If you've used multiple tour companies, could you help us out please🤔!

We have done tours with Tauck and Grand Circle. We have done 4 R.S. Tours. They fit our style. Enough tour with guides, and enough of an opportunity to have free discovery time on our own. We prefer Rick's style. It enabled us to also do several European trips on our own, because the lessons we learned, like how to take trains and public transportation, helped us when we traveled independently. I cannot say enough about the overall quality of travel companions that you experience on Rick's tours. They are, for the most part, similar in style to our travel habits. The value is great on Rick's tours because most all of the sights that you want to see are included. This was not so on GCT, they had 4-5 "optional" tours within the tour that cost extra. You were expected to tip the tour guide, bus driver, and city guides on other tours, this could amount to 400-500 dollars extra. Tauck was the "Cadillac" of tours, but there were also 40 people. They took you everywhere, there was not enough walking or independent time for us. I love that on the longer tours, Rick gives you a day for a"vacation from your vacation", a layover day to laze, or get out and see things on your own, do your laundry, or whatever to recharge for the rest of the trip. The tours also seem to take a day to visit somewhere where you get out of your comfort zone and see something that is sombering, such as Aschwitz or Dachau, or Orador Sur Glane. I sound like a salesman, but it's just that I am sold on the quality and style of R.S. Tours. They are not for everybody. I hope I've helped with your dilemma. Hank, Novato, CA

Six months we could be useful as we are taking our first Odyssey tour next fall. However, on a per day bases it is very expensive so it better be good.

We've used both RS and Odysseys. They were both very good. Odysseys seems to use more upscale accommodations. For me, the decision would come down to the itinerary. Whichever one you choose, I'm sure you will be pleased.

Frank,

The Odysseys tours are more expensive but bear in mind that the price includes the airfare and will be adjusted downward if you book your own transportation. Having done two Odysseys tours, I can assure you that they are great. Great guides, really nice hotels, good meals. You will be pampered a lot more on an Odysseys tour than on a RS tour. Basically they baby you. We don't need babying as we are experienced travelers but that is part of the way they roll and some people need that. We will be traveling with Odysseys again in less than two months to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia.

Mary

I use Gate 1 Travel, they have tours all over the world and have great prices. You can go land only or land and air.
I've been on 6 or 7 of their tours and have been very pleased
Here is the linkGate 1 Travel

Hello Frances,

I appreciate your suggestion regarding Gate1 travel. I was under the impression that they have a larger group size than RS or Odyssey tours, they charge for optional excursions?? Am I correct? Thanks again for your information. I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to participate in this forum in an effort to help other travelers!😇

Hello Frances,

I appreciate your suggestion regarding Gate1 travel. I was under the impression that they have a larger group size than RS or Odyssey tours, they charge for optional excursions?? Am I correct? Thanks again for your information. I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to participate in this forum in an effort to help other travelers!😇

We're signed up for our 4th RS tour and have taken one Odysseys Unlimited. I agree with the previous poster who said OU pampers you more. Our OU tour was the "Pasadas and Paradors", so that dictated our accommodations, but first and final hotels were more upscale. They handled the luggage, so no luggage lugging. We got more meals with OU, but they tended to be fine dining as opposed to regional cooking. Our OU guide was very sweet, but not as engaged as our RS guides.

We still prefer the RS style as opposed to OU, unless we prefer their itinerary. We look at cities visited and time spent. We still want more activity, the chance to choose our own meal (sometimes we just want a simple meal),and a guide that feels very connected to the tour group as well as the country we're visiting. All our RS guides have felt like they were hosting us in their home countries rather than functioning as guides.

I don't think you can go wrong either way.

We just got back from a Gate 1 trip to Lisbon and Spain. Yes you have to spend a lot on tips and there are optional excursions most afternoons. We did not take any of the optional excursions since we prefer time to do our own thing. We have never done a RS tour because a) my husband doesn't want to spend the money b) I need hotels with elevators so I can save my knees for steps while sightseeing c) we like reliable AC in hotels. Our tour director was very professional but also very enthusiastic about sharing these countries. He was from Spain but had also spent time in the US living with a family he loved, so had a positive attitude about Americans. The Mercedes bus was amazingly comfortable. There were none of those factory shopping stops. There were 33 on our tour. In Ronda, the Prado and the Alhambra our group was split into two separate groups with separate local guides. There did not appear to be any grumps on our tour. Even my husband who hates bus tours (he has been to Europe a total of 57 times, 11 of which were our vacations) thought everything was at least adequate. I'm working on him to do a Gate 1 Kaleidiscope of Central Europe Tour since I like the itinerary-although I do like the fact that RS Eastern Europe includes Bled and Split.