Group tours are ideal for travelers who prefer taking it easy on their trip while someone else arranges it all, as well as those looking for someone to act as their personal translator and explain local customs and traditions.
Safety in numbers! Your tour guide is there for you if anything unexpected comes up, providing invaluable protection should anything arise that requires intervention.
1. You don’t get to choose who you’re traveling with
Joining a group tour means that you may travel with strangers for its duration, and while finding common ground can sometimes be possible, spending days or weeks with someone can become unpleasant over time. Two Travel Gurus has addressed this because we are a Social Group first. Once you join a Travel Trip, you are invited to join quarterly socials and you have the opportunity to meet and get to know the other travelers. This is where the beginning of great friendships begin!
COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many tour operators relaxing their single supplement rules to accommodate solo travelers who don’t wish to pay an additional single supplement fee when traveling with a roommate. This can make a considerable difference to the total tour cost and should certainly be investigated further.
2. You don’t get to speak up
Group travel can be rewarding, yet it often includes some unfortunate stereotypes. From sleeping with someone snoring loudly (if you decided to pair up with a stranger) to someone always complaining about something, any trip will almost surely feature one or more classic tour glitches. Because Two Travel Gurus is an Adult Only Travel Group, we allow for travelers to stay with the group or exit and do your own thing at times. We always want to be near and include everyone, but always want a person in the group to have the option to do their own thing.
Remind everyone that staying safe requires remaining aware of their environment at all times, which will reduce the chances of theft or other threats targeting them.
We encourage everyone to always have the tour leader and at least one other member of the group as emergency contacts so that someone can quickly help if something goes wrong. Two Travel Gurus always has everyone in a group text and requires everyone to travel with their phone on them in the event someone gets lost.
3. You don’t get to choose your itinerary
At times, travel alone or as part of a group tour may not be feasible depending on your destination. Perhaps your flight was delayed, your rental car required repairs, or you want to visit a national park that prohibits personal vehicles.
Booking a group tour is often the ideal solution; with expert-guided tours you gain all of the benefits while still having some freedom and flexibility for discovery and experiences of your own. Plus, group travel provides you with a chance to meet other like-minded travelers!
4. You don’t get to choose your accommodation
Group tour companies generally opt for hotels located centrally and in secure neighborhoods when selecting hotels for group tours, and will only reveal its details shortly before their trip takes place.
Some tour operators recognize the growing market of solo travelers and are beginning to offer single supplements at reasonable rates; however, this still leaves many struggling to find travel companions a major deterrent and opting not to travel altogether.
5. You don’t get to choose your activities
Group tours typically are comprised of small enough numbers that they allow individuals to form meaningful connections while providing personal space, yet traveling with someone who constantly talks about work or insists on telling everyone how much better life is back home can make it difficult to ignore for extended periods.
Excursions are always offered, but never required. Because Two Travel Gurus is an Adult Only Travel group, most people go on all excursions and follow the group; but remember, you can do your own thing also. This allows anyone to detach if they want to.
Assuring everyone in your group has contact details for both the trip leader and at least one other member is crucial in case of emergency, acting as a safety checkpoint in case someone gets lost during travel, as well as creating a rendezvous point at each destination.
