Any travel groups in the Northeast?

None that I know of.

You'd be welcome at the virtual East Bay (California) group which is a Zoom meeting hosted by CWsocial again this weekend. Have a read of the post here: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/travel-meetings/virtual-east-bay-sf-area-travel-group-meeting-sat-march-12-2022 You will need to express interest in the thread.

You'd also be welcome in the International group which is also a Zoom meeting hosted by Andrea in Sacramento. Unfortunately the meeting was yesterday and will miss a month before resuming in May.

I haunt both of them and we would be glad to have a new face...

I attend Andrea’s international meet yesterday for the first time and folks were from all over.

I second Nigel. There isn’t one in my area and I love both of these groups.

Join any of the virtual ones. I attend the international one. I’m from just south of Binghamton. I’ve been in CA since 1969.

Just, I would love a northeast zoom meet up. I have tried to join the international one by zoom but something kept interfering as 12:30 PM eastern time on Sundays is prime time here for many other activities. Maybe your post will see how many people might be interested.

Nigel, thanks for posting our meeting link for this weekend. And, indeed, anyone is welcome to join us online. We're about half "locals" and half from around the country: Texas, Alaska, Idaho, England and Massachusetts, to name a few.

I'm also happy to share ideas with anyone who might like to start their own local group. It doesn't take much more than a passion for travel!

Thanks, everyone for your responses. It didn't really hit me until this morning that I could actually join in on any of the virtual groups. I'm kind of a Luddite, not that I can't handle technology, just that most times I prefer not to.

Nigel, thanks for the suggestions. With any luck, I'll join the meeting this weekend.

Wray- I'd be willing to support that for sure. If there was enough interest, I'd even be willing to travel somewhere more centrally located, perhaps Springfield, Hartford, etc.

CWsocial- I believe I posted an RSVP this morning...😃

Hi Justsweetjs. I live in Clayton NY (about 1.5 hours from Syracuse) and I’d love to get together for a travel group.

Yes indeed, justsweetjs, you should have a private message from me with the details to join us. We look forward to swapping travels with you and anyone else who would like to join!

This weekend we'll be discussing airfares: where to find cheap airfares; refundable vs non-refundable fares. And a discussion of solo travels - with a Rick Steves guidebook in hand, of course!

CindyP, I sent you a PM to chat more about starting something locally.

CWsocial- thank you! I'll try and do a test run this week!

I would encourage you to start a local one and post it in the Travel Groups category. When I moved from the Seattle area to north Idaho two years ago, I really missed the free classes and seminars at the RS home office in Edmonds. I had no idea if or how many people might be interested in this area. There were a couple of smaller attendance meetings which quickly grew to a healthy amount even though several of us frequently travel.

We have a great time together and joke that we all “get it” …..while spouses or friends eyes would glaze over if they were listening to all of our travel conversations.

Even though we meet monthly on the 1st Saturday of the month, I post a reminder on the RS forum which has often brought new people. At first we were meeting at a Panera Bread restaurant because I saw a few other RS groups meet at a Panera, and that was easy. During Covid, we met at a park with lawn chairs. But for the past year we have gathered at a cute local bakery that specializes in French goodies & good coffee drinks. It’s located in the touristy part of downtown and makes a nice setting to enjoy walking around afterwards vs. being next to the highway.

I live in Massachusetts and I love attending the virtual meetings of` both CWSocial’s East Bay travel group and Andrea’s international travel group. I’d be interested in attending a northeast travel group meeting via Zoom.

I live just outside of Toronto. I attend the D.C. area group online as well I have attended the international travel group.
Find a group that works for you and join. Some may continue virtual once everthing opens up and people are more comfortable meeting in person.

I am not aware of any groups near in the Toronto area.

I would love to join a travel group if one becomes available in the Northeast. Will gladly attend virtually. I’m in Connecticut. Thanks.

Jean- thank you for the wonderful ideas! It gives me a much appreciated place to start.

Valerie and raymonelee, it may take me a bit to start something and work up to also having it virtually, but I will bookmark this thread so I can contact you both in the event that happens.

Wendy - I've tossed the idea with some local friends who travel and had a great responses, so, I believe I will try to start a local group, then expand if possible to virtual to include more people if interested. Looking forward to getting back to Canada soon!! 🇨🇦

You are very welcome to join our virtual International group meetings, usually on the 1st Sunday of the month. It can be a different day if the 1st Sunday lands on a holiday weekend or if I’m not available. That will be the case for April because I leave in 10 days on a 6 week trip. I post about a week ahead for the meetings and people must request to join each month. These meetings began in July 2020. I intend to continue them as long as people are interested.

I also host the Sacramento travel group. We’ve been meeting since July 2010, always in person until things closed down because of Covid. Since that time we do some in person (outdoors or indoors depending on Covid in the area) and some on zoom.

I’m also happy to help with any questions or advice if you or anyone else would like to start a group. I find the group meetings very enjoyable and always look forward to them.

I too would be interested in joining a North East Chapter. If one has not been formed I would be happy to get one going if there is enough interest.

I'd be interested in a Zoom (for now anyway) northeast version, if anyone starts one. Weekends aren't the best for me though.

WOZ, a small group of us have been doing a monthly travel group meeting here in Upstate NY for the last couple of months, but in person, not virtual. If you wanted to start a virtual group, that would be awesome, as you could pick up the rest of the folks from the thread, and I'm sure my group would also join in. (I'm not so tech savvy that I'd feel comfortable hosting virtually, but I can respond to a zoom invite. Know thyself...)

Feel free to PM me if you like, I'd love to talk about it with you.