the definition of coach tour

Small group travel vs coach tours: which is better?

Because group travel is so much more than the inside of a bus…

Whether you’re exploring your home country or taking an international adventure, the idea of booking a tour can be overwhelming… especially if you’re torn between taking a coach and small group travel. The main difference between the two styles comes down to the size of the group; coach tours use huge motor coaches that hold up to 60 people, while small groups are (plot twist)… small, averaging about 10 travellers per group.

Over the past 30 years, Intrepid has figured out what travellers really want on a group tour: the ease and peace of mind of travelling with others plus a mix of local secrets and authentic experiences that help you experience the pulse of a destination… and not just see it. Just because you’ve handed over the planning and logistics to someone else shouldn’t mean you need to sacrifice comfort or settle for mediocre experiences.

We’ve weighed up the biggest factors to consider when booking a trip, so whether you’re in your 20s and embarking on your first trip to Europe or you’re a senior who’s always dreamed of seeing the Grand Canyon , you’ll be able to decide which style of travel is right for you. We may be biased, but the winner is pretty clear…

So you’ve made all the important decisions, like where you want to travel and when. But when you’re daydreaming about your perfect trip, how many people are travelling alongside you? Do you picture blending in with a crowd of 50 from your home country? Or getting to know an intimate group of travellers from all over the world?

If your answer leans more toward the latter, small-group travel is definitely for you. While group size can vary depending on the destination and type of trip, Intrepid averages about 10 people per tour — the perfect number to hop on a local bus, squeeze into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant and get to know people on a deeper level.

Intrepid travellers are folks of all ages and backgrounds, so you could spend your time with a combo of solo singles in their 20s, couples in their 40s, seniors, retirees and beyond. If travelling en masse and zoning out with a prerecorded headset is how you envision your holiday, a coach tour might be more your vibe, but for those looking for a unique adventure, more isn’t always merrier.

As the name implies, coach tours are just that: tours that utilize massive coach buses for long-distance travel. All fun and games until you’re filing off to grab lunch, right? Getting off a coach bus takes much longer than you’d think (especially if you do it multiple times a day), and don’t even get us started on the headache of choosing seats.

The benefit of travelling with small groups is you can explore as the locals do; think small 4WDs on a South African safari , tuk-tuks in Thailand and overnight trains in India . Travelling with a tight-knit crew will give you all the benefits and authentic experiences you’ll get if you go solo, minus all the stressful logistics and safety concerns.

We realised pretty quickly that when exploring a new destination, you need more than a guide … you need a local. Intrepid’s leaders aren’t just tour guides; they’re teachers and friends who know their country inside and out. They’ll be by your side for the major highlights, of course, but they’ll also happily provide recommendations for the best street food, help you learn the local language and steer you away from any experiences that don’t feel so… Intrepid. Unfortunately, not all coach tours can say the same, so it’s essential to work with a company that supports local economies, respects local cultures and protects the places we love to visit.

The small group sizes of Intrepid trips provide the perfect guide-to-traveller ratios, and you’ll never have to worry about not getting 1-1 time. Have a question about a local custom or want to chat about a football rivalry over dinner? It’s not so easy with a group of 50, but it’s all part of the experience when your travel crew is small.

Itineraries

We’ve all been there… you’re stressing about needing a bathroom or a snack break but don’t want to be  that  person making the entire group stop. When you travel on a small group tour, bathroom breaks, snack stops and photo ops can be as frequent as you’d like. Plus, with fewer people to keep track of, you’ll never have to worry about your driver leaving you behind (does everyone have this recurring nightmare, or is it just me?). Strict timelines and feeling like you’re being herded around just aren’t Intrepid’s speed.

The speed is more like this: hitting the major highlights like the Acropolis, the Great Wall of China and Machu Picchu while also including some out-of-the-ordinary experiences in unexpected places. Think: sampling your way through a family-owned Greek pistachio farm, learning the art of Chinese cuisine at a homestay in Beijing and sipping pisco sours with Peruvian locals. We speak from experience when we say these moments, the ones you never even knew existed, leave the longest-lasting memories.

Although most Intrepid trips have a base itinerary, there’s always time set aside for your own exploration or downtime. When dealing with a smaller group of people, itineraries can be reasonably customisable, allowing your guide to make appropriate, impromptu changes based on the group’s preference. For example, if you’re in Italy and half of your group is feeling museum-ed out… no problem! With guidance and tips from your expert local leaders, you’ll have the freedom to embark on a tour de pizza or a gelato crawl instead.

Accommodation

One of Intrepid’s favourite ways to get to know a place is through its people… which is why we employ local guides, eat at family-run restaurants and incorporate community homestays into most trips. On coach tours, hotels usually have to accommodate 50+ people at once, so you could end up at a chain hotel that feels far from the centre of the action.

That might be cool if you simply want to scratch the surface, but Intrepid does things a little differently. A community-based tourism approach allows you to get to know a place through a local’s lens and ensures that you’ll be travelling in a way that positively impacts the communities you visit.

Some of the best experiences are the ones that won’t show up on Google Maps or get reviewed on Tripadvisor; we’re talking about playing volleyball with indigenous locals on an overnight in Lake Titicaca, sharing a homecooked meal with a family during a rural Cambodian homestay or getting a lesson on local traditions on a Varanasi homestay in India. Imagine trying to organise this with 50 people? Impossible.

The choice seems pretty clear. Small group travel is not only more comfortable and enjoyable, but it’s just an all-around better way to see the world. As the world’s largest travel  B Corporation , Intrepid wants to change the way we all see the world by creating positive change through the joy of travel. We want you to leave your trip with more cultural understanding and the knowledge that your trip benefits local people, communities and the planet. 

With a range of trip styles and themes catering to a diverse group of travellers, we’re confident there’s a small group adventure for you. Feeling inspired? Let’s go!

Explore top small group trips

Will travel for food. From al pastor in Mexico to camel burgers in Morocco, khao soi in Thailand to perfect tomatoes in Greece, I've traveled far and wide for a tasty meal. When I'm not abroad searching for the perfect bite, I'm enjoying some good ol' home cooking in my tiny Seattle kitchen.

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• Tips for Travellers

Escorted Tours. The Pros, Cons and Who They are Best Suited For.

by Gary Bembridge · June 3, 2016

What exactly is an Escorted Tour? What are the pros and cons, and who are they most suited for? These were some of the questions that came to mind when I was invited to go on one by Titan Travel to Florida . As I had never been on one, I welcomed the chance to find out more about Escorted Travelling – and answering those questions. This is what I discovered.

Direction Sign in Key West Florida. Saw on my Escorted Tour of Florida

What is an escorted tour?

A Tour Manager hosts the tour, from start to end. They fly out and stay with the group at every step, handling all aspects of the trip once there. Flights, hotels, transfers to and from the airport, transportation around the destination (usually by coach), sightseeing and entrance fees are covered within the fare. Meals may be included in the price, but differ by trip.

Escorted tours pack as much as possible into the itinerary, and so tend to be intense and busy. They may only spend one or two nights in each hotel.

Is an escorted tour and guided tour the same thing?

They are similar but a Guided Tour uses a local representative who meets the group on arrival. While they provide guidance, support and handle local arrangements, they may not travel with, stay at the hotels or join every excursion and activity. The itineraries tend to have more free time and optional sightseeing opportunities.

Air Boat Ride in the Everglades. Excursions included in my Escorted Tour of Florida

What are the main pros of an Escorted Tour?

• Removes hassle: Removes the hassle of planning your vacation. The tour company sets the itinerary, arranges and books flights, hotels, transfers, ground transportation, excursions and entrance to attractions.
• See more : Likely you will see more than if you did it self-touring as they know, and have found, the most efficient way to cover the destination.
• Reduces risk : The tours are constantly fine tuned and adapted, based on feedback from earlier customers and tour managers, to make sure all aspects meet the needs and preferences of their target traveller. There is less risk that you waste time visiting sights or staying in hotels that do not meet your needs – if you chose the right tour company for your travel tastes.
• Guiding hand all the way : A Tour Manager, who knows the destination and speaks the language, accompanies the trip, They provide commentary on the destinations, make recommendations, give tips and advice, take care of all arrangements along the way and deal with any problems or issues that may arise.
• Transparent budgeting : Budgeting for your vacation is easier and more transparent; as the fare you pay will cover all or most costs. Any exclusions are made clear, the most common being meals. For example, on my tour of Florida no meals were included, except one sunset cruise dinner on the last night.
• Cheaper : They may be cheaper than independently booking a similar itinerary, as they have the benefit of negotiating group rates.
• Safety and Security : The Tour Manager and fellow guests are always around to help, look out for each other and keep you company. This makes escorted touring appealing to solo, nervous or any traveller that does not want to navigate a foreign country, language and customs on their own. They are also useful for exploring countries with security, political and crime issues or where the tourist infrastructure is under developed, as the company will have considered and have expertise in handling these.

