Types of Tours

Wanderlust strikes. You have to get out of town, but you don’t want to go alone. Be it for a couple of days or two weeks, you need a place to go and people to go with you. Choosing a group tour takes care of the companions, but where do you go?

These days the answer is, “Just about anywhere.” Group tours can be arranged to just about anywhere worth going. The difficult part now is choosing where. Air trips can be very involved, particularly taking into account security concerns. These are usually reserved for longer trips, usually a week or more, but many can be found for as short as a weekend.

These are some of the most elaborate packages available but certainly not only ones worth considering. Some of the most fun group travel experiences can have you back in your own bed the same night as you started.

Here is a list of suggestions that can be gotten from an Internet search or any rack of pamphlets at a travel agency

Cruises–This is a separate category of group travel unto itself. Groups can book passage on cruises to go anywhere there is water, up to and including Antarctica. While trips with destinations in the Caribbean might strike one’s fancy, cruises featuring whale watching off the shores of Alaska or New England also are popular.

Weekend Tours–These might lack the glamour of an airplane trip abroad but can be a lower cost answer for the quick getaway. If you live in the Midwest and long to see Dolly Parton in Branson, Missouri, you can get there easily by bus. Tour companies also offer weekend trips to sporting events, such as NFL football or major league baseball. On the other hand you might find yourself at the largest mall in North America for two days of shopping. These weekend trips usually include overnight hotel fees, tickets to the game or show, and possibly dinner reservations.

Day Trips–These outings get you there and get you back and usually are offered in areas near major resorts or attractions. Travelers do not have to worry about packing or checking into a hotel. They also do not have to worry about driving or paying attention to the road. For example, on the bus from Pensacola, Florida to the riverboat casinos in Biloxi, Mississippi, travelers get to play bingo to pass the time.

Boats and buses are the most common but not the only means of transportation for group tours. Train trips also are popular, whether chugging through the wilderness in Alaska or Canada to covering the countryside of Europe or Asia. Tour packages also can be arranged where the main means of transportation is hiking, biking, skiing and rafting.