5 Occasions When Travelling In A Group Is The Right Thing To Do

If you’re a regular traveller, the group vs. solo travel dilemma has probably already popped up once or twice. And if it hasn’t yet, there’s a pretty solid chance it will at some point.

But to help you through those times of indecision and self-doubt, when you’re not sure whether to proceed solo or with a group by your side, here’s a comprehensive list of occasions when group travel is definitely the way forward.

By Geckos Adventures: the world’s finest purveyors of awesome, small group adventures (even if we do say so ourselves).

1. When you have 48 hours (or less) in a new city

Exploring a new city is one of the most exciting things you can ever do. Fact. But do you know what isn’t exciting? Not knowing where you’re going, what you’re seeing, or how anything works. In fact, exploring a new city can turn into a pretty stressful time unless you’ve done a solid amount of research beforehand.

We’re not suggesting you should plan a group tour for the entirety of your stay in [insert exotic city name here], but having a local guide to show you around on your first day can make the rest of your time that much more enjoyable. You’ll get to know the lay of the land much faster, you’ll be taught the ins and outs of how public transport works, be given tips on cultural etiquette, hear a bunch about the history of wherever you are, and get the low down on where to eat and drink (and where to avoid). Your paid-for friend is basically a backstage pass to your destination.

And then, the following day, you can head out and explore on your own, armed with the confidence of knowing what’s what.

2. When you have two weeks (or less) to travel

This is essentially an extension of the above point. If you’ve only got a couple of weeks to get your travel rocks off and you don’t know where to start re. organising yourself, a group travel company could be your saving grace. If you want to go to India and only have a couple of weeks in which to do it, there are plenty of pre-made itineraries out there to help you make the most of that time.

You’ll see and do much more than you likely would on your own and you’ll have a local guide to let you know all the best places to go for the whole thing. Bliss.

3. When you hate organising things

Travel can be difficult to organise, particularly if you’ve never been to the country you’re visiting before or know little about it. Accommodation, transports, transfers, sights and activities – the list of potential logistical headaches is lengthy.

But if you book a group trip, it’s all done for you. Once you’ve paid your money you can kick back, book your flights, and wait for your trip to come around. And whilst we’ll admit that hatching a plan for your own ultimate adventure is a thrill, there’s a stresslessness (new word) that comes with knowing everything’s sorted for you. And we approve of stresslessness.

4. All your mates are busy (or boring)

As you find yourself hurtling towards the mundanity of adult life, certain friends you thought would never lose their zest have all of a sudden become 50 Shades of Beige. Those mates you envisioned yourself exploring the world with are now locked into a schedule of working, complaining, sleeping and complaining some more. But you, you big worldly thing, you aren’t having a bar of it.

If nobody heeds the call of your desire to get out there, where does that leave you? Doing the whole thing on your own, though it’d be likely fun as hell, isn’t an undertaking that everyone would be comfortable with. And here’s where a group trip comes in.

You’ll be travelling with a bunch of like-minded folk and you’ll have a local guide at your disposal. That’s a ready made set of new mates all rolled into one tidy package.

5. At the beginning of/to compliment a longer trip

Heading away for three months or more is an exciting, but potentially daunting prospect. And whether you’re going it alone or with a bunch of mates, a self-prescribed ‘familiarisation course’ could be the difference between getting off to a false start and getting off to a killer start.

For example, if you’re heading to Central America for six months with the sole purpose of exploring every nook and cranny, taking a short group trip on arrival will help break you in to the way of life, to the local lingo/customs, and to things you should be aware or careful of as a traveller. Once the trip’s done, you’ll be a much savvier traveller, and can go about the rest of your travels like a boss.

Or alternatively, you could do the whole thing on your own and call on group travel when you want to get a bit more ‘off the beaten track’. Some spots are particularly hard to get to/do on your own. If you’re cruising around Southeast Asia, for example, you might find yourself struck by the inclination to give Borneo’s Mount Kinabalu a crack.

But you’re hardly about to just stroll off into the Bornean jungle and tackle the thing yourself, are you? That’s where a group tour – with the proper safety in place and the expert guides on hand – can save your bacon and make those bucket list items come to life.

Do you have a problem that only group travel can solve? Then check out all of our itineraries around the world.