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I’ve done all types of travel. Solo, Couple (you+1 other), Family, Friend Group (small and big) and Travel / Tour Group…and to be honest, I loved them all for different reasons, but they also each have drawbacks. So I wanted to share some of my personal pros and cons of why each type may or may not be fore you. I’ll play fair and say 3 pros and 3 cons of each type of travel…just know there can be more pros and cons that you can experience on your own travels. No shade to any style, but here are my thoughts:
Solo Travel
Pros
- You only have to worry about yourself ~ You can do what you want, when you want and you don’t have to check in with anyone.
- You are more likely to meet locals because you are open to having a conversation with someone else on your trip.
- It builds up your self-confidence because you are more likely to do a bit more research on safety tips and experiences at your destination and be better prepared for the road ahead.
Cons
- You can’t share an experience or an exciting moment with someone in real time.
- You can’t split costs for anything. For example: Your hotel is full price when solo.
- You need to make sure you are extra safe, as solo travelers are more targeted. So be smart, know your limits and know that it’s ok to lie.
Couple Travel
Pros
- You get to share experiences with someone, and bond
- Someone can help you if you become sick…I am too familiar with this one
- It’s safer than solo travel
Cons
- You may have disagreements because this can happen when you start spending too much time together.
- It may be difficult to find time for yourself. So, if you want different experiences out of the trip, you need to discuss this beforehand.
- If you get irritated by them at some point, it’s really just you and the other person to deal with it.
Family Travel (w/Kids)
Pros
- Creating lasting family memories
- You promote learning about different cultures and being open-minded
- You get to act like kid again and see things through their eyes
Cons
- It takes more energy to do things
- It’s more expensive than traveling alone or as a couple
- It’s harder to meet other people because you are literally in your own family bubble
Friend Group Travel
Pros
- You create lasting memories with friends and creating bonds.
- It’s cost effective when splitting bills, and you can share travel perks.
- You have someone else to take photos (from various angles. LOL), but in all seriousness you get different perspectives that can enhance the trip.
Cons
- There may different interests, so you may compromise on activities
- There may different expectation and budgets, so it is important to talk about this upfront before you are too deep into planning
- You may not meet as many new people with a solo or couple travel because you are in your friend bubble
Travel (Tour) Groups
Pros
- Most everything is handled for you, so it’s less stress.
- You meet new people in the travel group because it can create a family type of environment.
- The tour guides and experts usually provide great learning opportunities about the destination, and can usually answer any questions you have.
Cons
- There is less opportunity to customize your trip, as schedules and itineraries are somewhat set.
- You may get stuck being around people, who aren’t your cup of tea because you can’t pick and choose who else will be in the travel group
- You may miss out on seeking the hidden gems, because you are stuck visiting the touristy spots set by the itinerary, but many tour groups allow for free days to do whatever, so take advantage of those days!
I know didn’t get into the cost on most of these, but each have their own pros and cons. For example, there can be lots of hidden cost with travel groups (I mean someone has to get paid for all the planning). Or paying more for plane tickets when traveling with a family vs. solo, or making sure everyone is within budget when traveling with friends. Do you get my drift? You just have to think about all of this when deciding your travel style.
There are so many travel styles and options and it really all depends on what you personally like. One is not necessarily better than another. It’s about what you need. Sometimes you may need to get away by yourself, and other times you just want to create a personal bonding experience. Let me know how you like to travel.
🩵💛💜
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