Are we the only ones who don't prefer a private tour?

Nope. You aren’t alone. We enjoy each other’s company and will continue to travel as “just us” to some locales (not only US), but we do enjoy the camaraderie of a tour as well. Happy travels :D

Nope, you're not the only one, Andrea. My issue with tours is that I'm a pokey thing when it comes to examining interesting details. Tours often have to move me along quicker than I'd like to be moved OR can spend too much time on the stuff I'm not all that keen on. I won't say we've never taken them - some attractions can only be accessed with a tour - but I'm much more apt to do the heavy reading about the places we're most interested in, both in advance and after the fact, to be able to explore at our own speed.

Well, there are private tours, and there are private tours, and then there are 3rd party tours that you can join. Truly private tours (just DH and I) are generally outside our budget in much of Europe. Tours with a small group (a dozen or less) can be enjoyable and worthwhile as long as you all agree on the itinerary. My personal nightmare is being on a tour with 1 or more who have shopping as their prime agenda. My biggest problem is pace. I'm somewhat mobility challenged, so trying to keep up can be a problem. Most of the time in Europe we prefer to DIY, using guidebooks and audio guides so we can proceed at our own pace. However in other places, such as in Asia where the written language is indecipherable to us, we DO use private guides most of the time.

Hi Andrea,

I have taken group tours, private tours, and no tours and each has its advantages and disadvantages. For private tours, I typically take them when I am traveling with a group (6 to more people) as they are cost effective and we can tailor them to our group or when I am traveling solo and I have very little time in a city and I want to see as much as possible. For example, last year took a private tour of the Colosseum and Vatican on the same day with a group of 6. A couple years ago, I was in Istanbul on business and had one day to tour and hired a private guide, it was an amazing experience.

Thanks for bring up this topic.
Sandy

Hi Andrea, My husband and I are just like you-we just don't see the advantage of going on a tour. We prefer to go where we want, do what we want, when we want and not be told what we can or can not do. Tours are generally just too structured. But that IS the idea, I guess. Structured to give the "followers" something to do. There are individuals that just can't figure things out on their own, they need the structure or they just don't know what to do with themselves. Not that it's a bad thing, it just takes all kinds! Don't you dare feel bad, BE ADVENTUROUS!!!!!

i don’t want to target anyone on an individual basis, but I would like to remind posters on this forum that “bashing or insulting” others for having a travel style different than yours is just wrong.

Tour participants are not people who are “ followers who can’t figure out what to do.” My sister and I hired a guide to give us an orientation to Hadrians Wall Country for a day. We learned so much and it really added to the enjoyment of the following days when we explored on our own.

When we respect our differences and learn from each other we all benefit.

I've never done a g
I've only done a few group tours. I just dont do well in them. But one-on-one with an individual that loves to talk about their home, culture, politics, life style, etc is always fun. I've been invited home to meet and gave lunch with mom, had a guide in Kyiv years ago that showed up each morning with fabrics, or wine or candy; had dinner with her and the husband to be. I have taken 3 guides fishing. The personal stuff has always been off the clock, just good people who want you to learn who they are and learn more about you in return. Of course I travel where guides cost $10 to $30 an hour ..... Rather do this than meet more tourists.

I usually avoid private tours. I travel solo most of the time and if a guide is focused on giving lots of information I get overwhelmed with facts and feel obligated to come up with intelligent questions in response which is stressful. Like you, Andrea, a small group tour suits me much better. On the other hand, there have been times when it was necessary. I made a 4-day visit to Beijing (between long-haul flights to Down Under). I would have been totally lost without a guide. We became very friendly over the 4 days and discovered a lot in common - especially a love of cats. A couple weeks ago in Porto I signed up for a morning walking tour (in Hebrew). I was the only one, so I had a private tour and it was great. We went at my pace (especially up and down those hills), skipped a place I'd already been, stopped often for me to take more photos, and being with "someone from home" I was relaxed and absorbed more.

I quite enjoy private tours. I like the opportunity to customize our itinerary and destinations, as well as schedule throughout the day. I like to be able to spend as much time as possible in places I really enjoy, and not feel rushed. But obviously different tour types can have their advantages and disadvantages.

