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Any comparable alternatives to Trafalgar Tours

KimmySueKimmySue Member ✭
in Planning and Practicalities
Hi, Im from Toronto, Canada.  In trying to research a trip for this upcoming summer I am coming across a few tours offered by Trafalgar.  They look great, but I am wondering if anyone knows of a comparable alternative?  Still trying to decide if I want to 7 days tour 7 days self-tour..or 14 days planned tour.  Some of the Trafalgar tours seemed to be fairly "high-paced".   Any suggestions surely appreciated!   Slainte!
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Answers

  • fishyprofishypro Member ✭✭✭
    Hi @KimmySue, I have just looked at the "high paced" Trafalagar Tours webpage. I specifically looked at the Itinerary for the Best of Scotland Tour and it is jam packed, full to the brim. For example Day 3, You need a full day in St Andrews alone. Pitlochry is 2 days minimum and Blair Castle is at least half a day. Day 4, anybody that can do Culloden, Isle of Skye & other scenic highland excursions in one day isn't too interested in anything special they just want to tick boxes. You need at least 2 or 3 days on Skye and that would be "high paced" if you wanted to see everything.
    I would be the one to ask, What is the percentage of time spent on the bus to the time spent on foot?
    I would personally suggest a private tour at your own pace. If you like somewhere in particular then you can stay! I, personally, would need a holiday, to relax, after their tour of Scotland.
    Take a look at Visit Scotlands, Scotland Itineraries or create your own route by clicking the heart icon which appears on all pages on Visit Scotland and use the Trip Planner.
    Best regards
    fishypro
  • fishyprofishypro Member ✭✭✭
    Hi @KimmySue, This may give you a better idea of what I was trying to explain.

    Best regards
    fishypro
  • YourScotlandTourYourScotlandTour Member ✭✭✭
    @fishypro has pretty much covered my thoughts, this type of sit on a bus and 'see' everything tour is very rushed. I'm not sure how much 'doing' you get to do. I'd suggest getting in touch with a Scottish tour operator directly and putting together an itinerary which covers what you want to see and do. 
    Bespoke tours.
    Whisky, Castles and Food a speciality.
    yourscotlandtour.co.uk
  • cab505cab505 Member ✭

    I've done both types of tours in Scotland, and at least for your first visit, I do recommend a guided tour.  I went on the 10-day GoAhead Tour, "Edinburgh and Castles of Scotland" which essentially is 9 nights so I recommend you come a day early so you can get past the jetlag, and possibly extend your trip by a day or two at the end, so you can have some free time to explore on your own.  It's nice, for an initial visit, to have everything planned and organized ahead of time.    For our second trip there, we planned it ourselves and stayed at bed & breakfasts in Ft. William, Helensburgh and Glasgow.  We hired private tour guides, but that was SO VERY EXPENSIVE.  I think they charged us $1200 for two days of touring.  Otherwise, we took trains, cabs and buses to get around, which were inexpensive and wonderful.  I loved taking the ferry from Mallaig to Skye and highly recommend that.  Next time, I'm going to use airbnb for places to stay and probably will rent a car.  But the first trip was so much easier as part of a group.   I've never traveled with Trafalger but saw their tour buses going to some of the same places as GoAhead.  Another good company is CIE Tours.  I went with them to Ireland and they ran a very good operation and great guides. 

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