Europe for my parents?

.....Rick Steves & Co. run good tours
for boomers.

I too have heard good things about the Rick Steves tours, and the people who go on them. (I know a couple of the guides, and they are great!)

But are you sure they need a tour?

Hi J,

Europe is a fairly large place, do you have something specific in mind?

Why on earth do you think (apparently) perfectly normal middle-aged people need to be nannied around?

Are they incapable of reading a guide book? Surfing for advice? Booking an Easyjet ticket?

Is so, it's more than a guided tour they need.

I think your parents might surprise you. As you said, they are not senior citizens! Everyone makes that first trip once in their lives, and I think, with good planning, a tour really isn't necessary.

You don't mention what cities you are thinking of. Certainly, most European cities are really not that intimidating, and they will probably enjoy discovering a place on their own.

If you want a little structure, they could take some of the organized tours around the various cities or do day trip tours, but not spend the entire trip as part of a tour group.

I, for one, would not recommend Rick Steves. I live in Paris, and the little I've seen of his recommendations for that city is either tacky or inaccurate. I'm sure this is not the perspective you want for your parents.

I didn't say they needed to be 'nannied around'. My parents are young and I'm aware of that. However, for someone who has NEVER left the country before, planning a multi-country trip to Europe can be daunting, as you know the possibilities are endless. They are very smart people, but by no means what I would call 'travel savvy'. If giving them some help is considered being nannied around, my apologies.

My guess is that Jennifer knows her parents better than the rest of us do.
I once helped a perfectly intelligent couple in their 40's plan their first trip to Europe. I helped them book their flight, their three hotels, and even transportation between cities. They went armed with all the lowdown on currency exchange, lists of restaurants, maps, and places to go and things to see. They had an "all right" time, but stressed a lot.

The next year they took a "package bus tour" and although they were a little younger than the average, they had a ball. They LOVED having someone else make all the decisions, they loved going to more places instead of staying put in one city for four or five days, they loved never having to "worry" about things, and most of all they loved not "being by themselves". They've been doing tours ever since.
Independent travel is NOT for everyone, as much as most of us tend to think it is the ONLY way to go.

Thanks Toupary. That is good advice!
J

Don't be bullied by tour-haters, Jenn. You know your folks and I think a tour could make a lot of sense if you know their likes and dislikes.

This forum is a haven for planning your own trips. You can pick up many ideas on places, sights, etc before you commit to a certain tour.

Good for you for thinking of your folks!

Do your parents have a particular interest that you could make the focus of the trip? Food and wine, architecture, history, music?

Some of the most intesting tour I have seen are the one offered by various colege alumni associations. Or the Smithsonian has some great-looking ones:

http://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/

They offer tours based on various interests, or focusing on a particular area. (There's an enticing one on paradours and castles in Spain and Portugal).

There is a temptation to want to "see it all" on a first trip to Europe, but I think the most enjoyable trips are the ones that concentrate on a smaller area--one or two countries---where you can get to know the culture a bit, and relax.

I'm not a huge Rick Steves fan but I'm glad to hear his tours are good.

I'll be sending my parents somewhere next year for their 50th anniversary- either on a group tour in the UK or on a cruise to the South Pacific as those are their two biggest desires.

My parents have no desire to go it alone abroad and it isn't because they are senile or fragile. They are perfectly capable people who still waterski and snowski and have traveled by car to all 48 lower states (with my brother and I fighting in the backseat all the way) and have visited Alaska and Hawaii for months at a time. They simply do not wish to deal with the learning curve abroad. regardless of how small or large it is. Not everyone enjoys the same type of travel and going on tours shouldn't be seen as "less than."

Don't be bullied by out-of-touch know-it-alls JenniferK. I have traveled independently for years and have occasionally booked a tour when it made sense. Go to http://www.vacationstogo.com -- they sell tours of all types from all vendors. You can use the search function and narrow it down to region, budget, etc.; you will soon see the difference in companies. The tours I have been on had ages 20-75, a very nice mix, and I made a lifelong travel buddy friend as a bonus!

Just saw the Smithsonian suggestion -- various universities like UCBerkeley also take purpose-driven tours led by experts....have fun planning.

"Don't be bullied by out-of-touch know-it-alls"

Where did that come from? I don't think anyone here has tried to bully Jennifer, just giving her the benefit of their personal preferences/experience. I hardly think that qualifies as bullying, and I doubt that most of the people who post on this forum are out-of-touch.

Defensive much? I actually didn't even get to your post, it was the one before...that just gets tiresome over and over and over. If it's humor it just doesn't come across as funny, and there was no "personal experience" related that I could tell. And I'm not the only one who noticed it, OP actually had a good note about it. So that's where that "came from."

