Who are Flashpack and why did I choose them?

I had become aware of Flashpack via social media (thank you algorithms) having followed a few solo travellers for inspiration for my own adventures. Having dug a little deeper via Google searches, it became apparent they were the high end of group travel companies, with Conde Nast describing them as ‘The best high-end adventures for solo travellers’.

Flashpack market themselves as providing ‘can’t do by yourself experiences, with the focus being not only on the trip itself but the group dynamics and building friendships.

Flashpack was founded by a husband and wife team, the wife half of which, when searching for her own group travel experience found the market sorely lacking and so the idea for Flashpack was born!

Their mission, as described on their website, is to build one million meaningful friendships across the globe using the power of travel. Going on to claim that 80% of ‘Flashpackers’ keep in touch after a group travel experience with Flashpack. They go so far as to say that they ‘absolutely obsess over group dynamic’ making sure ‘you feel like you are travelling with friends within the first 24 hours.

With solo travel on the rise, there have been several other group travel companies emerge, such as Intrepid , G-Adventures, Much Better Adventures and Explore, to name but a few.

Flashpack seemed to get really positive reviews and as someone who lives alone and has struggled to make new friends in adulthood I was totally sold on their ethos of building friendships. Their trips also really did seem to incorporate activities and experiences that were a little more ‘extra’ than the others. I had seen time and time again stories of people returning to Flashpack having had such a good experience; I read one story about a man who was on his tenth Flashpack trip. They must be doing something right! Given they are the more expensive end of the spectrum for group travel companies, the price did not seem to deter people from coming back.

They are aimed specifically at travellers aged 30-49 so you know from the outset you won’t be travelling with a group of twenty somethings who are there to party the trip away. Interestingly Flashpack have also started running trips for the next age demographic of 49-60 year olds to capture the market of those who are being aged out of the current trips but still want to group travel but aren’t yet ready for the saga coach trips!

Flashpack are really quite forward thinking in this regard and seem to pay attention to the market and changes in social cultures relating to travel.

I decided that on the basis that this was my first group travel experience I needed to give myself the best chance of falling in love with group travel, and whilst they are a little more expensive than their competitors, for me, booking with the company that looked like it would give me the best first experience made sense.

The Trip I Chose:

I was still apprehensive that I would hate the whole thing, having only travelled solo and been free to roam, eat, sleep as and when I chose , I was not sure if group travel was for me. On that basis I chose a short trip for my first experience. The trip was four night adventure ‘Winter in Iceland’.

I then got a little carried away and booked another three-night trip a month later to Finland. This actually ended up being cancelled for reasons beyond Flashpack’s control but they were very responsive and did all they could to compensate for the disappointment. I will come to that a little later.

There is a more detailed article about the trip itself and so this article will focus primarily on my experience with this specific travel company rather than my experience of Iceland .

Communication ahead of the trip/ Customer service :

The booking of the trip is pretty straightforward on line. Simply selecting the dates and placing a £200 deposit (providing you are booking far enough in advance).

If the trip is guaranteed to run (they require a minimum number of bookings before the trip is guaranteed to run) then you have the option at the check out to select a solo room, providing there is one available.

On certain trips you can also book a night prior / after the trip should you require it.

If the trip is not guaranteed to run at the time of booking you must await an email confirming this before you go head and book flights. For my Iceland trip this came a month or so after I had made my booking.

The lead up communication prior to the trip is where  I think Flashpack could do better.

As a slightly anxious traveller I am not one to just trust that everything is happening as it should!

I booked the additional night before the trip and therefore would be relying on Flashpack to book the hotel and arrange my transfer and I had expected some sort of confirmation that this had been done.

When you book with Flashpack you get the usual confirmation email and then can log on to your account to make any additional payments etc.

Flashpack also have an app which lists of all of your bookings and then provides a ‘preparation’ tab which has useful links to various pieces of information you are going to need for your trip such as Visa information and a kit list (this is super useful!).

There is then a checklist tab where you enter your personal details such as emergency contact, flight and passport information.

You will also find the personalisation and roommate questionnaire. Here Flashpack ask a series of questions about your personality and habits in order to match you with a suitable roommate. This is quite a thorough questionnaire and provided some reassurance that I would be matched with a compatible roommate.

30 days prior to the trip your full itinerary is added to the app. This section on the app states that you will be emailed when the itinerary is added – you are not! And when I contacted Flashpack to query if it was possible that I may have missed other notifications as I had not received that one, I was informed that in fact they never send emails re the itinerary going live and this was an error that they would rectify. I can confirm at the time of writing (having booked subsequent trips) that the app still says this.

