Adventures for Anyone: Just a Short Little Note for Those Who Don't Like to Go it Alone! Tours!

As this year comes to a close, I find myself dreaming of actually getting to go somewhere again. The Pandemic has been a long haul, and continues to be a source of stress for all of us. This is particularly hard on us travelers. But, for all the folks out there who didn't normally travel much, this has caused a surge in bucket lists.

I decided to take a break from talking about specific places and just give a giant list of places that you can contact to make arrangements for a tour, or cruise, or adventure, or religious experience, or cooking lesson, or whatever. There are dozens of different kinds of tours and such to sign up for, and there's something for everyone. Whether you want to sail the world, go to Antarctica, try the food in Italy, go on a pilgrimage, or take off on a hiking adventure; there's a company that can arrange that for you.

There's a whole world out there to see, and you shouldn't let a little thing like inexperience hold you back. I know a lot of people who never went anywhere, that since this pandemic have decided that maybe they should take some time and make some memories. After all, the old saying goes, you can't take it with you. Memories are all we really get. So, get out and live.

There's something for everyone available. You may want to take a cruise, even though you'll be on a big boat with a lot of people and that has been making more and more people uncomfortable in the covid world. Train trips are a lot of fun, but can have the same issues. Buses, can be close quarters too, as can airplanes.

My advice is the smaller the group the better. If you can afford to just hire a guide through Toursbylocals, better still. A self guided tour can be an option too. You just get advice from a travel agency or tour guide service and take it from there with their plan. There are a lot of ways to go.

Maybe an outdoor tour is good for you, where you spend a lot of time hiking or exploring mountains or islands. Maybe scuba diving or sailing, an all inclusive resort or spa. There are dozens of choices. My point is, don't let fear or lack of planning skill get in your way. There are a lot of companies that would love to help.

The best thing to do is to go online and start looking around. Google is amazing. Just tell it what you want, and it will probably give it to you. You can look these things up by activity, country, style of travel, region, continent, event, and so many other things.

Are you looking for a religious pilgrimage? Just put it out there. There's a tour for you waiting online. LGBTQ+ vacation? There's several companies online that specialize in that. Historical tour is for you? They're all over the web. You want a golf tour? No problem. You want to learn to cook in France? There's companies for that too. You want to see the northern lights? No problem. You want to see polar bears? That can happen. You want to cruise through the Panama Canal? There's a company for that.

You can find a company to help you charter a yacht with a crew. There are companies that will help you plan a trip just to taste wine in many areas. There are so many options, that I didn't even get them all in the giant list I have here.

The key is key words. Be specific, and put your most specific word first. You want a tour, that goes first. You want to travel, that goes next. You want a specific activity? Third. Also third if you want a specific location, cruise versus other tour, or a group like church affiliation, education, history, or LGBTQ+. If you don't find a specific enough option, add more specifications. It will come up.

I do have a few cautions. First, make sure you're really interested in a company before you ask for information or a consult. They will continue to bug you. Make sure you want to hear from them.

Also, make sure you plan you excursion or tour in advance. There are a lot of countries that need visas in addition to passports and these days, vaccination cards or covid tests. You may also need to quarantine. These plans can get mighty specific and take a long time to set up, so give yourself ample time.

Make sure you can cancel your plans without losing all your money. In the age of worldwide pandemics, the area or country you intend to visit could suddenly close down. It happens. Being able to cancel your plans is important. Keep an eye on the State Department Website for any information that could change your mind about wanting to go where you planned.

When traveling internationally, keep an eye on currency rates and inflation in the countries you wish to visit. Hyperinflation is becoming a problem in a lot of places due to the pandemic, supply chain issues and whatever. It's good to know how much you'll need before you go.

Never go on a guided tour trip without checking out the company before you book your trip. Make sure you talk to a real person when dealing with a company that you found online. There are companies that we all know that you can trust, but if you haven't heard of them a lot over the years or dealt with them before, check them out. Here in the states, check the Better Business Bureau always.

Before you go on a cruise, train trip or bus trip in particular, check for their record for illness. We all know that even before covid there were some cruise lines that had issues with passengers getting sick. Make sure you trust your carrier.

If you book a tour through another country, check for reviews. Try to find out as much as you can before you book.

For tours, look into the off seasons. They can be less crowded, less expensive, and be just as much fun as the high season. I love to go off season, because I don't need to lay in the sun or be there for particular events. It makes it easier and it's still a great trip with fabulous memories.

When you are signing up for a tour, ask questions. As lots of questions. Make sure you know exactly what is covered in the tour price and what is not. You don't want to show up planning on all your meals being covered to find out that they aren't.

Tours can be fun. You can make friends along the way, and you can even make friends with your guides and people that they introduce you to along the way. I've got some amazing friends that I met while traveling around the world. I'm still in contact with several of them today.

So, if you need to get out since you've been home way too long, a tour might be for you. It lets you do something that you never dreamed of doing before with minimal risk to your psyche. I mean, after dealing with covid, do you want to risk having a bad vacation? Sometimes tour guides are the way to go. I don't always use a tour guide but I have, and I always had a great time. I've been on educational tours, group tours, local tours, and translated tours. They were fun. I highly recommend that if it's time for you to finally get out since covid is never going away, take a tour.

So, get with your family, friends, significant other and plan a trip this new year. See something amazing, since you never know when the whole world will shut down again and enjoy!

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Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Just a Short Little Note for Those Who Don't Like to Go it Alone! Tours!

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