Everything You Need to Know About Group Travel

Well, that depends. Group travel doesn’t have to be coach-party big. Choose a cheaper package from a big name and you can expect a crowd. Before deciding, it is best to check out the size of the tour on the company website. And it’s not just numbers that make the difference. Ask the company to give you a rough age demographic too; many tours cater principally to the over 50s. If you want to be really sure, choose a group tour with a clear limit on capacity – TRIPS by Culture Trip are designed for small groups of like-minded travellers, and offer a host of exciting itineraries in destinations around the world.

Not always. It’s true that booking a group tour through an agent back home will bring savings on hotels and guides, but you need to offset this against the cut taken by your travel agent and their on-the-ground tour operators. They need to cover costs and generate revenue, after all. Another option is to organise a DIY freewheeling trip with friends – lots of hassle, but you’ll make big savings. To be sure you’re getting the best possible experience and value for your money, book with TRIPS by Culture Trip. We work with some of the best local operators to ensure the most competitive small-group rates around.

No one expects you to be the life of the tour party, and every traveller is different. It’s really the responsibility of the tour guide – who will either fly out with the tour or meet you on the ground in your destination – to make sure that things run smoothly and everyone is happy. And while many travellers end up forging close friendships on group tours, there’s no pressure to make conversation and activities and meals are optional. So, rest assured, you can be as social or as self-contained as you like.

Privacy can be an issue. Group travel means that you will share not just the tour but almost all your mealtimes. However, most itineraries – including TRIPS by Culture Trip – are designed with time off for travellers to do as they please, usually in cities. And you can always add on a couple of extra days at the beginning or end of a group trip to explore more of your destination solo. Cheaper tours – even with small groups – can include a room-share, but you can usually upgrade to a private room, at additional cost.

Some high-end group tours offer privileges you just can’t get as a solo traveller without paying big bucks. Think early entry to a museum, late nights in an art gallery, a private table with a fabulous view, or an intimate dinner in a family home. Remote wilderness destinations that require chartered four-wheel drives, boats or planes to reach become readily accessible when you join a group tour. As do unique experiences – like kayaking around isolated Scottish islands or staying with a Bedouin family in the Jordanian desert.

Some destinations – for instance, Antarctica or the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu – are only accessible if you’re booked onto a pre-arranged group tour. And some experiences are pricey for those going solo, but great value for groups: a safari in Kenya is better with a wildlife expert who can spot those elusive animals and tell you all about them, a London palace comes alive with a specialist Blue Badge guide revealing its secrets and a good yoga or meditation instructor is crucial to the success of any wellness retreat.

While you’ll make new friends on a group trip, there’s absolutely no guarantee you’ll get on with everybody all the time; and no one expects you to. But it’s down to the tour guide to grease the wheels a little to ensure everyone feels relaxed and included. If they fail to do this, you could have a quiet word with the guide to suggest a different approach to dealing with the social dynamics – or cleverly take matters into your own hands.

TRIPS by Culture Trip are curated specially for culturally curious travellers, so you can be fairly sure you’ll have plenty in common with your new travel companions.

Travel in a group and – yes – you’re more obviously not a local than if you were exploring solo, or with a friend or relative. Despite that, small numbers on a tour (rather than a crowd) mean more contact with the people you meet along the way. And don’t forget – you may well need to speak the local lingo in order to communicate and follow up on recommendations. This is where small-group travel really comes into its own; with a clued-up local insider you’ve got the happy medium: welcome exposure to the culture and people, without tricky barriers.

Yes, there’s safety in numbers. Sure, group travellers are more obviously tourists than solos or duos – but they’re also the least exposed. Someone else is responsible for your transfers, your room, your luggage and ultimately your safety. Groups are safer on adventure trips, where it can be easy to get lost or where you need technical equipment. And there are destinations where even the most intrepid solo traveller wouldn’t wander: wildernesses such as the Chitwan National Park in Nepal or the East African Serengeti, or countries with strict laws.

To an extent, you know what you’re going to get on a group trip before you reach the airport. Hotels, tours and meals are planned ahead – all you have to do is show up. While most itineraries include some free days, you might find it hard to squeeze in a small detour or a restaurant highly recommended by a friend. The solution? Build on some time of your own to go solo at the end of your trip – you’ll be able to visit those didn’t-see-but-must-see gems under your own steam.
Take the plunge and book a specially curated small-group adventure with TRIPS by Culture Trip.