Is a group tour right for you?

Is a group tour right for you?

by | Sep 5, 2021 | 0 comments

Group tour or not?

Depending on your travel personality, tour travel can be a pleasure or a pain.  Enjoyable travel takes a lot of money, planning, and for things to fall in place.  Planning a trip with different sightseeing on the agenda takes a bit of experience.  An organized tour will provide all the organization and prep work for you.  Considering the advantages and disadvantages, is a group tour right for you?  Here are a few thoughts to consider.

Tour companies take care of all the organization and prep work for visiting landmarks.  They usually include the most popular destinations so that your itinerary will offer the best of your destination goals.  Tour operators and guides also provide a bit of insider knowledge since they are from the area. They often share historical information not widely known that can enhance the experience.

Organized tours have designated times and schedules.  This scheduling can allow you to relax and enjoy your travel without having to create your plans.  However, it prevents you from vacationing on your terms and timing. To many, this can be a significant disadvantage. The specific tour guidelines and lack of control can be a turnoff for many travelers.  Being stuck on a tour bus with dozens of people or a tour with a standard of service not expected can be a turnoff.

Knowing the maximum group size, age specifics, or style of tour is also essential.  Smaller group tours give the advantage of a more personalized and unique experience.  Age specifics allow you to be more aware of the group capacity.  A young adult going on a tour for retirees is a prime example of a mismatch.  Alternatively, going on an adventurous tour when you find relaxing trips more enjoyable can be a disaster.

One advantage of an organized tour is the fact that tours give an aspect of safety.  Tour companies are usually risk-averse.  They often choose destinations and activities that cater to the age and preferences of the tour group.  If travelers are not conscious of the age and demographics of the tour group, they can find themselves in undesirable circumstances.

Finally, pricing can be an advantage or a disadvantage.  Tour packages can include meals, transportation, hotels, flights, entry fees, or sightseeing.  Often travelers assume that their tour packages include items that are not included or available for an additional cost.  Although tour pricing can be attractive, individual research and planning could also be more advantageous. If considering a tour, do your research to determine if a tour is right for you.  Consider the advantages and disadvantages before deciding.  Do you prefer tours or trip planning on your own? I’d like to know.

5 Covid friendly hotel stay tips.

5 Covid friendly hotel stay tips.

by | Dec 16, 2020 | 0 comments

Having flown as a career for over 20 years I have stayed in many hotel rooms and so the experience has taught me a lot about what to look out for in terms of cleanliness.

1. Check the hotel sheets. No one wants to sleep on possible dirty covid sheets. I can’t tell you how many different times I have gone into a hotel room just dying to shower and get into bed and found that the sheets have not been changed. If you do this when you first get into the hotel room, there is plenty of opportunity for the hotel to fix the issue before you are ready to go to bed.

2. Make sure the sheets are visibly dirty before you check out of the hotel and prevent any possible Covid spread. I think it’s just a matter of kindness to the next guest and just plain hygienic. Don’t feel bad as the hotel should automatically be doing this anyhow. I always wiped the bottom of my shoe across the sheets before I checked out.

3.Place a face towel or hand towel on the bathroom counter to place all your items on. Especially in this time of covid you do not want to transfer any germs to your face or hands. It’s also a visual reminder of anything placed on the counter and it helps in not forgetting items like jewelry in the bathroom.

4. Take an extra washcloth and wipe the toilet seats down. I think we all assume that the hotel room has been cleaned thoroughly but my experience has shown that the toilet seat is often overlooked.

5. Treat hotel room floors like airplane bathrooms and never assume it’s just water. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed through hotel corridors and seen the remains of a hotel room party gone wild. Let’s face it, the hotel does not have the manpower or capability to thoroughly clean hotel room floors, nor do they often have time between checkouts. Covid can be easily spread through bodily fluids.

I hope my tips have been helpful, check back in for more of my lived travel experience.

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