While I prefer my next trip to Europe to be predominantly self-guided, due mainly to costs I am forced to consider other options.

Tours sponsored by alumni groups seem appealing, at least on the surface. I realize the focus and style of these vary greatly, just as with other tours. Still, any experiences and insights offered on this type of travel would be greatly appreciated.

I haven't done a college alumni trip, but I certainly get the brochures ALL the time, and I'm curious why you think you'd need to take one "due mainly to costs." The alumni tours I've looked at were all WAY more expensive than any trip I could put together myself.

StCirq,

You must have gone to one or more of those high dollar schools.

While I admit I haven't done a detailed projected cost breakdown, many of the alumni tours I've seen include airfare, guides, most meals, etc. Compared to costs I've seen from other tour companies, the figures for the alumni tours seem quite reasonable. But, I'm sure you're correct that one COULD put together a cheaper trip themselves. Unfortunately, cost isn't the only consideration.

I agree---they all seem too high for my tastes. The tour company counts on the group mentality to make $$$ and they are having to comp one or more of the school cronies.

The tours generally look very expensive, but I have to say some of the lecturers/guides sound very interesting. I know you can google these yourself for wherever you're going, but to have it all organized is worth something. This is the only way my SIL and her husband will travel. Their idea of trip-planning is to pick a tour and write a check.

Friends of ours have taken two alumni tours--both river cruises on the Rhine and Danube--and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It can't have been overly expensive because both are retired school teachers. What they appreciated above all was being with old friends they knew in their youth and reminiscing about college days!

We get lots of brochures from our state university alumni association, and I agree that the trips seem pricey. We've gone on several group trips with other companies that seemed more reasonable to me.

Well my mother went to one of those "state supported" institutions (as did I GO VOLS!)

Anyway, she did one to Sicely a few years ago and seemed to really enjoy it. Yet, it was a little pricy, but she has hearing issues and as she has aged feels more comfortable on a tour unless I am along to deal with things (and carry luggage!)

She did enjoy the "lectures" and experts (She also enjoys that on her Elder Hostel tours)

As my folks got older, they took several trips sponsored by alumni assns. and enjoyed them all (both went to state universities). They had previously traveled extensively on an independent basis, but found in their later years that having someone else do the planning, taking care of luggage, making all the arrangements, deal with emergencies, etc simply had a lot of appeal. They also found it helpful that they automatically had a common bond with people in the group.

I have a good friend who loves this sort of touring. But she is nearly 80. I don't know how old OP is, but my impression of Alum touring is that they are for those over 70 (or at least you must be prepared to spend your time with those who are).

I get outrageously overpriced appeals to join alumni tours from my old school, The University of Missouri. I wonder why their tours are priced so high -- when compared to other tours to the same places at the same times offering the same amenities. Do the schools get some sort of commission or kickback? I wonder.

We get them all the time from our schools, and I don't think you have to go to a "high dollar" school to get a very expensive tour offer. I can do it for two for what they offer for one.
If you are of a certain age, you might look into Elderhostel tours. They are not necessarily inexpensive but they are very good.
The alumni tours are also attractive if you happen to know some of the people. My in-laws enjoyed them, and my SisIL is on one now. It is a different niche, I think.
Since you say "cost isn't the only consideration", what are your other needs?

As mentioned in the OP, I would prefer to travel independently and will still pursue that route. And, as I said in a later post, I haven't yet done a detailed cost analysis. Some of the alumni trips caught my eye, however, because they don't hop from hotel to hotel every couple of days, have interesting lectures planned, allow significant free time for independent exploration and meals on your own, etc. These features appeal to me.

Compared to a high end (Tauck) tour we enjoyed a couple of years ago, the costs I've seen for some of these tours are significantly less. I don't expect the same level of service, accommodations, etc., that we got with Tauck, but I was curious as to others' experiences with such alumni tours.

Thanks.

I've participated in alumni trips co-
hosted by Arrangmentsabroad.com.
Brilliant speakers from the Met
Museum, speakers from the hosting
university. Wonderful itinerary,gourmet meals, lots of
extras like tours of private art
collections in homes.
More expensive than many, but they
benefit the college, museum and
were the best trips of my life.
Worth

The European trips by my university's alumni association seem overpriced for what they offer.

However, some of their more exotic trips, while expensive, did seem worth the money...for example, an Arctic exploration aboard a Russian ice cutter/research ship (plus stops in Helsinki and St. Petersburg). That was the kind of trip we would not have been able to do easily on our own, so we did consider it.

NoleNomad - how much were they asking for the trips?

Have you looked at the tours in the back of Budget Travel Magazine? I haven't taken one of their package trips, but a friend of mine priced a trip to Thailand and BT mag's price was far lower than anything they found. Just another option.

I suffered through my undergrad years working my way through college. Disco (and having money) was king then, I had no money and couldn't stand disco.

I think it's left me with post-traumatic stress but I can't imagine dredging up those repressed memories.

My grad school, on the other hand, was much better. I was actually eating then

Haha btbg!

If I traveled with my contemporaneous alumni/ae, I think by the third day I would lose the will to live.

slangevar,

Thanks for the tip re: BT. I'll check it out.

There is an 8-day Italy's Mountains and Lakes alumni tour, with the travelers based in a villa near Treviso. This is sponsored by a company called AHI Travel and is priced 'from' $2420 pp. This one does not include air fare, but I recall alumni tours from them or others that do and were priced around $3500 pp for 10 days.

I doubt this is the way we'll do our next trip to Italy, but I am keeping my options open and was curious to read the experiences of those who had gone this route.

Thanks again to all for your thoughts and suggestions.