Reasonably priced travel tours/groups

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movaly1

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I love to travel but I get tired of traveling alone. I don't have many friends that like/can afford/have the time to travel. Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced company that does tours? Or maybe know of a group that puts together excursions one could join? The more reasonably priced ones I have found tend to cater to the twenty-something crowd and I am more of the forty-something crowd. ;) Thanks.
 
You could try Road Scholar. It's aimed at the over 50 crowd, but they have a large variety of tours at reasonable prices.

I have done one Road Scholar trip and I found the group too old for me. (It was a music festival. Had I chosen a mountain climbing trip, I'm sure the group would have been younger).

https://www.roadscholar.org
 
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I thought Rick Steves have tours for singles, but not just for singles only. I don't know how about the cost, but I sometime copy his tour for my travel plan.
 
While on an independent trip to SE Asia I had occasion to meet and speak with a gentleman who was on a Gate 1 tour with his spouse.

When I asked him about Gate 1 and the tour his comments were extremely positive. He said that the tour was well priced (middle of the road) and he felt it was very good value. You can also sign up for late booking special offers with Gate 1.
 
I took a trip across the USA alone, and you are right, it is different from doing with someone you know.

Perhaps you could look locally for groups that do this.
I know my Mom went on trips organized by/through her Church, University club , and her Woman's Group/Club.
That is what she called those things, and I never asked for clarification although since you brought up the subject the University club was probably an alumni type of group.

The advantage she found was she already knew some of the people on the trip, and they organized all sorts of trips, from bus trips, to train trips, to traveling to far away countries.
 
Where are you traveling from?
What area are you wanting to travel to?

I've found tours to have so many old people--and technically I'm now of retirement age.

There are a number of really good tour companies throughout the world. Most price young people out of the market as running buses and staying in better quality hotels are expensive.
 
A lot of the tours have pretty pricey single supplements don't they?

I've not done it but I think there may be Meetup groups and other social media things for travel buddies and the like.

There are also photo workshops where they arrange the lodgings and some of the meals as well as logistics. Again you have to pay the single supplement and the prices on these are way more than you can do on your own.

One thing you could do is plan a DIY trip but at most destinations, there are all kinds of day tours and day trips and you might be able to meet people on these events, though often, it's people from other countries because English-language tours are often taken by people who don't speak the local language but they know enough English.
 
If I were planning on a tour solo I would choose a walking or biking group (Ramblers, Sierra Club, etc), a church-related group (such as a tour to the Holy Land), an alumni tour (check to see whether your alma mater sponsors alumni trips), or Road Scholar. There are plenty of organizations out there; you will just have to decide where you want to go and what type of people you choose to go with. I like active/educational trips.
 
If you are outgoing at all a cruise would work for you. People are very friendly on cruises and you rarely lack for someone to talk to. At meal time you sit with the same people. My DH and I don't always want to take the same tours or do the same thing and it never has been an issue.
 
Rick Steves is very expensive, but you do not tip while on the trip. It is included.....that save a bundle compared to other tour companies where you tip drivers, local guides, etc.

Overseas Adventure Tours (OAT) is reasonable and has many trips without the single supplement. But they do not necessarily go to many of the more popular places in Europe.
 
Teacher Terry said:
At meal time you sit with the same people
Click to expand...

Unless, of course, you eat in the buffet as we do....then you have the flexibility to sit by yourselves or with other buffet dining passengers you may have encountered.
 
Nemo2 said:
Unless, of course, you eat in the buffet as we do....then you have the flexibility to sit by yourselves or with other buffet dining passengers you may have encountered.
Click to expand...
On Princess and many mainstream lines, they have "Anytime dining", where you may sit by yourself or go to a table with others
 
I've taken about 20 Road Scholar trips. Many of them hiking trips (not camping). Many of these trips were rated 'Moderately Challenging'. I'm 58. Many of the participants were in their sixties. But it is always a great group. Almost half or a third of the participants on any given trip are travelling as 'singles'. I've also done acrylic painting, kayak building, and glass making through them. Also downhill skiing, photography, and gone to several golf schools through them. They have something for just about everyone. Some of their trips are designated as 'small group'. The maximum number of people allowed in a 'small group' is 24. I believe once you get above 'small group' you are looking at bus/coach travel. Travelling as a single, you can choose to either pay a single supplement for lodging; or they will pair you with another single traveler so you can pay the cheaper rate. I've never had a terrible roommate. But usually if the supplement is less than $300 I'll pay the extra cost. They do not usually stay in high end hotels nor eat at top of the line restaurants. But I highly recommend giving them a chance.

P.S. No tipping is expected. It's built into the cost of the trip.
 
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KB said:
Overseas Adventure Tours (OAT) is reasonable and has many trips without the single supplement. But they do not necessarily go to many of the more popular places in Europe.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to see this recommendation- I haven't used them but my Aunt, who's taking a tour to Africa with them this fall, is also going to India with them in March. I've been to India on business about a half-dozen times and really wanted to go back, but it's not really a great place to travel solo. Less than 24 hours after she told me about this trip, I booked it, too!
 
I have taken some trips with Women Traveling Together, a female only travel group. The women tend to be in the 40-70 range, but there is no age limit. Some tours are more active than others. If you want a roommate to avoid a single supplement, they'll match you up but you can pay a single supplement as well. I always paid the single supplement, but the people who roomed together seemed to have a good time and make a travel buddy.

The tours tend to be more expensive than traveling on your own, but there is a wide variety of price ranges depending on location and length of the tour. Some women come with a friend or relative, but there are a lot of single travelers so I never felt out of place or left out.
 
Athena, my sister and I took a trip to China with OAT. And once we booked the trip, I found a number of other people who had taken their tours to both China and Africa. On our China trip, there were 5 or 6 people touring with us that had taken LOTS of other OAT trips and were already planning more trips with the company.

Hope you have a wonderful trip.

I'm bookmarking all the recommendations...thanks to everyone for posting them.
 
Thank you for all of the suggestions. Time to do some research!
 
We have done a lot of trips with AFC Travel. They are medium priced and in some cases waive or reduce the single supplement.
At the other end of the scale, is Tauck. They are costly, but IMO worth it.
 
I'm not interested in cycling for 5 or more hours every day but I noticed they offer electric bikes on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
explanade said:
I'm not interested in cycling for 5 or more hours every day but I noticed they offer electric bikes on a first-come, first-served basis.
Click to expand...

Sunset said:
Good if you can outrun all the old fogies and get to the bikes first :confused:
Click to expand...

VBT offers cycle tours with differing miles and time on the bike, some with as little as two hours a day cycling.
The electric bikes are offered by reservation. Upon arrival, all participants are specifically fitted for their own bike to be used throughout the tour. There is never "outrun all the old fogies to get to the bikes"

The usual age on most bike tours is over sixty.

Also, VBT offers walking tours, which I've been told tends to be an older aged group.
 
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