You're traveling solo
You don't need a travel partner to see the world. Join a small group where showing up alone is completely normal, and you'll have a table full of people to share dinner with on night one.
Don't Just Go Somewhere. Come With Us!
Hosted group journeys to the world's most incredible destinations!
Travel is about more than checking places off a list. It's about the people you meet, the stories you share, and the memories you make along the way. Join Erika and fellow travelers on carefully curated journeys designed to make seeing the world easier, more meaningful and a whole lot more fun!!
We take care of the details.
All you have to do is come along!
Free · 30 minutes · No obligation
Small groups • Every detail handled • Solo travelers always welcome
Custom Land & Cruise Trips
We are a full-service travel agency and can assist with vacations for families, couples and friends too.
Hosting journeys since 2018
Signature Travel Network member
CLIA Elite Cruise Counselor
Erika travels with every group
Travel Better Together!
When you Journey with Erika, you're not just joining a tour.
You're joining a community of travelers who are curious about the world and excited to experience it together.
We carefully choose the destinations, experiences and details. Erika hosts the journey and helps create an environment where strangers can become travel companions — and travel companions can become friends.
Because some of the best memories aren't just about where you went.
They're about who was there with you!!
Who this is for
You Don't Have to Have It All Figured Out
Some of our favorite travelers had never left the country before their first journey with us. Others had a passport full of stamps but think it is more fun to travel with a group. If any of this sounds like you, you're exactly who we built this for.
You've never traveled internationally
Passports, connections, currency, customs. We walk you through all of it before you go, and Erika is right there with you the whole way.
Planning feels overwhelming
The research, the reviews, the endless tabs. We've already done it. We choose the destinations, vet the experiences, and handle the logistics.
You have a bucket list and you're ready
The kids are grown, the calendar finally has room, and you're done waiting for someday. Let's go.
How a Journey with Erika Works
- 1
Book a free call
A relaxed, no-pressure conversation about where you'd like to go and what kind of traveler you are. No obligation, no hard sell.
- 2
Find your journey
We match you with an upcoming hosted journey that fits your pace, your budget, and your bucket list. If nothing fits yet, we'll add you to the waitlist for what's coming.
- 3
We take care of the details
Flights, transfers, hotels, excursions, dining, documentation. You'll get a clear itinerary and a pre-trip guide so you know exactly what to expect.
- 4
Come along
Erika travels with the group. You arrive as a traveler and you leave with friends.
Schedule a Call
Free · 30 minutes · No obligation
What our travelers say
“Journey with Erika is a fantastic company to work with and an even better company to travel with on their hosted journeys! We have taken several trips with Erika & Chris and have several more planned. Their enthusiasm for traveling is one of their key advantages and their hosted tours are simply the best way to travel. They are dedicated to making sure all their clients receive the best possible experience and work tirelessly if an issue arises when a client is traveling.”
“10 day Alaska Glacier Cruise and 5 day Canadian Rockies adventure perfectly coordinated and hosted by Erika and Chris Commisso. … We are repeat customers and plan vacations based on where "Journey with Erika" look to host future adventures.”
“Erika has helped us to plan 4 vacations and we couldn’t be more grateful for her services. … From the moment we leave our home, until we return, every detail is taken care of! Finally, Erika is so well traveled that her personal advice and recommendations for our vacations are priceless!!”
4.8 out of 5 from 24 Google reviews · Read all reviews on Google →
Where We're Going Next
Small groups, hosted personally by Erika. When a journey opens for booking, our waitlist hears first.
Sold Out
Christmas Markets Land & River Cruise
Land & River Cruise · December 3–12, 2026
A winter fairytale of mulled wine, twinkling markets and festive traditions. Three festive nights in Munich and Nuremberg, then a 6-night Danube river cruise aboard the Amadeus Nova to Vienna.
View trip & join the waitlist
Now Booking
Highlights of Antarctica
Expedition Cruise · February 17–28, 2027
Fly to Ushuaia and sail the MS Fridtjof Nansen across the Drake Passage for 5 days of landings, penguins and Zodiac cruising in Antarctica.
View trip & reserve
Now BookingFrench Balcony Cabin available
Normandy Cruise & Paris
Land & River Cruise · April 7–17, 2027
A 7-night Seine river cruise through Normandy aboard the MS Jane Austen, with 3 included hotel nights in Paris. Giverny, the D-Day beaches, Rouen, Honfleur and Versailles.
View trip & bookSame trip, your dates
Love the trip, but not the dates?
Every journey we host can also be booked on your own schedule. If a trip catches your eye but the dates don't work, we'll book you on the same cruise or itinerary on a departure that fits your calendar. Erika won't be traveling with you, but she'll plan every detail just as carefully, and she's only a call away.
