A good tour company for Europe
 

Hello, I prefer to travel on my own, thus have no clue on a honest , good tour company for Europe.
My son who is an architect is a little overworked and wish to try with his wife an European tour, he has been there many times, but circumstances are such that he wants to relax . ( I am sure you know what I mean)
Could you please recommend one based on your personal experience?
Thank you for your help.

People here like to hate Rick Steves, but now that I've been on one of his tours, I can recommend them.

FYI, before my husband died, we traveled independently happily. I just don't care to travel on my own at this point.

If you go to
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours
there are good descriptions of each tour, including time on bus for every day...and that bus will be half-full by design. Every day includes a chunk of time to go off on your own--it really was a terrific way for me to keep traveling. You do have to be reasonably fit for lots of walking and dealing with your own luggage.

As close to a personal experience I have is my aunt's and uncle's experience with Tauck Tours. They took several and were very pleased with all aspects. www.tauck.com

The biggest problem with Tauck or Cosmos or Trafalgar or whatever is that they're chock full of OLD PEOPLE. My uncle used to gripe about the oldies on his tours when he and my aunt were well into their 60s and 70s (because they had energy, the other tourists didn't).

I don't know the demographic for Rick Steves tours. I'd hope it'd cater to 40s/50s but the fact is most tour groupers are either young people like the Contiki crowd or alta cockers who've held their AARP cards for more than a decade and have been receiving Social Security for years.

The average on my RS tour was not retired age--there were a few 30s and 40s and the older people were active people.

Four RS tours - all excellent. Average age mid-late-50s.

Many of our trips have been in a tour group. Mainly Grand Circle Travel (9X), also Elderhostel/Road Scholar (43X). Also besides these we have been twice to Near East and early on a conventional tour of European highlights with Globus. Also South Africa, Britain more on our own.

Fodorites do like to travel independently but some do cruises and tour groups. While it is true that many passengers are older folks (retired, have money, time), often we've seen an increase in younger travelers.

What a variety of options there is. Good luck...and remember part of the enjoyment is planning.

So I do recommend Grand Circle Travel and Road Scholar.

I'd recommend Rick Steve too.
Just be aware the guy has strange tastes and his recommendations become U.S. Tourist trap overnight.

Europeans (French ?) like Club Med you might want to check. They have beautiful resorts and may organize tours.

Road Scholar is for younger oldies and up. If your son and DIL aren't at least 50, they'll be really young for the group.

Club Med is NOT a tour group. It is a resort operator. It also caters to singles, not couples.

I too recommend the Rick Steves tours.. I have only been on one.. about 9 years ago I took my then 11 yr old daughgter on their "Family Tour".. ( which would not interest your nephew.. lol ..its filled with kids) but I had up till that point , and since that point always travelled independly in Europe and loved it.. but chose this tour for my daughter to have fun with other children.. and I really liked the way the tour was run.

We ran into another RS tour ( a "normal" group) at a rest stop and the group appeared to be aged mostly 30-50s.. with one older teenager and a few grandparents.


The RS tour philosophy weeds out whiners, princesses, and those who just want to shop ( no shopping stops on a RS tour.. you waste your time doing that on your free time.. so the guides are getting a kick back like on a lot of other tours)

I think you should check out the links for the RS tour experience.. it explains a lot.

There are no old decrepit types on a RS tour.. as you have to walk and carry your own bags.. only fun loving , eager to enjoy and learn types !

Its not the cheapest tour company.. but most everything except your lunches and some dinners is included.. there is no nickel and diming. Theres also a strict no tipping policy .
And lastly .. its a bit more leisurely than many tours.. no one night stops or just "drive by" visitng of sights.

I have also heard good things about Tauck.. I think they are pricey too.. and a bit more upscale luxury.

I would steer clear of Globus .. my ex MIL ( who was a fit and healthy 60 yr old when she took one of their tours) found it exhausting.. lots of one night stops.. hotels in inconvenient areas and little free time.. too much rushing about.

I'm another satisfied RS customer, although I usually prefer to travel independently. They are now running a variant called "My Way", where all the sightseeing is independent, but they take care of hotels and transport.

>>but circumstances are such that he wants to relax . ( I am sure you know what I mean) <<

No problem w/ good tour companies - however very few tours (there are some though) offer opportunities to 'relax'.

Even when they stop over in one city for 2 or 3 nights -- you are still pretty much on the go.

Would he consider instead -- just say a two destination trip? Say something like a week in a cottage in Provence and a week is a city -- Rome, Venice, Paris, wherever.

That way not a lot of planning/organizing is required.

didn't see thursdaysd's post (started to post and then had a mattress delivered and 45 mins later remembered I was mid-post :) )

A RS My Way package or something like Untours might be a good compromise. They arrange the logistics and you do what you want.

I haven't read the replies, but a tour may not be at ALL relaxing. He has been to Europe. It isn't "strange" to him. Whey doesn't he just make some air/hotel reservations from an airline site and go sit in Paris, Rome, fill in the blank place. Tour BOOKS are more relaxing than tours.
Not sure why a married son can't figure this out for himself? LOL

Gretchen and all I agree, I cannot reconcile myself with the idea of taking a tour, they are not for me. I guess the explanation. Is being an architect in the business. of designing but also having to deal with the subconstructors on one side and the owners on the other side . Not easy. So this time I guess he Might be considering. Leaving everything to the tour company.
I am guessing that most likely he will return to travel independently as most of us prefer . I couldn't do it other wise.
Thank you for all the imput.

