Are tour groups for you? You're moving ahead with your trip planning. You've decided where you want to go. Now you need to come to grips with how you're going to get your hotels, get around, see the sights. So I guess the next decision in your trip planning is... do you want to join a tour group or be an independent traveler.
Both options have pros and cons. If you choose to take a group tour, your hotels will be taken care of, as will your transportation during the tour. Depending on the package, most meals will probably be taken care of too, so you won't be looking for a restaurant. Air fare to and from your destination may or may not be included.
All of this can make it easy on you for trip planning; you don't need to worry about making reservations or finding hotels and restaurants on the road. You don't need to worry about that foreign language, though that is truthfully not usually a problem.
You will be traveling with a group of people. If group size is important to you, be sure to check on that. Again depending on the operator and package it can range from 10 or 12 people all the way up to a bus full of about 45 to 50 people. That can make it fun, or it can slow things down as you're waiting for everyone to get up in the morning and get on the bus. You'll probably see all the highlights, but you won't be able to get into small venues that can't accommodate big groups.
You won't be lonely... you'll have your group to interact with. That can insulate you some from interacting with locals, but some group tours introduce you to locals or even get you into ceremonies or places that independent travelers don't have access to. And hopefully you'll have knowledgeable tour guides who can teach you about the area... something that independent travelers might miss.
Tours can be an economical way to travel. Tour operators get good prices on hotels and transportation. But if you want to sleep in and the tour is moving on... you'll just have to get up and get going. You might learn things you wouldn't have learned otherwise.... and if you're a first time traveler, one of the things you might learn is that you don't need a group tour.
Sometimes that first tour group experience is more than worth it... it can give you the confidence to travel independently. And if you learn that you like the company you're traveling with, and you like group travel... you've come up with a great shortcut for your trip planning in the future.... just find more of their tours that you like and you'll soon be traveling the world.
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
Plan Travel To Visit Paris
April in Paris... Is that when you should visit? Well that notion may be tremendously romantic, but the truth of the matter is that you have a pretty good chance of running into cold and rainy weather, so just be prepared. It's further north than you think!
That's not to say you shouldn't go in April. The weather in Spring may give you a taste of both sun and showers. The temperatures should average in the high 50's F (14 C).
If you ask people about when to visit Paris France, most will probably talk about Spring. It's a popular time for tourists and locals alike, and why not? The weather will be sunny more often the later you go in Spring, and by the end of April and into May the gardens will be blooming.
Spring may be shoulder season, but you will still need to be prepared for many other tourists. Lots of people have heard that it's a good time to go to miss the heat of summer. Prices for hotels may even be at high season rates. There will be lines for some of the most popular attractions, but the locals haven't been putting up with tourists all winter, so they will be fresh and friendly.
In spring, the worst of the summer crowds haven't arrived yet, making a stroll down the Champs Elysees more memorable. When the spring showers hit, head indoors to one of the museums.
Should you consider another season? Maybe you need to go in summer because of your school or work schedule. Summer brings lots of traveling students as well as all the other tourists. Prices will be at their highest, and the lines will be at their longest. It's probably a good idea to book flights and rooms early to try and get good deals in this popular season. The weather is nice with temperatures in the high 70s F (24 C).
July draws crowds because of Bastille Day, July 14, and the Tour de France bicycle race that ends up in Paris. During August, most Parisians take a month long vacation... usually out of the city. So some restaurants and businesses might be closed.
Fall is a good time to consider. The weather is changing, and you may run into some cool days. The upside is the crowds will be smaller, and you're more apt to find shoulder season prices. The locals are rejuvenated from their summer month away, and they will be relaxed, more tolerant, have more time for you. Temperatures are in the low 60s F (16 C) -- a little warmer than spring.
You might nab a wonderfully cheap airfare right after the New Year holidays. Winter in Paris? It can be really cold... Temperatures in the 30s and 40s F (0-4 C). The gardens may be buried in snow, the Eiffel Tower closed due to ice. But it can also be romantic if you're into cafes and hot chocolate, bookstores and boutiques.
If you decide to go then, you probably won't run into any tourists, and the hotel rates will be as low as they get. Still our recommendation would be one of the other seasons for the most enjoyable time to visit.
So what will it be? Summer... Fall... Winter... Spring? Oh, come on.... Your choice. The City of Lights is wonderful anytime of the year.
Discover this Globe Travel Blog Full of Travel Discount Strategies and get your Globe Travel Report
That's not to say you shouldn't go in April. The weather in Spring may give you a taste of both sun and showers. The temperatures should average in the high 50's F (14 C).
If you ask people about when to visit Paris France, most will probably talk about Spring. It's a popular time for tourists and locals alike, and why not? The weather will be sunny more often the later you go in Spring, and by the end of April and into May the gardens will be blooming.
Spring may be shoulder season, but you will still need to be prepared for many other tourists. Lots of people have heard that it's a good time to go to miss the heat of summer. Prices for hotels may even be at high season rates. There will be lines for some of the most popular attractions, but the locals haven't been putting up with tourists all winter, so they will be fresh and friendly.
In spring, the worst of the summer crowds haven't arrived yet, making a stroll down the Champs Elysees more memorable. When the spring showers hit, head indoors to one of the museums.
Should you consider another season? Maybe you need to go in summer because of your school or work schedule. Summer brings lots of traveling students as well as all the other tourists. Prices will be at their highest, and the lines will be at their longest. It's probably a good idea to book flights and rooms early to try and get good deals in this popular season. The weather is nice with temperatures in the high 70s F (24 C).
July draws crowds because of Bastille Day, July 14, and the Tour de France bicycle race that ends up in Paris. During August, most Parisians take a month long vacation... usually out of the city. So some restaurants and businesses might be closed.
Fall is a good time to consider. The weather is changing, and you may run into some cool days. The upside is the crowds will be smaller, and you're more apt to find shoulder season prices. The locals are rejuvenated from their summer month away, and they will be relaxed, more tolerant, have more time for you. Temperatures are in the low 60s F (16 C) -- a little warmer than spring.
You might nab a wonderfully cheap airfare right after the New Year holidays. Winter in Paris? It can be really cold... Temperatures in the 30s and 40s F (0-4 C). The gardens may be buried in snow, the Eiffel Tower closed due to ice. But it can also be romantic if you're into cafes and hot chocolate, bookstores and boutiques.
If you decide to go then, you probably won't run into any tourists, and the hotel rates will be as low as they get. Still our recommendation would be one of the other seasons for the most enjoyable time to visit.
So what will it be? Summer... Fall... Winter... Spring? Oh, come on.... Your choice. The City of Lights is wonderful anytime of the year.
Discover this Globe Travel Blog Full of Travel Discount Strategies and get your Globe Travel Report
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