Tour/planned or group vacations?

[VaSteve]

So were wrapping up a week in Maine. Our usual haunt is Bar Harbor but we did a couple of days in NH and middle Maine before we got here.

Wife and kids, bikes, hiking. Plan as we go really. Did a big bike ride yesterday (solo) and a hike with the kids

We like active vacations. And I see while I'm riding a group doing a bicycle tour. I googled it and it was $3000. Stay in nicer places fully supported well fed. Anyone here ever do these things? Or the Porsche Treffens? I'm not sure is want me vacatoon to be so scheduled and locked in with a lot of other people. My mom whole nearing 80 does bus tours and that sounds even worse to me.

Alternately, the place were staying had a number of groups of motorcycle riders all vacationing together. Anyone here vacation like that? Big group of friends or is that a club type thing? I guess My wife and I are too much of individuals but not antisocial of course. I'm intwrested in other perspectives or experiences.

[fanaudical]

My wife and I have been thinking of trying something like this (we've never done it either). What appeals to us is the chance to just "go with the program" and relax for once, hoping that we would then get some new experiences that we wouldn't have normally chosen for ourselves. Not sure it would really work like that, but willing to give it a try.

[scottmandue]

I have always planed my own vacations but also always traveled in the Americas... if I were to go to Europe or Asia I would be much more inclined to look into a tour... however I am much more intrigued by having a personal tour guide ala Rick Steves (PBS show) where you can customize your tour to you taste and interest. However I presume there is a significant price break if you go on a group tour.

[recycled sixtie]

I am with you in that regard as my wife and I like to go on our own. Some folks we know in their 70's and 80's go on bus tours. Their hotels are all booked ahead of time but of course wherever they go they have to wait to check in or get a meal.

Being in our late 60's we can still drive and either book hotels or wing it depending on the season. In my early 60's I did the Wainwrights coast to coast walk in the UK. I split it up into four sections and a couple of sections I had my luggage delivered to my next b and b. Some hikers hire a guide and don't have to carry a backpack. Of course this way costs a lot more. I prebooked my b and b's and saved many $$$. Generally I don't go through travel companies except Holland and France when I get a package tour(flights/hotels etc).

When my wife and I go hiking in the Rockies we notice some well organized hiking groups with different levels of fitness. Typically older folks that are singles. Tour companies are developing tours that are more specialized which is not a bad thing.
For now the wife and I are able to go by ourselves and not be dependent on others.

[Jim Richards]

I prefer to plan our own trips. Not a big fan of tours/groups. Too cookie-cutter for me.

[Drisump]

Around here in the spring and fall we do our own "Treffens". Usually about 10-12 Porsches of various types (from 356's to GT2/3's). One of the guys organizes with driving and road quality as the primary criteria...low priority on specific attractions....I guess you may say attractions are avoided since they attract too much other traffic. The group like socializing after the day and the occasional mechanical problem is dealt with collectively. The participants probably travel up to 500 miles to link up. Up to this point we've driven as far east as Idaho, as far south as central Oregon, and far north as Quesnel BC. These are really enjoyable events for those of us that really love to drive our cars! Cheers

[VaSteve]

We did a couple of canoe and kayak tours of the arrive and do it type... that was kind of cool, I like talking to other adults occasionally. I like the idea of meeting up in the evening to swap stories and such. I can barely keep 4 people togetehr when hiking or "family cycling".... I do enjoy ripping up the road on my road bike and caught up to a couple other riders my speed/level/interest...but I'd hate to be the straggler of wait for the stragglers..

I do feel sometimes that I miss out on the "key things" in a particular place by not taking organized tours but I Google what I'm interested in along the way.

[craigster59]

I've always thought this would be interesting. Stay overnight at a pub/B&B, they pack you a lunch and you walk/ ride to the next destination. Lots of history....
Hadrian's Wall Walking Tours | Walk Hadrian's Wall | Macs Adventure

[Cajundaddy]

We travel a lot and enjoy both going alone and group tours. Both have benefits and downsides. We took a 14 day road trip through the National parks in ID, MT,WY,UT. We hiked probably 60 miles and saw a ton of animals and breathtaking scenery. We have also taken several guided tours of Europe and enjoyed that method of travel.

