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| Even
if you are an independent traveler, there
are times group tours can make sense, such as a day excursion from a major
city or traveling with friends and family. |
| Topics I discuss on this page:
The Pros and Cons:
I like to have control of my
schedule. I do not like being rushed
through major attractions, or when I am
ready to leave, having to wait for others.
Of course, traveling with family or a
friend means some compromise; traveling
with a group requires a little more
compromise.
The advantages of bus tours are numerous. Someone else does the navigation and driving, it can be a super way to connect socially with others, and if you are traveling by yourself, there is a feeling of security. |
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Plan your Group's Spanish Adventure!
Working with excellent local contacts
throughout Spain, Madrid & Beyond designs special programs to open up some of the best-kept secrets of Spain. |
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Planning your own
group tour puts you in control:
Putting together one's own travel
group is perhaps one of the most overlooked
options for bus travel.
Traveling with your
friends and/or family can be a much different
experience than traveling with a group of
strangers. Family reunions, as part of a
tour, not only allow the sharing of old memories
but the formation of new shared experiences.
Clubs such as photography clubs, sewing clubs,
or trade associations can plan special excursions
to address their areas of focus.
When putting together
your own tour, you can also customize it to your
preferences. Maybe you just want a driver
to take your group from city to city, or maybe
you will want a guide to inform you about all the
sights. Designed properly, planning your own tour
can provide you with many of the benefits of independent travel while sharing your travel with others.
Suggested Booking Resource
for Planning your own Group Tours - Madrid & Beyond
Private
Chauffeured tours:
Perhaps one of the more expensive options a
traveler to Spain could select, the private
chauffeured tour is for the independent traveler
who wants someone else to do the driving.
Private chauffeured tours can be for just a few
hours or for weeks. Of course the more people
traveling together, the more economical this
option becomes, and the driver and vehicle
can be contracted for just a part of the trip,
not all of it. For those who can afford it, you
can also consider the option of having an expert
English-speaking tour guide with you for some or all of your trip. This is a great way to
learn about Spain, its people, and its culture.
Suggested Booking Resource
for Private Tours - Madrid & Beyond
1/2 day
and 1 day excursions:
These large group, local tours, only last for
a few hours, providing ground transportation, a
guide, and for full day tours, often lunch.
On my first visit to Spain, I took a half-day
tour out of Madrid to visit the El Escorial.
Local bus excursions can easily be arranged
through your Spanish hotel on arrival. It is best to make reservations for these tours at least
one day in advance, but same day reservation is
often possible. Or,
pre-book these tours through Viator; Tours out of Madrid, Tours out of Barcelona, Tours from Costa del Sol, Tours out of Granada, Tours out of Seville.
Fixed
date tours can be large or small:
Large group tours are often
the least expensive option. By
booking hotel rooms in bulk and packing as many
tourists as possible into the tour, tour
operators are able to lower their costs. As an
independent traveler, I am not attracted to this
type of travel unless it is just for a day trip
excursion. Many people enjoy this type of travel
immensely. They like the comfort of being part of
the large group, and they like having a variety of
people to meet. With large tours, do not expect
hotel accommodations of local character. While
hotels can be luxurious, the hotels used by large
tour operators must be massive enough to accommodate the
fleets of tourist buses that arrive daily.
Suggested Large Group Tours - Viator has a few multi day, large group tours example this tour out of Madrid. You can browse their offerings at Tours of Spain
Small
group tours are a good balance for tour travel.
You are still part of a group, but when the guide
speaks you might actually be able to hear everything that is said. Waiting times for almost
everything (bus loading, viewing an attraction,
entering an attraction, etc.) should be less than
with a large group tour.
Spain Tours from Euro Adventures offer small and private tours, over 250 tour options.
Plan
your Group's Spanish Adventure!
Working with excellent local contacts
throughout Spain, my recommended Spain Travel Agent designs special programs
to open up some of the best-kept secrets
of Spain. To name but a few of Madrid
& Beyond services, they can arrange
personally guided city tours, visits to
wine bodegas, tickets for the bullfights,
tickets for Real Madrid, cookery classes,
tapas tours, and all types of
transportation within Spain. In
addition, Madrid
& Beyond personally inspects the
hotels that they recommend, offering
accommodations to suit individual tastes
and requirements. Working with on-the-ground
experts can make all the difference."
Relationship Disclosure |
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