Hi Steve,
The answer to both of those questions really depends on which tour you are looking at. For example, on our Inspirational China tour, the transfers between Beijing, Xian, Chengdu and Shanghai is by air, whereas our National Parks, Mount Rushmore & Little Bighorn tour is by coach and so the journey time can vary quite considerably.
Is there are particular tour you are interested in and perhaps I can provide a bit more detail. I'd also recommend that you take a look at the reviews section of the site and have a look at what fellow travellers have said, and I'm sure our members will also share their experiences.
Kindest regards,
Julia