Originally Posted by
acantor
An organized tour is always going to be much more expensive than one you plan yourself. This is normal, and to be expected. On an organized tour, somebody has to pay for staff, planning, advertising, insurance, office space, business taxes, supplies, a sag wagon, and that somebody is the person who signs up! Given everything involved in running a for-profit touring company, $300 per day does not seem excessive to me. I don't think that most tour owners are going to become fabulously wealthy.
I agree with this and should have noted that I don't begrudge the tour operators their business. They do a lot for their clients, and probably get people on a bike tour that wouldn't otherwise attempt it.
It's just that once you have organized your own trip, and seen how cheap it can be, it's hard to get over the sticker shock of a commercial trip.
Speedo