Are you wondering if you should travel alone or join a group tour? Then you’ve come to the right place.
Over the past 30 years or so, I have travelled alone more times than I can count and have joined over a dozen small group tours. Whether you are planning to travel alone for the first time or are a veteran solo traveller, I’ll walk you through the key advantages and disadvantages of group travel and solo travel.
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Solo Travel vs Group Travel: Which is Better?
Each of these travel styles has pros and cons and it is impossible to state definitively which is the best. As with most things in life, it’s all about what’s right for you, based on your experiences, personal preferences and priorities.
As an independent solo traveller, you are solely responsible for planning and organising your trip. With this comes the flexibility to set your itinerary and adjust it on a whim. You can move at your own pace, get under the skin of a country and benefit from the self-determination that comes from successfully navigating unfamiliar cultures.
As the group tour operator takes care of travel arrangements on your behalf, including transportation, accommodation and most activities, this takes the pain out of organising your trip. You benefit from the knowledge of tour leaders – they are usually locals – ready-made travelling companions and safety in numbers.
My Experiences of Solo Travel and Group Tours
I first jumped on the solo travel stagecoach in 1989 with an extended trip to the Middle East. After a spell picking lots of apples on a kibbutz in Northern Israel, I tentatively spread my wings a little further and went over the border into Egypt.
Over 30 years and many more countries later, I have never looked back.
I was more than a little bit wary about group travel but the turning point came in 2004 when I was planning my first trip to India. Driven by a desire to see as much as possible in a short time frame, I started to look at this for the first time.
My first group tour was with the now-defunct Bales Worldwide to India’s Golden Triangle. This was affordable luxury travel with a comfortable air-conditioned coach to whisk us from one 5-star hotel to the next.
Subsequent group tours have been more modest, largely travelling with Explore and Exodus Travels and, for the most part, great experiences.
The Advantages of Group Tours
1. Everything’s organised for you
I know some people love planning a trip and this may be an important part of the overall experience. But for others, it can be an utter pain and a time suck.
Let someone else do the hard work for you and just show up at the airport for your flight.
2. They can be time-efficient
When I was working in a 9 to 5 job, this was the biggest benefit of group travel.
With your transport and transfers sorted, you can hit the ground running. You don’t need to spend time arranging transport from A to B. Also, group tour itineraries are smart about how they use transport from one hotel to the next by including sights en route.
You cover larger distances and see more things in a shorter space of time. This can be invaluable if you have limited time to explore an area.
Tour groups can also queue jump at attractions and some even offer earlier entry to beat the crowds.
3. Your itinerary will be assembled by those in the know
Tour companies employ country or area experts to advise on itineraries and then usually source the tours from operators in that country. Therefore, you can be reasonably confident that the ‘must-see’ sights will be included.
Of course, this means that you will be treading the same well-worn path as others and there may be little opportunity to veer off the tourist trail. But let’s face it: would you visit Barcelona and not see La Sagrada Família, or leave Guatemala before exploring the delights of Antigua?
4. You will get valuable information about the country, its people and its culture
Tour leaders can be a deep mine of information.
Increasingly, group tours are led by locals who provide the cultural insights you won’t be able to get from a guidebook or the web.
Tour leaders vary in their quality.
Some are excellent and give you enough information at the right time. With others, there is the danger of information overload, but at least you will be well informed.
5. The tour operator will sort things out if things go wrong
This is especially important when it comes to complex itineraries.
A solo trip to Argentina involved five domestic flights over 16 days. If one of these flights had been cancelled, my arrangements would have collapsed like a house of cards.
By way of a more recent example, the coronavirus pandemic forced me to curtail my Japan itinerary. With my home flight cancelled and precious few alternative options available, seeking a way out of the country resulted in a few more grey hairs.
Contrast this with a small tour group I chatted to at the airport. Whilst they also had to cut short their holiday, the tour operator took care of all the arrangements for them.
I confess that I was more than a little bit envious.
Also if you are unlucky enough to fall ill whilst away, your tour leader should be able to assist.
6. It may save you money
I say ‘may’ because this is pro of group travel is a little contentious.
