I recently did my first group trip and I wanted to share my thoughts!
Last month, I traveled to the Azores and Madeira on a work trip with Sagres Vacations! I’m a big traveler and I’m used to planning everything myself, so not having control over what we did was a little scary, but to have all the responsibility taken off my shoulders was also so freeing and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have traveled with this group!
Why I Think Group Travel Works
- You’re Never Alone – Group travel is the perfect opportunity to meet new people.
- If you like solitude, maybe that sounds like your worst nightmare, but I think this is part of what’s so appealing about traveling with a group. If you don’t have a go-to travel buddy, going solo on a group trip is easy and safe! You have a guide with you and you also have a whole group of people to meet and make friends with.
- If the thought of being with the group is overwhelming to you, just remember that you have your own hotel room and will always have that space to take a breather. You can always stay back from an excursion as well if you need some time to yourself.
- Your Trip is All Planned For You
- I feel like no matter how much research you do on a location, you’re still going to be left with a million questions. On a group trip, your trip is planned for you by experts and you’ll likely have a guide with you during all of your day trips. It takes the stress of making sure you’re going to safe areas and seeing all the important sights off of your shoulders and allows you to just relax and enjoy your time.
- You’re With an Expert
- If you see a place you want to visit or have something you know you want to do but it’s not on your itinerary, ask your tour guide or your group representative. Chances are, they’ve built leisure time into your itinerary and will be able to suggest places for you to visit and help you figure out the logistics on how to get there.
Tips for Group Travel
Because I’ve only been on one trip like this, I can only speak from my own experience, but here are some of the things I learned while I was away.
- Read the itinerary!
- There’s definitely an appeal in spontaneity and knowing that everything is planned for you, but still, check your itinerary. It will help you to be more prepared for your trip. You can read the entire itinerary and still be surprised by what you see and do!
- Make Friends, Be Social
- Like I said before, the people that you’re traveling with are your go-to people. You will be with them for the entirety of your trip, so take advantage and get to know those around you. Even if you don’t make a forever friend, it’s still fun to get to know new people and make memories with them.
- Be Prepared if You Get Sick – Bring Meds!
- You are going to be with a lot of people in a lot of small spaces. You are likely all flying together and you will likely be on buses or trains together. If one person gets sick, chances are, other people are going to as well. Be prepared.
- Medications I recommend taking with you: Advil, Exedrin Migraine, Advil Sinus, Emergen-C (I prefer the Raspberry Everyday Immune Support that you mix into water), Zicam (I like the Cherry Flavor Rapid Melts), and Airborne Chewable Tablets. Hopefully you won’t need them, but if you do, these are the medications I’ve had the best luck with!
- Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Sleep
- It’s exciting being in a new place and you’re going to want to see everything you possibly can, but travel puts a lot on your body and you need to rest. So, when your body is telling you that you need sleep, listen to it. It will also help minimize the likelihood of you getting sick.
- Stay Hydrated
- Make sure you’re drinking water. If you’re visiting a country in Europe, it’s likely that you’re going to be offered different kinds of wine and espresso and I highly recommend you try everything you can, but don’t forget to drink water too. Water is not offered to you in the same way wine and coffee are. Seek out water, this will also help minimize the chances of you getting sick.
- I’m notoriously bad at drinking water, so I recommend bringing Liquid IV with you and drinking a full glass of water in the morning with a packet of Liquid IV to help keep you hydrated and start your day on a good foot.
- Take Advantage of Everything You Can!
- You paid a lot to be on your trip and it’s likely that your travel agency has included full days of tours which include multiple meals a day – make sure you’re taking advantage of these things! Go on your tours, get off the bus, take those pictures, and let yourself live in those moments.
- At meal time, try the foods and beverages that are offered to you!
- On my tour, whenever there was a meal included, we were given a red and a white wine, bread, an appetizer, an entree, a dessert, and an espresso. Most times, we weren’t given the option of what we ate at these meals; if we didn’t like what was placed in front of us, then we would have had to wait until our next meal (unless there was a food allergy. Our agency was very accommodating to food allergies).