Seems to me, if relaxing is the point, you book flights to and from some relaxing place in Europe and just go chill. I can't imagine ANY kind of tour, be it a RS "Your Way" tour or anything else, being even remotely relaxing. I'd be stressed out even reading the tour materials and checking out where they were going to take me.

Just get on a plane to a nice place. Make hotel reservations. Bring books and music. Take lots of naps. In between, wander around and see a few things and have a nice meal or two. A glass of wine now and then. Some people watching. More naps....

I agree . . . a tour is the LAST thing I'd want if I wanted to relax/chill.

If he just can't bear making flight and hotel arrangements -- then Untours would work. They call their packages 'Independent travel with support'

http://www.untours.com

'Club Med is NOT a tour group. It is a resort operator. It also caters to singles, not couples.'


In the 60's maybe. Now it IS for couples, for families and it does cruises and tours.

Tours are very rarely relaxing since you are on the go every day and often in a new city every night. And usually they involved very early starts every am _ which I would find the opposite or relaxing.

Agree f they want to relax, just pick 1 - or possibly 2 places that are - get open jaw plane tickets, pick hotels and go and relax to their hearts content.

When does he want to go and for how long? People here can reco specific places or even resorts

Let his wife plan the trip? LOL

It's really interesting that people who have never joined a tour know so much about them, and of course, they are all EXACTLY the same.

Elberko, very true.

For instance I took that tour with my daughter , it was 14 days , we also did another 12 days in Paris and Rome on our own. I travel to Europe independent a fair amount . Thee to five weeks at a time . I book all our hotels , trains , and flights . This year I wrangled up to seven of us for four weeks ,

That tour I took years ago was VERY relaxing .

I

Well, not true for me. I HAVE been on tours. And I HAVE enjoyed them--for the reasons I went on them--Sister City visits, college group (for 6 weeks), etc. they are not relaxing which was the benchmark requested.

@Gretchen - but those sound like very specific kinds of tours, not a basis for generalizing.

We are taking a week long tour as part of an upcoming three week trip.
One location, with day trips, no starts before 9am, three hour lunches, free time late afternoon on, very small groups. Italy with Pleasure.

I think it will be very relaxing, though if I really wanted primarily to relax I would do as St Cirq suggests.

I also think there is a contradiction in doing an organized tour and wanting time to "relax" and refresh on a trip.

If that's the goal, it is easy enough to just fly into one city/region and rent a place to stay for a week or two, and kick back, do a bit of spontaneous sight-seeing or day trips, but mostly just enjoy the city or town you're staying in.

Since you are a self-planner, you could help them. A cottage in the south of France, an apartment overlooking Lac Leman in Switzerland, a townhouse in Amsterdam...

(oh and if they want a tour... yes to Rick Steves!)

While we've traveled independently, I've also done some research on group tours for our family. Rick Steves is a good recommendation and relatively affordable by group tour standards.

I've also found consistently good reviews on Tauck, Adventures by Disney and National Geographic Expeditions. These are on the high end budget wise, but are more luxurious and full service. They feature 4.5/5 star hotels, many meals, airport transfers, luggage handling, special experiences, etc.

Do not discount Adventures by Disney. While it is focused on family travel, they also have adults only trips. The tours have the Disney customer touch but do not feature Disney characters etc. Previous tour participants, including those who have traveled independently, rave about these tours because they can just sit back, relax and enjoy the journey without the usual quotidian hassles of travel.

For more sophisticated and culturally focused tours, Martin Randall gets good reviews and has many unique itineraries. They are also on the high end.

forgot about them... National Geo has some amazing looking tours!! Because I subscribe to their travel magazine, I get lots of catalogs with various organized tour options for all around the world, different lengths, and types of trips.

Gretchen - but those sound like very specific kinds of tours, not a basis for generalizing

Within those tours are the "tour" stuff--you get up and out at 8 o'clock to do such and so--try to infer stuff. LOL, sort of

I can't count the number who have said--make some reservations, go and relax. The guy IS European, I think, or with a lot of European background, married, has a career.

And people have recommended very specific tours. Horse totally done in.

Oh, and then there is the thing about "who" is on the tours--choose an age apporopriate one?

Why not consider a Mediterranean/Greek Island cruise on a higher-end cruise ship? This way they may unpack only once and be really relaxed.

Cruise companies to be considered include: Crystal, Regent of the Seven Seas, Oceania, Seabourn and may be Viking's new ocean cruise ship etc. Choose an itinerary and length that suit them.

<<'Club Med is NOT a tour group. It is a resort operator. It also caters to singles, not couples.'

In the 60's maybe. Now it IS for couples, for families and it does cruises and tours.>>

I wasn't around in the 60s and Club Med has been that way throughout so either your math is wrong or your information. Checking club med's website comes up with . . . RESORTS and activities available from the resorts, not tours.