Has anyone used Tauck Bridges?

[marcemch]

Yes -- there were unique activities just for our group. For example, the Dude Ranch was just for Tauck guests. (Tauck is a part owner so when there is a Tauck tour (regular or Bridges) only Tauck guests are there. We had special guides at the parks and stopped at locations along the way that were off the beaten track. Our trip was different that ABD as it started (or ended) in Rapid City to see Mt. Rushmore and ended in Jackson.

Yes, at the group meals (after the welcome dinner) the kids did sit together and so did the adults. At breakfast and lunches they often sat together as well.

I can't speak to the specifics of "special" things. I did just look at the equivalent itinerary for the trip we did and they do look very similar. Disney did seem to offer a few more things at night (Disney movies) then Tauck, but because it was summer, many families on our trip ate a late dinner (when we were in the parks) and used the daylight hours to hike, etc. At the Grand Tetons bunches of the kids swam (to cold for the parents). We had a campfire one night, went to the rodeo another night, etc.

There were several single people with a child on our tour (grandmothers and mothers). All seemed to really enjoy it.

Thanks so much for your input! Sorry to keep asking questions, but you (lastminutemom) seem to be the only one on the boards who can provide first hand experience into Tauck, and there don't seem to be any other trip reviews on-line.
Did Tauck provide kid only activities (vs. spontaneous kid free-time supervised by parents)? I would guess your example of kids swimming was not an organized tour guide supervised activity, right? Did they structure aspects of the trip to split between adults and kids? For instance, when we were in Germany with ABD, at one of the castles we toured, the kids had their own tour guide. She gave them more of the kid's view of the castle (alot of focus on the knights!), where the adults got the more normal tour (history, architecture, decor, etc.)
As far as my question about "special" things, I'll clarify. On our Germany trip (not so much on our Alaska trip), there were a few surprises that weren't on the itinerary. Things that left you with that "WOW" feeling. Things you wouldn't know about if you just read the itinerary on-line or in the catalog. (I won't give examples because I might ruin the surprises for others). I really thought that was the ABD difference, but am not sure now since we didn't really experience it in Alaska. Did the Tauck tour have a few special surprises thrown in?
Did you have one or two guides? Did they really seem to be interested in and good at engaging the kids? I do think ABD goes to great length to find kid-friendly guides.
I appreciate you taking the time to help me (us) discern the differences between the two companies.

 

[Bobo912]

As far as my question about "special" things, I'll clarify. On our Germany trip (not so much on our Alaska trip), there were a few surprises that weren't on the itinerary. Things that left you with that "WOW" feeling. Things you wouldn't know about if you just read the itinerary on-line or in the catalog. (I won't give examples because I might ruin the surprises for others). I really thought that was the ABD difference, but am not sure now since we didn't really experience it in Alaska. Did the Tauck tour have a few special surprises thrown in?
Did you have one or two guides? Did they really seem to be interested in and good at engaging the kids? I do think ABD goes to great length to find kid-friendly guides.

marcemch, I can't comment on the other trips, but I found our Costa Rica trip (which was our first ABD trip) to be very similar to the Alaksa trip. We had the small surprises like the postcards, etc. (although they weren't surprises the second time around, but still nice). There was only one "surprise" that wasn't on the itinerary in Costa Rica. I think our stop at the Alaska Veterans Memorial for the view of Mt McKinley would have been a similar "surprise" if we had actually been able to see it. But a massive forest fire had been burning since the previous day and the air was too hazy.

If you haven't checked them out already, you might want to look at this webpage from the Thomson Family Adventures site.
http://www.familyadventures.com/why-thomson
I have exchanged emails with them (not making a decision yet - just researching). I got an email today from their travel advisor who told me they try to match families that they feel would travel well together and have actually put together a few trips with just single moms. She also offered a reference list of families who have traveled with Thomson, so that I can contact them directly to get feedback and ask questions. Biggest negative with them is that they offer fewer destinations that ABD.

