When we decided to travel with our firstborn for the first time, we decided to join a guided tour so that we do not have to plan the itinerary and transport will be taken care of. We can just sit back and relax while ensuring that my then 18 months toddler adjusted well to another environment with a colder climate.
She adapted well and enjoyed herself throughout the trip. Thereafter, we are more confident about traveling with kids. We have done F&E with her too. Then came along my second child and we decided to join tour for our Taiwan trip. With 1 infant, 1 toddler and my parents joining, we figured that guided tour will be easier especially since we prefer to travel and explore beyond Taipei.
Then last year, we wanted to bring the kids to Disneyland and DisneySea in Japan. And we realised that most travel agencies offer a choice of either Disneyland or DisneySea. We cannot opt for both theme parks. Hence we decided to go F&E so that we can plan our own itinerary, visit the places that we want, plan our own activities and my mum can visit her friend at the same time. It was tiring but we had a great time. You can read about our trip here.
Recently, we visited the pre-NATAS fair and was keen to join a tour. But after due consideration, we decided that F&E will be better for our chosen destination as the tour package itinerary seem to be too rushed for our liking. I am so excited about the holidays and I hope that it will be a relaxing and fun vacation for the family!
I realized that both F&E and guided tour has its pros and cons, depending on the destination and the traveling parties. Usually if it involves many people like parents, kids, siblings and relatives, I reckon it will be better to join tour so that everyone can move as a group according to the tour itinerary. And you will be spared from the transport logistics.
For my easy reference and sharing, I decided to list the pros and cons for F&E and guided tour
Free & Easy
Pros
- You get to decide which places to visit and what you want to do
- You get to fix the dates and duration of the trip
- You can save more by looking out for great deals on air tickets and accomodation
- You can choose serviced apartments which usually charges cheaper than hotels and provide the comfort of home. You can opt for 2-bedrooms or 3-bedrooms serviced apartment if parents, siblings, relatives or friends are joining
- You get to explore the places via public transport or self-drive and experience their culture
- You travel at your own pace and can choose to re-visit the place again
Cons
- You have to plan the itinerary from scratch, book the flights and accommodation.
- Do your research! When do you plan to visit? What is the climate? Ensure that you have all the information before you decide to book your trip. You would not want to bring your newborn to a holiday during winter time or realise that the place is closed for maintenance when you reach there.
- You have to decide on mode of transport beforehand (public transport or self-drive?). If self-drive, you have to rent the car and check the traffic laws on required car seats or booster seats. If public transport, you have to check the transport from airport to your accommodation (trains? bus? shuttle bus provided?) Or if you arrive at wee hours where the public transport are not available, arrange for airport transfer
Guided Tour
Pros
- No planning of itinerary, flights or accommodations required! Leave it in the good hands of the agency
- Ideal for those who prefer hassle free traveling. Just pack and go
- No idea what to bring for the trip? Clueless about the climate? The agency will usually conduct a briefing &/or provide you with a checklist on what to expect, what to bring and the climate prior to the trip
- You get to enjoy the exclusive perks &/or activities from selected agency (most agencies offer exclusive perks to stay competitive)
- You will be spared from lugging your own luggages and belonging from airport to hotel, hotel A to hotel B, hotel to airport as they will be loaded onto the coach that will ferry you everywhere during the trip
Cons
- You do not get to choose which itinerary you may want to omit or which additional places you want to visit if it is not included in the tour package (however, most packages offer at least one free day for travelers to explore the place or provide optional tours)
- They have selected departure dates which may not necessarily fit within your leave dates or the trip may be cancelled if the group do not meet the minimum pax for departure
- As the agency offers to cover as many places as possible within the trip duration, it tends to be very rushed. They will give you approximately 15mins to 30mins to explore the landmark, 1-3 hours to shop (at huge shopping mall or street market) or a full day for theme parks (if itinerary is very packed, then it will be half day)
- Due to the rushed itinerary, meals provided will be kept short and you have to practically swallow everything within that few mouthfuls especially if you have to feed your kids at the same time (who usually take their time to chew and swallow)
- You spend most of your time traveling in the coach especially if you are visiting different states
So, do you prefer F&E or guided tour? Personally, I prefer F&E especially if transportation is relatively accessible. But there are times if the traveling group is big and we are too lazy to plan the itinerary, guided tour will be preferred. Though the agencies offer similar itinerary, there are certain exclusivity provided. You may choose to compare the itinerary and pricing from the various agencies before you decide which fits you better.
Most importantly, every vacation should be enjoyable and memorable!
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