Tour Companies?
 

I accidentally posted my actual question in the U.S. forum, but the gist of it is that I am looking for tour companies that are offering tours and packages between the backpacker level and what most U.S. companies offer as standard. It was suggested (and I have been getting some sense of this on the web) that this level of tourism is largely oriented to British tourists. Does anyone have a suggestion for companies? And if they are British, can I get brochures? I was able to request one online, but I have no idea if I'll actually get it. A friend of mine referred to this level of travel as "the fish and chips brigade" and thought it would likely work for us.

Hi Persi - What country/countries are you looking to tour? Where would you want to start from?

If from England, one of the main coach tour companies is WA Shearings.

http://www.washearings.com/world/default.aspx

http://www.travel55.co.uk/washearing...days_main.html

Other companies include Leger Holidays, Cosmos Tourama, Contiki ...

Hope this helps ...

Steve

I think you're confusing two different products, neither of which is probably right for you:

- there's a growing market in coach-based short trips from Britain to the near Continent. During the winter, these are typically four or five day things to places like a couple of Christmas markets, leaving Britain by coach - and rarely starting from anywhere convenient for an airport. An example would be www.travelscope.co.uk

- alternatively there's a huge, but rapidly declining, industry of package holidays (flight, transfer, full board at a hotel, all negotiated by aggressive, volume-oriented buyers), led by people like www.thomson.co.uk. But in winter, those holdays are all either a week (or two or three) somewhere warm like Egypt, or a similar period on the ski slopes. They may do summer tours round the Alps - but there really isn't a mass, cheap market in Britain for coach tours of Germany in the winter (or any other time of the year).

Incidentally, I'd be amazed if either group accepted scruffier hotels than Americans do (why should they? They're not pauperised by a collapsing currency), and I'm really unclear what it is you're looking for

I think you should forget about looking for products aimed at the mass British market (as well as taking advice from friends who use snobbish - and nonsensical - stereotypes like "fish and chip brigade"), because the mass British market isn't interested in what you're looking for.

You'd do better, I'd suggest, to define clearly whsat it is about "what most US companies offer as standard" you don't want, so that people can help you find what it is is you DO want.

<<< I am looking for tour companies that are offering tours and packages between the backpacker level and what most U.S. companies offer as standard. >>>

Does anyone know what this means as that might help us provide a meaningful answer to the poster

Just to add what you are asking covers everything from backpackers Eurailing around Europe, staying at cheap hostels and only meeting locals to order a beer to all inclusive resorts where the dollar is still king and you only meet locals when ordering a margarita.

What are you looking for - a coach trip with 50 other people where you zoom past everything, a small group of 16 or so where you travel less, a package holiday where you can get all your local delights in a pub called the Kings Head, a stay at an exclusive hotel in the middle of a major city or what.

There are companies for each of the above in Europe and for many more types of holiday. Until you explain what you are after we can't help you

Exodus and Explore are two British companies that offer adventure tours all over the world. The tours range from easy to difficult and some are purely cultural. All are very affordable.

OK, I did not mean to be offensive when I posted "fish and chips brigade". My friend used the term and I doubt he meant to be derogatory either. The U.S. oriented companies I've found are all using First, Deluxe First, and Superior First Hotels. Or there is backpacker stuff that involves hostels. I had in mind Tourist, or Tourist First, and traveling on a slightly less insulated level. By the way, I did see a coach tour from Britain that looked really appealing, but it was only 3 days, and yes, it did seem much easier to fold into a UK trip than a German one. I was hoping to find longer ones, or possibly some that originated in Germany. Or possibly ones that involved Rhine or Danube cruises, as my husband would love to take one (by the way we don't have a specific dream itinerary, it all looks good), but some of the brochures I've recieved from companies are so terrifyingly upscale that I'm not sure we'd be comfortable even if we were OK with paying for it. By the way, we are working people in our forties with blue collar jobs. We enjoy traveling and dining, and cut back in other areas in order to be able to do so, but we are very clearly not the target market for much of the stuff we've gotten. We are used to that, to some extent, but would like something that was comfortable but maybe a little more down to earth. I'm pretty sure my friend thought we might be able to find things targeted for our British opposite number, rather than well-off American retirees.

