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.  

New York Saga Pt. III : Sex and the City Tour

One of my favorite shows about friendship

On my second day in New York I headed out for the Sex and the City tour. We met at the Pulitzer Fountain across from The Plaza. Of course, I got lost on the walk there and ended up being late; luckily, the tour guide waited for me.  As expected the tour was packed with women with the exception of two men, who clearly had been dragged alone for the ride by their sweethearts. Right from the start the tour guide was feisty and hilarious-she actually cursed and hit the bus driver because of a malfunction-and kept everyone in stitches. We were supposed to watch clips from the actual show, but the  bus's VCR wasn’t working (hence, the mini beating the bus driver took). So, the tour guide ad libbed which was still entertaining.

A big part of what made the tour so enjoyable is that you actually see more of Manhattan in a matter of a few hours than one might accomplish in a few days. In doing this, the tour takes you to some of the key locations that were filmed in the show:

1. Harry Winston Jewelers where Charlotte and Trey purchased her engagement ring.
2. The Meatpacking District  location of Samantha’s apartment where she fought with some very noisy transsexual prostitutes

3. The famous Magnolia Bakery where Carrie and Miranda ate cupcakes and she divulged about her new crush, Aidan, “His name is Aidan. And I believe him to be very cute.” We were all given a

cupcake of our own to eat courtesy of the tour.

  4. To Carrie’s neighborhood where each person takes a picture on Carrie’s porch

  5. Shopping in Soho and Greenwich Village

  6. For a cocktail at Aidan’s Bar where I ordered a cosmopolitan. What else?

  7. The Pleasure Chest where Miranda took the girls to get their very first “Rabbit” (if you don’t know

        what I’m talking about, then quickly rent season 1). I will only tell you that I bought a coffee table  book that I absolutely l love.

Chilling on Carrie's Porch

Being on a tour bus with so many other fans of the show made it even more fun. We laughed at the tour guide;s impersonations, quizzed each other on episodes, and debated our favorite love interest for Carrie. The tour guide was very funny and extremely nice; she took great care to make me feel comfortable since I was alone.  Having the opportunity to actually experience some of the things like the cupcakes
and the stores and bars where the show filmed made the experience even more memorable. I would recommend that anyone who loves the show take this tour. 

Tip:
If you’re going to New York, but don’t want to take this particular tour, then Zerve has other very interesting tours of New York that are worth checking out.