What is best - Hiring a Travel Plan or Doing all at your own? [closed]

Question

I wanted to know whether it is best to buy a holiday plan by Thomas Cook, or Harry Cruise or Amanda adventure trip to x , y , z place which include lodging, travel and food or whether it is good to inquire the individual places about lodging, travel and food. Which is more inexpensive and favorable?

Here is the broader perspective of the question. The main criterion is effective use of money without destroying the travel fun. I will take this classic example i read recently:

1 Night London | 2 Night Antwerp | 1 Night Heidelberg | 1 Night Innsbruck | 1 Night Padova | 1 Night Rome | 1 Night Pisa next day return.

The itinerary is as follows:

Day 1: Arrival in London

Meals: Dinner

Arrive in London. Upon arrival, embark on a guided city tour of London, which will include sights as Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, Oxford Street,lot many..... All sightseeing and then return to your hotel for a comfortable overnight stay.

Day 2: Onto Brussels Orientation Tour

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

After enjoying breakfast, experience cruise , arrival in Brussels, begin your orientation tour, All sightseeing and then return to your hotel for a comfortable overnight stay.

Day 3: The Netherlands

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Same as above

Day 4: Cologne - Rhine Cruise - Heidelberg

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Same as above

Day 5 : Innsbruck Orientation Tour & visit to the Swarovski Crystal Museum & Showroom

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Same as above

Day 6: Venice - City of Canals & Gondola ride

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Same as above

Day 7: Florence - the Jewel of Renaissance

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

same as above

Day 8: Departure

Meals: Breakfast

After a hearty breakfast, receive a transfer to the airport in time to board your flight back home with a bagful of memoirs and enriching experiences.

So now following are my questions.

(1) Will it be good to do all the sightseeing at your own or will it best to follow the holiday package plan. Which will be more cheaper?

(2) How comfortable will it be if I go along with the package but I don't have to just "rush to one sight and then rush to another kind of" travel. As if a formality to complete all the sight seeing.

PS: The travellers will be the couple.

Answer 1

Depends on what you want to do. Your "holiday plan" sounds more like a guided tour to me where you just hang out with other tourists from your country in a foreign place and venture from one tourist hotspot to the next. I did that once once, and found it as exiting as "painting by numbers".

You will see and experience much more local culture if you make your own plans. Make a list of things you want to see, pinpoint them on a map and then decide on a route that takes you from place to place.

Your tour is for europe, you get around much better, faster and cheaper in a train rather than hiring a car. The train stations are usually right in the city center, with hotels nearby from where you can start exploring. Don't be scared to try your own things. :)