The Pros of Group Travel
Group travel can be very difficult for some. However, there are many positives to it. For one, people have always felt strength in numbers. I’m sure that there is some statistic out there proving kidnappers target more people when they are on their own versus in a group. If not, Harvard University needs to step up their research game. Personally, I would never try to kidnap someone accompanied by 40 other people. It’s just too much effort. In addition, it’s much harder to get lost for you to get lost in a tour group. Even if you are lost, it’s still not a problem. You will have plenty of friends around to keep you company until help arrives.
All kidding aside, you usually will have a decent tour guide. They tend to be a local that knows the area well. They speak the language and typically have some good connections. Tour guides are able to skip lines. This generally means you get more time seeing the sites. Group travel can be a really good safety blanket. This is especially true for first time travelers. Travelers can expect to get a ton of information on the sites they visit. Often times, the tour guides have become subject matter experts on the sites themselves.
The Cons of Group Travel
The biggest negative of group travel is the group themselves. Well, maybe not the whole group. There is always that one person that ruins it for everyone. When they are late, it makes the whole group late. Or, there is that one person who is really, really loud and obnoxious. It’s not like I have particular someone with five letters in their name in mind or anything…. Inconsiderate people are always going to be a negative when you travel with a group. It isn’t something you can avoid, but you can get lucky with a good group.
One other negative of tour groups that no one ever seems to think of is the safety blanket effect. You feel so safe and secure in the group that you don’t venture outside of it. When you travel by yourself or maybe with one or two other people, you are forced to talk to the people. Let’s not forget, but the people are the culture! The other negative is time. You are always on someone else’s schedule. I much rather not feel rushed as I am sharing a meal and a bottle of wine with my wife in front of the Colosseum. And other times, we can just leave once we have seen enough of an ancient castle.
Our Experience
I have had several experiences traveling with a variety of different groups. Some of them have been long trips and others were only for a day. These also included a wide range of ages. I find that groups who explore the nightlife together develop stronger bonds over the course of the trip. You almost become best friends with them over night. The inside jokes are laugh out loud funny. Also, there is no loyalty towards those who over sleep. Personally, I will leave someone to fend for themselves if it means me not missing my flight.
One of the best experiences I ever had traveling with a group was with my wife. We took a day trip to Pompeii from Rome. Our main reason for joining a tour group was it included meals and travel. Plus, our tour guide Antonia was amazing. She had plenty of stories and information to keep the trip interesting. One of the worst trips I have ever taken was to the island of Macau in Southern China. Since there are many words I can use to describe this unfortunate experience, it deserves its own post. I need a drink just thinking about it.
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