Pros and Cons of Group Traveling

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Planning to travel with a group ? Read the travel tips of a travel group leader

Personally, I don’t like to “travel” in a group but over the years I have learned some useful lessons in making a group travel experience full of fun and stress free. The first lesson is, if you or anyone is making a decision for the travel group about any issues, make sure it is the consensus of all the other members of the travel group.

I have been a travel group leader a few times and I know it isn’t easy to make decisions but it is important to take into account all other’s point of views and discuss the best solutions while in situations where important decisions need to be made. What I learned: avoid offending anyone at all time as this will make the entire travel unpleasant.

As a travel group leader it is very important to be not self-centered and look into the travel needs of all fellow members of the travel group. Listen to what others have to say and ask other fellow travelers opinion and choose the one best suit for the travel group as a whole. Yet, sometimes there will always be someone self-centered in the group.

Sometimes we cannot avoid such people. You can ask any tour guide and they will confirm to this. It is such people who ruin the entire fun in the group travel. A possible way to handle such person is to talk directly with the person while others are not around or let the one close to him tell him the importance harmony and focusing on the need of the group as a whole.

Yet, despite such individual in the “travel group”, you and others can make a difference in making the travel as enjoyable and stress free. A guaranteed way is to always be cheerful. Keep a smile on your face at all times. It’s not pretending but it is encouraging positive feelings. If possible, bring along some good jokes with you. They say laughter is the best medicine and it is true even for traveling in a group. It keeps the stress away from the group. So make some jokes and have fun all the way. This is what I try to do whenever I have to travel in such people in a travel group. Try and see. It works. It changes the perception of others and it keeps the positive energy flowing in the travel group.

Apart from that one a much more personal level, if it is just very hard to get along with other members in your travel group, try to relax. Think positive and enjoy the rest of the travel as if others don’t exist. Of course we know they do exist but what else can we do? We didn’t participate in the travel to get stressed. We took part to have fun in the travel. So just enjoy your travel. Don’t let what is happening in your travel group ruin your travel experience.

If you have anticipated that such experience is inevitable traveling in such a group you can bring along extra accessory such as a MP3 player with great songs which you can listen while walking with your travel group. You can also bring a good book to read at night in your hotel room while others are away enjoying the night. Of course, I admit, that’s not the reason we have participated in the travel group in the first place. We joined the travel group to enjoy our travel personally as well as with the group but if you can’t avoid it, what do you do? Just follow and ruin your days? I have personally had many problems traveling in travel groups. These days I prefer traveling alone. It is much more enjoyable and full of freedom.

I am not saying all “travel groups” can be a bad experience but I am saying, and this is one of the best travel tips I am going to give to you, if you have to travel in a group, make sure you are in a travel group where you can get along well. If not, forget joining the group. On the other hand, travel alone. Be bold, daring and adventurous.

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