Solo Travellers……

The signatures from my India Small Group Travel in 2013.

The signatures from my India Small Group Travel in 2013.

Are you a solo traveller?  Or are you a traveller without a travel partner- always on the lookout for friends with whom you can travel?

Whether you are travelling solo, or with a friend, there are advantages to travelling with a small group tour. For instance:

 

 

The Company of Others With Whom You May Enjoy Your Experiences.

  • Let’s say you want to travel- but none of your friends can travel with you for one reason or another…..and your spouse would sooner ______________(fill in the blanks!). When you travel with a small group for a week- or more- and spend more hours in the day with them then you have with many of your “older” friends, you quickly discover common ground. They may not be all people with whom you would be close friends back home, but you will find that at least a third are likely to be very agreeable, no matter the age. Life long friends are often made this way- albeit they may live far away!
  • If you are like me, you make friends with whom you stay in touch- and with whom you may travel again in the future. And this brings me to another point- some of you have pointed out that you do not feel you would have anything in common with a person either 20 years younger (or older).  I cannot help but feel that you are narrowing your “sphere of influence”- in other words, variety is the spice of life, if I can trot out an old cliché!

A Local Guide’s Experience in Travel.

  • Let’s say you want to go to a country where English is spoken by a small minority of the population, or the crime rate is particularly high, or the methods of “in country” travel don’t appeal to you (riding on a crowded public bus with chickens, and such…), then travelling with a small group where you are with a knowledgeable multi-lingual local guide is a plus all around.
  • They can speak the language(s), they know the areas to avoid, the guides lend their advice to their group whether they are with them- or members are out travelling on their own, and finally, in country transportation is arranged, paid for, and depending on the type of tour, may or may not still be on public buses- just not with the chickens!

The Expertise Factor

  • This does not just apply to the fact your hotels are in the best locations, family run, and contribute to the local economy (if you are travelling with a socially responsible travel company), but also applies to the eating at the best restaurants with the same criteria as above (for your budget….).
  • You will see the “must sees” listed in the guidebooks, but also the sights that you would never have found on your own easily- in fact you are likely to be unaware they exist. This is why a local guide (or two or three or more) is used to ensure you get the best experience (and value) for your money. You learn far more about a specific site than you thought possible.  You experience the country- and not just the surface…..because of that expertise.

The Comfort Factor

  • For those solo travellers who are uncomfortable travelling on their own, nervous about travelling on their own, or simply do not feel it is safe travelling on their own, you will find that in most small groups, the majority of travellers are solo travellers.  Do not be afraid to venture forth and join up.  You will be welcome!
  • Small group travel suppliers such as G Adventures, Intrepid Group, and Exodus all have trips that may specialize in solo travellers.  As well, some small groups only focus on solo travellers, and gear their trips accordingly.

As a travel consultant I will help you choose the small group style and service with whom you are most comfortable , and help you plan and book not just your small group travel, but also your method of travel to and from your meeting point, and help you with any travel documentation such as travel visas you might need.

Feel free to contact me to fulfill your travel dreams……

 

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Travel Dreams

291-India 393

Fulfilling another travel dream…….

Travel dreams- and why my priorities include travel.

We all have travel dreams. Personally, I travel because I want to see what I have been reading about all these years. As an avid book reader from a young age, I lived in a world of adventure all over the world, from reading about Heidi in Switzerland when I was around 7 or 8 years old, to reading about Hong Kong in my teens when I read Tai Pan and Noble House to reading about South Africa when I read Cry the Beloved Country in my early twenties- to reading about China in The Good Earth shortly after that…..in short, I have been all over the world in my books, and so at a certain point in my life, I decided I needed to travel and see some of these places I had only read about.

Yes- I started off slowly by going to England and Scotland in my early twenties……an easy trip to manage, and travelled part of the time on my own. After that, it was travelling with my family across North America, along with a couple of trips to Mexico and back to England.  However, Australia was always going to be my first big trip, and having read many books about Australia, plus having a husband that almost ended up immigrating to Alice Springs instead of Lipton Saskatchewan- that ended up being my first big trip – when I turned 50.  Once I started by fulfilling that dream, I was hooked……

How do I plan for trips?  Well I basically look at 3 things- where I want to go, what can I afford (and how will I put money aside), how much time do I have- and when can I go. Once I decide how much money I can spend, I immediately start a forced savings plan where money is taken automatically from my chequeing account and put into my savings account- if I don’t have it I can’t spend it.  I don’t touch that money until I need to pay from my trip…..and that is an advantage when you take small group tours- or travel by planning your own vacation.

Most small group tours (which I love as I can travel solo and not worry- and small groups mean you really see the country- off the beaten path) require a down payment of $300 with the remainder due at a set time before your departure date. Also air fare will be due when you book the flight- which can be immediately after you pay your down payment- or could be later when you get a “deal” (which are few and far between these days- more about that later). So you can pay for your vacation in chunks beforehand, and by the time you leave, you will only have certain expenses (minimal likely) for while you are gone.

If travel is your priority, then budgeting for it becomes just as important, and whatever your budget is, just remember your goal is to live within your means, and to live your travel dreams……as a travel consultant, remember I can help you live those dreams….just email me.

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