A private tour (either just my spouse and myself, or another couple or small handful we're traveling with and know from home) has the advantages above, and I tend to make conversation enough with the guide and travel with people with similar interests there isn't too much quiet time. I'll ask questions, love getting to know the guide and hearing their stories and insight, getting information from their perspective, and generally just making conversation with them. A disadvantage can be the lack of outside perspectives - sometimes on a small group tour that includes people I don't know, someone else will ask a question or solicit information that I never thought of. It can help bring about fresh new info and opportunities to learn things, and see and do things. Is also a great way to meet new people and get to know fellow travelers!

Larger group tours also mean chances to meet new people and hear different info, but I've found in practice there's often been one or two individuals who treat the large group tour as their own private tour - asking a disproportionate number of questions, monopolizing a lot of the guide's time, and so on. I can't fault them for their inquisitiveness and eagerness to ask things, though. They're certainly getting the most out of their tour, and perhaps the rest of us are at fault for not speaking up more ourselves! Overall, though, I'm not a huge fan of large group tours or the big bus tours and such.

I've found a great guide can really make most any sized group worth being a part of, though - making sure there isn't too much quiet time on a private group (or even making sure their is, if that's what the travelers prefer), being attentive to everyone on the tour, making it a point to reach out to everyone and engage with everyone, and keep the tour focused while at the same time connecting to everyone and not letting it feel to rigid and formal.

Really, it's possible to try and make the most of whatever one's budget allows so long as expectations are realistic!

I go on tours all the time, in fact, every chance I get. There is no way I can research all the things I am interested in. It has nothing to do with being just a "follower". It is about getting educated, gaining knowledge from someone who is passionate about what they are showing you and telling you. I found that statement to be rather rude. As to not being happy about a guide telling you what you can and cannot do, perhaps there is a reason for that. Otherwise, those people clapping their hands in a church just to hear how it sounds, peeking into confessionals, washing their hands in the holy water, putting their feet onto train seats, taking photos where they shouldn't, would never know they were wrong.

A good tour is the most efficient way to see and learn about a town, a church, a historical event. There are bad tours of course, which is why I utilize Trip Advisor to see what other participants have said. Avoid "free" tours unless you like walking around a city with 40 new best friends. A good tour company won't let the groups be too large.

Private tours certainly have their place though if you have a specific interest that a group tour probably would not address.

The only tours I have been on recently are the guided tours, the type of tour where you are guided through a chateau or Schloss, villa, etc because individual visiting of the place is not allowed, eg, Neues Palais in Potsdam, Schloss Sigmaringen, the Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl/Austria, the State Opera House in Vienna, or at various chateaux or historical sites in France regardless if the tour is only given in French which means my comprehension is going to be minimal or next to nothing, (No matter, the Mrs understands French fluently)

The other type of guided tour I sometimes choose to go on are city tours, such as that in Potsdam. Walking tours...I did one (and only) in Vienna a couple of years ago...would not repeat the experience.

There is no way I can research all the things I am interested in. It has nothing to do with being just a "follower". It is about getting educated, gaining knowledge from someone who is passionate about what they are showing you and telling you.

Jo is exactly right. I find small group tours to be an opportunity to learn something new from an expert who has a far wider knowledge than I ever could. A privilege to learn!

Just a quick observation. Let's be honest...…...a guided tour is NOT the same as a personal guide. A tour is something that one purchases and has little or no say as to the itinerary that is planned. A personal guide is a person that is hired and as a rule, will do what YOU want, they ask you where you want to go, what your interests are, etc. You have a say as to the itinerary. A guided tour that is planned FOR you and a personal guide are two very different experiences. So, to even begin to suggest that they are the same, is ridiculous. For anyone reading all these comments, if there is one thing that you can take away from all of this, is that a purchased guided tour with a group of people is not the same as a personal tour guide. Sometimes the deciding factor as to which option one chooses, can be the cost. But sometimes the deciding factor is to just "follow" the masses, rather than blaze one's own path. It's true, we all see it, all of the time. If there is one thing I have learned in this life, there are people who follow and there are people that don't. The fact that it strikes a nerve with some people proves that there is some truth to the matter.

