Touring Done Right-10 Tips from An Avid Traveler (Guest Blogger)

I've invited my first guest blogger to my site, Jennifer, of My Fabulous Code. She and I both love to travel and we were recently talking tours. Are they worth it? I asked her to share her wisdom on the subject.

To Tour or Not to Tour

I’m Jennifer Jane a fellow blogger at My Fabulous CODE (http://myfabulouscode.com) and I’m also an avid traveler.  I wanted to lend my perspective on Kandice’s latest topic:  should you take a tour? Well first let’s define tour since there are so many different types of tours designed to serve a myriad of purposes. I will discuss the types of tours that are familiar to me.

Travel Group Tours

There are travel group tours where you book your entire trip around an agenda put together by the tour organizer. These travel groups are generally made up of several people who may or may not know each other. I think these are great if you’re traveling solo or internationally to a destination you’ve never visited, or have visited but still not totally familiar. On the flip side they can be limiting and not customized to the degree that it will suit everyone’s needs and desires. For this reason, travel groups don’t always suit me. I know I can be particular about where I sleep, where I eat, what I eat, where I go, what activities I participate in and what experiences I hope to gain. In addition, I may not want to be tethered to the same group of people for the duration of my vacation. I think getting out and meeting the locals is necessary for a fulfilling vacation (especially when traveling internationally). Funny enough, I consider myself a go-with-the-flow kind of girl, but I have to approve of the flow.

Activity Based Tours

Activity based excursions can include restaurant, shopping, clubbing, wine tasting and more! Now these I like! Because they are restricted to a window of time, you are only committing a portion of your day to the tour. In addition, it’s usually a native to the land who organizes the tour so you learn about the little hidden neighborhood gems you may have otherwise overlooked.  I really like these because they are specific to the experiences I want to have. For example, I probably would not select a tour aimed at fishing or hunting, but I would totally take a wine tasting tour. 

While on a recent vacation in Madrid, Spain, I participated in a fantastic tapas tour. For $65 each, my boyfriend and I along with four other tourists met up with our local tour guide, Ishmael, who prearranged for us a sampling of popular tapas dishes at five different restaurants in Madrid’s town square. It was one of our favorite experiences in Madrid.  Oh, I forgot to mention the tour also included wine at every stop!

SightSeeing Tours

This is a great way to learn the city you’re visiting. Neighborhood tours, architecture tours, museum and park tours are just a few that give you a real inside look into the history and evolution of a city. I prefer walking tours over bus tours because I like to get close and personal with my surroundings, after all that’s what I came for. I still take advantage of the bus tours because it covers a greater distance and so I get to see more of the city.     

Here are my rules for tours when I’m on vacation:

1.       I schedule tours the first couple days of my vacation so I can get a lay of the land and decide which places and activities I want to incorporate into my itinerary.

2.       I schedule tours early in the day so I can see everything in the day light. The exceptions to this rule would include dinner or clubbing tours.

3.       I confirm tour details the day before.

4.       I print off any tour or confirmation documentation.

5.       I always talk to the tour organizer to get recommendations on where to hang out, shop, eat, party, etc.

6.       I don’t select tours that take up more than half of my day.

7.       I have a backup plan in case I need to abort a tour gone awry.

8.       I always carry my own map for jotting down places I want to return to later.

9.       I tip the tour guide especially if they have given me a great experience and some recommendations to check out.

10.   Always leave with a great story to tell.

Three Advantages of Solo Travel

I never considered traveling alone until I actually did it. I was so driven to visit New York that I took a leap of faith and went by myself. If you haven’t already taken a trip alone, then maybe if I tell you the three things I learned from my solo trip I can convince you.

You Might Get Special Treatment

During my solo trip to NYC, I think I received a few perks because of my solitary status. Well, and my ability to handle cold weather. A Garment District shopping tour that I purchased was refunded in full because everyone else cancelled because it was “too cold.” The tour company was wonderful and offered me my money back AND scheduled two private appointments for me with Linda Richards, a coat designer, and Elizabeth Gillette, an accessories designer known for her beautiful scarves. Everyone was so gracious and sweet to me. I felt like The Duchess with all the personal attention. 

Later I got a great seat on Broadway to see Mama Mia.  I just popped into the theater one day and the ticket agent asked me twice if I was alone and when I said yes, he said, “Oh, well, I can get you a good seat for little money.” And, that’s what he did. I sat smack dab in the center with a great view for only $60. I could see the cast members’ pores from my seat.  It’s easier to give special accommodations to one person rather than a few.

