Giselle,

As a travel agent, I can tell you that the main function of my job is to match the right type of tour (or not) to the right type of person. Just because you want to leave the driving to someone else is nothing to be embarassed about!

And, I wholeheartedly agree with Nocinonut who applauded you for the willingness to travel alone. Last year I did a trip for a single woman going to Australia and I was shocked at how many of her co-workers whipped her into a state of uncertainty. I don't know if this was out of concern (I'd like to think so) or envy, but the poor woman was sending me emails daily. It's very sad how women will put off travelling because they don't have someone to go with. Often, this comes at a price. Not to be maudlin, but I've had enough clients who waited for that "trip of a lifetime" only to have to cancel it due to medical reasons.

Life's too uncertain..if you have the desire and can afford it, GO FOR IT!

That said, if you're torn between your independent traveling days and going on a tour, you might want to consider a "hybrid" type of experience. One that includes your airfare, a transfer from the airport to your hotel, a tour or two, a train ticket to your next stop, etc. This gives you flexability but has the major components of your trip pre-booked.

If you decide to do a tour and are concerned about the options, then, as Travelbunny (love that name)said, do your homework. Decide on what you feel comfortable doing and what you have concerns about. If you're fine with taking a regional train from Paris and going to "X", then do it on your own; if not, enjoy the motorcoach ride, endure the shop that they'll take you to because they're getting a kickback from every passenger they take there, and relax.

Regards,

Melodie

Globus cheaper than the others you researched?
What about Cosmos (Globus's budget version)?
The question of tours vs independent is a matter of personal preference. You'll find it widely discussed if you click on the German section of this forum.

cmt had a good suggestion about Grand Circle Travel if you can travel between September and May as they don't run many tours during summer. They are reasonably priced and most of their tours have free days every other day. You tour a day and then have a day to do whatever you want or you can sign up for an optional tour on your free day. They usually include a language lesson and a meal in a local person's home and other cultural type activities (art lectures, pasta making, wine tasting etc.). They also have something called dine-around for some dinners. They give you a list of restaurants to choose from on the dine-around and you choose which one you want to eat dinner at that night. The website is www.gct.com

Yes, Globus is fine...especially for a swing-through-European-countries which we did some years ago. As USNR says, overall quality fine incl. hotels, guides, etc. Some good advice in posts such as tack on a few days before and/or after, be selective in optional tours.

Only problem is that on such tours you are likely going to be on the move. But as I've said that is what conducted tours are. I recommend Elderhostel and Grand Circle for seniors.

Bill in Missouri

I have been traveling for years and always without a group and Globus was my first tour group trip ever. We just thought it was an easier way to get around Italy for the first time and see the 3 major cities. My mom and I did Italy (Rome, Florence, & Venice). I have to say that it was a blast! We met some great people (we had a group of 45 or so) and we learned so much and saw a lot more than we might have been able to do in a short time on our own. Another poster mentioned this as well. Our tour guide was from Rome and she was awesome. We got quite a history lesson along with everything else. The food wasn't bad and we did not go on all of the excursions, because we like to explore on our own. That's why these tours are good if they give you the option of free time and we take it!! My mom and I love to explore all over new cities and countries and my mother does lots of research prior to, so we know what we want to see. I was skeptical myself the first time, but as others have said, if you're used to independent travel, you just have to give it a try before you judge. Globus also handled things extremely well from start to finish. Everything went off without a hitch! We are going on a Cosmos tour to Poland in May and are very excited about it!! Good luck with your decision, but never fear to try something new and enough people travel these many tour groups, so they can't be too bad right?? Let us know if and where you decide to go and with which group. Bon voyage!

Well ... What can I say! I travel with Globus once and decided tours never again. Their service is good but
the hotel selection in Italy specially is horrible. We where taken to a Hotel in
Pisa (5*) that the bathrooms were so dirty
and smell so bad that even the travel agent requested change of hotel.
Maybe it was bad luck, but I've heard
alot of other stories.
Go on your own and book day tours if
you want to be taken care. it's the best.
You'll see the places meet the people in the tour for 1 day and see ya!!! and
you're free again.
And about COSMOS , remenber you get
what you paid for. Look around, Globus
and Cosmos are pretty popular in the
U.s but not the only ones.
I don't know what your budget is but
try Trafalgar-tauk-abercombie and kent,
Grand European tours,goahead vacations
etc...
good luck.

I am a single woman too. when I go to a big town, or a limited area were I can stay in one hotel, I travel by myself. when I want to see a whole country or more, and when travelling to far away countries I take a tour. and yes, I always get those stupid comments about how I "should" travel and how there is only "one right way" to do it.
the only right way is what is right for you at a certain time.
I was with Globus on a tour to California, the hotels were great as well as the guide, bus etc.
I went last year on a leisure tour to Tuscany with Trafalgar. 6 nights at the same hotel, enough free time, and great company of people from the US, Australia, Canada, Malaysia etc. for me it was one of the big bonuses of the tour. have fun.

