I have questions about a trip I’m planning, who can I ask for advice?
Travel is a subjective experience. Therefore, there are no right answer to questions like: What’s the best hotel in Paris for a solo traveler? Where can I find a great meal in Lisbon for a good price? What’s it like to travel alone in Egypt?
Answers to questions like these depend on the opinion of the respondent. And what is “good” to one person might not be so good to me. So how can I make the best, most accurately informed decision?
Don’t rely on one source.
When I have travel-related questions, I like to seek answers from multiple people. That way, I have some information to work with, compare, and analyze critically. That is precisely why websites like Reddit and TripAdvisor are so popular. Crowd-sourced information is valuable. However, the very problem with using websites like these are the volume and variety of answers they produce. At least when you are looking for a very specific answer.
With a view of the le Tour Eiffel, s’il vous plaît!
Consider the question, “What is the best hotel in Paris for a solo traveler?” Posting this question on most aggregate review sites will generate answers that come from people located all along the travel spectrum. I might find recommendations for a dozen backpacker hostels and a handful of luxury hotels, but what about the in between - the place where luxury meets affordability?
There is a lot of information on the internet about the “best” hotels, restaurants and excursions around the world - all based on the opinions of millions of Joe Shmoes around the world. With so many opinions floating around, how can you know who to trust?
Is there a way to seek out the advice of people who understand exactly what you’re looking for when it comes to affordable luxury travel?
As it turns out, yes.
If you’ve been following the Astrid Solo Travel Advisor journey, you might know that we just unveiled a brand new membership service: the AstridTravel Club. This website was designed to provide ideas, products and services for the affordable luxury solo traveler. This may seem like an extremely niche category - and that’s because it is. But one thing we’ve realized over the years is there are a lot of people interested in this kind of travel.
More and more people are realizing that it’s much more feasible than you think to travel alone and luxuriously; to stay in nice hotels, dine in amazing restaurants, and never feel like a tourist. The AstridTravel Club was created to bring people interested in this kind of travel together so that we can share ideas, learn from one another, ask questions, seek advice, and find a sense of connection and amongst people who simply like to travel in a similar fashion.
The AstridTravel Club Forum
We have created a separate website dedicated entirely to hosting discussions for members of the AstridTravel Club, and we’ve called it the AstridTravel Club Forum. This is a place designed as a hub where members can turn to in order to find answers from people who know what they’re looking for. This is a place for like-minded solo travelers to rave about wonderful, out-of-this-world hotels that don’t come at Four Seasons prices. Like the Hotel Regina in Paris: solo-traveler-friendly, centrally located, sophisticated, inviting, luxurious and affordable.
About the forum:
The forum is for members of the AstridTravel Club only. We decided to reserve access to the forum for members of the AstridTravel Club in order to ensure that the members who join this online community are as passionate about affordable luxury travel as we are.
Members create a profile and can then tailor their experience to suit their needs. Members can choose to “follow” topics they feel pertain to them such as Solo Travel in Morocco or Must-Visit Hotels around the World. They can pose questions to the entire community, or to followers of a very specific topic.
Members can direct message each other to ask more in-depth questions and build friendships.
Members can find other people located near them, which opens up an opportunity for in-person gatherings and meetings.
Members attending an AstridTravel Club trip can use the forum to meet fellow trip participants prior to trip departure, and stay in touch with each other long after the trip has concluded.
Forum hosts will post periodic polls, surveys and even host online meetups in order to spur discussion around a particular topic or answer member questions.
Our Vision
We created this forum in the hopes of not only helping solo travelers find affordable luxury travel opportunities, but in order to build a community around this topic. There is a certain connection amongst people who love to travel in a similar fashion, and we hope to facilitate this connection.
Some people love to travel in search of the worlds best art and architecture, others in search of the best cuisine or natural wonders, and isn’t it fun to meet someone else who enjoys these things as much as you do? Whether this person is across the street or across the globe, we hope to be the bridge.
Author: Madeline Freret
Madeline joined the Astrid Solo Travel Advisor team as a Content and Digital Marketing Manager in 2018. She believes that traveling is an essential aspect of life that allows you to see yourself, other people, places and things in a new light. She is passionate about trying new things, having a curious mind and seeking joy wherever she goes. To read more about her and each one of our Solo Travel Advisors, head over to the About page!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase through one of these links, Astrid Solo Travel Advisor receives a commission. This comes at no additional cost to you, and it helps keep this website running, and full of free ideas and tips!
Enjoy a bonus episode of Solo Travel Talk, all about The AstridTravel Club! Astrid shares her inspiration, as well as the amazing slate of trips planned for 2020. Trip facilitator and fabulous force behind the ATC Madeline Freret is also on the show talking about Marrakesh and her perspective on what The AstridTravel Club is all about.