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guided tours and 1st time trips to Europe

guided tours and 1st time trips to Europe

Old Oct 17th, 2009, 08:52 AM
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guided tours and 1st time trips to Europe

My family of 4 adults (2 children - 18 and 20) are planning our 1st time trip to Europe either this summer or next. Do you recommend going on a guided tour (via motor coach, etc.) through several countries for a 1st time overview? If so are there any particular companies that you've traveled with that you would recommend? Any specific tour routes and length of tours?

Thanks,
Robyn
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 09:03 AM
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Many here will disagree because they don't like Rick Steves' TV persona, but I think that the RS two or three week "Best of Europe Tours" are among the best out there. They are definitely "highlights" tours: you will get a great overview of Europe and be able to decide what areas you'd like to visit in greater depth. Plus a lot of travel skills are taught, such as getting around by public transportation, using museum passes etc.
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 09:08 AM
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I think your kids would hate a tour!

I suggest you get a copy of Rick Steves's "Europe through the Back Door". It'll give you an overview of what you need to know to do this on your own, and the confidence.

Have fun planning!

~Liz
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 09:24 AM
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IMO - any tour your kids would enjoy would not really be suited for 40-ish yo's. And any tour you might enjoy - your kids would be the youngest in the group by miles. Of course we don't know any of you but that's just a guess on my part. (Maybe your kids are old fuddyduddies and you are 'young' for your age. But in general, Young adult tours are just that.)

Another thing to consider - the published price of many tours may seem reasonable -- but by the time you multiply it by 4 you are talking a small fortune. Plus any extra excursions would add even more money For a couple, a tour can sometimes make sense. But for a family it would be very expensive. You can do things much more cheaply on your own.
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 09:30 AM
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Under the cirucmstances I don't think a tour is wise. I agree that Rick Steves' books would be helpful. He has taken his kids to Europe many times even when they were very young, so he offers a lot of great advice about travel with children.

I am one of the few people on this board who has taken tours but I only do that because I am a solo traveler and I enjoy the company of others. My husband isn't able to travel much, that's why I travel alone. If I could clone myself and have a constant travel companion I would probably never take a tour again. Tours have their good points but independent travel is better.
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 09:33 AM
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We like the Rick Steves package[seen all the videos already], but the 100% price premium is hard to swallow - has anyone found the same experience for a more reasonable price elsewhere, especially with the dollar getting killed vs. the euro? Somebody must be copying him at a lower price...

Btw, what is the most economical way to fly from LAX to the beginning of the tour in Europe? Is there an especially inexpensive airport to fly into?
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 09:34 AM
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A clarification--I realize your children aren't very young, a better choice of words would be that Rick Steves has good advice about family travel. He often recommends apartments instead of hotel rooms, which I think would be better for your family. I like staying an apartments as you will have more room and often it's less expensive than hotel rooms. I also like apartments because it makes me feel like I "live" there.
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 09:45 AM
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"has anyone found the same experience for a more reasonable price elsewhere," If it is the same experience, it will cost the same or more.

If a tour is cheap - there is a reason. Often the hotels are quite a ways outside the city center, most sightseeing is on extra cost excursions, few meals are included (not necessarily a bad thing - do you want to eat most of your meals in places that take tour buses?? ) and so forth.

I would not take a tour w/ 4 adults for lots of reasons - but especially for the cost.
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 09:46 AM
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Thanks to everyone for these great responses! Is anyone aware of tours that might be a little more "young" at heart? I like Rick Steve's focus on art and history, but everyday culture is fascinating too!
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 09:56 AM
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I'm not sure what you mean by a "100% price premium". Any guided tour is going to cost a lot more than the same trip you could put together yourself---especially for 6 of you. The Rick Steves trips I have looked at (for others, not us) were very competitive in price with other reputable tours. I thought they were actually at the lower end for "good" tours.

But you'll pay more for ANY tour. For example, I've planned and led a number of family trips to Switzerland. Looking at what adventure tour companies charge for the same length and quality of trip, ours came in about half price, per person, or less.

If you've seen all of the RS videos you should have a good idea where you would like to go. With a family of 6, apartments would be the most cost effective, and you can often find them for short-stay rental (less than a week). For example, I am looking at apartments i Tuscany for our family of four next summer. I've found many for $100 to $150 per night for a 2-bedroom. Hotel rooms in the same area start around $150-$200, and we would need two of them (family suites aare hard to find in some places).

As for airfare, Frankfurt is often a good price---but only if you want to see Germany and the nearby countries. Travel within Europe over long distance can add up, even with the so-called budget airlines. Try to figure out where you want to go and fly open jaws. You can compare airfares on all airlines at once at www.kayak.com (but you'll have to run a difference search for each destination airport).
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 10:00 AM
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We were pursuing the tour idea because it seems like it would be a logistical nightmare to plot out accommodations in several foreign countries while attempting to maneuver self guided tours. The transportation from country to country may be easier via a guided motor coach rather than additional flights, trains, etc.?
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 10:23 AM
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Robync,

How much time are you giving this trip? You said summer, but what dates are you looking at? Any special interests or preferred places to visit among your group? What is your budget?

