In my last post, I covered the reasons to consider an escorted tour. I promised at that time, I would cover some of the more popular tours offered by Trafalgar Tours. I will cover five of the top ten in this post.
First, though a little information about Trafalgar and its parent company. Trafalgar Tours are a division of The Travel Corporation (TTC). TTC operates 40 different tour brands, including Costsavers, Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold Vacations, and Contiki Tours. In addition, they have river cruise options with Uniworld. These various brands are organized based on locations, interests, travel types (adventure, food, etc) and budget. One of the distinguishing features of their operations is their focus on helping their guests make a personal connection with the locations they visit, with visits to the homes of local hosts(Be My Guest), and after-hours private tours. TTC is also dedicated to preservation of the cultures and environments of the locations they visit, through their “Make Travel Matter” programs and their non-profit organization , Treadright.
In the interest of full disclosure, Trafalgar and other brands of TTC are brands that I present to clients for their travel plans. I have received no compensation for the content of this post. I also represent other suppliers of tours of these types, and this presentation is not intended to be a representation that I promote Trafalgar or TTC over other suppliers of these tours. Also, the prices shown here are base prices, land only, as of June 2022. These prices can and will change in the future.
So, now to five of the top 10 most popular tours offered by Trafalgar:
European Traveler
10 Days
7 Cities
Base $2,500 per person, land only.
This tour is definitely a high level, introductory tour to Europe. It starts in London, before moving on to a 2-day visit in Paris. From there, the trip continues south through the French wine region into Switzerland, with an overnight in Lucerne. From there, the tour goes to Venice for an overnight stay. After Venice, the tour moves to Florence, where you have the option to visit the Academia and see Michelangelo’s David. Afterward, the trip will end with 2 nights in Rome to see the Roman ruins and visit the Vatican City.Tours operate year-round.
The Best of Italy
13 Days
14 Cities
Base $3,225 per person, land only.
This tour starts in Rome, visiting ancient roman sites and Vatican City. From there, it goes to Pompeii and Sorrento, then working north to the Isle of Capri, then Assisi and Venice. the tour will spend two nights in Venice. From Venice, the tour will go on to Verona and Milan, before stopping at Lake Como. The tour then goes back south into the Tuscan region to visit Pisa, Florence and San Gimignano before returning to Rome. Tours operate year round including options for a tour over Christmas or New Year’s Day. Overnight stays in Rome, Sorrento, Assisi, Venice, the Lake Como Region, and Florence
Italian Holiday
7 Days
6 Cities
Base $1,625 per person, land only
Where the Best of Italy Tour includes Sorrento, Milan and the Lakes Region, this tour focuses on Rome, Florence, Verona and Venice.
London and Paris Explorer
9 Days
5 cities
Base $2,900 per person, land only.
Where the European Traveler tour gives a broad overview of 4 countries, this tour focuses more on just two areas. The tour starts in London, with a 4-night stay, visiting Windsor Castle, the town of Bath, and Stonehenge. In London, you will be able to see Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, with options to go to the Tower of London and take in a play in the West End.
The tour then moves to a 4-night stay in Paris, to see the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysées, and the Eiffel Tower, with trips to the Palace of Versailles, and an opportunity to visit the Louvre.
Spanish Wonder
9 Days
9 Cities
Base $1,850 per person
This tour is different in that it has two versions – one starts in Madrid and ends in Barcelona, while the other does just the opposite. Cities visited include Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Granada, Guadix, Valencia and Barcelona.
Looking at these tours, there are several things that strike me. First, they give a good example of the ability of Trafalgar to meet a wide variety of interests, whether it is a a high level overview or an in-depth experience. Second, these tours are very economical. Prices are as low as $200 – $300 per person per day, and this includes hotel, transportation, and at least one meal per day. Third, there is time built into every tour for exploring on your own.
Rest assured, these are not the only options you have to visit these places. Just searching for Italy with Trafalgar results in 95 different options with trip lengths of anywhere from 8 to 30 days.
When you are ready to explore a trip to Europe, just let me know. Contact me at patrick@4moonstravel.com, or visit my website.
