There is a large divide in the travel community: those who travel on a tours and those who don’t.  Although both people are essentially doing the same thing– venturing abroad and experiencing new cultures, the organized tour vs solo travel debacle is one that will plague the travel community for years to come.

It doesn’t have to be this way though. And it doesn’t have to be hard to choose which one to go with.

While both methods of travel offer pros and cons, at the end of the day you are still doing what’s most important– traveling. And while I prefer to go independent on most of my travels, it isn’t for everyone.  It’s also not always the most fun or easiest.

When I’m not traveling on my own, I’m part of an organized tour– the tour leader. I know the ins, outs, ups and downs of organized tours probably better than the most frequent tour groupies.

So in an effort to make this basic decision of travel a easy one, here’s the low down of pros, cons and everything in between organized travel vs solo travel.

The pros and cons of organized travel

The reason I love my job as a tour leader is because I get to take people on trips of their lifetime.  Many past passengers leave the tour having said it was one of the best of their life and they can’t wait to do another.  For this reason, I keep doing what I’m doing.

Planning a trip on your own can be time-consuming and overwhelming. When you book onto a tour, the hardest part is choosing which one to do.  Most tours offer all the highlights of a certain region, so the trouble is just narrowing down where you want to go and which dates work best.

Next, all the hard work, research, accommodation and transportation is organized by both the tour company and the tour leader. It doesn’t really get easier than receiving direct transportation to the most popular sites and being spoon fed all the information of what you should know.  All you are really in charge of is making sure you have a good time.  Nothing about being on an organized tour should be stressful.

Have a stressful life as it is? Maybe going on a trip where all the hard work is already done for you is best.

Another great aspect of an organized tour is having someone personally be there with you at all times to answer questions or give advice. At times when I’ve been on an organized tour I’ve actually learned more about a place. Having a local guide gives you the ability to ask whatever pops into your head and not have to go out of your way to get answers.

This is great for people who are interested in culture and history but don’t necessarily enjoy talking to strangers.

Organized tours also always guarantee company and friendship during your trip. Sure, you won’t like everyone, but in a group of at least 10 you’re bound to connect with someone. Sometimes too, the entire group bounds. We laugh during the drives together, do tours together and go out at night together. In those very special trips, an organized tour is like traveling with a new (and sometimes dysfunctional) family for a short period of time.

On the other hand, organized tours have a few characterises that can make them a headache for some.  With so many people to consider and so many places to visit, the tour leader can’t offer too much flexibility. Choices of activities are usually cut down to a few, mainly the most popular ones.  If you happen to have very specific interests which usually differ than other people, you could find this frustrating.  Also with trips being so fast pace, down time doesn’t come too often.  Usually the only rest during the day you’ll get might be en route to the next location.

On a tour, “the group” comes first. If I catered to every single individual request, 1. we’d never get anywhere on time and 2. I’d frustrate the majority of people on tour.  Having a laid-back and understanding personality works best on an organized tour.  Compromise can be key.

The pros and cons of solo travel

While travel in general can be a life changing experience, solo travel can sometimes be even more rewarding.  Given it is more difficult, there is the chance you’ll learn more about yourself and test yourself in ways you didn’t think possible.

The ability to make your own schedule, and then also change it at a moment’s notice if you feel like it, is a great luxury. Say you love a place? Then stay longer.  Meet a group of people you adore? Go travel with them.  Solo travel offers the greatest flexibility to do things as you please and when you please.

With solo travel you also have the ability to travel according exactly to your budget. Typically cheaper than an organized tour, solo travel is as economical as you want it to be.  Also, as a solo traveler it is always easier to get tickets for flights, day trips and tables at restaurants.

Traveling solo also opens you up to having more random encounters with people. Being alone in a hostel can be intimidating, but it usually opens yourself up to meeting people. Many people come and talk to you when you are also.  Also, people are usually more willing to let you join their group when you are just a +1.

On the other hand, solo travel can be lonely at times. While some weeks you might make loads of friends and have the best time of your life, others will be more boring. It can be hard and also exhausting to meet new people all the time. I know for myself, I sometimes just get tired of people coming and going and all the surface, “where are you from, what do you do” repetitive conversations.

Solo travel can also be exhausting in its own way. First, unless you have the freedom to wing it, most people need to plan their trips to make sure they can see everything they want to. This can be time-consuming even before you take off. Second, every new place you visit requires self motivation to figure out what to do, what to eat, what to see and how to get around. If you are a traveler that actually cares about experiencing all the sights a new places has to offer, it can be really exhausting figuring out how to conquer it all on your own.

When you do though, you can take all the credit.

Here are some bullet points to summarize the organized tour vs solo travel debate. Take a tally and see which one you tend to agree with more:

You should travel in an organized tour if you:

• Are overwhelmed or scared of traveling for the first time
• Do not have time or do not want to do any travel planning
• Want the comfort of a group of people around
• Are not typically self motivated to do research on where you are going
• Don’t even know where to start for planning a trip, and don’t especially want to either
• Have a shorter amount of time but want to see as much as humanly possible
• Don’t mind compromising for the benefit of a group experience
• Usually get along with people of all walks of life

You should travel solo if you:

• Have traveled in an organized tour before and are ready for something different
• Want more flexibility within your travels
• Don’t want to have to take other people’s preferences into consideration
• Have more time and want to go at a slow pace
• Can deal with sometimes eating alone, or sight-seeing alone
• Are self motivated to plan your trip and look up things to do
• Have trouble compromising for others on your holiday
• Are outgoing and like meeting new people often

Which one did you agree with more? Has this helped make your decision on organized tours vs solo travel?

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