ginn

My husband and I are planning a trip to France, Italy, and maybe Greece. We have 4 weeks of travel time. This is my frist time to Europe and my husbands second trip. What is a good company to help us with planning and some escorted tours but giving us the flexibility to tour on our own and not be rushed from place to place. Or what suggestions do you have for us planning the trip on our own ? We are open to all suggestions.

rex

This question has been asked countless times here, and the bias of "regulars" (I think I qualify as one of those) - - is strongly slanted towards "on your own". In a slightly ironic twist, there are far fewer people - - both veterans and relatively novice travelers who actually DID go "on our own" for our first trip to Europe - - though many of "us" have helped plenty of others travel that way on subsequent trips.

Your husband's confidence level is going to be a major factor in your decision. Did he go on his own the first time (I'm guessing not, or you might have mentioned that). Did he go to any of these three countries? Does he have any significant experience driving, or using trains, or flights within europe? and does he have an opinion of which of those three modes of transportation (withIN Europe) he'd like to see you two use for tis trip?

This board, and the rsources that "we" can point you to - - are darn near as good as any company in helping you plan your own "custom" trip. Not that a "canned" trip will necessarily be inferior. It just might not match perfectly your list of desired destinations, timetable or "style" of travel.

My one leading suggestion would be to re-consider the four weeks timespan. My first trip was six weeks, but I was 15 years old and traveling with 35 other kids. I'll assume that you are young, or younger than me at least (I am 50), and you have many other opportunities to plan a trip of 10-20 days in the future.

I'd limit to France and Italy. With the 2004 Olympics in Greece, there will be some special challenges and opportunities alike. It would not be my cup of tea to include Greece on your 2004 trip.

France and Italy both are like a dozen countires rolled into one. You'll require some focus to pick your desired destinations - - and I'll throw in the recommendation that you plan at least 20-50% of your time in smaller towns and more rural settings. You'll be missing half of Europe if you don't.

These are rather general suggestions, and you'll get plenty of others, some more specific, and others terser. Load up with plenty of books - - and lots of BIG picture filled ones to get your dreams rolling. A public library is one of the best places you can start.

Come back here often with questions that are more and more specific as your plans evolve. You'll find lots of good answers here.

Best wishes,

Rex Bickers
Floyds Knobs, Indiana

dixon

True, this topic has been hashed and rehashed, but I still think that a good discussion of this topic is always worth revisiting.
I am a dedicated free lancer up to a point, and that point is when the uncertainty of free lancing is more than I care to negotiate.

This past September I opted for an escorted tour of Ireland. I was very reluctant to try driving on the left side of the road. Age, and my personal reactions, mitigated against trying it.
True, the tour provided the convenience of the bus and a professional driver who knew Ireland well. But, I found that time after time I did not have the time to linger where I most wanted to and we had time to waste in places I would not have chosen for a stop. That is the price one pays when the whole itinerary is turned over to someone else.

In a country like Greece where I know none of the language and terrain, I would probably opt for an escorted tour.
In a nation like Egypt, I am sure I would, at least for the first time.

So you weigh the risks, the outcome, and the benefits and make your choice.

On my tour this summer men younger than I said they would travel no other way.
My own reaction was mostly this: if only I thought I could handle a car on these roads I would not be sitting in this bus.

This coming summer I have decided to try a compromise: a small bus tour of 11 people or less where the passenger have input and can shape the daily stops and visits within the framework of the tour.
We shall see.

SeaUrchin

My first trip to Europe was with a man who had been there before on his own. Since I dove right in and experienced Europe on my own terms and not on a tour's terms I would never travel another way.

A good idea is to pick the areas and cities you want to visit, decide on your transportation between them and then take day tours of the cities and anyplace nearby that interests you, such as Greyline Tours. This way you are only stuck on a tour for a day and you are on your own when you chose to be after the tour.

I would suggest France and Italy also, save Greece for later trips. France and Italy are easy to navigate and are used to American tourists and speak English generally in tourist areas.

So, your homework is, to pick your countries, make an outline of your places to visit, ask here on look on a site such as venere.com for hotel ideas and chose a transportation mode after you get there as well as getting over there in the first place.

It is easy and fun, but time consuming and sometimes frustrating, but I would do it no other way.

jheim

Hello Ginn,

Whatever you decide to do consider that four weeks can be 'wearing'. Schedule a couple of days for recovery time after two weeks or so.

We typically travel in six week increments and work in our downtime in the countryside - where we are comfortable. The time is spent relaxing and meeting new friends.

Have a great trip.

travelinwifey

If you do a text search on "escorted tours" you will find many threads about the subject. It seems most posters on this board are independant travelers, but I have done many escorted tours and have been happy with them all. My suggestion would be to find a good & qualified travel agent. There are tours for every type of traveler, from freelance to semi-escorted, to fully escorted. If money is no object I highly recommend one of the higher end tour operators like Tauck, Maupin, or the top $$ A&K. Also more of the "middle of the road" tour companies like Trafalgar, etc. provide tour codes in the catalogs for leisurely, comfortable, or a fast tour pace. Hope this helps.

BaltoTraveler

Some reasons to go on an escorted tour:

- If you like to meet new friends and enjoy lots of talk. (I don't.)

- You want to go to a country with a significant language and/or culture barrier.

- A canal-boat trip in France. (Ah... someday!)

- An organized inn-to-inn hiking group in the Alps (or Nepal!) where your luggage is trucked to your next stop, so you only have to hike with a day-pack.

That said, I've never traveled in a group (my mother and in-laws do so with some frequency), and I've never hesitated to rent a car anyplace I go. I think I'd be impatient with the idea of getting herded onto a bus before I'm through visiting someplace interesting.

Even with independent travel, though, there are day-trips you can go on with a group... setting things up either way in advance, the day before, or even the same day. A good example would be a guided half-day bike trip in the countryside (e.g. Holland), or a city walking tour with an English-speaking guide. Both can be scheduled at very short notice, so you can take the weather - and your energy level - into account before committing.

rex

Re-reading my own answer from last night, I don't think I clarified suffucuently my thoughts on the issue of a four week trip.

I think it is too long - - longer than you realize it will be. I would take a shorter trip, under 20 days, and perhaps even better, under 15 days - - and save the money to prepare for a second trip in the not-too-distant future.