Meet your Tour Escorts

Escorts for South Africa, Southern Africa and Turkey

Why Carefree Tours, and why us?

We have always been keen travellers and have taken many solo holidays worldwide. However, the best journeys we have taken have been with Carefree Tours.
We can speak with confidence, having had the privilege of escorting over forty tours in the past fifteen years. Many of our clients have found the experience as addictive as we have. We’ve been delighted to see familiar faces return to Carefree, relishing, as we have, the wide variety of destinations on offer.

Something you may not have realised when considering a Carefree tour……….

One of the most enjoyable aspects of group travel is watching like-minded total strangers gel into a happy group of friends. Many of these friendships will last a lifetime. Some groups enjoy meeting up later, or share annual reunions. Every tour is special and we never cease to be amazed at the variety of talents among our members.

Which tour is your favourite?

It is hard to choose from so many lovely places, but for us it has to be Southern Africa it is so different and offers a real sense of adventure (albeit in a very comfortable camper van). Victoria Falls, The Sossusvlie Dunes and the Skeleton Coast should be experienced by every keen traveller..
Another highlight in Africa is the opportunity of sitting by a water hole and watching the interaction between the animals or watching the sunrise over Dune 45.

Name one memory you’d take away from your last tour?

The thrill of an evening in Istanbul, seeing the Blue Mosque and the Haghia Sophia floodlit against the night sky, and feeling safe in this environment.

What do you like best about travelling the Carefree way?

This type of holiday gives you a home from home with all the independence that implies. You unpack once, and then you have your own personal space, not only for travelling but also when you arrive. It offers you as much support and friendship as you want, without being intrusive.
Do it now, you will not regret it. Our words cannot do justice to the unforgettable sights, sounds and tastes that you will experience. Your memories of a Carefree Motorhome Touring Holiday will be more than a fantastic photograph album; they will be a joy forever.

Happy Travelling
Alan and Pat Gadd

“We love meeting new people and experiencing new places”

Tour Escorts for Argentina, Canada and South African Motorhome Touring Holidays

Background information:

We ran winter rallies in Spain for eight years for The Club and Nelson has experience of managing groups of overseas visitors visiting the UK as well as working in ten overseas countries.

We travelled the world by ourselves, including touring New Zealand in a motorhome, and travelling Australia extensively. We’ve now escorted many tours to South Africa, Canada, Argentina, and Morocco.

What are the best bits of being a tour escort?

We love helping Club members to fulfil their holiday expectations, taking the worry out of their hands and exploring new places.

What is your favourite destination and why?

All the tours have been fantastic. South Africa would be our favourite if we had to choose one. The people and the variety of scenery and climates are spectacular, and of course the animals. Amazing.

What are the highlights from your favourite tour?

We loved seeing the animals in their natural habitat in South Africa and swimming under the waterfall in the Swartburg Pass is a must.

Name one memory you’d take away from your last tour?

The friendliness of the people in Argentina, and their genuine pleasure in us touring their country

Why is this type of holiday better than an escorted coach tour?

It offers total freedom of choice, no packing and unpacking every day. Park up by some spectacular scenery at leisure. You can do what you want to do when you want to do it i.e.: bird watching, walking.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining a tour of this nature?

These tours are for the young at heart, those who want to tour with likeminded people. You’ll be able to budget your costs before you go. Enjoy having someone else to plan it for you and prior knowledge of things you will encounter. There is always help at hand if you need it.

“It is a pleasure to assist tour members whilst they enjoy their holiday of a lifetime”

Tour Escorts for the New Zealand Motorhome Touring Holiday

Background information:

We have been caravanners for over 24 years and have been travelling to France on summer holidays for 22 years. We experienced the Escorted Tour to New Zealand as Club members in October 2010 and fell in love with the county.

Pam had many years’ experience of working for Carefree Travel Service in the Worldwide Team assisting members to book escorted tours and arranging their independent travel. Norman worked in the Motor Industry for over 45 years with extensive knowledge of both technical and customer service.

What are the best bits of being a tour escort?

Helping members to get the most out of their holiday of a lifetime whilst enjoying the country yourself.

What is your favourite destination and why?

New Zealand. There is such diverse scenery across the country and the locals are so friendly and proud of their country.

What are the highlights from your favourite tour?

The farewell dinner in the sky tower with all the members expressing their delight about the tour tinged with sadness for leaving, and standing on top of the Franz Josef glacier after a wonderful helicopter flight.

Name one memory you’d take away from your last tour?

Watching the fourth whale fluke (tail) disappear on a superb trip at Kaikoura.

Why is this type of holiday better than an escorted coach tour?

You are free to travel at your own pace. Nobody is going to tell you what time to set off in the morning or how long you can stay at a place of interest. You do not have to keep packing suitcases.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining a tour of this nature?

