People solo travel for two main reasons. Some solo travel because they don’t have anyone to travel with, so they decide to just go alone. Others purposefully choose to solo travel to find themselves or feel freedom.
Often I’ll be having dinner with friends who dream of traveling and complain that they don’t have anyone to travel with them. That was one of the reasons why we made Fairytrail, to help solo travelers find someone they like so they can share the joy of new experiences together.
For solo travelers who want to be alone, to reflect, to feel, to be open to all of the world through solitude, there are still times when they need to travel with others. Some activities just aren’t accessible when traveling alone.
There’s thousands of Airbnb Experiences but few of them are just for one person. Many places are protected and you need to go with a tour group. Other times, there’s very little public transit so sharing a car or boat with people is just a lot more affordable. Finally, it can be really dangerous to travel alone, especially if you want to explore the wilderness of Alaska or go deep into the Amazon jungle.
Let’s say you’ve been dreaming about visiting a particular place for a while, but you can’t find anyone to go with you, you may think you have only two choices: stay at home or go there alone. But there is a third option — joining a group tour such as those offered by our friends at YouTravel.me.
This is not a paid advert. This is an article about why solo travelers should consider group tours.
YouTravel.me is a community of travel enthusiasts who want to make it easier for other travelers to discover new places and gain new experiences. It is a service for those who need a travel companion when their friends and loved ones can’t join them for one reason or another.
The goal of YouTravel.me is to create a platform with as many unique and quality tours organized by real verified travelers and guides as possible. It is important to point out that YouTravel.me tours are not those boring package holidays you can get at a travel agent’s. These tours are led by real travel experts who know the area well and want to share their insights and best-kept secrets with others, because they just love to travel as much as you do. You get all the stress of planning an exciting experience off of your shoulders and have an opportunity to see the world from someone else’s perspective, get a real insight into a completely different lifestyle and grow as a person.
Destinations and types of such tours are incredibly varied — it can be a zen yoga tour somewhere peaceful, a mind-blowing party experience in Ibiza, an expedition to a remote village in the jungle or a volunteer trip to a community where you can really make a difference.
You can choose whatever, but remember that it still is a group tour; usually there are somewhere between 8 to 15 people in a group, depending on the type of the trip and the destination. So you’ll be constantly surrounded by people who you can make unforgettable memories with. So going on a unique tour is an excellent opportunity to network with like-minded people and make life-long friends who share your passion for traveling and exploring new horizons.
That’s great, but what if I’m an introvert?
It really isn’t about being an introvert or an extravert, but about what excites you and keeps you going. Even if you are the most easy-going person in the world who gets on amazingly well with people, it can be tricky to find the perfect travel partner, because such a thing simply does not exist.
We as adults are already so set in our ways, we have our routines and our quirks, it is hard to find someone who will be one hundred percent compatible with you, especially through all of the ups and downs of traveling. But if you are in a group of, say, 10 people who chose the same unique trekking tour, you are bound to have something in common. You will have your support group, which is crucial during a physically challenging trip, for example, and someone to share the amazing experiences and challenges with.
But it is still important to remember that you are all individual travelers, so you will have a certain level of independence and flexibility. Don’t worry if you get tired of socialization, it is ok to split from the group every now and again, do something separately, enjoy the holiday at your own pace. These tours do not have a rigid itinerary, and it is the travel expert’s job to make the trip comfortable for everybody, so you can talk to them and amend things accordingly.
After all, they are there to make sure you have the best experience ever. Speaking of making the trip as enjoyable as possible, from the very beginning travel experts asses the group, plan some bonding exercises and make everything in their power for the group to get to know each other and become comfortable and at ease — from group dinners to overcoming different physical challenges (depending on the type of the trip, of course) to bring everyone together. So if you are usually timid and quiet and worried about making a connection with someone, travel experts will take care of that.
According to some travel experts, after sharing a unique travel experience people not only become lifelong friends and travel buddies, but in some cases the tour even ends up with a marriage. Talk about great bonding opportunities, huh?
So do I just relax and follow the lead?
Travel experts are not just your tour guides, who are there to entertain and cater for your wants and needs, which they still do, of course. They are also responsible for the group’s safety and well-being, so they have the right to refuse the trip to someone they find not fit for purpose and who can spoil the trip for everyone — who is slowing everyone down, is rude and disrespectful to the rest of the group or doesn’t respect people’s boundaries.
If you’ve seen The Lost City of Z, you know what consequences going on a trip with someone whose heart isn’t in the right place can bring. So it is undoubtedly a tough, but important thing to do, because travel experts want you to have the best experience ever.
Remember, that even if you choose to go on a planned tour for the ease of it all, you still have to remain a responsible adult, who needs to have a clear understanding of what this particular tour demands of you. If you like the idea of being all Indiana Jones like, but aren’t really prepared for the challenges a trip like that brings, maybe you should pick something else — you simply won’t enjoy it.
There is no shame in having a quiet and relaxing holiday, if that’s what you need. They can still be an awesome experience, when done right. Just be honest with yourself.
Travel is a great way to meet new people from different cultural backgrounds. It brings us together. And as much as you can always meet someone along the way, going on a tour is a safe and easy way to discover new horizons, make friends or even find a partner.