I took a Rick STeves Family tour ,, first tour I have ever taken. I have always travelled independtly to Europe, but this time was going with my 12 yr old and wanted her to have lots of fun, and see many places , without me being responsible for all logistics. We visited 5 countries in 14 days.

Guides were excellant, very knowledgable,, in Rome and Paris they also hired local experts, and they were experts..
Food was good, all breakies and 1/2 the dinners were included. Drinks were thrown in a few times.

No tacky shopping stops where the guides and bus drivers get kick backs for talking the shop up.. I would hate that, and my MIL experienced that with Globus.

No tipping. Guides are well paid, all tips are included, period, and that comes to hundreds if you are on most other tours( which may be one reason some tours LOOK cheaper) .

NO optional extra sightseeing. The folk nights etc were included.

RS is not for everyone though, you must peruse the site ,, and see if the travel philosophy appeals to you. Don't expect someone to carry your bag ,, and don't expect to have your hands held all the time. In most cities we were shown how to use the transport system, and given tickets or passes to use on our " free day" . You actaully will learn HOW to travel.
No wimps or whiners allowed on the tour, and they will even state that " No Grumps allowed" ..
Hotels were nice, clean, good central locations, a few I'd rate as exceptional,, and any one I would stay in again independently ( I kept list of all of them for other trips) .

None of the hotels we stayed in had other tour groups, most hotels too small.
Tour bus was new and seated 50. Our tour had about 27 people( which is max I think, they keep it small) on it. We all spread out and had a great time.
Wouldn't want to be on a tour with 50 other people , too large.

When the tour says there is a "no tip" policy, that just means the tour company takes care of the tip and it is built into the price. Do not be deceived that there is no tip for the tour director, guide, bus driver, etc., because there is. You just don't have to bother with it and figure out what you should give. Some people like to avoid that hassle.

As someone who does this work occasionally (as yet only in the US), I have companies who hire me with such a policy. In that case, before I start the tour, I know exactly what the tip will be. It makes no difference to me in the service I give, but it might to some tour directors. Of course, if people complain (and you should if the TD is not good), you won't get rehired by the company.

I do most of my work in Washington, DC, where I have a guide license, but sometimes I go outside the area.

EVERYONE takes the same photos. When you do this work, you know where all the picture points are and you always stop at them. Everyone snaps.

By the way, I just got back from a personal trip to Australia and New Zealand. I am sure most of my photos look like a lot of other folks'. It was independent travel with home exchanges homes used as bases.

The advantage to a tour is that the hassle is put on everyone else's back. However, in return, the tour (depending on what you book) can be overly regimented for my vacation travel. Many elderly people like tours (and be aware that there will be a lot of them on any tour you take--especially boat and river cruises) for the reasons I stated.

No tour directors are not babysitters, but you do lay down the rules at the beginning.

I have NEVER lost anyone, but everyone is responsible for himself. You miss the bus, you have to catch up with the tour.

Sometimes I have people who are congentially late. Generally the people on the tour take care of them. I had one guy who bought me flowers. I told him there was something he could do for me that I would really like. He knew what it was and he was never late again.

The worst problems occur with grouches, people who are really too feeble for the itinerary on the tour, and (this is the worst) when children send their alzheimer's parent on a tour to give themselves a vacation. The tour company generally gets a call if the person is too ill to be on the tour and makes arrangements for him to go home at his (or his children's) own expense. I have never had this situation, but I have heard the stories.

When you get a broken down bus or some other "disaster", it is often what everyone remembers--as an adventure if it is presented right--as the highlight of the trip. Think about your past trips. Disasters make the best stories after they are over (NOT while the disaster is in progress). You just need to reassure folks that it is being handled and you are doing the best you can. Generally the bus--or whatever it is--gets fixed and they forget about it.

Thanks Lauren, excellent advice, and neat to hear about it from another perspective. You must be a great guide.
We're not elderly, and in fact DH isn't really prone to being late, just to getting lost, turned around, etc. DS is very mildly autistic, and while able to enjoy a tour and not inclined to behavior that would interfere with anyone else's enjoyment, needs (and wants)a little more watching than most children that age. I would prefer to feel free to concentrate on him, and not worry too much about where DH has wandered off too.
He will also be happier if things are reasonably predictable (he's not nearly as rigid as most children with the disorder, but still), and being given a shiny brochure with all the places we're going in black and white will make him ecstatic. Also the knowledge that there are NO deviations unless the place is on strike, the road is washed out, etc. We've actually been a little inclined to let him pick, but he's as indecisive as we are, and considerably less budget conscious.

persimmondeb: I'm really sorry to say this - but w/ your latest info, I can see a European coach tour as being a real disaster. Your son may have a mild form of autism - but the coach tour will not be able to make allowances for any problems that come up. You will be traveling w/ a group of mostly "mature" folks. Some quite elderly. An autistic child will be a hard fit.

