Escorted & Package Tours

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.

Several travel companies offer escorted bus tours of historic sites in both Virginia and southeastern Pennsylvania. These 1-week or longer tours usually start in Washington, D.C, and visit Mount Vernon, Fredericksburg, Williamsburg, Richmond, Charlottesville, and the Shenandoah National Park. From there they go on to Gettysburg and the Amish Country in Pennsylvania before ending in Philadelphia. You'll have to pay extra to get to Washington, D.C., and home from Philadelphia, but meals, lodging, and bus transportation are included in the tour prices.

Check out Trafalgar Tours (tel. 866/544-4434; www.trafalgartours.com), Tauck Tours (tel. 800/788-7855; www.tauck.com) and Mayflower Tours (tel. 800/323-7604; www.mayflowertours.com) to see what they're offering when you plan to travel.

Despite the fact that escorted tours require big deposits and predetermine hotels, restaurants, and itineraries, many people derive security and peace of mind from the structure they offer. Escorted tours let you sit back and enjoy the trip without having to drive or 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, whim, or adventure. And they focus on the most touristy sites, so you miss out on many a lesser-known gem.

1-Day Bus Tours -- You can also make 1-day escorted bus tours from Washington, D.C., to Williamsburg and Charlottesville with the venerable Gray Line (tel. 800/862-1400 or 301/386-8300; fax 301/386-2024; www.graylinedc.com). A Williamsburg historical tour costs $92 for adults, $85 for children 3 to 11 years old. A similar trip to Busch Gardens Europe costs $86 and $84, respectively. The Charlottesville trip includes a visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home and costs $88 and $85, respectively.

Packages for the Independent Traveler

Virginia is not a major destination for national package tours, which 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. However, a number of destinations in Virginia offer local vacation packages that combine a hotel room with an attraction, activity, or theater tickets. These packages are a good way to save money in Virginia. For example, the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance (www.visitwilliamsburg.com) offers a variety of multiday packages with discounted hotel and admission to Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens Europe, and other local attractions. Click on "Deals & Packages" at the top of the alliance's Web page.

The best place to hunt for a wide variety of local packages is at www.virginia.org, the Virginia Tourism Corporation's website, which collects them under its "Packages & Hot Deals" link. For example, it recently listed a package including accommodations, breakfast, and tickets to a play at Staunton's outstanding Blackfriars Playhouse.

Although it caters primarily to Civil War buffs, www.civilwartraveler.com features money-saving packages, such as hotel, a city tour, and admission to the Museum of the Civil War in Richmond.

Most major airlines will book discounted hotels and rental cars at the same time you purchase your tickets. Those serving Virginia cities include American (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), Continental (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com), United (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com), and US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com).

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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.

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				Frommer's Virginia, 9th Edition Author: Bill Goodwin Pub Date: April 07, 2008 Price: $18.99				Related Titles: Frommer's Atlanta, 11th Edition Frommer's Maryland & Delaware, 8th Edition Frommer's Nashville & Memphis, 9th Edition

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