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There are several customers that call to book a tour asking about the differences between a Cosmos & Globus tour, and before I provide them with an answer I ask if whether or not they've been to that destination. Most of the time, their answer is the same, which is no. There is no doubt that the price is enticing as the difference can easily be about $1,000 per person; however, there is indeed merit for this difference. For one thing, the hotels with Cosmos are located in the outskirts of town, inside suburbs, and if you've chosen Europe or for that matter Italy as your destination of choice, one of the variables utilized to come up with price is location. Hotels located from the suburbs (away from the city center) require out of pocket expense in order to get there and back. Most hotels are sensitive to this fact, which is why their rates are lower. Another reason for Cosmos' low price is in the lack of included sightseeing. Most of the places you're going to want to see require an entrance fee. Once again, if Italy is your choice in destination, the plan is to see the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and Roman Forum in Rome, right? These sites require an entrance fee and if you require a guide to lead you through, more so. Even though Cosmos does indeed provide these sightseeing highlights as optional (extra charge), the currency utilized is Euro, which is about 30% above the US Dollar. If you're touring the entire boot, it's only natural to want to experience those particular sites in Florence (Academia & Uffizi Museums), Venice (Doges Palace), and Amalfi Coast (Pompeii). Let's not stop with major city sites, what if you're in Florence & wish to visit San Gimignano, or Lucca in Tuscany, which are absolutely beautiful and a Must See Stop? What if you're in Venice and wish to visit Juliet's balcony in Verona? These particular hot spots require transportation, guidance, and in some cases entrance fees.

As an avid traveler and travel professional, it's important I point out that if you're a first-time visitor to any destination, you would want to get as much out of it as possible. That said, you have the choice to opt for Cosmos; however, no matter how many optional excursions you add to the tour itself, the hotels are still located outside the boundaries of town. As a consultant, I wish nothing more than to make my clients happy and for them to return invigorated and excited about travel. Most travelers who travel with Cosmos have traveled to that destination more than once and wish to only return, choose their excursions, and stay at moderately priced hotels because they know their way around - it�?�¢??s the perfect package for them. Here's a comparison between Globus and Cosmos:

11-Day "Best of Italy"	14-Day "Italy's Best"
Date: 13 May 2018 - 23 May 2018	Date: 13 May 2018 - 26 May 2018
Price: $3,049.00pp	Price: $2,159.00pp
What's Included: Accommodations: 4 & 5 Star City Center Hotels   Transportation: Motor-coach; private boat rides in Venice; jetfoil; funicular, open-taxi, and boat cruise in Capri. Free Wi-Fi available on your motor-coach and in most hotel lobbies.   Meals: Full buffet breakfast daily, 5 three-course dinners with wine, including special welcome and farewell dinners in Rome and a special dinner in Capri   Rome: Welcome and farewell dinners at a local restaurant; guided sightseeing, visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square and Basilica, and the Colosseum   Orvieto: Visit the cathedral   Tuscany: Taste the traditional Cialde di Montecatini   Florence: Guided walking tour, visit Michelangelo's David, and Signoria Square   Pisa: Marvel at the legendary Leaning Tower   Venice: Private boat rides; Globus Local; private water taxi ride by night; guided walking tour, visit St. Mark's Square and Basilica, Doges Palace and the Bridge of Sighs; glassblower demonstration   Assisi: Guided sightseeing, visit St. Clare's Church and St. Francis Basilica   Pompeii: Guided walking tour of the excavations   Capri: Funicular ride; guided sightseeing, Local Favorite Capri experience: ride an open-taxi to Anacapri and visit Villa San Michele; boat cruise around the island of Capri; a special dinner with wine and sea view - Headsets throughout the tour	What's Included: Accommodations: 3 Star Superior Tourist Class Hotels   Transportation: Touring by private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach; canal transfer boat in Venice; boat transfer to Capri; train La Spezia-Levanto   Meals: Buffet breakfast daily; 4 dinners   Sightseeing: See Pisa's Leaning Tower, visit Milan Duomo, Lake Maggiore, Lugano (Switzerland), Verona Juliet's balcony, Venice canal boat ride, Ravenna, Sorrento, Capri. Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description including admission charges where applicable   Scenic Highlights: Tuscany, Cinque Terre, Italian Lake District, Bay of Naples, and Capri

Why do I recommend Globus to travelers that are new to the destination over Cosmos? The whole idea of traveling is to experience as much as you can while enjoying it simultaneously. Case & Point, the cost of Cosmos' optionals (which are automatically included in a Globus tour) totals to: �?�¢?�?�¬571, which translates to $680.00 USD. The difference between Cosmos' Italy's Best & Globus' Best of Italy is $890.00 (minus $680.00 = $210.00) and you're basically there in terms of price difference, and this doesn't even include the upgraded hotels! Furthermore, think about all the out of pocket money you'll go through on leisure days... If you want to make it back to your hotel earlier or later than the rest of the group, you'll have to make your own way. Cab fare can easily run $60.00 from the city center to your hotel or vice versa!

For more about a 2018 Cosmos Vacation, you can read about it in my post entitled The 2018 Cosmos Europe Vacation!

There's no doubt that there's much to think about when making a decision about which type of tour to take, but that's why you have a great travel consultant at your beck & call. We're there to answer those questions, but more importantly to QUALIFY you in order to match you to the perfect type of tour, whether it be:

• Moderate  Cosmos & Trafalgar Cost-Saver
• First Class  Globus, Trafalgar, & Insight
• Deluxe  Insight Gold, & Tauck

I've taken the liberty of explaining each of the service classes displayed above... As for the suppliers such as Trafalgar, Insight, and Tauck, I will describe the differences in upcoming posts. In the meantime, please find the differences in classes of services below:

• Even though moderate style tours are indeed less expensive than other operators providing first class and deluxe products, we will not be looking at this end of it. Instead we will look at what makes a moderate style tour, well Moderate... Moderate Style tours normally provide 3-star accommodations located in the suburbs, which is outside of city centers. Some sightseeing is included, but you won't find excursions where an entrance fee is required. For that, you'll need to purchase an optional, which most of the time will be charged in the form of that country's currency (i.e. Italy = Euro). Furthermore, in most cases you may not find too much leisure time on your own if you decide to purchase these optionals. This may not be an issue for some, but in my experience the some we're referring to are mostly retired seniors who have visited the destination more than once, know their way around, and only require the basics (accommodations, transportation, and meals).


• First Class Tour Operators such as Globus provide 4 & 5 star hotel accommodations that are centrally located most of the time. Centrally located accommodations are normally located walking distance from most major sites and monuments. If you decide on shortening your day or taking a break from all the walking, you can easily walk back to your hotel. Moderate style itineraries don't include this itinerary due to the location of their hotels. Most sightseeing are also pre-paid in advance and in USD, which not only saves you money but provides convenience. Lastly, meals are normally provided at restaurants outside hotels, which make all the difference the world. Southern Italy's cuisine is totally different from the cuisine in northern Italy, and this is something you will want to experience on a trip, and what a first class itinerary provides.


• Deluxe tour operators provide strictly 5-star centrally-located accommodations located steps from major sites and monuments. Deluxe operators provide the most for your money in terms of hotel accommodations, sightseeing, meals, and over-all experiential factor. Top of the line accommodations, sightseeing, and restaurants.

I certainly hope you've enjoyed our post and look forward to hearing from you all. If we've missed anything, please send us your suggestions. Also share with us your experience on the last escorted tour you took.