Travel companies to avoid?

[OldShooter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade Speaking of travel companies, has anyone ever gone on one of the National Geographic expeditions? Look interesting but very expensive, seem like they're usually 5-figures for about 10 days.

We had been getting Nat Geo adverts for years and DW wanted to try one, so a few years ago we signed up for an Ethiopia trip. We spent three weeks there, with the first 11 days as part of a 20-person photography tour with National Geographic Expeditions ($17,000 for the two of us). This tour concentrated primarily on the tribal areas in the south. Following that, we spent nine days on a private custom tour ($6,000, total) in the north of the country, which has a long and interesting history. (Though not a place you'd want to visit these days.)

I don’t think it’s possible to do a better job on a group tour than Nat Geo did on this one. Arrangements were thorough and precise, schedules were adhered to, and itinerary changes and improvements were made whenever the opportunity arose. For example, when we made stops where walking might be a challenge, our tour coordinator routinely hired “helpers” for each of the several people in the group for whom walking was difficult. He clearly had been provided with enough discretionary cash to ease our way as necessary and he employed it generously.

In making tour arrangements for our second half, we narrowed our providers list down to two: Oumer from Host Ethiopia and another. The single difference was that Oumer (and a driver) was available to accompany us for the entire trip, while the second company's arrangements involved our having different guides in each place. We enjoy developing a relationship with our guides, so Oumer won our business.

Would we recommend the National Geographic Expeditions tour? That is a difficult question, and the answer depends very much on what kind of experience you’re looking for. As I said, it was superbly designed and managed. We have nothing but praise in that regard. But with the NG tour costing well over double the per-day cost of a completely customized private tour, our conclusion was that it was not a good value, comparatively. We do not ever expect to take another one.

Also, we prefer the flexibility of traveling alone with a private guide and driver, but others may prefer a group experience and not be concerned about the cost.

[explanade]

Good info OldShooter.

Actually I searched for photo tours of Morocco.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/e...morocco-photo/

I saw this one for 12 days and the single occupancy adds $2300 to $2500.

The accommodations look interesting and they're described as high-end. But it appears if you average out the total cost over 12 days, they're budgeting maybe $500 a night for double occupancy and single occupancy is $200 more a night?

Or maybe the photographer and guides are taking up a big chunk of the cost.

I've seen similar number of days, covering many of the same destinations, for under $2000. Probably not staying at as nice places.

I don't need a photographer holding my hands. In fact preferable to just take me from city to city and give me some free time and some general advice about what to see. Or something in between guided all the time and being let loose to be on our own.

[Out of Steam]

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Originally Posted by Freedom56 After the shutdowns in 2020 and cancellation of travel by airlines, I would avoid all third party travel agencies. Book flights, hotels, and cars directly with the service providers.

I have a long-term difference of opinion with my wife on this. She likes to use Expedia, etc., I want no part of them.

My wife and I do agree that we're done with Aer Lingus. They are unresponsive and curt in ways that are nothing like Ireland in general.

[bmcgonig]

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Originally Posted by Out of Steam I have a long-term difference of opinion with my wife on this. She likes to use Expedia, etc., I want no part of them. My wife and I do agree that we're done with Aer Lingus. They are unresponsive and curt in ways that are nothing like Ireland in general.

Being from Ireland I’ve dealt with Aer Lingus on occasion. On one particular occasion when I was here in US I found them unhelpful when calling them. Having to call them back I decided to call their number in Ireland instead. I got a whole lot friendlier reception and a lot more help! Just a one off experience but it was notable enough that I still remember it.

[ElizabethT]

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Originally Posted by FIYes We also do independent travel. There are advantages and disadvantages to both group tours and independent travel. I really want to get back to traveling post Covid.

Yes, concur. I paraphrased it yesterday to DH by saying that when we travel abroad independently, the highs are for sure higher, but so are the lows. The lows generally being the mishaps or mistakes that occur due to not being locals with indepth knowledge of the area.

An approach that had been working for us pretty well pre-COVID (the 'Before Times' as I'm starting to see it referred to ) is/was to come in a week early for some independent travel time, and/or to stay a week beyond for same.

[FIYes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElizabethT Yes, concur. I paraphrased it yesterday to DH by saying that when we travel abroad independently, the highs are for sure higher, but so are the lows. The lows generally being the mishaps or mistakes that occur due to not being locals with indepth knowledge of the area. An approach that had been working for us pretty well pre-COVID (the 'Before Times' as I'm starting to see it referred to ) is/was to come in a week early for some independent travel time, and/or to stay a week beyond for same.

Yes, I agree with the independent stay before and/or after a tour. The tour lets us hit the highlights and the independent stay let’s us explore in depth at our own pace. I do so want to get back to travel. We did an independent trip to Portugal this spring. It was great, but I tested positive for Covid 2 days after we got back.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIYes Yes, I agree with the independent stay before and/or after a tour. The tour lets us hit the highlights and the independent stay let’s us explore in depth at our own pace. I do so want to get back to travel.

Exactly the way I look at it.

[Out of Steam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmcgonig Being from Ireland I’ve dealt with Aer Lingus on occasion. On one particular occasion when I was here in US I found them unhelpful when calling them. Having to call them back I decided to call their number in Ireland instead. I got a whole lot friendlier reception and a lot more help! Just a one off experience but it was notable enough that I still remember it.

True, their US call center is nearly unreachable. Living near Richmond, our most practical flights are through Boston, which makes Delta fairly easy.

[Gotadimple]

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Originally Posted by FIYes I have observed a couple of Grand Circle tours in our travels and they appear to have an elderly clientele. Based on observation, I would say that in our late sixties, we are too young to fit in with Grand Circle.

