My daughter wants to tour Europe this summer with an organized tour. She has 4-6 weeks and we were hoping to find a bus tour that spends more than just a day or two in each city. All the tours she has found either you are on the bus nearly all the time, or the tour is geared for families. Please send me some travel tours that are geared for 20somethings, and that you get to see the city for more than just a day! She is interested in a tour that takes her to London, Paris, Florence, Rome, Athens...thank you! Please send your reccomendations!
Posted by
Anchorage, AK, USA
15 posts
I am 25 and looked for something like that only to find to same problem. They were usually incredibly expensive and seemed to be either racing through each place or only hit a couple places I wanted to see. So I decided to make my own tour! I am hoping to find a travel partner if she doesn't end up doing a tour! I am flying from Alaska roundtrip Frankfurt and plan to go to prauge, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Spain. Then I have a friend from home joining me to see Holland, England, Ireland and Germany. I am going may19-July 28. I have a post on here, my name is Nicole. Have her write me if she's interested:)
Thanks!
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5516 posts
Cindy, I think the fast-paced tours are the nature of the 20something tours. When I first graduated from college, I took one of those tours. I went to Greece for two weeks. The good thing about visiting just one country was that we didn't spend a huge amount of time on the bus (although we did have some very long ferry rides). Even though the tour itself wasn't so great, I had a lot of fun. But more importantly, it helped me realize that it would not be so hard to travel on my own. Two years later after saving some money, I got a copy of the Rick Steves "Europe Through the Back Door", read it, and planned my own independent trip. I don't know your daughter, but this is what I would suggest to a 20 something. Consider spending half the time on a tour to get oriented and half the time on your own to do exactly what you want. Read through Europe Through the Back Door to learn some basic travel skills. Get a copy of Let's Go for the places you want to visit. Consider starting the trip with a 2 to 3 week tour of one country. Greece or Italy would be a good choice for a tour. After that, do some independent travel to the other places (e.g. London, Paris).
Posted by
Toledo
653 posts
I find the Lonely Planet guides are excellent, if your daughter wants to design her own tour.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Cindy,, does she really want to do a tour, or do you really want her to do a tour, lol ( as a mom i can see why you may prefer her not going on her own, but ) You /she are right, the nature of tours,, is touring,, not visiting really,, RS tours spend minimally two nights on stops, in some cases three. Contiki, which unless your daughter wants to party, spend mostly one. (My nephew took a tour at 18 with them,, and basically from his photos and accounts, they partied across europe) My MIL took Globus. Not good fit for younger person, and lots of rushing. I suggest you and your daughter read some of the tour feedback and LOOK at the "Tour Scrapbooks" on this site, they definately show younger folks on tours, true mostly 40-60s, but most tours definately get a few younger folks, and all the younger folks who report on the tours seem to love them and not have an issue with group age at all. Remember RS tours are not the type for the old or infirm ,, you have to be happy , carry your own stuff, and be willing to walk alot sometimes, this elimanates people who are old slow grumps, and the "more mature" on the tours are young at heart and reasonalbly fit. Why not compromise, take a tour, then spend extra time after, perhaps meet up with someone,, there are some nice people here to start with.