Insider Tips for Travel Tourists: Part 1

Many people feel that travel tours are not for them. They prefer to just be totally independent and wander off the beaten path, so to speak. Fine - but there are, in fact, a number of different types of tours.

First of all, in the travel industry, a tour only means pre-paying all or part of your trip before you venture out and that you'll be traveling by land vs. the ocean (aka a cruise). You'll likely do that anyway making your initial reservations. This article shares insights you may want to consider.

There are basically 3 tour categories. Escorted tours occur with a guide whose job is to make your trip very relaxed. Another type of tour is a hosted tour where you prepay all or most of the basics including hotel, local transport and transfers. Here, you may or may have a guide, but you have much more latitude within the tour itself. Then there is the tour where you are totally on your own and without a guide or a host at all.

Escorted tours have advantages which make them very popular. They are usually all-inclusive of accommodations, transport, meals, sight-seeing highlights. They may also include companionship. Escorted tours may range from one week to one month or longer. The following are some items to consider, though. For example, ask what items are not included and add to the cost.

Lower priced tours may just include breakfast while more extensive tours may include all meals. If you're a big eater, then it may be more beneficial to pay for the higher priced tour than paying for the meals locally yourself.

The same applies to the number of sightseeing tours included. If you really like to see single everything with very little downtime, then you may be better off choosing the more inclusive tours (with a higher price tag, of course).

Also weigh the number of tour participants. Usually, the more members in the party, the lower the cost. Larger groups generally appeal to people who enjoy meeting and interacting with a lot of other people. On the other hand, the fewer the number of participants the more individual attention you may receive. So that's the trade-off there. Generally, small tour sizes are at 4-10 people, while the larger tours can have 20-to 30 or more people.

Then, factor in the location of the hotels and accommodations. Some tours use centrally located or downtown hotels while others offer stays that are closer to the outskirts of town or even in more outlying areas. That's where most of the chateaus are located. To save money, some tour operators may put you in the outer areas. While the rooms may be less expensive in these more rustic areas, that lower price should be balanced against travel distance, time and expense in getting to your sightseeing destinations.

Next, consider the location of the room. Ahhh, this can be so very important. In general, stay away from ground floors, if you have an option. They generally provide a far less appealing view of the destination's scenery. Street level accommodations are also noisier.

Then, there is the food; this is definitely a major factor in the tour experience. The amount, type and place where you'll enjoy your meals are key. Some tours include home visits for meals, or unique area restaurants. So pay particular attention to the number of meals and where your meals are taken.

The cost of escorted tours is also affected by the amount of time spent in one particular place. If more time is spent at in-town sights as opposed to more rural locations, the costs will be higher. Also be aware that if you're constantly to having to move from one location to another to get in all the sights, you'll spent more time in transport and be more exhausted at well. So make your choice depending on the way you like to travel. Every minute is pre-booked and taken care of.