Tour operators get exclusive group discounts on room rates that will not be available to you as an independent traveller. But perhaps more importantly, single occupancy of a room is often available for a reasonable supplement.
And to save more cash, many companies will pair you up with a suitable roommate if you don’t mind sharing. This can be a bit of a lottery though.
Group tour operators are waking up to the fact that solo travellers are a growing and potentially lucrative market. As a response, many are offering single supplements for a modest price or have abolished this on selected tours.
7. You will have ready-made travelling companions
Loneliness on the road and not being able to share the moment are two of the biggest drawbacks to solo travel. But in a group, you get instant companionship when you travel.
It’s a peculiar thing. Bonds form quickly and often more intensively than in ‘real-life’, and those you have known for only a matter of a few weeks can feel like old friends.
Saying goodbye at the end of the group tour can be a real wrench, and a type of separation anxiety can contribute to post-travel depression. However, on the flip side, some of these relationships can persist once back on home soil.
Group dynamics are always interesting.
I have had fantastic groups where everyone bonded and there was no one you wouldn’t want to sit next to at dinner (always a good yardstick for me). Conversely, I have been on a few group tours where one or more individuals have made it difficult for others.
The makeup of your group is beyond anyone’s control. Just make sure that pain-in-the-neck isn’t you.
8. There’s safety in numbers
If you are anxious about personal safety when travelling alone, the security of a group tour may be the answer for you. In addition to the support of the tour leader, the group members tend to look out for each other.
9. Independent travel may not be a viable option
The visa conditions of a few countries stipulate that you must be escorted at all times. Therefore, unless a private guided tour is a viable option, a group tour may be the only way forward.
For example, I visited Libya and Iran on a group tour for this reason.
Another reason for considering a group tour is if the country’s tourism infrastructure is immature. This shouldn’t stop you from visiting the country independently, but this may be more challenging on the ground and incur more expense.
10. You will not be as reliant on limited language skills
This isn’t a deal-breaker. I have travelled around South America with very little Spanish and through the Middle East with only five words of Arabic.
However, at times, this was challenging. If you are anxious that your limited language skills will be a barrier to having a great trip then it is worth considering a group tour.
The Advantages of Travelling Alone
1. You can choose when and where you travel
Although group tour operators offer time-efficient, tried & tested itineraries they may not necessarily tick all the boxes for you. The travel dates and timespan may also not be a good fit. Or you might want to spend more time in one location and skip one stop completely.
The beauty of solo travel is that you are in complete control of when and where you travel.
2. You gain freedom and independence
Some people love a strict itinerary and a group tour’s exacting schedule often forces you to start your day early, sometimes very early. However, this isn’t for everyone.
Travelling independently, you can choose to have a lie-in or a lazy day if you wish. Or perhaps you fancy a few days without a fixed agenda?
No problem. You can just go where your mood takes you.
Or, if like me, maybe you want to spend longer capturing images of places you have visited? No need to rush those holiday photographs. You have the freedom to wait for exactly the right moment.
Maybe this is when the light is right or when that pesky tour group has moved out of shot.
3. You can move at your own pace
Make no mistake; tour groups can move slowly. Much like a convoy of trucks, they are only as fast as the slowest member. That can be frustrating when you just want to get a move on.
However, it can work the opposite way.
Maybe you want to slowly absorb what you are seeing and the group is racing ahead? It can be frustrating to arrive at a place that you have long wanted to visit, only to be told that you have half an hour to take a look at it
4. You can choose your accommodation
With most tour groups you have no control over the choice of hotel. Also, some do not reveal where you will be staying until just before departure.
On escorted tour trips I have stayed in ‘city centre’ hotels miles from the main attractions and in mosquito-ridden fleapits.
My days of staying in grungy hotels are behind me and, as a flashpacker, I now look for a decent bed to sleep in. Although I have stayed in some fabulous hotels with tour groups – take a bow Sri Lanka – this is not a guarantee.
5. Solo travel may be cheaper
Back up, you say. Didn’t I just say that a tour group can save you money? Well, it depends on the circumstances.
It would be naïve to think that the cost of a tour leader and local guides, as well as operational profit, isn’t built into the cost of a group tour. Therefore, group tours can work out to be more expensive.