Going alone: Complete freedom to do as you please and be as active or inactive as you wish, variable costs for food, transportation and accommodations, limited social interaction. We go out early and knock off the adventures for the day and hit the showers by 2-3pm. This gives us time to catch a local happy hour or just chill around the pool. We mostly prefer to travel this way in the US or Caribbean.

Guided tour: Usually very structured and very busy covering a lot of ground. We don't usually return to the same place twice so we want to see it all while we are there. Often all inclusive so you know exactly how much it will cost. Back door, front-of-the-line access to many of Europe's historical treasures. Lots of social interaction meeting folks from all over the world. Freedom from food, transportation and accommodation worries. Good value for the $$.

The best tours run smaller or 1/2 full busses (like Rick Steve's or Gate 1) so you are not crammed in with 50 other people. There will always be some people on a tour that you will become fast friends with, and always a few annoying thorns. Simply avoid the thorns and hang with the folks you like. We often prefer to travel this way if there are significant language or cultural differences.

[scottmandue]

I really don't do tours but I did get talked into a Mexican cruise once...
Because I was with my elderly parents (and I'm a big ol el pollo) I took two day trips (mostly to get away from my family )
First trip all went as planed and I got away from la familia, tequila factory... total BS ripoff... drove up out to a farm in the middle of nowhere made up to look like a "tequila factory" where they made no tequila... fed us the worst carna asada I have ever had in my life (being a SoCal native that is saying a lot!) had some booths where the sold trinkets... drove us back into town and stop by a strip mall where they sold more trinkets. Best part of the trip was driving out into the county thought the little towns, as least got to see some scenery.

Second trip, 'Bird watching' figured I was safe... figured my family would roll their eyes and say "there go Scott being nature boy"... I figured wrong, dad decided to go along... we get on a bus that takes us to the pier where there is a 30 (+/-) foot canopied boat with an outhouse fiberglassed to the back of the boat. We head out for the mangrove swamp... captain goes to the front of the boat and open huge ice chest full of beer and invites everyone to help themselves... it is 11AM and the gringos are a little nervious (and I'm eyeballing dad... yes I was 45 years old at the time and I still needed dad's approval to have a beer) captain gets to us and sticks a beer in our hands and away we go. Captains pet pelican joins us on the boat. We motor through the swamp with the captain pointing out birds and animal life. We pull up to a dock in the middle of the jungle and I'm thinking "this is where the guys with uzis come out and take us away" after a short while a farm tractor shows up pulling a flat bed with benches screwed down to the platform. We all load up and head out through a palm tree plantation, after about twenty minutes we go over a berm and descend to the beach and start motoring to some building on the point way off in the distance. We get to the building and there are few outdoor restaurants and some rental places. Captain escorts us into a huge outdoor eatery with a thatched roof, heavy wood benches, and a dirt floor. Free lunch of chicken, beef, or fish with rice and beans, it was fresh and delicious (and the ice chest accompanied us to lunch) got on the boat and headed back to the dock, on the way captain produced a bucket of small bait fish that we fed by hand to the frigate birds that were trained to follow the boat back.
My dad is gone now but that is one of my fondest memories of us together.
Sorry for the long post.

[imcarthur]

I don’t do tours. With today’s travel tools, anybody who wants to make the effort can self-plan & self-book almost anything. That way you go where you want, when you want, without the pre-planned rush, pre-planned tourist restaurants & without all of those other people.

Do you really want to vacation with 12 or 20 other people as permanent clingons?

I just finished pre-booking flights, rentals, accommodations for 3 weeks in South Africa & Namibia for next April/May – including 4 nights self-driving in Kruger Park & a Toyota Hilux adventure to the desert of Sossusvlei. A little bit of digging & throwing some questions out in the travel forums – Fodors, Trip Advisor, Lonely Planet, Sanpark – and the world becomes a very accessible place.

Btw I have a 3 week itinerary for rural China that I developed - Dunhuang (edge of the Gobi), Zhangjiajie, Dong village, Ping'an (rice terraces), Li River & Yangshou - if anybody is looking for a semi-planned trip. I decided that it was not doable in the spring/early summer - when I can take time off - so I ditched the idea for now.

Ian

[TimT]

I don’t do tours. With today’s travel tools, anybody who wants to make the effort can self-plan & self-book almost anything.

This..... way back in 2006.... my cousin was getting married in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.... I was unattached back then, and had grand plans for my trip to Central America....

