Package tours
Escorted tours vary considerably in price, although the itineraries are mostly very similar. The factors that determine which end of the scale a given tour occupies are essentially the size of the group, the class and location of the hotels and the number of meals and extras included.
Beware of cheap tours that offer "optional" excursions. You can sometimes end up with a choice between taking the excursion or sitting stranded in a hotel way out of town.
Some of the best known operators offering escorted tours are the following:
- Globus and Cosmos: www.globusandcosmos.com
- Trafalgar: www.trafalgartours.com
- Perillo: www.perillotours.com
- Insight: www.insightvacations.com
- Abercrombie and Kent: www.abercrombiekent.com
A number of airlines also offer packages, generally consisting of flight and hotel only. These include:
- U.S. Airways: www.usairwaysvacations.com
- Delta: www.deltavacations.com
- Continental: www.coolvacations.com
- American Airlines: www.aavacations.com
- Alitalia: www.italiatour.usa.com