For your situation, a distracted spouse and a special needs child - independent travel would seem a much better option. You could rent an apartment for a week in some wonderful city. Your husband could go off and lose himself whenever the mood strikes - and as long as he carries a paper w/ the address of your flat, he can always get directions back "home".

Your son will be able to settle in and get familiar w/ one place/apartment instead of having to pack/get on the bus/unpack every day.

Also look at the Globus Monogram Trips.
They are packages so far as you get transportation from airport to hotels, hotels, a half day sightseeing tour of city and the rest of your time you are on your own. They have a host at the hotel for any questions .

Lauren, you should work for Rick Steves, they pay their guides very well,really look into it.

Perhaps you need to give your 'distracted' husband a slap round the head and tell him to start pulling his weight and acting like a grown-up instead of adding to your worries? :-)

Actually, I think a tour might be good for you and your child. A mildly autistic child shouldn't be a problem for the others on the coach - and you state that - and as long as he won't find the constant moving around too upsetting, it might be good.

Persimmon Deb.

Your hubby sounds like more of a problem then your child,, perhaps he is a bit autistic also( no, I am not kidding) , he should be helping you stay on track as you already have to be more on your toes with your child. I am familar with Aspergers, and we had a child with it on our tour, ( plus my nephew has it and I worked for 4 years in a program ) . Yes, change and deviation can create a lot of stress for you child( and therefore you) . Tours, while following predictable routes etc, can still be very disruptive, things do change, and of course , a different hotel every two days is also stressful.
I was on a cruise where I met a lady travelling with her Aspergers child, she found he did ok, but only because no matter how every thing changed, they always had the same cabin to retreat to. You will not have that.
If hubby was more help you could rent a car( that would be a constant) and spend more time in each place.

You could also consider the Rick Steves Family tours, they are geared towards kids, and that makes a difference. We had a child on the RS family tour I did this summer that obviously had Aspergers, mom though no one would notice as child is only mildly affected,, but it was somewhat noticable, so many disruptions to routines etc. The child did fine though,, but the mom really had her work cut out for her,but , she was alone, you will have hubby to help( hopefully) .

Anyways I do encourage you to travel, but really , the tours you mentions will be filled with old people,, average age on some of those tours is 60 ,, not as much fun for a kid, on our tour there was only 27 or 28 , and we had a big bus, so everyone got lots of room to spread out and relax. OUr tour had 14 kids on it too,, ages ranged from 8-17 with most being 11-14.

We have considered that, fairly seriously, but really prefer to tour around. I have been a little concerned about the combination of elderly passengers and child, but we've been fine on short tours, and think longer should be alright.
He's a quiet child, and not inclined to either temper tantrums or unpredictable behavior. Most of the time people who don't spend a lot of time with children don't notice anything unusual, since he is quiet and generally well-behaved.
He's intellectually extremely capable, but his personality is markedly young (think 9 or 10, rather than 13). He's high-functioning enough that he makes up for his difficulty in understanding social situations by being very, very reserved, and there's rarely a peep out of him unless he's feeling very comfortable.

Tauck is definitely high end. My parents have friends who have done several of their tours - and then did a Perillo with relatives - and hated it. Said fod was awful, hotels at the end of hell and gone - and their hand was always out for extras. (After the first dinner was so bad they did all the others on their own.)

If yuo liked Tauck I would stick with them -or a similar price elvel - or you may be disappointed.

As for keeping track of people - I have been on only 2 tous - well - relly one a tour (Russia when that was the only way to go) and a London/Amsterdam.Paris package that was free. On the latter they ended up leaving one couple behing in Amsterdam - since the idiot husband had leaned out over a canal boat and their passports dropped out of his pocket and into the water. They had to stay there an extra day and then get themselves to Paris.

Another couple on the tour - who were late for everything - were eventually left behind on a half day tour outside the city. They had been given warnings about being late and after 10 minutes - again - the guide simply said - let's go. They eventually turned up at the hotel that evening - all put out that they had had to organize a taxi - at high price - to get back to town. (There was a train option but they couldn't figure it out.)

After that they were only 5 minutes late for everything. And at the end didn't want to tip, at which point one outspoken person gave it to them - how many times they had held up the group, how inconsiderate they were, and how lucky they hadn't been left behind more often.

Hubby is probably not quite on the spectrum, but is a little unusual, and is becoming somewhat hard of hearing to boot. I do not drive, and do not want him to do so in a foreign country. It is true that DH may be more of an issue for the old people than DS. He's certainly louder.

