Traflager tour

It might help if you gave a link to which Italy tour your are considering as they have a bunch of them.

I have not taken a Trafalgar tour but I have done 8 Rick Steves tours (including 3 with time in Italy) and 8 Road Scholar tours (4 in Europe, 4 in the US).

I think the main complaints I see about Trafalgar tours is that:

• they stay in hotels on the outskirts of cities so if you have free time you have to figure out how to get to the major sights and back.

• they often have a number of optional tours that you pay extra for in order to see some of the top sights. If you don't go on the optional tours, I've seen posts on other forums that people were just at loose ends while the paid group went off with the guide.

• they have quite a lot of shopping opportunities where you are using tour time to go to shops where the guide gets a kickback on how much people spend

• you are expected to tip the tour guide and bus driver. I'm not sure how much the going rate is, I've seen people post (on other forums) that it is 3-5 Euro per person per day to the bus driver and 5-7 Euro per person per day to the Tour Guide. You can email Trafalgar and ask them about this.

The reason I choose to travel with Rick or Road Scholar tours is that:

• both tour companies usually stay in central locations so you can easily get out and around on your own. In my experience, Rick's tour guides are better about giving transportation and travel skills lessons so you can use local transport in free time. Road Scholar guides do stick around at the end of the group tour time to make sure everyone has a plan and knows where they are going.

• both tour companies are pretty explicit about what sights are included on the tour and do not charge extra fees to see the "good things". With both companies I've had guides add in a small sight or two if we had extra time. I love these surprises!

• both tour companies are very firm about not using tour time to shop. They both emphasize you can do that on your own and guides are usually able to point people to shops after the group time is over.

• both tour companies make a point of saying tips are included in their package cost.

There is a long-running thread (started in 2013) on the Trip Advisor Senior Forum about Trafalgar Tours. I am not sure if you are used to reading forum posts but I usually take glowing reviews by someone that has only posted once with a grain of salt. Sometimes they are good when they actually list the good and less good experiences so those I will give credence to but the ones that say "We had a marvelous time and recommend XX tour to everyone" just sound like a company asked them to post a positive response. Anyway, here is a link so you can wade thru all 123 replies.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i13626-k6669793-Trafalgar_tours-Senior_Travel.html

Just so you know, people rarely come back to that forum except the regular TA members who monitor the threads there so it is usually not even worthwhile to post a question on that thread.

I can help answer this.

My first trip to Europe, back in the days of horseless carriages, was on a Trafalgar tour to Europe. (Not just Italy.) That inspired me to become a tour director and I worked for a tour company that was later bought by Trafalger. I've also taken RS tours (But since you didn't ask about them, I'm not going to compare.)

The Trafalgar tour itself was fine. Read the tour brochure carefully. If it says you will "visit" a place, it means you will stop, get off the coach, and visit it. If the brochure says you will "see" someplace, that means you will see it as the coach drives by.

Your hotels will mostly be American style and depending on the tour itself either in town or just on the outskirts (The cheaper the tour, the more likely your hotel will be outside of town.) You will receive bellman service at each hotel. Some meals will be included.

Again, depending on the tours, optional trips will be offered. This alllows you to decide which one to take and which ones to skip. Most are pretty good. If you decide not to take one, your Tour Director will help you spend your time elsewhere (You must know what you want to do so some homework is required )
Tipping to your tour director and guide is optional but an amount is suggested. This will be included in your tour literature.

The vast majority of people who take these tours have a great time. Just be aware that the price of the tour, which is fairly low, is like that for a reason--to get you to sign up. Look up all costs--optionals, tipping, etc--and then see whether or not it is of good value. Your fellow tour mates will be from English speaking countries around the world.

You will make shopping stops but these are called demonstration visits just as they are with every other tour company. You are never under an obligation to buy.

There are other tour companies such as Globus and Insight that will offer similar tours and are of similar quality.

sandra,

I've only taken RS tours so far, but my trip this year will be to an area not covered by RS. I looked at Trafalgar and Insight and both had very similar Itineraries, but a significant price difference. One of the other big differences was that the Trafalgar groups would be 50-60, while the Insight groups would be about 30 or so. I suppose I've been spoiled by the RS tours, and there's NO WAY I want to travel with a group of 50+. I decided that regardless of the cost, I would be taking the Insight tour!

I haven't been on the tour yet (it will be in September) so can't provide any feedback yet. However I'm hopeful it will be a good experience based on recommendations by my travel agent, who said I will be "treated like royalty". I'm used to carrying my own luggage on RS tours, so this will be a new experience for me.

If you have a "generous budget", you could also look at Tauck, but they're too rich for my budget.

My first trip to Italy was on a Trafalgar Cost Saver tour back in 2010. It was called Italian Dream and we spent a week touring Rome, Florence and Venice. We were so excited when we booked it that we didn't check out the hotel locations which turned out to be way out of the city center. This was a really big bummer because the day with the tour usually ended by 5 pm and we were bussed back to our hotels for what was a typically mediocre dinner. We didn't get the chance to stroll around the cities in the evening. We also found most people on the tour didn't do much research and relied on the optional tours to see the sights. We had our RS book and made the most of our available time. Admittedly, we saw alot on this tour and it gave us the confidence to plan our next trip back ourselves. We did look at RS but it was so much more expensive esp because of the smaller group size.

