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                PACKAGED, ESCORTED TOURS

Let's remove any doubt up front: I think most escorted tours are the
wrong way to see Europe, *for me*.

Are they right for you?

Here are some (I believe objective) facts and suggestions for thought
which can help you determine how *you* want to see Europe.  If you decide
on an escorted tour, you might want to use this as a source of questions
to ask people who've taken the tour you're considering.  Whether you
go alone or in a group, you'll enjoy your trip more if its planned

Tour Plusses

1. Relief from anxiety - for many, a trip to a strange place,
particularly with a different language, is stressful.  A tour can
relieve the need to plan.  You'll never need to speak a foreign
language.  The hotels will likely look as much like American hotels as
is possible elsewhere in the world (within budget constraints).
You'll never have to wonder what you're going to do next, or where
you'll eat.

2. Prices - tour operators buy thousands of airline seats, hotel rooms
and meals per year.  Few of us can negotiate the prices they can for
those commodities.  (Perillo, for example, used to be Pan Am's largest
single customer.)

3. Satisfaction - you're unlikely to have a really bad experience.
(Perhaps not as great as you could have, but unlikely bad.)  Many
under-prepared independent travellers gain less satisfaction than the
average tour participant.

Tour Issues to Ponder:

1) Sights - you'll see what they want you to see, not what you want to
see.  (The highlights of what they provide will likely match yours,
but that may not be all you want.  And, some of the highlights may be
seen from a moving bus or from a railing across the river.)

2) Time Management - you say you want to sleep in, and the schedule
calls for bags to be packed and outside the door at 6:30am?  The tour
has a well-planned, tight, schedule to adhere to, and 39 others to
accommodate.  Plan on keeping to that schedule.

3) People - do you have a goal of meeting and getting to know Europeans?
Will you be able to do that from a bus and on a tight schedule.  Are you
and your tour mates likely to be compatible? You'll be spending a lot of
time with your 39 busmates, on tour and at meals.  Check on the typical
demographics of the operators' clientele.

4) Hotels - room size isn't important.  Location is.  There are few if
any bargain hotels in the heart of the most desirable areas.  Your hotel
may be out of the way - not well-located for independent sightseeing, or
access to better restaurants.  There may even be *no* public transport
from your hotel to the heart of the city.

5) Meals - for many, a major high point of a European trip.  Your meals
will often or always be eaten in larger establishments which are willing
to provide mass feeding.  The food may have more in common with
(acceptable) college refectory food than the local cuisine.  (The good,
often small, local restaurants don't want to displace their regulars.)
You won't eat when the locals eat, but usually earlier. You also often
won't eat *what* the locals eat.  The operator must meet the taste
expectations of all 40 in the group.  Unfortunately, some Americans don't
enjoy "different" food.)  Some believe real European food is one of the
top pleasures of a trip to Europe.

6) Pricing - individuals can rarely obtain the prices operators can
for air, hotel and meals.  Remember, however, their pricing includes
the cost of advertising, guides, overhead and profit.  Further, many
trips include little organized and in-depth sightseeing in the starting
price.  Basic tour prices are very competitive, sometimes priced below
actual cost.  Yet, the operator must profit somewhere.  Options are
the usual path to profit.  These may well be things you want to do.
You should understand beforehand how much you'll likely spend on
excursions and how that cost compares to what you can do on your own.

7) Self interest - be aware that guides typically are paid $30-40
per day.  Their "take" can range between $200-400 per day, adding in
commissions on excursions and shopping (typically 15% of what the
group buys at a a stop), and tips.  Anything wrong with this?  Not at
all, but it's something you may want to keep in mind as you tour.

8) Guides - There are two factors to the success of a tour - the
operator, and the guide.  You can and should check out the operator in
advance.  You'll rarely know who your guide will be until you meet
them at the airport or hotel.  The guide - and your rapport with them
- will make or break the trip, regardless of the operator.  Most
guides are patient, knowledgeable, and enjoy dealing with (most)
clients.  Some guides are great and *all* their clients come away
highly satisfied.  Others (if you've done your research) can be
tactfully challenged (always tactfully) to dig a little deeper into
their store of knowledge and opportunities.  Yet others...?

