We have been traveling indpendently for over 35 years. The trip becomes your own, not somone else's prepaid, preconceived version.

We have been on day tours such as the rain forests of Belize, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, since they street maps are not very good.

I also advise not to do the easy trips like Europe when you are younger but try the more strenuous trips that require energy and agility. England, Italy, France, and Spain will be there long after we are gone. Go to the 3rd world and tougher terrains when able.

Unfortunately we did not realize this until we were 45.

Aduchamp .. ummm 45 IS YOUNG!!!!! Yikes.

I think it is very hard to generalize as tours vary so much, and you can choose the type you want. I've taken a couple when I was younger -- one to a place I still wouldn't go without one (a third world country), another just because I didn't know that much about traveling outside the US at that time and also I used the same company as the first, and really liked it.

So that's only two, and I deliberately chose ones with a fairly slow itinerary (at least 3 days in the major cities), and without inclusive meals (except breakfast) or lots of extras, so I could do what I wanted a lot. I was never "forced to socialize" on these tours. And I was never forced to get up at the crack of dawn or earlier except one day I remember because the transportation to another part of the country left very early (a train). But you'd have to do that on your own, and it really saved a lot of time being on the tour, as you didn't have to do a lot of the things in the morning you would on your own. I don't sleep real late ever when I'm on vacation, anyway, so the time I got up, if I chose to do that morning's excursion or activity, wasn't anything unusual for me.

being on a group bus to an archeological site, etc., wasn't any different than if you had to be on public transportaiton on your own to get to those sites.

Aduchamp .. ummm 45 IS YOUNG!!!!! Yikes.

What I wrote was "Unfortunately we did not realize this until we were 45."

The point remains we wish we realized that when we were younger. But then again I should never expect people to read carefully.

Have you
Walked the rain forests for hours with heat and humidity,
Spelunked
Scaled the sides of Mayan temples using roots and ladders nailed into soil for over 250 feet
Hiked the Alps?

My wife and her sister and walking the 500 mile Camino across Spain starting in two weeks and they are both beyond 45.

Yikes.

Sandy, Clearly your tour is already scheduled and you do know the advantages of independent travel, so those telling you how they'd NEVER do a tour are far from answering your question. I, too, am a planner, but I've done the tour thing when going with others who like that.
Here's what worked for us: the group had one day in Florence, then took a bus out to a hill town for the day. I wasn't going to go all the way to Florence and not see the Uffizi, so my daughter and I skipped the bus day and had our own time in the city. Another family spent the day in Pisa, because that was one thing they really wanted to do.You actually enjoy the group a little more when you come back together after some time apart. Don't forget that you can do that as a couple, as well, or as individuals, even though you're travelling with friends. My favorite experience of the whole trip was when my family all wanted naps (on vacation-sheesh!) so I spent a rainy afternoon wandering from church to church in Roma and butchering Italian with indulgent shopkeepers-encounters you're much more likely to have when you're not part of a herd.
What I wished I had done: get a detailed plan for the day so you're not herded somewhere you don't want to be. If I had known we were leaving St. Mark's to go to a glass-blowing shop, I would have spent my time at St. Mark's. If I'd known we were going from the Vatican back to the hotel for no particular reason, I would have stayed in that part of town and seen more there. It sounds logical, of course, but make sure when you get on that bus or start following that guide, that you know what's planned, and be assertive enough to forgo their agenda if it's not something you're interested in, or if you aren't keen on shopping wherever they take you.
You can still research everything ahead of time-you're right, that's part of the fun-so you can prioritize what you want to see and do. Most tour guides appreciate a well-informed(if polite and eager to learn) traveller and will help you make any arrangements you need.
It is really sweet to have the transportation arranged and the luggage handling of a tour- a couple of things that I find really exhausting-and a good guide can really make it a memorable trip.
Bon voyage!

Here's how you stay sane - remind yourself that you are on vacation and in a really cool place! Consider the alternative - you could be cooking your own meals, and dealing with traffic and all the other day to day stuff that gets on your nerves after a while.

I personally prefer independent travel - but what the heck - you are going on a tour - so enjoy it. Of course their will be people that will get on your nerves, you will pass a location and really wish you could stop and do your own thing, but keep looking at the positives.

We always hope that something goes a little wrong with our trips - that's what makes them memorable.

Also - the only group trip I have ever went on - I met my future husband, so I may have a slightly rosy picture of tours!

We could/would never do a tour. The only exception I could think of would be a canal trip in France or something such as that, where that is the only way to see those types of things. I don't like being hurried, & though we make plans, they invariably change. Nor do I wish to be chasing a red umbrella w/a horde of others.

FYI-small group tours do not have umbrellas and there are not hordes of people unless you consider 16 a horde. In Cambodia, there were 6 of us on the tour. I think you have to do your research and find the tour that fits your needs. There are wine tours, hiking tours, cooking tours,etc. I personally sometimes like to do independant and other times tours. It depends on the location, and how busy we are. Both offer good and bad points. Tours now realize people don't like to be shuffled around and changing their ways...like the cruise "free style".

Our first trip to Europe was through an escorted tour (Cosmos). I would have preferred to plan the trip ourselves and go at our own pace, but since this was our first time in Europe, my husband was more comfortable with traveling with a group. There are pros and cons to both... You definitely get to see a lot more sites/attractions with a tour group. Plus the wait time is a lot faster when you are with a group rather than on your own. The downside is that it is usually rushed because you are on a tight time schedule and you don't get to spend as much time seeing what you want to see. When we were in Paris, we only had enough time to take a picture of the Eiffel Tower, no time to go up in it, which was very disappointing. We did have fun getting to know some of the people in our group and socializing. However, there were times when we preferred to be on our own or left alone, which is difficult with a large group.

With that being said, we were actually quite happy with the Cosmos tour and our guide was excellent! We were able to get out and about on our own and explore some of the cities, so that really made it more memorable. I don't think I'll ever do another escorted tour but it was a good way for us to get acclimated to traveling in another country.

Wow, thanks for all the great posts! There is some very good advice here.
I'm glad we are trying it - it could be the first and last time but we do like to mix it up and travel different ways so I'll go with the right attitude.
It's in June so I'll let you know how it turns out. I'll just have to refrain from telling the tour escorts what to do - kidding! That will be my husband.

Sometimes you have to open up and give the tour guides advice. On those river trips I took and when they had day tours, it was surprising what little common sense some of the guides had at times.

We would politely give suggestions when things would get ridiculous.