Alligator in the Everglades. Saw on my included excursions on my Escorted Tour of Florida

What are the main downsides of Escorted Tours?

• Inflexible : No flexibility or customisation of elements of the itinerary, hotels, excursions or other arrangements is possible. You have to stick to the fixed schedule, sightseeing, hotels and restaurants packaged into the trip.
• Pace : The pace is intense and often includes early starts, long commutes between destinations and only one or two nights in any one hotel to make sure as much of the destination is visited.
• Tour Manager dependent : Reliant on the quality of the Tour Manager, which you won’t know until the tour starts.
• Fellow travellers : If you don’t get on with the people on the tour you are stuck with them.
• First-time traveller focused : Not as suitable for repeat visitors to a destination as they focus on the must-see highlights (which most will have seen on previous visits).
• Upfront payment : You have to pay the full cost of your trip before you leave. Usually many weeks before departure date, and there are likely to be strict cancellation penalties.

Who is an Escorted Tour best suited for?

In my view, it is less about age and more about how people like to travel. Although in practice these attitudes tend to also be shared by, and often attract, an older demographic.

I believe Escorted Tours are suitable for travellers who meet some or all these criteria:

• Are visiting a region for the first time . If you have been to a destination before it is likely an Escorted Tour will visit many of the sights you have seen. They tend to focus on the must-see and highlights, which makes them ideal for first-timers.
• Want to cut the hassle and uncertainty of visiting a new destination . Escorted tours remove the need to research the history, background, sights, places to stay, transportation and where to eat. They also remove the need to make any of your own arrangements.
• Want certainty on cost of their vacation and have paid for it before they go . As all the costs are bundled into the fare you will know the total cost (and pay for it) before the trip starts. If there are any costs not covered, like meals and gratuities, you will know these in advance and be able to bring the right amount of money with you, use your credit or a pre-paid currency card.
• Want the security, reassurance and support of a destination-knowledgeable guiding hand at every step of the journey . The Tour Managers are experts in the destination and speak the language, and so are well equipped to show travellers around, tell them what they need to know, where to go and how to make the most of their time there.
• Do not want to explore a destination by themselves . They suit travellers that do not want to visit a country by themselves, and prefer being surrounded by and meeting people.
• Do not have the time to plan the details of their vacation. They suit people who know the destination they want to visit but do not have the time to properly plan and book elements of their trip. Escorted tours have packaged it all up for them. The only decision is where to go and with which company.

Miami South Beach. Saw on my Escorted Tour of Florida

What questions should you ask when choosing an Escorted Tour?

If the above has convinced you that an Escorted Tour is for you, then these are the questions I suggest you ask when making your choice:

• What type (and age) of people will be on this company’s tour? Review the brochure, website and company’s social media accounts (especially Facebook and YouTube) to see who they are targeting and what sort of people appear in their marketing materials. I also recommend reading reviews left on sites like TripAdvisor.com, travel blogs and by searching for reviews on Google. If unsure send a message to reviewers to check what sort of people were on their trip. This is a feature that TripAdvisor enables on most reviewers’ reviews.
• How many people will be in the group? The smaller the group the more time the Tour Manager has to spend with people and fine tune the commentary, adding in other side activities or diversions that the group wants.
• What is the reputation and ratings of the Tour Company? Check what other travellers are saying about the company’s tours. Looking at their Tripadvisor.com reviews is a good place to start. Many will also have reviews on their site but they may be selectively chosen so go to other review sites such as TrustPilot.com and Revoo.com . Do a search on Google for reviews of the company (e.g. if considering travelling with Titan Travel to Florida search “Titan Travel Florida Reviews”).
• How much of the tour’s itinerary have I visited or seen before? Is there enough that will be new and interesting to me? As mentioned before, many escorted tours suit first-time visitors to a destination and so spend time reviewing the itinerary to understand what you will be seeing and how much time will be spent at each. Some sights may just be driving through or photo opportunity only.
• What is not covered in the fare? I recommend especially checking what meals are included and how many optional excursions there are. These can add a sizeable amount to the overall cost of your vacation. You need to understand these if price comparing different companies to compare overall cost for all aspects. I suggest calculating a cost for the trip by the time you get home for each. For example, Titan Travel includes transfers to and from your home and airport and so when looking at another tour provider you need to add that. Finally factor in gratuities for the Tour Manager, driver and local providers based on the custom in the destination (e.g. In the United States tipping is expected for almost every service, with waiters looking for between 15% and 18% minimum).
• How much time will be spent on a coach or travelling between destinations versus sight seeing? It is unlikely they will tell you, but I use Google Maps and put in the places travelled from and to which gives the mileage and a good estimate on how long it will take. For example, I could tell that there would be around four hours of bus travel everyday on the tour before I left.
• What are the hotels I will be staying in like, and where are they located? Again TripAdvisor.com is the easiest to use. Make sure the hotels meet your needs and quality standards (e.g. If you like to work out if they have a fitness centre, if you only like boutique hotels over resort-style ones). Also check how central they are to allow self-exploring or being able to find restaurants in the evening so you can avoid expensive hotel restaurants and try local cuisine.
• What do I need to pack and take? Prepare to live out of a suitcase, as you will probably spend at most two nights in any one hotel and pack accordingly. Check what other items you need to cover a variety of weather like sunscreen, insect repellent, cold snaps (or vigorous air conditioning on the coach) and rain. Ensure you have packed the right footwear for the different activities and terrain you will experience.

Have you been on an escorted tour and have anything to add to these? I would love to hear your thoughts, which you can leave as a comment on this article or by emailing me .

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Gary Bembridge

I grew up in Zimbabwe, but I have been based in London since 1987. My travel life spans more than three decades and that includes more than 95 cruises. In 2005, I launched Tips for Travellers to make it easy and fun for people to discover, plan and enjoy incredible cruise vacations. And the rest, as they say, is history. I have the largest cruise vlogger channel currently on YouTube, with more than 3 million video views per month.

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Ray, a podcast and blog follower, sent these insightful comments and some extra tips for escorted tours that I wanted to share with readers as they give some added first-hand traveller insights and suggestions:

Gary, I read your piece on escorted tours and want to add a few things. But first, I should tell you that I’ve become a fan of escorted tours, for many of the same reasons you mention. I’d rather enjoy my time seeing, hearing, and learning about another place rather than worrying about the logistics of travelling. In other words, I want to be a kid, not the daddy organizing it all and keeping the agenda and schedule!

My additional thoughts (in no particular order):

1) It seems that some tour operators (probably smaller ones) require clients to carry their own luggage back and forth between the tour bus and hotel rooms, while others provide that service.

2) Yes, you are with the same group of people for the entire trip. But if you don’t find ANY fellow tourists on your tour to be compatible with you at all, that probably says more about you than it does about them.

3) As you point out, too much travel from one place to another can be a disadvantage of an escorted tour. I think it’s easy to look at published itineraries and steer away from those types of tours, but even if you don’t, you can see and learn much even through the windows of a bus when travelling from place to place. It’s not always lost time.

4) It might be a good idea to determine whether the bus that you’ll be on has restroom facilities, especially if that’s important to you. Some do and some don’t.

My wife and I have the freedom to travel now, and we’re making good use of it. Listening to your podcasts is one way we get information about the best sites and companies, so many thanks for that. We take ocean cruises, we’ve taken our first river cruise earlier this year, and we’ve taken a guided tour to Italy, with others already planned to Ireland/Scotland and to Greece. About 16 years ago we traveled unescorted to Paris and then to Germany over 3.5 weeks, and although we saw and learned much, I tired of worrying about where our young family would eat and stay every day, and about language issues (especially in that mostly pre-Internet era). So now, as I mentioned, I’m a fan of escorted tours.

I happened to hear your podcast on the topic of escorted tours, and then I found the article on the same topic here on your website. My wife and I like both independent travel and escorted tours. I wanted to say that I think the most significant downside of escorted tours (not mentioned by you) is that when you take one, you can easily never speak to any local person in the country you are visiting, except perhaps the guide(s). It’s the exact opposite of “cultural immersion.” You may see the sites and visit the museums, but you can have no interactions with the people. In my opinion, you don’t really get a feeling for the place(s) you are visiting. The only people you may get to know are your compatriots on the tour bus. In the worst case scenario (for us), our fellow travelers are all Americans, like us, or even worse, all friends of ours! Then we don’t get to meet anyone new!

To reduce this negative aspect of escorted tours, we do two things:

(1) We try to chose tour operators who attract travelers from multiple countries.

(2) Whenever possible on the tour, we explore independently, on foot. We go into stores (not souvenir shops), visit neighborhoods, and in every way possible try to see “ordinary life” and, if we can, interact with people we see. For us, it makes a world of difference!

Thanks for checking out both the podcast and the article! Really good and key points you make, and the tips are key – so thanks for adding these. I think that point about having an operator where time is built into the schedule to allow some self exploring time is really key. Much appreciated!!

