Group Tours
 

I've never gone on a group tour (everything planned, with a dedicated guide) before and I am interested in learning more about them.

If you have gone on a group tour, what are the top things you have liked, and what makes you choose a group tour over other travel? Is there anything particular you look for when choosing a company to go with (group size, experiences, company values, etc)? Is there anything you did not like?

I'm looking mostly at Europe, with the possibility of Argentina.

Thank you for your help!

I recently took my first group tour in over 30 years. Loved it because it was a part of the world I didn’t want to travel by myself (India) since my husband wasn’t going. I liked someone schlepped the bags. I liked the security of having the group. I liked how well traveled my companions were and friendly. I didn’t like some of the too much free time.

Europe? I have traveled extensively in Europe. Would never use a group tour as it’s so easy to do on your own.

Forgive me, but it sounds like you are doing research for an article or course or even to start your own group tours. If not, please say more about YOUR priorities, concerns, etc.

Welcome to Fodor's travel forums, new person :-)

I have never done and have no interest in group tours. But if I did I'd consider Road Scholar or Rick Steves.

As you may suspect, this is a site more attuned to non-group travel, so you will hear more negatives than positives. I have been on two group tours, all more than 35 years ago. Since then I have rejected group tours despite being superficially attracted many times.

My list of negatives: A tour is only as fast as its slowest member. The glossy descriptions will try to fool you. Carefully read each day's detailed description to decide if you will get what you expect. "See," "view" and the like means at most a drive by or 10 minute photo stop. "Visit" is a quick enter see leave, while "tour" is a lot better. The food will be at places that can serve inexpensive non-offensive food quickly to a bus load of tourists all at once. Hotels will be big and usually in a less expensive location (i.e. not central). A large amount of time will be on busses, even if a train is faster. If a location has four major sites, one will be drive by, one a quick stop, and two will be toured. You will not be able to skip what you don't want or linger over a particularly fascinating item.

Positives: No logistics planning needed. A guide will handle most minor problems. Language barriers are gone. There will be scam warnings when appropriate. Costs are both controlled and minimized. A good sign is a tour that uses local guides at each stop. And watch out for tours that cater to a type of traveler that you don't want to be with (such as partying students).

A hybrid tour no tour method is to buy travel and hotel then do your own touring at each location, either on your own or by buying your choice of day tours independently -- your hotel will be happy to help. Picking a tour should include vetting the tour company for financial stability and legitimate reviews.

Have an interesting time on your trip!

The OP posted back in September . . .

Oops. Missed that and wasted time and words.

Thanks janisj. Sorry I didn't notice either.

So what? I don’t see a time frame mentioned & all the replies are in the last day. Or is there an expiry date on good ideas?

tips on group tours
 

I actually did my first group tour in Morocco with a few friends, and it turned out to be one of the best travel decisions we made. Having everything planned for us took away all the stress of organizing transport, hotels, and routes, so we could just enjoy the experience. The guide made a huge difference to, sharing history, showing us local gems we’d never have found on our own, and making the journey feel really personal.

What I liked most was how it created a balance: time together with the group, but also moments of independence to explore. The company kept the group size small, which made it easy to connect with people and not feel like we were part of a massive crowd. If I had to give one tip, I’d say look for companies that focus on authentic experiences rather than rushing through a checklist of sights. For me, that group trip in Morocco was the one that got me hooked on the idea of doing more in the future.