Private and group optional tours are a completely different approach to planning a holiday. Where nothing should escape your attention. You want to make sure you get exactly what you expect from your trip! There is no room for mistakes or disappointment. You've been dreaming about your time off for weeks, months or even years. This precious opportunity should be taken with all due seriousness.

However, for many people, planning a holiday to an exotic destination can be a hassle. Not only have you probably not been there before, but you may also have a lot of questions!

• - What is the culture like?
• - What should I avoid?
• - What are the must-see attractions and sites?
• - What are some behaviours you can and should not do when you are a guest in this country?

Even with the help of the internet, websites and guides can lead you astray. It can be difficult to distinguish which information to trust and which to discard. In the age of the internet, we all know that you can't trust everything you read.

And in the end, there is nothing that can really replace the advice of a local expert who has gained their experience and knowledge by living and living locally. There is nothing better than knowledge passed on in a language you understand first-hand.

• - How do you find local tour guides?
• - How do you get their help?

This is where joining a group can help.

However, you need to decide whether an optional private tour or a group tour is better for you.

This decision will probably take many factors into account. To help you, we've put together the pros and cons of both private and group optional tours. We hope that after reading this article you will know which option will help you fulfil your travel dreams!

How to experience more on holiday?

What is suitable for one person or group will not always be what is best for another.

Group trips

Let's start with group tours! These tours are open to the public and usually take place in large groups.

In favour of group tours: Lower price

The most obvious plus of group tours for holidays is the price. Typically, group tours come at a lower price compared to more stylized, private tours. By booking groups of people, these companies are able to get a lower price, making the price per person lower.

This is important if you have a large family or a large group trying to travel together. If you are looking to save money, a group tour is definitely the best way to do it.

Pros group tours: Meet new people

Another plus of optional group tours is that there is sometimes a sense of community among the group members. Such holidays offer the chance to meet new friends and acquaintances, in some cases, from all over the world. As this is not restricted to the particular group booking the tour, you may find that you meet new and interesting people on an optional tour. The more people, the more opportunities to make new friends!

You never know who might find themselves on the same tour as you. Some travellers enjoy meeting new friends and making new connections while travelling. If you're looking to form new relationships with people who are similar to you or have common interests, this could be a good way to do that! The more specific your trip is, the more likely you are to find like-minded other participants.

Cons group tours: Fixed dates and itineraries

You usually don't have much freedom when it comes to choosing a group optional tour when you sign up for it. Typically, these types of tours are based on predetermined departure and return dates, with little or no flexibility. Itineraries are also usually set well in advance and are not available to be changed by tourists.

This helps to keep the cost of the tour down, but comes at the expense of your personal wants and needs. If you have other ideas of what you might be interested in on a group optional tour, there is no room for customisation. The company only offers what has been pre-determined.

Cons group tours: Fixed transport

Another disadvantage of group tours is the transport. This usually means a large tour bus that makes pre-planned stops. A fixed itinerary can even lead to skipping some places. Sometimes it is just not practical or possible for tour buses to fit or travel on the same roads as medium sized vehicles. Some historic sites may not have the space to accommodate large buses. Consider what the roads and places you will be travelling on will be like. Will the size of your tour vehicle limit your access to them?

Cons group tours: experiences rich in tourist attractions

Group tours also rely heavily on tourist-rich experiences. For travellers seeking a more authentic adventure, attending a large group tour may not allow you to fully understand and experience the culture of a city, region or country. And as the tour progresses, it can be difficult to get individual questions answered or in-depth explanations provided. Your experience will be largely dictated by the needs of the group.

Optional private tours

Let's take a look at optional private tours. For these tours, you and the people you have chosen to travel with are the only people in the group!

Pros private tours: Tailored to travellers' needs

For many travellers, private tours are a unique holiday opportunity that can be tailored to your personal needs and wishes. You don't have to rely on pre-planned itineraries. Private optional tours are designed based on what travellers want to experience, see on holiday.

Often companies that organise private optional tours already have itineraries ready to go, but this is just a starting point. The itinerary can be changed to best suit your desires. Everything, from accommodation to meals to activities such as cooking lessons and dancing, is taken care of by them. Your wish is a command to them!

