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RTW Group Travel Planning

Participating in group travel will save you the time, stress, and research effort that planning an independent trip requires. On the other hand, a potential drawback of participating in group travel is that very likely a portion of your trip will be in a place you wouldn’t normally consider, or you may find yourself participating in an activity you wouldn’t otherwise do. Add to that the fact that some people are by nature adverse to group activities, and it is clear that group travel may not be for everyone.

All that said, group travel at times may be a traveler’s only option for some locations or activities. For example, the public transportation options in many parts of Africa are limited and expensive, so group travel (i.e., a safari) can for some be the only affordable way to see the dark continent. At other times group travel is unavoidable because of government regulations. For travel to Tibet, if a traveler is not a Chinese citizen, he or she must be part of a group of 5 or more to enter or stay in the region, and there are government inspection points throughout to ensure this rule is adhered to.

The key to successful group travel is to thoroughly research each travel company which provides something akin to the itinerary you are looking for. In all likelihood, no travel company will provide exactly such an itinerary; so, have a look around and narrow your search to a handful of companies which come close. Then,

- Ask friends and family who have traveled on similar itineraries for recommendations.

- Talk to a travel specialist about their experiences with different companies and options.

- Research the companies on your short list using the internet and travel resources at your local library. Look for reviews of each company in established travel guides and media.

- Determine whether any complaints have been lodged against each company by reviewing “Better Business” sites and travel blogs and forums.

- Send an email to each of the companies concerned with a question about your itinerary or any optional components of it. You will learn a lot about each company based on the kind of response you get and how fast you get it. If you get no response whatsoever, then cross that company off your list right away!

- Review the fine print for the companies on your short list. What rights do they have to change the itinerary destinations, dates, hotels, or travel providers? What terms are provided for you if you have to cancel or change your plans? What are the payment options and deadlines?

- How many years has the company been in business and how extensive are their travel offerings?

I have always been one for supporting the “small guy”, so I give the least amount of weight to that last criterion, “how many years has the company been in business?” But, if a company you are considering seems to fall short in other categories, and they have been in business only a short time, you might be better off giving your hard-earned travel deposit to a more established outfit.

There is one final rule-of-thumb - remember that you often pay for what you get. So, if one travel outfit seems especially inexpensive when compared to the others, try to find out why. It would be a shame to spend a month in Africa, only to find out that you are bypassing some of the most incredible sites in the world in order to arrive at a sub-par campground located in the middle of nowhere.