I had always wanted to visit Peru..... so I though... I am in Costa Rica...... why not go to Peru after the wedding?

Some online searches... some time spent in some chat rooms.... and I hired a guia for my time in Peru...... In all I spent 10 days in Peru.... with a nice young woman... using her car... Driving all over with a woman who spoke good English, and knew some secrets about her country that Lonely Planet, or Rick Steves are not aware of....

Some nights she and I shared a room... some nights I got her her own room if available...

I did the Carrera Panamericana Highway from Lima to Nazca... then up into the Andes to heaven.... Machu Pichu

I am still in touch with Elsa who was my guide...She even visited here a few years back... and I showed her around NYC....

She is a lifelong friend.....

With all the tools available now.... build your own trip...

[vash]

i use a company to get me to and fro. that's it.

they have travel companies that get as involved as you let them. some countries you cannot read the signs or speak the language. i rely on them to help me get there and find a place to sleep. the rest of it is on me. DIY.

they have a bike across Vietman trip i want to take, but the humidity would probaby crush me like a small weak turd.

[look 171]

Done one tour overseas once. We had this woman complain about the wind in her face or screwing up her damn hair with our window open. We were in some 3rd countries and not all buses had great working AC. The shopping. Let me tell you, Every stop was some type of shopping BS and they would always be late because they are not done buying siht. I was by myself in my early 30s, so I suffered with this group for 5 days biting my lip through out the entire trip with a bunch of old ladies. Never again.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

You mention bike tours which is funny because I just ran into a friend who just finished an all inclusive bike tour with his girlfriend and we talked about it last night.

I've never done a guided tour- It's all been self guided. He's only done guided tours.
Here were some points we talked about in addition to what has been talked about-

Self tour- I know on several occasions roads I chose on a map turned out to be nightmarish for a bike. When the shortest distance between two points is also the best/only commute or trucking route, the plans can get shot to #$%% real quick.

Our ironic conclusion was "A self guided tour is great when you know the area well enough to avoid the pitfalls"

We also discussed how on self tours, you have to always plan your destinations and such. He mentioned he ran into a lot of people (self guided) that just looked "lost." I've been there myself and agree. I live at a crossroads where the Appalachian Trail and the Trans american bike highway cross, and many times hikers (and particularly cyclist) cruise in mid afternoon and have to make the call "do I push on to the next town- or stay here?" -There is a bit of logistical stress there, especially when a family is in tow. Having (myself) ended up camping out behind gas stations and stuff and hunting trails, I am at the point where I would appreciate the SAG wagon or good planning to get me to a decent place to stay. At very least, bring a da#$ good credit card.

To that end- the tour groups will ensure you have a good place to stay. The sketchy experiences with shady wayside motels is an adventure in college- but not so much with a family in tow.

Same goes for weather- I've spent plenty of time pedaling in the rain/snow. I remember pedalling for hours in a pouring rain, where a cow stared at me. I distinctly remembered he quit chewing his cud, looked directly at me and questioned what kind of a dumbass would attempt what I was doing. The thought of a support van is growing on me, especially if I am with other family members who might not get so much enjoyment from such sadistic endeavors.

His tour was just him and his girfriend- and local bike shops helped with the rides. I think some groups you can tailor your ride to people of different skill levels. If you have family members with differing skill levels, they might have more fun riding with similar skill sets. Like you mentioned- nothing worse that being the fastest (or slowest) in a group.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

I don’t do tours. With today’s travel tools, anybody who wants to make the effort can self-plan & self-book almost anything. That way you go where you want, when you want, without the pre-planned rush, pre-planned tourist restaurants & without all of those other people.

Do you really want to vacation with 12 or 20 other people as permanent clingons?

I just finished pre-booking flights, rentals, accommodations for 3 weeks in South Africa & Namibia for next April/May – including 4 nights self-driving in Kruger Park & a Toyota Hilux adventure to the desert of Sossusvlei. A little bit of digging & throwing some questions out in the travel forums – Fodors, Trip Advisor, Lonely Planet, Sanpark – and the world becomes a very accessible place.

Btw I have a 3 week itinerary for rural China that I developed - Dunhuang (edge of the Gobi), Zhangjiajie, Dong village, Ping'an (rice terraces), Li River & Yangshou - if anybody is looking for a semi-planned trip. I decided that it was not doable in the spring/early summer - when I can take time off - so I ditched the idea for now.

