Welcome to the last part of “Travel on the Cheap week!” People reading this who aren’t the least bit interested in travel, I apologize! I had to get my travel junkie-ness out of my system.
So, back to the post…What did the title just read?
Skip Contiki, Gap Adventures, and Intrepid? But aren’t those considered budget tours?
If you’re trying to have a tour that is seamless, worry free, and want someone to talk to here (assuming you’re in North America) then the above tour companies are for you. However, if you would still like the convenience and hassle free traveling of a tour, AND you want to save a few bucks, think about cutting the middle man.
You heard me, cut the middle man out.
Gap Adventures and Intrepid Tours although are great pioneers of eco-tourism and sustainable traveling, they do use local tour companies from the travel destination to show you around. They charge about double the price of what you would find if you went directly with a local tour company.
When I went to Peru with Gap Adventures, we were shown around by a tour guide who was from Cusco and knew the sights well. It was a great trip. During the trip, a small part of me couldn’t help but wonder how much cheaper it would be if I had shown up in Cusco, waltzed into the tour shops in the square and booked a tour through a local tour company.
Not only would the local tour company get a much bigger cut than if they were dealing with a North American tour company, you would be able to shop around and choose a tour company that you feel comfortable with.
Well, curiosity killed the cat… I asked how much it was for the same Inca Trail trek and found out it was about 70% cheaper than what I had paid for.
What cost 70% more? Hmm, lets see:
- Employees from Gap Adventures and Intrepid or Geckos (from your international tour guide to the customer service reps…)
- Internet and social media maintenance
- Advertising (and those awesome “Win a trip to Spain/Morocco/Istanbul contests!)
- Rent in various cities that their travel stores are located in
- Those beautiful beautiful brochures that they make every year, which entices you into wanderlust
- Canadian and US or Australian or New Zealand taxes
Another plus to using a local tour company is that sometimes you can customize your itinerary with them. You tell them what you want to see, and they quote you a price. You could also have a semi-private tour too, so you wouldn’t have to deal with annoying personalities on your tour.
To book with a reliable local tour company, I would recommend:
- Going on TripAdvisor and seeing what tour companies other travelers recommend (though be careful, sometimes Trip Advisor has phony ‘travelers’ who are really from the designated country who recommend their own tour company- usually you can tell if their written English isn’t particularly up to snuff). You can also go to the Thorntree Lonely Planet travel forum for good information.
- Reading your Lonely Planet or Rough Guide to see which tour companies they recommend
- Contacting all the tour companies recommended (email is great that way!) and checking their website and asking for three references
- For me, if their website looks shady and not well maintained, then it’s a pass for me. If they aren’t able to come up with glowing references, that’s another pass for me.
- Another thing to consider is often the smaller local companies don’t accept credit cards, so be prepared to wire transfer your money over.
That being said, sometimes finding reliable tours (either online or in person) can be difficult to find in certain countries, so in that case, I would recommend using the budget tour companies (Gap, Intrepid, Geckos etc.). A vacation is supposed to be relaxing, right? Getting scammed big time isn’t relaxing!
Also, possibly the cheapest (and arguably the most fun) way to travel (or just about do anything) is just to do it yourself…if you have the time and sense of adventure =)
Happy Budget Traveling, folks!
Readers, have you used a local tour before? Did you prefer the local tour or a tour organized by a bigger international company?
Tags: cheap travel, tours
And GAP has pretty good prices to start with. But wow, 70% less.
I would still go with GAP if this was my initial trip, because they have a reputable name.
But the story reminds me of our recent trip to Maui, where I booked a hike for 4 that costs us $400 total. It was a rainforest/waterfall hike on a private property. They would pick us up at the hotel, feed us a continental breakfast and lunch… a guided tour of maui and the hike.
Well, we got to the plantation and found it was only $6.75 per person to enter. And the hike is on the Map. Plus its only a small ways from Ioa Valley.
$6.75!
But, I have to say that I did enjoy the breakfast and lunch. They were vegetarian friendly and our guide knew a whole lot about the island and its history. So it was a touch I wouldn’t have gotten by going alone.
So as first timers, it was worth it. But now I know, when we go back… we’re only paying $6.75 per person.
Christine | Money Funk´s last blog ..The Best Recycling Websites
@Money Funk Awe man, can you say OUCH??? $400 to $6.75 =( Good point about the first timer thing… it really depends on if you would like some local expertise, or if the activity can be done without a local guide. Thanks for sharing and Maui sounds sooo great!
Good article, but it depends on the country/tour.
I was on a cycling tour in Cuba with GAP and no way I could have done it by myself.
the Cynical Investor´s last blog ..RIM Bilberry – the tablet
@The Cynical Investor- good point- I think I should add a little side note for certain countries that will definitely require a tour be booked (e.g. Tibet and Bhutan which require guides in order to enter the country).
I am also always somewhat hesitant to book trips through large travel agencies. Just out of interest – how much was your Inca Trail? I did it last year and paid $ 450 for a truly amazing experience with http://www.peru-explorer.com/
@Essential Travel Magazine- That sounds like an awesome deal! (50% off what I paid, really!) I remember paying about $800, and then i think i had to pay an extra $200 when I got there (Gap has since eliminated the extra USD you pay when you get to your destination and include it in the cost you pay upfront).
I agree that local operators will get a bigger piece of the pie when you go to them directly, but think about the amount of business the guys that work with Gap are getting! Plus, I would say people travelling with Gap are much more likely to tip more than those travelling solo, and there are more people to tip them. I am sure if you ask some of the ones that work with Gap, they are more than happy to be doing so. Thoughts?
@jo- thanks for visiting =) That’s true. I don’t know firsthand if tour companies that work with Gap are getting paid better actually. They might be, but they might not be. Gap would have to cover for their marketing, the employees in North America etc. and I would think it would cost more than 50% of the price you pay for the tour. I’m sure Gap pays their local tour companies fairly, and I do agree that people probably would tip more were they to go with Gap. Have you had a good experience with Gap and their local tour companies?