What is it like for an unbiased solo traveler on a bunch tour?
It’s a query that’s typically requested in our Facebook neighborhood, the Solo Travel Society.
Strong opinions are generally expressed. There are those that consider that solely those that journey independently are solo vacationers. There are those that consider that so long as you set out alone to hitch a tour, you’re touring solo. Some want the corporate of others on a tour. Some want solitude.
At Solo Traveler, we take the extra expansive view which you could determine for your self what constitutes solo journey. So whether or not you intend each little element your self or want to have another person deal with it, whether or not you wander a couple of vacation spot alone or within the firm of individuals you meet alongside the best way, whether or not you set out alone and be part of day excursions once in a while or e-book your self on a bunch tour in a personal room and even share with a stranger, you’re practising your personal fashion of solo journey.
Almost all of my journey has been of the unbiased selection, so when Globus invited me to expertise their new journey fashion known as Choice Touring, I jumped on the probability. I took their Green with Envy: Ireland by Design tour so I may offer you a perspective as an unbiased solo traveler on a bunch tour.
Solo Traveler on a Group Tour: 8 Days in Ireland
Day 1: Arrive in Dublin
Depending on arrival time, some vacationers had time to discover a little bit of Dublin on the primary day. The first scheduled occasion within the itinerary is dinner at your resort to fulfill your tour director and the remainder of the group. We stayed at The Gibson, a contemporary, 4-star resort within the Dublin Docklands space.
A very nice buffet breakfast is included day-after-day, with numerous selection. If you’re a espresso lover, I’ll enterprise to say that you’ll not be impressed with any common espresso served to you in a resort restaurant in Ireland. The key’s to search for a espresso machine that makes cappuccinos and lattes. That’s the most effective you are going to do, nevertheless it additionally presents the added bonus of takeout cups so you’ll be able to seize and go.
If, like me, you are not a morning individual, you’ll admire that takeout espresso. You might not admire the 7:00 am breakfast time if you’re accustomed to waking by yourself schedule once you journey. As the journey progressed, although, I found that as a solo traveler on a bunch tour, I obtained extra out of my day by having an outlined wakeup time. With a deadline to be packed and have my baggage able to be picked up and loaded on the bus, my day was prolonged and I truly ate breakfast, which I often do not do.
Day 2: Dublin-Kilbeggan-Athlone-Westport
On Day 2, we hit the highway and began the journey off with a bang with a guided tour of a distillery and a morning whiskey tasting at Kilbeggan Distilling Co. Established in 1757, there’s a variety of historical past inside these partitions. The tour was actually attention-grabbing, however I’m afraid I wasn’t robust sufficient to style the three whiskeys that have been provided. My fellow vacationers made up for it, although.
Next up: extra whiskey! We traveled to Athlone and visited the oldest pub in Ireland, Sean’s Bar. As our Tour Director identified, many locations declare to be “the oldest in Ireland” however this one has some credentials; Sean’s Bar has been formally acknowledged by the Guinness Book of Records as Ireland’s Oldest Pub. They make a imply Irish Coffee. It was nonetheless earlier than lunchtime once I visited, nevertheless it struck me as a pub I might like to return to within the night.
I wandered round Athlone, marveling on the stained glass home windows in St. Peter and Paul’s Church, created by the Harry Clarke Studios. I joined a few of my group members for lunch in one other pub, after which it was off to Westport.
I discovered the pacing of the tour to be glorious. There was loads of time to wander and do your personal factor, however not a lot that you just have been ready round for the bus to take you to the subsequent vacation spot. It was additionally a deal with to not need to be continually determining the way to get from place to position. Having that half taken care of by another person meant that I may cowl extra floor extra simply than if I had been touring independently.
If you are contemplating a bunch tour however are deterred by excessive single dietary supplements, try our constantly up to date checklist of excursions which, like this one by Globus, characteristic supplements of 20% or much less.
In Westport, we stayed on the 4-star Westport Plaza Hotel. The rooms have been spacious, some with jacuzzi tubs, and mine had a small balcony. A gastrobar was situated on the bottom flooring, the place I joined the tour group for dinner. This was additionally the place breakfast was served. The resort has a spa, which I used to be not in a position to make time to go to. All in all, a really snug place to relaxation your head on the finish of a day of exploring.
