With the rise in popularity of group tours, solo travel is easier than ever! With a group tour, you have the opportunity to go on a “solo” trip while making new friends and exploring a new destination. Group tours can be a great entryway into solo travel or an opportunity to still go on a trip when your friends can’t come. But are they for everyone? These are 6 questions to ask yourself when deciding between solo travel and group tours!
Contents:
- Is the Area Remote?
- Do you Enjoy Planning Trips?
- How Long is Your Trip?
- Have you Traveled Solo Before?
- Are You On a Budget?
- Do You Speak the Local Language?
- Popular Group Travel Companies
- Key Points
- Important Links
Is the Area Remote?
The biggest factor in your decision between a fully solo trip or a group tour is where you are going. If I am traveling to a big city with public transportation, I typically prefer to plan it myself. However, if the area is more remote, I feel better going with a group tour.
This was the very reason why I decided to go on my first organized group trip. It was a week-long tour of the South Island of New Zealand. I was originally planning to go here as a solo traveler, but after doing some research and planning, I realized that many places I wanted to visit were very remote.
I wasn’t planning on renting a car, and sometimes the bus would only come once every 3 days. That did not leave a lot of room for flexibility or emergencies. I could be stranded somewhere remote for days or miss a flight if anything went wrong. That did not make me feel comfortable as a solo female traveler, especially on my first solo trip!
At that point, I decided to book a group tour for this week. It made the most sense for the destination, and I still had time during the rest of my trip to experience solo travel.
Do You Enjoy Planning Trips?
This is another important question when deciding on a solo trip or an organized group tour! When solo traveling, everything is on you. For some people, this may be exciting! You can do whatever you want without taking anyone else into consideration. You have complete freedom! For others, this may be daunting. You are in charge of figuring out all of the transportation, booking all of the accommodations, planning out all of the activities, etc.
I personally think planning for a trip is half the fun! I love spending hours looking through all of the things my destination has to offer and deciding what will be worth it. When going on trips with my friends and family, I often take the lead in planning and putting together full itineraries. If you are the same way, you will love planning for your solo trip!
If you are the laidback friend who just shows up at the airport with minimal knowledge of the trip, an organized group tour is for you. These tours typically plan everything for you! They book the accommodations and transportation between destinations and often will provide you with recommendations or reservations for restaurants in each destination. The only things you are responsible for will be booking your flights and choosing which excursions you want to do each day.
How Long is Your Trip?
Let’s be real, solo travel can be lonely! On social media, it can look like an amazing social time, which definitely can be the case. However, not every hostel room is going to be one that you vibe with.
On my 3 week solo trip to New Zealand and Australia, I booked a group tour for the middle of the trip. This ended up being perfect for me! I spent the first week exploring the North Island of New Zealand on my own, then headed to the South Island for my group tour. At this point, I was getting a little lonely, so this allowed me to spend a week making new friends! It was great to have people to explore the Island with, and I enjoyed getting to know my tour guide and group.
If you are planning on going away for a longer period, mixing both solo travel and a group tour is a great way to avoid the solo travel blues!
Have you Traveled Solo Before?
Group tours can be a great introduction to solo travel. It can be intimidating to visit a new country on your own, and these tours can give you the experience while still allowing you to dip your toes into solo travel.
You can even add on an extra day before or after your trip to test out solo travel without committing to a longer trip alone! If your schedule allows, I recommend adding extra time at the end of your trip. At this point, you will be more comfortable with the country and may have gotten a taste of where and what you would want to do that you didn’t get to do on your group tour.
New to solo travel? Check out my article, “How to Prepare for Your First International Solo Trip” for tips on choosing a destination, figuring out how to get around, and more!
Are You On a Budget?
If you are on a budget, solo travel will be the right choice for you 99% of the time. While group tours are very convenient, you are paying for your trip to be planned for you on top of all of the accommodations and transportation. My New Zealand group tour was the most expensive part of my 3-week trip by far! Something to keep in mind is that most group tours do not include any food, so you must pay for that on top of the trip fee.
If you are someone who will stay in a hostel and take public transportation, you can 100% plan a trip that is cheaper than a group tour. If you only stay in hotels, a group tour could potentially be cheaper since you will have the option to share a room with someone else.
Do You Speak the Local Language?
One of the hardest parts of travel can be navigating a new place without speaking the local language. I have luckily been able to get around most tourist destinations just fine with English, but more remote destinations can be challenging. If you don’t know the local language and are going somewhere where English isn’t spoken, a group tour can make your trip a whole lot easier by providing you with a guide that can also act as a translator when needed.
Popular Group Travel Companies
If you’ve decided that group travel is for you, here are some great options for group tours! I have not personally been on a trip with any of these companies, but I know people who have and have enjoyed their trip greatly! These companies all offer trips on many different continents throughout the year.
If you are looking for a tour specifically in New Zealand, check out Wild Kiwi! I took the Southern Voyager South Island tour with them and had a blast!
Key Points
- Do some research on your destination before visiting. In places where public transportation is sparse, consider a group tour to help you explore effortlessly!
- If you enjoy planning trips, you will love planning a solo trip! If not, a group tour may be for you!
- When planning a long trip, mix up both solo and group trips! This helps you avoid getting lonely after traveling alone for too long.
- If this is your first solo trip, consider signing up for a group tour and staying a few days after it ends. This gives you an easy transition into solo travel!
- Solo travel is usually much more affordable than group trips. If you are on a budget, a group trip will not be the best option.
- If you can’t speak the local language, a group tour will give you a tour guide and translator all in one!