Planning a Land Tour Doesn't Require Reinventing the Wheel

Recently I've noticed increased interest in all-inclusive resorts and land tours, particularly from "empty nesters" looking to travel comfortably.

If you're thinking of travel destinations not so easily reached by cruise ships, a land tour can make your life much simpler and, perhaps surprisingly, save you money over independent travel.

You may think piecing together a custom trip must be cheaper, but frequently by the end of the trip do-it-yourself trips cost you much more.

All those admission charges and short transportation gaps add up, not only bleeding you financially but taxing your enjoyment by taking you out of peak moments with minor aggravations.

We may think we have a unique vision of our trip that requires a custom plan, but most of us actually think in terms of specific vacation types or regions.

Because the "must sees" tend to be visited by tour companies, the only question becomes which tour company most closely approximates your vision.

A packaging company like Globus, Collette or Abercrombie & Kent might have exactly the itinerary you envision.

As one of the largest and most experienced tour companies in the world, Globus frequently fits the bill with the perfect itinerary for your dream trip.

Sometimes, it turns out the tour you choose is not the one that most closely corresponds with your original wishes but another one that includes stops not previously considered, some of which may become unexpected highlights of the trip.  We all like a pleasant surprise.

One concern people initially have about their first packaged tour is group size and the concept of traveling long distances by coach. Once they take the trip, however, they often find those concerns to have been overblown.



It's not a game of musical chairs where someone will be left out, and the buses make plenty of interesting stops as well as including historical and often humorous regional presentations by tour guides in transit.

Another concern is quality of accommodations, which again proves to be overblown. It is not that a company like Globus will have 6-star premium hotels featured prominently in Travel+Leisure, but they will have nice hotels that mesh perfectly with the itinerary. Plus, consider you'll likely be on the go so much that you won't be spending a lot of non-sleeping time at your hotel.

The world is waiting!