It’s a scary thing to head off on your next big adventure with a group of strangers. But still: the people who come back from their first group tour and still find themselves among people they don’t know are few and far between.
Today, I will give you some insight into what to expect on your first group tour.
If you’re going on a group tour, you’ll get to share experiences with strangers, which might seem like a very intimidating thing – at first.
However, you’ll have a competent group leader with you, who will take care of nasty situations before you even know they’re there.
Anyway, here are some things you need to know before going on an organised group tour.
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Before you can book your first group tour, there are a few things you need to look into.
(FYI: My first group tour was this road trip through Rajasthan)
It’s always in your best interest to pack light, especially if you’re going on a trip where you’ll be travelling between cities.
It gives you more manoeuvrability, it’s better for your body and it will make your trip much more pleasant.
And, although it’s not always possible to travel carry-on only, you can still put in some effort to make your checked bag as light as possible.
More detailed guide: How To Pack Light: The Ultimate Guide
First of all, here are some things you shouldn’t pack:
Now, on to some actual tips for packing light:
On a group tour, you usually want to see and do as many things as possible. Inevitably, this also means that you’ll be doing a lot of travelling between places.
Bus, train, subway, rickshaw, …
The sky is the limit when it comes to transportation options.
Keep in mind, though, that travel time on a group tour is not necessarily wasted. Since you’re in it together with your whole group, you might as well take this opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers.
After all, why can’t the journey be part of the charm of your trip?
Rules are inherently in place to be followed.
And no, I probably won’t snitch on you if you forget to use your indicator lights once when turning right, but I do believe that the rules are there for a reason.
It’s no different when you’re on a group tour. The rules were created by your touring company to make sure that everyone involved has the best possible experience, and you don’t want to be the one spoiling the fun for everybody.
Just follow the damn rules.
The odds of everybody in your group becoming a friend for life are admittedly quite low. But hey, that’s not an issue. The whole thing with group tours is that, well, you’re in a group.
As long as you can find a few people you can vibe with, you’ll be fine. And, honestly, it’s very unlikely that you’re not going to find anybody with similar interests on a group tour.
Just take the first part of your tour to get to know everyone and find out where the potential friends are, and then spend the rest of your time actually becoming friends.
Check out my tips on making friends as a solo traveller – don’t worry, many of them also apply to group travel.
According to psychological research, most people will behave differently than they usually do when they’re thrown into a new group.
You might be a bit louder, a bit more reserved or a bit more eccentric than you are in everyday life.
That’s why it’s important not to judge people by your first impressions, but rather to wait a few days before you can really find out what you think of them.
Don’t rule out potential friendships because you didn’t like the way the other person acted on day one.
When you’re on a group tour, you often experience extraordinary things. Things you wouldn’t experience at home (like visiting an abandoned children’s hospital or going on a camel safari).
And that’s exactly the reason why your first group tour is the perfect moment to start trying new things.
Eating exotic meat? Jumping out of a plane? You might say no to those things when you’re in the safety of your comfort zone, but you should reconsider that answer while you’re abroad.
As I mentioned above, you won’t become BFFs with everyone on your first group tour. Take it from me.
One thing you can do, however, is try to find common ground with the people in your group. The truth is, you probably have more in common than you think.
You picked a certain trip based on the activities, the destination, and a whole array of other factors.
Well, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Your fellow group members did exactly the same thing.
So the fact that you eventually picked the same trip should already tell you something about the kind of person they are.
And that’s exactly why you automatically have common ground with people on a group tour, even if it might not seem like it at first.
Depending on the organisation behind your trip, some things may or may not be included in the price of your group tour.
Usually, tour operators include things like local transport and accommodation in the price you pay for the trip and recommend you set apart a certain amount of money for things like food, drinks, activities and entrance fees.
Before you book your group tour, make sure you know what you’re paying for upfront and what you’ll still have to pay on the trip itself.
On a group tour, it’s not uncommon for the people who are travelling together to become a tightly-knit group in a short amount of time.
And, very often, reunion plans are already being made while you’re still together.
But unfortunately, those plans too often end up being the furthest you will get, unless there’s somebody in your group willing to put in the effort of getting everyone together again.
You could be that person for your group. I’m just saying.
But still – especially if you’re on a group tour with people from all around the world – you need to be prepared to say goodbye for real when the trip comes to an end.
Now that you know as much about the pros and cons of group tours as I do, you’re more than ready to book one for yourself.
Is there anything you’re still unsure about? Be sure to let me know in a comment or email me and I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible!
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