Guided Tours: Why They Are For You

       Every year at this time, the American travel industry produces statistics showing that fewer Americans are travelling  internationally; at the same time more of us want to travel abroad.  The reasons given in these surveys for not traveling include lack of time, complexity of planning a trip, and perceptions of cultural and safety concerns.  What tens of thousands of Americans are discovering each year is a great way  to enjoy their international travels, and that alleviates many of their reasons they did not travel, guided tours.  This popular method of international travel that offers many benefits to travel and they really do suit the purposes of a lot of travelers.  Here are some of the more popular reasons you should consider taking a guided to for you next international vacation.

Hassle Free Planning
       Planning for a foreign vacation can take a great deal of time and sometimes, seem never ending.  Where to go, how to get around, where to stay, what to see,  what will everyone eat, who to talk to for help; the lists of tasks never end.  For many people, this can be tiresome, irritating, and stressful.  Taking a guided tour means removing all the hassle of the planning stage.  Someone will work for you and handle the details, while you concentrate on what you want; exploring, learning, eating, drinking, shopping, and having fun.

Time
       With only 2 weeks on average of vacation, and flying to your destination often taking a whole day or more; many Americans may not have the time or they can not make independent travel work for them. This is where guided tours with the leading tour companies can prove to be a great choice for those who want to see as much as possible in a short amount of time.  They allow you to maximize the time you can spend seeing and experiencing the sites on your vacation and minimizing the the time lost on the uncertainties of travel, like figuring out where to go or how to get there.  A quick tip on choosing a tour: try limiting the number of countries you visit so you can experience more of the culture of your destination.

Comfort Levels
       For many Americans, the thought of traveling to a foreign country with their different cultures and languages, makes them nervous.  A lot of travelers, especially when first beginning their around the world adventures, start with guided tours.  This helps them to adjust to this new lifestyle, slowly stretching the comfort zones out until they feel confident enough to take it on themselves.  For some people the thought of trying to order food in a foreign country causes them to become nervous.  Instead of never leaving the house, a guided tour would be a great way to travel with in their comfort zone limit

Meeting People
       Meeting people in another country can be intimidating to some.  Tours allow you to meet new people who share a similar interest to you and to develop new friendships with others who all shared a common travel memory.  This can also be very reassuring to those shy folks who might not be so great at getting out there and meeting people on their own.

Insider Information
       Guided tours are a great way to visit a historic site or that cultural experience on your vacation.  Tours are a great way to learn more about the place you are visiting, instead of walking around trying to read it from a guide book while you are there.  Guided tours are a great way for someone to point out certain features for you, tell you stories about the area and relay the important information.  In addition, certain tours will offer you certain benefits at popular sites not offered to the general public, like early entrance or private tours.  Guided tours are a great way to sit back, absorb the area you are in and allow someone else to tell you all about it.

Safety
       Many people fear travel as they believe the world is unsafe.  A guided tour may give a person like this the opportunity to travel as they feel much safer.  There is always someone  watching their back and people who they can turn to for help and for comfort when feeling afraid.  By itself, foreign travel is extremely safe, but for many people they want the safety of numbers.