Spring Is In The Air.
So you’ve chosen the destination for your next Spring vacation. And now the planning can begin. One of your first decisions is whether you’ll sign up for a guided group tour or do all the planning on your own.
On one hand, you’re attracted to the idea of having a trip all planned out for you – accommodations at great hotels, delicious meals at great restaurants, and tour directors to make everything run smoothly.
On the other hand, you wonder whether you’ll feel too regimented on a group tour. You wonder if it wouldn’t be better to plan your days more in line with your personal preferences rather than those of the tour operator.
Both methods of travel are perfectly valid. The trick is to choose what will suit you better. Take a look at the information below to help you decide whether to take a group tour this Spring or do all the planning yourself.
Benefits of Spring Group Tours
Group tours don’t suit everyone. But if you want to avoid the hassle and stress of planning independent travel, then a group tour might be a good choice for your spring travels.
When you plan a trip on your own, you may find it difficult to choose a hotel or decide how long to stay in each place. You won’t know whether you made the right decisions until you’re actually on the trip.
Group tours are generally designed by expert planners who know the destination well. For example, they know not to choose Hotel X because the staff are surly. They know Hotel Y is a much better option.
But tour planners sometimes make mistakes. When that happens, they get feedback from tour members during the first year the tour operates.
In that way, they correct those mistakes before the tour goes out the second year, and you get the benefit of the feedback from previous tour guests.
Spring Special Interest Group Tours
Do you have a particular hobby or special interest? There are group tours specifically designed for all kinds of interests.
- For you artistic? Maybe you’d like a painting or a photography tour. Spring is the best time of year for this.
- Are you a scuba diver? Hook up with a tour group that has all the dives planned for the best dive sites at your chosen destination.
- Are you a biker? Join a group that has strategically planned the best biking route in the country of your choice.
Do some online research to see what special interest tours might suit you.
Another major benefit of group tours is that an experienced tour director will manage the tour so it runs smoothly. In addition, the tour director is a source of unpublished information about the destination.
The will not only give you historical and cultural information about your destination, but will also have stories of personal experiences they have had during the years of been working in the destination.
Sit Back and Enjoy Spring
As you can see, group tours offer many benefits. You can take advantage of letting the tour operator do the difficult planning while you focus on relaxing and enjoying yourself.
And you might even make some new friends in the group.
Benefits of Doing It All on Your Own
If you’re someone who likes to be spontaneous, you might not want to join a group tour that’s all planned out in advance. After all, you might wake up on day three and be in the mood to do something other than what’s planned.
If that sounds like you, then the benefits of being with a group will not suit you, and you’d be better off traveling on your own.
And you might be the kind of person who enjoys doing the planning. In that case, stay away from group tours. The planning phase can be a joy all on its own.
Have You Decided Yet?
If you’re still undecided, then you might benefit from doing a test. Take a short tour with a group over a long week end.
A test like this might help you make the right decision before signing up for a major trip or starting the planning on your own.
Then, do whatever works best for you – and enjoy Spring!
