Let’s set the scene. You’re planning an upcoming vacation to England and beginning to consider how you’ll explore it. Two popular ways to travel around England are self-drive tours and private tours. Both allow you to see amazing places, but the way you experience them can be quite different.
There’s no right or wrong choice between self-drive tours and private tours. It comes down to personal preference and what works best for your travel group. We’ve designed this guide to give you an idea of how these tours work, so you can decide which one feels like the best fit for your vacation.
What is a Self-Drive Tour?
A self-drive tour means you can travel independently without a tour guide. It’s just you and your friends/family hitting the road and exploring England. However, your trip will have been planned for you by local tour planners. Your car rentals, tour tickets, and accommodations will be booked on your behalf. You’ll receive a personalized itinerary tailored to your interests, with your route designed to minimize driving time and ensure you see both the best attractions and some hidden gems you may not have heard of before. Essentially, you arrive and begin your tour, knowing that local experts have meticulously planned every detail. Although the itinerary is pre-planned, you still have complete freedom to spend your day however you like. If you decide you want to veer off course, then you still have control to do so.
A self-drive tour may be best for travelers who:
- Like independence and flexibility
- Enjoy driving in new places
- Want to travel alone with their family, but with the benefit of local knowledge from tour planners.
What is a Private Tour?
On a private tour, you still travel alone without other tourists, but you now have a dedicated private driver-guide for your group. You don’t have to worry about directions, parking, or timing – your guide handles all the logistics so you can relax and focus on the experience.
A private tour itinerary will be designed the same way as a self-drive. The tour planners will work with you to determine your interests and design a personalized itinerary tailored to your group. The benefit of a private guide is that they can enhance your experience by telling engaging stories about the locations and attractions you visit, as well as historical facts and insights. You will still have the freedom to make changes to your itinerary. If you want to stay longer at a specific location, or skip one entirely, your private guide will adapt the itinerary to suit your needs.
A private tour may be best for travelers who:
- Prefer not to drive themselves.
- Enjoy learning from a knowledgeable local
- Appreciate insider access to sights, stories, and special experiences.
Which One Should You Choose?
We can’t answer that for you! There’s no right or wrong answer. The best tour is the one that you think best suits your travel group. If you love the idea of driving in a new country and total independence, a self-drive tour could be perfect. If you’d rather sit back and enjoy the journey while someone else handles the details, a private tour might suit you better.
If you think a self-drive tour is for you, you can speak to our local tour planners to receive your complimentary itinerary. Alternatively, if you think a private tour might suit you better, our partners at Private Tour England would be more than happy to help. We hope this guide has helped you learn more about the types of tours available to you, and we wish you a safe and wonderful vacation in England!
