Traveling solo is a rite of passage…which many people claim is a quintessential and defining part of their young adult life, helping them become mature and capable adults. So many young students come to Europe, armed with only a very heavy backpack and some advice from friends and families, hoping to make it through the next few months on their own. But there’s no shame in asking for help every now and then. Having too much pride to look for assistance when you need it will end up doing you more harm than any good.
I have found that while living and traveling abroad, sometimes it is the most efficient option to go through and use either a domestic or international travel provider. These are companies both large and small whom can help you organize your lodging, activities, transportation, and just about anything else. And not only can they help travelers who aren’t too sure of where they are or where they’re going, but they’re also a great way to meet new people and fellow travelers.
And even if you really are persistent about doing everything independently, don’t judge those who choose to go this route. No one like sharing a hostel room with someone who looks down on their way of traveling! One of my friends was being relentlessly harassed at a laundromat by this couple who claimed she was not doing “real” backpacking, since she chose to stay in hotels instead of slumming it. Don’t be that person…
I consider myself an experienced traveler, but I still know when some things are too big for me to take on on my own. That’s how I first found Contiki, one of the most prominent travel providers for those aged 18 to 30. My friends and I had a week to travel around New Zealand’s South Island, but only a faint idea of where we wanted to go. We didn’t know how to go about renting a car, the most scenic routes to take, and what to do once we actually got to where we wanted to go. Contiki drove us basically up and down both coasts in only one week, showing us the best place for pictures, giving us discounts on bungee-jumping (never again), and introducing us to other students and young professionals from around the world. Because it’s made for young people, Contiki prides itself on being more on the low-budget side of traveling, staying in hostels and taking its groups to dive bars on the way. I’m planning to go on another Contiki trip after graduation to sail around Croatia. Since I’ll be done with school, grad school apps, and generally being a student…I wanted to give myself a break and let someone do the planning for me.
Trafalgar is another well-known travel provider, and is actually the parent company for Contiki. And appropriately as the role of the parent company, Trafalgar is a lot less focused on drinking and partying than Contiki. Instead, Trafalgar spends its time waking its travelers open bright and early for tons of sight-seeing. And unlike my grocery store meals during my time traveling with Contiki, Trafalgar treats you to delicious breakfasts every morning (which are included in the price). Whatever floats your boat, and whatever you want to prioritize. I chose to use a travel provider on another daunting trip, which was all over the fjords and major cities in Scandinavia. I had always wanted to drive through Norway, but I knew there was little chance I could do so on my own in a cost and time-effective way. As a foreigner, knowing which of the thousands of fjords were worth seeing would’ve been impossible, so I’m glad I went this route.
There are also opportunities to go through domestic travel providers if you’re spending a lot of time in one city that you can use as a traveling hub. For example, when I was in Dublin I used the travel provider called Paddywagon to visit all the big tourist attractions, like Cliffs of Moher or Giants Causeway. Since I had no car in Ireland, going through a company who would organize these day-trips for me saved a lot of time and energy. And almost everywhere in Ireland is accessible by these private bus companies, who have large charter buses running routes up and down, east and west on the country’s two main highways.
Like I previously said, using travel providers is not everyone’s cup of tea. Everyone has different preferences for traveling, and no one is more legitimate or “real” than the other. I didn’t use any travel providers while I was in South Africa, because renting a car was so cheap that all of my roommates had one. We managed to cram 5 people into a tiny car to drive for a week-long road-trip along the infamous and beautiful Garden Route. This was at the end of my time in Cape Town, so we did not have to worry about saving time and being efficient in our itinerary. We would spend a few days in each different city, depending on hostel availability and if we liked what we saw.
And I’ve found that in Paris, using a travel provider or agency is not necessary, as the public transportation system is so extensive. Don’t even get me started on how in love I am with the transportation infrastructure in this country. The high-speed TGV runs all over France, and other international trains such as the Thalys (Paris to Brussels) can connect you to other countries in only a few hours. Depending on your budget, you can always find some traveling method catered to your needs and/or desires. Welcome to traveling in the 21st century!
