Learn about the great historical riches of Europe and Asia, experience the natural wonders Africa or North and South America, trek the tallest peaks the Rockies, Andes or Himalayas, or laze away on a sun-soaked beach. Whatever vacation option you prefer, the most rewarding experiences and best prices can most often be found with the leading tour operators and vacation packagers.

Custom Packages – Travel on your terms

As great as tours and all-inclusive vacations are, most travelers choose a more customized vacation, where they can travel on their schedules to destinations they choose. In fact, customized vacation packages can make dream vacations a reality! A custom package lets you choose everything : destination, itinerary, accommodations and activities. The flexibility of this type of vacation is unmatched.

There are many reputable packaged vacation companies, whose extensive packaged inventory means prices far below standard published rates for air tickets, hotels, events and more. That said, many suppliers have different specialties and affiliations. An experienced travel agent can help you sort through the clutter and help you create a vacation you’ll remember forever.

All-Inclusive – The “Everything Vacation”

These days, many travelers choose an all-inclusive vacation in order to simplify their planning. All-inclusive resorts are just what the name implies, offering unlimited gourmet food, exotic drinks and amazing activities in the price of the package. When you arrive, you don't pay a dime for anything. There are fantastic all-inclusive resorts available all over the world. Each defines all-inclusive a little differently, so when deciding on an all-inclusive resort, consider the following.....

• Level of "inclusiveness"

• Food & beverage variety and options

• Activities

An experienced travel agent can help you sort through the vacation package choices available to you to help you find the ideal vacation for your needs.

Tour Operators – Experience and Expertise

When most people think of a “Tour”, they think of someone walking around with a flag over their head, dragging them from one tourist spot to another! Granted, an experienced guide whose intimate knowledge of the destinations, hotels, culture, local attractions and people can open up new worlds to you. However, you can also go off on your own with a pre-planned un-guided tour. And these days, you can find a tour to fit any taste. Here’s a closer look at escorted versus unescorted tours…

• Escorted: Escorted tours are a great option when you’re choosing a destination you’d like to learn more about. For example, Europe is a popular escorted tour destination because the Tour Operators include the most popular sights and offer guides with an extensive knowledge of each location. Escorted tours are also a great way to meet other people. Often, an escorted tour is created around an interest such as a wine-lovers tour of France or a battlefield tour for history buffs. These tours allow you to visit new places with people of similar interests.
  
• Unescorted: For those that want to see new and exciting destinations, but without the structure, an unescorted tour might be the perfect choice. Unescorted tours give the traveler all the same choices in destination and itinerary, but without the guided escort. Most still offer insight into the destination in the way of books, audio, etc.