Trafalgar vs Globus

By Samantha Scott

June 9, 2017

Trying to decide between traveling with Trafalgar or Globus? Both are popular tour companies for older travelers. Their tours go all around the world, groups are on the larger size, and itineraries are designed with comfort yet authenticity in mind.

Our ultimate guide is here to help you decide whether traveling with Trafalgar or Globus is right for you!


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Trafalgar vs Globus - What’s the difference?

Trafalgar and Globus both offer tours around the world, though are especially known for Europe. Their tours appeal largely to older travelers seeking a culturally rich yet comfortable tour, and transportation is primarily via luxury motorcoach.

Globus is going to be slightly less expensive on average, however both tour companies are ideal for the budget minded. Trafalgar offers more “insider” local travel with their “Be My Guest” series, and has a wider audience, also offering tours for the 18-39 crowd.

The utlimate guide to compare Trafalgar vs Globus

Tour of Europe at sunrise in Salzburg

Travel Styles, Tour Types, and Brands

Both Trafalgar and Globus have long legacies in the guided tourism industry. Globus’ history dates back nearly a century and Trafalgar isn’t far behind with over 70 years in the business.

Given this history, they have had ample time to hone their approaches to escorted tours, and have solid reputations, especially among older budget-minded travelers. These tours are not overly luxurious, but creature comforts are certainly not ignored.

With Trafalgar and Globus you “travel like a local” but a local who lives well and appreciates things like fine wine and food, art, and culture. Think a white tablecloth meal at a restaurant in Ireland after you’ve spent the day among the elements learning about local produce and farming.

Sunset tour along Irish Coast

Unlike more adventure travel brands, neither Trafalgar or Globus are about ignoring the classic sites. Rather they invite travelers to enjoy special VIP access and exclusive private tours - skipping the line is definitely one of the high points of guided travel!

Trafalgar is one of several premium travel brands owned by TTC (The Travel Corporation). Their sister companies include Insight Vacations, which is like a luxury version of Trafalgar, Contiki - a partying, singles, 18-30s focused brand, and Uniworld - offering premium river cruises around the world.

The Globus family of brands includes Monograms - which is perfect for travelers who enjoy independent and self-guided journeys, Avalon Waterways - providing luxury river cruises around the world, and Cosmos for the budget traveler.

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Age Group

Older couple enjoying escorted guided tour in Europe

Globus is heavily aimed at retirees in the 50+ range. Their marketing video spends the first three quarters describing the sacrifices made by parents in planning family vacations around their kids desires - but now it’s your turn; let someone else take care of the planning, go where you want to go, with no hassle. There is a sense of focusing on western world travel, particularly Europe, though other regions like Asia and South America are available.  

Trafalgar has a similar message, and speaks to a similar audience, if a bit more broadly in terms of cultural exploration. Their approach highlights meeting and interacting with locals from all walks of life. Almost all of their tours feature a special “Be My Guest” activity. This can involve things like learning to cook in Italy, or enjoying a farm to table meal on a Peruvian farm.

Transportation

The core of travel with Globus and Trafalgar is aboard luxury motorcoaches. These comfortable coaches are equipped with wifi, fully reclining seats, and large window for scanning the passing countryside on your way to the next destination. One of the common complaints, however, for this mode of travel is that it’s a lot of time on the bus rather than off it. Other transportation you may experience on these tours include high speed train, ferry, or scenic railway.

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Accommodations

Along your tour with Trafalgar or Globus, you’ll encounter a variety of accommodation styles, but all within a 3-4 star range.

Trafalgar pays particular attention to ensuring they choose accommodations that “tell a part of the story”. These often have unqiue character and are to be considered an integral part of the destination, rather than an afterthought "just a place to sleep". 

Globus favors selecting hotels that are centrally located and nearby the sites you’ll be visiting in a particular area.

rustic dinner farm to table on guided tour

Cost

Tours with Trafalgar and Globus are designed to be budget friendly without compromising comfort or unique cultural activities. This does mean that your tour will include several “optional activities” available for an extra fee. These range from things like helicopter tours to special performances.

Airfare is not included on Globus or Trafalgar tours, however they both will assist with flight planning and booking. In most cases, airport transfer is included in the price of your tour, as well as all ground transportation during the trip. Meals are generally included, excepting during free days.

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Trafalgar vs Globus at a glance

 

 

Trafalgar 


Globus 

 

                  Overall Average Rating                       


4.5/5 


4.7/5

 

                  Number of Reviews  


10,332


6,298

 

                  Number of Tours


3,540


939

 

                  Travel Styles

 

Value, Comfort

 

Value, Comfort

 

                  Average Tour Price

 

$3,393

 

$3,466

 

                  Average Tour Length

 

12.4 Days

 

12.7 Days

 

                  Tour Type

 

Group Tours, River Cruises     


Large Group, Coach Tours

 

                  Years in Business

 

73 

 

92 

 

Castle in Ireland tour
 

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             Destinations

 

Trafalgar 

 

                                         Globus 

 

                  Europe Tours

 

1,880

 

                                           261

 

                  South America Tours

 

117

 

                                            42

 

                  Africa Tours

 

97

 

                                             33

 

                  Asia Tours

 

202

 

                                              69 

 

                  Antarctica Tours

 

3

 

                                               0

 

                  Australia & Pacific Tours              

 

134

 

                                               37


                 Central America Tours 

 

9

 

                                               25


                 North America Tours

 

744


                                               110


                 Middle East Tours

 

16

  

                                               3

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