Don’t think about it – do it. You certainly won’t regret the camaraderie and support whilst still being independent. You’ll have memories and new friends to last a lifetime.

“We like having the opportunity to use our experience to assist fellow members to get the maximum enjoyment out of their holiday”

Tour Escorts for the American Western Adventure Motorhome Touring Holiday

Background information:

Organised our own caravan, motorhome and car based touring holidays in North America and Europe over many years.

As retirees we were involved in voluntary work in Prince’s Trust, Mediation, Barnardos.  Marian was musical director of a light opera company for 18 years prior to and after her retirement. After David’s retirement we were able to increase our touring activities and spend winter in Spain on Carefree’s winter raliies.

What are the best bits of being a tour escort?

We love the pleasure of helping clients to relax and enjoy themselves in a new environment.

What is your favourite destination and why?

Personally, our first choice is mid-west USA closely followed by western Canada. We have also enjoyed our tours in Italy, France, Croatia and will, no doubt, add Denmark, Norway and Sweden to that list after this summer’s tour.

What are the highlights from your favourite tour?

Being taken into Cascade Canyon –a slot canyon – on our first boat trip on Lake Powel and the family atmosphere at the farewell meal of a tour.

Name one memory you’d take away from your last tour?

The enjoyment of one lady, with severe mobility and eating restrictions, at completing the trip without too much pain.

Why is this type of holiday better than an escorted coach tour?

Members have freedom to do things when, how and where they want. The tour is less organised, there is no packing and unpacking on a daily basis and one is living in their own private accommodation.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining a tour of this nature?

Go for it!  With 24/7 support, flights, accommodation, transport and trips pre-booked; ATOL and ABTA cover the hassle of the organisation is taken off your shoulders. On top of that Carefree run the tour at an incredibly good price.

Why do you love being a worldwide tour escort?
“Sharing our experiences with fellow travellers in great places.”

Background information

What prior experience did you have?

We started caravanning in the early 1960’s with Geoff’s parents and brother. Little did we know it was to be the start of a lifelong addiction to both caravanning and all things camping. We have camped in bivouac, bell tent, ridge and frame tent and in all weathers and seasons. Had numerous caravans from the days of ‘bucket and chuck-it’ to the ‘all singing and all dancing jobs’.

For many years we have both, in our professional and in our ‘ordinary’ lives , taken an active role working with groups large and small, organising and taking part in camping and many other outdoor activities, including canoeing, rock climbing, pot holing, hill walking etc. We have also helped organise and participate in worldwide camps of several thousand people.

What did you do before you became tour escorts?

In 2001 we were asked to assist the Rally Stewards at the Camping and Caravanning Club Rally at Le Soulhol, St Cere in France, and then became Continental Winter and Summer Rally Stewards in both Portugal and France for the next 7 years.

Being on tour

What are the best bits of being a tour escort?

No bits, we just enjoy the whole experience! Meeting our fellow travellers and sharing our journey with them.

What is your favourite destination and why?

Each tour in which ever country has provided us with some fantastic memories, to the degree that we would not put any one of them above another, whether it be for the flora, fauna, scenery or culture.

What are the highlights from your favourite tour?

We don’t have a favourite tour. However following the initial meeting with the group, the journey we share with our travelling partners.

Name one memory you’d take away from your last tour?

The super ‘sights and sounds’ of Iceland and the Faroe Isles, made even more fantastic by the unbelievably wonderful weather we experienced this year.

Do you keep in touch with the people you meet on tour?

This is one of the great things about the tours with which we have been involved. We meet so many great people with whom we keep in touch in various ways.

Why is this type of holiday better than an escorted coach tour?
Within the overall constraints of the tour;-

• the freedom to travel at your own pace;
• to stop and spend time at those places which particularly interest you;
• by taking your accommodation (motorhome) with you, you are not living out of the proverbial suitcase;
• the friendship and camaraderie of a group of similar minded people on tour.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining a tour of this nature?

If possible come along to one of the Caravan and Motor Home Shows to watch the tour presentation. Have a chat with the tour escort about the tour - its a great opportunity to get to know each other before the tour starts.

Any queries or concerns, talk to Carefree before you go, they will be happy to talk things through with you and may put you in touch with the tour escorts to help you further. We all want to do our best to make sure you have a super holiday.

Take spare memory cards, and battery for your camera. The unexpected always happens when the card is full. On our Canada Tour I still get so excited seeing a bear pop out of the trees by the roadside and have learned to travel with the cameras at the ready.

Whichever tour you choose don’t be in a hurry to arrive at the next site, enjoy the journey and relish the unexpected you may find as a result.

Relax and enjoy! We don’t travel in convoy, you are free to choose how you spend your days, travel at the speed which suits you, and explore.

Geoff & Jennie Dawson