Written by Josh Band
Posted, 29th May 2024
Whether you’re visiting somewhere new or travelling solo for the first time, group trips are a great option to consider.
If you’ve never travelled as a group before, you might be sceptical as to whether they’re worth it or not.
We run group tours in Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bali and Australia, so we know all too well the pros and cons of group travel.
So we’ve laid them out for you in a non-biased fashion, so you can weigh up whether you think they’re the right option for you.
Pros Of Group Travel
We like to start all of our tours with something amazing, so similarly, let’s start this blog post with the pros of group travel, in no particular order.
Instant Group Of Friends
People say that the best part of travel isn’t the things that you see, or the things that you do, or even the things that you eat. It’s the people that you meet along the way.
Taking a group trip is one of the easiest ways to meet new people as you get a new group of friends the second the tour begins.
We see new friendships form every single day, and more often than not, our tour groups organise reunions and meet up with each other every now and again.
If you’re travelling solo, you’ll never be alone on a group trip. And if you’re with friends, you’ve got even more friends to hang out with.
Meet Like-Minded People
One of the reasons that you will make friends so quickly on group tours is that everyone is like-minded.
If you’re the type of person who is even considering travelling in a group, then you’ll fit right in! When you travel, you are open-minded, you love new experiences, you’re willing to try new things, and you don’t hold any prejudice.
For example, someone who has a prejudice that countries in Southeast Asia aren’t safe or are dirty, they’re not going to be coming on a group tour.
Everyone is the same, they love travelling and seeing the world – which is why group members always get on so well with each other.
All Of The Details Are Sorted For You!
When you book a trip and then realise you have to plan everything. We’ve all been there. It’s time-consuming, boring and honestly, quite difficult sometimes.
But when you take a group trip, all of the details are pre-arranged and it’s completely hassle-free. All you need to do is turn up.
We can’t speak for everyone, but our tours include accommodation, transport, things to do and a bunch of meals. There are no hidden costs and all you need to worry about is having the time of your life.
The nights of creating a spreadsheet, or writing an itinerary out by hand are gone. Don’t worry. We have it all sorted for you.
Safety In Numbers
If you want to take a solo trip but don’t quite feel confident enough to go by yourself, being part of a group makes it a lot easier as you’ll feel much safer.
Or…if you want to take a solo trip and your family isn’t too keen…then tell them there’s safety in numbers.
One of the biggest pros of group travel is definitely the safety aspect, especially in countries which are considered on the more dangerous side. We don’t run tours there, but if you have a desire to visit Afghanistan for example, then a group trip is a great option.
There are a number of reasons it’s safer with the most obvious being there are more of you, but also, you have local guides along the way, they’ll know where is safe and where isn’t, etc.
Hostel Vibes With Hotel-Styled Accommodation
Hostels are great. They give you the chance to meet new people, take part in free events and activities, and get a load of local tips.
But there’s one main downside. You’re sharing a room with 6 or more people. It’s not for everyone, and that’s fine, but there are advantages you would miss out on.
When you’re travelling as part of a group, you get all of the social benefits of staying in a hostel, but your own private (or twin) room to go back to at the end of the night.
It’s the best of both worlds – a true win/win.
Share The Experience
Have you ever seen something really cool or done something amazing and thought to yourself “I wish someone was here to see this with me!”?
You’ll never have to think about this again when you’re travelling in a group as you’ll always have people around you sharing the experience along the way.
It’s nice to have people who “just get it” and were there with you and know exactly what it was like. There are only so many stories you can tell folks at home before they get tired – or worse, they aren’t as excited about it as you.
Having people who share the same stories means you’ll always have someone to talk to about your trip, and always have someone to reminisce with in years to come.
Find All The Best Spots
Not only do we do all of the planning for you for your trip, but we also plan your trip better than anyone else ever could.
We run multiple group trips every week throughout the year, so we know all of the best spots – where is worth visiting, and where isn’t.
We’ve “been there, done that” hundreds of times, and we’re constantly refining our tours to make them better and better.
