Understanding Escorted Tour Itineraries

Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2012

Thinking about taking an escorted tour?  Here is a glossary of some common terms used in our itineraries:

Visit - Your coach will stop and you'll get to visit a specific site.
View - A brief stop and an opportunity to take photos.
See - Your Insight coach will drive by the site so that you can see it.
Sightseeing tour - A local city guide will accompany you on a tour of a city or site.
Orientation tour - Places of interest are pointed out, allowing you to go and explore them on your own.
'Why not see' or 'perhaps enjoy' - These phrases refer to optional excursions not included in the tour package, but are available for an additional fee.
Time to explore and discover - Free time on your own.
A day to relax - No planned activities; time for optional excursions or other independent activities.

Our tour specialists are always available to help you understand what is included on a tour vacation, so that you can plan how much money to budget on your European vacation.

Hotel d'Inghilterra, Rome

Posted on Thursday, August 11, 2011

Featured Hotel partner: Hotel d'Inghilterra, Rome

Hotel d'Inghilterra is part of the Chateaux & Hotels Collections, and is located very close to the majestic Piazza di Spagna and via Condotti with its fashionable shops, the Spanish Steps, the famous Cafe Greco and more. The hotel is famous for its authentic Italian atmosphere and long tradition of service.

Now offering a best available rate in all seasons for new bookings, including the following special amenities:

• Daily buffet breakfast in the Café Romano
• Upgrade upon availability
• A bottle of selected Italian Prosecco upon arrival
• Book a minimum 4-night stay in a deluxe room and up and Ensemble guests will get a 3-course dinner for two with a selected bottle of wine

Some restrictions may apply, please call for details.

Tauck Tours 2011

Posted on Wednesday, March 02, 2011

When Tauck begins operating its first 2011 trips in Europe next month, the company will celebrate its 20th anniversary on the continent and mark the expansion of its diverse European portfolio with nearly a dozen new itineraries.  The new trips include a pair of river cruises on the Rhone, several additions to the company’s classic Tauck World Discovery land programs, new Tauck Bridges family itineraries in Italy and the Swiss/Austrian Alps, and two new trips in the company’s Culturious collection of active, immersive, small-group experiences for boomer-age travelers.

Tauck’s expansion to a total of 49 itineraries in Europe comes on the heels of robust growth there in 2010, and amid additional, double-digit gains in 2011 pre-season bookings.  As a result, Tauck is boosting departures to Europe by 15% to help meet demand in 2011.

Tauck CEO Dan Mahar cites the economic rebound as one reason for Tauck’s strong success in Europe, but of equal importance at least says Mahar, has been the company’s continued investment in its products.  "Even when the economy stalled, we continued to add new experiences to our existing itineraries, we continued developing new trips, and we expanded our riverboat fleet by christening the ms Swiss Jewel and committing to the ms Treasures, which we’ll launch in August," said Mahar.  "That sustained investment in the quality of our products has positioned us perfectly to take full advantage of the recovery now underway."

TWENTY YEARS ALONG EUROPE’S  YELLOW ROADS

According to Mahar, that investment translates into insider access to unique, authentic and "off-the-beaten-path" experiences that guests can’t get on their own – a hallmark of Tauck’s European tours since their introduction in 1991 under the banner, "The Yellow Roads of Europe."  Named for the scenic secondary roads highlighted in yellow on Michelin’s road maps of Europe, Tauck’s first European tours eschewed high-speed freeways in favor of those scenic secondary roads and the more authentic and traditional experiences to be found along them.

Twenty years later, says Mahar, that philosophy endures and Tauck continues to seek out and provide exclusive, authentic, and unique experiences. "Our guests enjoy private, after-hours tours of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, they have dinner inside the Tower of London after it’s closed to the public, and they have private dinners in the homes and palaces of nobility in Vienna, Prague and the Loire Valley," said Mahar.  "That sort of access simply isn’t available to the average independent traveler."

Mahar also pointed to the deep personal connections that guests make with the local people they’re introduced to on Tauck trips, from an art restoration specialist in Florence, to an Irish family living on a small dairy farm, to a boat builder in Venice whose family has handcrafted gondolas there for five generations.  Adding to the appeal of Tauck’s European trips, Mahar said, are the exceptional value the company delivers, the quality of Tauck’s professional tour directors, and the convenience of true, all-inclusive pricing.

"TAKE OFF WITH TAUCK"

Tauck is also marking its 20th anniversary in Europe by reducing the cost and the confusion of flying to the continent.  The company recently launched a Take-Off With Tauck program that offers travelers simple, transparent, two-tiered pricing on airfare to Europe ($1,090 per person for all roundtrip economy fares and $2,990 per person for business).  The fares are all-inclusive, with no added taxes, fuel surcharges or hidden fees, and they apply to new bookings for departures from select U.S. air gateways booked by March 31, 2011 for travel to Europe from April 1 - August 31, 2011. 

