Abroad Part Three: Small Groups

     Just like traveling with tour company groups, traveling in small or independent groups has benefits and costs. Having traveled abroad with a smaller group, I can attest that this type of travel provides you with a lot that larger companies simply cannot offer. I recently traveled to Japan with a group of seven people, including myself, and with such a small group we had the utmost in flexibility.

Pros:

• Extreme Flexibility: Where traveling with a large company keeps you confined to a specific schedule, traveling in a small or independent group allows you to change your mind at a moment's notice.  It is still important to keep a schedule to prevent too many surprise costs, but having the freedom to decide if you want to see a castle on Tuesday rather than Monday is a plus. This can be especially helpful if there are unforeseen complications, such as museums or attractions being closed.  In Himeji, Japan, the famous castle we had traveled to see was closed. In a large tour group, this would have meant an entire travel day wasted, but with our small group we were able to get back on the train and see an entirely different city instead. (We also met a few ninjas along the way.)

Because the castle in Himeji was closed, the city provided street performers to keep tourists happy.

•  Lodging: With smaller groups, the amount of lodging necessary drops significantly.  If you only have seven people, they can generally be split between two hotel rooms comfortably, instead of having to purchase ten or 15. This also means that location is less of an issue.  In large groups, many prefer to stay as close to attractions as possible to avoid losing members of the group. If you only have seven people to keep track of, you can stay in locations that cost less. When my group traveled to Tokyo, we were able to stay in a hostel on the less expensive side of the city. Yes, it was an extra train from the center of town, but we had no trouble moving our small group from place to place.

• Accessibility: Many places absolutely despise large tour groups.  Having worked at a tourist attraction myself (Ruby Falls in Tennessee), I can relate with these sentiments.  Often, there is simply not enough room in a given restaurant for a group of 30-50 people and groups are simply not welcome. Large groups can also put unwanted strain on staff and resources, causing local customers to become disgruntled and angry with the business.  If you travel with a smaller group, however, many places become available and welcoming.  For example one of the best restaurants in Japan, in my opinion, was nestled in a space only slightly larger than the average college dorm room. Rokutsubo-ya serves Hiroshima style Okinomiyaki, a strange but wonderful noodle, cabbage and pancake conglomeration that is famous in Japan.  This restaurant has only ten seats, and would be absolutely impossible to visit in a large group. However, for our small group, it was a perfect taste of Japanese culture.

Hiroshima style Okinomiyaki or Hiroshima-yaki. Our group of seven took up 70% of this restaurant.

Cons:

• Planning: Probably the largest problem that arises with traveling abroad without a large company is that you are responsible for planning everything from start to finish.  While this means you get to customize every facet of your trip, it also means that you are responsible for staying completely organized. From airfare to taxi rides, all transportation must be arranged on your own as well as all lodging.

• Language Barrier: One of the greatest benefits of traveling with a large company is that they usually give you a native speaker to guide you. When you travel on your own in a small group, any language barriers that come up are up to you to defeat.  While this can be a wonderful learning experience, having to use hand signals to figure out the cost of your hotel room can be troubling.

Overall, I prefer traveling in a small group anywhere, but especially abroad.  When you are in a foreign place, you want to be able to get the most out of the trip, and small groups give you the most flexibility. Even with the challenges that are presented, most if not all can be compensated by extra planning and organization.