- Not everything I was given was a food or drink I would normally eat, but I tried everything (minus blood sausage and sardines, I did have to draw the line somewhere)! That being said, I LOVED everything I tried, and many of those things were things I genuinely thought I disliked.
- SO TRY EVERYTHING YOU CAN! Immerse yourself in the culture as much as you can. And because you have guides with you on group tours, you can always ask them if you’re uncertain of something.
- Not everything I was given was a food or drink I would normally eat, but I tried everything (minus blood sausage and sardines, I did have to draw the line somewhere)! That being said, I LOVED everything I tried, and many of those things were things I genuinely thought I disliked.
- On my tour, whenever there was a meal included, we were given a red and a white wine, bread, an appetizer, an entree, a dessert, and an espresso. Most times, we weren’t given the option of what we ate at these meals; if we didn’t like what was placed in front of us, then we would have had to wait until our next meal (unless there was a food allergy. Our agency was very accommodating to food allergies).
- Ask Your Travel Agent / Booking Company for Tips on What to Pack
- I felt wildly unprepared for my trip when it came to packing. I read and re-read our itinerary and tried to pack as best I could, but at the end of the day, I overpacked and brought a lot of unnecessary clothing that took up a lot of space in my suitcase.
- I wish I had asked our travel agent prior to going if she had any recommendations for what to bring because it would’ve saved a lot of time, space, and stress.
- Bring a Backpack or Bag to Bring with You on Tours Every Day
- This might sound like common sense, but I highly recommend bringing a bag with you (in addition to a purse if you carry one). Sometimes, there are curve balls throughout the day or it’s colder in one location than another and it’s always good to be prepared.
- I brought an extra bag with me on the bus every day where I kept a raincoat, a sweatshirt, a bathing suit, and a towel. Unless I needed those things on our stops, I left the bag on the bus when I got off, but it gave me peace of mind knowing that I had them if I needed them. It’s also good to have if you buy souvenirs so you can put everything in one place and not worry about leaving something on the bus.
- Bring Walking Shoes
- There is typically a lot of walking, so make sure you have shoes that you’re comfortable walking in. If you’re a fashionista and worry walking shoes will ruin your outfits or pictures (I feel you, bestie), carry a bag big enough to hold a pair of cute shoes. You will thank me later!
- Be. On. Time.
- I know a lot of us out there tend to be late, but when you have other people depending on you, do. not. be. late. You do not want to be the person that everyone else on the bus is waiting on in the mornings.
- When your guides tell you to be at the bus at a certain time, BE THERE!
- Take Lots of Pictures!
- Make sure you’re present in the moment, but don’t forget to take some pictures to look back on once you’re home, and even if you hate taking pictures of yourself, make sure you hop in some too!
General Travel Tips
- Buy a Scale
- If you’re flying somewhere, it’s likely your luggage cannot exceed 50 pounds. If you’re an overpacker like me, this probably stresses you out. To help alleviate some of that stress, I suggest buying a luggage scale so you can weigh your baggage prior to getting to the airport to make sure your bags aren’t too heavy. You can get one on Amazon here.
- Bring Two Adaptors
- If you’re traveling out of the country, you will need an adaptor to plug any of your electronics or accessories in. If you can, I suggest getting two, one for by your bedside to charge your phone, computer, etc., and one for the bathroom for hair tools. You can get them on Amazon here (this particular model will work in Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Iceland, and Germany).
- Bring an Umbrella and a Rain Coat
- Even if there’s no rain in the forecast when you’re packing, bring a rain coat and an umbrella. I made the mistake one time of not traveling with a rain coat and I will never do it again! In Madeira, my coworker and I both had rain coats, but we got caught in one of the worst rain storms we’d ever experienced and had to stop in a Claire’s just to buy an umbrella, don’t let this happen to you!
Anchored Musings 