By Michael Weiss

What to pack? What to wear? How much money to take?

These are questions you ask yourself when taking a big trip. But before you start

packing, you need to decide if you are up for taking the adventure alone or with a tour group. There are advantages to both. Are you adventurous and carefree? Or could you use help planning and organizing and let someone else do the work? Here’s a breakdown of the major differences between taking a guided tour and winging it on your own. 

Transportation:

Tour:

A tour can be very relaxing. Between cities, as your bus driver swerves through tight European roads or dodges a barrage of Vespa scooters, you can lean back and read up on the next destination, talk with new friends or curl up and take a nap.

Solo:

Just as relaxing, and there is less pressure to be in a specific place at a specific time. It could get frustrating finding directions or understanding road signs. Without a guide, you’ll have more freedom to stay longer any place you like or bail early if you get bored.

Parking:

Tour:

Let the driver worry about it. Most bus drivers have designated parking areas for major destinations, plus they’ll drop you off at your hotel.

Solo:

At major tourist sites, it could get tricky finding a parking spot. But once there, you can take a leisurely stroll and find many hidden gems not listed in guidebooks.

Excursions:

Tour:

You won’t miss anything, and everything is explained to you. An experienced guide is like having a fairy godmother — he or she magically can transport you to the front of the line.

Solo:

Take that extra 15 minutes to stare at the “Mona Lisa” or imagine Leonardo’s brush gracefully gliding across the canvas. You can leave when you want.

Meals:

Tour:

Some offer all-inclusive meals. Others cover a light breakfast and a preselected dinner. You may have to find lunch on your own.

Solo:

The freedom to choose what you want to eat and when. You can pack your own fare and eat on the go or try a local recommendation.

Expenses:

Tour:

Most cover flights, hotels, bus fees, admission to museums, some food. You could get stuck visiting — and paying for — a place you really don’t care for.

Solo:

You could save money going solo, but you’ll have to budget your spending carefully. You won’t have to pay to go to unwanted destinations.

Fellow travelers:

Tour:

You could get crammed into a smelly bus with people stranger than a Star Trek convention, or you could meet interesting people and make new friends for future trips.

Solo:

You may not create the same relationships as you would on a bus with 40 other people, but you get to spend more time with locals.

“A tour is far more structured, but keeping you busy can be hectic. The great thing is you don’t have to sweat the little things.”

— Randy Benore, North Canton

commenting on a recent trip to Italy

"I plan on crawling out of bed when I feel like it. I may not get out of bed at all some days."

— Alan Wells, Lake Township

who is planning a trip to Hawaii

“A large group offers a chance to meet nice people with different ideas.”

— Joan Benore, North Canton

commenting on a recent trip to Italy

“Being on our own, without a real schedule to keep, enabled us to spend as much time as we wanted to experience many different parts of the country.”

– Jessica Violand, Plain Township

after visiting Costa Rica