FINDING THE RIGHT TRAVEL GROUP

SO YOU'RE TRAVELING SOLO, but at the same time, you DON'T WANT TO BE traveling COMPLETELY SOLO? I have been there. Here is my guide to companies that will allow you to choose your preferred style of travel, and the type of people you will most likely be traveling with!

INTREPID TRAVEL gives you tons of options to choose for travel around the globe. They have offices in 22 countries with travel themes so you can pick one that suits your needs - cycling, foodie, family, sailing, trekking, wildlife, urban adventures, and more. They keep tour groups to no more than 10 people, which may also be why they are a little pricey, but they plan the itinerary and lodgings for you to reduce your research and stress.

G ADVENTURES for all you solo travelers seeking the most authentic experience, welcome to G Adventures, where you will find a menagerie of tours, focused on giving you a locals' point of view and off-the-beaten path itineraries.

THE FLASH PACK is a company created specifically for the 30 and 40 year old solo travelers who are at a stage in life where they are looking to take some well earned time off, and now have the means to travel without necessarily being on a shoe string budget. They are a travel club organizing group adventure trips with people of a similar age and mindset.

CONTIKI is a travel group targeting the 18-35 year old age bracket. You get to meet a lot of people near your age, assuming you are in the bracket above. However, the age of those on the groups tends to run much younger, in the tune of the early 20s, which means guaranteed raucous and partying.

OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL (O.A.T.) is a travel company for the budget conscious solo traveler. Travel groups range from about 10 to 15 persons, and they visit quite a few exotic locations, including Bhutan, Burma and Botswana.

SECRET FOOD TOURS offers cozy food tours of 15 major cities, so for all you foodies who fear you've been left out, fear not! These tours will take you on a food crawl to enjoy luscious chocolatiers, bakeries, fromageries, wineries, and more, while explaining the history of the food and its place in the city.