European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Travel Europe 1992 on the bus the pros and cons of group travel by Susan Sobin Quot ii i can t do it myself it s probably not Worth doing Quot says master sgt. Mark Vantreuren of Wurzburg expressing his dim View of travelling with organized Tours. He burned out years ago after being dragged through a laborious All night bus ride kicked out of his hotel because his room was t ready and kept waiting for fellow tourists who refused to stick with the group. It was one of his last Tours. Unfortunately these Are not unusual problems on packaged trips in Europe Vantreuren feels. But specialist Steve Snyder of Stuttgart who professes to Quot More embarrassing experiences Quot than he cares to describe while travelling on his own gladly puts up with a sleepless night a Quick Pace and Rubbe necking companions in Exchange for help navigating foreign cities. Quot it s hard to find out of the Way places on your own Quot Snyder contends. And foreign languages Are a hassle. Quot i know americans who skipped the louvre because there were no English Tours  Vantreuren admits to mistakes in seven years of seeing Europe. Transportation and hotel costs add up quickly. Traffic signs Are sometimes confusing. Driving congested streets can be hazardous especially in a country Squire station Wagon. But for Vantreuren who now believes Tours Are for Novice travellers one advantage of Independent travel outweighs All the inconveniences Freedom to ramble. He relishes the memory of getting lost in Venice where he meandered hours along curious Side streets past quiet Backwater canals and through deserted shops. Quot you have space to study people and places off the beaten path Quot he says. Evelyn metzer a single German woman residing in Darmstadt also prefers seeing exactly what she likes to top Tours guide Henke Stein Elssel Glees Lesl minute directions before her group begins e shopping spree in Budapest a amps Susan sob in Mark Vantreuren has sworn off group travel. Being herded with a group a but Only when she has someone to travel with. Quot i d rather enjoy new experiences with someone else Quot she says. Quot who wants to climb the Eifel Tower alone for a romantic View of Paris Quot group Tours Are an obvious solution says Margaret Streeter co organizer for an Art history tour series during her three years in Karlsruhe. Streeter who participated frequently in Tours recommends researching tour options thoroughly before booking however. Pass up All night bus rides and Tours that May include Small children and smokers if these really irk you she says. Quot look for a tour that matches your interests Quot she adds. Quot if you re travelling to shop explore restaurants and wander Book a trip with lots of free time a maybe one with just a City orientation tour. Then you can Branch off with other participants of like  military travel offices offer Tours specializing in shopping sports Art and history. A amps Susan Sobin Phillip Chan prefers group travel in some instances. When travelling with people who have objectives similar to yours you la have interesting conversations and the advantages of other travellers opinions and experiences Streeter says. You May even find a companion for future trips. Sgt Anthony Warner an air Force translator in Frankfurt prefers finding friends along the Way. This is especially easy because he Speaks four european languages he admits falling Back on English when necessary Warner burned out on group Tours because they made Contact with natives difficult. Then he tired of wondering if his companions were having fun. For the last couple years Warner has refused to travel any Way except completely alone. Quot the advantage is the possibility of meeting people especially on Long train trips Quot he says. Quot Independent travel is an important incentive to learning languages Quot says col. Philip Chan of Heidelberg he became conversant in German so he could travel independently in Germany Switzerland and Austria. But Chan prefers Tours for countries where he does not speak the language. There Are other advantages to Tours he suggests. Quot a Well informed tour guide has information and suggestions i would never come up with and can be valuable in  packaged Tours offer More conveniences. You know just what you la be paying for hotels and transportation and barring the unusual you la have a hotel for the night even if you blow into town late. You won t have to worry about missing trains or getting onto the wrong one. Sticking with the guide you probably won t wander blindly into dangerous parts of the City. If you love devising custom made itineraries however you might choose to throw caution to the winds. If you travel to meander there Are plenty of sources for ideas. Check travel books for walking Tours or try the works of . Morton. This British historian turned wandering into an Art form with his historical guide traveller in Rome which describes his year there As a tourist. Morton has also written about great Britain Spain and the Middle East. Sightseeing is Best on your own he feels the slower the better. Just As adventurous Mark Vantreuren Hopes to Trace family history with his son in Hungary someday. Anthony Warner wants to explore Job opportunities in Italy with the Hope of living there permanently when he leaves the service. If you re new to Europe perhaps the Best approach is to Combine two strategies a use a package tour on your first visit to a City and return later to explore on your own. Susan Sobin is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to the stars and stripes 36 travel Europe May 13, 1992