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Tours - Escorted Vacations
Make the most of your money & purchase a tour
package for your next vacation.
We are pleased to offer a variety of tours to fit all budgets & desires. The
tour companies we work with have tours that range from the budget category
with basic sightseeing and some meals, to luxury tours where everything is
included. Escorted tours offer better rates than if you were to travel
on your own, and the local guides
with years of experiences help you discover more sights and understand the
culture more than you could by traveling on your own.
The list continues through companies that will include nearly
every conceivable activity as preplanned and prepaid. The deluxe tours
which feature unique itineraries, most meals and sightseeing. We offer
tours with a specialty focus such as hiking, biking,
cruising, Oktoberfest, Christmas Markets and tours for the 18 - 35 year old.
Each of the tour types have their own unique features and benefits and each
meets the needs of a variety of travelers.
Budget Tours
The budget
tours are offered by the large tour companies: Each company offers
slightly different itineraries, but the general features are the same.
The budget tour is best suited to the traveler who wishes to have a good
basic introduction to travel in Europe but who also wishes to have option of
selecting
some of the sights to see while traveling. A budget tour will include basic
sight
seeing, some meals and hotels which are Tourist or Superior Tourist class,
with
rooms that offer private baths.
Please note that hotels in Europe are normally smaller than U.S.
hotels. Hotel locations will not always be in the center of the major cities
you will be seeing. Buses normally carry over 55 passengers on sold
out tours. There is no wash room on-board the busses, but the tour makes
frequent stops.
Budget tours appeal to all age ranges & are a great way for single travelers
who are willing to share a room to not have to pay a single supplement.
These tours allow you to see the real Europe for a down to earth price. The
itineraries are similar to, but do not come in the extensive variety that
the first class tours come in. A list of optional tours are included
with your documents so that you will know what is offered and the cost in
advance to traveling.
Budget tours typically run from $75 to $125 per person, per day for the land
portion
of the tour.
First Class
Tours
The first class
tours are offered by the sister companies of the budget tours. Each
of these companies offers slightly different itineraries, but the general
features are
the same. First call operators travel to more than 70 countries, with
escorted tours, independent hotel packages and leisure style vacations.
The first class tour is best suited to the traveler who wishes to have more
of the activities preplanned and prepaid and includes more meals in the tour
cost. The host hotels for the first class tours will have more features & be
more similar to U.S.-style lodging.
These tours still allow for free time to explore on your own but allow the
semi-
adventurous traveler to see a great deal of Europe. In many of the cities
your regular tour guide will be joined by a local guide who will bring the
specialized knowledge that only a local can have.
Quite often the first
class tours include two night stays at many locations to allow
for maximum time in the location. While Globus offers perhaps the widest
variety of tours, Trafalgar and Insight offer popular tours with
different dates and stops. Hotel accommodations are always first class.
The buses feature less passengers than the budget tours, to provide more
comfort for the traveler. Washroom facilities are located on the busses.
First class tours include more meals, normally providing buffet breakfast
daily and 3 course dinners on selected nights. Optional excursions are
available on these tours as listed in the individual itineraries. A
comprehensive list of these tours are provided with your tour documents.
Travel bags are given as part of package.
First class tours typically run from $80 to $275 per person, per day for the
land portion of the tour.
Deluxe Tours
The deluxe tours offer the discerning
traveler the opportunity to partake of an escorted tour that is not your
usual tour. Deluxe tours offer smaller, quaint lodging that has modern
features, including most if not all meals at fine restaurants.
Deluxe tours offer inclusive sightseeing and features that are not
available on the first class tour. On a deluxe tour you will
experience a tour like you imagine in your dreams.
These tours include entertainment such as folklore shows, concerts & special
events, no need for tipping and a good balance of unscheduled leisure time.
These tours feature the concept of "lifeseeing," which focuses on the
lifestyles and culture of Europe.
You will see the famous and sought after destinations, but also
experience the delights of the small inn, quaint restaurant and culture of
Europe. Dollar for dollar these tours will provide an excellent return on
your purchase. These tours are for the travel lover, helping to make special
memories to savor before the next experience.
Even more than the first class tours, the deluxe tour will offer a variety
of modes of transportation, including mountain railroads and river cruises
to supplement the first-class motor-coach travel.
Deluxe tours typically run from $175 to $400 per person, per day for the
land portion
of the tour.
Luxury Tours
All luxury tours begin with a small group
size, typically 18 to 20 travelers, but never more than 24 people. The
smaller groups enable them to offer each passenger individualized attention,
and to secure superior accommodations that are off-limits to large groups -
from the most fashionable city hotels to the most intimate country estates
and villas. It also enables the tour managers to share insights and provide
each traveler with the personal service they deserve. These tour operators
typically include 3 meals per day. Add to that a number of cocktail parties,
gala social events and the freedom of ordering room service. When you
combine the expertly planned itineraries with luxury hotels, all-inclusive
dining, experience tour managers and limited amount of guests, you will
experience the ultimate tour package. Some luxury tour operators offer a la
carte dining and room service at no extra charge. modes of transportation
include luxury ships, rail journeys and more.
Luxury tours typically cost between $350 and $600 per person, per person for
the land portion of the tour.
Specialty Tours
Specialty tours include
adventure travel, walking tours, wine tours, rail journeys and cruises along
the Great Barrier Reef and the French Polynesian Islands.
Young Adult
Travel
For the young adult (ages 18 - 35) who wishes
to travel with others. These tours are an alternative to the Eurail/Youth
Hostel travel and feature many unique stops and activities.
For those in that age range we can also recommend a variety of other tours,
should a specific itinerary be of interest. Do not feel that you will be
surrounded by older people on many of those tours. The young adult tours
appeal to those who want the piece of mind not possible with a youth hostel
style trip. These tours stay in special villages and hotels as well as
modest inns and pensions. Most of the rooms are twin rooms but occasionally
there will be four to a room. These tours feature all breakfasts and about
half of the dinners. Optional excursions, similar to those available on the
other tours (like folklore dinners and lake cruises), are available as well
as a few options of interest to young adults like white water rafting.
These tours typically run from $45 to $125 per person, per day for the land
portion of the trip.
No matter which style or length of tour you wish to use, a tour specialist
will provide you with information so that you are best prepared to make the
right choices for your travel. Airfare is always available for tours and we
will research all avenues to find the lowest available fare from your
chosen city to your destination.
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