And you can "doubt" about people being out-of-touch but believe it or not it happens all the time here, we are not infallible.

Fidel, you seem to be having a problem with anyone who doesn't agree with you. My noting your rude behavior is not defensive. I didn't take your post personally, as I don't feel mine needed to be defended.

Note that I said I doubted that "most" people on the forum were out of touch. Your not liking one poster's response hardly proves the contrary.

Now, can we get back to the original topic? This is hardly productive.

Hi Jennifer, you might want to look into a European river cruise, there are many different cruise lines, Viking, Peter Deilmann, Grand Circle. These are on smaller ships (boats?) as river cruising is much different than ocean cruising, you get to see lovely scenery, only unpack one time, and depending on the tour co. some have very few optional tours while in port cities others more. We usually travel independently however, I went on a river cruise from Vienna,Austia to Nurnberg, Germany this past December, solo, as my husband was tied up at work and had a wonderful time, I enjoyed it so much that we will be going doing a river cruise together in the South of France in December. I just can't rave enough about it. Whatever you chose they should have a great time.
Susan

The point was not to have anyone agree with me, it's the constant stream of putdowns and cracks that surfaced again here -- I was one of 4 people to note it, including OP. And I do stand by my assertions, especially the Know It All one.

Jennifer: for what it's worth..my first trip to Europe was with Globus..actually through Brendan, but once we hit London everything was Globus. It was a tour called From Thames to Tiber. It was for 16 days counting the travel days..flew into London and out of Rome. It was pretty low key. The city tours were set up for the morning and then MOST days, the afternoons could be free and on your own time, OR you could avail yourself of optional tours offered. There was also one full free day in London, Paris, and Rome. You might check it out, you can check on line at Globus website.

All the hotels were very nice and actually MORE than just nice with the exception of London, but they were all very clean and located near transportation. Anyway, you are just in the "looking and asking" stage now, so you might take a peek at this tour.

As far as age goes, our group included a girl of 13 with her parents...actually her mom worked for Globus and was from Australia and was taking the tour to learn about it...anyway, we had two gals in their mid 20's, a guy in his late 20's, two sets of honeymooners, and the rest of the people were from mid 40's up to I'm guessing the oldest was early to mid 70's. So, we were pretty diverse. My SIL still stays in contact with several people from that tour, and have an open invitation to visit one couple in Australia any time they can arrange to go.

There are message boards that feature group touring, so you might google up a couple of those and see what the folks have to say.

JenniferK, I suggest you whittle down "Europe" to something a little less expansive. My wife and I generally travel independently but we have taken tours.

My first trip to the UK was in 1948 between junior and senior years in high school and my wife worked for the UK Foreign Service and served in London, Paris and New York before we were married. We have been to Europe as many as 3 times in a year. We are both perfectly capable "of reading a guide book? Surfing for advice? Booking an Easyjet ticket?" to plan a trip but sometimes it is not worth the bother when someone else can do it for us much more efficiently.

We like to bookend our tours with more extended stays in a city than the tours generally provide. This summer we will take a university sponsored tour which begins with a few days in Switzerland before a Rhine cruise that ends in Amsterdam. We are spending a few days in London before the tour and finishing by taking the train to Paris for 8 days before returning to the US.

Your parents and you may find this the way to go.

It's really sweet of you to do this for your parents. I don't have any suggestions on a good tour company for boomers because I don't know your parents.
I do have some questions that might be helpful in helping them have a great experience.
First do they really have any interest in going to Europe?
Why haven't they already been there?
If the only thing that's held them back so far is money, than you should keep planning.
BTW, is this a surprise? Have they ever mentioned how much they would love to go?
Are they city people? Would they love strolling the streets of Paris.
Or do they love exploring quiet backroads?

What interests do they have?
It could be that they are already seeing offers for tours via their local museums, clubs or church.
Would they be more comfortable going in a group that specialized in their lifestyle?

Age doesn't dictate interests. Many people on this board are boomers and our interests can be very different.

Are they cheapskates by nature who don't mind lugging their 22inch bag around? Rick Steve's might work for them.
Or does the thought of staying anywhere without an elevator and a view bother them?

Would they rather just have a guide book, some language tapes and a car?

Globus is a great tour company. Look through their offerings for the perfect itinerary. Your parents will have a wonderful time. Once they are in the city, they are perfectly free to wander about on their own or join in with an excursion.