A further issue I had was that my itinerary started on the official start date of the trip and there was no detail given re my additional night prior or transfers, which led me to raise yet another query as to whether this was actually booked and confirmed as it was not reflected in the itinerary provided. Of course I had booked flights/ airport parking etc. all based on that additional first night and was concerned about all the logistical adjustments I would need to make if Flashpack hadn’t secured those first night travel arrangements . I was reassured it was all booked but the itinerary that is uploaded on to the app was a generic one for that trip and they did not personalise it to reflect any specific plans for the individual. This I think is a flaw in their system. It would be reassuring to have all the details in one place and would surely save them time answering unnecessary questions from anxious travellers!

What I would say is, every single one of my queries was answered within a day or two and always courteously, helpfully, and promptly.

They clearly expect a level of trust from their customers that if you have booked it, they have arranged it. In a world where we are forever dealing with errors made by humans in customer service, it is difficult to travel all the way to another country on a promise that you will be collected and have somewhere to stay the other end!

I would also have liked a little more detail about my transfer. A week prior to the trip were all sent bus tickets for our transfer. There was however, little detail given about what to expect or where to go aside from a bus stop number which in fact was not particularly obvious when I reached the lengthy line of buses outside the airport! When I got on the transfer bus I was simply hoping it was going to my destination! About half an hour into the journey we were were then all herded off the bus and back on to another bus with no communication as to whether it was in fact taking us to our respective hotels! It would have been reassuring to have had this information from Flashpack in advance as this was a little anxiety inducing. Of course I did ask in the end but it was all done in such a rush that there was little time to ask ahead of being bundled into bus no. 2. I would like to have had some reassurance that this was expected! It is particularly disconcerting as a solo traveller and given this is who Flashpack is geared up to, I would expect them to be mindful of this fact.

A month prior to the departure FP create a WhatsApp  group for your trip. This was really useful. Both as a way to make introductions to fellow travellers prior to the trip but also to swap advice re packing.

Your guide is then joined to the group the week before you travel so you get an opportunity to ‘meet’ them too.

This group then remained a useful source of contact throughout the trip and a means to stay in touch a share photos post- trip.

In respect of my cancelled trip to Finland, there had been some crossed wires initially, as I had not received the confirmation email that the trip was guaranteed to run but could see from the website that it was fully booked. I dropped their customer services a quick email to check and was told the trip was guaranteed. Once again this raised concerns that I was not receiving all the information about my booking that I should have. Off the back of this email, I went ahead and secured my flights etc.

About two months before my departure, I received an email from Flashpack informing that the trip had been cancelled due to the resort we were due to be staying at changing hands. They also informed that the trip was in fact never guaranteed and that it was an error that travellers had been informed of such when make these enquiries. Not ideal. They offered a token compensation and an alternative trip which was a fair offer, albeit it disappointing that the original trip could not go ahead. Unfortunately, I could not make the dates work and so was unable to accept their offer. I explained that I had booked flights and a hotel in between connecting flights (I could not get a flight on the day that got me to the welcome meeting on time) and to their credit they reimbursed me for all of my associated travel expenses as well as a full refund on the trip. Having braced myself for a battle I was pleasantly surprised when this was all actioned within a few days of my email with no dispute or challenge (obviously I provided proof of my expenses and the fact I was unable to get a refund directly from the respective providers).

I can not fault them on how they handled that situation.

I would also say that despite the lack of information mentioned above, their customer service team dealing with email enquiries is very responsive and helpful. I never once had to wait more than a day or two for a reply and they were always courteous and clear.

Overall their customer service is top notch.

The Guide

You meet with your guide at the welcome meeting and they stay with you for the duration of the trip.

Our guide was fantastic. He was incredibly knowledgeable, and could not do enough to ensure we have the best experience of our destination and preplanned activities.

His English was impeccable so there was no difficulty in communicating.

He kept us posted on long journeys of where we were likely to next get a rest stop to use the bathroom and get any snacks we required.

He went out of his way at each and every stage of our trip to ensure we got the most out of our experience. This included a check in with each and every one of us at the welcome meeting to make sure we all had appropriate kit for the activities we had planned ahead of us.

The Group:

The group dynamic could not have been better.

This was the thing I was the most apprehensive about. Scratch that – I was terrified!!

I was worried about so many things- what if I don’t like them, what if they don’t like me, what if sharing a room is a disaster, what if I feel restricted and overwhelmed by being in a group the entire time… what if , what if , what if…

I decided to go all in on my first group travel experience and opted to share a room.

I am an only child, I’ve lived alone for eight years and have never been one for sleep overs, or sharing my space with anyone! So this was a big deal for me! But I figured for the first trip it was worth going all in. I might love it, I might hate it but there is only one way to find out!! It was only four nights and almost anything is tolerable for that period of time right?! On the flight over all I could think was – what am I doing?? Why on earth did I think sharing a room was a good idea?! Too late now!

Turns out I didn’t love it, nor did I hate it. I found sharing my space difficult but that was very much about me and how I function in my space. I think if you are someone who can or is willing to share a room there is a real bonding opportunity there.

