Small Group Travel - The Best Way to See the World

What if the beachfront villa in Turks & Caicos with the private chef — the kind of place you assume is reserved for celebrities — was actually within reach? In this Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors feature, Highroads Traveler founder Captain Joe Sacchetti makes the case for small-group travel as the smartest way to see the world, not the compromise people assume it is. Split a $10,000-a-week villa five or six ways, and suddenly a once-in-a-lifetime property becomes an ordinary weekend decision.

Joe walks through why a host changes everything — turning a trip from a logistics project into a seamless, concierge-level experience — and pushes the idea even further with "celebrity travel," hosted journeys built around a local expert who brings a destination's culture, food, and history to life. He also reframes milestone celebrations: instead of another anniversary or reunion on the East Coast, why not gather the same group in a European castle or coastal villa abroad, often for about the same cost?

It's a compelling read for anyone who assumes international group travel is complicated or out of reach, and a reminder that the right group — paired with the right travel expert — can make the world feel a lot closer than it seems.