Comments on: Travel Tip #22: It’s OK to Take Tours

By: Globetrooper Lauren

Globetrooper Lauren — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:42:11 +0000

Great post Mike.

It’s a contentious issue. Tours can be great if you’re a solo traveller or couple wanting to travel with others. Most people travel to places they’ve never been before, so there is always a concern of how different it will be to your normal surroundings. Will you be out of your comfort zone?

Some travellers love to be pushed to their limits, but others don’t, and that’s where a local guide or tour group can really help you understand the foreign culture.

It comes down to what type of person you are and if you’re curious, a problem solver, a planner or an introvert. Everyone’s different. I’ve travelled independently and with tour groups and I think I prefer groups because of the diversity. If you’re a naturally curious person but don’t have the confidence, you’re going to learn and grow so much next to another traveller that has the opposite traits. Times that by the number of people in your group and shazzam!

I’m currently working on a website where travellers can publish their trips and attract other travellers from around the world to do it with them (instead of trying to bribe friends or family that aren’t too keen). Trips being independent or tour operated. Just a place to meet and get to know your group before travelling, as that’s another reason why people are put off tour groups – they’re not sure who they’re going to be stuck with and if they’ll get along. Launching Globetrooper on the 28th of March at http://www.globetrooper.com, but until then check out our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/globetrooper

By: Mike Barish » Travel Tip #52: Take a Romantic Trip

Mike Barish » Travel Tip #52: Take a Romantic Trip — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:01:58 +0000

[...] often talk about traveling with friends, traveling alone and traveling on tours. What often gets overlooked is traveling with your significant other. Sure, every year around [...]

By: Dawn Vincent

Dawn Vincent — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:42:02 +0000

I highly recommend Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), a subsidiary of Grand Circle. Group size is kept small (14-20), and you get to see local schools and have lunch with a local family. Downsides are visits to carpet factories, but you don’t have to buy. I never wanted to go on a tour until I took this one, but it is so nice not to worry about travel connections and baggage. Another good group is GoAhead Tours, but they can be up to a busload of 42 people–so go in off season when groups are smaller.

By: Lascivious Voyeurism, and The One Double-Decker Bus I’d Totally Ride « Lonely Girl Travels

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:30:46 +0000

[...] of my favorite “knower of things” Mike Barish recently wrote a post on why it’s ok to take tours, referencing another article that also advocated for tours. Both articles received a fair amount of [...]

By: Allan Blair

Allan Blair — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:33:01 +0000

I am generally an independent traveler, but I did a tour of the Great Wall in China. There were only 3 people in the tour group, and we traveled in a small bus with an English speaking guide and a driver. It would have very difficult, and maybe impossible, to do that trip independently. It was not difficult to get around Beijing since the street signs are in both Chinese and English. In Shanhaiguan, 180 miles east, the signs were in Chinese and Russian, so we could not possibly have found our way around the city. Most of the places we visited did not have public transportation access, but even if they had, we probably could not have figured how to use it. Our guide took us to places of unusual interest, that we would not have known about on our own, and could not have gotten to on our own.

We were remarkably lucky that our group was so small, but it would still would have been good if the group was as big as 10.

By: marsala

marsala — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:46:51 +0000

I took a guided tour of Calgary & Banff Alberta Canada. We were 3 couples who joined the rest of the tour group out of San Diego. We were the youngest members of the group. We had a fantastic time! Great guide and bus driver, and great accommodations, even got an upgrade at Chateau Lake Louise, a deluxe resort. I loved not worrying about where to go, what to eat, where to stay, driving responsibility. I wanted to be a mindless tourist b/c in real life, I have to take care of everyone else, so it was a break for me.

By: PAT

PAT — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:06:42 +0000

I HAVE ONE WORD TO SAY ABOUT PARILLO’S 3-ISLAND TOUR OF HAWAII—FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!

By: Ed Kuperman

Ed Kuperman — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:12:50 +0000

My wife and I have taken many day tours in Israel while visiting family there. One time the male *tour guide spoke about, it seemed, every blade of grass. He loved and was proud of the country and it showed. We couldn’t recall much of the information but we loved every minute of it. The next day a woman *tour guide only spoke, for the most part, when we would get to a sight. My wife and I were a bit disapointed when two woman in front of us commented how much they liked her as opposed to some tour guides who never shut up. So I guess it is almost a no win situation sometimes.
* In Israel to be a licensed tour guide you have to take an 18 month course, which includes history, religions, cultures etc. and they take you to some sights as a tourist, to see it from their prospective, and then pass a test, to be licensed.

By: janellenanos.com » Blog Archive » Checking In

janellenanos.com » Blog Archive » Checking In — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:52:34 +0000

[...] got contemplative about taking group tours with Mike Barish over at his very funny blog. Seriously, if you need a pick-me-up, go click on his [...]

By: Donna Hull

Donna Hull — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:07:25 +0000

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking tours. As other commentors have stated, it’s vital to research the tour company to make sure that they meet your expectations. Not all travelers are comfortable going it alone. Isn’t it wonderful that there are travel options to fit almost any need?

My husband and I toured the Canadian Rockies with Tauck tours a few years ago. We chose them for the lodging quality and the freedom provided in the tour, both dining and activities. We had just completed a 3 week road trip of our own through several western national parks in the U.S, ending up in Calgary. By then, we appreciated the option of sitting back, letting someone else do the driving while we enjoyed the view.

We enjoy mixing our travels between group options and independent travel. One of our best experiences was a private tour that we took along the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island. By hiring a local guide, we came away with an entirely different perspective.