Traveling in Tauck large group versus small group

Tikeladee

I have only traveled in a large group with Classic Italy. There was never a problem traveling with a large group that I could see. I am now booking a US tour and I am wondering if going in a small group is worth the extra money. Do small groups get to see different things or spend more time with the tour directors and their staff. Do small groups get extra attention from tour guides and at the points of interest? I am just trying to see if anyone has done both large and small group traveling and could enlighten me on their experiences. Thanks!

AshvEd

We have done both regular and small group travel with Tauck. I believe the itinerary is the same for both sizes. The difference to us is that we got to know our fellow travelers much better and it felt more comfortable with fewer people. Regular size trips we took were Grand Australia and New Zealand, and Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. Both were wonderful trips. The first small group we did was the Best of Hawaii which was super. We are leaving this Sunday to do a small group trip to S. Africa and Zimbabwe, and have booked the Canadian Rockies in 2018 as a small group. Small group traveling works for us and we'll continue to book them when available. Ed and Vicki

AlanS

If you search on "Small groups" you'll find a number of discussions of the pros and cons. Whenever offered, we choose small group tours over regular-sized ones- they use the same buses on land tours so you have plenty of extra space on a small group tour. It is easier and quicker to do almost everything- eat, get on and off the bus, get room keys, get tickets, etc. etc. In some cases small groups stay in different/smaller boutique hotels, but generally, the itineraries are the same and when visiting sites, large groups may break up into smaller groups with their own guide. To each his own, everyone will have their own opinion.

Ken from Vegas

When there are differences in itinerary or accommodations between the small group tours and the larger groups, the small group tour will have a separate listing (not just dates with higher prices). For example, Classic Italy is listed once as Classic Italy and again as Classic Italy - Small Groups. If you see separate listings, compare the accommodations and itineraries. Something will be different (and probably better) for the small groups.

AlanS

Ken from Vegas wrote:

When there are differences in itinerary or accommodations between the small group tours and the larger groups, the small group tour will have a separate listing (not just dates with higher prices). For example, Classic Italy is listed once as Classic Italy and again as Classic Italy - Small Groups. If you see separate listings, compare the accommodations and itineraries. Something will be different (and probably better) for the small groups.

I think Best of Ireland went this route also.

British

We will be going on a Small Groups tour for the first time next year only because the dates we wanted to go happened to be when the tour was a small group one. I think several of our tours have only been small group ones. I have said before that the small tours have just as many disadvantages. Several of our past tours have been small because the tour has not been full, sometimes because of big last minute cancellations like during the Ebola scare in Africa. One tour in particular had only one other 'couple' in it and the rest were a mixture of different groups of friends/ family who did not need to mix with anyone on the tour. Whereas Alan thinks people get more time at a destination when they are traveling in a small group, I believe maybe the day just starts later for a smaller group. I also think that bus drivers have to have mandatory breaks from driving of a certain time, so saying toilet breaks take less time and so on may not be valid. I have never had to wait for a room key more than a couple of minutes when we get to a new hotel, but we have had to wait a long time for luggage to arrive in our room. And at least on a couple of occasions our luggage was delivered to the wrong room but that could happen with a small group. On another occasion our luggage was lost in the hotel and it was some time before it was 'found'
On several occasions people have 'attached' themselves to us at every opportunity and although we like to think we are very social, there are times where we would prefer to have dinner on our own and it can be awkward to decline.
Whatever your choice of group size, unless the group is staying in different hotels than the larger groups do on the same tour, you are going to get the same experience. As far as more 'Attention from the tour Director' I am not sure what that means to me, we rarely need to pester the tour Director like some clients do, after all, we are adults and independent. The tour directors pretty much cover all eventualities and suggestions in their paperwork they hand you when the tour begins or tell you about it in their commentary if you care to pay attention but some people do not, talking between themselves on the bus while the director is talking and that drives me crazy. Maybe a small group could be better in these situations.

judy05

We took our first non-Tauck trip in 12 years in May and it was a small group tour. Twenty two people. I have to say that I did like the small group more than I thought I would -- BUT -- I also have to say that I have never experienced any kind of problems with even a full Tauck tour with a larger group. The thing I worry about with a small group is exactly what British said -- that there will be a group of people who came together and do not want to mix with others within the group. I have several friends who have had that experience. If I were going to take a small group tour I would ask in advance about how many people were already traveling together. A friend who has taken 22 Tauck tours as a single always does that -- having had the experience I mentioned. As far as getting to know people on the tour -- I think that is much more a function of the people on any individual tour than on the size of the group. We had a fabulous group on our Tauck Israel/Jordan trip in 2010. Seven years later we are still in touch with at least half of the people in the group. There is nobody on the small group tour we took this year that we have any interest in keeping in touch with.