Recently updated on August 14th, 2023 at 04:45 pm
Let’s take a trip down memory lane. Think back to your favourite vacation in the last few years. What stands out to you the most? Is it the exhilarating feeling of trying something new? Or perhaps the experience of being immersed in Mother Nature’s greatest wonders?
For many of us, it’s the incredible people we meet on our tours. Complete strangers brought together by a love of travel, with whom we make unforgettable memories. Over the years we’ve seen countless friendships form, many of that last long after the final bittersweet day of tour. And we’re not just saying that either! Here’s 5 reasons why the friends you make on a Trafalgar tour will last a lifetime… from the mouths of our very own guests.
You’re connected by a strong sense of wanderlust
You’ll find your travel bucket list has much more in common with your Trafalgar group than you may have originally thought. Exploring the mysterious mountaintop monasteries of Spain, seeing the majestic fjords in Norway, floating down the Venice canals… All the incredible sights you’ve always dreamed of exploring, with people who are just as (if not more) excited as you. Ticking off your bucket list has never been so satisfying. We grabbed a chat with Annette about her lifelong connection with her past tour group:
“We went on a tour of Europe in 2012 with a great bunch of people and a fantastic tour guide. Every year since we have a reunion and everyone from all over Australia gets together in a different state to catch up for a weekend and do a little tour of the area. We have made a bunch of new friends on our tour and have even discussed doing another overseas tour together once we are back to normal travel. Thanks to your tours, we have all made friends for life!” – Annette Griev
BE INSPIRED: Join like-minded adventurers on a trip of a lifetime – our European Splendour tour
Our Travel Directors are more than ‘just’ local experts
It’s not just the guests that you befriend, but also our wonderful Travel Directors too. Nothing short of amazing, they’re the ones helping make all of your travel dreams a reality. Whether its nuggets of history you’re looking for or local tips of where to source the best pasteis de natas, they have an answer for (almost) anything. More than that however, they’re an irreplaceable part of the friendships you’ll form on tour with us. Cheers to them!
“We made a ‘friend for life’ on one of our three Trafalgar Tours: his name is Kevin Marshall, and we spent three glorious weeks through Western Europe with him as our ‘Trafalgar Travel Guide’ in the fall of 2017…he made our ‘trip of a lifetime’ the most special trip we have ever travelled!” – Amanda Pytel
“I’ve done 3 Trafalgar trips and have been fortunate enough to have had the same Travel Director twice 2015 and 2017. Dr Qiu Moayad, some one who is very special to me. His compassion and caring whilst on tour is unbelievable and he goes well above and beyond his job, how can you not love that permanent smile that’s always on his face! Thanks Qiu, for your amazing friendship and the odd chats we have on WhatsApp.” – Jan Hall
BE INSPIRED: Where it all began – our Highlights of Eastern Europe tour
You celebrate each other’s special moments
Anniversaries, birthdays, and reunions. Just some of the ways we celebrate those we love whilst travelling the world. And should you want to make that occasion even more unforgettable, we can guarantee you’ll find people who are more than willing to help you add that extra special something…
“We made friends for life in July 2018 when my husband, Mike surprised me with my dream vacation! A 15 day Trafalgar trip to Italy. There were 30 of us in the travel group from all over, and all of them were wonderful but one couple from Australia clicked with us by the second day and we were inseparable throughout the entire trip.
“Our connection was like we had known each other all our lives. One evening while having dinner in a beautiful vineyard in Assisi, Hassan confided in my husband that he was going to propose to Sandy the next day in Venice and wanted us in the gondola with them and wanted Mike to record it for him. It was beautiful and we were so honored that he wanted us there to share that with them.” – LeeAnn Staley
BE INSPIRED: Your future Trafalgar friends are waiting for you on The Best of Italy
You connect with people all around the world… and from your doorstep
You’ll meet people from all cultures and backgrounds on our tours – whether that’s guests, Travel Directors, or our fantastic Local Specialists. One thing you might not expect, however, is meeting someone special right under your nose. That means instead of teary goodbyes at the airport, you’ll leave knowing you’ve made friendships that you can take back home with you.
“I’ve made new friends on all of my Trafalgar trips. The UK one met a couple that turned out to live less than a mile away from me – we had never met before the trip. On an Italy tour, a lovely young lady saw my Wa Husky hat and she had been a WSU student – she saw I was alone and invited me to lunch and we’ve been friends ever since. Then, on the Eastern Canada tour, met up with another solo traveler and have stayed in contact since. We are planning a Trafalgar trip to Australia together as soon as international travel restrictions ease.” – Susan Whitlock
BE INSPIRED: Fall in love with North America on our Eastern Canada tour.
You may start as a solo traveller, but you certainly won’t leave as one
A little nervous about travelling solo? Don’t worry. From Day 1 of the tour, you’ll quickly realise that everyone is just as hungry for adventure as you are – regardless if they’re solo, coupled up or on a family vacation. And with plenty of once-in-a-lifetime experiences to enjoy together, there’ll be no time for anything else but living in the moment. We spoke to Linda who is still travelling with a friend she met on tour almost a decade ago:
“I did the Austria, Slovenia and Croatia Trafalgar tour in 2012 and met a woman from Australia travelling on her own and we hit it off from the very beginning and have been travel buddies ever since. We have done China, The Baltics, Israel & Jordon, Russia, Poland, Finland and other countries together. Couldn’t ask for a better travel mate and hope to be able to do more trips. I can’t believe it will be 10 years since we met and have seen a lot of the world together. Thank you Trafalgar for the wonderful itineraries you offer.” – Linda Bettle
“These three people created a lifelong connection for me. Some of the greatest people we’ve ever met! Can’t wait too be together again! Viva ITALIA!” – Jenny Green
BE INSPIRED: Travel the world together, starting with our Balkan Delight tour