Hidden Local Experiences
Continuing on from the last point, at Feel Free Travel, we love to include lots of local experiences – things you can’t book online.
When travelling, especially in countries which are affordable to visit, it’s nice to support locals and their businesses directly rather than big companies.
For example, on our Sri Lanka Group Trip, you learn about the process of making tea from leaf to cup from a local.
These experiences are usually much more personal and you can tell the guides really appreciate you being there and supporting them.
Great Value For Money
One of the biggest myths about group tours is that they aren’t good value for money.
While this is definitely the case with some other companies, it’s not the case with us.
For example, our 12-day Bali tour starts from £999 and includes 22 different activities such as snorkelling with turtles, going dolphin-watching and cooking classes. Plus your accommodation and some meals.
We like to think that’s pretty good value for money!
Very Time-Efficient
A little-known but very real pro of group trips is how time-efficient they are.
You can easily see what others see during a 2-month backpacking trip during a 2-week group trip.
The reason is because the days are jam-packed (although still have enough downtime) and the itinerary has been worked out to be as efficient as possible.
If you can’t commit to months on the road at a time, group trips are a great alternative.
Like Meal-Prep, But For Travel
Quite an unusual heading we know, but it’s true! Group trips are the meal-prep equivalent in the travel world…everything is already pre-packed and ready to go.
As we said earlier, all you need to do is turn up and have a great time.
And we have a few different meal options you can choose from. You can choose between a Thai, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan, Indonesian or Australian-flavoured meal plan with us 😉.
Make Lifelong Friends
It’s one thing meeting people while travelling, but it’s another thing travelling with them for a longer period of time, you really get to know them.
When you’re spending all day, every day with the same people, it feels like someone you have known for 3 days has actually been your friend for 3 years.
All the time, we see people who meet on our tours continue travelling together and even meet up regularly when they get back home.
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
When you’re travelling by yourself, you probably tend to stick to things which you would normally do or things that you have done before.
When you travel as part of a group, the activities might be something you aren’t 100% sure about.
While we won’t force you to do anything, we really really encourage you to take part in everything because being outside your comfort zone really helps you grow as a person, and more often than not, you end up loving the thing in the first place.
For example, if you’re not a confident swimmer, still go snorkelling. Or if you feel you’re “too hard” for yoga, still give it a go and see what you think.
Flexibility To Enjoy Free Time
While we’ve talked about how great our itineraries are and how many things we can fit into a short time frame, we also know how important it is to give you some free time and group time.
Whether it’s an evening to do whatever you want after we check into the hotel, or a couple of hours at the beach to do as you please, we have really tried to balance our tours to have the perfect combination of doing things versus downtime.
And like we said earlier, you get hostel vibes with hotel rooms, so when everyone has downtime, it’s a great opportunity to get to know the group members even better.
Reduces Environmental Impact
When you travel as part of a group, it’s actually better for the environment than travelling on your own. There are a few reasons why but the main one is because of how efficient group trips are.
For a start, the routes and itineraries have been carefully planned to make sure you aren’t wasting time travelling.
Secondly, the group will all be sharing a bus or other mode of transport, so it’s more efficient than everyone making their own way between places.
Thirdly, we can only speak for ourselves here, but we make a conscious effort to ensure everything we do is eco-friendly. For example, our Thailand tours include an elephant interaction, but it’s one of the most ethical options in the country.
Having A Group Leader
Having a group leader who is with you all throughout your tour is, to quote a review of ours, “a Godsend”.
They’re with you every step of the way, helping things go smoothly, giving you some background info on each place, and of course, providing some banter too.
More often than not, they’re as just as much a part of the group as anyone else, and even though they’re working, it doesn’t feel like they’re a usual tour guide.
And that’s because they’re not. You still get local guides at each place, each attraction, etc., but your tour leader helps to keep the trip running and ensure everyone has the best time possible.
