Group Travel: Why Are Shared Experiences Better?

Planning a big trip can be daunting when you’re doing it DIY. It can take ages to look up all the places to stay, read and assess reviews, check distances from train stations or airports, and work out the best way to get around. You might even need to get some of the lingo under your belt to make sense of everything. An organised trip eradicates all that stress as accommodation and transportation are taken care of. Result: you’re free to gen up on all the stimulating stuff: the sights, museums and galleries, bars and restaurants along the way.

For many, travelling long-haul and/or somewhere culturally beyond your comfort zone can take a while to adjust to – especially if you’re brand-new to the game. That’s why a group trip makes so much sense for your first big travel adventure. You have ready-made company beside you all the way, not to mention a group tour guide whose job it is to keep you all on track. In a nutshell, they’re the dream co-traveller, there to lend reassurance where it’s needed and show you the best of the destination. This just leaves you to get on with breathing out – and of course letting your hair down.

When booking a group trip – especially a small-group adventure with Culture Trip – there’s peace of mind in knowing you’re travelling with like-minded people. A Namibia discovery drive, for instance, holds a delicious niche appeal, as does a journey to the Holy Land. Your co-travellers will obviously share your interest in your chosen destination. The upshot? Conversation will flow, with ice breakers such as “What do you most want to see?” As you explore, you’ll share those “wow” moments, sipping a beer together at the end of each day. Such shared experiences can form friendships that last for life.

Sure, it’s good to “learn from your mistakes” – but when every second of your holiday is so valuable, do you really want to be booking a B&B then rolling up to find it’s a building site? Or crossing your fingers when ordering the “sea frog in white-wine sausage” off a curiously translated menu? Joining a group trip means not booking a hotel room with a strange whiff or boarding a train to the depot instead of the next town. Au contraire – the route is tried and tested, the hotels vetted, and the museum’s opening times checked. For you that means as much relaxation as stimulation.

Then there’s the crucial question of budget. If you’re travelling independently, the price of a hire car, a hotel’s single supplement or an individual flight can hike up the costs. In contrast, travelling in groups can be really cost-effective. As old hands in the field, travel companies have reliable, long-standing contacts. They work hard behind the scenes to score good rates for group bookings, be it accommodation or flights. They then pass those savings on to you – to spend how you like.

Ever wanted to take a trip that both thrilled and terrified you? Do you consign it to the list for “one day”? Without anyone to give you that little nudge, it might never happen. Think of a group trip as a virtual hand to hold; you’ll experience wild and heart-stopping activities, taste food that blows your mind and see scenery that makes your heart soar, all making for brilliant stories to tell for years to come. Think of a small-group trip as an incentive – the gentle boot that gets you off the sofa of life.

If you’re the kind of person who learns by doing, what better way to boost the brain cells than a trip that gives you that very opportunity? There’s no greater incentive to take the plunge than the encouragement of others doing the same thing. Whether it’s perfecting a new skill, getting a glimpse into history in the place it happened or getting your head into a new language, a group trip can be the answer and open your eyes to experiences you might only get when you’re abroad.

Few countries can say that safety is of zero concern – and we’re not claiming that a group trip will wrap you completely in cotton wool. While it can’t make you immune to some of the more eye-opening aspects of diverse cultures, there is truth in the phrase “safety in numbers”. When you’re travelling in familiar company, you can all be looking out for each other and your belongings at the same time, making it far less likely you’ll become a target for scammers and more sinister types.

There’s an undeniable joy in exploring a place with someone who’s super-clued-up – step forward your tried-and-trusted tour guide, who will know their destination inside out. They’ll have the lowdown on the place that does the most delicious version of the local delicacy; they’ll know the most welcoming bars to visit; and they’ll show you the most scenic shortcuts to get the group from A to B. They’ll also make sure you get to places on time, and leave them on time, too – so you won’t waste a minute of your precious great big adventure. Ready to roll?

Take the plunge and book a specially curated small-group adventure with TRIPS by Culture Trip, led by our Local Insiders.