How to pick a group trip!
What are group trips and would you like to be on one. Group trips run a gigantic gamut from backpacking to luxury. Our Adventure by Disney trips to South Africa was 8 days for $8000 per person. African tours can run from $3000 to $14,000 per person (not including air fare to South Africa).
Why the big cost difference. 1) The number of people on the tour. The fewer the people the higher the price. 2) Lodging and meals. 3) Transportation, our trip we never were on the bus for more than an hour. We had 3 in-country airfares included, more time on the bus the less the cost.
What should you look for in group tours. The number of people you feel comfortable with. Your tour provider will tell you the max number and the probable number, always expect the max! What is the least number of people will the tour go with, always look for guaranteed trip.
Why use a Travel Agent to Book your vacation. I know the travel companies, I have used Adventures By Disney, Ciao Italy, Backroads Travel, CIE and others to match my clients with the best options.I do this wihout any extra charges to you.
How about a cruise?
A great way to tour on your own without having to make a ton of decisions is to take a cruise in the area you wanted to tour. The great part of Cruising you only unpack once, the downside is you may rely on your cruise meal plan instead of trying the local fare choosing cruise life to local life. Some Cruise lines are now doing overnight stays allowing a lot more local life,
Cruising is best for “bucket list” trips where to major tourist spots are coastal. Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Greece are all excellent options for a cruise tour vacation. See my posts on ship types to see the best ship for you.
How about I try this on my own!
Doing everything on your own, The worry is you won’t leave your comfort zone. You’ll stay at the hotels you have status at. Follow the internet for food and drink. It can work out great. I’ve done it a bunch of times with good luck. Using a travel agent I had a rooting squad back home in case something went wrong.
Another option here is doing an individual tour. A company like Kensington Tours can plan a tour for you with a driver and local guides. This can give you both your own speed with great local flair.
Also I have worked with Via-tour and Tours by Locals to set up local guides for my self and my guests.