We went to Great Britain at ages 51 and 56 for our first trip. We used and enjoyed the Rick Steves guide, but did the travel on our own. We are going to Italy this fall on a Rick Steves tour. Sure, we're "cheapskates," but this is not a cheap tour. We'll be 56 and 62 for this, our second trip overseas. It's a fast-paced tour, with lots of walking, but I think we have part of every day on our own. His best of Europe tour would have been our second choice, but we decided on one country only, and everyone said Italy!

Our very first trip to Europe was also a tour by Globus. In fact, I believe it was the same(!) as the one mentioned by crefloors, and it offered a lot to see and do, including free time. The only problems I had were with the really early pre-sunrise wake-up calls (and I'm a "morning person"). But we saw London, Paris, Switzerland, Venice, Florence, and Rome; and we've been committed Europhiles ever since.

I would think Rick Steves would be right up their alley. It's not that kinda tour that your herded around and treated like a number. There is some flexibility and is the best out there I think.

Theresa

www.nomadwannabe.com

Gee, Ginto, I don't recall having to get up all THAT early...but....perhaps I've blocked it, ya think? I DO remember getting up literaly in the middle of the night to be able to catch the flight from Rome to Heathrow coming home. THAT was NOT fun!!!! LOL

Jennifer,

My DH made his first trip to Europe as part of a group tour in 1978 (I had to be at home). Since that time, we've done Europe on our own twice a year or more, each year, and know where we want to go and what we want to do when we get there.

That said, I think you are wise to be thinking about a tour for your parents. Tours can be as structured or UN-structured as you would like. I think your parents might enjoy something that offers them plenty of free time to explore on their own, while in the various cities and locations.

There is something very nice about NOT having to schlep your own bags all the time! I traveled on an organized tour plus Med cruise in 2002 and enjoyed every minute of it. Yes, we were up a tad bit early some mornings to hop on the bus and move on to our next stop, but we saw a lot, and the guides were really great.

Your parents are lucky to have you thinking about a nice vacation for them! Good for you! (I'm their age.. do you want to adopt a new set of parents??? LOL)

You might consider an English speaking country to make them feel more comfortable and allow them to do some thing on their own.

JenniferK, another option if your parents want "structure" might be a cruise. We've done a Scandinavian and a Mediterranean cruise, and enjoyed them both. Cruises offer relaxing days at sea, a nice change after frenetic touring and/or shopping on land.

crefloors: LOL, the best way to stay optimistic in life *is* to block out the negatives. "Memories... it's the laughter we will remember..."

Have you considered a private tour? That way, they can decide what to do, but have someone to show them around and translate when required. I love travelling that way when we can afford it.

As people the age of your parents, we have done both tours and independent travel. We like planning, so now we plan trips for groups of friends who like to travel, but find the planning too frustrating or time-consuming. Based on that, unless your parents would enjoy getting into the planning with you, your idea of some kind of tour might be fun for your them. Someone else asked some very important questions concerning your parents' interests. Would they enjoy an hour tour of Pompeii or an afternoon? Would they like to squeese in as many sights as possible or see a few and just walk and explore some on their own? Do they prefer cities or country side?

Watch for tours that have too many hours on a bus in one day. Also, tours that let you stay at least two or three nights in one hotel are usually easier on us "slightly" older people. For countries, unless one of your parents has long dreamed of a particular place, I'd probably say Italy or France to start. It is so personal though.

Just to start looking for tours, stop by a AAA office (you don't have to be a member) and get a couple of catalogues -They have Insight and Trafalgar. Someone else mentioned Globus and Vacationstogo also. Some web sites let you compare similar tours from different companies. There are also some companies that do really small groups. The catalogues from Overseas Adventure Travel looks great. I've not used them. Perhaps someone else on this site has and could judge the quality. Another person suggested a cruise tour. That is a great idea.

You are doing a wonderful thing. Why don't you go with them?

Jennifer,

We would like to second Suspaul's recommendation of a river cruise. All of the logistics are taken care of, with no changing of hotels, finding hotels, etc. All of our river cruises have been with Grand Circle. Although their target audience is 55 and over, with many much older,it is a pretty active crowd of experienced travlers. We have been traveling with them since we were 57 and have never been the youngest. The pace is more relaxed than bus tours with time to explore on your own, and activities on the boat while underway, generally including lectures on the next days activities. Generally language lessons and lessons on the local culture are given. The meals have been excellent, and the cabins small but comfortable. This mode of travel also gives you a great opportunity to get to know for fellow travelers. We have found them to be a great value with pricing including airfare.

If you are interested we would be glad to answer any questions either in this forum, by Email or over the phone. We will be leaving in two weeks for a trip to China with Grand Circle (our 7th trip with the), so we won't be replying between April 7 and April 27.