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What Is An Orientation Tour? Coach Holiday Terminology

• 5 June 2024

Have you seen the phrase ‘orientation tour’ and wondered what it means?

Do you know what the difference is between an orientation tour and a guided tour?

There are some key differences you need to know about.

Read on to learn all you need to know about this coach trip terminology and what it might mean for your holiday experience if you see this on your itinerary.

Links You Might Find Helpful: Escorted and Touring Holidays from TourRadar 10 Crucial Things to Know Before You Book a Coach Holiday Coach Holidays – All You Need to Know

1. What Does an Orientation Tour Mean?

Table of Contents

Orientation Tour Meaning?

u003cstrongu003eIn relation to coach holidays,u003c/strongu003e u003cstrongu003ean orientation tour is a tour led by someone who is not a qualified local guide. Its purpose is to give you general practical information to help you find your way around. The tour should not include detailed historical or cultural information as this should only be conveyed by a qualified local guide.u003c/strongu003e

On a coach holiday, an orientation tour is likely to be a tour led by the Tour Manager who is with the group and not by a local guide. As a Tour Manager taking groups, I am not legally allowed to guide tours of places that I am visiting with the group unless I am a qualified guide for that area. For example, I cannot lead a tour of London because I am not a Blue Badge guide. Becoming a qualified guide generally involves lots of hard work, study, exams, and of course expenses.

Once these trained guides are qualified the rates that they charge are generally set by the guide licensing agency and they can start earning back some of the money they spent training.

This applies to most cities and localities that coach trips visit on holiday. Each city and locality will likely have its own trained guides who are experts in that particular area, having spent a long time learning all the history and knowledge that any visitor might want to know.

This often applies to particular attractions and museums. A Tour Manager going to the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg for example is not allowed to take the group around the museum, the group has to go with a museum guide who are specialist in the museum and its treasures.

As such when you see that a tour is an orientation tour it means it will not be run by a local guide because this is the only type of tour a Tour Manager is allowed to do when visiting cities etc. These tours are supposed to be just about orientation, giving details of where things are rather than what things are.

They are supposed to be about things like how to get to attractions, how to get around, where shops such as pharmacies are, how to use the local transport and to help find things that you might want to visit, do or places to eat at.

They are not supposed to be full of historical information, cultural information, and detailed facts about the place you are visiting because that would make them a tour.

Of course, this is a bit of a grey area.

I have certainly done orientation tours and included some aspects of history and culture because learning that sort of information is what I love doing before a tour. However, I haven’t given a blow-by-blow historical account of the city, town, or area and I haven’t spoken in length about the history of any particular building or monument.

Likewise, I have also done orientation tours which have been focussed on where things are. Showing the nearest cashpoint machines, pharmacies, supermarket, bus stop, train station and all that more practical type of information.

As you can see understanding coach trip terminology in relation to tours is really important as they can be very different.

Orientation Tour Meaning

2. What an Orientation Tour Actually Is?

My point really is that if you see “orientation tour” in the description of what is included in your coach holiday, don’t expect a full-blown tour with a local guide. You are not going to get that.

You should expect an orientation tour focussing on what is nearby and how to get around – anything more than that is a bonus.

Over the years I have seen companies move away from using local guides with some companies now expecting the Tour Managers to do all the guiding for all the excursions and all the commentary on the coach as well for the duration of the coach trip. Given the coach trip can be a couple of weeks that’s quite a long time!

It seems clear that they have been doing this as a matter of cost saving. Logistically it can also be quite challenging to sort out local guides, confirm all their details, and sort out with them where the tour needs to go and what you need to see. Each local guide has a different way of doing things which can also be challenging for a Tour Manager to deal with.

No tour is generally the same when you use a local guide in the same way that each Tour Manager is different. I have worked with my fair share of local guides who weren’t great and I have even sent some of them home.

That said a local guide is generally a local expert, able to give much more in-depth information about a place, museum, or area. Often they will have personal experiences and stories to add to their tour which I think always helps.

A good local guide can help you see a place in a new way and having done tours to the same places with different guides I have really noticed all these differences and learned a great deal accordingly.

From a tour point of view, it can be quite monotonous if the only voice you are hearing is that of the Tour Manager. If they are doing all the guiding, all the coach commentary, and all the practical information about the coach holiday as well that is certainly a lot of talking.

A local guide can add a change of voice, a change of tempo, and a change of focus and interest.

If you see several “orientation tours” on your coach trip brochure it might be worth asking a bit more about this.

In fact it might be worth asking more about who will be doing the guiding for your coach trip whatever the wording on the brochure says.

Doing a bit of research into coach trip terminology can help ensure you fully understand the differences between holidays and help find the right tour for you.

Orientation Tour

3. Orientation Tour – Conclusion

• As with many other things, a bit of research pays dividends when it comes to coach holidays.
• It’s always worth double-checking the meaning of the coach trip terminology you see in your itinerary. This can help avoid disappointment and avoid confusion on your holiday.
• As with many things if in doubt don’t assume – making the wrong assumption about what coach trip terminology means, whether an orientation tour or something else can lead to disappointment on your holiday.

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Check out my Coach Holidays page for more information

Further Reading

Definition of 'coach trip'

Coach trip in british english.

Examples of 'coach trip' in a sentence coach trip

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coach tour noun

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What does the noun coach tour mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun coach tour . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the noun coach tour ?

Where does the noun coach tour come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun coach tour is in the 1920s.

OED's earliest evidence for coach tour is from 1921, in Courier (Dundee) .

coach tour is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: coach n. , tour n.

Nearby entries

• coach party, n. 1778–
• coach pole, n. 1688–
• coach pot, n. 1789–
• coach road, n. 1710–
• coach screw, n. 1808–
• coach-screw, v. 1874–
• coach smith, n. 1746–
• coach smithing, n. 1824–
• coach stand, n. 1721–
• coach station, n. 1827–
• coach tour, n. 1921–
• coach trade, n. 1717–
• coach treats, n. 1607
• coach trimmer, n. 1777–
• coach wagon, n. 1619–
• coachway, n. 1614–
• coach wheel, n. 1594–
• coach-wheeler, n. 1686–
• coachwhip, n. 1654–
• coach-wise, adv. 1795–
• coachwoman, n. 1786–

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Meaning & use

Entry history for coach tour, n..

Originally published as part of the entry for coach, n. & adv.

coach, n. & adv. was revised in September 2022.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

A Supplement to the OED, Volume I (1972)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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Citation details

Factsheet for coach tour, n., browse entry.

Motor Coach Tourism

• Living reference work entry
• Latest version View entry history
• First Online: 05 February 2022
• Cite this living reference work entry

• Michael O’Regan 3  

While a motor coach traditionally refers to a passenger road motor vehicle designed to seat 24 or more persons (including the driver), motor coach tourism is a guided coach tour over a short or extended journey, for a group of holidaymakers. It follows a regular or bespoke scheduled itinerary and is escorted by a tour guide.

Motor coach tourism, which emerged in the 1930s, boomed between the two world wars and during the early 1970s, after railway dominance but before airborne package tours (Walton 2011 ). As people sought to cheaply escape from home and search for something different, motor coach tourism made an important contribution toward developing national and international tourism across the United States and Europe. Coach travel has continued to be an important component of tourism and has developed strong links to tourism-related companies and destinations by building scheduled itineraries with accommodation providers, food service organizations, shopping malls, motorway...

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Banica, M. 2016. Coach pilgrimage: Religion, pilgrimage, and tourism in contemporary Romania. Tourist Studies 16 (1): 74–87.

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Rhoden, S., and M. Kaaristo. 2020. Mobile landscapes and transport tourism: The visual experience of mobility during cruises and coach tours. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research 14 (3): 307–319.

Walton, J. 2011. The origins of the modern package tour? British motor-coach tours in Europe, 1930–70. The Journal of Transport History 32: 145–163.

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Michael O’Regan

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Honggen Xiao

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O’Regan, M. (2022). Motor Coach Tourism. In: Jafari, J., Xiao, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_615-2

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How to Choose the Right Tour Group

Group size, participants’ age range, style of travel and budget are among the factors you should consider when selecting an itinerary.

By Elaine Glusac

Elaine Glusac is the Frugal Traveler columnist, focusing on budget-friendly tips and journeys.

Tour companies that offer multiday trips arrange most everything for you: lodging, sightseeing, food and transportation. But group size, style of travel and budget are among the considerations travelers should assess before picking a tour. Read on for tips.

Big group or small

Start your research by thinking about how many people you want to travel with and what your tolerance is for the social demands dictated by group size.

Smaller groups can move more nimbly and possibly see more. But they can also be more intensely social as you spend a great deal of time with the same people touring and dining.

Larger groups tend to require more time to get around, but they can also offer more social variety — for example, you can change up your lunch partners more easily.

“Large groups offer anonymity, allowing travelers to choose their level of interaction,” said Deborah Miller, a travel adviser and the owner of Edge of Wonder Travels Unlimited in San Francisco. “Conversely, smaller groups foster intimacy among travelers, guides and the destination itself.”