9) Timing - touring, especially in Europe, and doubly so in Italy, is
a tricky thing because of the irregular closing days and opening hours
of museums and other attractions.  The operator often runs the same
trip - and sometimes in reverse - several times a week to meet
demand.  The tour that's planned to go from Rome to Milan over 6 days
beginning on Tuesday may not work so well starting in Milan on
Thursday.  Will you hear, "I'm sorry, but the museum which is the
highlight of our visit to this town is closed today - instead we'll
have to visit the local cameo factory?"

10) Brochures - these are a *major* expense for the operator.  They're
written by creative writers whose job is to sell.  The specific facts
(itineraries, included meals) usually will be truthful. The adjectives
and adverbs (or the missing ones) are the tricky part.  Learn to
distinguish between "seeing" sights from the bus and from the ground.  If
on the ground, will you "See the Houses of Parliament" from inside, or
from the sidewalk?  Are the specific hotels identified?  Where are they?
Is there a guarantee?  Is the air operator specified? If ane excursion is
"optional", does that mean at extra cost?  (Usually so.)  Finally, be
certain to talk to participants of past trips.

Alternatives:

Thinking of a tour because of low cost?  You can often arrange an
excellent value trip by buying an "unescorted" or "hosted" package from
an airline or operator.  These include basic air at a good rate, and
ground arrangements that will include little more than the hotel, a "tour
host/hostess" twice a week in the hotel between 0900 & 1000 (mainly to
sell optional tours), a welcoming cocktail party, and perhaps a pair of
theater tickets or a "free" half-day tour.  Often (usually off-season)
the deal is so good you can discard the land arrangements (including
hotel!) and still have a bargain on the air.

With or without a package, a good travel agent can help you plan and
arrange a good value-for-money trip.  Make sure they're experienced and
knowledgeable in transatlantic air, and in the region(s) in which you're
interested.

I've presented no reason to not take a tour, merely points for thought
and care.  For many, a tour remains a good way to see Europe:

  1. Anyone who hasn't the inclination, ability, confidence, or time
    to plan the trip;

  2. Anyone who's really uncomfortable in foreign situations;

  3. One for whom rock-bottom pricing is a strong concern and is not
    ready to hostel with only 20 pounds of belongings - but be sure to
    take care when shopping and with options;

  4. Someone who will be touring with a special-interest group, either of
    friends/members, or on a tour custom-tailored to a particular
    interest (e.g.cooking);

  5. One who just wants to go on a packaged tour!

Tens of thousands take packaged tours to Europe every year, and are
well satisfied.  In at least some cases their satisfaction may arise
from setting too low a level of expectation.  The same is true of
independent travellers.  Make sure your trip - however taken - has
worthwhile - achievable - expectations.

Most important, understand your limitations, your abilities, your
interests and your objectives.  How much money and time have you?  Do you
know what the opportunities are in the places you want to visit, and do
you know which ones are priorities to you?  Are you more comfortable in
groups, or exploring on your own?  Would you prefer to make new American
friends or new European friends?  Do you want to avoid foreigners, stay
as American as possible, and just see the key foreign sights?  Do you
want to be a part of Europe, or apart from Europe?

The same journey, with the same sights, can be planned in quite
different ways.  Each variation can equally satisfy the participants
if the plan and execution are matched to their individual comfort
levels and objectives.

         EUROPEAN TRAVEL REFERENCES

Travelers in any budget range should read these books before planning
a trip whether considering traveling independently or with a group:

"Europe Through the Back Door" - an excellent overview of all that you
should know before you go to Europe;

"Europe 101" - 4000 years of art and history in 400 pages;

"Best of Europe" - a far better than average guide book;

"Let's Go: Europe", another excellent guide;

The first three are by Rick Steves (John Muir Publications), the last
from the Harvard Student Association.

"Back Door" (ETBD) describes planning, budgeting, enjoying and
traveling around on a European trip.  A wealth of information on
options for places to stay and eat, rail passes (32 pages of info),
culture, being a part of the scene, safety, and several
less-frequently-visited locales that are wonderful.  No one should go
to Europe without having read it.

"Europe 101" provides, in enjoyably irreverant fashion, the background
and context of Europe so you can appreciate what you're seeing.
There's nothing worse than spending all that time and money, and
wondering what you've seen.

