People & Stories

The power of shared experiences: how travel bonds us together

Recently updated on September 7th, 2023 at 04:38 pm

Travel is more than just sightseeing. It has the remarkable power to forge amazing connections and lifelong friendships through shared experiences. On a Trafalgar tour, people from all different backgrounds and cultures come together, connecting over a shared love of travel. This is the platform where friendships flourish: from exploring iconic landmarks together to immersing in local traditions, each moment becomes another thread that weaves new connections. The social aspect of our tours, from the communal meals to the group experiences, encourages you to connect with your fellow guests while you travel together. But don’t just take it from us, hear from these guests about the amazing shared experiences and new friends made while out on tour.

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Laughing and Dancing when you travel with new friends

A large group of people smile at a dinner table, making a toast with small glasses of post-drink liquer, clinking glasses in the middle of the table.

We met a wonderful family from Canada during our tour of Italy. We spent the entire trip together touring and seeing all the wonderful sights around the country. Here we are at the Saraceni Vineyards enjoying our last meal together. We spent the night laughing and dancing with our new friends. We still keep in touch with them, almost 4 years later! Without Trafalgar we would have never met these wonderful people!

Stephen on Best of Italy

Shared experiences can turn you into best friends

Two friends holding drinks and snacks pose for a photo with vast cliffs and the ocean in the background

I shared this wonderful trip with the most incredible friend I met on a previous Trafalgar holiday. We decided when we met in Spain that we would try to meet every two years. Ireland was our second special holiday filled with so many happy memories and incredible people we met along the way. Our delightful tour guide and the beautiful landscape. Not to mention Guinness and best whiskey filled days. I would love to travel again especially after being stuck due to Covid restrictions. Trafalgar has always made my dreams come true with the affordable amazing offers. 

Melisa on Best of Ireland

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Friendship has no borders with Trafalgar!’

Three friends pose for a photo with 'Hope' T-shirts on and small flags pinned to the shirts, displaying the country that they're each from. One from USA, one from South Africa, one from Canada

In April 2016, 3 ladies from very far off countries met on the Trafalgar Tour “Best of the Italian Lakes”. Alice was from South Africa, Jennifer from Canada and Laura from  the USA. They soon realized on that trip that they had so much fun together and a long time friendship was being built. Through Facebook they would plan their next trip together and meet in Athens, Greece in May 2018 to take their next tour  “Highlights of Greece with 3 Day Cruise”. In May 2019 the ladies came together again and met up for their 3rd trip and met in Rome, Italy.  This time they took the “Southern Italy and Sicily” Tour. This time we took a very special picture together. Jennifer, who works in the mental health field brought each of us a shirt of “Hope” with the flags of our countries on them to celebrate her work. The picture was posted on her company website as their proclamation was “Mental Health Support has No Borders. Words Matter.” Then Covid hit in 2020 and the trips had to stop. This past year, 2021, Laura was able to travel to South Africa and visit Alice. While there, Laura was able to spend time with Alice and see her new home and have dinner together. As you can see, Friendship has No borders with Trafalgar! Thank you Trafalgar for giving me 2 of my very Best Friends!

Laura on Best of Italian Lakes

New friends and shared experiences made in Monterosso

Three new friends pose for a photo in the shallow waters of a beach with the ocean behind them

I have loved every one of my seven trips with Trafalgar. In addition to seeing and learning about many parts of Europe and experiencing new cultures I have enjoyed the company of other participants. On this, my third Trafalgar trip to Italy I went solo and particularly enjoyed this moment as my new friends and I cooled our feet in the Mediterranean at Monterosso on our outing to Cinque Terre. One moment in a brilliant day.

It’s all about the ‘wonderful, wonderful people’ you meet

Three people pose for a photo that is being taken from a different angle. Candles light up the scene in the foreground

Wonderful, wonderful people! Beatrice, French hostess on her farm, more charming that France itself.  Jean, a new friend from my own town that I had to come to France to meet. Greatest stories ever.  And Helen, best guide ever; pulls everyone out of their shells. Oh, and the best goat cheese you’ve ever had, made fresh right there on the spot.

Walter on The Treasures of France

Home-made wine = instant friends

A group of people smile for a photo while at a dining table, holding up small glasses

The Be My Guest luncheon was shared with our new friends from South Africa. Hosts were so wonderful, language was no barrier. Home-made wine made us friends right away and our hosts hugged us and walked us back to the coach. Instant friends!!

Carol on Best of Turkey

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Celebrating friendship (and passion) through group travel

A group of people at a dinner table smiling for a photo, tiles are in the background and a large pork dish sits in the middle

‘My family is excited to travel again and see places. We were in Spain and we found new friends who shares the passion of traveling no matter what age you are. We celebrated that moment of friendship and passion at the oldest restaurant in the world – Sobrino de Botin. What a special way to celebrate friendship and passion! Get out and see the world!’

Rolando on Spain, Portugal, Morocco

Meeting your soul-travel buddy

Two friends smiling and posing for a photo holding up wine flutes

On this great tour of the Italian Lakes and Northern Italy I met Cyndi a fellow frequent Trafalgar traveler and we clicked right away as friends and travel buddies. Over the next 10 years since we met on tour Cyndi and I have traveled together every year (except during pandemic lockdowns), including a wonderful Trafalgar tour of Greece. Our next Trafalgar tour is coming up in a few weeks in April when we will explore Ireland’s Legendary North.

Guenevere on Best of Italian Lakes

When life throws you lemons…make new friends.

Three people posing for a photo on a boat, smiling with sunglasses on, enjoying the shared experiences of a Trafalgar tour

I had a really emotionally tumultuous year at the time I went on the trip, I had a lot of relationship troubles with friends and family and it was taking a toll on me mentally and emotionally.  I ended up going on this European Highlights trip alone and it was a little daunting at first because it was my first solo trip with a group of strangers especially out into a foreign country. Though I had no expectations, I was pleasantly surprised by the coordination of the entire trip and the new friends and relationships I made on the trip.  I met some wonderful ladies from different places of the world who were at different phases in their lives. Their company truly made the trip special and all the late night talks and fun we had will never be forgotten in my lifetime.  Sometimes life throws lemons at you but it also throws in some nice surprises that makes you keep going.  The photo was taken in Heidelberg, Germany when we went on the river cruise.

Janet Oh on European Traveller

Amazing shared experiences with the best travel team ever

Two women and a man posing in front of a harbour and ocean landscapes

One of the things that made this trip the most special was the travel team our group had. This was my first time ever doing a trip like this and the first I had ever been to Europe, so I had no idea what to expect coming into it. I was traveling solo and was a bit nervous at first. But our tour director and coach driver very quickly made it so the group felt like friends/family. Friendships were made and I still keep in touch with some of the people I met on my trip. This is in large part thanks to the people in these pictures. I couldn’t have asked for a better travel team, I adore them! 

Megan on Grand European

Traveling solo ‘with people who became like family’

Woman sitting in gondola smiling with a camera

‘On this Trafalgar trip I made so many new friends! People I am still in touch with and some have offered to travel with me. It was a very special trip with people who became like family. In this photo I’m in Venice, with my camera, capturing to beauty of the city from the grand canal- in my element and totally enjoying myself!’

Mary on Best of Italy

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Have you had an amazing friendship-building or bonding experience on one of our trips? Tell us all about it in the comments section below.

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