Story By Lesley Tkaczyk Miller | Illustrations by James McInvale
The decision on where to travel is just one consideration when planning your next vacation. Another is how you’ll explore once you get there. Each person has a unique travel style, and touring in the way that is most satisfying to you is important. Some people love being shown around by a guide who can tell them what they’re looking at and give advice on the best places to eat. Others want to meander on their own, maybe even get a little lost in a city and leave themselves open to the unexpected. And still others like to be with family or friends and follow a planned, but curated, itinerary.
To find out the best type of tour for you, answer the questions below. Then, check out the tour recommendations best suited to your style below.
A: Spotlight
Are you sick of leaving a place and feeling like you need to book a trip back immediately because you just weren’t able to see everything you wanted to see? Spotlight tours make sure there is zero FOMO associated with your trip. They are designed to fully immerse you in a single destination to show you not only favorite attractions, but also well-kept local secrets. They immerse you in the culture and traditions, helping you to feel like you are part of your chosen destination rather than an outsider looking in.
Tour Recommendation: AAA Member Choice Vacations Spotlight on New York City or AAA Member Choice Vacations Spotlight on the French Riviera or AAA Member Choice Vacations Spotlight on San Antonio or AAA Member Choice Vacations Spotlight on Paris
B: Sustainable
Sustainable tours are designed, essentially, to showcase a destination while simultaneously protecting the natural sites and cultures that make a destination unique. That intention to preserve typically takes the form of eco friendly practices, nature conservation and minimizing consumption. Beyond positive impacts on the planet, sustainable tourism also makes a vacation more immersive—not only do you learn about the heart of a place, you leave a positive impact by supporting local economies.
Tour recommendation: Trafalgar’s Impactful Travel: Flavors of Northern Italy, with Make Travel Matter® experiences and available only through AAA
C. Small Group
Choosing a small group tour allows you to relax on your vacation without worrying that you’re missing any iconic sites. From hotel and transportation arrangements to restaurant and show reservations, trusted travel guides take care of everything. A planned itinerary full of immersive explorations goes beyond mere sightseeing, allowing you to genuinely connect with a place and surprising you with unanticipated encounters that add to the authenticity of the experience.
Tour recommendation: Alexander + Roberts’ Machu Picchu + Reserva Amazonica
D: Private Group
A private group tour is the perfect solution for a small group of friends or family who want to tailor each step of their trip and also want expert guidance and insider experiences. A private tour provides the utmost exclusivity and ultimate ease of travel to perfectly suit your group’s passions. Want a curated trip around food and wine? Check. What about gardening? Check. Wellness? Military Monuments? Art? Check, check, check.
Tour recommendation: Insight Vacations’ Tastes & Delights of California’s Wine Country
E: Self-Drive
When you drive yourself, you get a balance of planning and spontaneity. You could stay in one centrally located hotel and take day trips to nearby destinations, thus getting to know a region fairly well. Or, you could secure accommodations at different stops along a chosen route but still operate on your own timetable and explore where the mood takes you each day.
Tour recommendation: Brendan Vacations’ Ireland self-drive
F: Multigenerational
Building memories together as a family while on vacation is a truly rewarding experience. When you bring multiple generations together, the entire family has a more meaningful trip because each person brings diverse interests and unique perspectives on your destination. Such an intersection of ideas means you have a chance to try things you might never have thought of on your own.
Tour recommendation: African Travel’s Southern Africa Through a Child’s Eyes
G: Classic
Some destinations are once-in-a-lifetime travel dreams. It’s unlikely you’re going back, so you know you’ve got to pack in as much as possible in whatever time you have available. For those bucket-list countries and cities, classic tours are the answer. They’re group tours, shuttling a range of 40 to 60 participants, and they hit the highlights. Each day is spent hopping on and hopping off in a different city or town to experience in person the local sights, sounds and tastes.
Tour recommendation: Trafalgar’s Australia & New Zealand