We think, and so does DS, that he'll be fine with moving around, as we've done a fair amount of independent travel that involves that. He enjoys the novelty of a new hotel room, restaurants, etc. What drives him nuts is when we plan to do something and it doesn't happen because we have either miscalculated something or been distracted by another fun thing. He's quite convinced we do this stuff on purpose. He does understand about circumstances beyond control, but he's only fairly recently stopped blaming us for weather-related issues.

The only kid-related tours I've looked at are the Disney ones, and not only are they out of the question on cost, most of them don't look like a great match for our interests. It is something of a family joke (and holds true for my sisters as well) that if we find a restaurant, destination, resort, etc. appealing, it is sure to be full of older patrons.

I think your son would have fit in fine on the two tours I was on. They had a wide age range of people, although most were over 45, of course. There were actually a few under that age (adults), and a couple teens traveling with parents. I think they had a good enough time, but the tours I took were not full of "elderly" people. There were only a couple over the age of 70, probably. If you can find out that kind of thing (general age range), that might be good.

The tours I were on were more budget/midrange, but still had excellent accommodations so I had no complaints. Unfortunately, the company is out of business as they were very good (TWA Getaway Tours), but I think going budget/midrange might ensure greater diversity. Also, the tours I took did not have hardly any included meals (except breakfast) or side tours, and I chose that for a reason, because I wanted to do things a lot on my own, especially eating. However, if you choose a tour that has mostly included everything, I do think you are going to get a definitely older group.

Went on a Rome/Tuscany tour in 2005 with Trafalgar. Nice bus, tour guide and most important, wonderful hotel accomodations. They were all 5 star, just beautiful.

Only downside for me was that the tours were very fast pace. Always moving.

Hope this helps.

MS2008, does Trafalgar do tours where you pick the level of hotel accommodations you're interested in (and interested in paying for)? I always thought of Trafalgar as more of a mid-level tour company, and didn't think they offered 5* accommodations.

persimmondeb. I wish you best of luck. At least you have lots of time to do more research ,, check out many other travel forums( try tripadvisor.com and frommers maybe? )
I think that you will find something that fits eventually. I would steer away from anything too cheap( in comparision to like tours with other companies) as that usaully means more hands out for extras, and hotels in less central areas( making it harder to enjoy the free time given).

Good luck!!

Thanks!

For the suggestion that I work for Rick Steves, I am flattered. 90% of my work is in Washington, DC, where I hold a tour guide license (there is a test here). I actually can earn more money by basically staying here. Going abroad to do back to back versions of the same tour is very strenuous and gets old quickly. Also, in DC I get more money because I have the license. Overseas tours work at a lower base rate than what I am paid--really.

I wouldn't mind occasional work overseas, but not for months on end. You know those fast paced tours? The tour guides go to bed after the guests and get up before they do. It is exhausting. If you have been on tours abroad, you may notice that most of the tour directors are young. They burn out quickly.

Thanks again.

DS is leaning towards the British Isles, and we're thinking our money may go a little farther (Globus has some really low-priced packages). His only absolute must see is Stonehenge, and is just really excited about the whole idea of taking a tour. As a result there are at least six (and a couple of Trafalgar's) that meet his criteria.

He understands that we can only take one, and cannot mix and match, but he's not good at looking at the prices before he starts chirping "Ooh, the Highlands! Ooh, this one has TWO ferries on the Irish sea! Oxford! Mom, have you ever been to Chester?"

I think he'll be fine, and he likes busses. A few of the diferences are still a little mysterious to me, but I'm sort of taking it on faith that they're accounted for by the locations of the similar sounding hotels, or that the specific things you're being taken to (and I'm fairly good at deciphering tourspeak) are cheaper than the ones on the other tour. Or that they're contracted for slightly higher end meals, etc.

Out of necessity, we'll need to be pretty close to the bottom of the market, but since we have no intention of purchasing "options", we're trying to make sure that we don't take a tour where we'll be really annoyed by having to miss one. We don't have a lot of must sees, and we are the kind of travellers who like to just wander around.

Your posts really confuse me - but you know what you want so go for it.

• You describe a family situation that would seem custom made for independent travel, but prefer a tour.

• You say &quot;<i>we are the kind of travellers who like to just wander around.</i>&quot; - but want to take a semi-low end, totally regimented tour. There is little to no &quot;wander around time&quot; on most UK coach tours. Especially the cheaper ones since they keep on the move.

• You want to save money - yet plan on paying a premium to take a tour. For a family, independent travel can be <u>significantly</u> cheaper. Self catering cottages or B&amp;B family rooms will be MUCH cheaper than the accommodations portion of any tour.

I just don't get it.