In recent years, the organized trips of the past have been replaced by private organized trips, where you choose the destination, even if it is at the edge of the world, the timing that suits you, the travel style, the level of accommodation, and the people you want to travel with.
In the past, the common way to travel abroad was with an organized tour, with a bus and a guide, aiming to see as many places as possible in a short time “five countries in five days” or something similar.
After returning home, it was customary to invite friends for a slideshow evening to show them how much fun the trip was.
A lot has changed since those days, and travel trends have shifted completely.
People realized that an in depth trip or a trip focusing on a few key highlights is better than a superficial tour that flits over many destinations. A local guide who knows hidden spots and special flavors enriches the trip more than a guide who visits as a guest for a moment.
Most importantly, the limitations of organized trips are much clearer today. Not having to worry about anything provides security for inexperienced travelers, but a fixed schedule with no flexibility and a randomly assembled group that you must spend the entire trip with can diminish the enjoyment.
Not only for adventurers
According to a survey by Travel Trends magazine, organized trips have long been abandoned, and regular independent trips are no longer leading.
They are being replaced by new types of trips and far less banal destinations.
Mongolia, Alaska, Chile, and Burma are only a few of the destinations that were once the domain of solo adventurers and are now open to different travelers across a wide age range.
Even in Europe, new travelers prefer Iceland or Albania over what is called “classic Europe.”
Alongside the expansion of destinations, travel styles have also changed. Organized trips are now replaced by private organized trips.
Such a trip provides the security of an organized tour you will not get stranded without transportation or discover there are no available hotels in the city you just arrived at.
In addition to the security of having someone taking care of you along the way, the choice is just as important: you decide when and where to travel, with whom, and in what way.
Many senior travelers find this type of trip much more suitable.
A private trip for several families or a group of friends will not cost more than an organized group trip.
Price question
It sounds perfect, but the question of price cannot be ignored.
Compared to the cost of a similar organized group trip, a private trip can be 15%-25% more expensive, but if four people travel together (a family or two couples), the price is similar to an organized group tour, and you get a private guide and fully personalized service.
Private train or river cruise
Current travel trends include different groups and ways.
Take, for example, multi-generational trips three generations of the same family traveling together, or grandparents traveling with grandchildren.
In recent years, more parents join trips after their children finish military service, at least for part of the journey, discovering exotic and distant destinations together.
Another emerging trend is adventure trips.
Rafting or kayaking on a river, trekking or cycling trips, all add excitement and interest to a trip, which can also include city stops and a few days of rest on the beach, in the mountains, or in the forest.
River cruises have also become very popular in the last year or two, especially for older travelers.
Unlike ocean cruises, riverboats are smaller and more intimate, with attentive personal service.
During the cruise, travelers experience local culture and traditions up close. In the evenings there are lectures and cultural events, in the mornings you can sit on the deck watching the passing scenery or join guided excursions.
Private train travel offers a similar style, but in a completely different way. The riverboat is replaced by a luxurious and equipped private train, with comfortable sleeping cabins and a restaurant serving gourmet meals.
The train covers long distances, crossing countries and continents, with mesmerizing views from the windows.
There are lectures, films, and performances, and at every stop, passengers disembark for excursions to places they probably could not reach in any other way.
Private train trips are available worldwide, from trains crossing Spain from south to north to the Trans-Siberian train, traveling from Moscow to Beijing, passing through Siberia and Mongolia.
The possibilities are only limited by imagination, but in this case, it is a completely real trip.