Day 3: Westport
In Westport, we had our first alternative to select from a roster of actions. This is among the benefits of the Choice Touring by Globus choices–you do not have to do the identical issues as your journey mates, you’ll be able to select in keeping with your pursuits.
In my case, I used to be actually excited to be taught to make Irish soda bread and scones. Childhood mates, Mary (beforehand a medical scientist) and Carmel (beforehand a house economics instructor), personal and function The Irish Soda Bread Way in Westport. Since just one different traveler within the group joined me, Mary drove us to Carmel’s residence for our baking class as a substitute of the business kitchen the place they might usually host bigger teams. What an exquisite alternative to not solely be taught to make conventional baked items, however to sit down round a desk and chat about life with locals over tea and Irish espresso!
For those that weren’t fascinated about baking, there have been extra outdoorsy choices to select from. Some of the group selected a guided e-bike tour of Westport and others explored the seashores and cliffs of Achill Island, Ireland’s largest island.
Dinner was on our personal on Day 3, so my classmate and I loved a stunning, leisurely meal of native, seasonal substances at The Curious Fish then wandered again by way of the gorgeous city of Westport to our resort.
Day 4: Westport-Kylemore-Maam Cross-Galway
Having visited Kylemore Abbey on a earlier journey to Ireland, this time I bypassed the Abbey and took the shuttle bus out to the gardens. In spite of the truth that it rained continuous, it was a colourful, solitary stroll and a breath of recent air.
From the formal flower backyard, planted within the late Victorian fashion and containing solely plant varieties that had been launched previous to 1901 to the glasshouses the place fruit and tropical crops have been grown to the much less formal wooded trails, the fantastic thing about all of it transcended the gray and wet climate. As somebody who wants a variety of alone time, it was excellent. I significantly loved the Fern Walk, the place a large number of ferns develop alongside a burbling stream within the shade of tall timber.
I like the panorama of Connemara and the drive from Kylemore to Galway is considered one of my favorites. Being in a position to sit again and take within the view is such a pleasure. Our Tour Director organized for us to cease alongside the best way to take images.
One of the issues I had puzzled about group excursions was whether or not I might discover it exhausting speaking to individuals on a regular basis. Our group, no less than, fell into a really snug sample of chatting after we felt prefer it, staring out the window (and even snoozing) after we felt like that. There was no stress to be “on” and we have been all respectful of each other’s area.
Our Tour Director, Helen Lee was astounding. Her data of Irish historical past and tradition is encyclopedic. She regaled us with tales of myths and legends, private anecdotes from her circle of relatives, historic occasions, and extra. She was humorous and enjoyable but in addition stored us all in line so we have been at all times on time and by no means missed a factor. I sat near the entrance of the bus, so I may see how onerous she labored. I discovered a lot greater than I might have whereas touring independently, and the knowledge was all delivered in such a private means that it felt like a dialog with an outdated buddy.
The subsequent cease was Galway and time for one more Choice Touring choice. We may select from a strolling tour of town adopted by dinner and drinks in an area pub or a meals tour of Galway’s specialties with tastings at each cease.
I heard nice issues in regards to the strolling tour, and I can vouch for the meals tour. We tasted all the things from espresso to ice cream, pastries to cured meats, oysters to cheese, and extra, washed down with beer, brandy, whiskey, and gin. My favorites have been the gin and pink peppercorn ice cream at Murphy’s and the gin and tonic (is there a theme right here?) on the Galway City Distillery Co. If I have been to go once more, I might plan forward to take their gin-making class.
Another good night time’s sleep was had, this time on the Maldron Hotel Galway. This one was slightly out of the best way, which was high quality for me, as I used to be able to put my toes up. But even for individuals who have been able to hold going late into the night, it was only a cab trip away from the pubs.
Day 5: Galway-Inis Mór
On Day 5 we had essentially the most lovely climate of the complete journey–and it could not have occurred on a greater day, as we have been taking a ferry to Inis Mór, one of many Aran Islands. The skies have been so brilliantly blue and the solar so vibrant on the intensely inexperienced grass, it appeared unreal.
After lunch at Ti Joe Watty’s pub, together with a musical efficiency by an area musician, we set out on a minibus tour of the island. It was a good way to cowl a variety of floor, with big home windows and a working commentary from the driving force.
