HOW TO COMPARE TRAVEL COMPANIES
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When it comes to comparisons, first is needed to determine what exactly will be compared. And we believe that the best thing to compare is the product offered by the travel company. We have compared the tours offered by travel companies by finding a tour that is more or less the same.
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And of course, the most comparable is a classic cultural tour to Italy. So we took a closer look at those tours and compared them. Analyzed the numbers only and did our best to make the comparison fair. Information was taken from their travel sites.
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COMPARISON |
Aberkrombie & Kent |
Firebird Tours |
Perillo |
Rick Steves |
Kensington |
Tauck |
Category |
Luxury |
Premium |
Bus |
Bus |
Premium |
Luxury |
Group size |
up to 18 |
up to 8 |
up to 32 |
up to 28 |
Personal |
up to 44 |
Pricing |
$$$$ |
$$ |
$$ |
$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
Transport |
Private transfers |
Private transfers, trains |
Bus |
Bus |
Private transfers, trains |
Private transfers, trains |
Hotel category |
✯✯✯✯✯ |
✯✯✯✯ |
✯✯✯✯ |
✯✯ - ✯✯✯ |
✯✯✯✯ |
✯✯✯✯✯ |
Hotel location |
Center |
Center |
Center |
Far from center |
Center |
Center |
Guided activities / day |
2 |
2-3 |
1 |
0-1 |
1 |
2 |
Hours in transit |
5 |
4 |
6,5 |
6,5 |
4 |
4 |
Our rating |
4.1/5 |
4.63/5 |
3.27/5 |
3.2/5 |
4.4/5 |
4.31/5 |
Aberkrombie & Kent ✯✯✯✯ 4.1/5
$$$$
$$$$
|
Category:
Group size:
Transport:
Hotel category:
Hotel location:
Guided activities/ day:
Hours in transit:
|
Luxury
up to 18
Private transfers
✯✯✯✯✯
Center
2
5
|
FIREBIRD TOURS ✯✯✯✯✯ 4.63/5
$$
$$
|
Category:
Group size:
Transport:
Hotel category:
Hotel location:
Guided activities/ day:
Hours in transit:
|
Premium
up to 8
Private transfers, trains
✯✯✯✯
Center
2
4
|
RICK STEVES ✯✯✯ 3.2/5
$
$
|
Category:
Group size:
Transport:
Hotel category:
Hotel location:
Guided activities/ day:
Hours in transit:
|
Bus
up to 28
Bus
✯✯✯
Different parts of the city
1
6,5
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PERILLO ✯✯✯ 3.27/5
$$
$$
|
Category:
Group size:
Transport:
Hotel category:
Hotel location:
Guided activities/ day:
Hours in transit:
|
Bus
up to 32
Bus
✯✯✯✯
Center
1
6,5
|
Kensington ✯✯✯✯ 4.4/5
$$$
$$$
|
Category:
Group size:
Transport:
Hotel category:
Hotel location:
Guided activities/ day:
Hours in transit:
|
Premium
Personal
Private transfers, trains
✯✯✯✯
Center
1
4
|
Tauck ✯✯✯✯ 4.31/5
$$$
$$$
|
Category:
Group size:
Transport:
Hotel category:
Hotel location:
Guided activities/ day:
Hours in transit:
|
Luxury
up to 44
Private transfers, trains
✯✯✯✯✯
Center
2
4
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WHY TO COMPARE
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Planning a trip abroad and dealing with all organizational details is not always easy. It's especially relevant now when every point of a journey should be perfectly planned - with a clear outline of all relocations, accommodations, and activities. Otherwise, if travelers are not aware of travel restrictions, they risk getting stuck abroad. The good news is that after a year of limitations, we are finally able to travel again, and we surely want to make this experience better than ever before.
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That's why most travelers pay special attention to all terms and conditions of the trip. Looking for the best guided tour companies, travelers usually find a few tour operators and compare their services. However, travelers face many different parameters such as different prices and duration, different group sizes, number of activities, quality of accommodations, and others. Due to those parameters, it might be a real hassle to compare all information, but it's always useful to have already collected data.
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WHAT IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
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Price per day: travelers usually compare the costs for the whole tour without considering that the tour duration might be different, so paying $5 000 for a 10-day trip is not the same as paying $5 000 for a 7-day tour.
Group size: some tourists enjoy massive group tours, and they are willing to wait patiently for every passenger to come back to the bus. Others prefer traveling with a small group. Hotel category and location: most companies in our rating cooperate with hand-picked hotels and offer accommodation of different types. It might be reasonable to choose a 4-star hotel over a 5-star luxury hotel if located in the center. |
Time in transit and transport types: travel companies offer different relocation methods: buses, private transfers, trains. If you don't mind spending nights on the bus, you can surely choose this transport type; it is much cheaper. But if you prefer to relax in a comfortable bed and enjoy the beauty of a new city after a good rest, you should definitely keep this in mind.
Guided activities per day: the travel agency is responsible for the entertainment. This includes excursions, master classes, or local cuisine tastings. It doesn’t mean that you should be accompanied by a guide 24/7, but 1-2 activities per day are an excellent opportunity to learn about the country. |