Thanks for the feedback on England tours (Scotlalnd, Wales, Ireland). BTW, this wasn't a question of tours vs. independent travel. We'd already decided we wanted a tour for this trip and have pretty much narrowed down our choice. There are differences in itineraries and, of course, price when you compare companies. We've mostly traveled on our own, but also enjoyed the touring advantages on a couple of trips we didn't want to do on our own. Sure, there are trade-offs, but that's implicit. I'm also sure that without tour companies, many people would not venture out to see the world at all.

Joining a tour group certainly does not exclude the joy of planning for a trip. We rarely travel anywhere without first reading up on each area we'll be visiting. That's a great part of our traveling experience. We like to get ready for whatever the immersion, be it castles, cathedrals, mosques or the ubiquitous Roman ruins. And, we always come prepared with restaurant tips (lots from this group as well) and interesting places to shop/stop as time allows.

How people travel is always a personal choice. Our decison to go it on our own or take a tour is based on lots of different variables. The bottom line for us is what helps or hinders in having the best travel experience possible for each trip we take. Getting new ideas from this group is a great resource, but mostly we put it together ourselves. Here's to more happy travels, tours or otherwise :)

Eileen in Tucson for the winter.....