3 Reasons to Reconsider Tour-based Travel
It's time to rethink what you know about tours. The variety of experiences and options available today may surprise you.
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Modern tours present unique opportunities to explore your surroundings and immerse yourself in your destination. For example, AAA Vacations are designed for AAA Members and offer a variety of excursions and activities. Depending on member preference, tours can be structured or flexible; you can choose a more structured guided tour of Ireland and kiss the Blarney Stone and tour Dublin, Cork and Killarney, or choose from several locally-hosted knowledgeably-planned journeys through Ireland, in which you can drive yourself around and stay places as long, or as briefly, as you like. Here are three advantages of tour-based travel.
Authentic Experiences
Imagine sitting in a Bavarian farmhouse kitchen, enjoying dinner prepared by the family matriarch. Or bypassing the crowd for an up-close view of ancient Asian ruins. Though many solo travelers would love such opportunities, most can’t make them happen on their own. Tours open doors. Thanks to local knowledge and the scope of their businesses, tour operators have special access to locations and events they can share with travelers, from private concerts to after-hours museum viewings, intimate dinners and more.
Personalized Adventures
Once, escorted tours meant travelers had short, regimented windows of opportunity to see their surroundings—and usually with a large group. Now, flexibility is the focus. Many guided tours make it possible to break away from your group for a while to explore by yourself. Tour escorts also serve as expert guides who can help you navigate your choices and offer tips that give you genuine insight.
New Ways To Go
Buses still are a common way for tours to transport travelers, but they aren’t the only way to get around. Self-driving tours, in which you drive yourself around certain destinations during certain times, allow you to travel leisurely and independently and rejoin your party at agreed-upon points. Likewise, a popular option for families is to have their own minivan with a private guide. The best tour operators understand travelers want to spend as little time as possible on a bus, so they include longer local stops, which travelers find richer and more meaningful.
With so many tour options, it’s important to make sure the trip you choose is right for you. A travel advisor can help you decide, leaving you free to focus on the experience.