Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
- I travel more than most and love planning trips. Having kids changed that process for me.
- Much to my surprise, group tours are now one of my favorite ways to travel with my children.
- Tours offer stress-free itineraries and local insights that we would have likely missed otherwise.
I started traveling around the world on my own in my early 20s. There was nothing I enjoyed more than hopping on a plane with nothing but my Lonely Planet guidebook and the vaguest outline of a plan.
Once I had kids, I realized I needed to plan much more. I still took a DIY approach, because it didn't occur to me to travel any other way. It was a lot of fun, but a lot of work. And if something went wrong, I had to figure out a Plan B on my own.
As life got busier and I had less time, arranging travel started to seem like a chore. I didn't want to stop showing my kids the world, but I needed an assist. A few times, I consulted with a travel agent. Although agents were helpful, explaining what I wanted and going back and forth was nearly as much work as planning the trip myself.
A family tour simplified travel
Then, a few years ago, I decided to try a different approach and booked a small-group family tour to Morocco. I wondered whether I would miss the spontaneity of traveling by myself and whether I would get along with the strangers on the trip.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
However, I appreciated the simplicity of a set itinerary that still included plenty of free time. Even if the tour wasn't exactly what I would have chosen, it was a relief to have a set plan and a local guide to handle all the logistics. Plus, I liked that my kids would have other kids to play with during the trip.
I fell in love with group family tours
Almost as soon as the tour started, my worries eased.
That first tour with Intrepid Travel several years ago was so easy and so much fun that I have since taken four more. After Morocco, my family went on tours to India, Japan, Jordan, and most recently, Peru.
Our trip to Peru was everything I hoped for. I had a stress-free way to shepherd my kids to Machu Picchu and got plenty of insider tips. We also participated in activities I likely would not have found on my own, such as learning to make and play our own traditional pan flutes.
The other families on the trip always make it better
Although I worried about traveling with others, I appreciate that the tours I've taken have all had fewer than 20 people. Because we all booked the same tour, we were surrounded by like-minded families. Additionally, we had a guide who helped us get to know one another.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
Moreover, the other families were always willing to pitch in and help each other. When I was very tired one night, other parents stepped in to supervise my kids through dinner and play a few rounds of UNO. I have also volunteered to take other kids along on side quests, such as to India's Rat Temple, when their parents wanted to stay behind.
My children have always become fast friends with other kids in the groups we're traveling with. Similarly, I still stay in touch with some of the parents I've met on my trips. I love that, thanks to these trips, we have friends around the world.
A local guide helps me travel stress-free and have a more meaningful experience
Some benefits of group trips surprised me. I knew not having to research hotels and train schedules would save time. Nevertheless, I was surprised by how much stress disappeared once I no longer had to check into hotels, choose restaurants several times a day, and do the math to figure out how long it would take to get from place to place. As a result, I was able to enjoy myself, my children, and, overall, my trips much more.
Additionally, before I started traveling with a local guide, I didn't fully appreciate how much I was missing regarding customs and culture. On guided trips, instead of zoning out on my phone on bus rides or in the hotel after dinner, I talk to my local guide about everything from food customs to marriage rituals.
My kids always ask what it is like to go to school and which games children like to play. It is also helpful to have someone nearby who can translate when we need to use the bathroom or have a question about an attraction.
Even on a group trip, I find ways to customize the experience
Despite the ease of sticking to the tour's itinerary, I appreciate the flexibility of the group tours we've been on. In Jordan, my kids wanted to skip an afternoon outing to spend more time at the beach and pool. It was the reset they needed to enjoy the trip, and no one minded my family peeling away for a few hours.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
Other times, we've decided to grab meals on our own or use the built-in free time to explore, such as visiting additional ruins not originally included in our tour of Jordan.
Things aren't always perfect, but the good outweighs the bad
Group family trips aren't always perfect, I've been dragged to restaurants I knew my children would hate because the rest of the group wanted to go. I've had more early-morning wake-ups than I would like and have sometimes endured long bus rides I might have skipped on my own. However, I try to keep the perspective that things aren't perfect when I plan on my own either.
The benefits of family group trips have greatly outweighed the downsides, and I am already looking forward to my next one.