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solo or group travel
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What Works Best For You Deciding whether you will travel solo, with a friend, in a group, or a combination of the three may be one of the first thoughts you have when planning your trip. Traveling solo or with others has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of traveling solo may not seem like advantages at all to some readers and the advantages to traveling in a group may feel downright grim for other spontaneous spirits. Choosing what will work best for you and your particular trip will take some thought and practical decision-making. Read through the following advantages and disadvantages for traveling alone or with others. Give the questions some thought and answer them honestly, not how you think you should answer them or what someone else may want to hear. Regardless of which type of travel you choose, solo or with a friend, there will be moments in which you are so delighted you made the decision you did and other moments when you question whether this was a good idea or not. Try to focus on the good moments, what made them happen, and take action to make the difficult moments work better. TRAVELING SOLO Advantages To Traveling Solo Traveling solo will give you the ultimate freedom to go and do what you want to do, when you want to do it. All of the decisions and choices are yours alone to make. What, when, and how of any option or opportunity is left up to your own discretion. Discussing a plan of action with a friend or partner just does not happen, you have the freedom to choose what you want. You Set The Pace Temperament and personality set each individual's inner time clock and pace. What may feel comfortable to you may feel too slow or too fast for another traveler. Traveling solo gives you the opportunity to take the days and hours at your own enjoyable, comfortable pace. If strolling the avenues of Paris is your idea of an enjoyable day, then, without a companion hurrying you along to the next museum or point of interest, you can stroll away as long as your choose. Meet New People Meeting other travelers is easier if traveling solo. Because you are on your own, you may feel more motivated to approach and talk with other travelers about their destinations, where they are coming from and going to. Traveling solo affords you the option to journey along with other interesting people you meet along the way. Maybe a great group of people are heading down to the French Riviera and invite you to come along. You go and have a fabulous time, making a few lifelong friends. Spontaneity Changing plans at the drop of a hat is quick and easy when traveling solo. If you decide to deviate from your original itinerary and head off to a terrific town off the beaten path, then you just go. Traveling alone offers a great deal of spontaneous decision making and choices. Disadvantages Of Traveling Solo Although you may meet many people along your journey, you may run into a time when you are not meeting and connecting with other travelers. When these dry spells arise, travelers may become lonely or homesick. Being far away from your family and friends may leave you feeling a bit blue some days. Here are some suggestions to combat the loneliness blues:
Although loneliness may creep in at some point of traveling solo, if you can motivate yourself and take the steps to hook up and meet other travelers, you will probably find yourself sharing the good moments you want to have with other travelers sooner than later. Remember you will probably soon be home to your old routine and wish you were traveling again. Try to enjoy yourself. Safety Safety issues arise when planning to travel solo. Taking night trains or being out later in the evening may not feel as safe if traveling alone. Back in your hotel or youth hostel, reading or writing in your journal when the sun sets is a good way to spend the evening hours. Riding on buses or trains by day and arriving before nightfall to new cities is also a safer way to go from one destination to the next when traveling solo. No One To Share The Moment With Focusing on the magnificent strength of Rodin's sculpture, the "Thinker," the awe-inspiring statue left me in a state of wonder. For a moment I turned to share the emotions that were racing through my heart and mind, but realized that I was alone and didn't have anyone with whom to share them. A little stumped by the fact I didn't have someone to discuss the beauty and grandeur with, I continued to admire the statue and moved on to the next piece. This experience has happened to me more than once. After seeing an amazing sight or piece of art, I would be bursting with enthusiasm then realize I had no one with whom to share it. Often I would turn to a fellow admirer and begin spontaneously sharing my thoughts only for them to reply with a perplexed gaze and say, "no speak English." A little embarrassed, I would smile back, apologize, and have a good laugh at myself. Every Decision Is Yours Whether You Like It Or Not Where you are going, what you will eat, and how in the heck you get to your next point of interest is all up to you, regardless of whether you feel like making the decisions or not. Everyday all the choices and decisions are yours alone. There are not days where you can kick back and let a travel companion figure out the metro system or how you will navigate getting from one side of town to the next. It is up to you alone, no days of trading off responsibilities. Questions To Ask Yourself
TRAVELING WITH A FRIEND Traveling with a close friend or companion on a journey has the potential to be a very enriching experience. The fond memories and experiences you'll share will continue to warm your hearts each time you reminisce about those days abroad. Choosing a partner with whom you will be compatible and feel connected to is not a matter of luck. The process of selecting a friend or travelmate who will be a good fit with your personality and style comes from being honest about what you want out of the trip and how you see that happening. Ask yourself and your potential companion to write down what you want and need in a travel mate. Then, together, discuss what each of your expectations are for the trip and for one another. The questions listed below, in regards to traveling with a friend or companion, can be a springboard for your discussion of traveling together and what each of you expects from the trip and from one another. Questions To Ask Friend And Self When Considering
