worldtraveler82787

I, for one, have never been a fan of the packaged deals. They never really hit all the stops that I want to hit, and they seem a little hokey. But I just found a great deal online for a package to Czech Republic and Hungary. Since I speak neither Czech or Hungarian, I considered taking the package. But part of me still says I could have an easier, CHEAPER time doing it on my own. What do you prefer? And are packages cheaper than doing it on your own??

rex

Your newness here is showing, world... (click on your own name)

"We" all prefer doing it on our own.

Best wishes,

Rex

harzer

Yes, Rex is right, there are many of us who do their own thing when travelling, even at the expense of missing out on the 'must-sees' and 'must-do's' which the guidebooks, and guided tours, see as the purpose of it all..

I stopped following this sort of advice many years ago, and so a typical itinerary for me these days is what eventuated on my recent trip to Europe:

Tittling in the Bavarian Forest: 6 days;
Sohland on the German-Czech border: 4 days;
Thürmsdorf, 50km south of Dresden: 7 days;
Seligenstadt on the Main east of Frankfurt: 7 days;
Oberriexingen on the Enz near Vaihingen: 4 days;
Hemmingen near Stuttgart: 2 days .....

and, although we had never heard of any of them before, a great time was had by all; which is to say we met a bunch of great people, did a few things and saw a few places that were quite out of the ordinary, and treasure our memories of it all.

Harzer

MyriamC

Rex, you better speak just for yourself!

worldtraveler, it all depends from the destination. For our travels to East and West Africa for instance, we booked a package deal. Otherwise it would have been unaffordable, and also for safety reasons. In Kenya we even booked a group tour. Sri Lanka was also a package holiday but with a private car and driver which gave us some more freedom to hit the stops that we wanted to hit!

Package deals are very common in Europe and it is my experience that packages are definitely cheaper than going on your own. It's easy to calculate!

ira

>Tittling in the Bavarian Forest:

Do you like Tittling?
Don't know, I've never tittled.

>...it is my experience that packages are definitely cheaper than going on your own.

Perhaps one gets a better deal if one starts in Europe. My experience (from the USA) is that packages are more expensive for the same quality of accomodations, etc.

In any case, one has to crunch the numbers, which means that one has already planned the trip.

xyz123

There is no correct answer; for sonmebody to say we all prefer to do it on our own is absolutely not correct.

I just finished a package 2 week tour with Trafalger through Germany, Poland, Hungary, Austria and Czech Republic. The tour was great and this particular tour included 2 night stays in Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna and Prague. There was ample time for anybody to do their own thing whenever they wanted in the cities.

Were there places on route that we would have preferred to stop at and visit that the tour director said see there's xxxxx, yes of course. But the hotels were all first class and if you add up the rack rates (I know full well nobody pays the rack rate), included breakfast each day (a very bountiful one at that), had some included dinners and the full knowledge that at the end of each day, your room would be waiting for you at the hotel and 15 or 20 minutes after arrival you would receive your baggage. And each morning when you travel just puck your bag outside your door and you see it next at the next stop.

Now believe me I know all the pitfalls of tours but I still preferred to do this tour than doing these particular countries on my own, despite the fact that I learned quite a big and saw how capitalism has changed the face of all these cities to the point, if you can hack it, you find McDonald's, KFC etc everywhere so that if you are not adventurous, you can get a familiar meal (I know why go to Poland to eat at Mickey D's?a but it sure beat polish sausages)...

When you add up hotel prices, petrol prices, admissions fees, included sightseeing tours and the knowledge of an excellent tour director (pot luck on this of course) I don't think I could have learned more on my own but again that's me...you might think differently.

Believe me, I can recite from A to Z the faults of a package tour (unbelievably high priced optionals, stops at places where you shop and the tour company, driver and tour director get kick backs etc.) but nobody forces you to take the optionals and if you want to go out and do your own thing, you can. This particular tour uses first class hotels and for the most part, they were centrally located.

So the point is, there is no correct answer. If the tour includes the places you want to see, it might be the answer.

platzman

I like planning my own trip, booking my own tickets and room, and studying the area I'm visiting. I will even google a city public transportation map. I find it almost as exciting as the actual trip. I won't do packages and tours, even if they're cheaper than doing it on my own.

nibblette

Agree with Myriam and xyz123.
Sometimes packages are better sometimes going indy is better. I've done both. Prefer indy for Western Europe. I like going at my own pace and seeing the things I want to see/do.
Always do small groups if I go package. More likely to run into someone with a "difficult" personality in the big groups (did a big group once when I was a very young, new traveler, never again).

I'm like Myriam. I'll use a package for parts of the world where it may be difficult for the solo (esp women) to travel indy.
I have found packages like xyz where there was great value for the money. I have occasionally found packages where the entire package price is cheaper or almost as cheap as the airfare would be alone. I have gone off on my own when on the package tour - always letting the guide know so he/she won't worry about missing someone.

