Motorhome Tours escorted tours (1 Viewer)

[Pappy]

Anybody any experience with this company. I never thought that I would be interested in an escorted tour but they are well recommended. They have a Norway tour that I could be very interested in. I did want to go anyway but this might take some of the stress out of it. Would also take away the spontaneity. Any thoughts?

 

[The Wino]

Anybody any experience with this company. I never thought that I would be interested in an escorted tour but they are well recommended. They have a Norway tour that I could be very interested in. I did want to go anyway but this might take some of the stress out of it. Would also take away the spontaneity. Any thoughts?

I think I'd sooner organise things myself and save the money I think they're pretty expensive

 

[Bleau’s]

We have booked a Italy one next year and it includes a lot of excursions and meals and I worked out we was only saving £500 so with us liking to eat out and no hassle I did not think it was worth doing it ourselves and we would enjoy the trip with others and hopefully form new friendships the replys to my questions and there was a lot was always quickly and professionally answered

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

I get the GB Motorhome Tours newsletter, their tours always seem to be full up a year or so in advance.
Some of the prices are a fair bit especially for 2 people and there is a big extra if you want to join the trip from the UK.

Saying that they do look like good trips for people who want to go on organised trips

 

[carolyn]

Anybody any experience with this company. I never thought that I would be interested in an escorted tour but they are well recommended. They have a Norway tour that I could be very interested in. I did want to go anyway but this might take some of the stress out of it. Would also take away the spontaneity. Any thoughts?

We met 2 couples who did the Norway tour with them this year and they thoroughly enjoyed it. They were 70 plus and said they were very much the “oldies” on the tour. This is unlike GB motorhome tours who we did Norway with 3 years ago and I was most definitely the baby of the group at 60 together with a Belgian chap who was the same age.
It’s less regimented than GB although we’re going with GB to Turkey and Cyprus next year.

We are looking as we speak at their Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Montenegro tour funnily enough.

We use the tours for places that are outside our comfort zone, neither of us are the least bit practical and Kevin who leads the GB Turkey trip is handy with a spanner, his wife is Turkish as well.

Motorhome tours folk are very practical too apparently and the leader even took a pizza oven to Norway to help feed the clients plus a big bar b a to keep costs down.

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[nicholsong]

We met 2 couples who did the Norway tour with them this year and they thoroughly enjoyed it. They were 70 plus and said they were very much the “oldies” on the tour. This is unlike GB motorhome tours who we did Norway with 3 years ago and I was most definitely the baby of the group at 60 together with a Belgian chap who was the same age.
It’s less regimented than GB although we’re going with GB to Turkey and Cyprus next year.
ing as we speak at their Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Montenegro tour funnily enough.

We use the tours for places that are outside our comfort zone, neither of us are the least bit practical and Kevin who leads the GB Turkey trip is handy with a spanner, his wife is Turkish as well.

Motorhome tours folk are very practical too apparently and the leader even took a pizza oven to Norway to help feed the clients plus a big bar b a to keep costs down.

It’s less regimented than GB although we’re going with GB to Turkey and Cyprus next year.

We are looking as we speak at their Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Montenegro tour funnily enough.

We use the tours for places that are outside our comfort zone, neither of us are the least bit practical and Kevin who leads the GB Turkey trip is handy with a spanner, his wife is Turkish as well.

Motorhome tours folk are very practical too apparently and the leader even took a pizza oven to Norway to help feed the clients plus a big bar b a to keep costs down.

In that Balkans tour can they organise fully comp insurance, which always seems to be difficult?

 

[carolyn]

In that Balkans tour can they organise fully comp insurance, which always seems to be difficult?

Neither company arrange your travel insurance, you have to do that yourself. I know Bosnia can be a problem and most UK companies don’t cover it. I have done a bit of research and Sterling do, they do get good reviews on Trustpilot and are just a broker. You’re only there for 3 days. A lot of people rely on 3rd party insurance bought at the border but I’d rather not.

It may be that the company do give advice on companies that people can use, I know GB sent us an email about companies previous customers had used for insurance and breakdown in Turkey that I’ll be using for our trip next year. We’re with Comfort and they won’t be any good for Turkey and Cyprus.

 

[PaddyM]

We are going to do the GB Tours Canary’s Tour when my wife retires in 15 months , 72 nights away on the tour i believe .

 

[Gina M]

Anybody any experience with this company. I never thought that I would be interested in an escorted tour but they are well recommended. They have a Norway tour that I could be very interested in. I did want to go anyway but this might take some of the stress out of it. Would also take away the spontaneity. Any thoughts?

