Travels with Bob

Traveling with a group is safer and simply more fun.

Traveling with a group of people you know, or with people who share a common special interest, is usually more fun than going alone. That’s why more than a quarter of today’s leisure travelers avail themselves of group travel opportunities.

Group travel can be as simple as family and friends traveling together for a reunion, or to celebrate a milestone anniversary or birthday. Such trips might involve a cruise, which offers the advantage of getting away from the group and going your own way when you feel like it.

You also find special interest travel groups aboard cruise ships, including bridge tournaments, seminars at sea, church groups traveling with their pastor or priest, and a variety of other affinity groups who share a common interest or hobby.

European land tours and river cruises with a theme focused on wine, local cuisine, history and culture, Jewish heritage, or other faith-based travel have also become quite popular. Each spring, for example, group tours and river cruises take thousands of guests who love flowers to the Netherlands at the peak of tulip season.

There are many reasons to travel with a group. Here are my top five —

• It’s about fun and fellowship with people you know, as well as an opportunity to make new friends.
• There’s safety in numbers compared with traveling alone, a concern for many travelers.
• It may save you money. A bundled group travel package is usually less expensive than purchasing each trip element on your own.
• Groups usually have a leader responsible for keeping everyone on track. You won’t have to worry about what’s next; someone else is handling all the details.
• It’s a great way to share your special interest with others and to learn new things from them.

“Birds of a feather, flock together,” as the adage goes. That’s the essence of group travel and why you might consider joining or leading a travel group for your next vacation.