Don’t be a bit surprised if most, if not all, back out when the time comes.

Hi there Rob,
4-6 people seem OK to me. 8 to 10 might be a little bit to much. Will appear differences in each one’s desire…someone might get ill, etc.

Anyway ocnisdering you will not do something hard, just visit towns, still you could manage,esp. if all the 10 are friends

For the accommodation, late december could lead to some problem if you don’t book in advance. By Christmass, Europe seem to be a crowded place.

My 2 cents…
Radu[url=‘http://danubedelta.outdoorholiday.com’ title=‘Birding Vacations in Danube Delta’] Holidays in Danube Delta [/url]

I traveled with 6 people for a week during my trip to Europe, and had fun with these people, but I was glad when we finally split. There is a downside to being tour guide, and that is, you can’t go by yourself one day because you just felt like it, unless you make it clear from the beginning you will do that sometimes. After all it’s your trip too and I wouldn’t pay that amount of money to babysit.

Almost certainly you will need reservations. Another downside of tour leader is that, if these people haven’t travelled much before (esp eastern Europe), they may have different expectations about accomodations/food/etc. than you do. Do you want to have to sort all that out? Not my cup of tea, but maybe ok by you.

Personally, I wouldn’t do it. I went on a trip like you mention and even though I thought everyone would get along, there was always arguments that left a sour taste in the mouth once in a while. If you are to do this, make sure that everyone understands that in order for it to work you need to all take some time apart from one another.

Another disadvantage is that it is difficult to meet new people in hotels/hostels with large groups which i think is half the fun.

The good thing about travelling with a group is that you can get a dorm to yourselves. But I would make reservations if I were you, especially if you are travelling around Christmas and/or New Year’s. Anyway I think with a group you really need to agree on where you’re going and some of what you’ll be doing beforehand to avoid conflict during the trip, so once you’ve done that making reservations isn’t such a big deal.

I know it’s a bit different, but when I went to Crete with my family (parents, grandma, sister and boyfriend) we agreed beforehand that we would have dinner together every day and for the rest of the day do what we wanted to do – if we wanted to do the same thing that was fine, but if we wanted to go somewhere by ourselves that was fine too. We did stay in the same place for a week, so it’s easier to do things on your own than if you need to get from place A to B to C etc. There was some conflict on this trip despite our agreement beforehand, because my father didn’t like it that I mostly took the lead (most days I said where I was going, and whoever wanted to join me did) and he just moped about that instead of making suggestions himself. But if some people in your group expect to have some freedom and others expect to spend every minute together, you got a recipe for disaster. So talk about these things before you go.

A little tip I got from an actual professional tour leader: exagerate the bad things. If you tell people who don’t know any better all hostels are crap, trains are constantly late, etc. they will not complain so much when that turns out to be true, and they will be happy when everything’s just OK.

way to many travel partners…

That will make you guys target for the terrorists. It is all about blending in!

I’ve done the group thing. It can be done without too many additional problems,if you’re lucky enough to not have any whiners, idiots or unhealthy folks along but beware of putting yourself in the position of travel guide unintentionally, that can become burdunsome fast and deter from your vacation enjoyment if you let it.
If people are flexible and willing to possibly even split up,there won’t be trouble getting rooms in the cities you listed I’m sure.

I’ve done big group travel once, but was on an organised, private tour with my friend who works for the tour group guiding it. The benefit of this was that reservations were already made, she’d take us to places she’d already eaten at, and that the travel route was set in stone. We had a fantastic time over three weeks but I can imagine if the stresses of organising 10 people to do things was thrown in, it might not have been that way.

I also went to Edinburgh with 3 friends for New Years and met up with another 4 friends. We didn’t all hang out together the entire time, but when we did, deciding and finding places to eat was a huge headache and caused a bit of strife.

I think my rule with travelling with people has always been – make sure each person you go with is ok with travelling on their own or splitting from the group with another 1 or 2 people. Because if things don’t work out, nobody wants someone who’s too scared to do their own thing hanging on.

Good luck with it! I’d be interested to know how it all goes!

Kirsty
http://www.travoholic.com

I wouldn’t do it either. I’ve travelled with a bunch of friends and it turns into a pain in the neck if everyone feels that they need to do everything together. Inevitably you have people wanting to see different things and pacify everyone.

You’d better make it clear that they are expected to do their own research and determine what they want to do and see, otherwise you literally will be their free tourguide. Also, I hope that they are agreeable. Their is nothing more aggrevating than trying to do something as simple as find a place to eat or crash and have one person be finicky.

Maybe you could travel separately for some time?

Personally, I prefer to travel solo or only with 1 or 2 others that I know are easy going and low maintenance…

I’m an independant traveller, so for me that sounds like travel hell. Regardless of how laid back everyone is, once they start getting excited about the trip and doing their own research, each person will have their own ideas of what they ‘have to see’. Seriously the only way I personally would consider doing that is if everyone is ok with the idea of splitting up throughout the trip.

Rob,

I’m in a similar situation. I went earlier this year with two friends for our first trip to europe and things were great. Like most i’m already planning my return, however now that we’ve gone several other friends are ready to hop on the band wagon (4 more to be exact making our group between 4-6 people)
While I’ve traveled with all of these people on short day trips or weekend getaways. I’ve concerned no how smoothly things can possibly run with everyone throwing their two cents in.

I’d be curious to know how it goes for you…

Most of what I have to say has already been said: expectations differ; as will ‘demands’ on the group leader (you). What is a ‘must see’ for one might not be for another, so people will be pulling in different directions. Who will win?

Some Tour Agencies used to offer ‘On your own’ tours in which you travel together to a destination city and meet up back at the airport (or Rail Station) a few days later. I think something like that would be the only way you could make such a group trip work. Split into twosomes at Berlin airport (or Bahnhof) and meet up a day or two later for the next leg of your journey.

Solo, you can interact with the ‘locals;’ this may be all right for a couple, also. With three or more, the local people will be hesitant to ‘break in,’ as they would consider it.

I traveled to Amsterdam Munich Prague with a total of 6.

Honestly…no problems besides eating mushrooms in Amsterdam and having 6 people thinking they know where are hostel is

As long as you are cool with everyone…I can’t see why not. But then again…if you have a some whiners and complainers…then it may suck.

I traveled just with my bro a few years ago…and no problems.

seraphim, you forgot to mention the time when you were the tour leader and took 5 strangers (ok, I was the only truly strange one, but that’s another story) around Belgium with you!

We were in each others pockets for a week and there were no murders or cat fights or anything.

Lost Sheep, that trip went so smoothly I didn’t even think of it. But we were all used to independent travel, so maybe it was a bit different from what Rob describes.

Rob Rob Rob. Is this your first trip to Europe? If so, none of us can answer your question about whether this trip can be successful with 4-10 people. I personally would never purposefully attach myself to more than 1 or maybe 2 others on a long trip. I like to travel alone. On the other hand I know people who are very comfortable going with larger groups. One thing is for certain, once you get to Europe with a big group, one person must take firm command of the situation, because indecision will run rampant, and I am sure that everyone will want to do something different at all times. Good thing is you can always plit up for hours or even days at a time. Remember that. It will save you. My philosophy is that when I plan a trip, it is for me. I am not spending the oodles of money that must be spent nowadays to do something that I might not want to do. Yes that is selfish but not neccesarily a bad thing. Make sure that you make it clear that you are not a tour guide, but do not mind making some plans, or leading the group WHEN you are together. Don`t promise that you will never do your own thing. I guess just take this advice for what its worth. GOOD LUCK and have FUN!!!! I am sure it will be great.