Trafalgar Tours is one of the grande dames of the tour world, one that has escorted five million guests on trips around the world over the last century and has a solid track record. Today, it has 300 itineraries in 72 countries. Its strength lies in its ability to deliver both standard coach tours and also small group tours and specialized tours that highlight nature, history, food, and other specific areas of interest.
TourScoop Takeaways
- Countries: 72 countries on seven continents
- Price range: From $800 for a five-day trip in Cambodia to about $12,000 for a 22-day trip in Australia and New Zealand
- Tour size average: The standard group size is about 40 guests. Trafalgar also offers Small Group Active Tours that have no more than 17 guests.
- Tour type: Coach
Credibility Check
Trafalgar has a Feefo rating of 4.6/5 and received the company’s Platinum Trusted Service Award for 2022. On TourRadar, Trafalgar has a rating of 4.5/5 and is a gold partner, meaning the brand has a high rating and is recognized to promptly respond to queries. According to Trafalgar, it has a repeat guest rating of 53% with a 97% satisfaction rate. The brand has won over 80 awards including Travel Weekly’s Readers’ Choice Awards and USA Today’s 10Best Tour Company. It also hosts unedited reviews from its customers on its site.
Tour Destinations
Trafalgar offers trips to 72 countries across seven continents, with over 300 itineraries. Among its most popular tour destinations are England, Italy, the Iberian Peninsula, Egypt, Ireland, Argentina, and Thailand.
Tour Types
Trafalgar offers both general and special interest tours. Its special interest tours include food and wine tours such as Taste and Sound of the South, family tours including Pioneer Adventures of the Old West, religious tours such as Land of the Gods, battlefield tours including WWI and WWII Battlefields, safaris such as Wonders of Kenya, and women’s only tours in destinations such as Turkey and Egypt. Trafalgar also offers active travel tours with options for more rigorous hiking and biking activities than the average tour. These trips include Trafalgar’s new Small Group Active Tours that include itineraries such as Yellowstone, The Tetons and Glacier National Park and California Coast Food and Wine Trail.
Tour Guides
Tour directors come onto the job with three to five years of road experience, and receive extensive training that includes diversity and inclusion training, well-being training, customer service instruction, and administration. Each year, travel directors also receive a week-long professional development program in which they are placed in the position of the guest for a week of touring and training on the ground and in the classroom. Trafalgar has travel directors who have been with the company for 30 years; the longest serving Travel Director has been with Trafalgar for 45 years.
Inclusions/Extras
Trafalgar trips include all accommodations and transportation during the trip plus most meals. Most activities are included in the itinerary, though Trafalgar also offers optional experiences for additional fees. Transfers to and from the airport are offered in the majority of overseas countries free of charge. Trafalgar can help arrange flights (not included in the base price) at the beginning and end of a trip.
On select trips featuring Be My Guest experiences, Trafalgar includes one-of-a-kind experiences such as meeting with locals for lunch and learning about their way of life, staying in accommodations such as castles or historical hotels, or gaining early entry into bucket list attractions such as the Vatican.
Typical Travelers
The majority of Trafalgar guests are 50 and up, though on family tours children as young as five participate. Trafalgar has a robust solo travel program with free or reduced single supplement prices for tours in Europe, North and South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Travelers come from all over the world, and in recent years, post-trip guest-managed Facebook groups have cropped up, allowing guests (and their travel director) to stay in touch.
Communication
After booking a Trafalgar tour, guests get access to MyTrafalgar, a gated part of the Trafalgar website where guests can provide details about any dietary restrictions, upload emergency contact information, and connect with their Travel Director. About a week before the departure date, guests receive access to all travel documents for the trip plus instructions for joining a group chat with Travel Directors and other guests.
Loyalty Program
Anyone who travels with Trafalgar automatically becomes a Very Important Traveler (VIT) and can receive access to 5% saving with exclusive offers when new trips are released or during limited-time secret sales across Trafalgar and its TTC’s sister brands. VITs also receive priority access to new trips and special recognition on trips.
Private Options
Groups of 10 or more can work with the Trafalgar team to create customized private itineraries that cater to specific budget and interests.
Sustainability Efforts
Trafalgar works with the TreadRight Foundation on sustainable initiatives focused on conserving the planet, preserving cultures throughout the world, and protecting wildlife. In 2020, Trafalgar, along with TreadRight, launched the How We Tread Right (HWTR) sustainability strategy that the brand is hoping to achieve by 2025. These goals are in line with the UN’s Global Goals and address climate change, sustainable food production, waste reduction, travel experiences, diversity and inclusion and wildlife.
Trafalgar offers opportunities on trip for guests to work towards those sustainable goals through its MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences. These experiences are conscious travel experiences that travelers can participate in during their trip and leave a more positive social or environmental impact on the communities they visit. Examples of these experiences include:
· Meeting the women of Iraq Al-Amir, a women’s co-op that empowers the local women in Jordan through handcrafted pottery and paper to directly support the livelihoods of the women living in rural Jordan on Best of Israel and Jordan.
· Learning from rangers on at the Ol Petaja conservancy about its endangered wildlife and conservation efforts on Wonders of Kenya.
· Venturing out on an indigenous-led foraging walk near Glacier National Park with Mariah Gladstone, Pikuni & Cheerokee on Trafalgar’s Yellowstone, Tetons & Glacier National Park itinerary. Gladstone teaches travelers about the traditional Pikuni names and uses for plants, along with how to properly gather them, process and consume them today. Travelers will then join Mariah for a lunch made of ingredients all native the North American continent – no flour, sugar, dairy or other refined processed ingredients are used.
Health and Safety Practices
Through December 31, 2022, all Trafalgar guests are required to be fully vaccinated (at least two shots) for COVID-19. For all other vaccinations, Trafalgar guests are responsible for finding out what is required for the destination(s) they’re visiting on trip. Travelers are advised to speak with their doctor or travel agent to find out what they will need.
Trafalgar’s teams offer always-on support and are always up to date on the latest regulations. During trips, Travel Directors encourage social distancing when possible and prioritize hygiene throughout the trip including offering freely accessible hand sanitizer and wiping down frequently touched surfaces. Should any issues arise, there are protocols in place and 24/7 incident response in which the Trafalgar team will assist and work directly with local medical support and local authorities to follow protocols that align with the destination. Trafalgar updates its health and safety practices regularly, so check the website for the latest policies.
Family Companies
Trafalgar is a part of The Travel Corporation’s family of brands.