There are a million and one tour companies in the world and you’re no longer tied to just those operating out of your home country. So how do you choose the best tour company for your trip?
Why go on a tour in the first place?
Time
Sometimes it’s best to organise adventures on your own, or better still just pack up and go without a plan!
But sometimes it’s better to leave the hard work to someone else – for example if you have limited time off work. If you want to see a lot of a large country in a short space of time, a tour could be right for you.
A travel agent once told me that, as a rule of thumb, you need twice as long in a country if you choose to go it alone rather than take a tour.
I tend to agree, because when you’re travelling on your own terms you will take a day ‘off’ if you’re tired, or stop longer somewhere you love. On a tour, however, you have no choice but to move forward with everyone else!
Meeting like minded people
Travelling on a group tour is a really awesome way to meet like minded people.
Think about it – if you book a tour itinerary full of hiking, cycling and camping, who are you likely to meet? A bunch of other people who like the idea of hiking, cycling and camping of course!
Relax and experience
One of the best things about travelling on a group tour is that you get to experience a lot of stuff – culture, adventure, transport – but you don’t have to do the organisation of those things.
You don’t have to be responsible for figuring out where you are going and when, because your tour guide does that for you. All you have to think about is enjoying the experience.
How to choose the best tour company
Google the kind of tour you want
Google is a great place to start if you don’t know where to start! Type in the kind of trip you think you want – Active tour in China, small group tour in India, surfing road trip, etc. And see what comes up.
Just be cautious though, as the results at the top of the search results aren’t necessarily the best. To choose the best tour company you’ll still need to check them out in a bit more detail before you book.
Check out a travel agent
Another good option for finding reputable tours is to go to a reputable travel agent. You don’t have to book through them if you don’t want to, but you can trust that they will be representing tour companies that they trust.
Read some blogs
Blogs can be a great place to find out about trips that you might want to take. There are so many travel blogs with great ideas and inspiration!
But still, make sure you check the tours out further before you book. You are still reading just one person’s opinion, which may or may not be representative.
(I only recommend tours and products I genuinely love and would recommend to my own friends and family.)
Once you’ve found some options that look good
Check out reviews on external sites
External sites can really help you to choose the best tour company for you. Once you’ve found a few tours that look like winners, check out the tour company on review sites like Tripadvisor and Trustpilot for non-biased reviews.
Look at the overall star rating as well as the number of reviews. Read through some of the positive and negative reviews and see how you feel about them.
Sometimes people will write a negative review not because the tour was bad, but because it was different from their expectation. For example, maybe the hotels were too basic for them, but maybe you wouldn’t mind that so much?
Google “[tour company] review” and “[tour title] review” and see what comes up. Sometimes you will find a blogger has reviewed the exact tour that you are considering, which can give some great insights.
However, do remember that a blog post is just one person’s opinion. I once considered cancelling a trip because a blogger had given it a terrible review. It turned out I couldn’t cancel it, so I went anyway and it was genuinely one of the best trips I’ve ever taken! The tour was completely different to how she had described it. (It was the G Adventures Rajasthan and Varanasi on a Shoestring tour.)
Check out the tour company’s social media
Social media can be a great way to gain an insight into how good a tour company is. Whilst having a lot of followers might make them seem legit, it’s worth having a quick look at who their followers are and how they interact with the brand.
For example, on G Adventures‘ social media you will see them constantly positively interacting with their customers and responding to questions.
One of their direct competitors sometimes has complaints in the comments on their sponsored ads. Complaints may not be the end of the world, but check out how the tour company responds to those messages. This can be invaluable when you are trying to choose the best tour company and can save hassle later on.
Have an awesome trip!
Once you’ve booked your trip it’s time to really get excited! Just don’t forget to book any vaccinations you need and check out some blog posts on what to pack!
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