Schedule a Call
Free · 30 minutes · No obligation
What you get
- Same ships and itineraries we've personally vetted
- Departure dates that work for you
- Full planning and support from Erika
- One point of contact, start to finish
Hi, I'm Erika
I'm a Travel Experience Architect, which is a fancy way of saying I turn complicated travel into effortless experiences!
Great travel doesn't happen by accident. It's the flight that arrives at the right time. The hotel in exactly the right location. The transfer that works when you need it. The excursion that fits the traveler, not just the itinerary. It's knowing when to add an extra night, when to change the plan, and when to simply make things easier.
I think through the details so you don't have to.
I started Journey with Erika because I kept noticing the same thing, the best part of a trip was almost never the itinerary. It was the people. And I don't just plan these journeys, I travel on them. I've experienced river cruising, ocean cruising, small-ship sailing and expedition voyages, and I make a point of experiencing a ship or a destination myself before I ever offer it as a hosted journey.
- Founder, Journey with Erika, since 2018
- Travel Experience Architect
- Elite Cruise Counselor (ECC), CLIA
- Oasis Travel Network / Signature Travel Network
- ASTA Member
- Based in Appleton, Wisconsin
What "We Take Care of the Details" Actually Means
- A fully planned day-by-day itinerary
- Hotels and ships we've personally experienced
- Transfers, transport and logistics coordinated
- Curated excursions and experiences
- Guidance on flights and travel documents
- A pre-trip guide covering what to pack, what to expect, and how it all works
- Erika hosting on the ground with your group
- A single point of contact before, during and after your journey
Independent & family travel
Traveling on your own? We plan that too.
Not every trip needs a group. As a full-service travel agency, Journey with Erika also plans independent vacations for families, couples and friends, with the same insider knowledge, trusted partners and attention to detail as our hosted journeys.
Family vacations
Trips that work for every age, from little ones to grandparents.
Cruises of every kind
River, ocean, small-ship and expedition cruises, matched to how you like to travel.
Milestone celebrations
Honeymoons, anniversaries, big birthdays and reunions.
Land journeys
Hotels, transfers, tours and experiences, all planned for you.
Free · 30 minutes · No obligation
Questions Travelers Ask Us
What is a hosted group journey?
A hosted group journey is a small-group trip that Erika Commisso plans and then personally travels on alongside the guests. Unlike a large bus tour, the groups stay small, and unlike booking independently, every logistical detail is arranged in advance. Journey with Erika hosts these trips for travelers who want the ease of a planned itinerary with the company of a like-minded group.
Can I join a journey if I'm traveling alone?
Yes, and solo travelers are a large part of nearly every group. You do not need a travel companion to join. Many guests book solo, sit down to dinner with the group on the first night, and finish the trip with friends they stay in touch with for years.
I've never traveled internationally before. Is this right for me?
It's one of the best ways to start. First-time international travelers get guidance on passports, flights, connections and what to expect on the ground, plus a pre-trip guide that walks through the whole journey before departure. Erika is with the group the entire time, so there's always someone to ask.
How much does a hosted journey cost?
Journeys generally range from about $2,500 to $10,000 or more per person, depending on the destination, the length of the trip and the style of travel. Every journey page lists a starting price per person. A free call is the fastest way to find the journey that fits your budget.
How big are the groups?
Groups are intentionally kept small so the experience stays personal and the group can actually get to know one another. Exact size varies by journey and by the ship or property involved.
What happens on a free call?
It's a relaxed conversation, usually about 30 minutes, about where you'd like to go, how you like to travel and what's on your bucket list. There's no cost, no obligation and no pressure to book anything. If there's a good fit with an upcoming journey we'll talk about it, and if not, we'll add you to the waitlist for what's coming.
What if the journey I want isn't open for booking yet?
Join the waitlist. New journeys open a few times a year, and waitlist members are notified first — often before a trip is announced publicly. Popular journeys with limited space frequently fill from the waitlist.
Where is Journey with Erika based, and do you work with travelers outside Wisconsin?
Journey with Erika is based in Appleton, Wisconsin, and has been hosting travelers since 2018. Guests join from all over the United States, and everything can be handled by phone, video call and email.
What kind of travel does Journey with Erika specialize in?
The focus is hosted small-group journeys, with particular depth in hosted cruises, small ship ocean cruising, river cruising and expedition voyages, as well as land-based journeys. Erika experiences a ship or destination personally before offering it as a hosted journey.
Can I book a hosted trip on different dates?
Yes. If a hosted journey's dates don't work for you, Journey with Erika can book the same cruise or itinerary on a departure that fits your schedule. You'll travel independently rather than with the hosted group, with Erika handling all the planning.
Do you plan independent and family trips?
Yes. Journey with Erika is a full-service travel agency that also plans independent vacations for families, couples and friends, including cruises, land journeys and milestone celebrations.
We Take Care of the Details. You Enjoy the Journey.
All you have to do is come along.
Free · 30 minutes · No obligation