After making my decision to travel to Europe this summer, I’ve been getting the same question a lot lately:

“Are you going to Europe by yourself??”

If you’re anything like me, then you have a huge desire … (cough) obsession (cough) … to travel and see the world, but maybe not the desire/guts to travel solo. That’s ok. It’s safe to admit it. I admit it – I was slightly terrified. I’ve never once set foot outside of the US, and I wouldn’t even begin to know how to plan four weeks in Europe by myself. I mean goodness, my biggest obstacle was just reassuring family members that my trip wasn’t going to turn into a Liam Neeson movie.

So I started exploring what my realistic options were to satisfy my longing for travel. That’s when I discovered that Topdeck was exactly what I was looking for. Below I’ve given several reasons why I took the plunge and booked with Topdeck. I hope this information will be able to guide you and give you the same confidence I felt when booking my first international trip.

All the freedom without worrying about the details

I started searching through my options on the website TourRadar which helped me compare all sorts of tour companies. I was able to filter exactly which countries I wanted to go to, how many days I wanted to be gone, what my budget was, what city I wanted to depart out of … etc. That’s when I first came across Topdeck and found how easy and enjoyable they made everything. They’ll take care of my accommodations, quite a large majority of my meals, and all modes of transportation during my trip (Road to Athens). That leaves me with the job of taking a million pictures, eating gelato, and relaxing off the coast of Mykonos. You know, the hard stuff.

All the fun without skipping on the culture

I love cutting loose and having fun with new friends, but I also love learning about art and culture. I didn’t want to make outrageous demands when searching for a tour group, but this was probably my number one concern. I wanted to have fun AND learn about the cities I went to. I was Hannah Montana – I wanted the best of both worlds. So I set off to discover what really goes on in a Topdeck tour.

So naturally, I creeped on people’s Youtube videos of their trips.

After watching several videos of people traveling with Topdeck, I saw that they truly put an emphasis in achieving both. Topdeck provides the fun in seeing new places and doing new things, but they also have a reverence towards learning about art and cultures. Check and check!

All the friendships without sacrificing personal growth

Traveling all by my lonesome was very daunting to me. The “what if’s” were just too much to take. What if I get lost and stranded? What if some stranger starts following me? What if I have to use my sick martial art moves to protect myself and end up breaking an arm?? (Note to self – look up Krav Maga 101 on Youtube…or brush up on Miss Congeniality…)

Traveling by myself, for my very first international trip, did not seem enjoyable to me. However, I didn’t want to sacrifice growing as a person while I explored a bit of the world. That’s where Topdeck gets it perfect. Their like-minded travelers join together to experience and grow as individuals, yet get the safety and memories of new friends.

So why Topdeck?

One day I’ll be a solo, world traveling jetsetter. One day I’ll sweep into Barcelona, Istanbul, or Tokyo with knowledge and sophistication like the best of ’em.

That day, however, is just not today. And you know what? That’s ok!

We all have to walk our own paths and listen to our own heart. We shouldn’t be afraid to travel and try something new, but we also have to know what’s good for us. Me stressing about every single detail for a month straight? Yeah, I’m going to put that into the “not good for me” column.

So now I have an answer when I’m presented with the question, “Are you going to Europe by yourself??!” I can respond back with a whole lot of relief and excitement when I say, “I’m going with Topdeck!”

Have you traveled with Topdeck before? Tell me about your stories in the comments! I would love to hear about them!

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