Who and What is the Global Expedition Club?
What's the History of the Club?
Who Are Our Club Members?
What if I am a Solo Traveler?
Can I Start a Local Chapter?
Where Does the Group Travel and How is This Decided?
Who Are the Guides on Club Trips and How Can I Become One?

Who and What is the Global Expedition Club?
The Global Expeditions Club is an international travel club open to any and all travelers who are interested in adventure travel, group tours and making friends.

It doesn't matter if you are traveling on your own, with one or more friends/family members, or with an organized group, you are welcome and encouraged to join us.

The objectives of the club are to:

• Bring together good, fun-loving people whose passion it is to travel to new and adventurous places with other like-minded people on group tours.
• Put together, with the input of the club members, exciting and adventurous group tours & expeditions for any and all club members, using quality accommodations and reputable providers.
• Create an environment within the club that fosters friendships and encourages participation from everyone involved.

Our Goal:

What's the History of the Club?
We started the club for one simple reason; because we love to travel. We are, first and foremost, adventure travelers. The first Local Chapter started in the Boston, Massachusetts area as a way to bring together other solo & adventure travelers interested in exploring exciting destinations around the world. Little did we know that we'd hit on an idea that appealed to many people. It was soon discovered that the many friends we'd made throughout the world during our travels wanted to join us on our group tours. As quickly as the club began to take root, these friends and travel acquaintances started to form their own Local Chapters. As a result, The Global Expedition Club continues to grow and new members and Local Chapters are constantly being added.

If you are interested in Joining the Club, Click Here. If you are interested in Starting a Local Chapter, Click Here.
Back to top

Who Are Our Club Members?
Our members come from a variety of different countries and from all across the United States and Canada. The club offers members the option of joining at either the Club Level or at a Local Chapter Level. Both levels are free to join and come with full membership benefits, including the ability to travel on club group tours, but joining at a Local Chapter level also provides the added opportunity of meeting other people in your area.

Club Level: Club Level members join to travel with the club on group tours and be kept up to date with the latest club happenings. These members are typically only interested in traveling on the Global Expeditions Club’s exciting and social adventures, and don’t necessarily want to participate in Local Chapter activities. Club Level is also for those members who live in an area where no Local Chapter exists.

Note: If there is a Local Chapter in your area, why not join them and enjoy all the benefits of Club Level, while also having the opportunity to get to know some new people in your area. Being part of a Local Chapter is certainly not a requirement, but it does add to the fun!

Local Chapter Level: Local Chapters are an important component of the club. Through the leadership of the Local Chapter President, Local Chapters have been designed and established to provide regular social gatherings to:

1. Allow local members to meet and get to know one another in a non-travel setting
2. Pick trips that the Local Chapter would like to participate in
3. Discuss up-coming group tours that have been established by other Local Chapters and are open to all members
4. Introduce new members to the local members
5. Encourage the growth of the Local Chapter
6. Have lots of fun!

Ultimately, Local Chapters serve as a social hub as well as a local information hub. Typically there is one Local Chapter per area, but there can certainly be two or more Local Chapters in the same area if the city/area is large enough to support it or if there is a defining attribute to the group that would make it unique enough to attract only a certain segment or group of people... for example, a retirees club, college alumni club, etc.

There is absolutely NO cost for joining a Local Chapter. Membership is FREE and you may participate as little or as much as you wish. Some members are very active, go to all the meetings and help promote the club, some participate when they have time, and some simply receive the club emails... but regardless, most members travel with the club often and have made life-long friendships.

If no Local Chapter is available to you and you would like to start one, please click here. There are a lot of great benefits available to Local Chapter Leaders. Not only is it a great way to meet lots of new friends, but it's a great way to earn huge discounts on club group tours... you'll even have the chance to TRAVEL FOR FREE. Best of all, it costs you nothing but your time! Find out more about Starting a Local Chapter.

It also goes without saying, that age, sex, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity play no part in this club. There is only one requirement to joining and being accepted; that you are a good, fun-loving person who loves to travel to adventurous places with other like-minded people.
Back to top

What if I am a Solo Traveler?
The Global Expeditions Club was started with two types of people in mind; those traveling with one or more friends/spouse/family member and those traveling solo. Many of us in the club have been in a situation where we wanted to travel somewhere exciting, but couldn't find anyone willing to venture outside the confines of 'traditional travel'. That is the purpose of this club and reason it is so successful.

The club is full of 'solo' travelers looking to meet other fun and adventurous people, so matching you up for accommodations is easy. It is the club goal that all of our group tours are priced with NO mandatory single supplements. If you are booking solo, then we will match you with another solo traveler of the same gender and the two of you will share a room together for the duration of the trip.

Of course if you prefer to have your own room, then we will offer an optional single supplement price. By paying this supplement, you will secure your own room when single room options are available (on some trips accommodations are limited, especially when a boat is involved, therefore when shared rooms are the only option - this will be noted on the trip details).
Back to top

Can I Start a Local Chapter?
Absolutely! We are always on the look out for people who are interested in starting up a Local Chapter. It costs you nothing to start a Local Chapter, except your time and commitment. We'll help you get it going and once it's up and running we'll shower you with gifts of generous trip discounts or even FREE TRAVEL for your efforts.