 

[marcemch]

marcemch, I can't comment on the other trips, but I found our Costa Rica trip (which was our first ABD trip) to be very similar to the Alaksa trip. We had the small surprises like the postcards, etc. (although they weren't surprises the second time around, but still nice). There was only one "surprise" that wasn't on the itinerary in Costa Rica. I think our stop at the Alaska Veterans Memorial for the view of Mt McKinley would have been a similar "surprise" if we had actually been able to see it. But a massive forest fire had been burning since the previous day and the air was too hazy.

If you haven't checked them out already, you might want to look at this webpage from the Thomson Family Adventures site.
http://www.familyadventures.com/why-thomson
I have exchanged emails with them (not making a decision yet - just researching). I got an email today from their travel advisor who told me they try to match families that they feel would travel well together and have actually put together a few trips with just single moms. She also offered a reference list of families who have traveled with Thomson, so that I can contact them directly to get feedback and ask questions. Biggest negative with them is that they offer fewer destinations that ABD.

Thanks so much for this input! It's good to know from an expectation perspective. I guess we were spoiled by the Germany trip.
I like what I see from the Thomson Family trip website as well. How interesting that they even try to match you on a trip with families that might travel well together - that's a big plus for me! Their destinations are somewhat limited, as you say, and with the exception of Portugal, not any European destinations. What did you think of their Costa Rica trips itineraries in comparison to ABDs?
It was raining the day we went to the Alaska Veterans Memorial, so it was more of a bathroom stop than much else for us. You're right - that would have been a nice surprise. Didn't even know that seeing Mt. McKinley was possible from there!

 

[Bobo912]

Thanks so much for this input! It's good to know from an expectation perspective. I guess we were spoiled by the Germany trip.
I like what I see from the Thomson Family trip website as well. How interesting that they even try to match you on a trip with families that might travel well together - that's a big plus for me! Their destinations are somewhat limited, as you say, and with the exception of Portugal, not any European destinations. What did you think of their Costa Rica trips itineraries in comparison to ABDs?
It was raining the day we went to the Alaska Veterans Memorial, so it was more of a bathroom stop than much else for us. You're right - that would have been a nice surprise. Didn't even know that seeing Mt. McKinley was possible from there!

Thomson has four Costa Rica itineraries. I think the "Volcanoes & Beaches" trip looks very similar to ABD. The "Multi-Sport" trip looks really good too. That trip includes activities on the east coast where the sea turtles live.

Germany was on my son's list of trips that he wants to take. I'm beginning to wonder if we should do that one next.

 

[Techtravler]

marcemch, I can't comment on the other trips, but I found our Costa Rica trip (which was our first ABD trip) to be very similar to the Alaksa trip. We had the small surprises like the postcards, etc. (although they weren't surprises the second time around, but still nice). There was only one "surprise" that wasn't on the itinerary in Costa Rica. I think our stop at the Alaska Veterans Memorial for the view of Mt McKinley would have been a similar "surprise" if we had actually been able to see it. But a massive forest fire had been burning since the previous day and the air was too hazy.

If you haven't checked them out already, you might want to look at this webpage from the Thomson Family Adventures site.
http://www.familyadventures.com/why-thomson
I have exchanged emails with them (not making a decision yet - just researching). I got an email today from their travel advisor who told me they try to match families that they feel would travel well together and have actually put together a few trips with just single moms. She also offered a reference list of families who have traveled with Thomson, so that I can contact them directly to get feedback and ask questions. Biggest negative with them is that they offer fewer destinations that ABD.

Interesting, when you go to Thomson's web site, you see on the right how they were rated #1 with National Geographics Adventure for Family Adventures. However, after looking at the list of other companies you do not see ABD or Tauck Bridges at all.

Also, for the Costa Rica trip, it only seems to be a little less then ABD. I am certainly sold on ABD as a company. The only reason I even started looking at others was price. Tauck Bridges had a much lower price for a very similar itinerary. If the price is anywhere close to ABD price I would rather just go with Disney.

One other think I noticed about Tauck Bridges that stands out is their cancellation policy. It is really almost unheard-of. If you have the Insurance, you can cancel 24 Hrs before departure and receive a full refund other then the insurance portion. Here is a link http://www.tauck.com/tours/latin-america/costa-rica-vacation-yo-2010/yo-tauck-travel-protection This link is for the Costa Rica trip, so the insurance prices may be different on other tours.

