Short city breaks are the new trend in vacation packages, A lot of tour companies have launched short, city tours instead of long tour packages to help their clients get the low down on a variety of exciting metropolises. Families can get to know Nashville with Disney and couples can explore Paris’ luxurious side with Cox & Kings. While these tours are diverse in their appeal, they are singular in their statement that travelers are not willing to just splash out the cash for a hotel in a city anymore – they want to experience it as a destination and come away with the feeling that they got to know the ins and outs of their destination’s daily life. Or they aren’t satisfied with just one experience on a trip. Travelers want to add layovers or destinations rather than going straight home after a vacation.
“Last year, we saw a growing demand for what we referred to as ‘The Quickie,’ guests who were looking to pack in an extra destination by planning an intentional layover or stop for a few days on their journey home,” said Scott Wiseman, president – The Americas, Cox & Kings. “In light of this, we created our new Spotlight Journeys as a way to offer travelers, who are either time-constrained or looking to extend their trip, the opportunity to immerse themselves in these classic European cities.”
Cox & Kings Spotlight Journeys are new for the company and launched this year. They reflect the desire of many travelers to travel in Europe independently and get an in-depth experience of some of the most popular cities. The single-destination, three-night/four-day experiences start at $750 per person and are a great way to round out a Europe tour, combine several cities into one trip or book and quick city break. They are offered in Vienna, Innsbruck and Salzburg, Austria; Madrid and Barcelona, Spain; Reykjavik, Iceland; Munich; Copenhagen; London; Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice, Italy; Helsinki, Finland; Paris; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm.
Adventures by Disney launched its Long Weekends this year. The Long Weekends are in response to the changing consumer dynamic and offer families a great opportunity to get to the heart of a destination together. Unlike the Cox & Kings journeys, these weekend trips aren’t just available in cities, but include an adventure in Wyoming a la “City Slickers” for the whole family. They also offer these three-night, four-day trips in Nashville, San Francisco and New York City. These weekend adventures allow families to enjoy exclusive experiences in some of America’s most iconic destinations while making the most out of their free time. For example, on its Nashville Long Weekend, Adventures by Disney offers experiences for foodies, music lovers and family travelers to enjoy together.
Another tour operator also entered the short tour business. Collette is now offering Spotlights, which also launched this year. These independent packages are not the traditional escorted tour. The trips take place in a single city for four to six nights and include a city tour for orientation but that’s where the guided part ends. Following that, travelers have access to a local host and some included meals, but they are free to explore on their own. The packages are available in several cities around the world, including Florence, Rome, Venice, New Orleans, San Francisco, Paris, Dublin, London, Barcelona, Madrid, French Riviera, Beijing, New York and San Antonio. They are reasonably priced as well, starting at $999 for the Beijing trip. Bookings are available now with travel beginning in May.