Joining a Travel Group - Is it For You?

Belonging to a travel group may not be for everyone. But it may also be the only way you feel comfortable traveling if you do not wish to travel on your own.

Most people who join a travel group are single or their spouses do not enjoy traveling for whatever reason. Or it could be that most of their friends are married and their single friends may not be able to afford to travel. This was the situation for me.

When you travel to different locations, you may not be going with the same people each time. The group I belong to is quite large and usually there are about a dozen trips available to choose from each year.

But people are friendly when traveling and once you share a room (if that is what you choose to do), eat meals together and go on various sightseeing expeditions together, you get to know them and often build friendships in the process. You will find very few that you don't want to spend your time with.

From the last trip I took, there are seven of us that get together occasionally and one in particular I keep in touch with by monthly luncheons. However, we may or may not go on the same trips together again. Most of the people I met this time have done more traveling than I have so may not want to go where I would like to go. But that is fine because there are many other great people in the group. And traveling together is definitely a way to get to know your traveling group better.

When you travel as a group, you fly together, stay at the same hotels, many of your meals are provided so you eat together and when you explore, you travel together by coach bus with an explanation of the landmarks you are visiting. Some share rooms to save on costs while others prefer to get their own rooms. And there is always ample free time where you can do something on your own if you need some alone time or go with one or two others if you are like me and are afraid of getting lost. I have been lost in a foreign city before and I didn't like it.

There's no doubt that traveling with a spouse, a family member or a very close friend is the most ideal way to travel but group travel can include comaderie, hilarity, fun and the chance to make new and perhaps lasting friendships. If a spouse or a close friend doesn't enjoy all of the things you do, when traveling in a group. there's probably someone who will.

So if you are in a position where you want to travel but have no one to travel with, joining a group might be just what you're looking for.

Finding Safe, Appropriate and Convenient Places to Stay When Traveling

The surest way to be confident that you are staying in the safest, best and most convenient accommodations is to have them recommended to you by a friend or someone you trust. But there are other ways of being sure also.

When I have traveled, I have used TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet as well as using referrals when arranging accommodations. But it's also important to talk to everyone who does a lot of traveling and definitely read the reviews before booking. Although with reviews, there are many varied opinions so it is best to go with the opinion of the majority. As in everything, some people are just naturally more critical than others.

When I travel, I don't expect five star accommodations if I'm only prepared to pay for three or four star. For myself, three or four star is quite sufficient. However, my main requirements are safety, cleanliness and convenience, first and foremost. Other things factor in as well but they are secondary.

When we were booking accommodations for traveling in Europe, we were going the hostel route and so our secondary requirements were slightly different. But whether staying in hostels or hotels, top of the list of my secondary requirements is whether there is wireless internet connections available. In Europe and Korea, it seemed to be everywhere. In Australia and New Zealand this wasn't always the case.

Other things to consider (which may or may not be important to you) are: is a breakfast included; how central is it to the attractions you most want to see; is there parking provided and if so, do hotel guests have to pay for it; if you happen to be on the fourth floor or higher, is there an elevator; is there a restaurant in the hotel; is there a pool; is the hotel in a quiet area and, is there a staff member available twenty four hours a day.

When staying in hostels another concern was whether bedding and towels were included; if the rooms were mixed gender or single; if three people, for example, were traveling together, were there three beds in a room and, were the rooms ensuite or were bathroom facilities in the corridor. When staying in a hostel, we thought that the inclusion of bedding and breakfast were important requirements.

So before booking, it is important to ask all these questions to ensure that you get what you want. Nothing would spoil a trip faster than arriving and finding that the things you feel are most important are not available. You can get answers to these questions by either asking someone you know who may be familiar with the hotel, checking online, asking a travel agent or telephoning or emailing the hotel directly.

By being prepared when you travel, you will be more assured of a happy and successful vacation.