I haven't heard of these tours before, so I am interested in learning more too. I think it is also a good way of meeting new people and not spending wasted hours getting lost and ending up eating in dive restaurants

 

[Lenny HB]

Strikes the fear of death I to me. sounds horrendous being organised we like to wander about on our own never knowing where we are going to end up next.
Also the cost of the trips works out at 4 or 5 times the cost of doing it in your own.

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[Gina M]

Strikes the fear of death I to me. sounds horrendous being organised we like to wander about on our own never knowing where we are going to end up next.
Also the cost of the trips works out at 4 or 5 times the cost of doing it in your own.

Really!! put it that way I now won't mind getting lost and eating horse in crap restaurants

 

[Lenny HB]

Really!! put it that way I now won't mind getting lost and eating horse in crap restaurants

Often get the best home cooked meals in the little back street restaurants.

 

[bobandjanie]

It's certainly not for us, I only managed 10 minutes following a tour guide around Venice.
But dear friends of ours that lived in our village in Suffolk, were very well travelled motorhomers and over the years had been everywhere, as the years ticked by they couldn't decide or agree on where to go, so it was decided they go on a tour to take the stress out of it.

They chose Italy and hated it, even though they had been to Italy before.

They was given the location details everyday and met up, he said it was like a race travelling further each day than they normally travelled, and very expensive for what they got out of it.

I suppose we are all different, some love them and without guidance wouldn't go anywhere, we have a rough direction and no plans apart from ferry crossings and wing it. Bob.

 

[Gina M]

Really funny my Niece just said to me "WHAT!! you hate being told what to do and where to go!! You would so hate a guided tour"

 

[CazPaul]

Not for us either we looked at a few of the itineraries, stuff like a leisurely 287 miles today, then a day looking round then another leisurely 291 miles.

Stuff that.

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[Lenny HB]

Not for us either we looked at a few of the itineraries, stuff like a leisurely 287 miles today, then a day looking round then another leisurely 291 miles.

Stuff that.

Some days we only manage 5 miles.

 

[Bailey58]

We did a motorhome tour from New York in the 90's, first time driving something 30' long. 17 vans with a guide. The first three days we did nothing apart from making it to each days campsite. Hair raising leaving New York, Boston was a blur and the only place we actually did something was Salem, we still have the witches broomstick in the loft albeit a bit moth eaten. Things improved after that and Bar Harbour and Martha's Vineyard was wonderful as too were the places along the St Lawrence . Quebec, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Gettysburg and Washington. The downside was bonding around the campfire at night with the guide handing out literature for next day's viewing and reminding us he was dependent on monetary contributions from the group to keep going.

 

[carolyn]

We’ve done 2 GB tours and are doing Turkey and Cyprus with them next year. We do plenty of touring on our own in France and Spain etc where it’s so easy but we also like the tours for a change when the countries are outside our comfort zone and it’s nice to meet new people.

It’s nice to meet people as well. The first tour I would say everyone was absolutely great. On the second one overall most people were lovely but there were a couple of racist homophobes who I made sure to avoid once they hit the booze!

Obviously it’s cheaper to do it yourself but overall we find them good value and as far as we’re concerned it’s up to us how we spend our money.

We’ve just come back from a 2 week cruise round the Canaries for a change as we didn’t have enough days left for a proper trip to Spain due to the 90/180. It’s confirmed that there’s no way we’d want to do the GB 70 days in the Canaries. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are as ghastly as we remember from 15 plus years ago!
The other islands plus Madeira were OK.

 

[KiwiKampers]

I apologise if this sounds harsh. I cannot think of a worse way to travel. Where's the adventure, spontaneity, relaxation, freedom, leisure?
In the modern, homogenised world there is no benefit to travelling with a group. It has never been easier to travel the world (if you avoid war zones) and you have all the luxury you need right inside your motorhome.
If guided motorhome tours appeal to you, I think you should consider selling your motorhome and going Wallace Arnold.

 

[carolyn]

I apologise if this sounds harsh. I cannot think of a worse way to travel. Where's the adventure, spontaneity, relaxation, freedom, leisure?
In the modern, homogenised world there is no benefit to travelling with a group. It has never been easier to travel the world (if you avoid war zones) and you have all the luxury you need right inside your motorhome.
If guided motorhome tours appeal to you, I think you should consider selling your motorhome and going Wallace Arnold.

Thankyou for your opinion. Obviously it’s of little interest to those of us who like trying lots of different things before we judge them.

Your final paragraph is judgemental and absurd in answer to your fishing emoji.

