What inside travel secret have the Europeans known for so long that seems to have escaped North American travelers? It’s the understanding and utilization of self-guided touring. Don’t worry if the picture that immediately comes to mind is you trying to figure out how to make your own arrangements and navigation in some foreign land! What self guided touring offers is almost all the conveniences of a guided trip with more flexibility and personalized style that you would want in your ideal vacation, not to mention a price that comes closer to the cost of doing it yourself!
To define self-guided travel start with a debunking of the most common stereotypes
Self-guided bicycling/walking is NOT: Self-contained, where you carry your own gear, plan your own routes, make your own reservations, manage all your own arrangements! Guided group travel, where you hook up with a group of strangers on a pre-determined date and follow the lead and pace of a guide/group leader!
The differences between group travel and self-guided travel are quite vast. The most obvious is that with group travel there is a fixed date vacationers must fit into their schedule, versus being able to choose departure dates and trip duration for a self-guided trip. In addition, group travel tosses guests into a pool of fellow travelers that will not be known in advance. Of course, there’s a colossal difference in price.
Self-guided biking and walking is characterized by these benefits
Flexibility Durations can be modified to meet a clients needs, hotels are available for many budgets and there is no minimum participation, eliminating the threat of cancellation by the operator.
Affordability Prices are very affordable by comparison to the group guided option, yet worth the extra it might cost over doing it all yourself in a self-contained concept. That goes for luxury hotel options as well as budget hotel options; it isn’t necessary to give up comfort and gastronomy to go self-guided!
Support Most operators offering self-guided programs also provide baggage transfers, emergency support, orientations, transfers, and add on services. Often, these support services are extremely beneficial because they are founded on expert knowledge of the region, and therefore a very reliable source for finding and offering unique properties, routes, and visits.
Individuality Many of the tours follow themes, and are created with a unique vacation experience in mind. Off the beaten path routes are well chosen and naturally provide for a lot of interaction with the locals and their culture.
Decide if a self-guided trip is for you
There are several questions guests must ask themselves before deciding if self-guided travel is right for them. It’s an individual case each time, and the tour operator should be glad to help travelers make a decision.
Guests should first ask themselves if they are fit enough to accomplish the requirements of the trip they are contemplating. Cycling or walking tours always require some minimum level of fitness; be sure to know what the recommendations are prior to booking so you don’t get on something you can’t physically handle. Most self-guided offers include Emergency Support where you can call to get assistance, but it isn’t instantaneous sag support offered in a guided trip.
Secondly, travelers need to know if they can get by in a vernacular that is not their primary language. This doesn’t mean they have to speak a second language, just simply get by. For example, will phrase-book pronunciations and charades be enough? If this panics a traveler, self-guided touring may not be an ideal fit. On the other hand, many good experiences result from these types of cultural encounters and experienced travelers as well as open minded first timers can have equal success.
Finally, guests will need to be able to read a map and follow road signs. This is generally an easy task, but if travelers aren’t comfortable with the interpretations, again this may not be an ideal vacation plan. Nearly all self-guided trips include the “adventure” of route reading; guests should count on it.
Self-guided trips work really well for travelers to Europe. The tourism industry is well developed in many languages, with English always the 2nd option. The infrastructure is second to none, with a seemingly infinite number of small country roads to explore. Standards among hotels, transportation, and other critical components of travel are common throughout Europe, so it is easy to know what one can expect from one country to the next. For travelers considering self-guided travel outside of Europe, these can be important points to consider before booking.
Comparing guided, self-guided and self-contained tours
For a comparison chart that shows a breakdown of the differences between a Guided, Self-Guided, and Self-Contained tour, please visit http://www.pure-adventures.com/tours/self-guided-tours.php
As travelers become more international in their experiences, they will ultimately seek more of the self-guided type of program discussed here. The benefits and conveniences make it too compelling, and as long as the Euro remains strong, self-guided cycling tours will help travelers keep to their budgets and their dreams.
Loren Siekman is the General Manager of cycling and hiking tour companies Pure Adventures, Discover France, and Cycling Classics. All focus on self-guided cycling and hiking. Siekman has been promoting self-guided vacations for 13 years.
