Extra cost of a small group tour, is it worth it.

rosepetal

We are planning to book the England, Scotland & Wales tour in 2019. We are wondering if it is worth the extra cost to book a small group tour. This will be our first land tour with Tauck but have done several riverboat cruises with them which have been wonderful. We have never had any complaints traveling with Tauck. Great company.

AlanS

rosepetal wrote:

We are planning to book the England, Scotland & Wales tour in 2019. We are wondering if it is worth the extra cost to book a small group tour. This will be our first land tour with Tauck but have done several riverboat cruises with them which have been wonderful. We have never had any complaints traveling with Tauck. Great company.

This is a personal decision which no one can answer for you since we don't know how you interact with other people and don't know your financial status. Everyone has their own opinions. I and some of the other regulars have differing opinions and have posted about it numerous times- do a forum search on various/combinations of terms- "small group" "Small group vs regular tours' etc. - you'll find discussions of this topic in various forums.

You'll find similar discussions about flying coach or comfort+ vs business class.

My wife and I always book small groups when offered*. Our very first Tauck tour was small group E, S, W but soon after we took a regular size land tour. Though there were things we didn't like, it may have been just that tour, and it didn't turn us off to Tauck, however, we decided to take small group tours from then on.

* by design some tours and all cruises are not offered with small group sizes and some tours (Peru & Galapagos, Botswana, etc.) are only offered in small groups.

British

Ah yes, I am one of those who disagrees with Alan. First, we have often found that when we go on a regular size tour it is not full. A small group tour is generally 24. For example our last tour was a regular size tour that should have been 40 or maybe it was 44 but there were only 29 of us. That was almost like a small group tour. Secondly, if you happen to get on a tour that has even just a couple of big groups of friends or relatives going together you can find there are way fewer people to chose to hang out with. That was a real pain on one of our Africa tours where there was only one other couple to hang out with, the remainder were in groups. Quite often the bigger tours are split up for guided tours just like on the river tours. If money is no problem, do a small group, if it is, chance a regular tour and hope it isn’t full.

Sealord

I think I agree with British to a certain degree. Tauck tours are not ‘large’ to begin with ... compared to others. We have done six Tauck tours and loved all of them. But on our last trip we encountered the ‘couple from hell’ that we could not get far enough away from. It would have been more difficult if it was a small group tour. As it was there were only 30 in our group, but only six in each safari vehicle. That was a crowd when with our favorite couple. Larger groups are sometimes adventageous, providing more options for choosing companions.

rosepetal

Thank you all for your replies. Much to consider as you all had thoughtful comments. Thanks again!

BKMD

As an alumnus of 5 tours, even if the small group tours were priced the same as the large group tours, I would opt for the larger group. Potentially more people to interact with, etc. And if you have any issues with anyone, easier to avoid them with the larger group :-)

On a recent tour, we had a family of 11 (3 generations) and while not unfriendly, they pretty much kept to themselves. There were always issues with restaurant seatings as they wanted to be together.

Crackeroo

In general, I agree with British and BKMD on preferring the larger group tours. However, we are booked on the 2019 Best of Ireland Small Groups because of the accommodations for two nights at Ashford Castle. The regular tour stays at a different location.

Phxphl

Hello, my wife and I have traveled extensively for 20 years,independently, and now are attracted by what Tauck has to offer. But, there is one thing this discussion has not addressed: smaller groups get access to more hotels, restaurants, etc. other than on a “convention/buffet/excursion/tour group” basis I have always believed. 12-24 get into places and have a better experience as opposed to 40 do they not? I am not trying to be aggressive; I am looking for information. Thanks.

AlanS

The hotels and dining are usually preset- if Tauck takes you there, you will be seated and served. So the hotel and restaurant "access" can be taken out of the equation. With some exceptions both groups stay in the same hotels. As i said above everyone has their personal opinion and likes and dislikes. Do a search and you can see what others have said on this topic.