Have you looked at Rick Steves' tours? www.ricksteves.com. His tours include more walking (usually, not always), smaller groups, smaller hotels (sometimes B&Bs). It's the tour version of his Europe Through the Back Door. Which book you might read. It encourages people to go on their own, inexpensively and with more exposure to the locals.

But I'm not sure if you're looking for, a less expensive tour or one that doesn't put you up in a large modern chain hotel on the outskirts of town.

Thank you Steve and Flanner. Both Shearings and Travelscope are probably pretty close to what I want. Thomsons wasn't quite it, but I really appreciate any information, as I was getting quite frustrated, as I was pretty sure it was out there but was not able to find it. Hopefully they'll actually send me stuff. And it's not a matter of cost so much, there is some of that, but by the time I'm done with the exchange rate I'll probably have knocked out any savings, although it is likely cheaper to fly into London than Germany. It is more that I would like to feel comfortable with both my fellow travelers and the establishments we are patronising. There are ways in which we like to get out of our comfort zone, but some of the packages I've seen would not be doing it in a good way.

Persimmondeb,

are you set on a tour or do you just want to visit Europe on a given buidget? If the latter, going on your own does give you a better control of your budget and also more freedom. This forum is one of the best planning tools you will ever encounter.

I posted a reply in your other thread on the US forum before I saw this one.

Have you checked out Cosmos? I'm not sure if they offer winter tours, but they are the "budget" version of Globus and do cater primarily to tourists from the UK. I took a Cosmos tour years ago and the hotels are definitely not "deluxe" and in the budget/value category.

www.cosmos.com

Thanks Cheryli, Cosmos looks fabulous. Pretty much what I'm looking for, and I'll be able to book in dollars.

I'm a fan of Cosmos Tours. They are budget so thankfully they don't include too much. I prefer to do my own thing once in town. They do offer excursions, but with some internet planning you can arrange your own. The hotels are fine. Always been clean and safe. Sometimes in town, sometimes not but if they aren't they are on local transportation lines. An example is their Rome, Sorrento, Capri tour where they stay right in town in Sorrento and at the beautiful San Michele on Capri. Pretty good for budget. Just pick the right itinerary and use them for transportation and hotels and help from the tour director if needed. Also the the people in the group have always been the best. Lots of fun interesting types.

If you want hostels and backpacking, check out www.busabout.com

The last few trips with Cosmos was an older crowd. They do have a guarenteed share, so if you are single, you can avoid the single supplement.

try www.aromatours.com
Small groups, best of food, little treasures of each region.
I have been on their Provence tour and will be going to Turkey with them in May. I have no other experience with tours. Have always been an indenpendent traveler.

Thanks again, guys. I just got my Travelscope brochure last night. That was fast! Their trips look wonderful. Exactly the kind of thing I wanted. Have you seen some of the hotels they use? Small, regional looking, obviously meant to be comfortable rather than fancy, and no giant american style mega chain hotels. I so did not want to go to Europe and stay in a Hilton or Ramada. Thank you particularily Flanner, and I am sorry if I did offend you. I was not implying that the British in general have less exalted taste, just that since you guys are much closer, tour companies would offer packages geared for a much broader demographic.

Try cosmos tours or costsaver Trafalgar tours...they both are what one would call superior tourist....the hotels while not first class or deluxe are certainly clean but probably located a bit away from the action but you can always use public transportation.

Cosmos and Costsavers seem to fit what you are seeking.

www.dragon-tours.com is a Welsh private coach tour company that makes an itinerary to suit your needs (or choose your own), they do tours of all the uk. Have used them twice and much of their clientele is backpackers, all the hostels they use are very safe with good recommendations. The company is also recommended by the Welsh toursit board.

You could also look at Adventures Abroad, and possibly Intrepid - some of their tours are pretty basic, but some are more upmarket, especially in Europe. Small groups, non-chain hotels, Intrepid uses local transport.