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[Pappy]

This is really interesting. I find myself agreeing with just about everyone, even though the views are all very different.
I’ll probably do what I normally do. I’ll wait for Julie to tell me what to do.

 

[The Wino]

This is really interesting. I find myself agreeing with just about everyone, even though the views are all very different.
I’ll probably do what I normally do. I’ll wait for Julie to tell me what to do.

It's a wise man who knows his place

 

[carolyn]

This is really interesting. I find myself agreeing with just about everyone, even though the views are all very different.
I’ll probably do what I normally do. I’ll wait for Julie to tell me what to do.

You don’t all travel in a convoy by the way. You know where your campsite destinations are and it’s up to you how you get there. Some people will obviously just head straight there via the quickest route but you can do your own route and visit interesting stops en route, have a nice lunch. We share the driving but Nick has no sense of direction at all so if I’m driving I have to navigate as well so I have to try to have a picture in my head of “my” route. We have a camper Garmin.

There are some included meals on all of the trips but not that many as often they’re lunches out on guided tour days so most of the time you can cook in your van or try out restaurants of your own choosing.

We found you’d find the odd few couples you particularly like that you’d go out for meals with sometimes and sometimes on our own.

I’m very sociable but Nick’s not naturally sociable whereas when forced by me into these things with like minded people he ends up really enjoying himself. This is another reason why they suit us as a couple.

 

[The Wino]

You don’t all travel in a convoy by the way. You know where your campsite destinations are and it’s up to you how you get there. Some people will obviously just head straight there via the quickest route but you can do your own route and visit interesting stops en route, have a nice lunch. We share the driving but Nick has no sense of direction at all so if I’m driving I have to navigate as well so I have to try to have a picture in my head of “my” route. We have a camper Garmin.

There are some included meals on all of the trips but not that many as often they’re lunches out on guided tour days so most of the time you can cook in your van or try out restaurants of your own choosing.

We found you’d find the odd few couples you particularly like that you’d go out for meals with sometimes and sometimes on our own.

I’m very sociable but Nick’s not naturally sociable whereas when forced by me into these things with like minded people he ends up really enjoying himself. This is another reason why they suit us as a couple.

It's very similar to the flotilla holidays that we've done although one of our main reasons for doing those is the local knowledge/ weather forecast which we feel less reliant on when motorhoming.

 

[bobandjanie]

This is really interesting. I find myself agreeing with just about everyone, even though the views are all very different.
I’ll probably do what I normally do. I’ll wait for Julie to tell me what to do.

It doesn't really matter what we think, Julie will be right it's the same with my Janie in the 41 years we have been together I have never been right.
Anything for a quiet life.

Have a good trip it might be one of many guided tours, it could be a life changer for you both.
They do say don't knock it until you try it. Bob.

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[CazPaul]

There’s room for everyone, not for us but I can fully understand some people choosing to go on escorted tours.

I imagine they give you the confidence to tour remote places/countries, back up if anything goes wrong, sorting out any required paper, support for breakdowns etc, meeting new people/friendship.

Choices choices, we are all different.

 

[Tombola]

I think they are a great idea for those with less confidence. Or those that want to be there further afield than they have done before or have little knowledge of.

I like to plod day to day not knowing where I may be tomorrow and some days may even only go 20 miles.

But I'd try one of these to somewhere farther afield and if I didn't like the routine I'd just leave and wind my slow way back or elsewhere.

 

[Fulham Dave]

Neither company arrange your travel insurance, you have to do that yourself. I know Bosnia can be a problem and most UK companies don’t cover it. I have done a bit of research and Sterling do, they do get good reviews on Trustpilot and are just a broker. You’re only there for 3 days. A lot of people rely on 3rd party insurance bought at the border but I’d rather not.

It may be that the company do give advice on companies that people can use, I know GB sent us an email about companies previous customers had used for insurance and breakdown in Turkey that I’ll be using for our trip next year. We’re with Comfort and they won’t be any good for Turkey and Cyprus.

We are with Comfort and just spent 4 months in Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia. Called them re Bos/Herz as it was not incouded and they issued us a Green Card no hassle or extra cost.

 

[carolyn]

We are with Comfort and just spent 4 months in Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia. Called them re Bos/Herz as it was not incouded and they issued us a Green Card no hassle or extra cost.

Good to know as we’re with them now but will change next year for our Turkey , Cyprus trip. May move back the following year. Thank you.

 

[Fulham Dave]

Good to know as we’re with them now but will change next year for our Turkey , Cyprus trip. May move back the following year. Thank you.

Sadly, they are the only company that will insure our van owing to size/value, so Turkey is off the to do list until that changes (as are a few others!)

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