I were to solo travel
Nice!
Hello Nora
I’ll your structured organized notes about certain traveling subjects
However
Did you travel to Mediterranean countries and how to choose a reasonable and good tour companies ?
Thanks! Suzanne travelled to Italy with one of the tour companies listed here. I think if you use the tips in this video to do your research and make your decisions accordingly, you'll be fine.
AVOID COSMOS AT ALL COSTS... they were absolutely terrible.... most of the hotels were poorly located and not very nice, food that was included was less than a Golden Corral buffet, last but not least, the tour guide was not very friendly, in fact was quite conceited.
Thanks for the intel!