"My" theater on Broadway

It Gives You Freedom to Do What You Want

One evening I was trying to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art which unfortunately was closed, but I kept walking and somehow landed at the Museum of Arts and Design. I figured why not, so I went in. The exhibits were so creative, so imaginative that I couldn’t believe some of it was real. I actually saw a dress knitted out of money. I saw another sculpture made out of wire racks.  I don’t know if there was anyone in my life at the time that would have been as thrilled as I was at finding such an unexpected treat. The good thing is that it didn’t matter. I was free to explore.

 It Can Be a Revelation

I almost missed going to New York because my friends weren’t on board.  When the opportunity arose everything about it was ideal except that they didn’t want to go. The flight was affordable, the hotel was a steal, and I had the vacation time.  Yet without my friends, I started to second guess myself: "maybe it isn't that big of a deal to go to New York."  "Will New York really be fun alone?" But the more I reflected on it, eventually the truth emerged: I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to take advantage at that moment.  That trip was one of the best life experiences I’ve ever had.  While I was there I realized how much I relied on my friends for approval. That trip was the catalyst toward building my confidence and identity separate from my friends.  I began to need them less for validation, less for contentment, and less for acceptance.

Have you taken a trip alone? Tell me about it. Are you thinking of taking a solo trip, but on the fence? Talk to me about. Or, read this great article on traveling solo.  

The New York Saga Pt. II: My Hotel and Love on the Streets

In my last post I told you how I decided to take a trip to New York alone. New York is full of so many great memories that it may take several posts to share it. Let me tell you a little bit about my hotel and how I navigated the city streets.

The Hotel

My little boutique hotel. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name but it was truly hilarious staying at this little gem. First, it was smothered between two other buildings, and it was so inconspicuous that I walked past it every time I tried to return after a day of sightseeing. I knew that if I reached the alley I had gone too far and promptly turned around. Second, I had heard that New York was notorious for its’ small hotels. However, I didn’t expect my room to be so small that I could lie on the bed and cross my ankles on the toilet. Oh and whenever I took a bath or shower my entire room steamed up so that I had to wait until it all cleared to take down my hair. Plus, there was one “engineer” that fixed everything from the TV to the heater.  I didn’t care, hell, I was in New York!  The service was great and I had no intention of being in my room except to sleep and bathe. It was safe, cute, clean, and a few short steps from Broadway.

The Streets Pulsate

Part of the allure of New York is that it lives up to its’ reputation as being the city that never sleeps. One night after I checked in with my friend to let them know I was safe, I decided I needed some Haagen Dazs ice cream. This was about 11:30 p.m. on a Wednesday. I put on my coat, waived at the desk clerk, and headed out. Everything was jumping and bustling. Since nothing seemed to be closing anytime soon I figured I’d pop into the bar on the corner and have a quick drink and then go get the ice cream. That’s just what I did. I had a drink and made small talk, which I am not good at, with a few people in the bar. It was fun. The ice cream was only slightly better than the bar company.

Exploring the City on Foot

On my first day there I couldn’t handle my excitement so I threw my bag on the bed and almost immediately headed out to explore. I had just made it to the corner of a busy street when I met a man. Yep, not in New York for two hours and already approached by a man; one staring at me so lustily and with a huge smile that my golden cheeks were actually blushing pink. He asked expectantly if I was married. I am not, but I nodded yes that I was married. He looked up at me with a big smile and said “damn”.  You might have just noticed that I wrote he looked up at me. This is unusual as I am only 5”2.  My admirer was a dwarf, I think, or maybe a midget. I have nothing against dwarfs at all, but I am partial to men that are taller than me. Consider it a character flaw.

Ice skaters at Rockefeller Center

Anyhow, after that fun experience I kept walking and stumbled upon Radio City Music Hall, Times Square, and later Rockefeller Center where I saw a postcard picture-perfect scene of people ice skating. Later that week on my third day in New York I went back to Rockefeller Center to Top of The Rock which was glorious. The ticket booth salesperson warned me that it was cold, but I assured him that I would be fine. “I’m from Chicago”, I said boastfully (for some reason strangely proud of my ability to withstand frigid weather). He said, “Oh, you’ll be okay then.”  The view of Manhattan was amazing and definitely worth it.  It was so cold that day (to NewYorkers) that the only people up there were me and the security guard. He was a sweetheart who offered to take a picture of me. I wonder if he thought I was alone because my friends abandoned me because I was crazy enough to want to go up there in the cold?

