5 Reasons I Combine Solo and Small Group Travel (Instead of Choosing One)

For a while I figured you had to pick one way to travel or the other.

You were either a solo traveller.

Or a group traveller.

The internet certainly likes to make it seem that way.

Solo travel gets talked up as the ultimate travel experience. Group travel is sometimes treated as a compromise, somtimes second best.

But the more I have done it the less sure I am about having to choose at all.

I have had trips I loved on my own and some where being with others made it better.

These days, I rarely think in terms of one being better than the other.

Instead, I combine both.

Here are five reasons why.

Solo Travel vs Small Group Travel: Which Is Better?

Solo travel offers independence and flexibility, while small group travel provides local knowledge and shared experiences. Many travellers benefit from combining both approaches depending on the destination, confidence level, and type of trip they want to have.

1. Solo Travel Gave Me Confidence (And A Few Reality Checks)

My first overseas trip was with my cousin when I was eighteen.

Not long afterwards, I moved to the UK by myself for two years.

At the time, it felt like a huge confidence boost.

I learned how to navigate unfamiliar places, make decisions independently, and solve problems without relying on someone else.

Solo travel has a way of forcing you to make decisions and adapt.

There is nobody else to figure things out for you.

Nobody else to make the decisions.

You either work it out or you don’t.

That confidence was valuable.

Looking back though, I can also see that confidence and experience aren’t always the same thing.

At nineteen, I definitely gained confidence faster than wisdom.

A few successful trips can make you feel like you’ve got everything under control.

Travel has a funny way of reminding you that there is always more to learn.

Making mistakes is part of the process. I have certainly made my fair share, but that is a story for another day.

In many ways, travelling alone accelerated that learning.

2. Group Tours Show Me Things I’d Never Find Alone

I love independent travel.

I also know its limitations.

Left to my own devices, I can happily spend hours wandering side streets, sitting in cafés, or photographing random details that catch my attention.

That’s part of the fun.

But it also means I occasionally miss things.

A good guide can provide stories, context, and local knowledge that would be difficult to discover on your own.

Sometimes it’s historical context.

Sometimes it’s cultural insight.

Sometimes it’s simply knowing where to look.

One of the things I enjoy most about small group travel is seeing a destination through someone else’s eyes for a while. That can be your guide or even your fellow travellers.

On my trip to Turkey we had one huge history buff. She would ask questions that never even crossed the rest of our minds.

It often changes how I experience the place afterwards.

3. Different Trips Need Different Approaches

One thing travel has taught me is that the same approach doesn’t suit every destination.

Some places feel easy to explore independently.

Others have complicated logistics, language barriers, or experiences that are easier to access with help and local knowledge. (I see you, Mongolia.)

There are also times when confidence plays a role.

Someone taking their first international trip may have very different needs to someone who has been travelling for years.

Neither approach is right or wrong.

They’re simply different starting points.

That’s one reason I stopped treating travel styles as identities.

I think of them more as tools.

The best option depends on the trip.

4. Sometimes I Want Company. Sometimes I Want A Door That Closes

This is probably the least obvious reason on the list.

But for me it’s one of the most important.

I genuinely enjoy meeting people while travelling.

I like shared experiences.

I don’t mind conversations over dinner.

I like hearing about other people’s trips and backgrounds.

I also know that I recharge by myself.

Travelling with a low social battery can be a strange balancing act.

Too much time alone and I might start looking for connection.

Too much social interaction and I start looking for solitude.

That’s one reason I’ve become increasingly comfortable paying a single supplement (when it’s not ridiculously expensive) on trips. Though I have found ways recharge without it.

I can spend the day with the group and still have my own space at night.

For me, it’s the best of both worlds.

5. Travel Doesn’t Need To Be One Thing

This is probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned.

You don’t need to become a solo traveller.

You don’t need to become a group traveller.

You don’t need to fit neatly into a travel category at all.

Some of my trips have been almost entirely independent.

Others have included walking tours, food tours, day trips, and small group experiences.

Most sit somewhere in the middle.

The longer I travel, the more flexibility seems to matter.

Instead of asking which is better, I find it better to ask what will help me have the experience I’m looking for this time.

Sometimes that’s solo travel.

Sometimes it’s a group.

Most of the time, it’s both.

I stand by the words, there is no right way to travel.

TLDR

I combine solo and small group travel because both offer different advantages.

• Solo travel builds confidence and independence.
• Group tours provide local knowledge and new perspectives.
• Different destinations suit different approaches.
• Balancing social time and personal space matters.
• Travel doesn’t have to fit into a single category.

For me, the best trips usually include a little of both.

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