More Photos
One of the biggest downsides of travelling solo is photos. It’s hard to get photos of yourself unless you’re an influencer with a tripod and fancy camera, or you don’t mind asking 10 different people to take a photo of you until you get the one.
When you take a group trip, you have loads of people to take photos for you, and take photos with as well so it’s not always just you by yourself.
It’s an advantage to group travel which most people might not think about, but it’s definitely one we love.
Less Chance Of Loneliness
Another con of solo travel is loneliness, but since you’re surrounded by lots of amazing people in your group, you aren’t as likely to get lonely.
Homesickness is also less common, but if it’s your first time away from home and you’re away for a long period of time, you might still experience it.
But don’t worry, you’ll have lots of people around you to try and cheer you up. Not to mention all of the activities which will help to take your mind off it.
Cons Of Group Travel
Since this is a post about the pros and cons of group travel, it’s time we got into the cons. In our opinion, the pros massively outweigh the cons, but as we said earlier, we don’t want to show this through tinted glasses.
It Can Appear Expensive Per Day
When you book a group trip, it can appear expensive.
The reason is because you are paying pretty much all of the expenses for your trip up-front. When you’re actually on the trip, you won’t spend anywhere near as much as the average traveller.
As another example, our 8-day Sydney trip costs £649 and includes a dolphin cruise, a trip to Royal National Park, an overnight stay at an Aussie surf camp, and so much more.
Pretty good value for money in reality, but we get it can be hard to give away so much money in advance, which is why we allow you to make a deposit for your trip from as little as £1!
You Need To Get Up
If you like having a lot of lazy days while travelling, unfortunately, group trips don’t have many of these.
Since there is so much to fit in, most days have a relatively early start, which means not many lie-ins.
But on the other hand, if you tend to waste half the day lying in bed, group tours are a great way to ensure you get up every morning and make the most of your time in a new country.
Limited Flexibility
One of the only true cons of group travel is the lack of flexibility. Since the itinerary is decided before you even book your trip, there isn’t much wiggle room in the day-to-day schedule.
But don’t worry, the itinerary is jam-packed full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, so you’ll no doubt be keen to get involved. Plus, the pre-planned free time is the perfect opportunity to fit in those extra things you had on your bucket list.
But if you like the itinerary you see when you sign up, then it’s unlikely this would.
Navigating Group Dynamics
Being part of a new group isn’t always just sunshine and rainbows.
It might take you a few days to find out who you really click with. There might be some people you don’t like. There might be some people who you haven’t even had a chat with.
That’s just the way every group is in the world. But when everyone comes together, everyone can have a great time and that’s all that matters.
Is Group Travel Worth It?
Now that we’ve discussed the pros and cons of group travel in-depth and in great detail, it’s time to evaluate whether group trips are worth it.
To be honest, no one can make this decision apart from yourself.
We obviously heavily lean towards yes, group trips are worth it, and our thousands of positive reviews back this up, but we understand that they’re not for everyone.
If you prefer having your own space, doing your own thing and not being constrained by the time allowed at each place, then group trips might not be for you.
But if you love trying new things, meeting new people and having loads of fun along the way, then travelling in a group is definitely something for you.
Conclusion: Pros And Cons Of Group Travel
And there you have it, a complete guide to the pros and cons of group travel.
In our opinion, the pros outweigh the cons and it’s definitely worth taking a group trip, especially if it is your first time travelling solo.
They’re amazing and we absolutely love hosting them, make sure to check out our trips and join us on a group trip of your own!
Whether you’re looking to travel solo or bring a friend along for the ride, our group tours in South East Asia & Australia are the perfect balance of culture, adventure, chill time & nightlife. You’ll arrive as strangers and leave as the best of friends.
Here are a few useful links to help with that planning;
👉🏼 View all Trips
👉🏼 Frequently Asked Questions
👉🏼 Check out our Reviews
👉🏼 Why choose us?
👉🏼 How does it all work?
If you’ve got any burning questions or just need a little travel inspo… jump in the DM’s with the team via either Whatsapp, Livechat or Instagram.
