I love solo travelling. Few experiences in life are so liberating. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want; there’s nobody you’re beholden to or reliant upon. It’s total freedom. But that independence is a mixed blessing. Solo travel can get lonely, making all your own decisions can get tiring, and fending for yourself financially can take its toll on your bank balance.
More than anything else, though, there’s nobody with whom to share the experience. There’s no-one with whom to explore, celebrate, commiserate, or, in the weeks and months that follow, to look back and reminisce. Small group travel offers an antidote to such issues.
Suddenly, the lonely ‘I’ becomes a comforting ‘we’. The struggles of solo travel disappear and you have a few friends, new or old, with whom to explore. It’s an amazing thing. Yet this too has its issues to consider. Thinking about travelling in a small group of people? Keep reading to discover all the pros and cons of doing exactly that.
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Table of Contents
What Is Small Group Travel?
For many people the definition of small group travel differs. To me, small group travel is usually anywhere between 5-10 people in a group. Usually that would be people that I know well. For others small group travel would be a small group with a tour company. This could range from anywhere between 20-45 people in a group.
At the end of the day, the smaller the group, the better. It helps you build so many better relationships. You get to explore more and you there are so few scheduling issues!
The Advantages Of Small Group Travel
Let’s start with the good stuff. Here are 5 key things you’d have to look forward to about small group travel.
1. You Forge Close Friendships
Travelling alone has a host of perks, as I mentioned in the intro. But my favourite travel experiences have always involved other people. Being in a small group is beautiful, in part, because you get to know the others in it so well.
It’s an intense and intimate experience. You’ll end up in a host of novel situations- most incredible, many challenging. You’ll suffer and delight in equal measure, all in each other’s company.
Travelling in a small group inevitably brings you and your companions closer together as a result. You forge friendships that span continents and stand the test of time.
2. You Make Incredible Memories
With nobody to share in an experience, there’s nobody with whom to look back on it. There’s no sitting around future campfires and reminiscing about shared bygone adventures.
With solo travel, everything you do remains in your head only. That’s a problem. For one thing, it’s easy to forget things! Travelling in a group means there’s always somebody to remind you of lost details, or even entire experiences.
The adventures live on in multiple heads. You can meet up in future, pool your mental resources, and relive the experiences together.
That isn’t the case when you’ve travelled exclusively by yourself. More to the point, being in a group lends itself to making memories in the first place! More people means more room for adventure. Being with other people helps you see the forest for the trees and do things you wouldn’t consider otherwise.
You end up leaning into fear, stepping outside your comfort zone, and taking apparent risks by virtue of good old-fashioned peer-pressure!
The stories you walk away with come thick and fast. Thankfully, the group is small, which means your voice still stands out with ease. You can express your opinions and ideas and expect to be heard.
3. You Benefit From Different Talents, Approaches And Perspectives
There’s a paradox to solo travel. A bit like the internet, which connects and disconnects us in equal measure, I find solo travel almost as limiting as it is freeing. There’s nobody to whom you must answer other than yourself. And, in consequence, there’s nobody else to turn to for new ideas and perspectives.
Let’s say that I’m a cautious person by nature. Taking risks doesn’t come naturally, to the point that I limit my experience in favour of staying safe. I might say no to incredible opportunities in the process. The joy of coming together with others is that their attributes balance out your faults, and vice versa. The sum of all your parts makes the complete package.
With other people for guidance and inspiration, I’m more likely to step outside my comfort zone and embrace the experience.
Being in a group opens doors and clears obstructions of your own making. Their devil-may-care attitude is an antidote to my cautious one; my cautious one keeps them from getting into too much trouble. And so on.
4. You’re Less Lonely (Without The Hassle Of Large Groups)
I mentioned this one in the introduction too. Travelling by yourself can get supremely lonely. It’s just you against the world. You can be left with your own company and thoughts for extensive periods of time. A lot of good can come from that (newfound self-awareness, understanding, empowerment, and so on).
But no man is an island, right? That famous quote speaks to the fact that humans are social animals! We thrive in groups and feel best when nestled within a network of close relationships. Being on the road alone for too long can make you isolated.
You can feel sad and alone and yearn for the company of friends and family back home. In a small group of people, though, you have all the company you need while maintaining the ability to have your own space.