The "Best of Europe" and "Let's Go" series provide excellent "guide
books" for where to go, where to stay, where to eat, getting around,
and what to see.  We'll not all agree with all their opinions, but
they're comprehensive.  Read *both* "Best of Europe" and "Let's Go",
otherwise you'll have only one biased opinion.  With both, you'll have
two opinions.  You'll be better able to sort out what interests
*you*.  Each has companion books covering specific countries (or
groups of countries) in detail.  The budget traveller will find lots
of suggested hotels and restaurants.

If you're thinking of using a rail pass, Rick Steves also publishes a
*free* 48 page "Back Door Guide to European Railpasses." (206 771-8303),
or on AOL at "ricksteves".

All should be available in some libraries, many bookstores, and at
most campus- or near-campus bookstores.

If you're not interested in hostels, camping or cheap hotels, Fodor's
guides provide a useful 3rd opinion about what to see and give good
information about hotels and restaurants beyond the budget scope of
Steves and "Let's Go".

The widely-available Michelin Green Guides give *the* best coverage of
virtually every sight.  Steves' "Mona Winks" describes self-guided,
efficient, tours of the 21 most important museums and museum-like
sites in Europe.

Berlitz' "Italian (German, Hungarian, etc.) for Travellers" pocket
guides give useful introductions to languages.  Study them before your
trip and you'll be armed with a few words of something besides
English, and they're useful references on site.  A "Finnish/English"
(or whatever) pocket dictionary is valuable as well.  With modest
effort, you'll be amazed at the useful vocabulary you can add each
day, and the smiles you can bring to people's faces.

Many are available at a discount in AOL's Travel Books section.  If
you can't find them locally, these and many other travel books, maps,
and other travel references can be obtained by phone or mail order
from Forsyth Travel Library in suburban Kansas City, phone
800-367-7984.  (I'm only a customer, no other interest.)  You can also
get Rick Steve's books by mail or phone from: John Muir Publications,
P.O. Box 613, Santa Fe, NM 87504 Phone [phone].

About planning:  An acquaintance asked, "Is there any sense in
*planning* a European (2-month) trip?  My boyfriend and I are very
spontaneous and impulsive; besides, while we're over there I'm told
we'll meet other travelers and find out from them what's really neat."

I don't buy Forrest Gump's mother's 'box of chocolates' theory, so I'd
want to think a little about how I'm going to spend a few thousand
dollars.  I might also wonder how, when I'm on my way *to* somewhere, I'm
going to meet people coming *from* there.

I believe in flexibility (one of the reasons I've avoided packaged,
escorted tours.)  Yet, there are reasons why you may want to plan
your trip to the half-day level.

Much of your enjoyment is captive to when transport runs, night train
schedules, museum closing days, and the opening and closing hours of
galleries and other attractions.  Where do you want to be?  What do you
want to see when you're there?  When do you want to be there?

Without planning you've a high risk of missing things you really want
to see, and spending more money than needed.  Also, you risk diversion
to secondary attractions if you haven't done some 'triage' on *your*
priorities.  Finally, you'll want alternatives.  What if it rains when
you plan to picnic or visit an outdoor attraction?  What if there's a
strike (not unusual in Europe.)  What if Paris is a bore?

Be flexible, but understand random advice from strangers is only valuable
if you can compare it against something, like your own knowledge,
priorities and plans.  Going to Rome and haven't heard of Ostia Antica?
Not for want of someone discovering it while you're over there. It's an
excellent excavated city that's rarely visited (even by Italians), but
*is* recommended by good guidebooks and experts on Rome.  Don't know
where to find a bed for under $8 with a 'drop-dead' view in the heart of
tourist territory in the Swiss Alps?  It's possible, and a good guidebook
will tell you where.  And while other travelers will tell you what
delighted *them*, they can't know what will delight you.  Do be aware
that all guide books have prejudices as well, but the best are
comprehensive.  If you read a couple you can draw your own conclusions
about what *you* want to see.

So, make planning a priority, but don't make the plan *the* priority.
Having prepared, be flexible.  Once you know the options and have time
on the ground to add your own impressions to what you've read in
books, be spontaneous, impulsive, and, above all, enjoy!

Copyright 1996 E.J. Gehrlein

Questions or comments about these opinions?
Let me know: [e-mail]