Some tips and things to expect for those going on Trafalgar tours for the first time. This is based off my experiences with Trafalgar tours in Europe. I have only good things to say about Trafalgar tours so far... so hopefully you will enjoy it as much as me!
Pre-Trip
1. Check the availability of airport transfer. They will have certain timings so if you are intending to take the airport transfer provided by Trafalgar or the hotel, make sure you plan your flight accordingly.
2. Check the first day of your itinerary. If there is going to be a welcome reception or short city tour, arrange to arrive at your destination early morning at the very latest, or preferably, the day before. Otherwise, you will miss this half day event.
3. After receiving your tour material/package, it is advisable that you fill up the pre-trip information a few weeks before your trip. It is a short survey indicating each member's personal preference and his/her travel details. This has to be done on your own.
4. Bring along/use the Trafalgar luggage tags provided. They have their own system of ensuring your luggage are well accounted for every morning so do bring them along.
5. Look through the optional tours and have a rough idea which are the ones you are interested in. Prepare sufficient cash accordingly (see point 13 below).
During the Trip
6. Unlike tour guides from local travel agencies, Trafalgar travel directors (as what they call themselves), are more straight-forward and business-like. They go by rules to ensure the safety and efficiency of the tour.
7. The itinerary and departure time for each day will be posted on a notice board in the hotel lobby. You are required to set your own morning call. The travel director will mention the departure and breakfast time a few times and if you miss it, you can refer to the notice board.
8. Slow-paced itinerary. Excluding the optional tours, there are usually only 2 or 3 places of interest to visit each day. You usually end the day at around 5 to 6pm each day and you get to stay at the places of interest longer than local tours will provide. This is why Trafalgar is more popular with older people.
9. Luggage will mostly be taken care of by your travel director. The travel director will usually give you the keys to your room and the luggage will be brought up to you by the hotel staff. The next day, you just need to leave your luggage outside your room (make sure the Trafalgar luggage tag is there) and it will be on the bus by the time you leave.
10. They usually have a rotating seating arrangement on the bus. Each day, you will be rotated and assigned to a different seat so that everyone gets their chance to sit in front or at the back during the trip. From my experience, they will just rotate clockwise, so if you are a family, you will need to sit in front/behind each other in order to be together after each rotation.
11. Be prepared for 'weird' lunch hours or spots. I am not sure if the ang mohs tend to have light lunch and heavier dinner or what, but for the Trafalgar tours I went, they seemed to place less importance on lunch, unless it is a special lunch that has been built into the itinerary. They might drop you at convenient places with not much options (mostly cafe serving sandwiches or pastries). If you are expecting to have a full course meal, be prepared that it might not be every day you get to do that.
12 Be-My-Guest lunch/dinner is the most enjoyable part of the tour :) Don't miss it!
13. The optional tours are really optional. Many a times when I went with our local tour groups, they have optional tours which are not really optional because it is either the entire tour group go for it, or not to go for it. So unless the entire group happened to agree on the option, it is not really 'optional'. For Trafalgar, they will arrange for you to either head back to the hotel or some other shopping places if you are not joining. On rare occasions, you might need to wait for the other members to finish before heading to the next destination together.
14. Bring cash to pay for optional tours. Although you can pay for the optional tours using credit card, but their portable credit card machine can be a bit wonky especially if it is in remote places. My family paid by cash and it was very fast whereas I saw other families trying to pay using their credit cards for a few days because it just wouldn't work.
15. You might want to bring something dressier for special dinner(s). Do not be surprise if ang moh tour mates turn up for some musical or dinner and dance event dressed to the nines! On one of my trip, the travel director brought us back to the hotel to freshen before a traditional Scottish dinner show. Most of the ang moh tour mates came down in gowns and tuxedos!
End of Trip
16. Your travel director will arrange your airport transfer if you not extending, otherwise you will need to arrange your own airport transfer.
17. Some travel directors do not openly ask for tips. If there is a farewell dinner included in the package, that is usually a good time to give the travel director and bus driver their tips.
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