Get on the bus

I confess that I get irritated by certain TV travel show hosts for several reasons, one being their scorn of organized tours. One even used a tour bus as the backdrop for the ads introducing his program, his look of disgust making the point that only the most un-cool, unthinking of tourists would lower themselves to doing such a thing. The assumption that these people seem to be making is that travel is a one-size-fits-all matter, the size naturally being their particular approach (and whatever else they happen to be selling).

As someone who traveled quite a bit before getting into the business, I strongly disagree. Yes, organized tours aren't the best choice for certain people. If you're adventurous and in relatively good shape, you would prefer more freedom and less structure. However, the majority of travelers would like having at least some of the details of trip planning left to someone else, especially if it's the first trip to a foreign destination. Even an experienced traveler can benefit from fitting organized day trips or even shorter city loop tours into their itinerary: on my most recent trips to New York and Rome, I took bus tours because my traveling companions hadn't been to those places before and even though I had been to each city several times, I enjoyed the ride. It was useful to jog my memory of the city layout and the locations of places I wanted to revisit, but it was also refreshing to be with a group of people who were new to the experience and catch a bit of their excitement.

So what are the advantages of organized tours?

1. A completely organized tour takes care of all the details and often costs less than booking the same places independently. You also have the security factor of being with a group.

2. Tours provide professional guides who can also help you with venturing out on your own.

3. Day trips or city tours are more efficient and less tiring that running around on your own. Most cities have loop tours that can be used as transportation since you can hop on & off wherever you like.

4. Tours are great choices for those with mobility issues like the elderly or disabled.

You're spending your hard-earned money on a trip, so be sure that you get to do what you want to do. An organized tour can help you do that. No single approach is right for everyone.