I'm 50, and recently traveled with Fashion Perspectives Tours to Italy, which emphasizes art and shopping. I had always traveled independently or with my family. The groups are very small, so I had company when I wished, and could go off on my own. The hotels were centrally located and very nice. I found I really liked the small group experience, and that it was flexible enough for me. Our tour leader, who is also the business owner, took us to some places we normally might not see, such as the Ferragamo Shoe Museum. I also liked the specialized nature of the trip so it was aimed at the types of things I wanted to see, plus the group leader was flexible. Her arrangements were great, and she is worth her weight in gold. I could not have priced the trip any better than she did for what we did.

Hi all. I just got back from a Globus Italy tour and it was aweful. Here are my comments I posted on another string.

I just returned from a Globus Italy tour the last week of December/first week of January and my advice to you concerning the tour is to RUN RUN RUN. I can't emphasis enough what an aweful tour it was. While Italy is WONDERFUL, do not take Globus.

First, this was my third time to Italy. I had previously done a two week trip to Italy on Contiki and had a wonderful time. This trip, I traveled with my entire family- 7 of is total. It was my mom, my three younger brothers (23, 18, and 15), my brother's fiance, and my boyfriend. We were celebrating my mom's 50th. We decided on a tour because there was so many of us and we wanted to make the trip easy and accomedate everyones different interests. Having been on 5 organized tours and traveled extensivly on my own, I figured this would be a good option. Boy was I wrong. Even my mom, who NEVER complains about everything was totally upset about it.

First, our tour guide was rude. Totally unwilling to offer advice or help with anything. We had requested room type preference with Globus and they had none of our preferences. Second, and the biggest problem of all, was that the whole trip revolved aroud "optional" excursions. These are dinners and activities that you pay a premium for in addition to your tour package. For example, dinner for 60 euros a person. I quote our tour guide "this is a great deal. I have been to your country (the US) and you cannot get a meal for under 75 dollars." Well I don't know where she was eating, but that is certainly not the case. The restaurants they take the group to for 60 euros a pop are tour group central places. My family ate at many small, lovely Italian restaurants with excellent food and service for under 20 per person. We did go to a few expensive dinners at nice restaurants, but these were zagat recommendations. Not where the tour group takes you.

Second example. Gondolas in Venice. Now, a little research on the net had shown that you can negotiate an hour gondola ride with a gondolere before you even arrive for 80 euros total for 6 people. Globus charged 30 per person to share with 5 other people. They took the groub to an area in the industrial section of Venice, no where near st. Marks, the Rialto and the charming small cannels that most want to see. Not only that, the group was going into Venice from our hotel that was NO WHERE near the city- in fact it was in an area that Frommers says to stay in only if there is NO WHERE ELSE to stay. Anyway, they took us in the coach to the city without telling anyone it was time for the optional gondolas that we had not signed up for. When they got to the far side of the city, no where near the center, they informed us that we had to WAIT there while the people had signed up took a gondola for 40 minutes before going to the included dinner.

At any rate, Italy is a wonderful country. It is completely and easily navigable by train. We went down to Pompeii and Capri on our own after the tour and it was wonderful. You can book anything you need, train tickets included, on the internet and get reviews of hotels.

We just returned from an 11 day Switzerland at Leisure tour by Globus, and will have to say that everything was fabulous! Very well organized, decent hotels, delicious meals, wonderful tour guide, and we could not have asked for more. There were 43 people in our group, ranging from 30's on up, and all were wonderful people! Even though this trip was extensively for Switzerland, it was a perfect way of seeing the entire beautiful country. The optional tours can get a bit expensive, but well worth it. It was a bit on the go, even though it was an "at leisure" tour, but we chose to do more optional tours which made it extra busy. Lots of delightful memories to last a lifetime.

We've travelled many times in Europe - usually a mix of independent travel and a tour.

I don't drive (health reasons), sometimes using public transport is not possible given time restraints and my health issues. So, to give my husband a break from driving we've taken to mixing it up with a tour.

Mostly loved my stints with Globus....... could not fault the hotels - in spite of other comments we found them all amazingly good and centrally located,the food varied from OK to great.

Some negatives we found were the pressure to take optional extras(we just said no,but were pressed on occasion), and most recently what we disliked was a too lengthy tour of Spain - 18 days was just too long. We also had a strange tour leader who regaled us all with his EXTREME, personal and emotional right wing views - not something we wanted or needed to hear in the country that suffered so much under Franco.

This latest tour group was also a mixed bag, some of the group were very xenophobic and us Aussies and the Canadians found the "everything is wonderful in the US, everything is hideous everywhere else" attitude of several American couples very hard to take.

That said we will contine to "go Globus" for the comfort of the buses - extra leg room for the two of us who are very, very tall,clean rest room stops, planning and ease - bus groups often jump queues at museums etc!