I just wanted people's opinion on guided tours. I know tours in Rome, Vatican and Florence can help skip the really long lines. I'm considering taking tours for Rome and the Vatican Museums, for Milan and Florence (Accademia and Uffizi) in Italy, a Salisbury, Stonehenge and Bath day-trip, a Costwolds day-trip, a Bike Tour in Krakow, a Lakes and Moutains Tour in Salzburg,... I would book most of them with Viator since it looks like the most reliable website and the prices look lower than pretty much everywhere else.
My main concern is not having enough time to see what I want to see. But travelling alone for the first time, I'm scared I won't get to see as much if I don't take a least a few tours. I'll be travelling for a little more than 5 weeks in England, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and Italy.
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA, USA
1449 posts
Vanessa, I'm a big fan of guided tours. I think I learn so much more about what I'm seeing with a guide than I do with a book. Sure, there are comprehensive books about any sight of importance but you can't travel with 20kg of books! Regional or country guidebooks can only devote so many pages to any topic, so they'll send you down the right streets and so on but you can only say so much in 1-3 pages compared to what a guide can say in 2 hours.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
I think in your situation guided tours would be good. Mike is right about learning more information about a place from a guide than you would from a book. And the tough parts of international travel are smoothed out for you -- figuring out the route and getting there, buying tickets to attractions, and, as you mentioned, avoiding lines. The tour guide isn't going to get lost, and they know how to pack a number of attractions efficiently into a span of time.
Posted by
Freedonia
16408 posts
Absolutely take the tours....and also look into walking tours within cities.
You'll meet like minded people who afterwards you might share a drink with, a meal with, or a even a day sightseeing.
City tours or hop-on tours are also a great way to get a sample of the city you're visiting and know where you want to go back to later that day or the next.
Travel takes a toll on people. And for those who are not used to traveling alone, it can get very lonely. One day or half day tours get you mingling and chatting wtih others who are looking for the same things you are.
Posted by
OP
Laval, QC, Canada
82 posts
Thank you! Those are all good points! I definitely feel better about taking tours.
So I guess the best would be is to alternate tours to get a sense of a city and discover the rest on your own.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Vanessa I see nothing wrong with taking tours, although some are completely unness, like Bath, that is dead easy to do on your own, I have , and alone.
What I do see as a problem is using a booking agency like viatour, which marks up the prices of the products they list as they sell tours for other companys, they themselves are not a tour company.
Google search for tour companies and contact on your own, many posters here have great recommendations for the names of companies they have used successfully. Don't be afraid to do some of this yourselve , fear holds you back. You are a smart person, and all the websites are in english or have an english page available if you click on the flag symbols of US or UK .
Posted by
Lakewood, CO
249 posts
I agree, guided tours in cities are a good way to learn alot more than just reading a book. Check out London Walks www.walks.com for some great guided walks in London and day trips out of London. They are very good and not too expensive for London.
Posted by
Holt, MI, USA
22 posts
After my trip to Spain (I don't speak Spanish) I was sold on guided tours. We didn't spend much time in the Prado, but boy, we learned an enormous amount about the 3 famous Spanish artists (el Greco, Velasquez, Goya). I really believe in quality v. quantity, especially when you don't speak the language.