Individual Travel Or Travel Guide: Which One To Choose?

What according to you is the best way to travel, would it be by guided travel or individual travel? We recently took a trip to Washington. Taking a bus tour that would take us around the capital showing us the highlights, this turned out to be a good decision. We were allowed to travel by foot the next day to see those sights we wanted to from up close. Giving us an opportunity to plan our three days in the city and select what we wanted to see.

The San Francisco Bay Area which happens to be a favorite holiday spot for me and my family holds many pleasant and cherished memories of our holidays in those places. There are few places, which are so much haunted by tourists that you could visit them on your own. As a result you can decide on your own time and pace to visit. Good examples of the same are Fisherman's Wharf and Pier39. By walking a couple of blocks you can see the Aquarium of the Bay, or cruise around San Francisco Bay, take some time at the Riptide Arcade on Pier 39 and go around the famous Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum.

Those traveling without a guide might like to buy a San Francisco City Pass. Buying this would give you tickets to five hot spots, apart from free rides on the Cable Cars and an optional ticket which could be used at select optional places like the Steinhart Aquarium or Legion of Honor & Academy of Science.

There are some attractions again where you would enjoy more with a tour guide. While on Alcatraz Island, you could go solo, but having a lively tour guide or listening to earphones could make you aware of the interesting points when you go through them.

The Walking Tours of Chinatown are a must see. This adds to the behind the scenes colorful picture of the place. This tour takes you through the history and traditions of the local people and familiarizes you with the culture you would never understand on your own.

San Francisco has almost 30 fun and free walking tours of the city. For information on these free tours, visit http://www.sfcityguides.org.

It is the same for Napa valley tours. You could drive up to the place yourself while looking around, but a guided tour to some of the vineyards and wine tasting rooms would make it more interesting.

A 17-mile drive to the coast is also a favorite driving tour. The winding roads give you fantastic views of beautiful mansions and the country side. You would be traveling through Carmel and Pebble Beach Golf Club.

Whether you chose to visit alone or take a guided tour, should depend on your place of visit and what you want to see. Mixing a bit of both could make your travel tour worthwhile.