Ian

Totally agree. I have no interest in being packed in with a bunch of strangers for my vacation, following someone else's itinerary. We tend to research our destination pretty extensively to identify lots of good options, but then wing it on schedule. The only big tour type vacation I would consider would be one of the Porsche tours, only because you will be lumped in with people that share a common bond.

When I go somewhere for the first time, you know what my go-to is for research? PPOT. Because there's always somebody that's been there, and there's frequently someone local that's willing to show you around.

[Mark Henry]

Vacationing with friends is the fastest way to lose them.

[imcarthur]

I don’t wing it. I meticulously plan. We travel 3 Star + & we are particular about hotels. For me, planning is 1/3 of the fun. Planning. Doing. Reviewing.

Transportation? Europe is easy because driving is a breeze & the trains are great. Short hop flights are also cheap. In China, guides & drivers are a dime a dozen. Do a Google search for any town or city & you will have lots of choices. Half day tours, walks, 2 day adventures – whatever you want. The same for Turkey or Morocco or anywhere.

Language? You would be surprised at how easy it is. You are a tourist. People servicing the tourist industry tend to speak some English almost anywhere in the world. Hotels, airports, car rentals & even many restaurants. Learn hello, please, thank you & toilet. The rest you wing as you go. The few times that I have been stumped, sign language & a big smile saved the day.

Restaurants? I always have a list of filtered choices. We eat very, very well. From gyros to pizza to tasting menus. Trip Advisor is international . . . just ignore reviews from one post wonders.

Rick Steves? If you follow his guides you will find yourself surrounded by other Americans following his guides, using his suggested routes, eating at his suggested restos & staying at the same quaint hotels. Not a terrible plan for your 1st trip.

Factory visits? Guides always, always stop for ‘the best’ factory tours to see the ‘local artisans’ or gift shops ‘with good prices” or run by a ‘local co-operative’. Yeah, right. They get a commission for every stop & every article you buy. That is why they stopped. But it also helps to break up the monotonous bus rides you will be subjected to. And the restaurants pay them a commission as well. And they stay free (or get a heavily discounted rate) at every hotel you visit. It’s the business model.

Site visits? If you arrive on a tour, you will visit every site at the same time as all of the other tour groups because they all follow the same routes at the same time. My wife & I had the Ephesus site in Turkey almost to ourselves for an hour when we arrived at 9am from our local hotel. At 10:30, the tour buses reached the site from the nearest seaport & by 11 there were at least 2000 people blindly following the flag. Do some research & you can often beat the crowds by going early or late.

Ian

[ckelly78z]

My mom and dad belong to an airstream group that caravan,or meet up at different locations with many other campers. Each day is scheduled with activities, meals, tours, and meetings. This is definately not how I like to vacation, or travel. When pulling the camper, we like to stop when we are tired, or hungry, or see something neat, not when it is dictated to us. If we want to take a bike ride, or go a walk, I don't want to worry about missing a scheduled activity, and I really don't like being around other peopel much
We like State park campgrounds because they are large sites, quiet, conservative campers, and usually quite beautiful.

Last year in Jamaacia, we found a Sandals resort that was the furthest from civilization, and kept to ourselves mostly. We do like planning a big trip with possabilities in certain areas, but I won't adhere to a rigid schedule

We have talked about going on ocean cruises, but just can't get excited about thier hustled itinerary.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Mark Henry

Vacationing with friends is the fastest way to lose them.

Great perspective.
I have a hard and fast rule for family vacations with other families: Day one we meet, day two we enjoy, day three we depart. Trust me, I am know I am no prince either.

Originally Posted by imcarthur

I don’t wing it. I meticulously plan. We travel 3 Star + & we are particular about hotels. For me, planning is 1/3 of the fun. Planning. Doing. Reviewing....snip

Great post, Ian. I always enjoy your travel posts since you and your wife have a great eye for detail.

I like to do individual guided tours at specific venues, mostly museums. I love art museums and find it worth the money to hire a knowledgeable guide.

A good friend of mine from HS is a real aviation buff and assumed I would be the best guide for the Air and Space Museum as well as the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles since I have an aviation background and interests.

Negative, Ghost Rider.

I arranged an individual tour at both places and it was incredible. The Docents were amazing. I learned so much.