Solo travel: joining an organised group trip

About the traveller

Victoria loves every part of the travel experience; for her, the trip begins when she leaves the house. She loves road trips and cultural experiences and includes both in all her travels. As a mum, she likes the assurance of knowing what’s next on the trip so she can plan accordingly. When travelling Victoria takes the time to be present in those moments and really enjoy them; she is just as content exploring the popular attractions as she is exploring off the beaten track. She recalls a trip to Antigua where she made some great memories playing dominoes with the locals at “Pensioners Corner”. “The most memorable trips tend to be the ones where you move around and experience different places and people. Travelling solo allows you to do that easily as you only have your own preferences to worry about,” she says.

Victoria is our Senior Vice President of Finance, People, and Operations.

Victoria enjoying her solo trip in Egypt

Victoria’s top travel tips

1.       Look up tour operators in the area. My group travel experience was incredible, I was one of 25 that met and travelled around with guides. It took all the hassle out of planning and made a secure environment for me as a solo woman.

2.       Know yourself and know what you need to get from the trip. Consider what is most important for you to do or see and make time for it. Whether its cultural experiences, peaceful ‘you time’, or adventure experiences, take the time to think about it and factor that in. Remember that with group trips, the itinerary is set and you may need to choose a trip that allows more free time so you can see what you want to see that’s not on the organised itinerary. Find a way to take memory shots of those important moments too, taking note of a picture, a smell, a feeling and associate it with that place.

View of St John’s, Antigua

3.       Be open to making new friends. People are why we travel too, so a group trip is a great way to be exposed to new relationships. From one of my organised trips I gained an amazing lifelong whom I would never have met if not for the trip. In fact, we got on so well we subsequently travelled to Croatia together that same year!

4.       Seek out places that embrace solo travellers and look out for meet ups in those countries that could benefit both parties. Always think about security and if you’re meeting people for the first time, aim for public spaces.

5.       Take advantage of travel blogs and travel-focused social media. The world is so open these days – much more so then when I travelled solo. There are some amazing advice-giving groups and blogs that will gladly allow you to ask questions. You can get great answers from those who have been there and done that.

6.       Pre-order the practical things such as sim cards and find out about WiFi connectivity ahead of time – plan so you can have contact when you want it.

7.       Make the most of work trips. If you are travelling for another reason like work, see if you can delay that return flight so you can explore for a day or two. City escapes are amazing on your own as you can get lost in the crowd, which – for some – will make solo travelling easier. I visited Prague, Milan, and Venice solo and ensured that just because I was alone, I didn’t penalise myself; I still ate at the nice restaurants. Whenever I was asked “Just the one?”, I got in a habit of replying: “Not ‘just’ but yes, one seat please”. This led to numerous encounters including a wonderful one on the Grand Canal in Milan where an older Italian gentleman asked to join me for coffee. We got by on broken English but mostly just enjoyed each other’s company for a while.

8.       Lastly, my husband would say, never travel anywhere without a backup plan. Have a contingency in place like someone to call if your bag or wallet has got lost or money access that can be wired to you if you are travelling in far flung places.

What solo travel tips have you learnt along the way? What other tips would you like us to share?

Tips provided by Victoria Rothwell, Senior Vice President of Finance, People, and Operations at World Travel & Tourism Council. Written by Lethabo-Thabo Royds.