Packaged tour or Not? Which is better?

By packaged tour, are you meaning with a group and you mostly stay together, or just a vacation package that is all inclusive? When I travel to destinations where I do not have relatives to stay with, I get a package deal. That is, airfare, hotel and transportation to and from the airport are included. That way, if there is an issue with anything, I simply call my travel agent, and she takes care of it on the spot. Also by going with the agent, they have the experiences of every traveler that their agency has sent there, so they tend to know what hotels or areas are good or not so much. I however never go with a group; I want to do what I want when I want, to me that is the whole idea of a vacation. It's my time, and I choose whom to share it with, and when.

I love to travel independently to other countries in the world. Usually I buy a airline ticket and then stay in my own choice of accommodation. Then I use local buses, trains and ferries to travel around that region. I went to Vancouver in 2010 and was able to go over to beautiful Vancouver Island. We stayed with friends, relatives and in guest houses. I was my kids on that trip. In 1993 and 1994 plus in 2000 I visited lovely Australia. I did take a package trip to Kenya and then used it as a cheap way of going on a safari.

I think that there are advantages and disadvantages about both kinds of trips and I think that your choice depends on your personality. If you choose a package tour you don't have to worry about the practical things because those things will be arranged for you and that way a package tour can be more relaxing. If you choose an individual trip you have the chance to visit exactly the places that you want and you decide how long you want to spend at the different places. On a package tour you can't do that, because you have to follow the group. If you travel on your own you can pick your own hotels and your favourite forms of transportation, on a package tour those things are arranged for you. I think that your choice depends on the things that are important to you. If it is important to you relax and avoid worries about the practical things a package tour could be the best option. If it is important to you make your own decisions about places, sights, accomodation, transportation etc an individual trip is probably a better option.

A packaged tour is good because you can save more money. It is now very famous among travelers because travel agencies offer big discounts and promo tickets if you go for a package tour, plus it offers convenience in traveling and processing documents so go for it!

England is a long way away from Indonesia! It's a good time to go for a holiday in Australia right now. Tourist numbers are way down due to our spiralling dollar, which means tour operators are very willing to cut you some really amazing deals. It's a very pleasant summer we're having here right now - the beaches would be ideal for you. I'm leaning towards a package tour for you unless you know a fair bit about travelling. As someone said before, a packaged tour is different from an organized tour. When I travelled New Zealand's south island, I booked & paid for everything seperately because I felt I knew what to expect. Even in this case, I had less local knowledge than I thought I did & booked a personal organized tour of Dunedin with an ex-taxi driver. I was very glad I did - some of the best money I'd ever spent. No one knows their own city like a local who is geared for touring. I would otherwise have spent the whole day indoors because it was raining heavily.

Package tour is a good choice I think. You would save few bucks. I would recommend package tour.

If u are traveling for the first time, go with a tour. Though it might be boring at least u familiarized yourself with that place before u decide u decide to go self explore some other time. There are usually those free and easy packages, or u can even sign up when u are there. Sign those one day packages and u would have time to roam on your own, yet not missing out on any popular fun. Try to avoid tourist attractions because there's no point in going with on a package tour when most people can just tell u how to go around.

I am not into packaged tour when I travel. I do consult with other tour operators but I usually try to copy the good points and find a way to do it myself. If all is well and planned ahead, it would cost you less without the hassle of going to places you don't want to go and waiting for the others who are in your group before going to the next location.

Traveling can be very expensive. First, how much time do you have to travel? And how much money do you have to spend? Australia and Canada are worlds apart. They are at different ends of the globe. They are also both two huge countries. You are first going to have make a decision about which country. And then which cities or regions in each country. Read travel guides. Send for information. It can not hurt to check with travel agents in your own city. See what they offer. Sometimes you can get on a tour that allows you a lot of freedom to do your own thing. Remember that whichever country you pick, you do not have to see it all your first time. I think that sometimes tourists try too hard to see too much in a very short period of time. You want to have a good time, not get worn down and sick.

In my point of view, one can be tourist or traveler. As someone said, tourist don't know where had been and traveler don't know where it will go. I like to travel on my own, but I have worked on cruise ships in the U.S., so I'm familiar with tourist industry as well. Still, I prefer to travel on my own, and about money issues, it depend on how much time you have. If having more time than money (as it's usual situation for me), I just wait to find some good deal on transportation, and then, searching for affordable accommodation. If you are younger person (either by age or attitude), you can use some youth hostels, as they are much cheaper than usual hotels, and most important, it's a great chance to meet interesting people. Anyway, if you decide to travel on your own, do some research on the net, and I would suggest you to buy a travel guide book. I'm using "Lonely Planet" books myself, but there are many other publishers on the market. And maybe, if you have time, and don't have steady job, you can consider a "working vacation". During my years on cruisers, I meet lot of young people who come to work there, and thus combine travel and earning money. Of course, there are other ways to do this.

If you shop around you can find some tour companies that offer short (3 day) trips within a country. For example, you could travel independently up the coast of Australia and then join up with a tour going into Uluru for a few days and then carry on independently. There are some great short trip packages for canoeing and camping in Canada as well. Transportation costs can eat up your budget in large countries like Canada and Australia, especially if you want to experience more remote areas. I'd pick a package for special activities. When you are choosing a tour company, try to find one that doesn't have a singles supplement. That means they don't charge you more to travel by yourself. If you choose to go with a package for your whole trip read the itinerary carefully. Find out exactly how much free time you'll have, what is and isn't included, and what kind of optional sidetrips are available.