Advice from the experts on how to make sure your next group trip--be it with old friends or new--is one for the books.

Today&#39;s itinerary: what you need to know to travel with friends. Just because you&#39;re friends with someone, doesn&#39;t mean you will make good travel buddies. So before you book that next trip with your BFF, let Carli and Sophia give you their tips on what you need to know about traveling with friends.  Want to learn more about traveling with friends? Check out Sophia&#39;s article at https://girlswhotravel.org/traveling-with-friends

TIPS: Traveling with friends

I used to be a staunch anti-group-travel kind of gal. I went literally decades without even a thought of joining a group tour! But in Episode 181 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I admit the error of my ways and chat with three guests who&#39;ve all had truly unique and wonderful small group travel experiences.
First up, I speak to Suzanne Moore, a local Perth writer who spent a week last year walking the Cape to Cape track in the south-west of my home state of Western Australia. Suzy had some of the same reservations about travelling with a group that I&#39;ve had in the past, but they definitely proved to be unfounded.
My next guest is Louise Southerden and we chat about the benefits of specifically-themed small group tours. This is definitely a case where travelling with a group can actually exceed the experience of independent travel (something I never would have dreamt of conceding a few years back!).
Finally, Andrew Tyree and I chat about what can go wrong with group travel - and he should know, as he leads small group trips across Central and South America. Luckily we also talk about lots of things that go right!
Links:
<li>Suzanne Moore <a href="https://www.suzannemoorewriter.com/">https://www.suzannemoorewriter.com/</a>   </li><li>Suzanne’s book The Place Between - <a href="https://amzn.to/31KM6aD">https://amzn.to/31KM6aD</a> </li><li>Louise Southerden - No Impact Girl - <a href="http://www.noimpactgirl.com">http://www.noimpactgirl.com</a></li><li>Andrew Tyree - Coast to Costa - <a href="https://www.coasttocosta.com">https://www.coasttocosta.com</a> </li><li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li><li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/181">https://notaballerina.com/181</a></li>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

181 Small Group Travel

Group travel. Once upon a time, that simple phrase sent shivers down these Traveler editors’ spines. But this week, we decided to put our heads together and explore how to have an enjoyable group trip (from bachelorette and bachelor parties to college reunions) and make it home on speaking terms. We weighed up what ingredients make for a top-notch group travel destination when there&#39;s five, six or even ten of you to please (turns out, Nashville is pretty much perfect) and discuss the tips and life lessons we&#39;ve picked up along the way.
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How to Plan a Successful Group Trip

Are you a fan of group trips? Or are you, like me, more generally a keenly independent traveller who needs a very good reason to decide to take a group tour of  any kind? 
When it comes to group travel, I&#39;ve learned over the years that there really is a group trip to suit everyone, even people like me who are highly reluctant group travellers - and often what turns us is the idea of some highly specialised group travel. In this episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, I speak with three people who&#39;ve had experiences in specialised group travel and they make a great case for why we all should try it sometimes.
First up, I chat with Evan Petrelis from Renaissance Tours, who specialise in tours connected to special interests like ballet, archaeology and gardens. He runs through some of the advantages and disadvantages of group travel and highlights how travelling with likeminded people with the same passion can be particularly rewarding.
Next, I speak to Debbie Clarke, who has run tours for the LGBTQ community for many years. She has a pretty touching story to tell of the outcome of these tours for some of the participants.
Finally, Vicky Sahami joins me to explain her highly specialised group trips which focus on visiting the best places in the world to observe total solar eclipses. It&#39;s a fascinating special interest which has seen Vicky experience some really far-flung parts of the globe, and in really unique ways.
Links:
<li>Evan Petrelis from Renaissance Tours - <a href="https://renaissancetours.com.au/">https://renaissancetours.com.au/</a> </li><li>Debbie Clarke from the Good Awaits podcast - <a href="https://goodawaits.podbean.com/">https://goodawaits.podbean.com/</a> </li><li>Vicky Sahami’s solar eclipse tours at Sirius Travel - <a href="https://siriustravel.com/">https://siriustravel.com/</a> </li><li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li><li>Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://notaballerina.com/linkedin">https://notaballerina.com/linkedin</a></li><li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/267">https://notaballerina.com/267</a></li>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

267 Specialised Group Travel

Erin is joined by Jess Brooks to talk about tour groups! Tour operators sometimes get flack for their practices, but others seem to be doing a good job when it comes to responsible and sustainable practices. Erin and Jess discuss the impact that group travel has on our planet, and give tips for figuring out which tour operators deserve our dollars. 
 
GUEST: 
Jess Brooks is the founder of <a href="https://www.eternal-landscapes.co.uk">Eternal Landscapes</a>, a Mongolia-focused tour operator that aims to keep the benefits of tourism within the local community. 
 
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RESOURCES: 
 



<a href="https://www.eternal-landscapes.co.uk">Eternal Landscapes</a> 
<a href="https://www.eternal-landscapes.co.uk/responsible-tourism-mongolia/">Responsible tourism in Mongolia</a> 
<a href="https://www.pinatravels.org/discoveries/responsible-tourist">Ways to be a More Responsible Tourist</a> 
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/eternal_landscapes/">Eternal Landscapes on Instagram</a> 
 



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ALSO, we&#39;re looking for more info on what you like and dislike about the podcast, and how you found us! If you have one minute today, <a href="https://forms.gle/eZFYfduPYA8LV5MB7">please fill out this quick survey for us!</a> 
 
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CREDITS 
Written and Hosted by: <a href="https://www.pinatravels.org/">Erin Hynes</a> 
Producer: <a href="http://www.kattielaur.com/">Kattie Laur</a> 
Music from Motion Array 
Logo by Christopher McCluskey

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