TOURS and CRUISES
Air/Hotel and Other Package Tours
While the emphasis in this book is on do-it-yourself travel, this does NOT mean that you should entirely shy away from tours or travel packages to augment your travels.
The major reservation sites include flight/hotel packages as well as flight/hotel/rental car packages. The packages oftentimes result in savings over purchasing the components separately. They work best when you are flying to one city and staying in one place for the duration – ideal for beach vacations or trips to “the big city.” The sites usually show you the savings, which can range from nothing to hundreds of dollars. Also check the packages offered directly by the airlines.
Should you travel on your own or go on an escorted tour? It’s primarily a personal preference, based on your comfort level of traveling on your own, how much “camaraderie” you want on a trip, how much flexibility you’re looking for, and what your budget is. These days, there are tours of just about any and every place and many include special events as part of the tour. I’ve taken several photography tours, led by leading travel and documentary photographers. These tours are specially designed to optimize photo shoots (dawn and dusk shots, for instance) – its almost all photography all day (and evening) long. There are similar tours for other artists, history buffs, golfers, gardeners, birders, etc. It’s a great way to meet others with similar interests and the guides are usually very knowledgeable and approachable. Many of these can be discovered and booked on-line. Other may require the services and expertise of a travel agent or coach.
As you can see, there are situations where even independent travelers such as yourselves may see a benefit in air/hotel/car packages or in guided touring for all or a portion of a trip. Just keep in mind that any package or tour should more or less match your itinerary, rather than you having to make major adjustments to fit someone else’s idea of a good time.
Example 1: If you are going to a resort community such as Hawaii, Phoenix, or the Caribbean, you may find that air/hotel/rental car packages offer you substantial savings, especially if you are planning to travel on weekends. In a recent trip to Phoenix, I knew where I wanted to stay and checked airfare, hotel and rental car costs on line. I then checked the Alaska Airlines Vacation website and, entering the same travel dates, came up with a package that saved $100 per person. In this instance, I still did the planning and used the independent tour package to save a fair amount of money.
Example 2: Several years ago, my wife and I were planning to travel in Thailand and Laos. Thailand seemed pretty straight forward in terms of traveling on our own; Laos less so. I searched the internet for Laotian tours and came across one that went exactly where we wanted to go (Vientiane, Luang Prabang and a cruise on the Mekong), complete with guides, hotels and the cruise. We booked it, paid for it by credit card, and were met on the Friendship Bridge south of Vientiane by our guide who accompanied us for the remainder of the trip. The cost – the same as booking the separate components on our own. The benefit – language was not a problem, we had a car and driver for sightseeing, and we had the two-day longboat trip on the Mekong all to ourselves!
Example 3: On that same trip to Southeast Asia, I wanted to visit the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. A photo tour of Bhutan, with emphasis on the Buddhist festivals of the country, was being offered, and it made all of the sense in the world for me to go that route.
Other Types of Travel
Walking Tours
Walking tours in England, Switzerland, New Zealand and many other places are a popular way of seeing, moving on and connecting with the eople (and animals!) of an area. They can often be booked as a package, where your luggage is moved from inn to inn each day, so you just deal with a day pack. Pubs and restaurants are available at the end of each day, and often along the way. Or you can book it yourself and arrange for a taxi to take your luggage onward each day.
Bicycle tours
Popular all around Europe – especially in the “low countries” such as The Netherlands and Belgium. Again, there are numerous package tours available (often with “sag” wagons and repair facilities on wheels) and where your main luggage is moved from inn to inn. Or again you can book your own. Bicycles are usually a part of the package or are available for rent.
Cruises
There are hundreds of options, ranging from crewed sailing trips in the Caribbean, to riverboat trips in Europe, Africa, Asia and the US, to ocean-going cruises to the 4 corners of the globe on small, medium, large, superlarge, jumbo and super-large-jumbo-mega ships. Destinations include the Inland Passage to Alaska, the Mexican coast, Panama Canal, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Hawaiian Islands, Antarctica and then the trans-oceanic explorations of the world. There are bargain cruises, ultra-luxe cruises, barefoot sailing cruises, special topic cruises, cruises for families, for singles, for gays and lesbians, and for seniors, among other.