 

[Bobo912]

Interesting, when you go to Thomson's web site, you see on the right how they were rated #1 with National Geographics Adventure for Family Adventures. However, after looking at the list of other companies you do not see ABD or Tauck Bridges at all.

Also, for the Costa Rica trip, it only seems to be a little less then ABD. I am certainly sold on ABD as a company. The only reason I even started looking at others was price. Tauck Bridges had a much lower price for a very similar itinerary. If the price is anywhere close to ABD price I would rather just go with Disney.

One other think I noticed about Tauck Bridges that stands out is their cancellation policy. It is really almost unheard-of. If you have the Insurance, you can cancel 24 Hrs before departure and receive a full refund other then the insurance portion. Here is a link http://www.tauck.com/tours/latin-america/costa-rica-vacation-yo-2010/yo-tauck-travel-protection This link is for the Costa Rica trip, so the insurance prices may be different on other tours.

For the trips I've looked at the Thomson price is almost exactly the same as ABD. We're specifically looking at Galapagos and the itinerary is almost identical. One thing to take into consideration when using the websites to compare prices is that the Thomson price incluldes trip insurance and the ABD price doesn't. They also have a "triple discount", which is another $300 off the child's price if sharing a room with 2 adults (which doesn't help me, unless I can find another adult to travel with us). And they offer $500 off if you fill out their survey and book by the end of the year. Still, I wish the prices were just a bit lower. But I wish the ABD prices were lower too. Another thing about Thomson, they guarantee that once you book they will not cancel the trip. I've been very impressed with their customer service. They emailed me after I ordered their brochure and offered their assistance. I've exchanged emails with them and they have been prompt and helpful. The ABD guides have been fantastic, but Disney's pre-trip customer service leaves something to be desired. I've emailed ABD and never gotten a response. But, we know from experience that once you actually embark on your trip, ABD is great. Thomson is still an unknown. But I suspect they wouldn't be ranked #1 on National Geographics list if they were not good. I think the ABD, Tauck and Thomson itineraries for Costa Rica all look fantastic. I would really love to hear some comparisons of ABD with Tauck or Thomson from someone who has done both.

 

[marcemch]

Interesting, when you go to Thomson's web site, you see on the right how they were rated #1 with National Geographics Adventure for Family Adventures. However, after looking at the list of other companies you do not see ABD or Tauck Bridges at all.....

.

I still think that Tauck and ABD don't fall under the "Adventure travel" category. The Thomson tours are very active trips (like Backroads), and Tauck and ABD are more touring oriented. So my guess would be that Tauck and ABD aren't ranked because they don't consider them to be "Adventure" travel, NOT because they aren't in the "top" rankings.
I would LOVE to see a good article in Travel & Leisure, or another travel magazine, comparing Family TOURING companies - strengths and weaknesses of each.

 

[marcemch]

Interesting, when you go to Thomson's web site, you see on the right how they were rated #1 with National Geographics Adventure for Family Adventures. However, after looking at the list of other companies you do not see ABD or Tauck Bridges at all.

Also, for the Costa Rica trip, it only seems to be a little less then ABD. I am certainly sold on ABD as a company. The only reason I even started looking at others was price. Tauck Bridges had a much lower price for a very similar itinerary. If the price is anywhere close to ABD price I would rather just go with Disney.

One other think I noticed about Tauck Bridges that stands out is their cancellation policy. It is really almost unheard-of. If you have the Insurance, you can cancel 24 Hrs before departure and receive a full refund other then the insurance portion. Here is a link http://www.tauck.com/tours/latin-america/costa-rica-vacation-yo-2010/yo-tauck-travel-protection This link is for the Costa Rica trip, so the insurance prices may be different on other tours.