My advice is to compare how much it would cost you to follow a similar itinerary independently.
6. You gain privacy and the opportunity to be alone
If you value your own space, you may struggle with group travel.
Examine the schedule. If it is a packed one, then opportunities for solitude and reflection will be limited.
7. You don’t have to put up with difficult travelling companions
Group travel requires tolerance, and when you travel with a group there may be someone you wouldn’t choose to spend time with under different circumstances. At best this can make things awkward, at worst it makes the experience an unenjoyable one.
8. You can get under the skin of a country
There is nothing like navigating around a country to allow you to get to know it. Also, solo travel forces you to talk to locals more than on a group tour.
Reflecting on places I have been to on a group tour, I feel that whilst the tour leader fed us lots of information, my understanding of the country and its people was relatively superficial.
9. You gain the opportunity for self-determination
For me, self-determination is one of the most important reasons for solo travel.
Navigating unfamiliar cultures in unfamiliar territories is a real confidence booster. This sense of achievement can be a transformative process, not only at the time but spilling over into other areas of your life on your return home.
Stepping out of your comfort zone can force you to do things you might never have contemplated.
Choosing a Group Tour
Multiple group travel operators offer a vast and evolving range of tours catering to all travel styles and budgets. Ultimately, which group tour operator you go with will depend on your preferences and priorities.
There are many questions to ask before booking a small group tour. Here are some of the most important considerations.
Cost
Decide on a budget and stick to it. Check if everything is included in the baseline price and if the quality of accommodation and transport is in keeping with this force.
Group size
I look for a group size of between eight and 16 people. Fewer than eight people and the impact of a difficult person in the group is magnified. More than 18 or so and it becomes unwieldy and more difficult to get to know people.
Group demographics
Is the group tour aimed at those in their 20s or towards older people or retirees? I am a single traveller in my 50s and whilst I like to meet people of all ages when I am away, I have to grudgingly accept that I am likely to find more common ground with those of a similar vintage.
Standard of accommodation
My days of staying in tents and hostels are behind me. Been there, got the t-shirt.
Nowadays, I am looking for more comfortable accommodation. This comes with a higher price tag attached but so be it.
Use of local guides
Trust me; your tour guide can make or break a trip. In my experience, local guides are the best.
Availability of a single room
On a group tour, you can avoid paying a single supplement by sharing a room with a fellow traveller of the same sex. If this isn’t for you, choose a company that offers single rooms for a small premium.
My favourite group travel companies
From personal experience, two of the best small group tour companies are Explore and Exodus Travels. I have travelled with them around a dozen times.
Both of these operators sell thoughtful and well-balanced itineraries. They cater to similar markets and some of their itineraries are strikingly similar.
>>> FIND OUT WHAT OTHER TRAVELLERS ARE SAYING ABOUT EXPLORE HERE AND ABOUT EXODUS HERE
Final Thoughts and a Useful Compromise
Solo travel or group tours? As you can see there is no easy answer.
The important thing is to take the plunge. Whether you decide to go it alone or join a group tour, don’t let fear hold you back.
I will leave you with a final thought. Over the years a mix-and-match approach has worked extremely well for me. By this I mean I book a group tour to anchor the trip and then travel independently on either side.
So perhaps you can have your cake and eat it?
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About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.
Wonderful to read your comparison between the two.. I’m addicted to group travel… I get a buzz out of not knowing who I’ll spend time with and more often than not meet like minded travel pals. Have only had one poor experience with an undesirable… but the tour was delightful.
I’m not so brave to go totes solo… I’d probably be lazy and not adventure much further than my hotel room!!! However… I must try it… I’m brave enough… this will go on my bucket list.
For now my preference is with new found acquaintances… have holidayed on over 15 worldwide tours now. Amalfi here I come.
Great article, thank you x
Ahh … you’re welcome Janee! And thanks for sharing your views. I agree there is that delicious wave of anticipation when you meet your group for the first time (and I love trying to identify potential group members on the outbound flight). It is a lottery but, like you, most of my experiences have been very positive.
Enjoy Amalfi and may your companions be as fabulous as the food and scenery.
Bx
And thanks for the sub!