I didn’t necessarily connect strongly with my room mate.  We had some laughs and were respectful of one another but I don’t think we would have sought each other out in the ‘real world’.  But I am glad I did it.

For me, the creeping around, not being able to move around freely without being concerned about making noise, sharing a bathroom, and the presence of a stranger whilst sleeping was a little intrusive for me. But this trip was all about learning about myself and now I know!

The group travel experience itself, however, was brilliant!

The group was comprised of seven women’s and one man (as well our guide who was also male) ages ranging from 36-44. All were professionals in various fields, mostly single and living solo.

Only two of the eight drank alcohol which was refreshing, as a non drinker I was worried that I might be in the minority and there would be late night bar trips and I would either be left behind or have to tag along sober. Those that did drink drank only with dinner. It is worth noting that Flashpack have very recently launched a series of alcohol free trips which is strides ahead and in keeping with the increasing change in culture around the consumption of alcohol.

The great thing about Flashpack, is that because of the small age range and the fact it is geared up specifically for solo travellers, you know you are coming from a similar life stage, with the common ground of the anticipation and excitement for the trip , and as well as the same love or curiosity about travel itself, as those you are travelling with. One of my favourite things was hearing about all the places my fellow travellers had been or had plans to go. Especially other Flashpack trips they had done or were planning to take (most had travelled with Flashpack before or had at least another trip booked).

I have travelled a lot solo but never in a group before and had no idea what to expect. The shared moments of awe were everything. Having someone to share the first time seeing an incredible view or participating in a unique activity with, the shared debriefs over dinner reflecting on incredible days, made the entire experience even more enjoyable. That human connection over the trip was more valuable that I ever could have imagined.

By the end of the welcome dinner on the first night we were laughing like old friends, by  day 3 we were belting out power ballads in the back of our mini bus together.

Since returning from the trip, following a flurry of activity in the WhatsApp group,  sharing post trip photos etc.  I have stayed in contact with two of my follow travellers . One of whom I have booked a city break with ,and another who I have arranged to meet on another Flashpack adventure later in the year.

Conclusion

Flashpack’s whole ethos is about bringing people of a similar age together to forge friendships over those shared experiences and I think they achieve this exceptionally well.

They are dubbed high end group travel. They are more expensive that other group travel companies I have seen, but honestly based on my own experience and based on what others who have traveled multiple trips with Flashpack have said, I think the others would struggle to live up to Flashpack standards.

I say that of course without having used other companies.

The dealbreaker for me is that whilst I am sure the other travel companies run incredible experiences and trips, the thing that I liked about Flashpack was that you knew what to expect from your travel companions before you got there.

You knew if they were going to be a similar age, you knew they were going to be travelling solo. I have seen on other travel websites in the reviews that people have joined group travel whilst on their honey moon- I just think a loved up couple in the midst of a group of solo travellers would alter the dynamics from the outset (also no idea why you would choose to travel this way on your honeymoon but each to their own!) Also, it is often the case with other group travel companies that the age ranges often run right through from 18-60. So you risk sharing your once in a life time experience with a bunch of college/ uni students who want to sit up until the early hours drinking/ partying or at the other end of the spectrum. I say this with no criticism or judgement of either demographic but simply to point out that the narrow age range means that not only do you have sense of the demographic of people you will be travelling with but by virtue of that you also know you likely will have something in common from the outset as well as similar expectations of travel and shared spirit of adventure .

One of the nicest things about the group travel was the understanding of all the facets of solo travel – there was no need to ask anyone to take your photo as everyone just offered – taking it in turns and patiently waiting the others before moving on.  There was a great camaraderie and  always someone with a helping hand if you needed it.

Everyone I spoke to on my trip who had used Flashpack previously gave glowing reports of their experiences and those that hadn’t, had plans to do so again by the end of our trip.

I fear I’ve been spoiled by this travel experience and am a little apprehensive about trying any of the other companies as they have such broad age ranges.

That said I have booked one trip with another provided for the sole reason that it is a very specific trip that Flashpack do not run. (More on that after I’ve taken the trip!).

Flashpack’s commitment to fostering friendships was evident in my experience. By the end of the trip, I had formed at least two meaningful connections that I cherish. While it is a bit pricier than some other travel companies, the overall experience, from the destination to the incredible guide and like-minded fellow travellers, was worth every penny. Despite needing some improvement in their pre-trip communication, I wholeheartedly recommend Flashpack and look forward to more adventures with them.

Flashpack send you a voucher on your date of return for £80/ $100 which I took no time all all in utilising.

The fact that within three days of being back home, I had booked two further trips with Flashpack says it all and my Flashpack wish-list gets longer by the week!

As for Flashpack’s aim to build over a million friendships, I can attest that they have managed to make at least two from my trip alone.