For the trips I've looked at the Thomson price is almost exactly the same as ABD. We're specifically looking at Galapagos and the itinerary is almost identical. One thing to take into consideration when using the websites to compare prices is that the Thomson price incluldes trip insurance and the ABD price doesn't. They also have a "triple discount", which is another $300 off the child's price if sharing a room with 2 adults (which doesn't help me, unless I can find another adult to travel with us). And they offer $500 off if you fill out their survey and book by the end of the year. Still, I wish the prices were just a bit lower. But I wish the ABD prices were lower too. Another thing about Thomson, they guarantee that once you book they will not cancel the trip. I've been very impressed with their customer service. They emailed me after I ordered their brochure and offered their assistance. I've exchanged emails with them and they have been prompt and helpful. The ABD guides have been fantastic, but Disney's pre-trip customer service leaves something to be desired. I've emailed ABD and never gotten a response. But, we know from experience that once you actually embark on your trip, ABD is great. Thomson is still an unknown. But I suspect they wouldn't be ranked #1 on National Geographics list if they were not good. I think the ABD, Tauck and Thomson itineraries for Costa Rica all look fantastic. I would really love to hear some comparisons of ABD with Tauck or Thomson from someone who has done both.

I agree that the pricing is a bit steep for my taste. Did they talk to you at all about lowering the price if you sign on to a tour that already has a good group? That's an interesting concept. Although it still seems like you might only save $800 or so - but that plus the $500 and child discount starts to make it a little more reasonable.
I don't know about other's experiences with ABD when booking, but when I booked my first trip to Germany and looking at various dates, I asked if there were other children my daughter's age on the trips and they wouldn't tell me. Nice that Thomson takes the opposite approach. I wonder what Tauck does on that account.

 

[Bobo912]

I agree that the pricing is a bit steep for my taste. Did they talk to you at all about lowering the price if you sign on to a tour that already has a good group? That's an interesting concept. Although it still seems like you might only save $800 or so - but that plus the $500 and child discount starts to make it a little more reasonable.
I don't know about other's experiences with ABD when booking, but when I booked my first trip to Germany and looking at various dates, I asked if there were other children my daughter's age on the trips and they wouldn't tell me. Nice that Thomson takes the opposite approach. I wonder what Tauck does on that account.

I got an email newsletter from Thomson recently and I thought this blurb was interesting:

Come join the party - and save!
We've carefully worked out a formula for 2010 so you can save money on your next family adventure. Join in on a departure with other families already onboard, or start your own group with your family and friends. Our prices go down as the group size grows, beginning with just 6 participants. So if you're working with a skinny budget, just give us a call and we can help.


I'm reading this as...if they already have some people booked and you also book that departure date and bring the total up to at least 6, they will cut you a deal. Not that you necessarily must have 6 in your personal travel party. Am I interpreting this correctly? I think I'll have to ask them for some details.

This is my exeperience with ABD as far as providing information on fellow travelers. For the 2008 Costa Rica trip (booked in May 2008), they told me how many kids and the age ranges. For the 2009 Australia trip (booked in Aug 2008, cancelled in Dec 2008) there was nobody else booked yet, so nothing to tell. 2009 Alaska trip (booked Dec 2008 after the Australia trip was cancelled), they told me how many kids and their age ranges for every potential date that I asked about. But they were trying to get me to rebook rather than ask for a refund, so I think I got more information than a lot of folks did. I know there were several others who asked and were told by ABD that they couldn't divulge that information.

 

[ennuiphobe]

But they were trying to get me to rebook rather than ask for a refund, so I think I got more information than a lot of folks did. I know there were several others who asked and were told by ABD that they couldn't divulge that information.

When I was looking to book a Q4TW tour this year that had other kids around my son's age, the ABD rep refused to give me any clue as to which dates might have similar aged kids. I booked anyway, but that left a bad taste (it wasn't as if I was asking for specific ages, names or addresses).

I've been looking at Tauck Bridges and Thompson for Costa Rica next year. It appears Thompson is around the same price as ABD. Unlike ABD, they say they will work to place you in a tour with other similar age kids. Also, they'll arrange pen pals for your kids to write to prior to the trip, who they can meet once they arrive. And while they don't have two guides like ABD, they say that for groups of 8 or larger they'll provide a 'mentor whose job is to engage the kids in fun games and activities.' Not sure what that means, but it sounds like they're committed to making the trips kid-friendly.

I had a great time on the Q4TW trip this year, but the price increase and unhelpful ABD reps has me looking at alternatives for next year.