• - Love exploring a new country through the world of local cuisine? Add a cooking lesson.
• - Want to go cycling or get around a new place, seeing it on two wheels? Add a cycling day.
• - Want to discover a national park? Add a guided hike to see the best parts of what nature has to offer while feeling safe.
• - Want to learn more about local embroidery or other handicrafts? Add workshops... that's the beauty of being able to personalise your travel experience.

With you and your chosen travel companions as the only customers, it's all up to you. If there are things you'd rather skip or don't want to miss, it's as simple as telling your local tour guide. This really is one of the best advantages of choosing a private tour!

You get all the benefits of independent travel, where you have full control over what you do and where you go, but without the unnecessary stress, the uncertainty. You can have the private tour you've always dreamed of, with the peace of mind that comes from having everything you've dreamed of, without the anxiety that accompanies it.

Pros private tours: You set the dates and times

It's up to you to book a private optional tour and guide to fit your schedule. With a private tour, you can schedule the date that is most convenient for you. Tour dates can be according to your personal calendar or weather preferences. The start and end of the optional tour are entirely up to you, depending on what you prefer. You can also choose to stay longer in one location and shorter in another.

You don't have to depend on following a group. If there is a city you would like to spend more time in, you have that option! If you want to add extra days to relax along the way, don't worry!

Customisation is to your advantage. Plus, you can make your holiday as short as you want, or extend it as long as you want and can afford. Instead of working with a set number of days, your tour will be as long as you want, allowing you to accommodate time and budget constraints.

Pros private tours: Vacationing with friends and family

Another advantage of a private tour is that you know your fellow travellers. Because tours are private, you decide who will join. This could mean just you, your immediate family, extended family or invited friends. You don't have to worry about spending your holiday with strangers if you don't want to. It gives you privacy that you can experience more in your holiday.

The comfort factor is greatly increased when your time abroad is spent with those you love! A private optional tour can be the best option when it comes to special, celebratory trips.

Examples include honeymoons, wedding anniversaries, birthdays or retirement! These kinds of events are obviously more fun when spent with loved ones! You can spend more money without meeting new people or the stress of being among people you don't know.

In favour of private tours: Private transport

With a private tour group, you can also rely on private transportation. While large tour groups may use large buses and other services, small private tour groups often travel by private car or minibus. The smaller size of these tour vehicles offers travellers more flexibility. While a large tour bus has difficulty navigating smaller streets or roads, private transport should have no problem.

The small group size makes it easier to explore more intimate places and little-known corners of the world. Your personal driver and guide will take you where you would like to go and what you would like to see! There will be no restrictions based on tour group size or vehicle size.

Pros private tours: Special assistance

Private tours are also useful for those who need extra help. For example, this could be elderly relatives, people with young children, people with physical disabilities or health problems. If there is something that makes you hesitate to travel abroad, there is a good chance that a private tour will be able to help you!

With years of experience working with clients with different needs, private tour groups are often well versed in the needs of their clients. Service is personalised and the customer's experience of experiencing more comes first.

Cons private tours: Higher costs (sometimes)

When it comes to the downside of private tours, they traditionally cost more. However, because you plan your holiday the way you want, you don't waste money on things you don't want to do or see. For example, if you don't want to stay at a luxury resort, you don't have to.

If you're not interested in a guided tour of a particular place or city, you don't have to do that. It's your money saved to take part in a range of activities you want to experience! Because you work with a representative to plan exactly the holiday you want, you know exactly what you're getting and what you're paying for.

The power is in your hands to create the experience you dream of. It all comes together to create a more tailor-made holiday that you will remember for a lifetime.

Private and group optional tours. For and against

Your trip is up to you! Your decision should be based on what will be best for you and the person you are travelling with. Consider all the factors. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each. Consider what your travel goals are.

• - What is most important to you when you travel?
• - How do you plan to experience more on holiday!

Sometimes the choice is more dependent on where you are. Look into the logistics of where you plan to travel and what you would like to see. Look up guidebooks, find a local travel guide and see what you discover!

If you are interested in discussing a private tour further, contact us today to share your travel dreams with one of our English tour guides.