Megan, from our Sales team in New Zealand, recently experienced a Cosmos tour along the East Coast of the USA and Canada. Read on to find out five benefits of coach touring with Cosmos.
I was lucky enough to experience some of North America’s eastern coast on the 9-day Cosmos New York City, Niagara Falls and Washington DC tour. We had a great mix of people and nationalities on board the coach with people from New Zealand, Australia, England and the USA.
I had never been on a coach tour before, but I was looking forward to it. I have tried many styles of travel before, from backpacking around Europe to self-drive holidays. The benefits of a coach tour certainly ticked a few boxes for me, particularly the fact that almost everything was taken care of for me. In today’s busy world as a full-time working Mum of two, not having to spend hours researching, booking and putting everything together myself certainly appealed!
I found that by experiencing each city as part of a tour group, I was able to get a local’s perspective on the key highlights from the iconic buildings and memorials to the history and sights. Transport from A to B was included so I didn’t have to worry about self-navigation, and the icing on the cake was that I could enjoy some free time. I loved being able to explore cities at my own pace, checking out some of the things I really wanted to experience.
There were so many highlights, but these are my top five benefits of coach touring:
1. The places
From the bustling cities of New York and Philadelphia to the lesser-known towns like Corning, this one is a given! I got to see and experience bucket list places as well as be introduced to smaller towns that I may never have stopped in but were absolute gems. Plus, seeing natural wonders like Niagara Falls just blew me away. The sheer amount of water that pours over those falls every minute is truly unbelievable. Getting up close to the falls on the included cruise as well as seeing them at night with the light and fireworks show is something I will never forget.
2. The flexibility
I loved that we had an included city tour with a local guide in each city, but we were also given free time to explore on our own. This gave me the ability to tailor parts of my tour. I thought Cosmos struck the perfect balance for me between seeing the highlights but knowing I could go back and spend time at places that were of interest to me. In New York, I spent my free time cycling through the iconic Central Park and visiting Summit One Vanderbilt for an immersive experience, complete with an epic observation deck!
I also loved that we had some meals included but that a decent number were on our own. This gave me the freedom to choose what I wanted to eat and try the local delicacies (yes, I am talking about a hot dog from a hot dog stand in New York, and a Philly cheesesteak in Philadelphia among that!).
3. Local guides
In addition to having a Tour Director who shared their knowledge of the areas we were visiting, kept us on track and gave us amazing insights and tips, we also had local guides in some of the cities. Each one gave our tour group a rundown of the city and its history, giving us insights we wouldn’t have had if we were travelling on our own. I found this especially interesting in Washington DC when we learnt about the history and stories of the US presidents and politicians.
4. Optional Excursions
Cosmos offers plenty of optional excursions that allow guests to enjoy additional activities or meals that aren’t included in the core tour. My favourite optional excursion was the evening tour of Washington DC’s monuments, plus a dinner. It was a great way to see all those iconic landmarks lit up at night and we had a delicious meal on the waterfront in Georgetown.
5. No stress
All I had to do was turn up on time each day and everything was taken care of. Our Tour Director took care of all the logistics and ensured we had a great time on tour. She also gave helpful suggestions of things to do in our free time and how to get there and back again. Our coach driver did an amazing job at navigating some of the busy streets of New York, Philadelphia & Washington DC – those roads are busy, so I was very happy not to be driving myself!
I can safely say that I would not have seen or experienced as much as I did in 9 days if I had been travelling on my own. The trip didn’t feel rushed at all, but we certainly made the most of every day, making incredible memories along the way. Check out this particular New York, Niagara Falls & Washington DC tour, or the full range of Cosmos tours available.