I also do active trips where the package is the way to go if you're moving from place to place with different pieces of sports equipment.

Patrick

I'm all for doing my own thing, personally, but it sure depends on the person. A few years ago I helped a couple of friends making their first trip to Europe. I helped them with all their planning, booking hotels, printing out transportation issues, etc. Basically I had talked them into doing the trip on their own. They went and it was OK, but they obsessed and were paranoid the whole time. The following year they did a package tour and they were infinitely happier and plan to alwasy travel that way in the future. So I think for some, tours are the way to go, especially if you like the idea of someone taking care of all the day to day specifics for you.

But since you already have a sense that you might want to do it on your own, then yes -- I think you should.

gracejoan

I think it might depend on WHERE you are going. Some far east or Africa,as previously mentioned, might be best for a tour. That is probably the reason why I have hesitated in taking some trips. I do NOT care for tours. I like to make my own decisions of where to go, where to stop, where to stay and where to eat!!
As to price, it depends on the quality of the tour operator. The ONLY one that I would even consider using would be TRAVCOA. If you look at their infomation, you will see how there is no other tour operator in their "class". I went with 2 others several years ago, planning the trip myself. I used TRAVCOA itineraries for timing etc. As it turned out, we almost duplicated a particular 3 week trip, staying at mostly Relais & Chat. hotels, eating gourmet etc. Our cost was approx. 50% less than if we had gone via TRAVCOA. You can do it the other way, and take an inexpensive tour..it depends what you want out of a trip. We all have our likes and dislikes. Enjoy!

suze

Because you are asking this question on Fodors, and a BB full of avid trip planners and travelers, I think opinion will of course fall in favor of self-planning. Personally I don't even care if packages are cheaper, I still don't want to take one. I unfortunately do not speak any second language so that alone wouldn't encourage me to join up for a specific country. Generally you are 'preaching to the choir' here on why planning your own trips is the way to go.

jules4je7

It's never occurred to me to do a package tour or even book my air and hotel together. I just like doing it myself -- planning a trip to me is half the fun because it takes months, and every day I get to think about where I'm going and what I plan to do when I get there.

But that's just me. There's a whole industry for people who hate the uncertainties that go with traveling independently, and that's fine. We're not all made the same, thank goodness. Otherwise it would be a very boring world.

Jules

Underhill

We've taken only one tour, and that was because we accompanied friends in the San Diego Master Chorale on a tour of Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. That was our introduction to one-suit-case only travel and having to be up and out by 7:00 a.m. for a day on the bus. Never again!

Clifton

For what it's worth, we don't speak Hungarian either and did just fine driving around in Hungary, getting dinner, checking in and even having some nice conversations. It was easy enough in out of the way areas. In Budapest, it was a snap, even when we had a waiter that didn't speak English. Even got elbowed and grinned at for not finishing my dinner once. I rolled my eyes back at her. No big deal, everyone understood. Honestly though, most people spoke some English or had access to someone that did.

I suspect the CR is the same? So, unless you save a lot then the other benefits are something you have to decide on. Honestly, I've never really seen a package deal that was a savings since they're per person. After we subtract what we know we can get airfare for, we find that remaining cost in the package is pretty high for the hotel room and a breakfast. Could be some deals out there though.

travelbunny

..What about for a first visit? I would like to know how many of you did a bus tour first time round? First time I went by myself I didn't but I had lots of time (4 months), very little money as I was a student, and 2 great friends to travel with (and we had roomed together so we knew each others quirks). I think some bus tours are great in off the beaten path areas when you have little time and want to get an overview and can be great when traveling with family with diverse interests and interesting dynamics. I also think bus tours are the way to go if as a first timer you have your heart set on seeing 5 countries in 10 days.

Patrick

Well, you are right, travelbunny, if you are naive enough to want to do 5 countries in 10 days, you DESERVE to take a bus tour.
I think most of us were talking about "educated travelers" who have used some common sense in their planning. Having one's heart set on "seeing" 5 countries in 10 days, does not fit that standard.

MyriamC

@ ira
I should have clarified that I'm European (Belgian) and therefore my travels always start in Europe.
Don't misunderstand me: I do like to plan things myself, and will only book a package in the cases mentioned in my earlier posting.

John

I recently returned from a trip to Poland. Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria all self planned. If it's the language you are worried about, perish the thought. English is spoken everywhere there are tourist and in non-tourist places you can always manage to find someone who speaks a little english. Wouldn't hurt to learn a few polite phrases though.

joegri

Well Patrick, there is "common sense" and then there is just plain sense. You don't exhibit much sense, common or otherwise when you degrade a fellow traveler the way you did travelbunny. A bus tour traveling ten Countries in five days would not be for me either. But, I don't feel the need to show my supposed superiority by trashing somebody that traveled that way.
You offer a lot of good information on this board, but, unfortunately, your personal comments can be very tiresome.

John

Very well said, joegri, very very well said.