Touring 101
Here's everything you need to know about choosing
an escorted vacation package
By Andy Dimond
G. Burba/Fotolia.com
Tour operators purchase hotel rooms in bulk, negotiating lower rates and
passing the savings on to their customers. An escorted tour can save you up to 40 percent off the cost of booking the same arrangements yourself. Purchasing a tour also locks in the price of your vacation, which protects you from fluctuating exchange rates.
Meals are included in the ticket price, usually daily breakfasts at your hotel and some lunches and dinners as well. Airfare is another component that may be cheaper when purchased through a tour operator, as many companies are able to negotiate lower bulk rates with the airlines.
Economy isn't the only reason to go with a packaged tour. There's also the advantage of being accompanied by guides who possesses an expert understanding of each destination. They know what's worth seeing and what isn't, and what you should pay for souvenirs and what rip-offs you should avoid. They'll answer your questions and provide invaluable insight into the cultural and historical significance of what you're looking at, enriching your travel experience tremendously.
Escorted tour guests skip long entrance lines at museums and attractions and receive preferred seating at performances. Being part of a tour group also can facilitate access to protected natural and archaeological sites, like the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador and Machu Picchu in Peru.
You'll also save time with an escorted tour. Someone else has developed the itinerary and worked out the day-to-day details, saving you the trouble of doing all the pre-vacation planning yourself. Another plus is the "safety in numbers" factor. Tourists traveling alone can be easy prey for pickpockets, con artists and the occasional crooked official looking for a bribe. A professional tour guide is experienced at avoiding these nuisances.
And being part of a tour group can spare you one of the most vexing frustrations of travel -- getting lost. This can be particularly disastrous in places where few locals speak English. Having a tour guide keeps you on track, and you won't waste hours trying to figure out a rail system or pulled over at the side of a road staring in confusion at a map. (Besides, if your dream vacation is roving the Irish countryside, do you really want to worry about retraining yourself to drive on the left side of the road?)
There are escorted tours to every corner of the world, from far-flung destinations in Africa, Asia and Antarctica to our own backyard -- itineraries that explore U.S. national parks are particularly big sellers. You'll find a vast variety of tours in Europe, from multicountry odysseys that weave through many cities to in-depth agendas that focus on a single country like Ireland or Italy.
Safaris offer a close-up look at the untamed drama of African wildlife. River cruises in Europe, Egypt and China are a great way to travel between cities on a "floating hotel." Or, ride the rails on a train tour. Rocky Mountaineer Vacations specializes in train trips in Canada, where passengers travel by day in glass-domed railcars and spend nights in hotels.
Some itineraries are designed to appeal to a particular interest. There are food and wine tours with vineyard visits and gourmet feasts that showcase regional flavors, such as the weeklong "California's Wine Country" from Collette Vacations and the nine-day "French Wine Country" river cruise from Peter Deilmann Cruises.
The tour operator Globus offers a series of faith-based vacations that focus on the Holy Land, biblical locales and traditional pilgrimage routes. Among the choices are the nine-day "Legacy of Pope John Paul II" the 11-day "Lourdes and Shrines of France" and the 12-day "European Reformation" itineraries.
Gutsy Women Travel specializes in girlfriend getaways limited to a maximum of 20 participants; trips range from a 12-day Thailand escape to sojourns in Provence, the Amalfi Coast and Sicily. Contiki Vacations and Trafalgar Breakaway Europe target young adults on a tight budget. The family-oriented tours of Tauck Bridges and Adventures by Disney entertain and educate young travelers with age-appropriate activities.
Adventure tours cater to adrenaline junkies and are a great way to see unforgiving, remote locations like Antarctica and the Himalayas. They can include activities like river rafting, mountain climbing and outdoor camping and require a high level of physical fitness. For example, G.A.P. Adventures offers a trek up Mount Everest, a cycling trip in China and hiking, biking and rafting in Costa Rica.
G.A.P. Adventures also advocates socially conscious travel with minimal environmental impact. It strives to provide intimate cultural experiences that will resonate with guests long after they return home. Some of the company's trips offer opportunities to participate in a community service effort, such as the 14-day "Project Kenya" itinerary.
Tour packages typically are categorized as budget, first-class, deluxe or luxury, depending on the amenities and location of hotels and the number of meals and activities included. If you're not too concerned about thrift, rest assured there's no limit to the extravagance in which you can indulge.
For instance, luxury operator Abercrombie and Kent's 18-day "A Tale of Five Cities" in Europe and Russia features lodgings at the Ritz-Carlton Moscow, the opulent Hotel Imperial in Vienna and Four Seasons properties in Budapest and Prague, as well as 38 meals, informative lectures and private tours. The package weighs in at a hefty starting price of $19,995 per person.
At the more down-to-earth end of the spectrum are tour operators like Cosmos. Its 11-day "European Introduction" (from $1,259 per person) and 10-day "British Panorama" (from $1,088 per person) take you to the highlights of each destination without leaving a major dent in your wallet.
Travelers who prefer an unstructured vacation but still want a great value can opt for an independent tour. This option bundles the costs of lodging, breakfasts, airport transfers and extras such as museum passes or public transportation into one price paid up front. You'll receive half-day guided tours in each city, but after that you're free to explore at your own pace. Local guides are available to answer questions and make sightseeing or dining suggestions, but they will not be at your side the entire time as with an escorted tour. Monograms specializes in this type of getaway, with packages in cities throughout Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, South America and the United States.
Keep in mind, however, that most escorted tours will give you some time to wander on your own, especially when staying a couple of nights in one location.
No matter what type of itinerary you choose, a tour package has much to offer in terms of value, ease of travel and richness of experience.
Information: To find out more about tours offered around the world, call (800) 680-2858 or visit Vacations To Go, where you will find detailed itineraries with rates and departure dates.
The information in this story was accurate at the time it was published in January/February 2009.
Please visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 680-2858 for current rates and details.