You may be better off planning the trip on your own based on the answers to these questions.

I feel that a big mistake people make is trying to see too much with too little time to actually enjoy their destinations. Europe has a lot to offer. Narrow down your preferences with a little research and opinions from all and come back and share- we may be able to help you better.
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 10:26 AM
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Did you ever think of a cruise? Our 1st trip to Europe we saw Rome, Florence, Portofino, Nice, Corsica, and Elba on a cruise. When they booked our air for the way home we were changing in Paris so we decided to do 4 days there also.

Yes you only have a short time in each port, but it gave us a good idea of each city. It also showed us that we would be comfortable going back on our own.

In some places we signed up for a tour, others we went on our own. In Florence we went with the tour for part of the day, then went on our own and met up with the tour later.

You could spend a few days in your place of embarkation and another few days in the city you depart.

Since our cruise we have returned to Europe on our own for 8 years now. We plan everything ourselves on line and with the help of Fodorites. If it wasn't for that first cruise to show us around and let us know that we could manage on our own speaking only English, I don't know if we would ever have started treveling to Europe.

My only advice in choosing a cruise is not to choose a ship with thousands of passengers. Yes they have more to offer on the ship, but getting off and on is not pleasant with so many people.

Give it some thought. Good luck!
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 10:28 AM
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BTW, I realize Austria and Germany are not on the sea, but maybe you could do a few days pre and post cruise.
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 10:34 AM
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Thanks Zoecat and everyone else! We're looking at late May to approx mid June. It may be less pricey at this time? We'd like to focus on France, Italy and poss Spain, Switzerland and Germany. We know that this is a lot, but maybe it's a good overview for our 1st trip to Europe? (We hope to go back many times.)Culture, sight seeing,light hiking, art, history are some of our interests. Any thoughts are very much appreciated! My husband may be adding entries as well.
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 10:44 AM
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Thanks, TPAYT... we have taken cruises and enjoyed them. Any particular cruise lines that you recommend? We're more interested in seeing western Europe at this time.
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 11:40 AM
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I'm not a fan of Rick Steves because he talks down to his audience. And some of the places that RS has suggested are downright shabby.

I would not take a guided tour of Europe, but I would plan the entire trip focusing on specific cities, and then just go to the Office of Tourism (most major cities have one near the train station) for info on taking guided city tours. This would allow more flexibility and be cheaper than paying $$$$ for a tour that is restrictive (you'd be stuck with a bunch of people in a bus, that's not fun).

just my two cents.
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 11:59 AM
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Thanks, Nancicita...this is also a good plan. Say we start in France, how would you recommend getting to Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, etc without paying a lot by flying from country to country. Have you used the Euro pass/trains to interconnect?

Thanks!
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 12:00 PM
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If you're talking about a typical 2 week American vacation then 5 countries is too much to cover during that time. You should tighten your focus, depending on the length of the trip. Choose one or two countries and focus on sights/activities so you're not spending your time getting from place to place. Even on a tour, covering 5 countries would be lots of time on the bus and little seeing the sights. You should look at tour brochures on line and get a feel of what they cover before committing to a tour.

I agree with the above posters about independent travel, especially for 4 people. Tours will be very expensive. Many cities offer 2 to 3 hour walking tours that cover particular areas/sights. You can also schedule bus tours in cities if you want a full day tour. I've done both tours and independent travel and always get more out of traveling w/o a tour as I research the areas I'm visiting and know more about the history, culture, etc. before I do. I also see a lot more on my own than a tour provides for.
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Old Oct 17th, 2009, 12:32 PM
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It is not as difficult to organize indenpendent travel as you might think---most of us here started out as beginners, planning a first time trip to Europe on our own. For a group of 4, it would be a LOT more cost-effective than a tour.

The biggest problem you will have in the planning process is "too much information". Keep to fairly stand itinerary and don't go too far off the beaten path. You can do that next time.

For the countries you have listed, I suggest you fly into Paris and spend some time there. It is very easy to rent an apartment from Vacation in Paris---www.vacationinparis.com. It is an American company, you pay with a credit card, and there are no worries about security deposit or sending cash to a stranger's bank account. They have a good selection of apartments all over Paris.

From Paris, you could travel by train to one other city in France, then through either Germany or Switzerland to reach Italy. One possible route route could be through Munich and then straight down into Italy (via Innsbruck,Austria), with a stop in the Dolomites for some hiking and then on to Verona, Florence, and so on. Look at flying out of Milan for best prices.

I did exactly that trip (Munich, Bavaria, Innsbruck, Dolomites, Florence) with my son when he was 19 and he absolutely loved it. He also went to Paris, Switzerland, and Germany with his brother when they were 18 and 21, using the Rick Steves' books, and had a great time.

Yes, Rick does "talk down" a bit in his videos, but the books are a great source of planning information for first-timers. His lodging recommendations are much more upscale than when he started out, but we still rarely if ever use those. It is the logistical information that is so helpful.

If you want to include Spain you might fly there from someplace in Italy, and then fly home from there (Madrid or Barcelona). This is too much for a 2-week trip, but might work if you have 3 weeks.
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