other good tour companies for Europe?

[Moomduck1]

We looked into ABD, but they are a little pricey for us. Any suggestions for a good tour company that isn't quite as pricey? Our "kids" will be 20 and 21 at the time, so we don't have to worry about more kid-friendly tours. We don't have a particular place in Europe in mind. Just hoping to spend around $8000-9000 for the 4 of us. Am I crazy to hope it will cost that much?! We have to vacation in July 2010, no other months are free for us.

 

[WeLoveABD]

Insight Tours or Trafalagar Tours both have relatively low-priced Europe tours.

 

[kjd469]

We used Insight Vacations for an Italy tour 3 years ago and were very pleased...they are a little more "high-end" than some of the other groups, such as Trafalgar or Globus...i.e....smaller group size, more included, better hotels. and their busses are excellent...tons of leg room, due to the fact that they have removed rows of seats...that was a big plus! However, I don't think you would be able to travel with them in July (peak season) for 8 - 9 thousand for 4 people. So while I would definitely give a big for Insight, you may want to consider another company to fit your budget. Good luck!

 

[Diskidatheart]

There are several other posts that are on this exact topic. I personally was going to use Trafalgar to book an Italy trip, but then when I discovered all the added costs for "non-included" trips, it came out to be about the same as ABD, so we booked with ABD. I've heard that Trafalgar and Globus both are great companies. Someone told me they went on a budget tour to Europe with Trafalgar and was disappointed because the hotels were not near anything and it was difficult to get around during your free time. That person told me that was the biggest difference between the "budget" tour and the "regular" tour. I hope that helps.

 

[need2travel]

Hi, for a lesser priced option than ABD you can look into Tauck. You won't be in the price range you were looking for but they are a top notch company & are one of the best in the business. Their hotels are always centrally located w/in easy walking distance of major attractions, they have great itineraries & there are no "add on options or excursions" that drive up the cost of your trip after you are already there such as you'll find w/ lesser priced companies. We've used Tauck 4 times in 4 years (twice in Europe) & love them so much we are already planning for next year. Even if you don't go w/ them their website is worth a look, just put Tauck into your search engine & it should come right up.

 

[marcemch]

I guess it all depends on what you consider to be "good"!
My sister and her husband took a Rick Steves tour this summer and really liked it. He is big on local flavor and I don't think they pamper you much (in that you take care of your own luggage, no airport transfers, local flavor hotels vs. higher end hotels). But if you know Rick Steve's philosophy, they do a good job immersing you in the local culture. There are a few of his tours in Europe that are around the $2000/pp price you are looking for.

 

[DisOrBust]

Have you ever thought of no tour group and do it on your own? With kids that age I wouldn't hesitate.

 

[kidsister]

I agree taht with 4 people, why not go on your own, rent a car, be on your own schedule. I"m sure you could do a trip for much less than the tours.

 

[sayhello]

I agree taht with 4 people, why not go on your own, rent a car, be on your own schedule. I"m sure you could do a trip for much less than the tours.

Because cost is not always the only consideration.

For example, a lot of times, one person ends up making all the arrangements, doing all the work, making all the decisions, taking care of everything and everyone, and that person never gets a chance to really enjoy the vacation. Having someone (like Disney) do it for you means everyone gets to enjoy the vacation & relax & have fun.

Also, not everyone is comfortable going to a foreign country, where they do not know the language or the currency or the customs, and trying to coordinate things themselves. It's easier if you let someone who knows the territory do it for you.

Or you may not like standing in line. A lot of the places ABD goes in Europe, they get to skip the lines that the people who "did it themselves" have to stand in for hours before they get entry.

Or you might like the security of traveling in a group, and having someone looking out for you, rather than strictly looking out for yourselves.

Just a few examples of "why".

If cost is your only criteria, then yes, you could do it cheaper. If you are concerned with other aspects of traveling, then "cheaper" is not always the deciding factor.

Sayhello

 

[marcemch]

I have traveled to Europe and South America: on my own, with friends, and with tour groups. For me, the benefits of a tour group, in addition to those mentioned by Sayhello are:
- Variety of people to talk to. Even with a friend or two or family, I enjoy the variety of different people.
- Not having to compromise. When you travel with friends or family, someone is always compromising. Or you spend alot of time discussing (arguing) about where to eat, what you're going to do, etc... With a tour, you go with the flow and on your free time, everyone can do their own thing (alone or together!)
-No stress in navigating - whether it be driving (I can't tell you how many times my sister yelled at me that I was going to hit the curb when driving on the "wrong" side of the road in England & Scotland) or navigating trains, buses, subways, or local flights.
- As Sayhello said, it reduces the stress of the planner, who is normally me (although you also lose some "control" too)
- Tour guides with you a good part of the day, so you don't end up hearing the same things over and over, and most all of the day is in learning mode.

All that said, there's something to be said for the spontenaity that you can have while not traveling with a tour group and all those unplanned experiences. If you're the type of person (and you are traveling with the right type of people) who can go with the flow and really relish those experiences (vs be stressed out), you can have a great time.

I actually prefer NOT to take ABD trips with friends - I really enjoy my daughter and I having the benefits of a guided tour (I can turn off the "Mommy button"), while still having some freedom to spend time with different people on the tour or on our own. When you travel with friends, I think there can often be the pressure to do things together.

 

[WeLoveABD]

Amen! During our first ABD tour--and I wasn't sure what to expect--I felt so free of the burdens of planning, I was able to relax and just enjoy the ride. But we also do a couple of days before and/or after the trips--under the old "well as long as we have traveled all this way" line of logic--so we do get in our own adventure, taking trains etc to places that are not part of that particular ABD tour.