Adventures Abroad

I have travelled with both Adventures Abroad (hereinafter referred to as "AA") and Odysseys Unlimited (hereinafter referred to as "Odysseys") and like them both equally, so which one you choose would depend on other factors.

I have just looked at the Israel itinerary for both of them. AA's tour is 10 days; Odysseys is 12 (including arrival and departure date). Based on double occupancy, AA's tour of March 17-26, 2012 is $2590 without air. Odysseys' March 13 departure (from Boston and New York) is $4,595 including air (you can also book the tour on a land only basis, but you would need to contact them for the price). Even without the air and without factoring in the two extra days, Odysseys is more expensive than AA. However, Odysseys stays in top notch hotels, including the Hotel Dan in Tel Aviv and the King David in Jerusalem. AA would not use hotels of such deluxe caliber. So the additional cost of Odysseys' Israel tour is presumably going towards better hotels.

Odysseys has an advantage over AA in that it has 3 spring 2012 departure dates (March 13, April 10, and May 1), whereas AA has only the March 17 departure. If that one gets cancelled, you are out of luck until you try again for their fall departure. Note that AA has a history of cancelling many of their tours due to lack of minimum number of participants. My AA tours to Ukraine and Japan were both cancelled for this fall and the Arab Gulf States tour that I booked with them for February 2012 looks precarious with only 3 people so far.

On AA's website, there is a listing of 40 of their most popular tours that are pre-guaranteed (and a separate listing of tours that just need a few more people to be guaranteed). From what I can see, their Spring 2012 Israel tour is not listed in either category, although that doesn't mean that it's not almost guaranteed because AA lists only a handful of tours in that category. Before you put a deposit down on it, I would recommend that you call AA and ask what are the chances of the tour operating based on their most recent departure dates (spring and fall 2011) and how many people do they have signed up for Spring 2012 so far?

If you go with AA, be sure not to make any advance air arrangements until they tell you that the tour is guaranteed. Otherwise you will be left "holding the bag". And since you're dealing with the Middle East, unfortunately anything could happen at the last minute to cancel your trip, even if it is a guaranteed departure.

Frankly, I would recommend that you stick with Odysseys, as you have been accustomed to using, because their tour is a few days longer, it uses better hotels, it includes the air, and there are more departure dates to choose from in case one of them gets cancelled. And if you can afford it, I would highly recommend the post-tour extension to Jordan (Petra and Amman). The advantage of the flights included in the cost is that if the tour is cancelled you are not responsible for them as opposed to independently-made flight arrangements. And because the Middle East is so volatile, right now I would recommend that you pick a tour that includes the air no matter what Middle Eastern country you choose. Admittedly if you go with AA, they can make the air arrangements for you and you will not be held responsible if the tour is cancelled, although they might not necessarily give you the best routing or your first choice of airline. Many times when tour companies arrange the air on the client's behalf, they do what works out best for them and not necessarily for the client.

The bottom line is that both companies are great, but I hope this information helps you make a more informed decision.

Did a very demanding Silk Road Pakistan to China trip with them and loved how they approached things - excellent guides, small groups, more off the beaten track arrangements - not a deluxe tour but truly a travel adventure with high level competency.

I've traveled with AA several times and love the company for several reasons, including its destinations, its itineraries, and its activities once on the tour. I find their itineraries to be typically more inclusive than those of other companies (for example, they include Plain of Jars in Laos), and their activities are also often more adventurous (for example, we entered the Valley of the Kings in Egypt via sunrise donkey ride rather than middday tour bus). I also like the ability to take long, comprehensive tours with them (for example, their epic 6-country West Africa trip). Dinners are almost always in local restaurants rather than your hotel, which is great. People on their trips tend to be adventurous and a lot of fun.

Some of the negatives: Many of their tours get cancelled for insufficient signup. Lunches are almost never included, and can be pricy (depending on destination) and time-consuming. The modular format can take some getting used to - it means that often group composition and numbers change as the trip goes on.

Adventures Abroad is frequently asked about on this forum so you might try a search to gather more info.