Group Trips for Solo Travellers: How They Work
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Booking a group trip with strangers can feel like a leap. Here's what actually happens between finding a trip you like and standing at the meeting point on day one.
Every SoloNomads trip is a small group of solo travellers aged 18 to 40, led in person by a Trip Host from start to finish. In every country, a licensed local agency and licensed local guides handle the ground services alongside your Trip Host.
Step 1: Reserve your spot for free
Pick a departure date on the trip page and reserve it. Reserving costs nothing and doesn't commit you to anything. It just tells us you want that date, so we can start building the group.
Step 2: The departure gets confirmed once enough people join
We confirm a departure once enough travellers have reserved it, usually around 10 people. Until then, the date sits open and other solo travellers keep joining it. A trip with only a couple of reservations simply needs more people before it can go ahead, so reserving early on a date you want gives it the best chance of filling.
Step 3: You get a confirmation and an invoice for the full price
Once your departure is confirmed, we email you to say so and send an invoice for the full trip price, in your own currency, paid by bank transfer. There's no deposit and no separate balance. This is the point where you commit to the trip, not the moment you first reserved.
Step 4: You pay within 7 days
You have 7 days from the invoice date to pay it in full. If your departure starts sooner than that, payment is due before departure instead. Pay late, and we can treat your place as cancelled and release it to someone else.
Step 5: Join the WhatsApp group
After you're confirmed, you can join the WhatsApp group for your specific departure. It's where the group starts chatting before the trip, asks each other about flights and packing, and where your Trip Host shares any last-minute details.
Step 6: Meet your Trip Host on day one
Your Trip Host meets the whole group in person at the start of the trip and travels with you every day until the end. They're not a local guide who shows up for an afternoon: the same person who confirmed your departure is the one walking you to breakfast on the last morning. Where a trip includes a licensed activity such as diving or trekking, a licensed local guide runs that part of the day alongside your Trip Host.
What's included
Each trip page lists exactly what's covered: accommodation, the transport and activities on the itinerary, and a set number of meals. Flights to and from the country, travel insurance and meals outside those included are on you, along with any optional extras you choose on the day.
FAQs
Does reserving a spot cost anything?
No. Reserving is free and doesn't take any payment. You only pay once your departure is confirmed and we've sent you an invoice.
How do I know if my departure will happen?
We confirm a departure once enough travellers have reserved it, usually around 10 people, and email everyone who reserved as soon as that happens. Reserving early on a date you want gives it the best chance of reaching that number.
What happens if not enough people join?
The departure stays open for more reservations. If a date isn't shaping up in time for the trip, we'll contact everyone who reserved it to talk through the options, such as moving to another date.
How do I pay?
By bank transfer, in whichever of USD, GBP, EUR, INR, AUD, CAD or NZD suits you. We send one invoice for the full trip price once your departure is confirmed, and you pay it within 7 days.
Is the invoice refundable if I cancel?
It depends when you cancel. See the cancellation terms on our Booking Terms & Conditions for the exact charges, which start at 10% more than 60 days before departure and rise to 100% inside 14 days. Check the trip's FAQ tab for anything specific to that route.
What if I'm booking less than 7 days before the trip?
You still pay the full price in one go once your departure is confirmed, but payment is due before departure rather than 7 days after the invoice.
Do I have to use the WhatsApp group?
No, it's optional. Most travellers find it useful for sorting out flight times and getting to know the group before the trip, but you can also just show up at the meeting point.
Will I meet my Trip Host before the trip?
Not usually in person, but they're active in the WhatsApp group for your departure and happy to answer questions before you fly. You'll meet them face to face at the start of the trip and they'll be with you for every day of it.