This past summer we did the “Spanish Salsa” family tour with Trafalgar. Although the itinerary was similar to the Spain ABD there were some differences that we preferred with the Trafalgar itinerary. In terms of addressing the market, Trafalgar and ABD are at completely different price points. When we compared what we actually spent with Trafalgar to what we estimate we would have spent with ABD’s Spain tour, we saved about 50%.
First, I’ll say that our overall experience on Trafalgar’s Spanish Salsa tour was every bit as good as any of the ABD’s that we have done. But there are differences and depending on how important these are to you will determine your satisfaction. So, what are the differences?
1.) Group size and Children: There were 48 on our tour. There were 24 adults and 24 children ranging in age from 7 to 20. Much like an ABD, within a couple of days almost all the kids had bonded and hung out together. It was actually great. We would see the older kids (18-20 y/o) hanging out with the younger kids. One night all the kids started a dance party in the hotel lounge (our guide spoke with the hotel manager and got an open ballroom for us). We hadn’t experienced all the kids bonding like this on an ABD (typically the younger kids hang out, the older kids hang out, but there is not a lot between the different age groups).
2.) Group Mix: The make up of the group also differed from a typical ABD. Of the 48 in our group, probably 40% were from the US and 60% from other countries (Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa). I should say that 48 is a large group, but it never seemed like we were delayed or it never felt that large. For most of the tours, we split into 2 separate groups and we had whisperers for all guided excursions.
3.) Hotels: Probably the biggest difference is the hotels. In general, ABD stays at 4 and 5 star hotels very centrally located. On this trip we stayed in 3 and 4 star boutique hotels generally located a bit outside the city center or main tourist area. That being said, our longest taxi ride was about 10 minutes to the main area (10-12 euro). As we’ve travelled over the years, the size, amenities, and location of the hotels we stay at has become less important. Cleanliness remains important and we had no issues with our hotels.
4.) Excursions: When we compared the excursions between Trafalgar and ABD for those cities in common, they were nearly identical. The difference is that all excursions are included in the ABD, but some of the excursions on the Trafalgar tour were options which you had to pay for. On one hand this provides flexibility and more on-your-own time, on the other hand, some may not appreciate having to pay for some excursions as a part of a package tour. That being said, we did 6 of 8 optional excursions and the cost was still significantly less.
5.) Meals: Breakfast was typically buffet style in the hotel very similar to ABD. We had 3 dinners (really good) and lunch was on our own each day. So, in general there were probably fewer included meals than on an ABD.
6.) Guide/Tour Director: We had one tour director for the 48 of us. Trafalgar tended to rely more on local guides than ABD. Obviously, not the same level of personal interaction with the tour director as she was pretty busy. But I will say, whenever someone needed something she seemed to get it done. For example, one family was staying in Barcelona after the tour and wanted tickets to La Pedrera (a Gaudi house). The guide arranged this and other activities for then and a number of other families.
7.) The Coach: This was the one thing that was the most irksome to us. We had assigned seats on the coach and rotated each day. I think they do this so that the same people aren’t always at the front/back of the coach. This may be needed for some of the tours skewed towards an older average age, but from our ABD experience the kids like to sit at the back of the coach. Eventually, we all just started to sit where we wanted and probably drove our tour director crazy.
Overall, if you are looking for a lower cost guided tour, I would highly recommend a Trafalgar family tour. There are differences, but for us the differences were not that big a deal.