Member lead Local Chapters are the heart and soul of the club. They are not only a valued social hub where countless friendships have been made (and even a few romances!), but they are also the key to expanding the reach of the club. As we continue to grow, the number of group tours that the club can organize also increases, thus allowing for a larger choice of group tour options for our members. Growth in the club also helps to reduce the costs of the trips through larger volume discounts from our travel suppliers.

There is no doubt that the club wouldn't be what it is today without the unwavering efforts of the Local Chapter leaders, and the club has been set up from the beginning to recognize this. We are all part of the club for the love of travel, so what better way to reward the efforts of our Local Chapter Leaders than to pay them with what they love: travel.

Starting a Local Chapter is easy and free. If you want to TRAVEL FOR FREE or at a huge discount, then find out how you can Start a Local Chapter.
Back to top

Where Does the Group Travel and How is This Decided?
This is an adventure travel club, therefore our club group tours center around exciting, adventurous and often off-the-beaten-path destinations. That said, we also focus on comfort, safety, affordability and trying to coordinate the most desirable time for our club members to travel with the best times to visit a particular destination.

As far as trip choices, the club works with Local Chapter Leaders to decide where the club wants to travel to. Often, a Local Chapter will choose a group tour amongst themselves (committing at least 6 members), then open it to other club members. Other times, the club will poll members for ideas and put out group tours for members to sign up for. Regardless, all club trips are open to each and every club member on a first come first served basis and will only close once the sign-up period ends or the group size hits its maximum.

Take a look at the club's current up-coming trips.

Here are examples of past or considered club group tours:

• Peru: Machu Picchu & the Amazon Rainforest
• Costa Rica Adventure Tour (including whitewater rafting, canyoneering, jungle canopy zip-lining, and horse riding)
• African Safari (Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater) and/or Mt. Kilimanjaro hike
• Egyptian Adventure with extension to Petra, Jordan
• Nepal & Tibet Overland Tour with a visit to Mt. Everest Base Camp - 17 Days
• Galapagos Island Expedition Cruise (with optional Amazon Rainforest extension)
• Indochina (Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam)
• Australia (plus New Zealand: North & South Island Exploration)
• Classic India & the Taj Mahal
• China (Great Wall & Terra Cotta Warriors)
• Summer Trek in the Austrian Alps
• Italy: Rome, Venice and Tuscany
• Greece Island Sailing Adventure
• Turkey: Istanbul and the Coast
• Iceland Horseback Riding Adventure
• Northern California: San Francisco, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe & Yosemite Natl Park
• Chartered Sailboat Regatta in British Virgin Islands

Back to top

Who Are the Guides on Club Trips and How Can I Become One?
All of our trips are guided by experienced and professional local guides who know the area, the language and the culture. However club group tours can also be lead by a qualified club member (in addition to the professional local guide). It is the Club Member Guide's responsibility to coordinate with the local guides and ensure that every group member has what they need and that they are having a good time.

While Club Member Guides typically travel at a discount, by no means is it a free vacation. In fact, they work very hard to take away as much worry and hassle from your experience as possible. Often their work is 'behind the scenes' and goes unnoticed by most of the group. But rest assured, between the work they do and the work that the Local Guide does, our group tours are as exciting and worry-free as they get.

That said, Club Member Guides also have a lot of fun and get to see the world for little to no cost. Needless to say, everyone wants to do it and competition for these positions is extremely tough.

For the good of the club, our general guidelines for becoming a Club Member Guide are very stringent, but not impossible. Unless previous guiding experience exists, at the very minimum the follow criteria must be met:

• You must obtain and carry a valid First Aid certificate.
• You must participate in an 'approved' preparation and training program as stated below:
• You must have traveled on at least THREE club trips as a full paying member.
• At least TWO of the above three trips must be 'approved' by the appropriate club member responsible for all club guides*. On these trips, the club member interested in becoming a guide (i.e. the 'Candidate Member Guide') will be required to observe the Club Member Guide throughout the trip and discuss procedures and other important aspects of being a guide. At the end of each group tour, Club Member Guides will be required to give their approval or disapproval of the Candidate Member Guide.
  *PLEASE NOTE: The club will only allow for 'approved' trips to take place when the club has indicated an interest and/or need for additional guides.
• If approved for guide training by the club, the Candidate Member Guide will participate in a training group tour. Following completion of this training trip, the club directors will determine if the Candidate Member Guide is ready to be a guide or if another training trip is recommended. This process is in place to protect the club members and assure that the Candidate Member Guide is qualified for the role.
• Before the training trip commences, the Candidate Member Guide will be required to study the procedures for their scheduled up-coming group tour and to verbally pass an oral exam at least 4 months before trip departure. During the training trip, the Candidate Member Guide will fully guide the group tour on his/her own, but under the watch and guidance of the Club Member Guide. After the group tour, the Club Member Guide will issue their approval or disapproval of the Candidate Member Guide and/or recommend further training.
• Once approved, the Candidate Member Guide will become a Club Member Guide and will be offered group tour guiding positions as needed by the club.

If you are interested in becoming a Club Member Guide, please contact us at Info@GlobalExpeditionsClub.com
Back to top