Grand Canyon Bus Tours How to Get the Right All-Inclusive Coach Tour By Sabine Warner | http://www.grandcanyonbusdeals.com Prices for bus tours to the Grand Canyon from Vegas are all over the map. The explanation for this is how operators market trips as all-inclusive. Some trip packages come with everything. Others are so basic that the most you can count on is a seat on the coach. Let's get you the right deal. That starts by understanding what makes up the standard bus trip. Here are the essentials: 1. Round-trip transport 2. Deluxe motor coaches 3. Pull outs and comfort breaks 4. Meals 5. Time spent at the Park Now let's separate the wheat from the chafe... Tour operators play fast and loose with the term "round trip." For you, it includes hotel pick-up and drop-off. This might look like quibbling over the details. But let me tell you that after enjoying the canyon for a day, the last thing you want to do is figure out how to get from some anonymous drop-off point to your hotel room that's miles down The Strip. Insist that your package have free hotel shuttle service. Not all luxury buses are created equal. Nearly all Vegas tour companies are operating new fleets that come with all the features like plush seats, individual climate-control units, and plasma TVs. However, some operate blended fleets of new and older models, and others are driving "gently worn" ones. Quality makes a difference, especially when it comes to tackling the final 10 miles of dirt road to Grand Canyon West or putting in nine hours of road time to the South Rim. Trust your instincts: Book a trip with a company that drives the newer models. The journey is as important as the destination. The route to the West Rim and the South Rim starts the same: Follow Highway 93 South out of Vegas, skirt Lake Mead and cross the new Hoover Dam Bypass bridge, where your driver-guide should pull over for a photo-stop of the dam. Not all do. Make sure you book a tour that does, as looking at the Dam from a bus window won't do it justice. Also, if you are bound for the South Rim, rest stops matter - drive time each way is five hours.
The Grand Canyon is a magical experience: You should spend as much time there as possible. Most tours give you two hours. The great ones give you three. Take the later, especially if you are going to the South Rim, which features some terrific lookouts and a handful of great gift shops. Those are your basics. Here are a handful of upsells that I characterize as "gotchas:"
1. Meals - Mandatory for South Rim tours. Some tour companies make lunch optional in order to offer their tour at the lowest price and then upsell it to you at the Park. 2. Grand Canyon Entrance Fees - There's an admission cost at the West Rim and the South Rim. The best companies include it in the price of your tour. The so-so ones pass it on to you. 3. Fuel Surcharge - This fee was introduced during the gas crisis of 2009. The price of gas has decreased (though at the time of this writing it's on the rise again). Thus the surcharge shouldn't be added. If it's still there, it's found money for the operator. Most of the reputable Las Vegas-based tour companies have websites on which you can purchase your tour. I highly recommend that you book through the Web. Shopping on the Web can save you up to 35 percent. I've booked tours with the key players and can attest that they're sites are secure, safe, and efficient - after your transaction you'll receive a trip voucher in your inbox in a matter of minutes. Getting to the Grand Canyon by bus, be it the West or the South Rim, is a snap from Las Vegas. It's also an incredible value. Play it smart, though. Pay attention to the tour descriptions and what they include. Consider what you want out of the tour. Then buy it on the Internet and use the money you've saved at a canyon gift shop, a Vegas show, or at a nice restaurant. #30#