We made a couple of stops to wander about and take images, then headed for the prehistoric clifftop fort of Dun Aengus. Most of the group made the trek as much as the fort, however I selected to not climb up. Instead, I wandered across the outlets, watched a thatched roof being put in (one thing I had by no means seen earlier than), admired the surroundings, met a girl who shared with me a recipe for Sea Spaghetti Salad (so in fact, I had to purchase sea spaghetti!), and bought a few of the beautiful Aran Island wool merchandise (which, a lot to my shock, they shipped residence to Canada for me for gratis).
Following the go to to Dun Aengus, the driving force took us again to the place we had began. Along the best way, we noticed extra Island sights, together with the realm the place the movie The Banshees of Inisherin was filmed. Some went procuring, a few of us gathered at a pub for refreshment, then we headed again to the ferry.
Day 6: Galway-Cliffs of Moher-Rathbaun Farm-Dublin
The Cliffs of Moher are a type of iconic Irish landmarks that I’d seen in images, movies, and journey books, however by no means in individual. They don’t disappoint! Our tour took us there on Day 6 to view the cliffs, take images, and wander by way of the customer middle. This was actually the one level the place I felt like I used to be on my thought of a stereotypical group tour, the place buses pull up, individuals empty out right into a crowded customer middle, there are massive lineups for washrooms, and so forth. But, if you wish to see a well-liked website like that, there’s actually no getting round it.
The Cliffs of Moher have been adopted by an expertise that was utterly completely different and wouldn’t have been accessible to me as an unbiased traveler. We visited Rathbaun Farm, a working sheep farm, for a scrumptious lunch, together with recent baked scones, a tour, and an indication of sheep herding by a canine in coaching. It was a wee glimpse right into a life I knew little about.
Evening introduced us to a different Choice Touring choice: a night at Taylor’s Irish Cabaret, together with a 3-course dinner with wine and a present or a literary pub crawl round Dublin together with dinner and drinks. I selected the cabaret as a result of I had by no means seen Irish dancers carry out reside, and I’m glad I did. These weren’t simply any dancers, however world champions who traveled the world representing their nation. The dinner, regardless of the truth that they have been serving an enormous crowd, was scrumptious and it was enjoyable to fulfill different vacationers seated close by.
Back in Dublin once more, we stayed at The Samuel Hotel, only a stone’s throw from the place we had stayed on the primary night time, within the Docklands.
Day 7: Dublin
On our closing tour day, we began with an orientation tour of Dublin. It was an incredible overview of a few of the highlights, and gave individuals concepts of issues they wished to discover extra on their very own. We then toured the Guinness Storehouse, which was fairly spectacular. I’m probably not a beer drinker, and even I discovered it fascinating. Floor after flooring of reveals in regards to the historical past and manufacturing of Guinness can actually make you’re employed up a thirst. Which is why, once I reached the seventh flooring, I took a seat within the Gravity Bar and loved a beer. It’s true that it tastes completely different in Ireland!
The remainder of the day was free time till all of us gathered for a closing farewell dinner at a close-by restaurant. It was a enjoyable wind right down to an incredible week, and an opportunity to thank our wonderful information and Tour Director–and decide her mind for extra issues to do in Dublin, for these of us who have been staying on.
Day 8: Depart or Continue Exploring on Your Own
The closing day ended with breakfast and folks departed for the airport at varied occasions or, if they’d time, caught round to take pleasure in Dublin for a day or two.
You can learn extra about how I spent my free time in Dublin on this publish: Solo in Dublin: A Fantastic Destination to Explore.
Did I Enjoy Being a Solo Traveler On a Group Tour?
So there you could have it: a blow-by-blow of my expertise as a solo traveler on my first group tour. Would I do it once more? A tour like this one, with a lot free time and selection of optionally available excursions, sure. Many of the tiresome elements of unbiased journey have been eradicated, and lots of issues have been made simpler: no worrying about the way to get from A to B or calculating the timing, no lugging baggage on and off buses and trains, no stress over resort reservations or day excursions that will not take single bookings. Would I quit unbiased journey? Not an opportunity. But there’s a pleased spot in between group and unbiased journey the place this tour sits, and I loved all the things it needed to supply.
Thank you to Globus for sponsoring my journey on their Green with Envy: Ireland by Design tour. All experiences and impressions are my very own, and Solo Traveler maintains full editorial management over all content material.
Last up to date: seventh January, 2023