 

[Turtlemom]

My experience with the ABD reps was similar to Bobo912's. The first trip in 2008--Southwest Splendors, ABD was very forthcoming on age ranges and genders of the other kids signed up for various trips. Then, after the "Great Cancellation" of 2009--ABD would tell me almost nothing about the other families signed up for the trip when we booked Quest4TWest. But when I called a week ago to check out various Viva Italia dates, they were more forthcoming on who was already booked (i.e. whether there were kids of a certain age range). Maybe they got the message that more information is better when you are making very expensive decisions. Or. . .maybe not.

Turtlemom

 

[Diskidatheart]

I'm actually not surprised if a company doesn't give specifics on who is on a trip or what age groups. There may actually be legal issues regarding this. When I moved into my new neighborhood, we asked the average age of people in the neighborhood and they indicated that they couldn't tell us due to legal reasons. I'm not a lawyer, but if the wrong information is expressed, someone may be able to sue. (Doesn't make sense to me, but most lawsuits don't!). ABD may be trying to protect themselves by not providing this information. When I booked my Italy trip for next year, they wouldn't even tell me how many are already booked.

 

[WeLoveABD]

We have always gotten a general idea of the number of children/teens and ages, with the caveat that the number could change (either up with more bookings or down with cancellations)--but I imagine with so many different trips, and people interested in Disney as a safe family environment, that it must be a tough to provide the right balance of privacy, hope, information and excitment.

We've been on tours with other groups--all have pluses and negatives, and so much is dependent upon the guide(s) and the group. I think we all have to find the right fit--for some, like my family, it has been hands down the Disney trips. (For a while we looked only at the lower cost end, such as Insight--and enjoyed our trip with them; but it certainly didn't have the "completeness" or detail of what we have experienced with Disney. So there is something to be said to getting what you paid for). But whatever you do, it is great to get out into the world!

 

[Techtravler]

Well I think we have decided we are going to go with the Tauck Bridges trip to Costa Rica next July.

I would still like to read a trip report as detailed as some of the ABD trip reports we see on here, but have read enough to feel comfortable about booking. Besides, with their very liberal cancellation policy the most we would lose until we book the Air is $500.00

 

[kjd469]

Well I think we have decided we are going to go with the Tauck Bridges trip to Costa Rica next July.

I would still like to read a trip report as detailed as some of the ABD trip reports we see on here, but have read enough to feel comfortable about booking. Besides, with their very liberal cancellation policy the most we would lose until we book the Air is $500.00

There are a bunch of former ABD'ers booked on the July 11 Costa Rica trip with Tauck bridges...myself, DH and DD are going, along with Jenbadeaux and her family from these boards, and 4 other families that Jenbadeaux has previously travelled with on a couple different ABD trips. Not sure what dates you are interested in, but we would love to have you join us...when I booked last month, there were only 9 spots left on the tour, so it is definitely a "go". We will save $5000 over the cost of doing it with ABD, and it is one night longer with more meals included. Tauck has a great reputation, so I don't think you can go wrong. Let me know if you have any questions...good luck

 

[Techtravler]

There are a bunch of former ABD'ers booked on the July 11 Costa Rica trip with Tauck bridges...myself, DH and DD are going, along with Jenbadeaux and her family from these boards, and 4 other families that Jenbadeaux has previously travelled with on a couple different ABD trips. Not sure what dates you are interested in, but we would love to have you join us...when I booked last month, there were only 9 spots left on the tour, so it is definitely a "go". We will save $5000 over the cost of doing it with ABD, and it is one night longer with more meals included. Tauck has a great reputation, so I don't think you can go wrong. Let me know if you have any questions...good luck

Tauck told me yesterday there were 4 spots left on your date of the 11th. Any ideas of the ages of the other kids in the group? it will be me, my wife and our 8 year old daughter.
We were looking to go the trip before starting on the 4th. This would save 1 day of work leave for my wife and I. However, going with a group from the boards sound great, and booking into a group that is almost sure to go sounds great too.