I'm not sure I buy the idea that going on a guided tour means you suffer from some kind of character defect. With all of the variables that go in to travel planning - time, money, personal tastes, priorities, goals, interests, who one's traveling with, and the tons more we could all list or expand upon - is it really fair to judge the decisions someone else makes from the perspective through which we make our own? I don't doubt there are some travelers out there who are taking what some might see as lazy approaches to travel, and just running through the motions. But I also wouldn't presume to know anyone else's circumstances, or stare at a group tour and feel like I could fairly make assumptions on the habits or motivations of anyone in it. People can deliberately make an informed decision to go on a group tour just as someone else can deliberately choose to avoid them.

1885BD, we live in a time when discussions are becoming rare. We simply label and dismiss those we cant relate to (at best).

Who actually cares enough about his neighbors traveling habits to want to label it and be condescending? Has everyone become that insecure? Bizarre!

Thank you all for your replies. I think my question was misunderstood, and I'm sorry for being unclear.

I was referring mainly to day tours. We often sign up for day tours. My point was that there is often a recommendation to hire a private guide, and I find being in that circumstance to not be a good fit for DH and me. As one of the previous posters mentioned, one can feel pressure to have to come up with all the intelligent questions. We've had private guides a few times, most recently in April, but I think in the future I'll try to find options that interest me that are not private. Small group is a better fit for us.

My post wasn't meant to be a tour vs independent debate.

I have never had a bad experience on a small group tour. Once, we were the only two people on a "small group" tour, and that worked out great for us.

We use private guides when we are extremely interested in a less popular sight that would be difficult, logistically speaking, to visit on our own.

I will admit when I have the money to pay afford a private tour - it is a birding tour, not at 'tourist' tour :-) These do happen on travel trips and I find them wonderful breaks from the concrete jungles and visual arts. Birding tends to be a quieter sport anyway, and I enjoy sharing a common hobby with someone. They tend to be experienced guides which means personal skills to inquire on interests, sus out abilities, get to know me a bit more; essentially making me more comfortable. These may lead to discussions about the country or non bird topics with a lot of quiet time in between.
Andrea, I understand feeling caught out if you don't have questions already in your mind....freezing when there is a quiet spot or if you are asked a question...mind goes blank. right? Certainly a small group tour allows you to circumvent those questions, but what if you had a private guide and came to the meeting with a few questions? Be honest with them about what you want from the tour, say 'these are our few questions' and the rest, just show us what you want think we should know. We are quiet people, so if we aren't talking, it isn't that we aren't enjoying it'.
But if small group works for you, then don't bother with private and the stress you feel.
For what it is worth, I tend to do my own travel, occasionally take a small group tour and never think about a private guide. I do read about the recommendations of doing this, but can't wee the benefit of the costs. I am just as happy with a small group when a tour is warranted.

For individual sights, I've been on private tours, group tours, public tours and self-guided tours. For me it's a question of value. Will it be worth it? I'm not shy, so I'm usually asking questions (though I try not to be the only one).

For an entire vacation? I'll never do a tour because I want to see the sights on my list rather than the itinerary for a group tour. My time is too valuable to waste two-thirds visiting sights that don't interest me.

Too frugal to book a private guide for a party of two; too tired to keep up with fast-moving groups. We did a Paris Greeters walk through the Marais for which we had specified slow walking, no stairs, lots of sitting ... and since it's a volunteer organization, the price (donation to the organization) was very reasonable.

Never done a fully private tour on purpose, but have taken group tours where just me and my travel companion were the only ones in that group. Was on a binge of touring Frank Lloyd Wright buildings a few years ago and since my companion was into architecture and the various places we visited offered in depth tours that had more details about the architecture, we decided to take those. The in depth options also cost more than the regular tours. On several of them, we ended up being the only two who signed up and paid for the option. Really enjoyed that so I can see how someone might like a private tour since we moved at the speed we wanted to and had plenty of time to look into the nooks and crannies that are not normally open to the other tour groups.

But I know I could not afford to do the traveling I do if I wanted truly private tours. I enjoy the group situation more anyway. Meeting people who share your travel interests make the trips more fun.