Look for age-appropriate trips

Think about the demographics of your travel party and consider matching that to a tour company.

Operators often segment their trips by age under the assumption that similarly aged people have more in common or prefer the same pace. Road Scholar , for example, caters to an intellectually curious 50-plus crowd.

On the other end of the spectrum, G Adventures offers a category of trips for “18-to-thirtysomethings” and Intrepid Travel has trips for 18-to-35-year-olds.

With their inherent age spans, families can be a tough demographic to fit into larger group departures, which is why companies tend to break up family offerings by age group.

The active tour company Backroads has three age segments for families, including trips for those with children 4 to 19, those with older teens and younger adults into their 20s, and those with children in their 20s and beyond.

“By definition, that creates somewhat of an age segmentation among parents, too,” said Tom Hale, the founder, president and chief executive of Backroads.

Go general or specific

A popular option for first-timers, a general tour will hit the highlights of a destination, like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in Paris or major sites in Tokyo and Kyoto in Japan.

Beyond the general approach, alternatives abound based on themes, styles of travel or hobbies.

Themed trips include a culinary tour of Sicily , a deep dive into literary England , Europe’s World War II battlefields and how women live in India .

In addition to topics, trips often revolve around the means of travel, such as going by train , on foot or by boat (a category that can be further segmented by size, from a cruise ship to a barge or a kayak ).

Tours can also allow you to pursue an interest like swimming or knitting in a unique destination.

Analyze tour inclusions

Once you determine where and how you want to go, prices will range from budget to luxury.

“For travelers on a budget, large group tours tend to be the best fit because it’s a great way to see major attractions at a lower price point,” said Cheyenne Schriefer, a travel adviser and the owner of All Travel Matters in Golden Valley, N.D.

But not all tours are built the same. To compare them, consider what they include.

For example, G Adventures has a 10-day hiking trip in Switzerland from $1,799 a person and a 10-day hiking trip in Portugal for $4,499. The latter is billed as a luxury trip, so the accommodations are pricier, but it also includes most meals, transfers and activities. The Swiss tour offers more basic lodgings, transfers, optional activities available for a fee, and fewer meals.

“Sometimes fewer inclusions are better than more,” said Pauline Frommer, co-president of Frommer Media, which publishes Frommer’s guidebooks . She pointed out that restaurants that can accommodate busloads probably don’t attract local traffic and that independent sightseeing allows you to “wander through local neighborhoods to get the feel of local life.”

Expertise of the guide or tour leader can also alter the price and the experience. You can expect to pay more for a tour led by a specialist, such as an Egyptologist guiding a group along the Nile.

Gauge your level of independence

Do you prefer to follow a strict schedule that relieves you from having to find, say, a restaurant for dinner? Or do you appreciate some structure — like knowing your hotel reservations are covered — but also want free time to explore independently?

Tour companies run the gamut. Before booking, read the itineraries carefully to find out if the schedule is tight or loose. If that is not clear, call the company to ask.

For truly independent travelers, self-guided tours offered by companies such as Inntravel , Exodus Adventure Travels and Macs Adventure make your ground arrangements and provide an itinerary to follow. Popular in Europe, these itineraries tend to be inn-to-inn walking or cycling trips that include luggage transfers.

“Self-guided travelers are independent but love the support of having a trip arranged for them, and they don’t want to hike with a big backpack anymore,” said Jasper Verlaan, the U.S. sales director for Macs Adventure.

Ask for recommendations

If you’re still unsure about putting down a deposit once you’ve done your research, ask the tour company if you may speak to a past client.

“Ask for references,” said Lynn Cutler, the senior vice president of travel for Smithsonian Enterprises, which runs the tour company Smithsonian Journeys . “We’ll find them a traveler who has done this trip in the past and put them in touch.”

For more travel advice, visit our collection of Travel 101 tips and hacks.

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Dublin,:  While the Irish capital has become a more international hub, locals have made efforts to ensure what makes the city unique — its spirited personality and famed hospitality  — doesn’t get entirely swallowed up.

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Coach tourism in 2021: What does the industry think?

Taking the temperature of the coach tourism industry in 2021 is as difficult as it has ever been. Many operators involved are looking ahead with optimism, yet the extent of that positivity varies. Domestic bookings are strong, but there are two elephants in the room: Social distancing and the medium-term viability of continental trips.

In late April, routeone was able to hear the views of six Coach Tourism Association (CTA) members on where they see the industry going for the remainder of 2021. All four Home Nations were represented through a panel that comprised:

• Robert Easton, Eastons Holidays of Norwich
• Jason Edwards, Edwards Coaches of Llantrisant
• Margaret Finnis, J&K Coaches of Derry/Londonderry
• Kevin Mayne, Maynes Coaches of Buckie
• Dave Parry, Parrys International of Cheslyn Hay
• Robert Shaw, Harry Shaw of Coventry and CTA Chair.

Will the predicted coach tourism boom in 2021 materialise?

Views on whether 2021 will eventually deliver the boom in domestic coach tourism that was earlier predicted are mixed. What is clear is that there is sensitivity among some customers to wider messaging. An unfortunate utterance from a politician can lead to a rash of cancellations. Positive omens – either from a figure in authority or via an operator’s own channels – can quickly set phones ringing.

Robert Shaw points out that Harry Shaw is still observing a ‘wait and see’ approach by some of its clients.

Robert has previously predicted that the domestic season will extend later than normal, but he now believes that it will also see a lot of late booking activity.

“People are reluctant to commit without any definite outcome,” he says.

Jason agrees that the start of 2021’s season will be a “slow burner,” although he is confident that it will take off later. Key for Edwards is restoring confidence and getting its vehicles back to being seen on the road. A confidence building exercise is not only for travellers; it is identical for staff. “That positive energy, balanced with realism, needs to come to the fore now,” he says.

2021 coach tourism season in Scotland likely to be extended

Tour companies are already making it clear that they want to see the season in Scotland extended, adds Kevin. Many ‘incoming’ visitors to the north of the country are from elsewhere in the UK, and Maynes sees a “fairly decent” season ahead with those customers. It is also building interest in its own holiday programme, which has been helped by the decision to utilise television advertising.

“There is a pent-up demand for getting away,” Kevin continues. Maynes advertises its holidays from around Perth northwards, and the TV campaign – which makes use of STV’s Growth Fund – has delivered. “We can tell when the advert has been shown because the phone starts ringing,” he says.

Robert Easton and Dave are open minded on what 2021 will deliver. Neither think that it will bring total relief from the crisis that has enveloped coaching. Each of their respective businesses would normally carry out a lot of tours abroad, and that remains a difficult workstream to make accurate predictions for.

Predictions for continental tours resumption impossible

There is – at the time of writing – no clarity on when restriction-free continental departures might return. In some cases that has led to customers becoming frustrated with the lack of guidance on when they may expect to travel abroad again. That can cause them to seek refunds after having earlier agreed to defer bookings. Such an approach is far from ideal for companies that have built a portion of their businesses on tours abroad.

Despite that position, both operators look at the domestic market with hope. Parrys has added extra dates for British departures, and it has also introduced some day trips for the remainder of the year.

One announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the relaxation of restrictions in England saw a spike in confidence among Parrys’ customers.

Of 1,000 people who booked after that, 735 opted for domestic tours later in 2021. A mere 27 went for continental departures this year. Ordinarily, over half of Parrys’ tours would be to foreign destinations, which underlines the scale of the challenge facing coach tourism from the UK to other countries.

Eastons has seen a similar trend. Refunds for continental trips continue to outweigh receipts for those departures, but the domestic market looks strong, says Robert Easton. A recent brochure launch generated 1,000 bookings within less than a week. But there is one difficulty with domestic tours that all members of the panel agree on: Demand means that there is a growing reluctance or inability from hotels to be as accommodating of groups as they would typically be.

Eastons has also seen a surprisingly high amount of interest from single travellers. Sourcing sufficient rooms for those customers is already very difficult, Robert Easton continues.

J&K Coaches has found that some hotels are still keen enough to work with groups, but Margaret has observed a reluctance in other cases. “They are seeing such a surge in demand from families that they don’t need coaches,” she says. In Northern Ireland, hotels are already able to command high rates and that looks set to continue, she adds.

Edwards was fortunate in that it secured a good amount of hotel stock some time ago. Jason expects that demand will become even heavier in the summer, although it is possible that as other countries reopen, pressure on UK rooms may be relieved. That aside, the remainder of the year could still be tricky for operators that do not have them reserved already, he adds.

Social distancing uncertainty makes planning difficult

Multiple panellists agree that planning the remainder of the year’s domestic programme is further aggravated by the ongoing lack of certainty over social distancing.

Dave points out that a coach’s usable capacity is defined solely by the operator’s risk assessment.

But there is a degree of unease about carrying a full passenger load before current social distancing guidance is removed.

