If Trip Planning Is Your Worst Nightmare, Here’s The Best Travel Tour Company For You
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Some people feel energized by researching destinations for their next trip. But it makes others want to pull their own hair out by the roots. If planning travel is your worst nightmare but you still hear the call to see the world, we’d suggest a booking a small group tour with one of these travel companies. But not all tours are created equal. A lot depends on your travel style.
Here’s the best tour for your travel personality. Whether you’re traveling completely solo or want to make a bunch of new friends, these tour operators will help you have the best travel experiences possible.
If You Want An Expert Plan: Intrepid Travel
If you want to be in the hands of experts, Intrepid is a great pick. They’ve been running tours for 30 years and have 800 routes available. While the tours aren’t catered exclusively to young people, they tend to be groups of eager explorers. The age range varies from trip to trip, as does the price. It really depends on where your interests lie. But from sailing excursions through the islands in Italy to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, Intrepid has it all covered.
If You Want A Party: Contiki
Contiki is a big name in Europe… maybe even infamous. You’ve probably heard of them since there are 300 Contiki tours run over six continents designed specifically for 18- to 35-year-olds. Tours vary by intensity and style, with some made for the people who have a travel checklist, some made for the beach bum and some made for the wannabe local. You could go to Europe and see Barcelona, Spain and Paris or jet off to Australia and see Sydney and Brisbane. Both trips come with WiFi on the bus (in case you were worried about your social media opportunities).
But no matter which tour you’re on, Contiki is known to attract the party people. This means drunken nights out, hungover fellow travelers on the bus the next day and probably drama going down. I mean, it’s 50 twenty-somethings spending condensed time together. You know what you’re getting yourself into here.
If You Want Flexibility Plus Safety: Busabout
Let’s say you want to travel with all the freedom of a solo backpacker but none of the responsibility. Then you want Busabout’s Hop-On-Hop-Off system. Now, this is not the same thing as the bright red double-decker buses that run daily tours around the bigger tourist capitals of the world. Busabout’s version means you buy a bus pass and can travel between 47 cities around Europe on your own schedule. While you’re at your destination, you do you. But transportation is taken care of.
Now, you won’t get the same camaraderie as a traditionally organized tour where you’re with the same people for the entire time, but you’ll still be able to meet fellow Busabout travelers on every bus.
If You Want To Go Into The Wild: G Adventures
Like Intrepid, G Adventures has decades of travel tours under its belt. The tour company prioritizes adventure travel, meaning its tour guides are the ones you want for an active vacation. Trips include hiking to Macchu Picchu, sailing to Antarctica and exploring New Zealand’s mountains. You can choose trips specifically made for 18- to 30-somethings and itineraries catered towards trekking or ventures at sea.
G Adventures also values sustainable tourism options, meaning there are volunteer opportunities and eco-friendly practices at many destinations included on the tour company’s trips.
If You Want Culture And Friends: Under 30 Experiences
Under 30 Experiences’ offerings stretch from Asia to South America. The big draw for these trips is the realistic itinerary. Under 30 Experiences are all about the experiences. You won’t feel shepherded from tourist trap to tourist trap or rushed into seeing too many countries in one trip. It’s more about the culture, supporting local businesses and embracing the location.
The sense of community is also super important to Under 30, so you’ll be able to meet and hang with like-minded travelers. And even though you’re not traveling for the sake of partying, you can expect to sip on some local libations as well.
One note: Group travel isn’t necessarily the most friendly to your budget. So if saving money is your top priority, you probably want to opt to go it alone or with a friend. However, if you value someone else taking the reins, the extra cost will be worth it to you.
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