To Pre-Book Or Not To Pre-Book
Whenever I book clients on a package trip the inevitable questions arises...”Should I pre-book my tours or wait until I get there?”. People tend to feel very strongly one way or the other but here are some points to bear in mind with regard to pre-booking day tours.
If you are hoping to go to a special event you have almost nil chance of getting entry if you wait until you get to your destination. This goes for sporting events, shows, Museums and even some restaurants. Planning ahead and securing your tickets is the way to go.
For places like Italy where you may be hoping to visit the Vatican, or the Louvre in Paris, you have exceedingly long waits in a line and no guarantee of entry at the end of it, especially at peak times. Pre-purchasing your tickets ensures entry at a given time, or through a separate entry which skirts the crowds and saves a heap of time.
Apart from museum entry, most tours have a local guide who can tell you about what you are seeing and skip the more boring bits. Much better than wandering around with guidebook in hand trying to decipher what you are looking at. They can also take you to those out of the way places and secret nooks and crannies that you would otherwise miss. Or take you straight to what you want to see. You know you are in good hands as all registered guides must be trained and have a minimum level of experience and excellent English language.
When you book a tour from a respected wholesaler prior to departure, you have insurance that if something goes wrong, you have the back up of a tour company to sort things out, and if a tour is cancelled due to weather or unforseen circumstances know you will be compensated. You will always have contact numbers and back up should things go pear shaped. As well as this all tour companies that we deal with contribute to the Travel Compensation Fund which ensures your protection.
If you are on a tight schedule and really want to tick a few things off your “must see” or “must do” list, then pre-booking is definitely the way to go. At least you know that you will get to do what you want. There is nothing worse than waiting till you get somewhere to find out you can’t get on the tour you wanted as it’s booked out. (Case in point, my last visit to Hawaii where I failed to pre-book my flights over Kilauea Volcano and ended up missing out. I was so bummed!).
Specialist tours or activities often must be booked and planned for well in advance. Think of a cooking class in Provence, NASCAR racing in Las Vegas or cycling through the Pyrenees. These are the activities that go a long way to making those holidays of a lifetime a reality.
If travelling with children, an organised tour is often a great choice offering set activities during the day so you can plan and with some meals included, it saves the inevitable arguments of mealtimes. If booking a private tour you can custom make it to suit your familiy’s needs. This works especially well for clients with special needs. Why should they miss out?
Depending on where you are going, English may not be the first language which may make things difficult or time consuming. A good case in point is China where in a lot of cases once you get away from the main areas, things become a lot more interesting! Also there may be cultural differences you are unaware of and you may be offending people by your actions if not advised properly.
If you book a local tour you are never guaranteed of service or safety. I have looked at tours in Bali where the local drivers turn up in the most rickety car imaginable. You just never know if you are being taken for a ride...literally. And how many people have done tours in Bangkok where you are taken first to “my cousin’s, uncle’s, brother-in-law’s” gem shop for a compulsory stop before you get to go anywhere.
You know what you are getting by organising tours before you go. There’s no extra payments required for entry, or this fee, or to pay for petrol (it has happened). So you know you aren’t being ripped off by unscrupulous operators.
When your holiday time is at a premium, time is of the essence. You don’t have to spend hours in a dodgy booking agents, or hand over your credit card all the time worrying that it may be illegally “skimmed” whilst out of your view. There is no need to carry large amounts of cash with you to pay for your trips or to worry about finding a money changer to exchange your $AUD.
And lastly, you can pre pay before you go. Lots of people like to have their trips paid up so all they need to do is sit back and relax, and enjoy that cocktail!
Now, not for one minute will I stand here, hand on heart saying that pre-booking your tours will be cheaper. The honest answer is sometimes they will be and sometimes they won’t. For the reasons given above however, I am of the opinion that pre-booking is the way to go. Of course it is your personal choice and it’s your holiday. Whatever makes you happy is the right way to go!