TRAVELING WITH A FRIEND Advantages Of Traveling With A Friend Sharing the ups and downs of travel together will be a fond and cherished moment between friends. Laughing at the hysterical and ironic situations you can find yourselves in is only made better with the familiar laughter of a true pal. The difficult moments of travel, from getting stuck in an airport when the flight has been cancelled for the third time to being hungry at 10:00 p.m. and having nothing to eat, can only be made less stressful in the company of a good friend. Feeling Homesick Or Down Travel mates can be a great emotional support. There are many sad stories and challenging issues in our world. Discussing your feelings and thoughts with a travel mate regarding what you see and who you encounter can prove to be a comforting and validating experience. Travel Feels Safer With Two Hopping onto overnight trains or overnight ferries feels more safe when in the company of a trusted friend. Safety in numbers can also make you feel better about arriving at night in your designated city. Feeling more adventuresome with a friend, you may journey to less-traveled destinations. Two Heads Are Better Than One There are as many or as few decisions as you want to undertake when traveling, depending on what you want to do and how much you want to pack into your trip. Between friends, you can trade off who will navigate through the city one day and who will make the reservations for the accommodation another. Taking turns making reservations and decisions can be a real perk. If You Get Sick Or Injured Getting sick or injured is not a welcome experience at home, let alone abroad. Having a trusted friend to help you get medical attention, or just to help you get better when away can be a Godsend. Being assured your travel mate is committed to looking out for you can give you a great deal of mental and emotional comfort as you recover. Disadvantages Of Traveling With A Friend Or Companion Traveling with a friend who has more money to spend than hairs on her head can be frustrating and challenging to the person who is not on a comparable budget. Discuss how much you plan to spend on accommodation, food, transportation, and sightseeing before you go. It’s always better for two friends to be on similar budgets when traveling. As a result, one friend doesn't feel resentful because she can't afford more and the other friend doesn't feel she is compromising her trip because her companion cannot afford what she wants to do. Problems may arise when your cash heavy friend wants to stay at the Ritz and dine on seven courses of French cuisine, and you can only afford the youth hostel and some packaged spaghetti. Could be a problem! Compromise There are now two people to take into consideration when making decisions. Spontaneity may be more curtailed, unless your travel partner and you have similar feelings about the change in plans and decide to go for it. Whenever you have more than one person to consider in any decision making process, compromise and deciding what will work and be advantageous to both of you comes into play; that is reality. Disagreements And Conflict Sometimes the best of friends see a situation differently or take opposing positions. This is to be expected from two individuals. Respecting each other’s opinion and trying to resolve any conflicts you may encounter is part of travel as well as of friendship. Developing respectful means to resolve conflicting wishes or opinions will only help you work out the conflict you have in a positive manner. Commitment Traveling with a friend or companion entails a lot deal of time and just day- to-day life together. You will learn much about your friend and she you while traveling. It is important to choose a partner you know well and with whom you feel confident traveling. You will spend a lot of time with her so choose with care. You have made a commitment to another person to be her travel mate. Dealing with her idiosyncrasies may be difficult at times but she may feel the same about you, too. Making a commitment to travel with a friend does not mean it will always be fun and exciting. You will both have your moments; try to be supportive and a good friend. GROUP TRAVEL Group travel conjures up images for me of badly dressed people in obnoxious flowered Bermuda shorts, matching flowered shirts, big thick rimmed sunglasses, and a huge camera bag full of accessories hanging from their neck. They disembark from a massive cruise ship that has docked into a foreign port for three hours and feel they have "experienced" the culture. This image is scary for those who proudly call themselves travelers and not tourists. Participating in and joining an organized, planned group tour is not standard for most people who set out with a backpack and the desire for spontaneous adventure. Today specialized travel groups encompass a more youthful crowd with more diversified activities and adventures. In some cases, traveling in a group may be the best, most advantageous and only way in which to get to your destination and/or experience a true adventure. African Safari Signing up for an African safari will be one of the greatest adventures of your life. Seeing the majestic African creatures cross the land right before your eyes fills a person with admiration of nature and creation. Safari companies take travelers in groups out to the protected animal preserves to witness the creatures and their habitat. Safari guides offer a lot of information regarding the land, the indigenous tribes, and where to locate the animals you want to see. Depending upon what you can afford, where you want to go and to stay, safari excursions are typically between three and ten days. The cost is anywhere from budget to extravagant, pup tents and hot dogs to air-conditioned rooms and buffet dinners. One can book a safari from home or when you arrive at your African destination. When in Kenya, I booked two safari trips after I had arrived; they were budget and fantastic. I recommend "Let's Go Travel" in Nairobi for safari tours in Kenya. The guides were excellent; and the food and accommodation was good as well. Whitewater River Rafting In Nepal Rafting down the Kali Gandaki River for five days with a group of fellow travelers and river guides was one of the best adventures I have ever experienced. Wonderful rapids, lots of laughter, and good company made for the best five days anyone could want. The beauty of the land, water, and Nepalese people made the trip that much more satisfying and memorable. Ultimate Descents, a river excursion company, has offices in Katmandu, and offers a variety of river rafting and kayaking trips down the abundant, majestic rivers of Nepal. The safety precautions, food, and equipment were first-rate. I had every confidence in our guides and the rafting company; they were true professionals. I highly recommend this company over any other rafting company in Nepal. Ultimate Descent is worth the price and delivers the adventure. Day Trips There may be different side trips you would like to take but would not like to plan and execute. Taking a tour for a day or a few days can be a nice break from what you are usually doing. Just following the crowd and being led in the right direction may be a welcome adventure. I actually enjoyed many day tours but was always so glad that, ultimately, I had the choice to do what I wanted when it was over. I must say that groups have their ups and downs as with traveling with a friend or on your own. In a group, your activities are planned and you know exactly what to expect on your trip. You don’t think one bit about small affairs that the traveler must deal with daily, where you will eat and where you sill stay for the next three nights’ lodging is already planned long in advance of your departure. One simply enjoys oneself without some of the hassles of trip-taking. Questions To Ask Yourself When
When All Is Said And Done I believe a combination of the following ways - traveling solo, with a friend, and in a group - can be both fulfilling and for any woman. In a way, you will get the best of all worlds. The highest benefit is that you will have the experience of traveling solo, with a friend, and in a group. From these three groups, you will see what works best for you, what you enjoy the most, and what you will consider for your next trip. Knowing what works for you in regards to traveling is a great benefit for future adventures. The friend with whom you choose to travel may turn out to be a delightful partner and you will soon plan another trip together abroad.
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