How to sniff out the top tours for YOU

‘No organising needed, with the route, transport, accommodation and sightseeing visits all fixed for you…’ ‘Access to the inside-track knowledge of local experts and specialists in their field…’ ‘Help at hand from tour managers to sort out problems…’ ‘No driving required, like-minded companions, the affordability of trips…’

There are many persuasive reasons to take an escorted tour. But with a multitude of companies offering tours and a vast range of options, finding the right trip can be a daunting proposition.

Which is why I’d like to draw your attention to TourHound, a new online comparison service for tours around the world.

There are many persuasive reasons to take an escorted tour but picking one can be a daunting prospect 

There are plenty of websites that will help you find and compare flights and hotel deals, but TourHound is the first to provide a one-stop search of touring options.

Given that the website has only just launched, it’s pretty good. Tours from some 30 companies are featured, including lots of the main players such as Leger, Titan and Trafalgar, and leading active tour specialists Exodus, Explore and Intrepid.

There are omissions, such as Great Rail Journeys, and ideally options with smaller, niche operators such as wine tours company like Arblaster & Clarke would be covered. 

But to be fair there is already a wide choice, and TourHound says more operators will be added. Search options are excellent. You can narrow down what you are looking for by country, a host of themes – everything from battlefields to wildlife – duration and month.

It took me less than a minute to find a digestible 11 tours, offered by three companies, for cultural and foodie small-group tours to Italy next May.

You can also pinpoint specific places you want a tour to include, which can be really useful. So I was able to pare down more than 100 cultural tours of the USA in May 2018 to seven that visit New Orleans.

Local colour: A wedding parade in the French Quarter of New Orleans, where hundreds of cultural tours take place

Local colour: A wedding parade in the French Quarter of New Orleans, where hundreds of cultural tours take place

The tours shown are all available, and prices are clearly displayed – you can include flights where offered, and amend the prices so they are for a single traveller. And results are shown in an unbiased way. A neatly presented summary of each tour is given, and you can click through to the relevant company to book.

At the moment TourHound doesn’t provide background information on the variety of tours, or guidance on choosing a suitable tour. So here are some key pointers to consider:

  • Some companies offer comfier, premium coaches with extra legroom – such as Leger (leger.co.uk) on its Silver Service holidays.
  • Door-to-airport transfer services are sometimes available – for example with Titan (titantravel.co.uk).
  • Upmarket tours with companies such as Martin Randall (martinrandall.com) often include visits to places otherwise off limits to the general public (perhaps a private palace or a vineyard), or special access to museums and galleries.
  •  Establish the maximum possible group size. It might be as high as 50, but on so-called ‘small-group’ tours with an adventure specialist such as Explore (explore.co.uk) it’s less than half that, with the average number 12.
  • Who will be looking after you? On better tours, you’ll have a tour manager and a specialist guide.
  •  Check itineraries to ensure they aren’t too rushed. Changing hotels every day can get very tiring.
  • Tours often use dull chain hotels on city outskirts. Central locations are better.
  •  Compare prices. What meals and sightseeing are included?
  • Will you be travelling with a mix of nationalities? Yes, with an American company such as Tauck (tauck.co.uk). 



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