The fun and adventure of travel with none of the logistical concerns: that is the dream, especially as we enter our golden years. This is where Front Line Tours comes in, a motorcoach tour operator offering packages for adults and seniors.
“We have tour packages that we carefully put together that include hotels, restaurants, and museums; plus our professional tour managers accompany the tour to make sure everything runs smoothly and on time. We make our tours inclusive so that our customers do not need to pay more while on tour, especially on our US tours, as you pay in Canadian dollars and avoid high exchange rates,” says Paul Jordan, co-owner of Front Line Tours.
Paul and his wife, Melody Jordan, joined the team back in 2013 and more recently took over the business from Paul’s parents in 2021. His parents retired after more than 20 years of running Front Line Tours, but are still doing what they are passionate about: travelling on the motorcoach as tour directors. The business is proudly family-owned, and Paul says that customers feel that energy in their experiences on the tours.
“It’s a family business. Our travellers know that we’re going to take care of them no matter what, just like you would with your own family. If there are any issues, we are there to solve them the best that we can. You’re not left on your own.”
One of Front Line’s most popular destinations is Nashville, which includes a visit to the Grand Ole Opry, as well as stops in Memphis and other spots in Tennessee. Other popular tours include New Orleans, Chicago, New York, the Maritimes, Quebec and the Agawa Canyon. The Maritimes tour takes passengers through Quebec City, Halifax, Cape Breton, PEI Charlottetown, and more.
“It’s a longer tour, but you are getting a taste of all the Maritimes. Your hotels, your tours, most of your meals; everything’s included within that package price. We put a great deal of time and love into the planning of each of our tour’s itineraries,” says Paul.
The coach buses —owned by another family-owned company, Attridge Transportation— are newer Prevost coaches and come fully equipped with Wi-Fi and washrooms. Front Line also has two tour managers on board on all trips, which ensures that they can fully support individuals who might be alone and need assistance. On tour, the coaches stop every 2-3 hours for a rest break, giving the passengers a chance to stretch or sit down for lunch.
For Front Line’s customers, there is a huge amount of appeal in the ease of the trips. Activities and destinations are booked and scheduled, meals are arranged and largely provided, and of course, there is no need to drive. Travellers can simply sit back and enjoy the many activities and games on the coach, read a great book, and meet new friends.
“You can imagine how much work goes into planning all the hotels, restaurants, attractions, and the timing of the itineraries when putting together a tour to these new and exciting destinations. Many hotels nowadays charge a daily parking rate $20-$30 as well as resort fees and taxes. It’s great that the customers have it all taken care of and don’t have to worry about hidden costs or about weather conditions while driving. Its all done for them,” says Paul.
“Everything is put together in a professional manner. With over 20 years of experience, we have a very good understanding of the tourism industry and have personally checked out many of our destinations or have sent someone we trust. We are not taking you to places that are not going to be worth going to. We are taking you to the best hotels, attractions, and to things that you want to see.”
For those who don’t want to travel too far from home, Front Line Tours offers day trips to theatre performances, boat cruises and other fun local destinations. There are also many options for seasonal Christmas outings, including trips to “Casa Loma’s Christmas At The Castle” and many Christmas shows.
Whether it’s a day trip or a Rocky Mountain Adventure, Paul has seen friendships forged between passengers on Front Line tours.
“A lot of times, people come back having made friends with other travellers. They end up booking new trips with the friends that they have met while on the road with us. It’s a nice social atmosphere when they all see each other again. There are a lot of people that know each other just from the trips they have been on in the past with us.”
Front Line has a newsletter for those wanting to hear about upcoming tours before they’re posted to the general public. Interested parties can join it by visiting frontlinetours.ca and scrolling to the bottom of the page.
