If you’re anything like me, you hear the words “group travel” or “organized tour” and you cringe. The phrases conjure images of giant tour buses laden with octogenarians and a peppy guide in uniform. But having recently experienced a 9-day escorted itinerary, I can personally attest that those stereotypes no longer apply to all tours. Better yet, there’s a way to make this mode of travel work for you that you may have never considered before.
I gladly accepted an invitation from G Adventures to experience their National Geographic Family Journeys tour through Ireland. The best part: it was required that I bring my 8-year-old daughter. One of the perks of being a travel advisor is special invitations to tour properties, inspect cruise ships, and experience land tours, all to expand our knowledge base and better serve our clients. Rarely do opportunities come along where you can bring your child. I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
With 7 U.S.-based advisors, 10 children, our G Adventures representative, and 2 Chief Experience Officers (aka tour guides), we set out on a 9-day tour through Ireland on the Castles, Folklore, and Gaelic Traditions tour. I could go on for days about the beauty of Ireland and the content of the tour, but what fascinated me the most about this trip was what a successful social experiment it was.
The children ranged in age from 6 to 14 and no one really knew each other before the trip. The adults witnessed firsthand how the shyest of children slowly blossomed as the week went on, with more smiles, confidence, and willingness to get uncomfortable as we tried new things. As a group, we were all in this together. We all looked uncoordinated and awkward as we tried Gaelic football for the first time. With equal measure, we heckled and encouraged one other to keep trying. We were spellbound by a live performance of Irish music and dancing, and days later, we learned how to do it together. Bashful and choppy, we hobbled through an Irish ceili dance and celebrated when we made it to the end, laughing all the way. We stood in awe during a sheep-herding dog demonstration, and we lived vicariously through our children as they ran through open fields of green, climbed giant limestone boulders, and rolled down grassy hills.
These shared experiences – some uncomfortable at first, others awe-inspiring (Cliffs of Moher) – left us no choice but to become fast friends. And these friendships enhanced what was already a fun trip into an incredible one.
A major reason we could embrace new people and experiences was because we didn’t have to coordinate logistics. As part of an organized group, it was done for us. All we had to do was show up on time and enjoy the ride to the next destination.
There’s something to be said about organized travel, particularly when you have an itinerary consisting of multiple destinations. There are numerous tour operators that specialize in small group travel and have low thresholds for making the group private. What better way to take your extended family or small cadre of friends on an epic vacation than through an organized group who will do the heavy lifting for you? You have a guide and a driver, pre-arranged activities, and if anything goes wrong in the destination, there’s an entire support system and protocol to make quick fixes.
If you’re interested in traveling with your family or friends on an organized itinerary, please let me know and I’ll match you with the best options for you and your interests.
