|
Home > Destinations > North America > USA > Colorado > Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs > Planning a Trip > Escorted & Package Tours |
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
 |
 |
|
|||
FREE Newsletters! |
 |
Win a FREE Trip! |
 |
|||
 |
||||||
|
|
||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Escorted & Package Tours
Packages for the Independent Traveler Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at discounted prices. One good source of package deals is the airlines themselves. Most major airlines offer air/land packages, including American Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/321-2121; www.aavacations.com), Delta Vacations (tel. 800/221-6666; www.deltavacations.com), Continental Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/301-3800; www.covacations.com), and United Vacations (tel. 888/854-3899; www.unitedvacations.com). Several big online travel agencies -- Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Site59, and Lastminute.com -- also do a brisk business in packages. One company that puts together packages for trips to several resort communities of Colorado, including Vail, Aspen, Steamboat Springs, and Durango, as well as Denver (but not Boulder or Colorado Springs), is Funjet Vacations (tel. 888/558-6654; www.funjet.com). Travel packages are also listed in the travel section of your local Sunday newspaper. Or check ads in the national travel magazines such as Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and Condé Nast Traveler. Ask Before You Go -- Before you invest in a package deal or an escorted tour: Escorted General-Interest Tours Escorted tours are structured group tours, with a group leader. The price usually includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation. Below are some of the better companies that offer escorted tours in the Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs areas. Gray Line, 5855 E. 56th Ave. (P.O. Box 646), Denver, CO 80217 (tel. 303/289-2841; www.coloradograyline.com), provides traditional bus and van tours to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Pikes Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, and historic sites of Denver. Maupintour, 2688 Rainbow Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89146 (tel. 800/255-4266; www.maupintour.com), offers a variety of tours, including well-planned multiday tours of Rocky Mountain National Park and other scenic and historic areas. Despite the fact that escorted tours require big deposits and predetermined hotels, restaurants, and itineraries, many people derive security and peace of mind from the structure they offer. Escorted tours let travelers sit back and enjoy the trip without having to worry about details. They take you to the maximum number of sights in the minimum amount of time with the least amount of hassle. They're particularly convenient for people with limited mobility and they can be a great way to make new friends. On the downside, you'll have little opportunity for serendipitous interactions with locals. The tours can be jampacked with activities, leaving little room for individual sightseeing or adventure -- plus they often focus on the heavily touristed sites, so you miss out on many a lesser-known gem. Special-Interest Trips Hikers, bikers, and other outdoor recreationists can head into the mountains with The World Outdoors, 2840 Wilderness Place, Suite F, Boulder, CO 80301 (tel. 800/488-8483 or 303/413-0938; fax 303/413-0926; www.theworldoutdoors.com), which leads hiking and multisport adventures throughout the West, including trips into Rocky Mountain National Park. Most trips are 6 days long and include transportation, lodging, and dining.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home | Destinations | Hotels | Trip Ideas | Deals & News | Book a Trip | Tips & Tools | Travel Talk | Bookstore | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| About Frommer's | FAQ | Contact Us | Help | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Advertise With Us | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| © 2000-2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Home > Destinations > North America > USA > Colorado > Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs > Planning a Trip > Escorted & Package Tours |