It surrounds the risk of pictures of a full coach being published on social media. Even though operating in such a manner could be entirely in compliance with a risk assessment, two contributors note that exposure to ill-informed criticism could be damaging.

Ongoing uncertainty about the end point for social distancing guidance is also compromising attractions’ willingness to take coach bookings. It is further the case that venues are increasingly reluctant to offer group rates. Uncertainty about whether attractions will need to implement social distancing over the summer months now means that they are cautious about how many, if any, coach passengers they will accept, Parrys has found.

Many customers now ‘just want to go’

Opinions are mixed on how the industry should promote the measures it takes to ensure cleanliness and how it portrays its environmental credentials. There is no argument that work on developing both of those should be undertaken; how it should be communicated is the point of discussion.

The argument for heavily promoting cleanliness is clear, although one panel member observes that it is impossible to guarantee that no passenger infected asymptomatically with COVID-19 has been carried. But it is likely the case that if the coach industry makes its endeavours known, that may grow confidence among attractions to accept larger groups.

An alternative school of thought is that many travellers are not overly concerned about the work that operators are doing and expect it as a default. “They just want to go,” says one panellist. The same is true for Euro VI. Customers have little concern about emissions, although Robert Shaw notes that such an attitude could change in the long term as ‘Generation Greta’ comes to the fore.

Attracting new customers may mean making changes

The opportunity to attract new customers to coach tourism has been cited as part of the potential fallout from the challenges currently facing international travel, and particularly cruises. Margaret notes that COVID-19 has given an opportunity that may not otherwise have existed to overhaul products. She adds that the upheaval brought by the pandemic could influence how operators work together in the future.

Customers travelling for sometimes 10 or more hours by coach to reach their destination may be difficult to sustain, she says.

Instead, there is an increasing argument in some cases for flying them to the nearest airport and utilising a local partner operator to handle the transfer and touring requirements.

“We have got to think out of the box now,” adds Kevin. A trend towards flying has benefitted Maynes; in an ordinary year, the operator would derive a lot of work from groups arriving in northern Scotland by air. Robert Easton agrees. Eastons is a holiday business, not solely a coach operator. It has seen success with walking tours, while trips on its heritage vehicles for customers on other companies’ tours to Norfolk is further diversification that is showing early positive signs.

Dave takes a slightly different view. Parrys’ continental programme majors on delivering an experience that cannot be matched when travelling by other modes. By default, some of those tours involve long distances. But the Staffordshire operator ensures that overnight stops mid-journey are taken in locations that add interest.

It had seen strong bookings for 2020 on that basis and had attracted what Dave calls “a new type of client.” They are the travellers that do not purchase based on price. There may be even more of them when travel returns in a meaningful way, he adds. Eastons is in a similar position, and it will seek to diversify its continental offering from 2022, says Robert Easton.

Industry looks towards long-term positivity

There is much else to consider for the future of coach tourism, the panel of experts agree. 2021 may well shape up strongly, but the overriding view now is that it will represent more of a transition towards longer-term recovery. There are also wider concerns around the implications of Brexit and the repayment of business continuity loans. While those issues were scarcely covered in the discussion, they are real and present considerations for the coach tourism business, panellists agree.

Consensus was also reached that assuring customers that their money is safe will be key in the future. The amount of refunds issued since March 2020 has hurt the industry greatly, but it has been a necessary evil. A trouble-free return of monies gives clients confidence to book in the future. Communicating that reimbursement will be made with no argument will become a central part of the short- and medium-term until the industry, and society, is fully back to normal, the operators that took part in the roundtable each recognise.

That norm may not return until 2022. But with the commitment to excellence and coach tourism’s best interests that was on show at the joint CTA and routeone roundtable, the industry remains in good hands and – no doubt – has a strong future to look forward to.

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• What is a Coach Bus And How Many Seats Does it Have?

Despite the increasing variations in coach buses and their interior designs, most will be able to seat between 36 and 60 passengers. This will be largely dependent on the comfort and luxury levels offered as well as on-board amenities to facilitate smoother travel. 

If you are planning a long-distance group trip and you want to know how many seats a charter bus offers, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading below to find out everything you need to know about the seating on a charter or coach bus.

Definition of a coach bus

A coach bus or a charter bus, is by definition, a bus that is used for large group travel over long distances. These buses generally have a smaller seating capacity than standard public transportation buses and they do not cover circular routes with many stops along the way but instead, they cover predetermined routes with a fixed pick-up and drop-off point for the passengers. 

Designed with comfort and luxury in mind, charter bus sizes tend to be similar in size to public buses. However, in terms of design, they have an elevated floor, meaning that there is luggage space in the undercarriage compartment. This is something that standard public buses do not have. 

In addition, charter buses generally have amenities on board such as a private restroom, wider and more comfortable reclining seats, USB ports and other facilities for the use and enjoyment of electronic devices, monitors and screens, PA systems, radios, CD and DVD players, an AC and central air heating system, among others.

Standard seating capacity of a coach bus

The typical charter bus seating or coach bus capacity with Bus Connection’s full-size motor coach is up to 56 passengers. Although charter bus sizes will vary from one service provider to the next, the general answer to the question how many seats are on a charter bus will range from 36 to 60 seats.

Are there variations in seating capacity?

Wondering how many people fit on a bus ? The answer is that it depends on the type of bus that you choose. A public transportation bus will normally be able to fit in a larger number of passengers due to both seating arrangements and the poles built into the bus for passengers that stand. 

In contrast to this, charter bus seats are generally fewer in number because they tend to be larger in size and more comfortable for passengers, giving them enough legroom and sufficient space to reclien their chair, should they wish to do so. These latter options are not available on public buses.

Seating configurations

Despite the variety in seats on a public bus vs. a coach bus, seating configurations are quite similar. In the case of coach buses, the seating consists of rows of two seats on either side of an aisle. 

Factors influencing the number of seats

When it comes to how many seats are on a coach bus as well as what is the tour bus capacity , it is important to note that every provider’s spacing and seat numbers will vary. 

This differentiation is due to the luxury and comfort levels that a coach or charter bus company offers, onboard amenities such as a private restroom, as well as the fact that it is mandatory to have wheelchair-accessible space for individuals with disabilities. 

The number of wheelchair-accessible spaces will also depend on the service provider although in most cases, it is necessary to allocate at least one spot on the bus for a wheelchair.

Davis Thompson latest to go from Georgia golf under Chris Haack to PGA Tour winner

Make it an even dozen golfers who Chris Haack coached at Georgia that have won on the PGA Tour.

Davis Thompson Sunday became No. 12 when he won the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill., for his first title in his 63 rd career start.

The former two-time All-American was SEC Golfer of the Year in 2021.

Thompson, 25, was runner-up a week earlier at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and finished ninth this summer at the U.S. Open.

“This week my goal was to just kick the door down and get a win honestly,” Thompson told reporters. “Then I was just able to play really well and thankfully I'm in a good spot for the rest of the year.”

Thompson won by four strokes with a 28-under 256. He gets $1.44 million for the win and qualified for this month’s British Open and next year’s Masters.

“I’m so proud of Davis,” Haack said. “Not only did he accomplish his first PGA Tour win but he broke the tournament scoring record and played incredible golf. I’m looking forward to watching his young career continue to unfold.”

Thompson became the second Bulldog in as many years to win the John Deere Classic following Sepp Straka last year.

Thompson stayed in the same house during the tournament as several players in the field including former Georgia golfer Greyson Sigg. Straka stayed in the house last year when he won, but didn’t this year because his family was in town but went over to play cards.

“I stayed in Sepp's room this year,” Thompson said. “I don't know. Me and him may be fighting for that room next year.”

Thompson became the 17 th former Georgia golfer to win on the PGA Tour. Brian Harman also won the John Deere Classic in 2014.

“It's a pretty cool fraternity out here,” Thompson said. “We've got, gosh, I don't know, around ten guys out here. It's just cool to share that with other guys. We're pulling for each other, but at the end of the day we're competing against each other, and it's always fun to talk Georgia football with those guys.”

Thompson was born in Atlanta, went to high school in Auburn, Ala., and lives in St. Simons. His father Todd was a Georgia golf captain in 1987 and 1988.

“I grew up a Georgia fan, so I always loved coming to football games as a kid,” Thompson told the Banner-Herald in 2021. “I’ve just always had that kind of innate desire to play well for Georgia and represent the school the best way possible."

