Day Tours

TravelWifeTravelWife
in Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat
We just booked our Amsterdam to Budapest cruise for 2014. Does Tauck take into consideration the mobility of travelers when selecting the groups for the land tours? I've read several comments from recent passengers on various forums; those who wanted a slower pace and those who thought the pace was too slow. If Tauck breaks up the groups between 3 tour directors, it would be great to be able to pre-select whether you were an adventurous traveler or one who liked a more leisurely pace. We are looking forward to making new friends with all our fellow cruisers.

Comments

  • crackers54crackers54
    For the most part they don't break you up into groups themselves. If you can't keep up they sometimes will make suggestions of what to do instead. I know there was one man that used a wheelchair or 2 canes to walk. He was aware of his limitations and sometimes would stay with the bus. Europe is not exactly handicap friendly with all the old buildings and areas that are great for walking but no traffic so it is hard on anyone with mobility problems.

    Yes there are 3 TD's, but in a lot of the towns they have locals take you around on a walking tour as I remember. I have done the Amsterdam to Basel and the Blue Danube cruise, so for the most part I did your tour in 2 parts.
  • Nick of Skara BraeNick of Skara Brae
    In my experience there has almost always been a choice among groups desiring different difficulty levels, and of course, there are the "stay on the boat" and self-guided tour options. Typically a slower pace implies a reduced itinerary. Even for those desiring a still slower pace (eg, someone using a walker) the tour director should be able to arrange a taxi to safely reach (and return from) a destination of greatest interest. I don't recall a complaint that the fastest pace was too slow, although I sometimes wander away from the group temporarily.
  • TravelWifeTravelWife
    Thank you Nick and Crackers for taking the time to reply. I think it's great that Tauck takes into consideration travelers of all ages and abilities. My husband and I are a tad younger than what the forums suggest is the typical age group for this tour, so we are hoping to take in as much of these beautiful cities as possible. Just got a little concerned after reading several posts from cruisers saying they were disappointed that the pace of the land tours was extremely slow. Did either of you utilize the bicycles during your stops?
  • ScorpioSScorpioS
    Hi Beth,

    We are booked for our 20th Tauck tour in July. We have done various small ship cruising with Tauck as well as land tours. I have never found a tour to have a "slow pace". Sometimes, we are so busy seeing so many sights that I pass on the ones I have been to previously. We have been on another line which had different levels of mobility and took the "fast pace" group. It was the same pace as Tauck has on their tours. Go to cruisecritic.com and you will find more people posting on their riverboat threads and might someone else on your Tauck riverboat tour.

    Have a great time! We love Tauck!

    Sheila
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