DESTINATIONS — ESCORTED TOURS
ESCORTED TOURS
S
ize matters – but remember, good things can come in
small packages too. When you’re talking about the size of your client’s budget, knowing what they’ll get for their money in different countries is the first step to picking the right tour. Just as booking a beach
break can mean anything from a bargain week in Marbella to a five-star villa in the Maldives, escorted tours span the divide from low-cost coach breaks to lavish tours packed with activities and high-end hotels. Here, we show budget is no barrier to having a great time with our look at a handful of key escorted touring destinations.
l ITALY Save: No-frills flights have cut the cost of air travel, but coaches can still make a budget-friendlier alternative for destinations as close as Italy – and with a route through the French Alps, Switzerland or Austria, it’s a scenic way to start a break. Crusader Holidays stops overnight in France, with welcome drinks on arrival
THREE WAYS save, spend, splurge
Tailor a tour to suit budgets big or small, says Katie McGonagle
in Italy so clients can start their holiday straightaway. Prices start from £499 for an eight-day Lake Garda All-Inclusive tour. There are flight-inclusive
bargains to be found though: Newmarket Holidays’ Seven Cities of Italy visits Verona, Venice, Assisi, Rome, Florence, Siena and San Gimignano. With flights from regional UK airports, half-board accommodation, transfers and sightseeing, the eight-day tour starts at £619. Spend: Mid-range travellers can enjoy their break in comfort with an enhanced option such as Shearings’ Grand Tourer coaches, which offer extra legroom, adjustable seats and personal air-conditioning, plus guests can be picked up at home or enjoy a
free airport lounge pass. A new itinerary, Grand Tourer – Sorrento, Rome & the Amalfi Coast, added this year, features guided tours of Pompeii, Rome and Paris (en route) and a music show at Tasso Theatre in Sorrento. The 15-day tour is priced from £1,329. Splurge: Those with bigger budgets can go for gold – Insight Vacations’ Gold range, that is. These tours include better hotels and dining, plus later starts and two-night stays for a more relaxed pace. Italian Vogue, for example, starts with a stay in a five-star hotel near the Spanish Steps in Rome, VIP entrance and a private tour of the Vatican Museums, an open-top taxi ride in Capri, first- class train to Florence, and dinner at a historic restaurant adjacent to
St Mark’s Square in Venice. Prices start at £4,135 including flights.
l CANADA Save: The best things in life are free, and that’s certainly true of Canada’s views – no matter how cash-strapped clients are, they’ll be just as awe-struck by its scenery as everyone else. They can see it up-close on TrekAmerica’s Mountie tour through the Rockies, which includes camping to keep accommodation costs down, with prices from £1,768 including flights. That leaves enough in the kitty for hiking, mountain biking, horse riding and white-water rafting, plus a glacier walk in Jasper, visit to Sulphur Mountain hot springs and Takakkaw Falls in Yoho. Spend: Those who dream of the Rocky Mountaineer but fall short of its price tag can substitute Canada’s national network, VIA Rail. The Canadian travels between Toronto and Vancouver, but Collette’s Rockies Rail Highlights joins the train in Jasper for a scenic overnight journey. Add a day on an Alberta ranch, three nights at Fairmont Banff Springs
28 August 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 45
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PICTURES: NEWMARKET HOLIDAYS; TRAVEL INDOCHINA; ROCKYMOUNTAINEER
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