5. You Spend Less Money And Have More Hands On Deck
Travelling with others helps to share the financial burden of travel as well. Everything from accommodation and transport costs to food and drinks can be shared out. Travel for long enough and that can save you significant sums of cash overall.
Similarly, having more people together has numerous practical benefits. You can share out heavy loads in your backpacks, take it in turns to cook (or wash up), and divvy-out tasks (such as finding accommodation, navigating to certain attractions, and finding somewhere to eat).
In other words, you’re a team, with all the joy that comes from being part of one.
The Disadvantages Of Small Group Travel
Alas, it isn’t all good when it comes to small group travel! Let’s move onto the bad aspects that come with the territory. Read on for 5 primary downsides of travelling as a small group.
6. You Have To Make Sacrifices
You can’t be selfish when you’re in a small group. Unlike solo travel, it isn’t all about you. Of course, you should express yourself and let the others know when there’s something you particular want (or don’t want) to do.
It’s your trip as well, which means everyone in the group must make sacrifices. All the same, there’s no denying that you give up a level of autonomy. You’re no longer a free-agent. You’re dependent to and beholden upon others now. And that can be a bitter pill to swallow when the majority vote is against you.
7. Your Personal Ideals Will Be Challenged
Small group travel will challenge your way of life- your ideas, perspectives, viewpoints, and attitudes. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It helps us grow. But, like any growing pain, it can be uncomfortable too. There’s nothing like travelling closely with a few other people to point out your flaws!
Other members of the group might do things fundamentally differently to you. They might have different political opinions, ideas about religion and society, novel dietary requirements, or ways of looking at the world at large.
You might vehemently disagree with them. You might find their ideas disturbing, contrary, or believe them to be wrong. Such reactions are like data that can reveal you to yourself. You may realize surprising things about yourself.
Maybe you’re less progressive than you believed, more ignorant than you thought, and less worldly than you hoped. You might be weaker, more narrow-minded, and less accepting that you imagined.
Of course, you discover positive things too, such as your strength, resolve and compassion. However, there’s no denying that small group travel makes you more self-aware in ways that aren’t always enjoyable.
8. Too Many Chefs Spoil The Broth
Travelling in larger groups can be a challenge. There’s too many voices, too many personalities, and too many differing preferences. Budgets, ideas and desires all differ. Making decisions and getting things done become uphill battles. It isn’t quite as bad when it comes to small group travel, but you definitely get a taste of the trouble.
Sometimes it’s as simple as people waking up at different times. You might be an early riser whereas someone else likes to sleep in. It might not sound like much, but it means you constantly have to wait around. Week in, week out, that can start to grind you down.
Again, it’s about making sacrifices. Groups, however small, force you to give something up.
9. There Is Potential For Arguments
And it isn’t always easy. Arguments can ensue when you travel in a group. It’s to be expect. I mean, travelling in a group is intense! You’re spending every waking moment in each other’s pockets. You’re exploring, eating, and sleeping with the same people day in and day out.
It doesn’t get much more intimate than that. Throw in the tiredness and fatigue that’s normal on the road and the potential for arguments rises even higher. If you do end up travelling in a group, be sure to nip things in the bud early. Say your piece and express your frustration before things escalate.
There’s no point holding your tongue if it’s putting undue pressure on group relations. Things will eventually erupt and threaten your attitude to the entire travel experience.
10. It’s Harder To Find Personal Space
It’s rare to be alone when you travel in a group. There’s almost always somebody around. And that isn’t always a good thing. Everybody needs personal space and time- especially if they’re introverted in nature.
It’s a chance to recuperate, reflect, and have some ‘me-time’, without the need to talk, interact, laugh, pretend, save face, or whatever. As weeks extend into months, the group dynamic can become stifling. Be sure to forge time for yourself in amongst all the time spent together.
Small group travel offers a solution to many of the issues of solo travel. Better still, it presents those benefits without creating problems that can arise when you travel in larger groups! It’s a happy medium- a middle ground that offers the best of both worlds.
As we’ve seen, though, it isn’t all good. There are a reasonable number of downsides to consider as well. Hopefully, for anybody considering travelling as a small group, this post has provided some useful insight into the pros and cons to expect.
Are you a fan of small group travel? Would you rather travel solo or in a large group? Let us know in the comments below.
About The Author
Danny’s a travel enthusiast who’s determined to make the most of his life. He’s just set up a new blog to help others do the same! Check it out at wisehealthynwealthy.