For those who are afraid they will run out of questions, ask the guide about life in his culture. It's my favorite part of a tour. We have scraped a number of planned tours and just sat in a cafe and talked about the world. Guides are people and people love to share. But I spend months interviewing potential guides through email before I choose one. Who wants to be stuck for a day with someone they dont like?

I generally avoid guided tours unless it's the best/easiest way to see something. I had a great experience with EstAdventures in Tallinn--it was mid-Sept so tourist season was winding down, and the first day trip was just me, another couple who were great fun, and the guide, who is the owner of the company and we had a wonderful day visiting several spots outside Tallinn. My next trip a few days later was just me and the guide and the day flew by, we chatted about everything and he took me to several places not in the itinerary, and even spent a good hour helping me select yarn and knitting stuff in Haapsalu. I wouldn't have seen any of these places without a guided tour so he's sort of the benchmark for that.

You are absolutely not the only ones not to prefer private tours. I'm very much an introvert and feel uncomfortable when alone with someone I don't know. I will avoid those situations if at all possible. It's not that I'm afraid or that I don't like people and I'm perfectly capable of carrying on a normal conversation with someone, but will not usually initiate a conversation. The last time I was in Europe I scheduled a shuttle from Salzburg to Cesky Krumlov. As it turned out I was the only one on the shuttle so it was just me and the driver who tried his best to be a bit of a tour guide during the drive but it did make for an uncomfortable 3 hrs for me. So, I understand your feelings.

The group tours we have taken don't usually work well for us, as they don't devote enough time to what we are interested in. . . probably just the trade off one makes for an inexpensive your.

The exception to that is the full day tour of the Normandy beaches . . .(no, that wasn't inexpensive).

The personalized tours, with emails back and forth discussing interests, were all so worth it. Vatican with a guide who is a sculptor and a minor in history; a college student in Warsaw who must have invested quite a bit of time researching to meet our interests; a full day tour of Budapest with a guide and driver (didn't break the bank, either), and a 3-hour tour in Amsterdam regarding life during WWII, in which the guide threw in another hour for free.

BTW, all four of the guides were personable and interesting, and as James mentioned, willing to share about their life and culture if asked, but understanding that is a secondary function of their job, at least for what I'm looking for.

I will take short walking tours or tours of interesting sights - but not a fully guided tour. I hate being on someone else's schedule and being tied into the if-it's-Tuesday-this-must-be-Budapest type of trip. I LOVE planning and researching trips and then just going with the flow once I get to a place. I can't stand moving from hotel to hotel every few days...I want to stay put.

My wife and I do not travel with tours. But we have found that “hop on hop off” buses help get a feel for the “ lay of the land”. We have also started to hire personal guides for short tours that can go into more detail about things that we didn’t know that we didn’t know. As others have mentioned, when you are one on one with the tour guide you can talk about much more than just subject of the tour. An opportunity to meet a loca.
We also do cooking classes that give us that one on one opportunity.

We've enjoyed both private and small group tours. Like others mentioned, the best experiences were the personalized tours that came from emails back and forth discussing interests. Our upcoming tour discussion started a few months ago. The guide has tailored our tour to our particular interests. She was also highly recommended by relatives and friends. We even recommended this guide to friends who were in Budapest recently. The friends texted me when they were with her the day of their tour! They were very pleased.

We appreciate hiring a guide who is personable, knowledgeable, passionate about their culture and are willing to share their life if asked.

I think the most memorable guide we ever had was a young man from Stolac, Herzegovina. He was an 8 year old during the horrific war. The unimaginable story of his family hiding for years and surviving was unbelievable. We walked through the city and viewed the war-torn buildings. This young man now shares his story with the world so we will never forget.

We had a private tour in Cappadocia and it was a dream! I usually prefer independent travel but for Cappadocia, it was just wonderful having our own private tour.

We have done various walking tours with a guide on our own (Prague, Split, Dingle). Have they been a spurge? Absolutely but usually well worth it. My husband is the one that everyone waits for due to his love of photograph and I am tired of being the one hurrying him up so group tours can be stressful for me. We did a Paris at Midnight with a driver, champagne and all the sites of Paris in front of us. Was it a bit expensive (absolutely) but it was a special event and one that after 10 years we still talk about.