If you decide to book Trafalgar, check out the hotel locations and pay close attention to the verbage of "see" and "visit" as Frank mentioned. Also, add a few days at the beginning or end of the tour for more sightseeing. Do it at the beginning to get over jet lag or at the end where you will be more confident with striking out on your own. If I ever do take another guided tour, I will probably dish out the bucks to go on an RS tour so i can be with people that travel like I do. I've been fortunate enough to have traveled back to Europe 4 times since 2010.

Ken: I hope you will post a trip report after your tour in September. I have been looking at Insight tours of places RS doesn't go and would like to know of your experience.
Frank II: the OP didn't ask for a comparison but I would be interested in your take on RS vs Trafalgar (and others you have experience with) should you be inclined to share. Thanks.

Ken.....where did you get the number of 50-60 on a Trafalgar Tour and 30 on Insight? Trafalgar usually gets between 40 and 45 tour members and Insight holds up to 40. Very few coaches can hold more than 50 people and they are usually found only in North America.

Comparing the two types....(Trafalgar, Globus, Insight are all basically operated the same way.):

The best way I can describe it is that on RS tours you get the PBS crowd. They have usually done more research and don't expect as much hand holding/luxury as the other tours. (I've actually had people come to me on the tours I led and ask "what's there to do here." And I'm talking major sites. I even had people who had no idea where we were going. Usually husbands dragged along by their wives.)

RS tours usually max out at 28 people or less. The other tours max out around 40-45.

RS hotels can be very basic and mostly centrally located. (Not always.). The other tour companies will offer comfortable accomodations with more amenities, including bellman service, but could be further out from the center. No problem packing heavy on the other tours.

Optional trips and events will be offered on the other tours for those who like hand holding. There is nothing wrong with this as in emcompasses a certain type of traveler. Many even offer "meet and greet" at the airport.

Demonstration stops--pottery, cuckoo clocks, etc--are really shopping stops and are visited by both. There is never any pressure for you to buy.

RS tours are more work for the person taking the tour. Theoretically, a passenger on the other tours doesn't have to do a bit of research or go anywhere on his or her own.

RS tours are mostly American and Canadians. The other tour companies have english speakers from all over the world. (It used to be mostly Australians.)

RS tours cost more because there are less people and all the optionals--excursions, tips, etc--are included in the price. The other tour companies work like discount airlines; they get you with a low starting price--for the tour--and then start adding on the options.

The tour director/tour manager--called guides on RS tours--do get commisions on optionals sold and at shopping stops. They are paid very little, to help keep the cost of the trip down, and rely on these commission and tips. However, they can only sell company approved optionals and stop at places for demonstrations that are approved by the company. Any other and they will be fired. By the way, anyplace a tour goes for these stops are trustworthy. They make a lot of money from tours and if they give bad service or cheat customers, word will get back and that stop will be dropped. (Some RS guides do get them but are supposed to spend the money on the group. I have only heard this but have not had it confirmed from the RS people themselves.)

If anyone has any other questions, ask.

I want to thank everyone for their replies especially Ken 's being the most informative. I hope to go on the traflager tour for many reasons one bring the very close proximity to any major city and or sites. With limited time it's nice to know we will be able to walk to most of our sites. This will be the first time my husband and I have used a tour company, we usually research and book everything ourselves. We might love it or next time go back the way we have done things in the past. It's our 25 th wedding anniversary and we are hoping everything will go smoothly for us!
I think every tour has something different for everyone, I researched many and traflager ticked off most of our requests. Travel agents love to book traflager the most because their clients come back happy!

I was looking for any tips if someone has been on the best of Italy trip in the last year not ten years ago.
Thank you and choi

I also forgot to mention that Trafalgar and Insight are owned by the same parent company as are about two dozen other tour companies.

Frank II,

While Trafalgar and Insight are owned by the same parent company, the products offered appear to be slightly different. Given the higher cost of the Insight tours I suspect this will be a more "comfortable" touring experience.

"Ken.....where did you get the number of 50-60 on a Trafalgar Tour and 30 on Insight? Trafalgar usually gets between 40 and 45 tour members and Insight holds up to 40. Very few coaches can hold more than 50 people and they are usually found only in North America."

I'll forward a PM to you regarding the negative comments about tour numbers on a Trafalgar tour. I realize that I'm "cherry picking" only the negative and not including the many positive comments, but group size is a significant factor for me. Regarding the Insight tour group sizes, this according to the brochure....

"An average of 30 guests and never more than 40, creates the perfect combination of companionship and personal service to make your journey exactly what you want it to be."

Appreciate the information. Thanks.

Travel agents love to book traflager the most because their clients
come back happy!

Really? I am curious where you got that information? Why wouldn't you book directly with the company?

I hope to go on the traflager tour for many reasons one bring the very
close proximity to any major city and or sites..With limited time it's
nice to know we will be able to walk to most of our sites.

Sandra, that's not what I read in the comments above? Several of the posters mentioned that hotels can be located quite a hike from center. For instance, the hotel I see listed for Venice? It's not close to what most tourists want to see: it's on Lido and will require a vaporetto to travel to-and-from the main island. Maybe that's not an issue for you but worth the mention that you'll be doing than just walk to the sites (depending on what those are) from your accommodation. The hotel in Rome is convenient to the Vatican but not much else: unless you are a stout walker (I am) count on using public transit to get to the more central area.

Having to use transport - where available - to more efficiently get around isn't a big deal, really, but it does mean that you're probably going to have to do your own research on how to do that. I'm not sure how much coaching they provide with the large-group tours.

As Frank mentioned, I'd also be cautious of some of the verbiage which describes the sightseeing itineraries: there is a difference between "view" and "visit".