[Carla B]

Our experience in the U.S., when landing in an unfamiliar town, is that we would have learned a lot and had a better time by paying for a tour up front, than rather going it on our own. For instance, one day we saved $ by taking a city bus around Savannah. Saw some sights, but we learned nothing. The next day we did a tour and learned a whole lot.

That said, one time we had a wonderful trip to Peru with friends on a self-guided vacation. The other couple (the wife) studied the "Lonely Planet" and other guides and planned a logical itinerary based on their recommendations. It worked out to be a wonderful and unforgettable time. We did hire local tour guides a few times, and used train and bus to go from place to place. We saved a lot of money.