Traveling with family can be more rewarding then traveling alone at certain times. There are always benefits and drawbacks to both kinds of travel. A solo traveler may have the freedom to do whatever he/she chooses, but the road can become very boring when there is nobody to talk to. On the other hand, a family on a trip may always be with good company, but planning may take more time.
Having only experienced travel with my fiancé, I have no real advice about solo travel. I only know from what I’ve read that solo travel can be great for very spontaneous travelers who often enjoy being alone. Even if you are in a big city, being alone means that you have to sit on a plane by yourself, sleep in a hotel room alone (at least at night), and eat alone. Sure, you might meet people along the way, but not always.
With a family group, you always have a companion to share your experiences with. It is even a good idea to split up for at least a day if you wish to see different aspects of your travel destination. For example, on a recent trip to Florida, I headed for a tour guided hike while my fiancé went shopping. Spending a few hours apart was a great way to compromise regarding the activities. At the end of the day we went out together and had a wonderful time, drinking, dancing, and eating.
I almost forgot 2 very important members of our family: the cats. Our 2 little kitties were obviously not brought along for the ride. Cats are not good travelling companions. Although cats sometimes seem like they want to go out, they really want to remain in a small area. Cat’s like to hold on to their territory and remain very fearful of new places. Obviously, these little guys were left home with tons of food and water and watched over by family. If our family was not available, we would have placed them with professionals. This is not the optimal course of action though, since professionals tend to keep animals in cramped cages as long as they are cared for.
In the end more people prefer to travel with their family because it offers more options for the traveler. If you want to go out on your own you can split from your family group and enjoy the trip alone for a bit. When you are lonely, you have the option to seek out a family member.
The preceding article was written by George Christodoulou, a travel writer for Onetravel (offering travel deals). Even though he does not travel as much as he used to, he still loves sharing stories and networking with other travelers to share experiences.