Jack and Ann

I would pick up a couple travel magazines. Budget Travel and Conde Nast are the ones I subscribe to. There are all kinds of advertisements from all different types of tour companies. Everyone has websites these days. So you can take a look. Often they use terms that show which ones have less formal structure and more free time or slower pace.

This will also give you a feel for a typical tour itinerary. And if they would want a whirl-wind to see lots of different countries a short time each, or go for a more in-depth look at fewer places.

Jennifer

check out affordabletours.com
once you determine your parents'destination (for or with your parents help) you can look up so many tour companies on line.
I too have traveled Globus with no problems. For us it was stepping stone to independent travel.

I would particularly recommend the "Spain at liesure" tour as it allowed a bit more time in one spot.
I see other companies at affordable have that too. Gate 1 also has packages that are "planned" but not escorted.

Good luck!

Jennifer:
Hope that you are still checking responses!----www.untours.com---
Choose a country (or two), they greet a bunch of Untourists at the airport, shepherd them onto the right trains to their chosen hometowns, where they are greeted by the respective landlords for a two week stay in their own apartment (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, often a balcony or outdoor seating).
"Orientation" is the next day in a nearby town (directions how to get there given in advance), where you meet up with similarly minded Untourists for lunch, get specific info on festivals, area happenings, etc. There is a farewell dinner included the night before departure. The rest is ON YOUR OWN...reams of suggested trips/sights are provided in advance, and there is an Untour rep in each little town for problems. Info on english-speaking docs, services, other tips is provided.
So, its independent travel with a frame, for those who need a bit of guidance, or, skip the 'framework' if comfortable without it. Make friends withother "local" untourists, hook up for day trips (or not). Shop in local grocery markets to cook in the apartment or to make picnics, get to know the local flavor and ambience in town cafes, be recognized by your neighbors while strolling in the evenings, great for first-timers!

Jennifer,
I'm your parents age and have only gone to Europe as an independent traveler with friends or my x-husband. The end of December I will be taking my first group tour, the Spain 10 day trip with Globus.

Like others have mentioned, I looked at the affordable tours website, decided how much time I could spend and when (I wanted to go only a specific week). Not sure how much time your parents have to spend---a friend of mine did a Vantage tour trip but was the youngest at 60. I have liked what i have been reading about Globus, recognizing the pros and cons of group travel....

Biggest decision would be where and how much to try and pack in. On my own, I much prefer a week or so in a small area where you can really focus. Not sure that would be the case in a group tour---maybe a sampler trip would be fun. That said, I would not do more than 3 countries unless it's a really long trip!

If I didn't have to go a specific week, I would definitely consider Smithsonian tours as well as AHI which does college tours (they have a website). I have googled university travel and many options come up---I think there is also a tour operator out of Chicago that does a lot of trips. These are mostly 10 days.

If they have never been to Europe, whatever you decide will be wonderful!

untours
Rick Steves
Globus
any of many river barge cruises
... are all great suggestions imo

You make me feel like and old woman...hahahaha..
Try Peter Deilmann's Passau to Passau Germany river boat cruise. They start there and end there, but go down the Danube to Budapest. It is a wonderful cruise and every day you go somewhere different. You unpack and for a week you stay in a beautiful cabin --203 sq ft-- with a huge bathroom and maid service twice a day. They serve six meals a day, morning, midmorning snack, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and late evening lunch. Really, the meals are first class, five star and wonderful. The tours we took were great, although, you are better off to buy the package before you leave as it is cheaper then paying for each one individually when they are on the boat. We took this trip last Fall and loved it so much that we are taking another one with Peter Deilmann on the Rhone river in France this Fall. Yes, they are expensive, but worth it as you are pampered to death. There is a doctor on board also, but he only takes Euros... I can't say enough about the meals and the service. It was great. At the end of the trip they recommend that you leave the waitstaff who served your table during the trip, bar staff, maid and boat staff a tip. We left the two waiters, water and wine girl, bartenders and maid a tip in individual envelopes that we picked up from the desk. It isn't required, but the service is so impecable that they will want to leave the staff something. The average age on the boat was from age 55 to upper 70's, but you never ask a lady their age. Your parents will love it. If they do take the tours, they are thorough, very informative and there really isn't time for shopping. Some of the places that you stop in are small and others such as Vienna and Budapest are long tours. The tour guides all speak English and you only go with the language guide that you are familiar with. There are a lot of Americans on the Danube trip, some French, Germans, Italians and Brits. The wait staff and everyone on board is bilingual and speaks perfect English so no worry there for your parents. Most Europeans speak very good English as a second language.

