Untours was founded in 1975 by Hal Taussig and his wife Norma as a way to introduce Americans to a deeper way of experiencing Europe than the standard superficial bus tour. After a brief career as a college professor, he wrote a book called Shoestring Sabbatical that has long been out of print. In his book, he described ways that teachers and professors could live for an extended time in Europe without spending a fortune. His book and European travel experience led him to create Untours (formerly called Idyll, Ltd.).

At the time, Switzerland was the only destination Untours offered, but Hal attracted a devoted group of travelers fervently convinced that this was the best way to see Europe. These "Untourists" weren't content to see only Switzerland and demanded that the company expand to new destinations, which it has done in the intervening years. As far as we know, Untours was the first U.S. company to promote the concept of staying in private, furnished vacation rental apartments.

Hal is an unusual entrepreneur in many ways. In addition to his dedication to connecting people from different cultures in meaningful ways, he has never wanted to become wealthy. In fact, he gives away nearly all of Untours' profits to the foundation he created, the Untours Foundation. For this policy, Untours was named "The Most Generous Business in the U.S." by George Magazine and Newman's Own in 1999. Hal now devotes most of his time to the foundation, but is actively involved in strategic issues affecting Untours as well.

The staff at Untours are passionate about European travel! In fact, one of the 'requirements' for working at Untours is spending at least a couple weeks overseas each year, visiting the Untours programs and properties so that we can make sure everything in the program is working well. The company strives to pay above-average salaries and provide a challenging and positive work environment for its employees. In addition to its commitment to its employees, Untours attempts to minimize its environmental impact in every way possible. For example, the company uses only renewable energy to run its U.S. office in Media, Pennsylvania.