If Europe is at the top of your bucket list, you aren’t alone. The continent welcomed around 700 million tourists in 2023—a number that, surprisingly, hasn’t quite reached its pre-pandemic heights.
Most tourists stick to the same tried-and-true routes, jumping around a handful of countries before heading home. Still, despite the hype and sheer number of happy tourists, organizing a trip to Europe can be complicated.
Do you need to speak the local language? Which larger-than-life landmarks are actually worth seeing?
What happens if you miss your train? Are you really not supposed to tip?
As an American living in Europe, I could offer some helpful advice. But let me suggest something even better—
Join a tour and leave the worrying to someone else. That way, you can focus on what matters most: enjoying every single morsel Europe has to offer.
Tour companies in Europe: are they right for you?
It’s not absolutely necessary to go to Europe on an official tour. You can find day tours galore in every major European city. All you need to do is plan the big stuff, like where you’re going, where you’re staying, and how to get there. From there, you can book whichever tours pique your interest.
Not only is this a great way to experience a location, but it’s also a good way to make friends.
A few years back, my partner and I traveled to Poland during low season. Fewer tourists meant we were solo on one of our tours around Warsaw. We ended up becoming close friends with our tour guide (shout out to Art!). The next year, we were back in Warsaw celebrating my birthday at a cigar club with Art and his fiance.
So, opting for day tours is far from a bad idea.
That being said, if you’ve never left the US before, I recommend joining a tour that will take you across Europe. The primary reason is logistics. The second is ease of travel. (The third, which I’ll get to below, is specialized interests.)
When you’re on an official tour, you don’t need to think about museum tickets, meals, train schedules, translation errors, and so on. All you need to do is show up well-rested and full of curiosity. The older I get, the more attractive that offer is.
More than meets the eye
For some, the idea of joining an official tour sounds too dry or basic. In reality, however, many European tours are highly specialized.
If you’re heading to Europe for a specific reason, then look into tours that meet your interests.
Here are a few examples of what I mean by specialized:
- Ancestry tours. You guessed it—these tours dive deep into your family tree. Usually, ancestry tours involve you passing along your research to a local expert who then crafts a specialized tour just for you. Last year, I did an ancestry tour in Ireland with my mom. It’s easily the happiest she’s ever been with me.
- My Ireland tour was organized by Éamonn of ChaperoneVIP, who I’d highly recommend
- Ancestry.com also has a solid list of European ancestry tours
- Country-specific tours. Have you been dreaming of Italy since childhood? Does it feel like one trip simply won’t be enough? Get into the granular details of a specific nation or region with a structured tour. I promise, you’ll uncover hidden gems along the way.
- Artur (my guide from Warsaw) offers specialized tours around Poland and Europe, which I highly recommend
- Check out Taste & Slow Italy for in-depth tours of this legendary country
- Women’s tours. Quite a few tour companies (including Intrepid, mentioned below) are starting to offer women-only adventures. These are a great option for women who want to socialize and build a community while they travel.
- Intrepid (below) offers a range of women-only tours
- Boat tours. Who cares about trains? You can ride the Danube to the Elbe and back again on a lovely vessel. Though they’re usually priced at the luxury level, I still think they’re worth pointing out. I would be at the helm doing the Titanic spiel if I could afford them.
- Avalon Waterways (below)
- Viking Cruises (a lot more affordable than Avalon)
- Accessibility. I’ve even found a company that offers tours for deaf people around Europe (and other global locations). Check out Kerstin’s Deaf Travel to learn more.
Tour companies in Europe for all budgets
One of the biggest reasons travelers don’t look into tours is because they’re viewed as expensive. But I’ve taken a look at some of the highest-rated tour groups that trek across the continent, and I’ve got good news.
There’s a tour for every type of budget.
Here are a few options that I would personally join based on positive reviews, scope of travel, and experience:
- Very affordable: G Adventures, Intrepid
- Affordable: Contiki, Travel Talk
- Pricey: Avalon Waterways, Jacada Travel