Group Travel: The Good, the Bad, and the Awful
What to think about before booking that group tour
One topic travelers frequently ask me about is whether they should join a multi-day/multi-week group tour or if they should enjoy time on their own in a new country. My answer is always frustrating: “It depends.”
Let’s break down the good, the bad, and the awful when it comes to group travel, so you can make the best decision for you.
The good:
New Friendships: This sounds cheesy, but let’s be real – how often do you make friends as an adult? I’ve made friends all over the world (and have sofas to sleep on all over the world) because of group travel.
Safety and Security: Safety in numbers is no understatement. In my opinion, one of the best ways to stay safe in countries where the crime rates aren’t what you’d hope is to travel with a large group. The large group means more eyes to look for suspicious characters. Plus, having a local guide can help make sure you avoid sketchy areas (and people) you wouldn’t otherwise know to steer clear of.
Cheaper (Sometimes): This isn’t always the case, but particularly in extremely expensive travel destinations (like Africa), traveling with a large group can help to defray costs you might otherwise have to eat solo. One caveat to this – many group tours charge a mark-up for solo travelers, so while you don’t quite pay for the cost of two tickets, you pay more than the standard individual rate.
Pre-Organized: For those hoping to avoid the planning, group tours (provided you select the right one for you) can be a great way to make sure you thoroughly explore your destination, without having to spend ages planning your itinerary in advance. (Of course, you can also just hire Travelries.)
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The Bad:
Intensity (Maybe): If you’re the kind of person who likes to sleep in until 10am on vacation, a group tour will be a rude wake-up call. I have personally never been on one that started the day after 8am. Group tours can be intense, because they know the participants are expecting to get their money’s worth. So, if you’re traveling to relax, a group tour may not be for you.
Beholden to the Itinerary: While you might have selected a particular group tour because you liked a number of things on the itinerary, you’re going to be stuck there for the whole thing. So, if 20-30% of the agenda is not your jam, well… you’re doing it anyway. Buckle up.
The Awful:
You might hate the group: Not to be understated in importance, the people you travel with can make or break your trip. While you might make new friends abroad, you might also find yourself in a Lord of the Flies-esque situation. Trust me, I’m still venting to my husband about a few people we met on a group trip two years ago. (Because they were that awful.)
It might ruin your trip: A bad group tour can ruin any destination – maybe one you would have otherwise loved, plain and simple. So if you’ve completely romanticized your destination and would be completely heartbroken to hate it, think carefully about how you select a group tour (if any.)
So what do you do given all of this?
Well, for one, it depends on you.
If you’re a social butterfly who can make friends with anyone and if you’re extremely adaptable to whatever the day throws at you, group travel will have more pros than cons for you.
On the other hand, if you’re more set in your ways (that’s fine – I certainly am!), you have more to think through before signing on the dotted line with any particular tour group. Some self-reflection is required here, regardless.
That being said, let me leave you with a few tips on how to approach group tours:
Hedge your bets. Depending on your trip duration, you may not have to choose between doing a group tour and not doing one. You could potentially do both, and build a little variety into your itinerary. Those taking adult gap years in particular will have the luxury of mixing and matching. That way, you can take full advantage of all the benefits of group travel and still have time for yourself if the group ends up being… not what you pictured.
Err on the side of safety. Nothing will ruin your trip faster than a scary incident, so I advise joining a group tour in any destination where you’re worried about security. At the very least, having the local guide will offer you a great resource to keep you safer than you might otherwise be.
Research the tour groups so you can pick one that matches your vibe. This isn’t fool-proof, but detailed reviews and tour photos can go a long way. See lots of pictures of cocktails, but you don’t drink? That tour may not be a good fit for you. (This is where that self-reflection can come in handy too. Knowing yourself goes a long way.)
The best group tours will translate into great friendships and memories. The worst will at least make for incredible stories. If you’re still stuck on what to do, reach out to us at Travelries to chat more. We have personal experience with tons of group tours (of all kinds of duration) and can help you build an itinerary that meets your needs.