For assessing & comparing the economy of the tour price offered by various tour operators.
- Ask if lunch and dinner are included on all days, since each buffet meal will cost bet. Rs.500-750/. Now you may calculate how much it will come to in this tour, if included for the number of days covered.
- Find out whether Visa cost is included since it will cost between Rs. 2000 to 12,000/-depending upon the country to be visited by you.
- Enquire the rate quoted is inclusive of International flight charges with taxes or the land cost of the foreign travel & stay only.
- If the trip involves domestic flights abroad, find out in the flight charges with taxes included.
- Travel abroad is in Seat in coach basis ( SIC ) or by privately charted one exclusively for your group, since privately charted vehicle will cost more but it will be at our disposal whereas in SIC we will be sharing it with people unknown to us belonging to other groups and it will not be at our disposal.
- Most important is to find out what sightseeing events are included because each one will cost a lot and usually those who quote cheap, leave out the costly events as optionals. Be careful about the words ‘’if you want “ or “you may” or “on your own “ or “ you may opt for “ which all mean extra payment needed.
- If possible, you may compare the quality of the hotels offered for the stay, using internet data.
- Know if the cost includes 3.5% tax by Indian Govt. since it will hike the total cost by Rs. 3500 for every lac. rupees.
- Find out if Insurance is included since it may cost you extra minimum of Rs.700/-
- Nowadays tipping is mandatory and it has gone up from 2 US$ to 4 US$ per day per person due to inflation. Taking US$ 3 per day per person as average, it works out to Rs.930/- per head for a 5 days trip. In fact for any Europe tour, one will have to shell out 3 Euros per day which is MANDATORY.
- Find out whether a Tamil speaking tour manager is accompanying your group since it involves all his expenses, including his daily bata, salary for the days etc. which is sure to take the cost further up at the expense of our convenience . His presence is important since he can easily manage and solve any small small problems that may arise at the airport or elsewhere in the tour abroad. So a trip without a tour manager from starting place will be cheaper.But we have him with us.
- Find out if the group tour is departing from Tamilnadu or from Mumbai or Delhi. If not from Tamilnad, you will have to spend extra for travelling from Tamilnadu to Mumbai or Delhi.
- Last of all find out which airline has been chosen for the trip since the cost involved for the same destination varies from EVEN among the standard ones depending upon the comfort, baggage allowance and quality of food offered. For example the airfare to Bali from Chennai and back will vary from Rs. 3000- 7000/- between Malaysian, Thai and Singapore airlines, Malaysian being the cheapest. Malindo, Tiger air and Airasia will be still cheaper but their time of arrival & departure will not suit, necessitating one more day of stay. Their transit time also are longer during change of flight. Also there will be problems in many other aspects if cancellation, name transfer, date postponement, flight and date alterations etc. are needed.
OTHER MATTERS TO CONSIDER.
- Does your group involves people of your wavelength. Here, we go as Doctors group with our friends and relative.
- Are you sort of forced by circumstances to travel with a group who speak different languages, not known to you, apart from doctor families from anywhere in India who are most welcome.
