When I traveled to Costa Rica, New York and Europe I used a travel company all three times. I went with my school through WorldStrides when I went to Costa Rica, Show Me Tours for New York and EF Tours for Europe. All three companies were amazing and lived up to expectations.
There are many pros and cons for traveling with a tour group, and whether or not you want to use one depends on the type of traveler you are.
Without a travel agency you can choose when and where you want to go places, where you will be staying, who with and how long you want to stay abroad. You get a little more freedom when you don’t have a tour group.
With a tour group you have a lot more organization and structure to your trip. In my opinion you get more out of your trip and it is much easier than planning on your own. You have to get up early everyday, but you are busy all day long. With most companies you have already paid for all of your transportation fees, entrance fees, and any other little fees before hand, so all the money you bring abroad is for eating, and souvenirs. You also get to meet a lot of great people that you’ll be friends with forever. You will not have to worry about finding places to stay, or how to get to tourist attractions because that will all be taken care of for you.
Many tour agencies do have the option to customize your own tour and pre-planned tours give free time, planned time and excursions. Most tour agencies go wherever you want to go, and they make it really simple for you to travel.
The most important thing is to just get up and go!
Check out these college tour websites:
WorldStrides Capstone Programs
Travel By Rustie 