Globus Tours-Solo traveler
 

Has anyone been on the Globus escorted tour-Iberian Vacation? I'm a single female traveling alone on an escorted tour. I'm a little weary of traveling w/out a group.

I did the Spain/Portugal/Morocco tour with Globus' sister company Cosmos. I very much enjoyed the Cosmos tour, but Globus is supposed to be even nicer.

I also travel solo about once a year, and once you join the group, you will make all sorts of new friends. Bon Voyage. :-)

I've done a lot of tours with Globus/Cosmos. However not the Iberian. They have all been great! If you feel uncomfortable on your own or if you have a good group of people (usually the case) you can stick with them and do the day tours. Once you get into the city, if you want to wander on your own you can do that too. Just tell the tour director you will be wandering off. You might want to add a bit to your budget for meals. Included meals with a tour are usually at the hotel and no matter budget or luxury can't compare to some little restaurant you've found. Who wants to go back to the hotel at 6 just to eat (wedding reception) meals.

I don't know how old you are, but when I did a Globus tour, we were a pretty mixed group. There were three singles on our tour..two girls..probably mid 20's I'm guessing...I think they were rooming together and then a guy probably in his mid to late 30's. I think he roomed alone. He was VERY independent and really didn't do a lot with the group. He would take the morning tour and then off he went for the rest of the day. Can't remember if he showed up for dinner or not.

Pauli,
I have not taken a Globus tour before but am booked as a single traveler on their "Spectaular Spain" trip the end of December. I checked out comments on various sites and it seems like their Spain trips get good reviews.

I took a tour of Switzerland with Globus. All hotels had good (not the best, but good) location, comfortable rooms. The tour guides were local. Comfortable buses. Good choice for a single traveler.

I have done Globus Spectacular Spain and Spain at Leisure. I preferred the at leisure because it allowed for more time in each city. In any case it was a great value, pretty good meals & there are usually several singles, either alone or traveling with couples or parents etc.

I agree w/ other poster you can always venture away on your own just let the guide know if it's a group activity they will want to keep track of you. Just be careful you don't get snagged by any other "needy" type travelers in the group who will latch on more quickly if you you are alone. If want to explore by yourself, my tip is to be ready for the question " Will you be going out later, what are your dinner plans?" etc etc. If you want some alone time be ready to simply say "I'm not really sure just yet" and then do what you want..

That said, I did enjoy mixing with all the travelers that is part of the fun.Just be ready to go go go when it's time early in the morning!

No worries. My mom went on several Globus tours as a single traveler. She always met people to hang out with in the group. In fact, she and another woman became friendly and booked a tour together a couple of years later.

I've been on a couple of escorted tours and was able to venture out on my own when I wanted. You'll find that most people on tours enjoy meeting others in the group, and you'll never be alone unless you want to.

You'll have a great time! :)

Amsdon,
Glad to hear you had done the Spectacular Spain trip----any insights or suggestions? Thanks!

Globus and cosmos are the same company , with globus using more upmarket hotels. I travelled solo on a cosmos splendours of italy tour last year, and enjoyed the company of other travellers , particularly for the dinners. I was not bound to stick with the group for day or evening activites, so if you'd prefer to do things solo, then I don't see it to be a huge problem. alot of the days they dropped you off at the cities and you were left to your own devices for siteseeing anyway.

Hi KathrynNJ
You asked re Globus Spectacular Spain:

Spectacular Spain is a very busy tour. I went in 1991 but the itinerary looks the same; you are going to alot of cities for a taste of Spain, all in 10 days. Madid & Sevilla, Toledo & Granada, Cordoba, not to be missed.
You will be getting up & out early most days so may not have the energy to stay out until dawn (unlike the Spaniards). Kind of makes you feel like you are missing the Spanish experience to a certain extent, but then it is a tour after all. Try to go a day in advance if you can or add a day or two at the end to see more of Madrid.

In any case I enjoyed it very much & thought it a very good value. It included all breakfasts, and quite a few dinners which were pretty good. (I am Cuban American and accostomed to Spanish cooking, but expect a heavier hand w/ salt.) If you want a night of special dining you can always take one of the free nights and go to one of Maribel's recommended restaurants in addition to tapas.

The motor coach was very comfortable. (Although traveling the Ave train to Sevilla from Madrid was GREAT, fast & comfortable, but don't think they go on the Ave for SSpain, but some of the other itineraries yes.)

Most of the optional excusions were worth taking. However the flamenco shows w/ Globus @ Patio Sevillano in Sevilla will be very touristy & lacking in "duende: (soul) & the dinner there not the best.There are far better places if you want to see flamenco. You might opt for one of the other recommended places in Sevilla like Casa de Memoria. As a general rule go to later shows which are better for flamenco.

The hotels w/ Globus were good in general, but sometimes further out from the main city center especially in Madrid and Sevilla. The Hotel Carmen in Granada was central I recall. Melia Costa del Sol in Torremolinos had a great location right across from the beach. Very touristy area but lots of fun. There is a elevator/stairway to a shopping avenue that is right next to that Hotel. I was not crazy about Gibraltar; more like a giant shopping spree which was forced on me with the shop owners all eagerly awating the tour groups.

Globus is considered 1st class (not luxury.) I was satisfied with the hotels for the money. The guides were interesting & informed. But remember they have to cart around a group of people and the only way to keep order is to have rules and time tables. That is part of the deal. I did not have a problem w/ that but there are always the stragglers that linger behind and hold up the group.

I do know that some Brennan tours are exactly the same as Globus because we had a Brennan group mixed in with us.

Again, it is meant as taste of Spain. Plus you totally relinquish control and hand it over to the guide. For us it was a good fit, though as I mentined, I preferred the Spain @ Leisure due to the fact that you get to spend more time in one area.

Hope that helps!

oops,, ok ok I'm pooped so kindly excuse the spelling errors & typos on my post. ams

I've done several Globus and also the more budget Cosmos tours on a solo basis. I always made friends and found people on the tour to eats meals or hang out with. I love independant travel but would not think of venturing out on my own. I think if I was young and could do the youth hostel thing it would be different.

I'm sure you'll have a lovely time. Globus tends to be Americans, Australians and Canadians. You'll get to know your fellow travelers and have a great trip.

Amsdon,
Thanks SOOOO much for your reply. Yep, I do understand the structure, rules, etc with a group and though it will be an adjustment, I'll adapt since this is a sensible way for me to take this trip. Really appreciate your tips about flamenco, etc. Your response made me feel much more comfortable with my decision!!

Glad to help!

Thanks for the valuable information. I'm looking forward to my trip. I know the pros/cons of an escorted tour. However, I'm a little weary of venturing alone in Europe, and so I opted for a tour.