Richard B

My wife and I are thinking about the European Capitals tour offered by
Tauck. It is quite expensive. We are not interested in independent travel,
but do want to be in a tour. We have looked at Tauck, Trafalgar, and
Insight. The European Capitals tour is 18 nights, $5,350 land price, with
stays in Roam (3nights), Florence(2), Lugano(2), Lucerne(2), Buhl(2),
Nancy(1), Paris(3), and London(3).

Questions:

1. What are your experiences with Tauck?
2. Are there alternative tours that we might consider?
3. Is it important to leave a day or two early to get "oriented" to the
time change.

Thanks,

Richard B
[email protected]

Peter

Generally, I expect that you will get what you pay for. For example, we
have traveled with a group called ABC Tours that gets you to a city, puts
you into a small room in a reasonable hotel with breakfast, gives you a 1/2
day tour and the rest of the time you are on your own. Cost is less
expensive than you can do it yourself (because of group air fares and hotel
rates). If you are willing to do some of your own research and are
comfortable finding your own restaurants and city transportation, this is
fine.

Tauck, with whom we have also traveled, is an absolutely first class group.
One of their included meals features is frequently "eat anything you want
off the restaurant's menu". Tauck is expensive, uses good hotels (with
good rooms), good guides and does everything well.

There are many groups in between that do Europe. You need to figure out
what you want from the group (as opposed to doing most of what you want to
do alone as with ABC) and what you want to pay.

Peter

Icono Clast

"Richard B" wrote:
    > 1. What are your experiences with Tauck?

I have none but m'mother and her husband took an Autumn Leaves tour of
New England and had nothing but absolute raves to say.

Do a search for "Tauck" in this group and rec.travel.usa-canada. You
will find many comments on the company going back many years.
__________________________________________________ __________
A San Franciscan in (where else?) San Francisco
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 IClast at SFbay Net

Barbara Mawdsley

Tauck offers excellent trips with knowledgeable guides and stays in
first rate hotels in good locations. Meals are outstanding. You eat at
individual tables, ordering from the menu and you can have the most
expensive items. They don't surprise you with extras. Highly recommended.

Barbara in CT (not affiliated with Tauck)

Richard B wrote:

    >My wife and I are thinking about the European Capitals tour offered by
    >Tauck. It is quite expensive. We are not interested in independent travel,
    >but do want to be in a tour. We have looked at Tauck, Trafalgar, and
    >Insight. The European Capitals tour is 18 nights, $5,350 land price, with
    >stays in Roam (3nights), Florence(2), Lugano(2), Lucerne(2), Buhl(2),
    >Nancy(1), Paris(3), and London(3).
    >Questions:
    >1. What are your experiences with Tauck?
    >2. Are there alternative tours that we might consider?
    >3. Is it important to leave a day or two early to get "oriented" to the
    >time change.
    >Thanks,
    >Richard B
    >[email protected]
    >

Tc

Why would you want to travel with a tour company? There is no reason
why any half-way intelligent person should need a tour company in
Western Europe. I started traveling in Europe with a tour company in
the 1970's and it was ok, but there is nothing like traveling on your
own. Take trains or rent a car and you will see what you want to see
and stop where you want to stop. I drove over 2000 km all over
mainland Italy last May and had absolutely no problems. Don't believe
the guidebooks about Italian drivers and traffic. I think those books
are written for old ladies from Iowa who drive only on Sunday
afternoons. If you have driven in any major American city, you can
drive in Italy, and their Autostrada are excellent and directions are
very well marked. If you are still feaful of driving, take trains.
The train system is excellent and inexpensive. Train stations are
always located in the city centers with hotels nearby so you need not
worry about finding accomodations. Unless you are traveling during
the peak tourist season, you also need not worry about hotel
reservations - except in Rome where reservations are a must. Feel
free to send email, if you have any questions about Bella Italia.

Tony


On Mon, 13 Jan 2003 15:49:55 -0600, "Richard B"
wrote:

    >My wife and I are thinking about the European Capitals tour offered by
    >Tauck. It is quite expensive. We are not interested in independent travel,
    >but do want to be in a tour. We have looked at Tauck, Trafalgar, and
    >Insight. The European Capitals tour is 18 nights, $5,350 land price, with
    >stays in Roam (3nights), Florence(2), Lugano(2), Lucerne(2), Buhl(2),
    >Nancy(1), Paris(3), and London(3).
    >Questions:
    >1. What are your experiences with Tauck?
    >2. Are there alternative tours that we might consider?
    >3. Is it important to leave a day or two early to get "oriented" to the
    >time change.
    >Thanks,
    >Richard B
    >[email protected]