Times Square-Check out P.Diddy

During and after both of my tours I wandered around Manhattan. I can honestly say that it’s my second favorite city to get lost in after Paris. I walked up and down upper Manhattan window shopping at high end stores. I didn’t bother to go in-I just waved and smiled at the security guards. I didn’t see the point of creating unnecessary heartbreak for myself. I ventured over to Barneys and challenged myself to go on every floor. It was worth it. Even though it was winter I saw lots of women wearing Juicy Couture sweat suits and bared belly buttons holding tea cup dogs while appraising clothes and fragrances.

I also had fun pretending that I was going to buy a purse from the street vendors. I have to say that those purses looked pretty darned good-and I do know my purses- but I’m a purse snob and didn’t want to own an inauthentic anything. I did buy my cousin Aaron two of the nicest silk ties I’d ever seen from an old Jewish man for $10.

Did I buy any food on the streets? I didn’t. However, I did eat in a deli. Remember New York is a city full of delis and I wanted to try one. Question: Were they eating in a deli on Seinfeld? Anyway, it was pretty good. I had a sandwich that was so damned big I had to take half of it back to my room. Now that I think about it I also bought a muffin that was as big as my head and I was able to eat it for two days. You can probably tell I didn’t spend a ton on food.  My one food splurge, if you can call it that, was at Virgil's for barbecue and it was very good. When I told my father this he thought it was hilarious. He’s a food fanatic and travels to do two things: eat and gamble. The fact that I was in New York City and not eating like a mobster was beyond crazy to him. Hey, I had my priorities……shopping.

Next Post- C.Bradshaw, shopping tours, and Broadway

The New York Saga: How I Ended Up Solo In NYC

Time to Stand Alone

 The advertisement by Jet Blue listed $49 each way from Chicago to New York for several dates in February. I almost fell off the Blue Line "L" platform because it seemed too good to be true. I rushed to my desk at work to tell my friends that this was it-the NY trip- and we couldn’t pass it up. I waited for the excitement level to match mine. It never did. I was deflated and confused. Didn’t they understand? This is a round trip flight to NYC for a $100!!!  Unfortunately, it was a bad time for everyone else. Or in hindsight maybe no one was as fixated on New York as I was.  I was so disappointed. I had been thinking so much of New York especially after becoming obsessed with Sex and The City. And, of course, I love fashion and wanted to see the stylish New Yorkers up close and personal. Well, after much internal agonizing and talking my co-workers ears off about it, I made a decision.  I was going to New York alone. This was a big deal for me at the time.  I tended to base all my decisions around the opinions and support of my friends. Everything seemed to be less interesting, exciting, or important if they weren’t involved. Yet, I just couldn’t get pass the nagging feeling that I needed to take advantage of this chance to go to Manhattan.

NYC On the Cheap

I went to Border’s and bought a book, Frommers: New York on $99 A Day.  Through Frommer's  I learned that going to New York between January and February was a great way to save money on hotels. Sure, it was going to be cold as you know what, but I was a single girl working on a private college salary and I needed all the savings I could get. Plus, I’m from Chicago and figured that I could withstand the cold with the right tools. By tools I mean thermal underwear, tights, and my trusty Timberland boots.  I perused the book to get dining recommendations and learn about the best places to shop.

After booking my flight I found a deal for a boutique hotel in the Theatre district through Expedia.com. I chose the hotel based on the price and its’ proximity to a few major attractions. I knew I didn’t want to have to spend a ton of money on taxis. So, I was definitely hoping to walk most of the time. I also purchased a voucher for a shuttle to and from my hotel. Finally,  I went online and booked the Sex and The City tour (an obvious necessity) and a shopping tour of the garment district. My entire four day trip came  to a little over $550 with tours included.

Making a Safety Plan

While everyone seemed a little surprised I was taking the leap to go alone, they were also worried about how I would stay alive on the “mean” NY streets particularly my Uncle Keith. He said I needed to be careful because it would be like an episode of Law & Order “where the last footage they will have of is of you getting on the elevator.” He was adamant that I stay in Manhattan and not venture into the boroughs. I also figured that I would only wander the streets until no later than 9:30 or so.  I told my friend Melody and my aunt to expect a text from me every night by 10p.m. and if they didn’t receive it to call the police. I  was NOT kidding.

The plan was set. Everything was in motion and there was no turning back (I mean really no turning back because nothing was refundable).  I was about to head to New York city and I was doing it alone. I was so excited, but not just about the trip; it was liberating to do something just for me and not to base it around other people.  This trip was a big step forward for me.

Stay tuned for more about my NYC trip.