rajeshml

Please suggest good bus tour companies that operate from Los Angeles to cover tourist attractions in California and also the Grand Canyon.
I am a newbie to bus tours. I would appreciate your inputs on this and it would be great if you can let me know how to determine that a tour company is safe, reliable and genuine.
When I googled I found a whole bunch of tour companies but did not know what to choose and how to search for a good one. Please help.

iamq

I am not sure you'll get a lot on this from this group as most of us travel on our own independently as opposed to organized tours. Have you considered renting a car and doing this on your own?

What tourist attractions are you interested in?

Dayenu

Is your start point LA only? I think Cosmos (budget) tour company has a tour starting in San Francisco, ending either in LA or Las Vegas.

You can look at different tours, length, date, price on this website:

http://www.affordabletours.com/

And if this is too overwhelming, you can call them. I like this company as they give a 10% discount on land tours.

rajeshml

My first preference would be to have LA as my starting point. The places i would like to visit are Yosemite, San Fransisco, Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam.
I am not used to long drives. I normally feel very stressed out after driving for an hour. So I dont want to take any risk as I will be travelling with my baby. So i am looking at the option of bus tours.
Please let me know what aspects I should be considering while choosing a bus tour company like safety, pricing etc.,
Is there any means to know if a tour company is reputed and if they offer quality service?
Suggestions please.

kayd

Are you sure you want to take a baby on a bus tour that is likely geared for adults (or at least children of school age), and not likely to make the frequent stops a baby requires?

Also, Yosemite and San Francisco are a full day's drive north of LA, Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam are a similar distance to the east. You might need two different tours to cover those destinations from LA.

november_moon

I am concerned about the logistics of taking a baby on that sort of organized tour as well. The schedules are pretty tight and some of the drives will be long. Not much flexibility to accomodate the needs of a baby.

If you don't want to drive much, I'd chose a couple locations and then fly between them.

rajeshml

I have travelled with my baby on long flights (10 hour long flights) and I found it much easier to manage my baby than to drive. So I am confident about handling my baby on a bus tour. I looked at the option of flying but that is turning to be an expensive affair.

The only thing that concerns me is the safety, quality of service and reliability of the bus tour companies. Please recommend any tour company that you know of. I would appreciate any suggestion.

rajeshml

I am fine with doing 2 differnt tours as suggested by kayd

janisj

"The only thing that concerns me is the safety, quality of service and reliability of the bus tour companies."

There are more concerns than that. Have you found long distance guided tours that allow babies? Some definitely won't -- for lots of reasons. There is no opportunity for unscheduled stops. If you are on a 4 hour driving segment and the baby cries or is sick - it wouldn't be fair to the baby OR the other passengers. Plus you have to be packed and in the coach early every AM. The majority (not 100% but definitely the majority) on tours are retired and seniors. Most of them would not be happy to see the passenger in seat 8B is 10 months old. Tours can be great - but IMO they are not suitable for babies/toddlers.

An option is to fly someplace like Las Vegas and take day tours from there. But those could still be tough for the baby. Flying is often cheaper than guided tours. Or - but obviously more expensive - would be Amtrak trips.

laurieb_nyny

The point is moot. Children under the age of 8-10 years will not be allowed on any reputable escorted bus tour (Globus, Cosmos, Collette etc.).

nytraveler

I hate to be the bearer of possible bad news, but many coach tour companies have a lower limit for passenger age - and in no small children. Not sure any would want an infant - or that the schedule would really work for one. I would definitely contact several and ask if they accept infants at all.

Dayenu

I found these age limits - so if your baby is at least 3 years old, you can find a tour

http://travelguide.affordabletours.c...icle/guide/24/

Globus Family Vacations - Minimum age is 8 years old.
Trafalgar Family First Class - Minimum age is 5.
Tauck Bridges - Minimum age is 3; recommended age is 8.
Abercrombie & Kent Family Holidays - Minimum age 5 or 6 depending on destination.
Adventures by Disney - Minimum age is 4; suggested ages vary depending on destination

november_moon

If you want to visit all the places on your list, flying without driving isn't really an option anyway. But, if you choose say LA and SF, you can get a cheap flight between the 2 cities on Southwest airlines. From SF you can take Amtrak to Yosemite - it is a combination of bus and train travel.

rajeshml

thanks everybody- i am now planning to do combination of air travel and bus tours.