Travel agencies that offer multi-day trips can arrange almost everything, including accommodations, sightseeing, food, and transportation. However, group size, travel style, and budget are some of the things travelers should consider before choosing a tour. Read on for tips.
Whether a large group or a small group
Start your research by thinking about how many people you will be traveling with and what your tolerance is for social needs based on group size.
Small groups can move more nimbly and see more, but they can also be more intensely social, as you spend a lot of time touring and eating with the same people.
Larger groups take longer to get around, but they offer more social variety—for example, you can more easily switch who you go to lunch with.
“Large groups provide anonymity, allowing travelers to choose the level of interaction,” says Deborah Miller, travel advisor and owner of Edge of Wonder Travels Unlimited in San Francisco. “Conversely, small groups foster intimacy between travelers, guides, and the destination itself.”
Find age-appropriate trips
Think about the demographics of your travel group and find a travel agent that fits that.
Operators often segment trips by age, assuming that people of similar ages have more in common or prefer the same pace. For example, Road Scholar targets intellectually curious people over 50.
Conversely, G Adventures offers a travel category for “18 to 30-year-olds” and Intrepid Travel offers trips for 18 to 35-year-olds.
Families are a difficult group to include in large groups because they are inherently diverse in age. This is why companies tend to categorize family products by age.
Backroads, an active travel agency, offers three age segments for families: traveling with children ages 4-19, traveling with teens and young adults, and traveling with children in their 20s and older.
“By definition, this creates some age segmentation even among parents,” says Tom Hale, founder, president and CEO of Backroads.
Go general or specific
A popular option for first-time visitors, these are standard tours that cover the highlights of a destination, such as the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum in Paris, or major landmarks in Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan.
Beyond the standard approaches, there are a variety of alternatives depending on your topic, travel style or interests.
Themed tours include a culinary tour of Sicily, an in-depth look at British literature, European World War II battlefields, and the lives of women in India.
In addition to the subject matter, trips are often centered around the mode of travel, whether by train, foot, or boat (which can range in size from cruise ships to barges or kayaks).
Tours also allow you to pursue interests like swimming or knitting at unique destinations.
Breaking down what's included in your tour
Once you decide where and how to go, the price range will vary from affordable to high-end.
“For travelers on a budget, large group tours tend to be the best option, as they offer a great way to see the major attractions at a low price,” says Cheyenne Schriefer, a Golden Valley, North Dakota-based travel advisor and owner of All Travel Matters.
But not all tours are created equal. When comparing, consider what’s included.
For example, G Adventures offers a 10-day hiking trip in Switzerland for $1,799 per person and a 10-day hiking trip in Portugal for $4,499. The latter is billed as a luxury trip, so accommodations are more expensive, but most meals, transportation, and activities are also included. The Swiss tour offers more basic accommodations, transportation, optional activities for a fee, and fewer meals.
“Sometimes less inclusion is better than more inclusion,” said Pauline Frommer, co-president of Frommer Media, which publishes Frommer’s guidebooks. She noted that a restaurant that can accommodate buses probably won’t attract local traffic, and that independent tours “allow you to get around the neighborhood and get a feel for the local life.”
The expertise of your guide or tour leader can also affect the price and experience. For tours led by experts, such as an Egyptologist who guides your group along the Nile, you can expect to pay more.
Measure your level of independence
Do you want to follow a strict schedule that takes the guesswork out of finding a restaurant for dinner? Or do you like some structure, like knowing your hotel reservation is guaranteed, but still want some free time to explore independently?
Travel agencies vary. Before booking, read the schedule carefully to see if it is tight or loose. If you are not sure, call the company and ask.
For the truly independent traveler, self-guided tours from companies like Inntravel, Exodus Adventure Travels, and Macs Adventure offer itineraries that require preparation and follow-up on the ground. Popular in Europe, these trips tend to involve walking or cycling from hotel to hotel, which involves carrying luggage.
“Self-guided travelers are independent, but they like to be supported in planning their trips and don’t want to hike with a big backpack anymore,” says Jasper Verlaan, U.S. sales director for Macs Adventure.
Ask for a recommendation
If after doing your research you are still not sure whether it is worth putting down a deposit, ask your travel agent if you can speak to a previous customer.
“Ask for a reference,” says Lynn Cutler, senior vice president of travel for Smithsonian Enterprises, which operates the tour company Smithsonian Journeys. “We’ll find travelers who have done this trip in the past and put them in touch with you.”
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