NavanTravel

Eight Reasons to Choose an Escorted Tour

 

If you’re considering booking a holiday, tour, or grizzled adventure, there are many aspects to consider. Where and when to go is probably top of the list, but how you want to travel is close behind. Are you a lone wolf who needs a little time alone, or would you rather have an escorted tour with a trained professional who knows the area?

There’s no right or wrong way to travel, but making the right choice to suit you and your needs is crucial. Here are eight benefits that come with choosing an escorted tour. 

Check out our Escorted Tour deals here!

 

Worry & Stress-Free Travel

The most obvious place to start with escorted tours, is that all that pesky organisational work that drives many of us mad is taken care of. There’s no need to spend hours comparing hotel prices online or worrying about whether that restaurant you booked for that romantic evening is any good. On an escorted tour, you don’t need to worry or even think about all the nitty-gritty stuff that often causes the biggest headaches. 

If you’re looking for stress and worry-free travel, then escorted tours are the way to do it. You still get the same adventure, sights, and experience but without that organisational monkey on your shoulders. This is particularly important when travelling in countries where you don’t speak the language or for those who don’t travel often. 

Travel with Like-Minded People

Escorted tours are a popular option for both single travellers and couples. For those travelling solo, it’s a great way to link up with other like-minded people to share the experience with, while couples also get a huge amount from group tours as they tend to take that pressure off being with just one person for the entire trip.

Group tours usually include people who share at least some similarities, and it’s not uncommon for deep bonds to be made. If you’ve booked a walking tour around the Cinque Terre, you can bet the other people in the group share the same desire for walking, picture-perfect Italian towns, and exquisite cuisine - well, you would hope so anyway.  

 

Travel Safer in a Group

Wherever you go in the world, there is a greater degree of safety in numbers over being alone. While all of our destinations are perfectly safe, and there is no need per se not to be on our own, most of us feel more comfortable in a small group in an unfamiliar environment. 

 

Trips for all Ages

People sometimes hesitate with escorted tours because they worry they’ll either be left with a rowdy group in their early twenties or an early-to-bed group in the sixties or seventies. 

In reality, groups are usually carefully considered beforehand to ensure everybody feels comfortable. Creating a mismatched group doesn't make sense for multiple reasons, which is why most travel agencies or tour operators will organise groups based on age or other preferences.

 

 

Excellent Value for Money

Another reason some swerve away from escorted tours is the supposed costs associated. While it would likely work out cheaper to do everything yourself, most escorted tours are excellent value for money - and costs can sometimes even come into line with what you would pay independently.

This is often because it’s cheaper to book in bulk, so small savings here and there can be passed on to those on the tour. Also, when everything is taken care of, you negate the risk of all those unforeseen costs that seem to pop in when travelling abroad on your own. There won’t be any last-minute additions or “extra-charges” that are sometimes cheekily added.

The cost of an escorted tour is always clearly stated from the outset and when you book, meaning that many entrance fees and little extras will already be included, making life much easier.   

 

Expert Local Guides

Travelling solo is all well and good, but sometimes you just wish you had somebody there to explain a little about the local culture, history, or environment. Having an expert guide with you at all times can transform a travel experience by adding many more layers of knowledge and understanding.

It’s also a great way to integrate with local people as you’ll almost certainly have a guide that can speak the local language. This means you can communicate and thrive in small communities much better than you ever could when travelling alone.  

 

Free Time to Explore

Of course, most people don’t want to be in a group at all times. As great as your travel companions are, there comes the point when a little time by yourself, or simply in smaller groups without your guide, is exactly what’s needed.

Escorted tours always ensure you have enough free time to explore, shop, or simply relax without everybody else in the group. This is a hugely important part of the whole experience, and we often hear that some of the best moments of a tour come when you are let loose.

Even if you don’t want to be alone, this is the perfect time to take that newly-found best friend of yours and explore just the two of you. Time away from the group is essential, and you’ll love discussing your stories together when you reassemble.  

 

Tried & Tested by Experts

Our final point about escorted tours is that you can rest assured that they have been tried and tested by experts - multiple times. It’s in everybody’s best interests for tours to go off without a hitch and to explore the very best of what’s on offer, which is why they are usually fine-tuned to precision.

These are not tours that are haphazardly thrown together but instead carefully constructed and modified over time to ensure a seamless experience for everybody involved. You can be sure that the best experts in the field have gone before you, and things have been tweaked in response.    

 

Conclusion

As we said earlier, there’s no right or wrong way to travel. If you’re dead set on travelling alone, an escorted tour probably won’t be for you. However, if any of the points mentioned above resonate, then this is a form of travel that you should seriously consider. Escorted travel, above everything else, takes the stress and worry out of the experience, leaving you to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Check out our Escorted Tour deals here!