Can you suggest a tour agency??
Aug 29th, 2013, 10:05 AM
#1
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Can you suggest a tour agency??
It's not really my preferred travel style, but can you recommend an agency or website that offers tours. You know the ones where you travel w/ the same group, see all the main sights. that type of stuff. I'd love to hear your personal experiences with using tours as well.
Aug 29th, 2013, 10:12 AM
#2
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You really need to providde more info.
What area/countries?
How long?
Who/how many are you?
What are your main intersts?
What is your budget?
There are many poor tours, some mediocrea and some excelent - but if it's for you depends n a lot of fctors.
What area/countries?
How long?
Who/how many are you?
What are your main intersts?
What is your budget?
There are many poor tours, some mediocrea and some excelent - but if it's for you depends n a lot of fctors.
Aug 29th, 2013, 10:56 AM
#4
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AAA is a travel agent. They offer an assortment of tours with different tour companies. It is not necessary to go through a travel agent. You can book directly with the tour company. If you answer nytraveler's questions, you can get recommendations for specific tour companies.
Aug 29th, 2013, 11:06 AM
#6
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To Miramar, the advantage of using a travel agent to book through a tour company is that you get advice for free.
Hopefully the OP can find an experience travel consultant who has experience with his/her destinations and can help navigate through the maze of options. The TA will get a commission from the tour company, and the OP will get a vetted choice.
I've had good experience with Brendan...
Hopefully the OP can find an experience travel consultant who has experience with his/her destinations and can help navigate through the maze of options. The TA will get a commission from the tour company, and the OP will get a vetted choice.
I've had good experience with Brendan...
Aug 29th, 2013, 11:27 AM
#7
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What area/countries? IRELAND (open to others if it includes others)
How long? 5-10 days
Who/how many are you? 2 adults (18 & 30)
What are your main intersts? Food, culture, museums, scenery, anything unique, locals...etc.
What is your budget? after airfare? $3000-$4000 per person however I'd love to not max out that budget...2500 would be more ideal w/ a bit extr fo
How long? 5-10 days
Who/how many are you? 2 adults (18 & 30)
What are your main intersts? Food, culture, museums, scenery, anything unique, locals...etc.
What is your budget? after airfare? $3000-$4000 per person however I'd love to not max out that budget...2500 would be more ideal w/ a bit extr fo
Aug 29th, 2013, 12:18 PM
#8
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Personal experiences:
Globus - Never again - crappy food, lodging, guide, lots of bus time
Pacha - very good
Grand Circle Travel - good to very good, depending on the guide, lots of time in each place; not too much bus time.
Friends highly recommend Road Scholar but I haven't tried them yet.
Globus - Never again - crappy food, lodging, guide, lots of bus time
Pacha - very good
Grand Circle Travel - good to very good, depending on the guide, lots of time in each place; not too much bus time.
Friends highly recommend Road Scholar but I haven't tried them yet.
Aug 29th, 2013, 04:54 PM
#9
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In 5 to 10 days you can just about see a reasonable amount of Ireland.
Are you prepared to spend long days sitting on a bus? Or a lot of stops for shopping you probably don;t want to do?
Suggest you start googling for tours of Ireland - and remember that you get what you pay for - if you are lucky.
Are you prepared to spend long days sitting on a bus? Or a lot of stops for shopping you probably don;t want to do?
Suggest you start googling for tours of Ireland - and remember that you get what you pay for - if you are lucky.
Aug 29th, 2013, 05:06 PM
#10
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Used Cosmos Travel and it was just fabulous. Leisurely Tuscany and Rome is the one we went on and we are quite the independent travelers, but it was a nice change for us. Mariangela Palumbo is an excellent Italian travel agent (probably for all tours) and it all worked out beautifully. Highly recommend. Google any of those names.
Aug 29th, 2013, 05:52 PM
#11
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Both Grand Circle and Road Scholar cater to retired folks. If the ages of the travelers are
18 and 30, those companies are not really the best.
Maybe look at Gate 1 or Friendly Planet or Contiki or ABC Tours.
Pat
18 and 30, those companies are not really the best.
Maybe look at Gate 1 or Friendly Planet or Contiki or ABC Tours.
Pat
Aug 29th, 2013, 08:04 PM
#12
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My favorite tour company is Rick Steves. I have been on four of those tours. GREAT trips!
A lower-budget tour company that I have been on twice is Gate1.
EF Tours - Never again.
Remember that tour companies are NOT all the same. They vary significantly in quality and price. Remember that you will get what you pay for.
A lower-budget tour company that I have been on twice is Gate1.
EF Tours - Never again.
Remember that tour companies are NOT all the same. They vary significantly in quality and price. Remember that you will get what you pay for.
Aug 30th, 2013, 02:45 AM
#13
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<< Both Grand Circle and Road Scholar cater to retired folks. If the ages of the travelers are
18 and 30, those companies are not really the best. >>
If the OP had specified some requirements in the opening post then I would not have recommended these companies. My screen didn't refresh for the subsequent post. That is the problem with not giving requirements up front. FTM only wanted personal recommendations for tours, any place, any time.
18 and 30, those companies are not really the best. >>
If the OP had specified some requirements in the opening post then I would not have recommended these companies. My screen didn't refresh for the subsequent post. That is the problem with not giving requirements up front. FTM only wanted personal recommendations for tours, any place, any time.
Sep 4th, 2013, 07:17 PM
#14
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KL467 - good to know - not that it pertains to this post , but my school is regularly offering course credit for tours w/ EF tours there's one to Greece I was considering takin with school but I read reviews and there were a lot of poor reviews... poor food & lodging type of stuff. I saw that people mentioned that you get what you pay for. but $3500 is more than enough for a quality tour, staying near town, AND flights if people take time to shop on their own and price check.
Sep 5th, 2013, 06:59 PM
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FoodTravelMusic: With the EF Tour, most of the time we were far away from the towns, especially in Rome. It was an Italy and Greece tour that my daughter and I went on in 2005 with her art teacher. That was my first trip to Europe. All people are not equal participants, meaning that there are "subgroups" within a tour. They will only have contact with the subgroup leader. EF would only give information/airline tickets/itineraries/list of hotels/flight times, etc. to our subgroup leader, who I was unable to get in touch with. It all worked out in the end, but it was an exhausting two weeks. There were 48 people on our tour! Way too many. I learned a lesson about the importance of reading reviews. The high school kids seemed to enjoy themselves.
Sep 5th, 2013, 08:43 PM
#16
The companies that run small group tours that I would normally recommend, especially for your age group, don't run tours to Ireland, no doubt because it is so easy to do on your own. If you insist on a tour (why?) I would look at Rick Steves. I've done a few of his tours and the accommodations are central, the included meals good, and the guides excellent. http://tours.ricksteves.com/tours/br...reland/ireland