Of course you'll fit in. Folks are very friendly. But don't judge a book by it's cover. I have done trips with 80 year olds on Grand Circle and Overseas Adventure travel who are very mobile, active, and engaged. You'll find people of all ages with these two tour groups. Sometimes people on commercial tours will be older than you are, but, you can also meet people who have had interesting experiences that makes touring together more than just going and seeing things.

I would encourage you to look at the itinerary, the hotels they would put you up in, and the level of activity on the tour. If their brochure doesn't state that, then call!

If you don't want to plan it yourself, and want context to what you are seeing, group tours are a great option.

- Rita

[nwsteve]

I don't have personal experiences with OAT but a number of my neighbors have liked so was considering them for a trip. When I started to research them, I found they did a very DISMAL job in taking care of their clients during Covid. Very difficult to reach, autocratic responses to refunds if you even got a response. Forced rescheduling of tour till following year or loss of payment, etc
Pretty clear that they got a F for their treatment of clients during Covid. If you are considering OAT check reviews beyond their website.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nwsteve I don't have personal experiences with OAT but a number of my neighbors have liked so was considering them for a trip. When I started to research them, I found they did a very DISMAL job in taking care of their clients during Covid. Very difficult to reach, autocratic responses to refunds if you even got a response. Forced rescheduling of tour till following year or loss of payment, etc Pretty clear that they got a F for their treatment of clients during Covid. If you are considering OAT check reviews beyond their website.

That's certainly true, but I also heard from a number of people that they eventually did the right thing by their customers. It was bad at first but largely because they weren't big enough to handle the financial shock of everything shutting down so suddenly.

[FIYes]

Rita, you are absolutely right. I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The tours I have been on have had mixed ages and the travelers of all ages were actively engaged in the tour. I will say that I enjoyed the mix of ages.

I second the recommendation to determine the activity level of the tour before signing up. Too inactive and it might be a disappointment. Too active and it will be unpleasant. I know DH and I consider activity level when considering tours.

I have never been on a Roads Scholar tour but they emphasize activity level in their tour descriptions. I attended a presentation on Roads Scholar tours and that was emphasized by the presenter.

[meridiver]

If you are looking for a compromise between fully independent travel vs. the "tour bus" model, take a look at Intrepid Travel (Aussie based) and G Adventures (Canada based). Both companies have small group sizes (12-16 people typically) and use mainly local transportation (ie, trains, ferries, local buses) as opposed to the big tour bus/guide model. There is a guide, but their main purpose is to provide local knowledge, smooth out logistics, make food and sightseeing suggestions, etc. There are some planned activities, but for the most part, you can do whatever you want in each location on the tour. Lodgings are clean, adequate, and well-located, but won't have the amenities of larger hotels. The price is pretty reasonable and they cater to a more active, independent (and often younger) audience.

I've done two Intrepid tours, and friends of ours who are very experienced travelers have done several G Adventures tours so I feel comfortable recommending both of them.

[woodguy00]

I can’t tell you who to avoid but I’ve had great experiences using Gate 1. I’ve done a fly &drive independent trip booked through them to Costa Rica and a guided tour through China. Going guided with them to Cambodia and Viet Nam in December and on a Danube River cruise next year in the fall. Great value and professional service.

[Gearhead Jim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freedom56 After the shutdowns in 2020 and cancellation of travel by airlines, I would avoid all third party travel agencies. Book flights, hotels, and cars directly with the service providers.

Absolutely Positively True.
Book direct with the company that will be providing the service.

[Gearhead Jim]

We've done 6 tours (including 3 rivers) with Gate1, and one river with Viking.
Both were good, neither was perfect.
Viking was better and more expensive, but not by a lot in either case.

[marion10]

We are now on our 4th Road Scholar Trip- Sicily, China, Alaska Cruise and now Chautauqua- very pleased with all of them.

[Marita40]

Just returned from my very first Road Scholar trip and loved it! Canoeing and hiking in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. Ages ranged from 50-80. We stayed in hotels and travelled in two vans to historic and scenic areas, including the North American Bear Museum, Wolf Exhibits, Kettle Falls hotel, Sigurd Olson sites, and much more. The canoeing was spectacular, and the people were very friendly. I am already looking into another Road Scholar trip.

[OldConch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by meridiver If you are looking for a compromise between fully independent travel vs. the "tour bus" model, take a look at Intrepid Travel (Aussie based) and G Adventures (Canada based). Both companies have small group sizes (12-16 people typically) and use mainly local transportation (ie, trains, ferries, local buses) as opposed to the big tour bus/guide model. There is a guide, but their main purpose is to provide local knowledge, smooth out logistics, make food and sightseeing suggestions, etc. There are some planned activities, but for the most part, you can do whatever you want in each location on the tour. Lodgings are clean, adequate, and well-located, but won't have the amenities of larger hotels. The price is pretty reasonable and they cater to a more active, independent (and often younger) audience. I've done two Intrepid tours, and friends of ours who are very experienced travelers have done several G Adventures tours so I feel comfortable recommending both of them.

We've done a couple of G Adventures trips and are actively planning trips #6 and #7 with Intrepid Travel. I've recommended both to friends and they've not been disappointed. Sailed out of Phuket on G Adventure's 80 foot catamaran in January of 2020 and spent 7 days exploring the Andaman Sea, dropping anchor in some of the most beautiful places in Thailand with no crowds. It was just the 12 of us with 4 crews.

[Chuckanut]

It's interesting that a subject line about travel companies to avoid seems tohave more recommendations for good travel companies that warnings on ones to avoid.

I have to think this a victory for optimism and joy over the pessimism and being miserable.