Can anyone recommend a good tour company for visiting Australia and New Zealand? I love the Rick Steves Tours approach, and would love to find one that is similar. I think a 30 day tour would be the minimum time needed.
Posted by
NSW Australia
703 posts
Hello Sheila, have you looked at the Australian tourism web site www.australia.com, under 'plan' there is a find a tour option.
Looks like you have a realistic view on the number of days needed. Touring Australia is like visiting the US, its large with a lot of space between attractions. So pick your areas carefully and with weather in mind. It can get very hot in the north at the wrong time of year.
NZ being much smaller is not so 'difficult', the South Island is my pick, for what its worth.
hope this helps.
Posted by
TN, USA
2114 posts
Sheila,
Check out Tauck Tours, www.tauck.com
We've traveled with Tauck and Rick Steves....both companies very good. Tauck tends provide more frills (all luggage handling, higher-end properties, etc. But in some areas of NZ, lodging will be a bit more modest than Tauck's normal 5-star properties, just due to the nature of the areas in NZ.
I have not personally traveled with Odesseys Unlimited, but a friend of mine has gone on several of their group tours, including Australia and New Zealand, and she was thrilled. Odesseys Unlimited does a lot of college alum group trips. Their prices include the cost of international airfare. I've looked at their itineraries and they seem good, not quite as high-end as Tauck, but appear to provide a decent trip and seem very reasonable price-wise.
When we visited down under, we did a Seabourn cruise of NZ and Australia over 16 days, but our travel time was limited....how wonderful to be able to stay a month!! There is so much to see in the two countries, and try to get to Tasmania, too.............we were surprised at how beautiful the island is.
Happy travels.
Posted by
Nashville, TN, USA
3747 posts
Look at Collette. They are a tour company similar to Rick Steves and Tauck. Price-wise, Collette is in between those two. We have done one Collette tour. I have been looking at their Australia tours for next fall. We have friends to visit in Australia before and after the tour. www.gocollette.com.
Their website does NOT operate as smoothly as the Rick Steves website.
One caveat: For touring an area that is covered by Rick Steves tours, I would choose the Rick Steves tour. I would use another tour company ONLY for trips not covered by Rick Steves.
Posted by
1 posts
newmansholiday.com will get you to a NZ company that has many options for escorted tours. They have been in the travel business a long time. It is quite easy to plan your own camping and drive trip as there are many companies that rent complete camping sets in converted autos. Private and public camping areas are in all settings from beach front to city center and from free at some Department of Conservation sites to $30 - 35 at a private site with cooking shelters and showers.