Road Scholar vs OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel)
October 12, 2020
Trying to decide between Road Scholar or Overseas Adventure Travel for your next trip? These companies are often compared and share many similarities in travel style and outlook. Our ultimate guide is here to help you make the best choice for you!
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Road Scholar vs OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) - Ultimate Guide
Travel Styles, Tour Types, and Brands - Road Scholar vs OAT
Both Road Scholar and Overseas Adventure Travel - also commonly referred to as “OAT” - have catered to the 60+ age group since the 1970s. And they know what they're talking about. Road Scholar - previously Elderhostel - was founded in 1975, OAT in 1978.
These tour companies are ideal for travelers seeking culturally immersive experiences with plenty of opportunities to learn and expand the mind. Active travelers will also find itineraries to their liking with each, though this type of travel is more the OAT style than Road Scholar.
The Road Scholar brand is all about giving travelers hands on experiences - continued learning is at the heart of their values as a tour company. Their strength is in building unique itineraries and learning opportunities around the world. If you have a niche interest, there is probably a Road Scholar tour for you. Think a 10 day trip studying World War II at Oxford through 19 lectures given by professional scholars or 5 days learning to watercolor in the Ozarks.
This also means it’s highly likely you’ll meet new friends on a Road Scholar tour! While Road Scholar is very specific about their age range, they also have a number of tours dedicated to grandparents and grandchildren.
Road Scholar in general is less “adventurous” in travel style than OAT. They provide a wider range of physical levels and you’ll typically be exploring one very specific region in depth as opposed to a multi-country or multi-city trip.
If you’re looking for a more traditional travel-y focus, OAT takes the idea of learning and education a bit farther afield than Road Scholar. They are known for remote and exotic destinations, and provide ample opportunities to gain an in-depth look at local life, history, and culture.
OAT describes their trips as adventure but don’t let that scare you. It doesn’t imply thrill seeking per-se, rather their travel style is ideal for people who want to stretch their comfort zone and try new things. However you should be physically fit and able for their trips, which involve a lot of walking.
Almost every trip with OAT features one night at a homestay where you can enjoy a meal and have a chance to engage with the locals on a true and authentic level. They also frequently include visits to schools as a part of their involvement with the Grand Circle Foundation.
OAT caters heavily to those travelers who enjoy the power to customize their trip. While the group aspect is a large part of the OAT experience - they understand that the older traveler values a freedom of choice.
Both companies are among the best for truly authentic culturally immersive experiences. Road Scholar is more on the niche interest side - book learning in the destination - while OAT crafts their educational itineraries like a more traditional tour.
Accommodations
Travel with OAT or Road Scholar is about the full experience of the destination. This means they strive for authentic or local accommodations. With both companies, you’ll typically stay in simple but comfortable hotels with above basic, but not flashy, amenities.
OAT accommodations tend to be more consistently unique and a homestay for a night or two is incorporated into almost all their tours. Travelers should be open minded and willing to put up with a few quirks here and there when it comes to comfortability.
In general you should expect mostly 3 star hotels with both Road Scholar and OAT, with more emphasis on traditional accommodation during the itinerary from OAT.
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Group Size
Overseas Adventure Travel: 10-16
Road Scholar: 10-24
Group sizes for tours with both Road Scholar and OAT are kept small.
Road Scholar varies more widely than Overseas Adventure Travel with a range of 10-24 while OAT caps their tour group size at a max of 16, minimum of 10. (OAT offers some small ship cruises, on which the max number of people is 24).
The smaller group size allows for more individualized attention and easier access to more unique attractions.
Physical Level
Road Scholar has a number of walking tours, but they are generally not overly physically demanding. There are some exceptions such as treks in high altitude, but they have a very clear physical rating system that will allow you to choose wisely.
OAT trips are quite active. They specify that travelers should be able to walk 3-6 miles per day unassisted. Note that OAT trips are around 2 weeks on average, so that’s a lot of time on your feet!
Cost
Average price for Road Scholar: $2,472 per person
Average price for Overseas Adventure Travel: $4,642 per person
On average, Road Scholar trips are less expensive than tours with Overseas Adventures Travel, but it’s important to note that part of what pulls the Road Scholar average down is their shorter trips (under 7 days) which typically cost less than $1,000 per person.
The average price for Road Scholar tours is $2,472 while the OAT average price is $4,642. Most trips with each company sit in the $3,000 - $5,000 range.
Almost everything is included in Road Scholar trips - most meals, all lodging, tips & taxes, plus all lectures and activities. This makes their pricing a bit more attractive from a bundling standpoint ,and great for travelers looking for a fully packaged feel.
On the other hand, if you’re more interested in catering your experience in an ala-carte fashion, OAT allows for more customization. However it’s important to note that this does mean some excursions will not be included in the base price, and you are in charge of most of your meals in destination.
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Which is better for Single / Solo Travelers?
Both Road Scholar and Overseas Adventure Travel are super welcoming to solo travelers. OAT in particular has an entire group of tours dedicated to solo female travelers.
Both companies have a small selection of their trips where no single supplement is required however this is not the case for most departures. But they are both committed to keeping their single supplements as low as possible to help encourage singles and solo travelers to join their groups, which are ideal for making new friends!
Road Scholar vs Overseas Adventure Travel - At a Glance
RoadScholar |
OAT |
|
|
Overall Average Rating |
4.7/5 |
4.9/5 |
|
Number of Reviews |
248 |
297 |
|
Number of Tours |
1,082 |
28 |
|
Travel Styles |
Value, Comfort |
Basic, Value |
|
Average Tour Price |
$2,472 |
$4,642 |
|
Average Tour Length |
9.4 Days |
16.1 Days |
|
Average Group Size |
Max 24 |
Max 16 |
|
Years in Business |
45 |
42 |
Destinations |
Road Scholar |
OAT |
|
Europe Tours |
218 |
3 |
|
South America Tours |
24 |
4 |
|
Africa Tours |
50 |
3 |
|
Asia Tours |
22 |
12 |
|
Antarctica Tours |
2 |
0 |
|
Australia & Pacific Tours |
1 |
1 |
|
Central America Tours |
16 |
2 |
|
North America Tours |
230 |
1 |
|
Middle East Tours |
8 |
1 |
Both Road Scholar & Overseas Adventure Travel Offer
- Culturally immersive itineraries
- Unique opportunities to expand your world knowledge
- Small groups of similarly aged travelers
- Comfortable, not fancy, accommodations
- Robust presence on social media, ample photos & videos to learn more about what the trip experience really looks like
- Destinations around the world. OAT specializes in exotic locations, Road Scholar offers many North America itineraries
See all Road Scholar reviews »
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