Tour groups September 3, 2006
Posted by Amanda in Travel Diary.trackback
Tour groups of more than 10 people should be banned!!! As should the following of an upheld yet closed umbrella while rushing through every major site of a city in an hour and a half. If the guide needs a microphone with a speaker the group is too large!!
We are in Dubrovnik and it is overrun with groups that each contain about 50 pastel clad cruise ship passengers following guides and gawping left and right and generally getting in everyone’s way. When you have groups that large, it significantly slows the progress of the foot traffic in the whole area.
I for one can’t imagine that it is fun not to be able to stop and duck down an interesting alley way should that take your fancy. To me group travel seems so mindless. It would drive me crazy!!!
But the upside of avoiding the crowds is that the interesting back streets and paths are almost completely empty and provide little surprises like an amazing view through a wall or an 11th century chapel that you just stumble upon.
Croatia is a truly amazingly beautiful country!!
I’m with you on the group travel thing. When I used to do a lot of travel, tours were anathema to me and we spent a lot of time dissing them – particularly in obvious places like Munich at Oktoberfest, where they would be noticeable by the rows of identical tents surrounded by patches of vomit. Glad youse guys are enjoying Croatia! Sonia