Fixed departures versus made-to-measure trips
An ordinary group tour is a product that already exists. The dates, the route, the number of travellers and the daily schedule are set, and your choice is which of the offered departures to join. A tailor-made trip works the other way round: we start with what you want to see and build the itinerary around it.
In practice that changes almost everything. You decide how many days to give each place, whether to travel fast or slow, and how much time to spend on the road. If you would rather linger in one spot and skip another entirely, the plan simply reflects that.
The question of shopping stops
One difference matters more than most. Many low-priced group tours recover their costs through shopping stops, where the coach pauses at a shop and the guide's income partly depends on what is bought. We do not include shopping stops at all, and our guides and drivers are not paid on commission from shops.
- No shopping stops anywhere in the itinerary.
- Your vehicle carries only your own group, never strangers.
- The driver drives and the guide guides; they are two different people.
- Itemised pricing that does not change before departure.
Who you deal with
There is also a difference in who looks after you. One consultant stays with your trip from the first enquiry to the journey home, on WhatsApp, rather than handing you to a different desk at each stage. Behind them is a team of about 150 itinerary specialists worldwide and 7×24 emergency support.
When to just ask us
If you are weighing a tailor-made trip against a group departure, we are glad to talk it through honestly, including when a group tour might actually suit you better. Send your dates and group size and we will reply with something concrete.