Here are the 12 golfers who Chris Haack coached at Georgia that went on to win on the PGA Tour

Bubba Watson

Harris English

Kevin Kisner

Brian Harman

Russell Henley

Hudson Swafford

Brendon Todd

Keith Mitchell

Sepp Straka

Ryuji Imada 

Davis Thompson

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of coach in English

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coach noun ( TEACHER )

• The coach issued a diktat that all team members must attend early-morning practice .
• Our football coach has worked hard to inculcate a team spirit into the players .
• The world's number one tennis player and his coach parted company earlier this month .
• She's an excellent coach who knows how to get results .
• We got a rollicking from the coach at half time .
• academician
• associate professor
• board of education
• co-principal
• homeschooler
• housemaster
• housemistress
• schoolmaster
• teaching assistant

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

coach noun ( VEHICLE )

• The teachers counted the students as they got on to the coach.
• The coach has air conditioning and reclining seats .
• The coach stopped for us to eat lunch but within half an hour we were on our way again.
• The pick-up point for the long-distance coaches is now in the new bus station .
• The coach, taking children on a school trip , careered down a slope and collided with a bank .
• bus captain
• bus conductor
• double-decker
• single-decker
• take the bus
• teach She is teaching me French.
• instruct His job is to instruct people in the use of the gym equipment.
• train She trains new hairdressers.
• coach He coaches young football players.
• tutor She tutors students in French.
• educate How much does it cost to educate a child privately?
• He coached the England team for years .
• She coaches rich kids to pass their exams .
• She was coaching the basketball team .
• I've been invited to coach the under-eleven rugby team .
• His opponents accused him of coaching witnesses on their testimony .
• Presidential candidates are coached by armies of advisers .
• asynchronous
• chief academic officer
• miseducation
• multi-course
• non-conditioned
• non-didactic
• sex education
• show/teach someone the ropes idiom
• socialization
• socializing

Related word

• around Robin Hood's barn idiom
• communication
• super-commuting
• transoceanic
• well travelled

coach | American Dictionary

Coach noun ( part of vehicle ), coach | business english, examples of coach, collocations with coach.

These are words often used in combination with coach .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of coach

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accidentally on purpose

If you do something accidentally on purpose, you do it intentionally but pretend it happened by chance.

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Definition of tour

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of tour  (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

intransitive verb

• peregrinate

Examples of tour in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English, from Anglo-French tur, tourn turning, circuit, journey — more at turn

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

1708, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing tour

• Cook's tour
• package tour
• tour de force
• tour of inspection

Dictionary Entries Near tour

Cite this entry.

“Tour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tour. Accessed 8 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of tour.

Kids Definition of tour  (Entry 2 of 2)

More from Merriam-Webster on tour

Nglish: Translation of tour for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of tour for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tour

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Sri Lanka legend appointed interim head coach of men’s team

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have named a new interim head coach until the completion of their upcoming tour of England.

Sri Lanka legend Sanath Jayasuriya will take the reins of the men’s national team as the interim head coach with immediate effect and will hold the position until the completion of the tour of England.

Sri Lanka will travel to England for a three-match Test series, starting on 21 August. The first Test will be played in Manchester, and the remaining two in London at Lord's and The Oval respectively.

Jayasuriya steps in to replace Chris Silverwood, who resigned following Sri Lanka's disappointing campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The team finished third in Group D, managing only one win in four games.

Prior to the T20 World Cup, Silverwood's coaching tenure was marked by successes such as a T20 Asia Cup triumph in 2022, a runner-up position in the 50-over Asia Cup in 2023, and several victories in bilateral series.

Jayasuriya's appointment brings a wealth of experience, having featured in 586 matches for Sri Lanka across formats, accumulating an impressive 21,032 runs and 440 wickets.

Renowned as one of the most dangerous opening batters of his era, Jayasuriya has previously served Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as a selector and currently holds the role of full-time Cricket Consultant.

Speaking on the appointment, Ashley De Silva, the CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket said: “Sanath with his wealth of international cricketing experience is well-positioned to guide the national team, until we find a permanent solution.”

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Chiles baseball coach Corey Pye resigns, joins semipro Firefighters on Savannah Bananas tour

Chiles baseball is in the market for a new head coach as Corey Pye has left the program for a semi-pro coaching role.

Pye confirmed to the Democrat that he handed in his resignation to the school on Tuesday as he is joining the Firefighters, a semipro organization in the Savannah Bananas baseball tour .

While Pye was named the Firefighters' pitching coach, he will work with all pitchers across the organization's three teams (Bananas, Party Animals and Firefighters). The Firefighters and Bananas are coming off a three-game series last weekend in Buffalo. Two of the three games were televised on ESPN.

During his two-season tenure as head coach of the Timberwolves, Pye went 33-21, claiming a district championship last season and making the regional semifinals.

"I really enjoyed it," Pye told the Democrat Monday.

"We had 11 seniors on this year's team. It was a good season and the kids were great. When it was all said and done, this was a great opportunity, though, a chance to travel and explore a lot of the country I have never seen."

Pye said his initial plan was to coach with the Firefighters this summer. However, a fulltime offer was extended.

Pye led Chiles to a 19-9 record in the 2024 season, getting the team in the top 10 of the Class 5A rankings for nearly the entire season.

The unorthodox playstyle of the Bannaas world tour will not be new to Pye, who spent multiple seasons as an assistant coach in Savannah's organization during its formative years.

Now, Pye will look to build the pitching staff of the tour's newest team in the Firefighters.

Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @__liamroone y

Pakistan's Test cricket coach Jason Gillespie addresses team's inconsistency issue ahead of Bangladesh series

N EW DELHI: Pakistan's red-ball cricket coach, Jason Gillespie, has highlighted inconsistency as the team's primary issue ahead of their two-match Test series against Bangladesh in August.

Despite the team's difficulties during the Australia tour, Gillespie noted some positive aspects of their performance. Pakistan lost the series 3-0.

"During the last tour to Australia, Pakistan lost the series 3-0, but they played well. There were moments in the series where they were also dominating the opponents," Gillespie said, as quoted from Geo News by ANI.

He emphasized that despite the talent within the Pakistan team, inconsistency remains their main issue.

"The Pakistan cricket team is very talented, but the lack of consistency in performances is the main problem. We will see how we can bring continuity and consistency in performances," he added.

Apart from inconsistency, Pakistan's fielding has been a recurring point of criticism. Dropped catches and misfields were common during the recently concluded T20 World Cup.

"There is a general opinion that Pakistan's fielding is their weak point, so that would be my priority. For me, the goal is to see how we play against quality sides," Gillespie stated.

Pakistan's Test series against Bangladesh is set to begin on August 21 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second Test will be played on August 30 at National Stadium Karachi.

For more news like this visit TOI . Get all the Latest News , City News , India News , Business News , and Sports News . For Entertainment News , TV News , and Lifestyle Tips visit Etimes

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Deion Sanders shows off luxurious yacht in Miami for Fourth of July

Jeff hauser | jul 7, 2024.

• Colorado Buffaloes

Deion Sanders enjoyed the offering of South Beach to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.

The Colorado Buffaloes coach took the opportunity to get some well deserved rest and relaxation on a yacht surrounded by his sons and a select group of friends, including E. Dewey Smith. He talked about how the group watched fireworks over the ocean in a patriotic moment.

Coach Prime took Well Off Media on a tour of the luxury vessel that featured a hot tub, sauna, sleeping cabins, a full kitchen, and extended sun deck. "God told me to start living," Sanders said "Start living, and it ain't got nothing to do with the financial aspect of your life, it has nothing to do with your location. It has nothing to do with a lot of the things you think it may. Just start living."

The trip to Prime's home state comes right before he goes to Las Vegas for Big 12 Media Days. Colorado will try to improve on a 4-8 record posted last year. It will also be the first year back in the Buffaloes former conference after a 14-year stint in the Pac-12. Sanders enters his second year in Boulder, which is expected to be the final season for his sons, Shilo and Shedeur, along with Travis Hunter, who will be entering the 2025 NFL Draft .

Cam Ward tells Shedeur Sanders to stop BS'ing after bad workout in Miami

Sanders and the Buffs will open up the 2024 season at home, taking on FCS powerhouse North Dakota State on August 29 ( 8 p.m. ET/ TV: ESPN ).

JEFF HAUSER

Tour Package

Package holidays, popularly known as a tour package or simply the word ‘tour’ in the travel and tourism industry refers either to a package tour escorted or not escorted by the tourist guide.

When we say tour package, it means a pre-arrangement, prepaid trip that combines two or more travel components like airfare, airport transfer, accommodation, and other services . Practically, to define the tour package concept is complex one rather understand.

Holloway defines a tour package as “a total tourism product consisting of transportation from the market area to the destination, accommodation at the destination and recreational activities promoted by the tourists.”

According to Gregorg “a tour package is advertised journey including specific features, arranged and promoted with tour literature by a tour operator and paid for in full by the tourists  before starting the tour.”

Technically, a package tour/tour package is a total tourism product as it generally includes transport from the origin place to the destination, accommodation at an en route place or at the destination and other recreational or travel services. These components are purchased by an individual, firm or company called the ‘ tour operator ‘. He combines all the travel components in a package and sells them at all-inclusive prices to the clients.

History of Tour Package

The term ‘tour’ was in vogue as early as 1670. The Britishers traveled to widen their knowledge of the continent, especially to study the culture and social life. This practice was gradually adopted by other lovers of cultural centers.

