Travel Clubs: Save Time, Money, and Enjoy the Adventure

I used to travel solo to places around the world on a budget. I would spend days planning the nuances of a trip; the costs, hotels, transportation, tours, etc. I loved it and still do but there is another way to experience the world and save money: travel clubs.

Travel clubs can offer the best of both worlds when it comes to traveling. They combine the best parts of traveling solo and planning your own trip with the benefits of group travel. Now I know what you’re thinking: “group travel is an overpriced tour on a bus with 50 other vacationers stuck in tourist trap after tourist trap”. That was what I thought before I started planning adventures for our travel clubs since most big tour operators put together cookie cutter itineraries that tend to suck away the culture, adventure, and reality of a destination. I knew there was a better way.

The answer was to create a community of like minded people that share a few common interests: Travel, Photography, Adventure, & Culture.  What I do is plan trips like I would if I was traveling solo but for our clubs. I keep them small (10-15 people max), affordable, and unique. The keys to a great adventure are simple: you want to maximize your time doing the best things possible and spend the least amount of money doing it. The beauty of traveling with a group is you actually get to do this and save even more money than if you planned a trip on your own or went with a big tour.

How is this possible? By exploring with a group or travel club you are able to avoid costly fees that come with doing it on your own.  All hotels and large tour operators charge what they call “single supplement fees”. These costs are often double what you have to pay when traveling with a companion. But if you travel with a club or group of like minded individuals you can share rooms and cut your expenses in half!

One of the best parts of planning your own trip and traveling alone is the ability to meet more people and really immerse yourself in a countries culture. A lot of large group tours strip this crucial part of the experience away. With a travel club that limits the group size and plans unique adventures you get to have both. For example, if you love photography and are exploring the pyramids with a small group of photographers the overall trip can be more enriching than going it alone! Or, if you are single and have no one to go on an adventure with you could take a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii with other single travelers and make new friends at the same time. This way you not only get to immerse yourself in a countries culture and meet the locals, but meet people you would actually like to travel with again and again.

Last but not least is time. It can take a lot of time and energy to plan your own trip abroad. Traveling with a small group where the leader does all the heavy lifting & planning saves tons of time and energy. Not having to worry about where to go and what to do next can make the overall experience more exciting. You get to focus only on the good stuff: the adventure itself!

There are tons of these niche clubs and groups out there. You just gotta look for them. Skiing clubs, hiking clubs, foodie travel clubs, adventure groups, singles travel clubs, and so many more.

For travel lovers who like adventure and photography trips check out PhotoFly Travel Club. If you’re single and want to meet people while on an adventure (the best way really!) check out Singles by the Bay Travel Club for singles travel.