Alternatives to Collette Tours: Smaller Groups, Better Hotels and More Freedom

If you are searching for alternatives to Collette Tours, Collette Tours competitors, or companies like Collette Tours with smaller groups, you may want the convenience of an escorted European vacation without the large-group feel, long motorcoach days, fixed dining schedules, or impersonal customer service.

For 17 years, Small Group Tours by The Traveling Professor has operated tours built around a different philosophy: smaller groups, centrally located 4- and 5-star hotels, professional local guides, scenic trains and ferries, flexible dining, personal customer service, and more of the traveler’s money spent directly on the vacation experience.

We respect Collette. Large tour companies like Collette have introduced generations of Americans to Europe and the rest of the world.

But travelers have choices.

And we think they deserve a different kind of travel experience.

A Dinner in France That Explained the Difference

This summer, six of us were enjoying dinner at a restaurant in France. We had a table near the front windows, where we could watch the street scene, order what we wanted, talk with one another and enjoy dinner at our own pace.

Then a tour group of approximately 40 people arrived. They were ushered toward the back of the restaurant, and before long we heard the waiter calling, “Who had the chicken?” Hands went up. Then came, “Who had the fish?” More hands went up, and the pre-plated meals were distributed.

The six of us looked at one another. This was not how we wanted to eat in France, and it is not how we want our travelers to experience Europe.

Food is an important part of European travel. A memorable meal in France, Italy, Scotland, Ireland or elsewhere can be every bit as meaningful as a museum, castle or guided tour.

That is why, whenever practical, our travelers decide when they want to eat, where they want to eat, what they want to order and who they want to eat with.

Want dinner with six new friends from the group? Wonderful. Want a quiet evening with your spouse? That is fine too. Want to return to a small neighborhood restaurant you discovered that afternoon? Go ahead.

We believe small group European tours with flexible dining offer a more enjoyable and authentic way to experience Europe.

How Our Small Group Tours Compare

The important question is not simply how many meals or miles are included. It is how your vacation time and money are being used.

A Small Group Should Actually Be Small

One of the first things travelers should examine when comparing Collette Tours alternatives is the actual group size.

Small Group Tours by The Traveling Professor normally operates with approximately 10–16 travelers. Small-group travel is not a special product line for us. It is simply how we travel.

That difference affects nearly every part of the trip. A group of 10–16 can move through a train station more easily, dine in smaller restaurants, use transportation that larger groups cannot easily use, and interact directly with professional guides.

Smaller groups also create a more personal atmosphere. Travelers get to know one another, guides have time for questions, and the trip feels less like being part of a busload and more like traveling with a group of friends.

For anyone searching for small group alternatives to Collette, small group European tours for seniors, or European tours for travelers over 50, group size should be one of the first things you compare.

We Do Not Build Our Tours Around a Big Bus

Motorcoaches have their place, and we use private transportation when it is the best option. What we do not do is automatically design an entire European itinerary around a full-size bus.

Our smaller groups give us choices.

In Scotland, scenic rail through the Highlands becomes part of the experience. In Norway, trains and ferries through mountains and fjords are among the highlights of the trip. In cities such as Paris, local transportation can often be more practical and enjoyable than sitting in a large coach in traffic.

After 17 years, we have learned an important lesson:

Transportation should fit the destination. The destination should not have to fit the transportation.

That is why travelers looking for European tours without big buses, small group European tours by train, or alternatives to Collette European tours may find our approach especially appealing.

Why Pay for a Big Bus If You Do Not Need One?

A full-size motorcoach comes with substantial operating costs. There is the coach itself, the professional driver, fuel, parking, tolls and other expenses. On multi-day tours, the driver’s lodging and meals also have to be paid.

Those are legitimate expenses, but ultimately the traveler pays for them.

We would rather spend more of the traveler’s money on things the traveler actually experiences: better hotels, better locations, excellent local guides, admissions, special activities and memorable transportation.

The same principle applies to overhead. Large national tour companies must support major sales and marketing operations, including advertising, printed brochures, mailing programs and other promotional expenses.

That is part of their business model.

Ours is different.

We do not want to impress you with the most expensive brochure.

We want to impress you with the trip.

Professional Guides Who Talk With You — Not At You

A great guide can transform a trip.

That is why we employ professional, knowledgeable local guides who understand the history, culture and stories behind the places you are visiting. We do not want guides simply reciting a memorized script.

Because our groups are typically only 10–16 travelers, our guides usually do not need to stand at the front of a bus speaking through a microphone. They can talk directly with the group, answer questions and adapt the conversation to the interests of the people traveling with them.

If someone is especially interested in history, architecture, food, art or local culture, there is often time to explore that subject further.

With a small group, the guide is not simply delivering a lecture.

The guide can have a conversation.

For travelers searching for small group European tours with professional guides, European tours with knowledgeable local guides, or Collette alternatives with smaller groups, this is an important distinction.

Better-Located 4- and 5-Star Hotels

Travelers comparing Collette Tours vs. Small Group Tours by The Traveling Professor should look closely at more than the name or star rating of a hotel.

Location matters just as much.

We place a high priority on well-located 4- and 5-star hotels near attractions, restaurants, shopping and evening activities.

If sightseeing ends at 4:00 p.m., you should be able to return to your hotel, relax, then walk outside for dinner or an evening stroll.

A hotel far from the center of town may be perfectly comfortable, but if you need a bus or taxi every time you want to go out, you lose both convenience and vacation time.

