5 benefits of travelling with a group tour
<p>There are many benefits of travelling with a group of people. Here are five reasons why you should consider a group tour for your next trip.</p>
<p><strong>1. You have an experienced group leader guiding you the entire trip</strong></p>
<p>A group leader is many things: a trip planner, a crisis manager, a local guide and a friend. With a group leader by your side 24/7, you can get the absolute most out of your trip. </p>
<p>Toni Hedge and her husband booked two tours – <a href="http://www.travelmarvel.com.au/trips/europe/eutcre24"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Eastern Europe and European Gems</span></strong></a> and <a href="http://www.aptouring.co.nz/trips/europe/eufcbb25"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Best of France with Barcelona</span></strong></a>– with Bruce Blacklock from <a href="https://helloworld.co.nz/lambtonquaywellington/Store/31/StoreEvent/42"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">helloworld, Lambton Quay, Wellington</span></strong></a>. They were glad they did because they found Bruce, the group leader for both tours, to be fantastic.</p>
<p>“Bruce was amazing. He's very professional,” Toni explains. “In a quiet way, he knew exactly where everybody was. He wasn't in your face about it. He was just caring and nice.”</p>
<p><strong>2. You get to visit many exciting new destinations in one trip </strong> </p>
<p>The beauty of an escorted tour is that you get to visit many top destinations in one grand trip. When asked about the highlight of the two tours she went on, Toni rattles off a number of places – Prague, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, and Miltenberg – before concluding, “The whole thing was a big highlight”.</p>
<p>Toni appreciates destinations that are off the beaten track rather than the big cities. “I've just never been to anywhere like the places the tours offer,” Toni smiles, adding, “Although both tours were very different, both of them had very special points.”</p>
<p><strong>3. You meet new people and make new friends</strong></p>
<p>Toni and her husband have travelled on their own before but found that it could be quite a lonely experience at times. They much prefer travelling with a group of like-minded people.</p>
<p>“With the groups you've always got someone to talk to, someone to chat to at dinner,” Toni says, “You get to know lots of people. You end up like one big family.”</p>
<p>With groups of around 20 people, Toni made quite a few friends that she still keeps in touch with. Bruce made making friends in the group easy, ensuring everyone met and mingled.</p>
<p>“We actually made friends before we left on the trip as Bruce gets you into his office in Wellington for a dinner. So you've already met a lot of them before you go,” explains Toni, adding that Bruce also organises a reunion after the trip to catch up and relive wonderful memories.</p>
<p><strong>4. You don’t have to deal with the finer details of travelling</strong></p>
<p>Imagine this: not having to book accommodation, organise transport, decide the places to see, or plan any other of the little details you simply have to do when planning a holiday. Sounds like bliss, right? On an organised group tour, you don’t need to deal with the travel planning, leaving you with the freedom to explore new lands and get the most out of your trip.</p>
<p>During Toni’s travels, any hiccups that occurred along the way – lost baggage, medications needed, for example – were quickly handled by Bruce. If you needed recommendations or advice, the response was “Just ask Bruce”. </p>
<p>“You don’t have to worry, you just asked Bruce! He's been here, he knows what to do. Or he'll find out from the right people,” recalls Toni, adding, “Bruce provided us information that I didn't know, and made sure we could do and see everything we wanted. I would have missed out otherwise.”</p>
<p><strong>5. You still get to do the things you want to do</strong></p>
<p>It’s an age-old myth that on a group tour you won’t have the freedom to do what you want. That may have been the case in the past, but it’s just not true anymore. Group tours now offer great flexibility with plenty of free time to explore destinations on your own.</p>
<p>On her two tours Toni was very pleased the group were given lots of free time and provided with lots of extra options to pursue if they wished.</p>
<p>“We had the flexibility of doing what we wanted – some didn’t go on the tours, some just got off the river cruise ship and walked around or biked,” says Toni, adding, “You can pick all the extras that you want. For example, some went to shows, some didn't. There was great flexibility.”</p>
<p>Group tours give you the best of both words: programmed activities to see the iconic sites but also some freedom of choice as to how your time is spent.</p>
<p><em>helloworld Lambton Quay have a new and exciting destination departing September 24 this year to Vietnam and Cambodia. It includes a seven-night land journey staying in Hanoi, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City, two nights in Halong Bay and a seven-night Mekong River Cruise, which is being escorted by Emma Herbert. Mention Over60 and you can receive $200 off per person when booking before March 30 2017. </em></p>
<p><em>helloworld Lambton Quay Wellington are now also taking registrations for their Baltic States and Russia trip. The 20-day tour includes two nights in Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, three nights in Helsinki and a train to St Petersburg with a 10-night river cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow, departing July 21 2018.</em></p>
<p>THIS IS A SPONSORED ARTICLE BROUGHT TO YOU IN CONJUNCTION WITH <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://helloworld.co.nz/lambtonquaywellington/Store/31/StoreEvent/42"><strong>helloworld Lambton Quay Wellington</strong></a><strong><a href="https://helloworld.co.nz/lambtonquaywellington/Store/31/StoreEvent/42">.</a><a href="https://helloworld.co.nz/lambtonquaywellington/Store/31/StoreEvent/42"></a></strong></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></p>
<p><strong>Related links:</strong></p>
<p> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/cruising/2017/02/11-islands-you-can-buy-right-now/"><strong>11 islands you can buy right now</strong></a></em></span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2017/03/best-places-in-the-world-to-visit-in-march/"><strong>10 best places in the world to visit in March</strong></a></em></span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2017/02/things-you-learn-after-living-abroad/">10 things you’ll learn after living abroad</a></strong></em></span></p>