Tauck’s new itineraries in Europe for 2011 include:

Tauck World Discovery land journeys

• A Week In… Venice, Florence & Rome (8 days, from $3,590 pp, dbl, plus air)
• A Week In… Bavaria, Austria & Venice (8 days, from $3,590 pp, dbl, plus air)
• A Week In… Ireland (8 days, from $3,390 pp, dbl, plus air)
• The Best of Ireland (14 days, from $5,190 pp, dbl, plus air)
• The Art of Living: Barcelona to Paris (13 days, from $5,890 pp, dbl, plus air)

Tauck river cruises

• French Waterways and Vineyards (10 days, from $4,490 pp, dbl, plus air)
• French Escapade: Monte-Carlo to Paris (14 days, from $5,990 pp, dbl, plus air)

Tauck Culturious active, immersive journeys for boomer-age travelers

• Venice & the Veneto (8 days, from $3,990 pp, dbl, plus air)
• Paris & the Loire Valley (8 days, from $3,990 pp, dbl, plus air)

Tauck Bridges family itineraries

• The Sweet Life: Rome & Sorrento (7 days, from $3,214 pp, dbl, plus air)
• Alpine Adventure (8 days, from $3,941 pp, dbl, plus air)

Travel in 2011

Posted on Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Travel is journey...one that dreams are made of.  An adventure...perhaps across the hemisphere and around the globe, and there is truly nothing on earth quite like it.  Explore the world's greatest cities, from marquee metropolises like Beijing to boutique ports such as Italy's quaint Portofino.  Venture inland to icons like the pyramids of Giza.  Tour the legendary vineyards in the south of France.  Rekindle your spirit of adventure as you journeys to exotic lands that transcend time.  Follow the routes of ancient explorers and become a global wandered along the way.

Popular Tour Destinations: Africa Tours |  Asia Tours | Atlas Cruises & Tours | Australia Tours | Egypt Tours | England Tours | France Tours | Greece Tours | Ireland Tours | Italy Tours | Luxury Tour | River Cruise | Russia Tours | Scandinavia Tours | South America Tours | Spain Tours

 

Golf Themed Cruises 2011

Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2011

How about trying several different golf courses in different ports of call while on one vacation? There's no need to give up your golf game while on a cruise. You could actually have some of your best golfing experiences ever while on board ship and ashore.

NCL Golf - As the official cruise line of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour, NCL offers a fantastic golf experience during your cruise in Bermuda and Hawaii with the following items included:

• Access to top courses in Hawaii and Bermuda
• Certified golf instruction with trained golf professionals on board to service you every day of your cruise
• Guided VIP golf excursions with personalized expertise
• Sophisticated golf academy experience using the V1 Digital Coaching system to help improve your game during your vacation
• Complete Nike Golf club and shoe rentals and the custom order equipment program allow you to enjoy the very best irons, drivers, golf balls and more
• Priority tee times
• Transfers between ship and courses
• Club valet and storage (only available aboard Pride of America in Hawaii.)

Golf Simulators, Putting Greens and Driving Cages - Improve your game with these facilities aboard ship. Costa Favolosa will introduce the most advanced golf simulator at sea when she enters service in July, 2011. You'll also find simulators aboard some ships in the Princess and Royal Caribbean fleets. Putting greens and driving cages are found on many ships. Putting areas range from decorated mini-golf courses to greens for the serious putter.

Golf Excursions- You'll be surprised at just how many excellent courses are offered on excursions from your ship around the world. Here are three enticing examples:

• St. Andrews - Home of Golf, Scotland, Princess Cruises - Visit the ancestral home of golf on this full day excursion from Edinburgh. Visit the old medieval cathedral town, the site of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the incomparable Old Course. Tour the British Golf Museum, photograph the facade of the venerable Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, stroll a portion of the Old Course and browse the town's shops.
• Signature Golf Package, Hamilton, Bermuda, Holland America Line - There are several golf excursions offered in Bermuda by HAL but this is the most special. Play with the Premier of Bermuda, the Honorable Dr. Ewart F. Brown, on the Port Royal Golf Course, home of the 2009 and 2010 PGA Grand Slam Championships. Your day begins with a tour of the Cabinet Building followed by a round of golf with the Premier on this outstanding course then ends with a cigar and glass of champagne in the limo en route back to the ship.
• Golf at the Denarau Golf & Racquet Club, Fiji, Princess Cruises - Your outing includes roundtrip transportation to and from the club, green fees, club rental if required, access to the practice range, balls, tees and cart. Lunch is served in the clubhouse.

Golf Theme Cruises- Enjoy a more intense golf experience on golf theme cruises. Crystal brings golf celebrities, PGA pros and qualified instructors on board to discuss the Tour and offer professional tips to improve your game. Optional Crystal Adventures® take you to some of the world's most exclusive courses. Available in 2011 on the following sailings:

• April 24, 2011, 14 days, round-trip Los Angeles to Hawaii aboard Crystal Symphony
• July 22, 2011, 11 days, round-trip from Dover to the British Isles aboard Crystal Serenity
• Nov 27, 2011, 11 days, Barcelona to Lisbon via Spain, Morocco, the Canary Islands and Madeira aboard Crystal Serenity

Again, cruising offers many great options for those with a special interest. We can help you narrow down the choices for a golf vacation you'll never forget.