The result of the process was that many European historic and cultural centers were opened to the British tourist. By the early 1730’s the small fishing resorts around the British coast begin to attract tourists seeking to their diseases by drinking the sea-water or by immersing themselves in it.

The introduction of a rail link between the major centers in 1830, had a profound impact on the pleasure travelers for the first time. Many entrepreneurs began to inspire rail travel by organizing excursions for the public at discounted offers.

However, to ‘the origin of package tour’ the credit goes to Mr. Thomas Cook in 1855 , Cook, extended his business operation to different countries by introducing the first ‘ inclusive tour ‘ to Paris.

Mr. Cook put together all the components of tourism products and sold them as ‘inclusive tour’ to the tourists. His pre-packaged tour inspired other tour organizations in the travel industry to organize similar tours to all parts of the globe.

Most of Cook’s tours were a linear tour i.e., the person went from place to place on a single destination. Basically, Mr. Cook developed the concept of ‘grand tour and escorted tour’, the concept which is still used.

Incidentally, World War II has tremendously developed the package tour concept because of the following reasons:

• Social and Economic Conditions
• Increase in Aircrafts
• Marketing Conditions
• Legal Requirements
• Integration took place.

Today, package tours are a vital segment of the world’s travel and tourism industry. According to WTTC, the package tour sales generate $25 billion annually in the United States, $18 billion in Europe, $19 billion in Britain, and $21 billion in Asia. Today tour sales represented 50 percent of all leisure travel sales and 35 percent of all travel agency revenues.

Types of Tour Packages

A travel agency/tour operator deals with variety of ‘tour packages,’ catering to the diverse needs of tourists such as adventure, beach, architecture, cultural, business, conference, incentive tours, ayurvedic packages, Buddhist, religious, incentive tour, special interest tours, cruise tour group tour, educational tour, heritage, monuments, wildlife lovers, etc. These are broadly classified into five categories :

• Independent Tours
• Escorted Tours

Hosted Tours

• Incentives Travel/Tours

Freedom Tours

Independent tour.

Independent tours are prepared/formulated for those tourists who want to travel independently. The components of such tours are air travel, air transfer, accommodation, travel documents, sightseeing, boat riding, entertainment, and other travel services.

However, in some cases, the tourists are free to purchase every single component separately. Thus, this type of tour provides the tourists considerable freedom to plan the activities according to their own choice.

An independent tour may or may not be an all-inclusive tour. Therefore, tour price varies depending on the type of air travel, air transfer, accommodation and is inclusive of other tour components. The foreign independent travel (FITs) and domestic independent travel (DITs) are examples of an independent tour.

Escorted Tour

When a travel agency includes the services of a well educated and trained tour manager in its package, the tour is called an escorted tour. Basically, escorted tours are meant for those travelers who are planning to visit a foreign country first time.

The escort’s responsibilities and duties are to provide comprehensive information and assistance to the group or individual traveler, at the origin, en route and the destination place. The excursion tours are the example of escorted tours.

A hosted tour means when an agency utilizes the services of another agency at a particular destination. Suppose a group of French tourists is coming to India. When the group arrives in India, they are greeted at the airports by TCI, which assists them in clearing their baggage and transfer them to the hotel.

Their tour-host (TCI) is available to offer device and information about the local attractions and entertainment. Further, when the group arrives at another designation in India, a different travel agency greets them at each tourist spot. Thus, a hosted tour provides the tourists maximum level of pre-arranged and personalized services.

Incentives Travel/Tour

It is a motivational programme or a fully paid holiday which is given to the employees by the enterprises as a reward. Mostly in medium and large-scale companies and usually too distant destinations to spur them in maintaining their track record, to increase output, improve the image and moreover to earn the long period loyalty of the employees.

There are a number of the other packages offered by a tour company such as a custom tour an excursion tour, an adventure, and special interest package tours.

Freedom tours are becoming very popular these days among the working class. These tours are designed as per the choice of tourists. The tourist is free to choose and plan how they want to travel and enjoy their holidays. These types of tours are meant for that kind of people who like to decide how, when, and where to travel.

This tourist may an individual, family, group holidays for families and group travel for business. These tours are promoted and developed by the ORBIT.

Components Of Tour Package

What is to be included in a package tour largely depends and varies from one tour organization to another, or from the one country to another, or from one destination to another and from one market to another market. But there are certain well-defined travel services which always turn a part of a package tour irrespective of the tour operator/travel agency, destination and even the market condition.

If we study and see the package tours offered by Thomas Cook and Sons Ltd., Cox and King Ltd., and other international travel companies, we find that a package tour has two major components. Therefore, a standard package tour has two basic components namely:

• Ground Arrangements

Travel industry experience has shown that the first component, i.e. ‘Travel’ is directly bought by the agency from the principal providers like airlines and transport operators and for ground arrangement, the travel agency management asks the ground operators.

The reason behind buying ground arrangement from a handling agency is that it represents as a ground operator at a particular destination for the numerous tour organizations. Secondly, the price offered by it are much lower than an individual agency obtain. Thirdly, it is very difficult to get credit from the supplier and finally, it ensures professional travel services.

Factor Affecting the Tour Package Formulation

Generally, the business of package tours involves great risk, high breakeven, high-quality product, and competitive prices. Therefore, the tour management requires in-depth tour planning and market survey. However, before a tour is designed the tour manager should take into consideration certain factors which are crucial in the formulation process.

These factors have a profound impact on the tourist’s satisfaction. The main factors are:

• Purpose of Tour
• Choice of Destinations
• Tourist Budget
• Legal Requirement
• Types of Tourist Accommodation
• Tour Period
• Departure and stay information
• Tour price; inflationary condition
• Tour Reference Tools
• Tour Features – political stability
• The relationship between the host and tourist generating nation

Tour Package Design and Selection Process

The quality of a package tour is entirely based on the above factors. Essentially, to design/formulate a travel product, the tour manager has to take the biggest responsibility, intuitiveness, imagination, and innovation coupled with a lot of business activities which range from finding new exotic destinations and planning, organizing or promoting such tour.

The following are the main stages in the tour design and selection process:

1. Initial Research

(i) the destination research.

The decision to develop and formulate a new package is a multi-stage process that involves various positive and negative points/steps. Normally, the idea for a new product comes either from the tour executive within the company due to a review of the questionnaire completed by the previous tour members because of the political, economic and social development in a particular area.

When a tour manager see that a large number of old clients are interested in taking a trip to particular destinations, naturally, those destinations become the nucleus of a new ‘tour concept’.

(ii) Market Research

Since tour package is a complete tourism product, obviously, before formulating/designing this product, market research needs to be analyzed and assessed in a systematic manner. Market  research provides us the answer to the following questions:

• What is the size of the tourism market?
• Who are the existing clients?
• Where do they live?
• Who will be their potential buyers?
• Who are their competitors – their strategy and area of business leisure?
• How many tourist ones want to cater?
• What price will the clients accept?
• What facilities are available and required?
• What are the constraints viz., license, permission, finance, restrictions, taxes, and others?

Once we know the basic components of the package tour, distribution channels, market conditions, constraints in the tourism market, we can develop the marketing strategy. It enables the smooth functioning of the agency and also offers a clear picture of the tour programme. Practically, market research is conducted by the private tour companies/ private tourism enterprises in order to penetrate the market.

2. Itinerary Preparation

By itinerary one means the designing of a programme which one wants to sell and it includes destinations, stopping points, number of days and the travel services that are to be included in the programme. Whether it is a lean season or an offseason, escorted or not escorted, consumer-oriented or readymade tour programme, the itinerary is prepared to identify the origin, destinations, stopping points, accommodations, sightseeing and other travel services on travelers’ trip.

3. Handling Agency or Destination Company

The appointment of handling agency not only ensure excellent travel services to the tourist but also make the operation smooth and profitable. It is a matter of great significance as the success of travel business largely depends upon the clients are actually taken care of during the tour.

It is a positive match between the promised services and tourist’s actual experiences or feelings. Thus, the tour operator should consider the experience of the handling travel agency in the business, the area of operation, reputation, credibility, professional staff, credit facilities and the competitive price in appointing a handling agency.

4. Negotiation

It is another important management decision area in tour designing and planning. Once the decision has been made regarding the destination’s concerning their date, duration and number of clients to be carried during the trip, the tour management starts negotiations with the principals’ suppliers for a normal contract.

Negotiation means talk between the travel companies and the principal suppliers for the terms, conditions, and prices of the components of a tour package. When both parties are satisfied, it leads to a formal or informal contract between them. The tour company negotiates with the following tour vendors/suppliers:

• Accommodation
• Transport Operations- Rail and Road
• Ground Operators
• Cruise Companies
• Car Rental Companies
• The overseas representatives
• Ancillary Service Organizations

5. Coasting and Pricing a Package Tour

The cost of a package tour encompasses the air ticket, the hotel room, car rental, entertainment charges, administrative costs, promotional costs, and other travel services. The confidential tariff helps the travel company in preparing the cost sheet which will enable the concern to determine its price strategy.

