There’s no doubt technology has revolutionised the way we plan our travel. Having access to the internet literally opens up a world of possibilities.
You can research whatever travel type or destination you want, at any time of year and in whatever way you want to go about it. You can choose your hotels, excursions, events and pretty much anything else you can think of.
When it comes to booking though, it can be a little nerve-wracking particularly if you are putting together an itinerary yourself.
It’s one thing to keep plugging your credit card details into foreign websites and then trying to keep track of all your connections and hotels and it’s quite another when you sit back and hope like heck it all ‘works’.
Never mind the prospect of flight cancellations or delays that can mess with your forensically-planned itinerary or the fact you may not have been getting anywhere near the best price for your bookings.
All that considered, it makes much more sense to book an escorted tour.
While it makes sense, many people prefer to travel independently so they take the risk and ride with all that uncertainty anyway.
But what if you could have it both ways … travel independently AND enjoy the considerable benefits of an organised tour where everything is done for you.
Well, you can.
Gate 1 Travel Australia has launched a range of packages where travellers can enjoy all of the bonuses of a tour booking – including the pricing – but travel independently.
Imagine having all your accommodation, rail tickets, car hire, flights etc all pre-booked without you having to spend countless hours surfing the internet yourself.
And of course, there’s no surprises ahead as all your costs have been covered upfront and you know you will be enjoying quality accommodation and reliable connections.
To see what some of these trips look like, here’s a sample offered by Gate 1 Travel.
8 Day Tuscany Fly & Drive – from $489 land only or *$1939 land/air
Includes:
- *Round trip flights Sydney-Florence, Florence-Sydney (other departure cities available).
- Airline taxes & fuel surcharges
- 6 nights accommodations in your choice of hotels
- 7 day car rental: Economy Manual (Fiat Panda or similar). Upgrade to other categories available
- Car rental includes: Unlimited mileage, Third Party Liability Insurance (RCA), Collision Damage Waiver Reduction (CDW), Theft Protection Reduction (TP), Airport charges, local taxes (VAT)
- Breakfast daily
This is a wonderfully flexible option that would prove a great kick-off to any tour of Europe. If you don’t require the airfare component, you could base yourself in beautiful Montecatini for six days for just $489 per person twin share including car hire!
Full details on 2018 itineraries here.
11 Day Greek Islander: Mykonos, Santorini & Athens – from $1609 land only or *$3399 land/air
Includes:
- *Round trip flights Sydney-Athens, Athens-Sydney (other departure cities available).
- Airline taxes & fuel surcharges
- Intra-flight Santorini-Athens
- 9 nights accommodations in your choice of hotels
- 3 nights Athens
- 3 nights Mykonos
- 3 nights Santorini
- All transfers
- Breakfast daily
- Flights and ferries between Athens and the Greek Islands
- 24-hour telephone assistance in the Islands
Island hopping is an idyllic way to explore Greece and this package takes care of your ferry tickets from Athens to Mykonos and Mykonos to Santorini.
Plus the flight is included from Santorini back to Athens so you can make maximum use of your holiday time on the island. You have three nights in Athens, Mykonos and Santorini and can choose your standard of accommodation.
Full details on 2017 itineraries here.
6 Day Iceland’s Northern Lights – from $869 land only or *$5729 land/air
Includes:
- *Round trip flights Sydney-Reykjavik, Reykjavik-Sydney (other departure cities available).
- Airline taxes & fuel surcharges
- 4 nights accommodation in Reykjavik
- All transfers
- Breakfast daily
- Reykjavik City Tour & Northern Lights Tour in modern motor coach
- Services of English-speaking guide throughout
- Entrance fees per itinerary
The 4-night stay in Reykjavik includes a city tour and Northern Lights tour in modern motor coach.
You’ll have plenty of time to do your own exploring but you also have a local guide throughout the trip to help coordinate your sightseeing so that you have the best chance of seeing the incredible Aurora Borealis.
Full details on the 6-Day Iceland’s Northern Lights independent tour here.
Please note: The Northern Lights tour is subject to correct weather conditions and sightings cannot be guaranteed. If the tour is cancelled locally, another Northern Lights tour will be offered on the evening of Day 3, Day 4, or Day 5. The Northern Lights tour departs in the late evening and may not return until after midnight.
10 Day Bangkok & Phuket – from $849 land only or *$1509 land/air
Includes:
- *Flights Perth-Bangkok, Phuket-Perth (other departure cities available).
- Flight Bangkok-Phuket
- Airline taxes & fuel surcharges
- 9 nights First Class accommodations
- 6 nights Bangkok
- 3 nights Phuket
- Breakfast daily
- All transfers
Enjoy centrally-located 4-star hotels with daily breakfast plus all airport transfers on this great Thailand package. Combine the best of city and beach with an easy 10 day break.
Full details on the 10-Day Bangkok & Phuket independent tour here.