Costs range from a little to a lot, airfare is sometimes available at discounted rate, and most on-board costs are included. Shore excursions are always available at any extra cost (sometimes a SUBSTANTIAL extra cost) and many savvy travelers look for alternatives to the ship-sponsored shore trips. If you are contemplating a cruise, check out the big three travel reservation sites – Expedia, Travelocity or Orbitz or contact a travel agent who specializes in cruises. It’s a world all unto itself and it’s worth making sure that the cruise line, the ship and destinations are the best match for your travel style, budget and trip objectives.
Getting around town
While having a car may be nice, it’s probably not a necessity for a big city visit (and could well be a hindrance given traffic, parking, and the costs associated with parking). Bus and subway systems in major cities are a great and ecologically-friendly way of getting around. Even a few cab rides will still be far cheaper than renting a car and paying for parking. Many cities have bus/subway passes that cover unlimited trips over several days or a fixed number of trips and usually represent a good deal. And I’ve yet to come across an automated ticket vending machine that I couldn’t EVENTUALLY figure out!
Getting to and from airports can be a costly adventure as well. Again, look into bus service, rail service and, if traveling alone, shared shuttles that can be considerably cheaper than a cab. Again, guidebooks can be helpful in laying out the alternatives and their costs.
Consider renting a car for just a portion of a trip, picking the car up at a downtown location, touring the countryside, and returning the car to the rental car company’s airport location on the last day. Don’t underestimate the stress of driving cars in an unknown city, especially older cities with narrow, curving streets. Returning a car to the airport location will also save you the cost of a taxi, shuttle, train, or airport bus.
I remember flying into Vienna from Krakow and planning on splurging a bit by catching a cab to my hotel. As I was exiting the building, I noticed that the airport bus was just getting ready to depart, so I made a spur of the moment decision to hop onboard. I paid the modest rate (something like $10 as I recall) and ending up in the last available seat, next to a doctor from Atlanta on his way to a conference. I couldn’t help but ask him why he – being a doctor and all – hadn’t caught a cab. He looked at me with a startled look and said – don’t you know its well over $100 for a cab into town!!!! My response was “Yikes” and I now knew I wasn’t in Poland anymore (my taxi from downtown Krakow to the Krakow airport – out in the middle of nowhere, was under $10).
While the emphasis in this book is on do-it-yourself travel, this does NOT mean that you should entirely shy away from tours or travel packages to augment your travels.
The major reservation sites include flight/hotel packages as well as flight/hotel/rental car packages. The packages oftentimes result in savings over purchasing the components separately. They work best when you are flying to one city and staying in one place for the duration – ideal for beach vacations or trips to “the big city.” The sites usually show you the savings, which can range from nothing to hundreds of dollars. Also check the packages offered directly by the airlines.
Should you travel on your own or go on an escorted tour? It’s primarily a personal preference, based on your comfort level of traveling on your own, how much “camaraderie” you want on a trip, how much flexibility you’re looking for, and what your budget is. These days, there are tours of just about any and every place and many include special events as part of the tour. I’ve taken several photography tours, led by leading travel and documentary photographers. These tours are specially designed to optimize photo shoots (dawn and dusk shots, for instance) – its almost all photography all day (and evening) long. There are similar tours for other artists, history buffs, golfers, gardeners, birders, etc. It’s a great way to meet others with similar interests and the guides are usually very knowledgeable and approachable. Many of these can be discovered and booked on-line. Other may require the services and expertise of a travel agent or coach.
As you can see, there are situations where even independent travelers such as yourselves may see a benefit in air/hotel/car packages or in guided touring for all or a portion of a trip. Just keep in mind that any package or tour should more or less match your itinerary, rather than you having to make major adjustments to fit someone else’s idea of a good time.
Example 1: If you are going to a resort community such as Hawaii, Phoenix, or the Caribbean, you may find that air/hotel/rental car packages offer you substantial savings, especially if you are planning to travel on weekends. In a recent trip to Phoenix, I knew where I wanted to stay and checked airfare, hotel and rental car costs on line. I then checked the Alaska Airlines Vacation website and, entering the same travel dates, came up with a package that saved $100 per person. In this instance, I still did the planning and used the independent tour package to save a fair amount of money.
