Before you book
Package Tour or Plan It Yourself? A Decision Checklist
Six questions that settle whether a packaged tour is worth the mark-up for your trip, and when it is actually cheaper.
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How to Read a Tour Itinerary Like an Operator
Every itinerary is written to sell. Here is the vocabulary that tells you what a day will actually be like.
Read →The Single Supplement: What Solo Travellers Pay and How to Avoid It
Why a solo traveller can pay 30 to 100 percent more for the same tour, and the three ways operators let you avoid it.
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Small-Group Tour or Coach Tour: What Changes at 12 People Versus 40
Group size decides how a day feels more than the itinerary does. What each format is good at, and the price of each.
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Deposit, Balance, Cut-Off: The Payment Timeline on a Package Tour
What you pay when, what you get back if you cancel, and why the balance due date matters more than the deposit.
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"Free Cancellation" on Day-Tour Marketplaces: What It Actually Means
Viator, GetYourGuide and Klook all advertise free cancellation. The window, the exceptions and the refund method differ.
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Vietnam North to South: What a Two-Week Package Actually Covers
Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in 12 to 16 days is the standard package. Here is how the days are usually spent, and where the good ones differ.
Read →Cherry Blossom Season in Japan: Why Packages Sell Out and How to Book One
Late March to early April is the most over-subscribed fortnight in package travel. What operators can and cannot promise.
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