Exodus Travels operates services and tours for solo travellers.Handout
I have one particular picture saved on my phone that I refer to with great frequency. When I’m feeling slightly stressed or moderately annoyed, thwarted by strangers or under-appreciated by loved ones, I look at my image of the sun setting across a valley in northern Italy, the sky a swirl of peach light and silver-lined clouds, and I can remember the precise joy of being completely alone. Like an overdue stretch forced after sitting too long, my whole body and spirit eased into that experience.
That autumn, 2018, trip to the Piedmont region – one I am eager to repeat whenever the world eventually returns to a new normal – was the perfect combination of cycling, gastronomy and solitude. Every morning, I awoke on my own schedule to a day that could unfold entirely to my own liking: a leisurely cycle through vineyards, a walk through an ancient village or a stumble across a white truffle festival.
But just because I was alone doesn’t mean I didn’t have help. A tour company, Exodus Travels, organized all of the major aspects of my trip, including accommodations, meal reservations and airport transfers. That trip reflects a type of travel that, given COVID-19, might be increasingly appealing: the solo organized tour. Even when leisure travel beyond one’s backyard does return, some travellers might not be so keen to jump straight into touring with a group.
Organized group tours have long been divisive, in no small part because it means you’re part of a group. But tour operators are now starting to offer more organized tours for individuals who want to travel solo but could also benefit from itinerary planning and a point of human contact along the way.
In addition to Exodus, Freewheel and Butterfield & Robinson have recently added to their already wide ranges of “self-guided” biking, walking, boating and safari tours. They typically handle all arrangements, including flight bookings, accommodations, meal reservations, maps and GPS navigation and luggage transfer. Last year, Austin Adventures announced the launch of a concierge service for independent travellers, offering to customize itineraries and handle all bookings for a tailor-made experience. And this year, Country Walkers introduced new “flex-guided” tours – in addition to self-guided and fully guided options – to provide more independent time for exploration, including full days and evenings away from the group.
One of Exodus's tours is a bike ride through an Italian wine region.Handout
These independent tours reflect several contemporary realities: More people are travelling on their own, a byproduct of both the elevated comfort and accessibility of travel, and the fact that more people are living alone. With limited vacation time and very busy schedules, Canadians might be restricted in the amount of time they have to plan their own trips. Some solo travellers, particularly but not exclusively women, are excited by the prospect of independence but remain wary of heading out entirely on their own, and the organized but solo tour can serve as a happy medium. And, of course, during a global pandemic when we’re advised to restrict our exposure to others, travelling solo definitely seems like a safer bet than joining a group.
I’m not wary of travelling on my own, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t grateful for the assistance. In addition to my bookings at small and friendly family-owned hotels, I was also provided an in-person local point of contact. Laura and Greg, a warm married couple, served as Exodus’s local contacts and sort-of chaperones. Laura met me at my hotel when I arrived and handed me maps and information as I sipped my first glass of Nebbiolo. Throughout my trip – we mostly communicated by text – the couple would move my luggage, make suggestions about things to see, confirm restaurant reservations and just generally keep low-key tabs on me.
And at one point they came to my rescue when purchases made at a market in the beautiful town of Alba – truffle-laden cheeses, sweet and bitter Amaro, cured duck sausage and small jars of fancy little pesto sauces – did not fit into the panniers on my bike. Laura came to pick me up, loading my bike and purchases into the back of her van. I felt like I was travelling solo, but with a friendly hand on one shoulder.
Robin Brooks, Exodus’s director of marketing and PR for North America, says that the company is seeing more travellers choose a self-guided option because they want to see a destination both at their own pace and as safely as possible. “Interest in our self-guided trips is stronger this year, for a variety of reasons,” she says. “[Self-guided tours] offer the exclusivity and polish of an expertly planned experience with the flexibility of a private adventure.” Given the amount of uncertainty, Brooks adds that flexible booking options have also put travellers at ease.
I’ll admit that there were a couple of brief moments when I yearned for company, but it was mostly restricted to my desire to order wines only available by the bottle, not glass. While there are innumerable advantages to spending time with others – and true social isolation is an increasingly serious concern – our unfortunate but necessary temporary restrictions on movement present a good opportunity to focus on some of the virtues of being alone.
The writer was a guest of Exodus Travels. The company did not review or approve this story prior to publication.
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