Tour pricing is a big factor in the success of the company’s tour programme. The price of a package tour is, whether it is an escorted, independent or hosted the tour, often lower than the combined costs of the same components purchased separately from the principals. However, the purchase price of a travel product is based on three factors: Cost, competition, and demand.

Every tour package sold by a vendor has a quantifiable cost. To produce profit the price paid by the tourists must be greater than the agency’s cost.

6. Tour Brochure

The tour package is an intangible product which has to be purchased by the tourists/clients without inspection and sometimes even without adequate knowledge. In these circumstances, the brochure becomes the principal instrument to perform the major tasks to inform the clients about the products and to pursue them to purchase it.

Designing, printing, and distributions of tour brochures require necessary skills and knowledge about the components of the tour package. Basically, in the era of specialization and intense competition, tour brochure creates awareness and provides the description of the holiday programme.

Thus, tour management should consider various pros and cons while preparing a tour brochure. A brochure should contain the following information:

• Name of the Travel Company
• Means of transport
• Details about destinations
• Accommodation, types, location, meals
• Name of the overseas representative
• Duration of each tour
• Booking, reservation and cancellation conditions
• Details of other services – insurance, currency, entertainmentTravel documents required
• Details of price

7. Development of Reservation System

The next step in tour formulation process is reservation system. The agency management in order to put a package into operation must develop and implement a scientific reservation system. The system depends on whether the reservation is to be handled manually or with a computer working on the distribution method.

Whatever method the agency may adopt, the agency management should always keep in mind the sole objective of the reservation system.

8. Marketing of Tour Package

Once a tour package is ready, travel agency management has to make a careful decision regarding promotion and marketing of the particular package tour. The basic objective of management is to make a tour package widely known to make it more and more attractive.

To achieve these objectives, the management must consider the budget available, promotion mix, potential market, easiest and most effective media, campaigning through the international, regional or the public/private sector etc.

The promotion of a package tour means increasing its sales potential and creating an awareness of the existing and potential markets. The following methods are commonly used to promote package tours:

• Middlemen – Retail Travel Agents, GSA, consolidators
• Familiarization tours
• Building Brand Loyalty
• Encouraging Potential Buyers
• Competitive Market

9. Tour Handling/Actual Tour Operation

After the successful marketing and achieving target sales, the next and final step in the process of tour designing is tour handling. It means an actual operation of tours, which generally includes administrative work and passenger handling like maintaining reservations, handling deposits, sending advice to ground operators, arranging travel representation, analyzing the feedback received from clients/escorts/ground operator and so on.

All this is not an easy task. At every stage, one has to face different types of queries and problems due to lack of coordination and communication.

Significances of Tour Package

Tour package is beneficial to travel companies, travelers, destinations and other organizations which are directly or indirectly involved in the tourism business. The main benefits are:

• Increase the seasonality of a destination cost/price
• Earn foreign currency
• Better quality of products professional services
• Wide-variety of the tour package
• Provide bulk business to organizers

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Definition of coach noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• the head/assistant coach
• a basketball/football coach
• the team coach
• the England coach
• Italy’s national coach
• Coach Bob Shapiro
• the Giants coach Tom Coughlin
• coach of/with/for somebody/something the coach of the New York Knicks
• a coach with the Chicago Cubs
• a coach for the US Olympic team
• He is a former college football coach.
• a top basketball coach
• The Giants coach had this to say last night:…
• The national athletics coach was interviewed after the event.
• Who's the team coach?
• See you tomorrow, Coach.
• a pitching coach

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The Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app

What’s the Difference Between a Bus and a Coach?

So you’ve heard the words coach, motorcoach, and charter bus thrown around, but how exactly are they different from a plain bus? There are actually quite a few differences between coaches and buses, including purpose, design, history, and amenities.

History of Buses and Coaches

Buses and coaches have similar origins starting in Europe during the 1600s as horse-drawn vehicles.

The term “bus” comes from the word “omnibus,” which originally referred to a horse-drawn carriage that served as a public bus line. One of the earliest iterations of an omnibus was launched in Paris in 1662, but they eventually spread throughout France and soon Great Britain, where the first bus line opened in 1824. Early motor buses were developed in the late 1890s but were not produced and used on a mass scale until 1910.

Modern coaches started with stagecoaches, also sometimes referred to as carriages. Horse-drawn stagecoaches often traveled pre-scheduled routes but could be hired for long-distance travel with a small number of passengers with light luggage. Great Britain was home to the first recorded stagecoach in 1610 that traveled between Edinburgh and Leith. Longer distance routes were developed between cities like London and Liverpool with coaching inns along the way for travelers to rest. Once railways were introduced in the 19th century, horse-drawn coaches became all but obsolete.

The earliest motorized coach was the charabanc, which was introduced in the 1920s and quickly became the preferred vehicle for companies that previously operated horse-drawn coaches.

Different Uses for Buses and Coaches

To keep it simple: All modern coaches are technically buses but not all buses are coaches. Both types of vehicles are used to transport a large number of passengers across different distances.

A bus usually refers to public transport or pre-scheduled transportation like transit (city) buses and school buses. Buses are usually built for efficiency and not necessarily comfort. They serve the public and travel along predetermined routes, making several stops along the way. The main purpose of a transit bus is to offer cost-effective transportation for as many passengers as possible within metro areas. Bus services can often be split into different categories like standard buses, which service normal routes and express buses, which often service fewer stops for faster rides.

A coach may also be called a motorcoach, coach bus, or charter bus. Smaller models may be considered minicoaches or minibuses. Unlike normal buses, coaches are primarily used for private transportation and are often used for long-distance travel where convenience and comfort are key. Coaches are usually private modes of transportation and travel on routes determined by the riders or trip organizers. Some intercity coach services like Greyhound travel along fixed routes and are open to the public via a ticketing system. Although the schedules of coach buses vary, most coaches don’t make more stops than necessary since many are traveling long distances.

Designs of Buses and Coaches

Vehicles like standard city buses are oftentimes a similar length and overall body style to coaches. However, buses that service public sectors can also come in modified designs like the articulated bus. These extended vehicles shave multiple cabins and optimize the number of passengers that can be transported along any given route. Transit buses also include standing areas and railings that can be used when seats fill with passengers. Most transit buses can accommodate anywhere from 40 to 60 passengers, depending on the model.

Other notable design choices may include :

• Multiple entry doors
• Straphangers for standing passengers
• Dedicated seats at the front of the bus for passengers with mobility concerns
• Ramps for passengers with mobility aids on ADA-accessible buses

Coaches have a raised floor that creates space underneath the bus for luggage storage, making it taller than your average transit bus. This gives the interior of coach buses a platform-like appearance compared to normal buses, and passengers have a raised view of the street. Coach buses usually have anywhere between 18 and  56 seats. Buses on the lower end of that range usually qualify as minibuses or minicoaches.

Here are a few coach design differences from transit buses :

• One entry door at the front of the vehicle
• Storage compartments beneath the bus for at least one piece of luggage per passenger
• Uniform rows of seating throughout the bus
• Ramp at entry or wheelchair lift in the rear of the vehicle on ADA-accessible coaches

Amenities of Buses and Coaches

Bus amenities.

Transit buses aren’t known for being the most comfortable rides and don’t always include amenities to improve rider satisfaction. Of course, there are newer models of buses that may have updated features for riders, but this will vary depending on the transit service and city.

Some transit bus amenities may include :

• Free public wifi
• Covered bus stops and bus shelters

Coach Amenities

Since coach buses are primarily built for comfort across long distances, they often include additional amenities not found on transit buses.

Amenities on coach buses may include :

• Plush reclining seats made of cloth, leather, faux leather, or a combination of materials
• USB and electric outlets
• Dropdown TVs
• Overhead storage compartments
• Reading lights and personal climate controls

Bus and Coach Services Today

Today, many private group transportation companies in the U.S.A. operate a fleet of minibuses and charter buses. Charter bus rental services like those provided by National Charter Bus are often used as alternatives to rideshares, carpools, or public transportation for short- and long-distance trips. Private charter buses are often used for business travel , sporting event transportation , wedding shuttles , and personal events like group tours . The National Charter Bus rental team can be contacted at 1-844-755-0510 to organize transportation services across the United States.

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Michelangelo

• Aug 8, 2007

Hello. Would you please help? I am trying to translate the term: "Coach Tour" into Spanish. I know tour has the following meanings: Tour: Excursion, viaje, paseo, etc. A coach tour is a guided tour? a escorted tour? I dont know the meaning..:+^ Everytime I search the word in internet all the hits I get are turistic offers but no description of it. Is this a coined word without translation in Spanish? Ayuda por favor> Muchas gracias.  

Senior Member

coach = autobús es un palabra formal que usa en negocios, no en la vida diaria. coach tour = un excursión turistica de autobús. :: Aprendo el español. Hagame el favor de corregir mis errores. Gracias. ::