TT

 

[Bobo912]

There are a bunch of former ABD'ers booked on the July 11 Costa Rica trip with Tauck bridges...myself, DH and DD are going, along with Jenbadeaux and her family from these boards, and 4 other families that Jenbadeaux has previously travelled with on a couple different ABD trips. Not sure what dates you are interested in, but we would love to have you join us...when I booked last month, there were only 9 spots left on the tour, so it is definitely a "go". We will save $5000 over the cost of doing it with ABD, and it is one night longer with more meals included. Tauck has a great reputation, so I don't think you can go wrong. Let me know if you have any questions...good luck

I'm really interested in hearing what you guys think about this trip once it's over. ABD has great itineraries and I love the special touches, but I'm wondering if they are really that different from other companies. It will be good to hear a comparison from someone who has done both. I'm tempted to book a trip with some other company, just so I can see if there is a big difference. But for now, I'm still waiting for the best combination of itinerary, date and price before I book anything for next year. I found a review of Austin-Lehman's family trip to Yellowstone on about.com and this is one comment they made:

Small Details, Big Impression
Funny, how small touches can add so much. The nightly surprises on the hotel-room bed: a gift bag with toys; local-specialty candies; an album of photos from the trip.
After a dusty horse-ride, cool face-towels materialized. After a long hike to the awesome Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, out popped one of our guides with a silvery platter of tropical fruit.
Add to the list of trip highlights: pampering

Sounds like they are also into providing "special touches". The article also said there was 11 people on the trip and they had 3 guides. There was also a review of ABD's Viva Italia and they raved about it as well.

 

[kjd469]

Tauck told me yesterday there were 4 spots left on your date of the 11th. Any ideas of the ages of the other kids in the group? it will be me, my wife and our 8 year old daughter.
We were looking to go the trip before starting on the 4th. This would save 1 day of work leave for my wife and I. However, going with a group from the boards sound great, and booking into a group that is almost sure to go sounds great too.

TT

from what jenbadeaux told me, this is the approximate make-up of the ABD families....girls - 21, 3 @ 15, 8 and 7, and for boys - 2 @ middle teens, 13, 11 and 2 @ 7. Sounds like there would definitely be some in your daughters age group...plus we don't know what the ages of the other families are, but it sounds like a good mix of ages, and boy/girls. I too thought it would be nice to go with other people who have been on ABD's or are from this board, because right off the bat we all have something in common. I've also heard by email from one of the other families to say "hi", so we may all be a little familiar with each other before the trip even starts. Let me know what you decide

 

[Techtravler]

from what jenbadeaux told me, this is the approximate make-up of the ABD families....girls - 21, 3 @ 15, 8 and 7, and for boys - 2 @ middle teens, 13, 11 and 2 @ 7. Sounds like there would definitely be some in your daughters age group...plus we don't know what the ages of the other families are, but it sounds like a good mix of ages, and boy/girls. I too thought it would be nice to go with other people who have been on ABD's or are from this board, because right off the bat we all have something in common. I've also heard by email from one of the other families to say "hi", so we may all be a little familiar with each other before the trip even starts. Let me know what you decide

Well it looks like your group is now full. I just had them hold 3 more spots on the July 11th outing. I will actually book it in a few days after my wife and I secure our leave at work.


This should be a lot of fun, we have never done any escorted type of tour before. We have been on many Disney cruises, and live in FL only a few hrs from Disney, so we go their often. We are big fans of everything we have heard about ABD, but cannot see paying so much more, for what is a very similar itinerary on a very reputable company.

Summer of 2011 we are planning on going to China and for that one I am sure we will use ABD.

 

[kjd469]

Well it looks like your group is now full. I just had them hold 3 more spots on the July 11th outing. I will actually book it in a few days after my wife and I secure our leave at work.


This should be a lot of fun, we have never done any escorted type of tour before. We have been on many Disney cruises, and live in FL only a few hrs from Disney, so we go their often. We are big fans of everything we have heard about ABD, but cannot see paying so much more, for what is a very similar itinerary on a very reputable company.

Summer of 2011 we are planning on going to China and for that one I am sure we will use ABD.

Great...welcome to the group!! I'll PM you my email address as well as Jenbadeaux's, so we can formally welcome you. Tauck is probably puzzled as to why that particular date has filled up so fast, lol...the power of the Disboards!!