Travel Wisdom

The Trouble with Tour Groups


Travel Wisdom

The Trouble with Tour Groups


It’s amazing how what you consider to be travel isn’t at all what someone else does. Take tour groups for example. There are a lot of people who only travel as part of an organized group, complete with guide and fixed itinerary. They feel it maximizes their time, gets them the best information possible and best of all, they don’t need to worry about figuring out the details for themselves. They just pay the price and pack their bags.

Traveling like this can be great if you know you’re terrible at organizing things but still want to see the world, yet it can be extremely limiting as well. Planning a vacation can be a rather daunting task if you’ve never done it before, but that’s the only way you learn. Some people, particularly older travellers, don’t have the energy or knowledge relating to the modern means of travel, but they do have money and that means paying for a tour group is smart for them. If you’re young and poor though, do it yourself and avoid the travel group.

Here are a few reasons why tour groups aren’t the best way to travel.


They are Overpriced

Everyone has a different idea about what something is worth, but even if you think the price of your tour is outstanding, you could more than likely put something together yourself for much cheaper – it might just take a little extra work. When paying for a tour group, you’re not just paying for yourself but for having the guide around as well. Do a little research when you decide to go on a holiday and discover the deals for yourself.


5855_793007070891_656548_nNot for the Imaginative 

There are a lot of really fantastic tours out there covering a range of destinations and interests but even the most adventurous one is pretty limiting in its scope. A lot of tour groups will allot time for independence and exploration but generally this isn’t enough to really see things on your own or make side trips – and if it’s nothing but free time, why are you in a tour group to begin with? The beauty of a tour group is that you don’t really have to think about anything, but that’s also one of its drawbacks.


A ‘One Size Fits All’ Approach

Sure, you can get a tour that caters to a specific demographic, be it young people or seniors, but in the end a tour group is about meeting everyone’s needs. The effect of this is nobody is outstandingly impressed but no one is offended or left out, which is a pretty bland way to see the world. Travel is going to have its highs and its lows and you should be able to experience that instead of the happy medium that can be a bit suffocating.

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