Example 2: Several years ago, my wife and I were planning to travel in Thailand and Laos. Thailand seemed pretty straight forward in terms of traveling on our own; Laos less so. I searched the internet for Laotian tours and came across one that went exactly where we wanted to go (Vientiane, Luang Prabang and a cruise on the Mekong), complete with guides, hotels and the cruise. We booked it, paid for it by credit card, and were met on the Friendship Bridge south of Vientiane by our guide who accompanied us for the remainder of the trip. The cost – the same as booking the separate components on our own. The benefit – language was not a problem, we had a car and driver for sightseeing, and we had the two-day longboat trip on the Mekong all to ourselves!
Example 3: On that same trip to Southeast Asia, I wanted to visit the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. A photo tour of Bhutan, with emphasis on the Buddhist festivals of the country, was being offered, and it made all of the sense in the world for me to go that route.
Other Types of Travel
Walking Tours
Walking tours in England, Switzerland, New Zealand and many other places are a popular way of seeing, moving on and connecting with the eople (and animals!) of an area. They can often be booked as a package, where your luggage is moved from inn to inn each day, so you just deal with a day pack. Pubs and restaurants are available at the end of each day, and often along the way. Or you can book it yourself and arrange for a taxi to take your luggage onward each day.
Bicycle tours
Popular all around Europe – especially in the “low countries” such as The Netherlands and Belgium. Again, there are numerous package tours available (often with “sag” wagons and repair facilities on wheels) and where your main luggage is moved from inn to inn. Or again you can book your own. Bicycles are usually a part of the package or are available for rent.
Cruises
There are hundreds of options, ranging from crewed sailing trips in the Caribbean, to riverboat trips in Europe, Africa, Asia and the US, to ocean-going cruises to the 4 corners of the globe on small, medium, large, superlarge, jumbo and super-large-jumbo-mega ships. Destinations include the Inland Passage to Alaska, the Mexican coast, Panama Canal, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Hawaiian Islands, Antarctica and then the trans-oceanic explorations of the world. There are bargain cruises, ultra-luxe cruises, barefoot sailing cruises, special topic cruises, cruises for families, for singles, for gays and lesbians, and for seniors, among other.
Costs range from a little to a lot, airfare is sometimes available at discounted rate, and most on-board costs are included. Shore excursions are always available at any extra cost (sometimes a SUBSTANTIAL extra cost) and many savvy travelers look for alternatives to the ship-sponsored shore trips. If you are contemplating a cruise, check out the big three travel reservation sites – Expedia, Travelocity or Orbitz or contact a travel agent who specializes in cruises. It’s a world all unto itself and it’s worth making sure that the cruise line, the ship and destinations are the best match for your travel style, budget and trip objectives.
Getting around town
While having a car may be nice, it’s probably not a necessity for a big city visit (and could well be a hindrance given traffic, parking, and the costs associated with parking). Bus and subway systems in major cities are a great and ecologically-friendly way of getting around. Even a few cab rides will still be far cheaper than renting a car and paying for parking. Many cities have bus/subway passes that cover unlimited trips over several days or a fixed number of trips and usually represent a good deal. And I’ve yet to come across an automated ticket vending machine that I couldn’t EVENTUALLY figure out!
Getting to and from airports can be a costly adventure as well. Again, look into bus service, rail service and, if traveling alone, shared shuttles that can be considerably cheaper than a cab. Again, guidebooks can be helpful in laying out the alternatives and their costs.
Consider renting a car for just a portion of a trip, picking the car up at a downtown location, touring the countryside, and returning the car to the rental car company’s airport location on the last day. Don’t underestimate the stress of driving cars in an unknown city, especially older cities with narrow, curving streets. Returning a car to the airport location will also save you the cost of a taxi, shuttle, train, or airport bus.
I remember flying into Vienna from Krakow and planning on splurging a bit by catching a cab to my hotel. As I was exiting the building, I noticed that the airport bus was just getting ready to depart, so I made a spur of the moment decision to hop onboard. I paid the modest rate (something like $10 as I recall) and ending up in the last available seat, next to a doctor from Atlanta on his way to a conference. I couldn’t help but ask him why he – being a doctor and all – hadn’t caught a cab. He looked at me with a startled look and said – don’t you know its well over $100 for a cab into town!!!! My response was “Yikes” and I now knew I wasn’t in Poland anymore (my taxi from downtown Krakow to the Krakow airport – out in the middle of nowhere, was under $10).