A single’s travel options

First off, I do not use a travel agent; I’ve had bad luck with them. They have trouble understanding I don’t want the local Hilton but something a bit lower on the food chain.

They are so used to suggesting the better things of travel. When I did my first India trip, I was told by several agents that Americans couldn’t manage the average Indian hotel. Not true! My husband and I used local hotels, several where we were the only Westerners. Once there, we used a local agent to help us with our itinerary, one which had little relationship to standard itineraries. It worked.

I do take tours, particularly since I’m now on my own. I look for tours that are as un-tour-like as possible, use local lodgings, feature unique experiences and give me time to wander on my own. I want small groups.

Though I have and still do travel some independently, there are areas where I feel more comfortable with the support of a group, even if there are only three or four of us, as has occurred.

Obviously, I consider price, professional affiliations and recommendations. I collect brochures, read travel books, search newspapers and the Net. I have run into tour groups housed at hotels where I’ve been and subsequently booked with them. As a single, I look for tours that do not charge extra for accommodation but allow for a room share.

Of American firms, I have taken a hosted tour program with General Tours (Keene, NH; 800/221-2216, www.generaltours.com) and a bed-and-breakfast tour (now called Bus Plus, I believe) with Rick Steves (Edmonds, WA; 425/771-8303, www.ricksteves.com).

For the most part, however, I have traveled with British budget companies: Explore (Farnborough, Hampshire, UK) Imaginative Traveller (Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, England) and Exodus (London). I also have used an Australian firm, Peregrine Travel (Melbourne). All of these have been booked through Adventure Center (Emeryville, CA; 800/228-8747, www.adventurecenter.com).

It was the General Tours Thailand trip that included an hour’s conversation with a Buddhist monk; it was Rick Steves’ tour that introduced me to fado; it was Imaginative Traveller that had me biking around the Yangzhou, China, countryside; it was Explore that had me traipsing down an Albanian river to reach a barbecue site, and it was Peregrine that had me searching all over Peshawar to find the garage where trucks were decorated. Some of this I could have done on my own, perhaps, but it could have been more complicated.

Another approach I’ve taken is contacting a local travel representative in the country to be visited. I did this for some trips to China, Egypt, Nepal, Tibet and India. Some agents have been recommended through International Travel News, some through the Internet and some via the guidebooks Let’s Go, Lonely Planet and Rough Guide. I’ve had no problems except for a financial misunderstanding with the Indian firm, resulting in a duplicate payment for a Nepalese guide.

Overall, whether it is to be touring or independent travel depends on you, the country and the tour. You have to decide for yourself. For me, there are times the idea of some socialization and structure seems great. At other times, I’d rather do it by myself, thank you.

I admit, when there were two of us I did more independent travel than now, when I am one. However, that was early on and we were just beginning our overseas travels and going to less-challenging places. Now I keep pushing the envelope.

The main thing is keep traveling!

JO RAWLINS GILBERT

Menlo Park, CA