Checking travel companies, contracts and refunds before you book
Choosing a tour
Private or group tour: how to choose
A private tour and a set-departure group tour are sold differently, priced differently and fail in different ways. The legal checks are the same for both: a licensed company, a written contract, insurance and a carded guide.
Contents
On this page
- The two formats side by side
- Why private costs more per person
- The same checks either way
- Group tours: minimum numbers and combined departures
- Private tours: what "private" should mean
- When the cheaper option is the right one
- When private is worth paying for
- A five-step decision
- Questions readers ask
Sections
The two formats side by side
| Private tour | Set-departure group tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Who travels | Your party only | Travellers who booked separately |
| Dates | Yours to choose | Fixed departures |
| Pace and changes | Can be adjusted on the day within the contract | Set for the group |
| Price per person | Higher for small parties, falling as the party grows | Lower, because vehicle and guide costs are shared |
| Risk of cancellation by the company | Low once confirmed | Possible if the minimum number is not reached |
| Contract and licence rules | The same | The same |
Why private costs more per person
The largest costs on a tour are fixed per group, not per person: the vehicle and driver, the guide's days, and often a boat or a private cabin. A party of two pays all of them; a group of twelve divides them by twelve. Hotels and entrance fees are per person in both formats, which is why the gap narrows as your party grows.
That means a private tour for a family of five can cost little more per person than a group tour, while a private tour for one person can cost several times as much. Ask for quotes for both formats if your party is four or more.
The same checks either way
- The company named on the contract holds a licence that fits your tour, checked on the official register.
- A written contract with the items in Article 39 of the Law on Tourism.
- Insurance for the programme, or your own policy that covers the whole programme.
- A guide with an international card in your language, which you can check online.
Sources: Law on Tourism 2017, Article 39 — travel contracts; Law on Tourism 2017, Article 37 — duties of travel businesses; Law on Tourism 2017, Article 58 — types of tour guide card · last checked .
Group tours: minimum numbers and combined departures
Group departures usually need a minimum number of travellers. Ask what the minimum is, by what date the company will confirm the departure, and what happens if it is not reached: a refund, a change of date, or a surcharge to run with fewer people.
Some sellers combine travellers from several companies into one departure run by another operator. That is not illegal in itself, but you should know who runs your tour. Article 40 of the Law on Tourism puts the contract with the licensed company whose programme is sold, so ask the seller to name it, and check that company's licence.
Sources: Law on Tourism 2017, Article 40 — travel agents · last checked .
Private tours: what "private" should mean
The word is used loosely. Ask whether the vehicle, the guide and each activity are for your party alone. A "private tour" can include a shared boat, a shared cooking class or a seat on a scheduled bus between cities. None of that is wrong, but it should be written in the programme so you can compare quotes.
Ask also how flexible the programme is. Being able to start later, skip a stop or stay longer somewhere is the main reason to pay for private; if the contract fixes every hour, you are paying for privacy, not flexibility.
When the cheaper option is the right one
- You are travelling alone or as two, on a well-travelled route, with fixed dates.
- You want company: group tours suit people who enjoy meeting other travellers.
- The tour is short and structured, such as a day visit to a site where the schedule is set by opening hours.
- Your budget would otherwise push you towards an unchecked seller. A checked group tour beats an unchecked private one.
When private is worth paying for
- Children, older travellers or anyone who needs to stop when they need to.
- A party of four or more, where the price difference per person is small.
- A specific interest that a group programme would not serve: photography, food, a family history visit.
- Mobility needs that require a suitable vehicle, rooms or pace, agreed in writing.
A five-step decision
- 01
Count your party
Under four, start with group departures; four or more, ask for both.
- 02
Fix what cannot move
Dates, places and pace that you will not change.
- 03
Ask for the programme in writing
From each company, with inclusions and exclusions.
- 04
Compare like with like
Hotels, vehicle, guide card and language, group size, shared activities.
- 05
Check the company
Licence, contract, insurance, payment route, before any deposit.
Common questions
Questions readers ask
Is a private tour safer than a group tour?
Not by itself. Safety depends on the company, the vehicle, the boat and the guide. The legal checks are the same for both formats.
What happens if my group tour does not reach the minimum number?
Whatever the contract says. Ask before booking whether you will get a refund, a new date or a surcharge, and by what date the company will confirm.
Can my group tour be run by a different company from the one I booked?
Combined departures exist. Ask the seller which licensed company operates the tour and make sure its name is on your contract.
How large are group tours?
It varies by company and programme. Ask for the maximum group size in writing; it is one of the clearest ways to compare two group tours.
Related
Read next
Before you book
Agents and operators
Licensed operators, travel agents and overseas platforms compared, and what each means for your contract.
Paperwork
Contract and confirmation
The five items the Law on Tourism requires in a travel contract, plus what a good confirmation adds.
Before you book
Tour guides
Three types of guide card, the conditions for each, how to check one in the national database, and the fines.
Before you book
Check a licence
Step-by-step check of a travel company on the official VNAT register, with licence number formats and limits.
Money
Insurance
The operator's legal insurance duty, what your own policy should cover, common exclusions and how claims work.
Money
Refunds
How deposits, cancellation charges, refunds and card disputes work, and what is realistic in each case.
Start planning
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