Ryan B

"tc" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Why would you want to travel with a tour company? There is no reason
    > why any half-way intelligent person should need a tour company in
    > Western Europe. I started traveling in Europe with a tour company in
    > the 1970's and it was ok, but there is nothing like traveling on your
    > own. Take trains or rent a car and you will see what you want to see
    > and stop where you want to stop. I drove over 2000 km all over
    > mainland Italy last May and had absolutely no problems. Don't believe
    > the guidebooks about Italian drivers and traffic. I think those books
    > are written for old ladies from Iowa who drive only on Sunday
    > afternoons. If you have driven in any major American city, you can
    > drive in Italy, and their Autostrada are excellent and directions are
    > very well marked. If you are still feaful of driving, take trains.
    > The train system is excellent and inexpensive. Train stations are
    > always located in the city centers with hotels nearby so you need not
    > worry about finding accomodations. Unless you are traveling during
    > the peak tourist season, you also need not worry about hotel
    > reservations - except in Rome where reservations are a must. Feel
    > free to send email, if you have any questions about Bella Italia.
    > Tony
    > On Mon, 13 Jan 2003 15:49:55 -0600, "Richard B"
    > wrote:
    > >My wife and I are thinking about the European Capitals tour offered by
    > >Tauck. It is quite expensive. We are not interested in independent
travel,
    > >but do want to be in a tour. We have looked at Tauck, Trafalgar, and
    > >Insight. The European Capitals tour is 18 nights, $5,350 land price,
with
    > >stays in Roam (3nights), Florence(2), Lugano(2), Lucerne(2), Buhl(2),
    > >Nancy(1), Paris(3), and London(3).
    > >
    > >Questions:
    > >
    > >1. What are your experiences with Tauck?
    > >2. Are there alternative tours that we might consider?
    > >3. Is it important to leave a day or two early to get "oriented" to the
    > >time change.
    > >
    > >Thanks,
    > >
    > >Richard B
    > >[email protected]
    > >
    > >

There is one advantage to this particular tour. You won't need to pack a
lot of clothes, just pajamas. This type tour is often referred to as a
"pajama tour" since you are traveling on the bus so much there's little need
to get dressed. On such a tour you should take lots of pictures cause
you're not going to remember much. It will all be just a big blur when you
get back home. If you must do a tour do yourself a favor and find one that
visits no more than half this number of cities.

I hope you have a great time whatever you decide.
Ryan

Danielle

Tauck, with Abercrombie, is the best tour company you could travel with, and
you do get what you pay for, so it's really good value for the money. You
will be with a luxury class kind of organization.

My only suggestion is that you select a tour with fewer cities in as many
days: that intense a trip is grueling, and you will find it difficult to
savor what you see. Peek at their website if it is not too late, and select
a tour with just London, Paris, Rome and Florence. Then, in a couple of
years, come back to those cities you especially liked and visit them in
depth.

By the way, Lucerne, Florence, Lugano, Buhl (?), Nancy are not capitols!
That trip skips major capitals like Vienna and Amsterdam, just to mention
western European capitals; why Lucerne and not Zurich or Geneva for
instance?

Anyway, Tauck is the Rolls Royce of tour companies. Unless you are elderly,
adjusting to jet lag is not a big deal, you'll just sleep well the next
night.

Have a wonderful time. Danielle
"Richard B" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > My wife and I are thinking about the European Capitals tour offered by
    > Tauck. It is quite expensive. We are not interested in independent
travel,
    > but do want to be in a tour. We have looked at Tauck, Trafalgar, and
    > Insight. The European Capitals tour is 18 nights, $5,350 land price, with
    > stays in Roam (3nights), Florence(2), Lugano(2), Lucerne(2), Buhl(2),
    > Nancy(1), Paris(3), and London(3).
    > Questions:
    > 1. What are your experiences with Tauck?
    > 2. Are there alternative tours that we might consider?
    > 3. Is it important to leave a day or two early to get "oriented" to the
    > time change.
    > Thanks,
    > Richard B
    > [email protected]

Briggl

On Mon, 13 Jan 2003 15:49:55 -0600, "Richard B" wrote:

    >My wife and I are thinking about the European Capitals tour offered by
    >Tauck. It is quite expensive. We are not interested in independent
travel,
    >but do want to be in a tour. We have looked at Tauck, Trafalgar, and
    >Insight. The European Capitals tour is 18 nights, $5,350 land price, with
    >stays in Roam (3nights), Florence(2), Lugano(2), Lucerne(2), Buhl(2),
    >Nancy(1), Paris(3), and London(3).
    >Questions:
    >1. What are your experiences with Tauck?
    >2. Are there alternative tours that we might consider?
    >3. Is it important to leave a day or two early to get "oriented" to the
    >time change.
    >Thanks,
    >Richard B
    >[email protected]


I do not have any experience with Tauck, but I did travel with Trafalgar
Tours in 2001 (see the web site below).
My only suggestion would be to find a tour that covers one or two countries
instead of a tour that consists of so much travel all over Europe. Of
course, this suggestion is based on the idea that you might take another
trip to Europe after this one. If not, then take the trip that lets you see
as many places that you are interested in as possible.

The Best of Italy tour that we took, for example, did involve a few days
that were mostly bus travel, but it gave us a great overview of Italy, and
lots of ideas for our next trip to Italy on our own. On the long bus trips,
we never rode for more than two hours at a time, with stops for breaks
(toilets and smoking), lunch, site seeing, etc.

We intend to do similar things in various other countries.
--
briggl
http://www.bestofitaly2001.com Italy Travelogue