Organized Tour or Independent

ORGANIZED TOUR OR INDEPENDENT?

Touring independently can be fun but it’s hard work planning your route, booking hotels, checking multiple timetables and coping with different languages, currencies, local driving laws and border formalities. You could spend more time organizing your holiday than enjoying it and you will see each destination as a tourist, knowing only what the guidebook tells you and standing in long lines at every attraction.

I grew up in Europe and took motor coach tours each year since you can save as much as 40% by taking one. People are shocked at the cost of food in Europe, so taking an all inclusive trip is a must. There are many companies who do an excellent job, but one I recommend highly is Insight. The President is 6.6ft and instead of a 54 seater coach, Insight has only 40 seats so there is plenty of leg room and they have an average of thirty people on the tour. Large windows on the coach, generous space to recline, with an on board washroom. They will show you each place through the eyes of local people, with local experts who will personally introduce you to their home town, sharing their culture. You will be taken to the front of the line at many attractions, with priority entrances and privileged access.

To appreciate the true value of taking an organized tour, divide it by the number of days. Insight often works out to be less per day than just one night’s comparable accommodation booked by yourself. A big plus, should you need help, you will be supported by a trustworthy, family run group of companies with generations of commitment to the very best service in hospitality.

This is a great holiday for a solo traveler, couples, or a family. You will have free time on the journey to explore, and it is worry free. No searching for a good place to eat, or paying for wi-fi.

The travel industry has changed in recent years and we are seeing more of country and city packages such as three nights in London with some tours, three nights in Paris, and perhaps three nights in Rome which is one of the most popular destinations. They also have a 4 day mini tour to see the Battlefields in France. You get the advantage of lower rates and great savings on sightseeing. One new option is a week’s motor coach tour, and then a week’s river cruise. This is a wonderful way to see the highlights of Europe. Insight is a sister company to Uniworld, who do an excellent job of cruising with 100 to 130 passengers on the Danube or the Rhine rivers.

What I like are the special interest journeys. Here are a few options which caught my interest.

Picture Perfect Italy, Scenic settings and Italian Gardens – 19 days, visiting Venice, Dolomites, Italian Lakes and Riviera, Tuscany, Umbria, Positano, Capri and Rome

European Affairs and the Chelsea Flower Show, 10 days, visiting the flower auction in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, a cruise to Bruges, Belgium, then see the gardens of Versailles and Giverny in France.

Eastern Europe, Jewish Heritage of World War 11. 15 days a military historian will cover the moving history of the Holocaust.

Treasures of Croatia and Bosnia, 12 days, visit the highlights of both countries.

Loire Valley Wine Tour, 13 day, led by food expert and a Sommelier visiting Paris, Le Croisic, Gerande, Nantes, Angers, Saumur, Chinon, Tours, Cour-Cheverny, Bourges.

Take a once in a lifetime experience by day and by night, such as being introduced to the sublime Sistine Chapel on a private VIP tour of the Vatican museums with special access to the Bramante Staircase. Explore the history of fine art at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam with your own personal art historian, take in the sun drenched Isle of Capri via open topped taxi, traverse the top of the world while exploring the Alps on the Glacier Express train, make a grand entrance at the summer palace of Peter the Great by hydrofoil, enjoy an entrancing evening watching the Whirling Dervishes in Turkey, being astounded by works of Mozart and Strauss brought to life in an intimate performance at Vienna’s Palais Auersperg, or sit spellbound for a spirited display of passion and artistry at a private flamenco show in Seville.

Go on our website – www.froschvacations.com and discover where you would like to go next.

This company is one of the best.

Maureen Jones

All Horizons Travel/Frosch

825 Santa Cruz Ave

Menlo Park, CA 94025

650-961-2340 direct