Jennifer. Do you know which country or countries would be most interesting to your parents? That should be your first decision. Then, do they want to do a quickie tour where they spend a short time in a lot of locations - with lots of time on the bus, or would they prefer to stop in fewer cities for a longer time in each?

I personally prefer at least three days in each city so that we have time to explore on our own, while having the structure and details of the tour taken care of.

Another consideration is the size of the tour group. Some tour companies have 40 to 45 people on their tours, while others limit the group to 16 participants.

Our favorite tour companies are Grand Circle and Overseas Adventure Travel. They offer very good value for the money. (We have traveled in the past with Globus, Trafalgar, Insight, and Pacific Delight.)

I'm sorry if someone's already mentioned this one, but what about Elderhostel? Don't be put off by the name - I don't think the tours are full of 80+ types in hostels. But they do aim to organise tours that emphasise learning and culture, if that's the sort of thing in which your parents would be interested.

Another possibility to consider, depending on how much time your parents have for this trip and whether or not they'd like to develop their independent traveller skills in Europe a little, would be to book two short tours in different places, with some time in between. For example, an 8-9 day tour focusing on one region (or country), followed by a 3-4 day break, and then another 8-9 day tour involving a different kind of experience in a different region. They can enjoy the challenge of getting themselves from one place to the other on their own, after they've got some miles under their belts - but with the prospect of some structure again in a different tour. That also diversifies the risk of a group tour, because they'll end up travelling with two different groups. And they'll get a break from being with a group all the time and have a chance to explore a city on their own.

If they're fit and like walking, they might also want to consider a tour with a company like Exodus or Sherpa that organises walking trips that mix walking days with city exploration days. You can find tours for various fitness and endurance levels. Something like this trip in Tuscany might suit: http://www.exodus.co.uk/holidays/dio.html

I seem to be always posting messages recommending Overseas Adventure Travel (and I really don't work for them). We have traveled with many companies, but since we found OAT, we've stayed with them. For a couple who have never traveled abroad, they are a good choice. Small groups of no more than 16 give you a chance to really get to know your fellow travelers. The age range is usually from 40-something to mid 70's. We've found that people who travel with OAT are very active and even the older ones don't slow anyone else down. Their itineraries are very good, guides are wonderful and accommodations fine. We also like the in-depth experiences that they provide wherever you go. Besides all that, we've found that their prices can't be beat.

I haven't seen any update on what you and your parents have decided, so I assume you are still open to suggestions. If they haven't already booked a tour, or departed, hold off going until the fall. The crowds in the summer can be crushing. All the sights will still be there when you arrive in the fall, but all those herds of tourists will be gone.

I also suggest you check out the advisory at the Rick Steve's site. They tell you upfront that their tours will be physically demanding, and list 5 examples of (possibly)difficult conditions. Many of these require a level of stamina which is fairly typical on most tours. The deal breaker for me would be the ability to carry luggage up 5 flights of stairs to your hotel room. No thanks.

As a solo traveler, I've done a Smithsonian tour in the U.S. and found the accomodations and guides to be excellent. At 50-something I was among the youngest in our group. Age didn't seem to matter, however. It was always the older travelers who wanted to go out after dinner and do more sightseeing, go for a drink, or to the theatre.

My husband is 60 and I'm a decade behind him. I don't think he'd like a tour.

Perhaps to ease the trip if you found them a trip to England, SCOTLAND, Ireland or Wales and then worked around the area. It is easier if you can read the signs.

It may help to have a driver pick them up from the airport.

It would be good to have a hotel that has good services.

Maybe suggest a couple walking or other guided tours.

But, at their age they don't need to be coddled, just aided.

My wife and I are the same age as your parents and do not consider ourselves OLD! We prefer to travel with a tour group because of the information the professional tour guides provide--history, culture and current events come alive when you travel with a good tour group. We have travel with some of the big groups like Globus, but prefer smaller group tours such as Overseas Adventure Travel. The smaller group size gives more one on one attention and smaller groups are able to experience the out of the way places a larger group is unable to get to. There are many great tour groups, check out www.tour-talk.com, that's where I found our last tour with Overseas Adventure Travel--in the directory. Tours offer peace of mind, safty, and great local informaion.
Dudel

Gee. Jennifer posted this 6 months ago and never returned for further comment. Nor did she ever post again on Fodors. Wonder what she decided.

I don't know if you have already sent your parents to Europe or not, but my husband and I have just returned from a fabulous trip to Europe and wanted to share with you. We took the Switzerland at Leisure trip by Globus tours and found it to be wonderful! The age group was varied, from the 30's on up. Wonderful tours, great tour guide, good hotels, and saw alot of the beautiful country. It was our first trip to Europe as well. This tour only takes you to Switzerland, but well worth it.