To go on an escorted/guided tour holiday age 43

[Mummiepig]

I want to travel the world and see the big sights, think African safari, tour of India, the americas etc
But I have a SEVERE lack of confidence, I’ve seen guided tours where they take you everywhere but DH says they will be full of elderly people and I should wait 20 years
But I want to go now!
Has anyone been on one of these? Am I too young in my 40’s
Please don’t say it’s easy to do it yourself because it’s not for me, I won’t even go to the toilet on my own in a place I’ve never been before!

I don't think it matters.. you'll automatically have things in common with whom ever is there due to your shared experience.

Just do it and make yourself happy!

Thanks, DH said you’ll be helping them all off the coach with their walking frames! I don’t think it would be that bad!

We did East to West Coast USA a few years ago. It was great. There were all age groups on the trip, from early twenties up to late seventies. Quite a few people travelling alone. It was a good way of getting to see what we wanted to see easily.

The guide we had was really knowledgeable and not in your face. Also had plenty of free time to wander about on own.

I think it sounds like a great type of holiday! Go for it!

If any one has been on one of these holidays can you recommend a company, I’ve looked at riviera travel and Newmarket holidays

The driver and hotel porters sort out the baggage btw, but you are expected to tip in US. Also expected to tip the driver and guide at the end of the tour. I think it's about $3.50 pp pd for driver, and $4/5 for guide.

This one is good www.travelbag.co.uk/?pid=gglbrand&sid=brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuYbfwZjo5gIVC7DtCh3pXgnREAAYASAAEgJLy_D_BwE although you save money and book everything independently yourself, but they will book your flights, transfers, extra nights in hotel, tour etc.

I've got a friend who goes on Exodus holidays and loves them, but I think they are smaller group holidays rather than coach tours, though they still organise everything for you.

Look for holiday companies which cater more for younger groups, I‘ve traveled with the likes of Intrepid and Gap before not sure if they are still going? Obviously avoid the likes of Conticki unless you want to feel really old

I did a great rail journey around India with DH when we were mid 20s and we loved it!!
Escorted tours are amazing for seeing LOADS and finding all the best bars/restaurants/random stuff youd never find
Was also great somewhere like india which could have overwhelmed us on our own
We were the youngest, but there were folk in their 30s/40s, the majority were 50s

Wild Frontiers are great if you want to experience some places really off the beaten track!

Just go for it!

Try looking at small group tours run by companies like Exodus, Intrepid, Explore, Imaginative Traveller etc. Some of the accommodation might be more basic than more luxurious escorted tours, but worth taking a look in case it strikes the happy medium of accompanied adventure you’re looking for. Have fun!

I went on two of these holidays when I was in my mid-30s and although I was probably one of the younger ones, there were LOADS of people in their 40s and 50s!!

I found out yesterday that a woman I shared a room with on one of the month long trips died last year, after a very short illness. She was only on her early 40s and left her husband and two very young children. I'm only telling you that you remind you that life can be shorter than we think, so FFS, book the trip.

Don't wait!

My mum goes on a lot of these types of holiday since my dad died, and yes, they skew towards the elderly as mostly it's older people that can afford them, but younger people are not exactly unheard of, especially younger women travelling alone.

They're a great way to see parts of the world with very different languages (I'm thinking especially the Far East where you don't even have an alphabet to work with) where most of us would struggle without a guide.

We have used Distant Jourbeys. They have won awards for best small travel company. We were also worried (when we did an Australian trip) that it would be full of Old people but there were all age groups and we made great friends. Go for it

I did quite a few in my 20s- some with gap adventures and one with virgin which was sold on and I can’t remember the other ones. With Gap you might be slumming it a bit but I think they do comfort options. The tour with them I did was brilliant. Virgin sell some and we weren’t the youngest on the one we booked through them but the accommodation was much nicer than Gap.

I booked with Explore - their tours are fantastic, with brilliant tour guides. I didn't find their British office particularly efficient (although TBF, this was in 2005) but their tours more than made up for it.

Guided tour of the Cotswolds? Yes, either Americans on a whistlestop tour or they'll be pushing 80. Tour of India/China/Peru - all ages. Most people who can afford it - and only have three weeks off work - don't have the time/inclination to sort out an itinerary for themselves. Some will undoubtedly be elderly - and probably livelier than you! Brochures for more challenging trips usually indicate how much physical exertion is involved - and a wiry 70-year-old might surprise you. The older people might well be better company than the young ones. And be able to get themselves to the loo unaccompanied!

My mother goes on loads of these. She loves them. There’s always a range of people of different ages, lots of people who have gone without their partners because the partner isn’t interested/won’t travel, couples, singles, the lot.

Go for it.

Would your dh not be going with you @Mummiepig?

We have done quite a few of these to the more exotic destinations and there has usually been a range of ages, on one round India there was a young couple on honeymoon! The people who go on these tours go because they have similar interests and even the older people are fairly sprightly, they're often not trips for those with very restricted mobility, sadly.

Would love to do this!