After 17 years of operating tours, we have learned that a well-located hotel does more than provide a better room.

It gives you more vacation.

When You Call Us, You Do Not Get a Call Center

Personal service is another major difference between a large national tour company and Small Group Tours by The Traveling Professor.

When you call us, you are not routed into a call center. You speak with someone who actually knows the tours, hotels, guides, transportation and itineraries.

If you want to know how much walking is involved, how an airport transfer works, where the hotel is located, what train you are taking or how a particular day works, we want you to get a useful answer quickly.

That often includes weekends.

Travel questions do not always happen Monday through Friday from 9 to 5, and we do not believe good customer service should be limited to those hours either.

For travelers searching for Collette alternatives with personal customer service, small tour companies with personal service, or experienced small group tour operators, this can be a very meaningful difference.

Seventeen Years of Experience Counts

Anyone can publish an itinerary.

Successfully operating tours year after year is different.

We have been doing this for 17 years, and those years have taught us what actually matters once the traveler arrives.

We know which hotel locations work, when a train is better than a bus, when a walking tour is too long, where travelers need free time, and how important a knowledgeable local guide can be.

We have also learned that travelers want organization without having every minute of their vacation organized. They appreciate convenience, but they also value freedom.

Experience teaches you what works in the real world, not just what looks good in a brochure.

Be Careful When Comparing Tour Length

Travelers comparing Collette Tours prices with Small Group Tours by The Traveling Professor should also look carefully at what each company calls Day 1.

We do not count the day you fly overnight from the United States to Europe as the first day of your tour.

If you leave the United States on Monday and your European itinerary begins Tuesday, Tuesday is Day 1.

We think that is the fairest way to describe the length of a trip. An advertised 10-day tour that counts the overnight flight as the first day is not necessarily equivalent to one of our 10-day tours providing 10 actual days of the European itinerary.

When comparing prices, ask how many real vacation days you are getting at the destination, and then compare the cost on a day-by-day basis.

Are Traveling Professor Tours More Expensive Than Collette?

Many travelers assume that a tour with only 10–16 people, well-located 4- and 5-star hotels, knowledgeable guides and personal service must cost significantly more.

It often does not.

When we compare Small Group Tours by The Traveling Professor with comparable Collette tours, our prices are generally in the same ballpark and in many cases are lower.

That is why travelers should compare more than the advertised price. Look at the actual number of vacation days, group size, hotel quality and location, transportation, dining freedom, guides, customer service and overall experience.

We believe value is not simply the amount you pay. It is what you receive for every dollar you spend.

Sometimes getting more does not require spending more.

It requires spending the traveler’s money more efficiently.

Is The Traveling Professor a Good Alternative to Collette Tours?

Collette may be the right choice for many travelers. It offers a huge range of destinations and the resources of a major tour operator.

But if you are searching for alternatives to Collette Tours, Collette Tours competitors, companies like Collette Tours, small group alternatives to Collette, European tours without big buses, or best small group European tours for seniors, we invite you to compare how we travel.

Compare the group size. Compare where the hotels are located. Compare how much time is spent on a motorcoach. Compare the quality and accessibility of the guides. Compare dining freedom. Compare customer service. Compare the number of actual days at the destination. Then compare the price.

We think the differences become clear.

See the Difference for Yourself

Take a look at some of our land tours and compare them with a traditional large-group itinerary.

Explore our Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands by Scenic Rail tour to see how scenic trains, professional guides and centrally located hotels change the experience.

Explore Norway and the Fjords by Scenic Rail to see how trains and ferries can become part of the vacation instead of simply transportation between sightseeing stops.

Explore Dublin and the Gems of Ireland for another example of our smaller-group philosophy, professional local guides and carefully selected accommodations.

Or browse all Small Group Tours by The Traveling Professor land tours.

If you still have questions, contact us. You will not reach a call center. You will reach someone who knows the tours and can give you an answer.

We do not want to be the biggest tour company.

We want to use 17 years of experience to provide the best possible travel experience for your vacation time and money.

Frequently Asked Questions About Collette Tours Alternatives

What are some alternatives to Collette Tours?

Travelers looking for alternatives to Collette Tours may want a company offering smaller groups, more flexible dining, centrally located hotels, less reliance on large motorcoaches and more personal customer service. Small Group Tours by The Traveling Professor typically operates with 10–16 travelers and has been running tours for 17 years.

Are there smaller group alternatives to Collette Tours?

Yes. Small Group Tours by The Traveling Professor normally operates with approximately 10–16 travelers. That smaller group size allows greater flexibility with transportation, restaurants, professional guides and hotel choices.

Is The Traveling Professor less expensive than Collette Tours?

Pricing depends on the specific itinerary, but our tours are generally in the same price range as comparable Collette programs and in many cases can be less expensive. We recommend comparing the number of actual vacation days, group size, hotel locations, transportation, guides and included experiences rather than looking only at the advertised tour price.

Does The Traveling Professor use large tour buses?

We use private transportation when it makes sense, but we do not build every itinerary around a full-size motorcoach. Depending on the destination, our tours may use scenic trains, ferries, boats, public transportation and appropriately sized private vehicles.

Why does The Traveling Professor not count the flight day as Day 1?

We believe the day you fly overnight from the United States to Europe should not be counted as a day of your European itinerary. If the program begins after you arrive in Europe, that is when we begin counting the tour days.