Looking for 1st timer recommendations

mare1203 said:

Such a hard, but fun decision!

I've been to Italy with ABD twice and would definitely recommend. The "traditional" Italy trip to Rome, Florence, and Venice is wonderful, but very art and history heavy. There are some activities, but it's much more sightseeing than the other one I did. I'd actually agree with TXTransplant above on the Italy-Amalfi Coast trip. I haven't been on it, but it looks amazing. Plus, you can always add on a couple days in Rome on your own. The ABD that goes to Rome does it very well, but not much better than you could cobble together on your own. Amalfi might be better if you like more activity. We did Italy-Switzerland last year and loved it! Northern Italy was great, but the real gem was certainly Switzerland. Much more active than our first, which we enjoyed. Italy is one of those countries I think I could return to happily again and again. Food, wine, history, art, nature, and climate are all fabulous throughout the country. I wrote trip reports about both my ABD's, which you can find in my signature, if you're interested!

Good luck!

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Thank you! I have actually been reading your 1st trip report. I love it!!

TXTransplant said:

I couldn't agree with this more...at it's even closer than just "cobble together". I read the trip reports here very closely and looked at the itineraries...my son and I did just about everything in Rome that ABD does. And, on some things, our trip might have been a little better! Walks of Italy (WoI) does an outstanding Colosseum tour that goes to all three levels of the structure (something that, according to the recent trip reports here, ABD does not do). We also did a walking tour of Rome with WoI, and we visited the Vatican with them. We did not do a "private" tour of St. Peter's Basilica (although we could have), but we did climb up to the top of the dome. We also did a pasta making class with WoI that was one of the highlights of our trip (and very much reminiscent of the types of special experiences ABD often includes in their tours).

I put the word "private" in quotes because here is the thing...the word "private" is used VERY loosely when it comes to describing these tours (and not just by ABD). I haven't gotten a clear picture on the after hours Sistine Chapel tour that ABD includes, but I do know that they aren't the only tour group that gets "after hours" access. Just like Walks of Italy isn't the only company that gets "early entry". Which means, while the place might not be as crowded, you're not guaranteed to be standing there all by yourself. And, to be nitpicky, there is no such thing as a "private" tour of the Colosseum or the Roman Forum...there will ALWAYS be other people around you. What's "private" about it is you do get your own (very good) guide, and you may get some "special access" (like us going to the very top and the underground of the Colosseum with Walks of Italy), but you're not going to have the place all to yourself. We had a similar experience at Neuschwanstein on our Germany ABD last year. That tour was about as far from private as they come (Other non-ABD guests were put in our tour group, and we were so crowded that it really detracted from the experience. I wrote to ABD last year and complained about it).

We've done two ABDs, and to me, what ABD does best are the "off the beaten path" experiences. I think a big part of this is because the major tourist attractions of Europe have become so unbelievably crowded that you will pretty much always be experiencing them in a sea of humanity. But, ABD does a fantastic job of finding unique experiences that you might not otherwise ever hear about (some of them are even exclusive to ABD). This makes ABD trips wonderful for two reasons: 1) you get to see/experience things that you would otherwise probably never know about, and 2) it gives a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle and crowds of the must-see attractions. All of this together makes for a very well-balanced vacation.

My point in writing all of this is to encourage you to think outside the box a little when planning your vacation. There is a lot you can do yourself on pre/post days, if you do some homework ahead of time. Will it be as convenient as ABD (with them handling all of your luggage, transportation, food, etc.)? Probably not, but if you want to maximize your vacation time and money, there are a lot of options out there to help you do that.

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Thank you for your feedback. I think we are overwhelmed when it comes to European travel since both of us have never been. It's very intimidating. Thank you for your advice. I will definitely do more research before we decide.

Luv2trav said:

Would you suggest ABD vs DCL Mediterranean cruise??

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We've done several of each and they're just different. With older children (>8yo) i think ABD's are better but that comes at a steep price for a big family. Of course DCL Europe has also increased dramatically in price in the last 3 yrs. You can't go wrong with either, but I prefer ABD. However with DCL you can do a 10/11 night cruise for less than a 7 night ABD.

I'll also agree that ABD shines when it gets off the beaten path. If you do decided to go OYO to Europe, my suggestion would be to stick with a couple if cities say Rome and Florence. Don't try to create a complicated itinerary yourself.

ABD and DCL will certainly be less stressful (or at least less intimidating). for a first time European traveler.

TXTransplant said:

I couldn't agree with this more...at it's even closer than just "cobble together".

I put the word "private" in quotes because here is the thing...the word "private" is used VERY loosely when it comes to describing these tours (and not just by ABD).

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I love that you put the quotes around "private". I always chuckle when Disney lists things like ferries as "private boat ride". Umm guys? You're literally just trying to make the transportation sound fancy. It's just getting us across the lake the same way as everyone else! My favorite use of this of all time was when the writers were trying to make a ride on the monorail for the WDW trip sound like some sort of special experience! I was like, 'Come on guys! Are you even taking yourselves seriously right now?!' I really wish I still had the download of the original tour schedule just so I could get a good laugh every once in a while.

I can only comment on our "private" experiences while in Rome, because we haven't been on any other ABD's that have billed anything as truly "private" but this was our experience: The Vatican after-hours tour was indeed private. We were literally the only one's in the place. I'm not sure if the Vatican has expanded the private after-hours tour since then or because we had a large group. As others have mentioned, ABD isn't the only one who does the after-hours Vatican tour, so it is certainly possible to find a company that might offer if it's of interest.

The Coliseum tour we had was private as well, though we were there in the afternoon so there were certainly hundreds of people around, just not in the areas we visited. When we went to the tunnels, under the stage, we had to go through a locked room to get in. Not sure if other groups followed behind, but our group was certainly the only one there while we were visiting. Again, I'm sure other tours would offer something more, or similar. The Coliseum was on the tour of Rome day, and it is a super long day overall. While I can appreciate others being disappointed by not seeing as much of the Coliseum as possible, by the time we got there I was glad that we didn't spend hours at the place. If I was on my own I would have likely done a 1/2 day for the Coliseum and Forum and then relaxed or explored after, but with the ABD you have an entire walking tour of Rome that same day.

I will say, our local guides in Rome were some of the best guides I've ever encountered, anywhere. There is a small Christina fan club, but our Coliseum guide was also fantastic. She had a graduate degree in anthropology and did research at the Forum while guiding on the side, so she was a wealth of information. Both of them said it took them a long time to qualify as guides, so I think Rome also just has a great system for ensuring guides that are qualified through certification which leads to many options for having a good touring experience of the city.

Cousin Orville said:

I'll also agree that ABD shines when it gets off the beaten path. If you do decided to go OYO to Europe, my suggestion would be to stick with a couple if cities say Rome and Florence. Don't try to create a complicated itinerary yourself.

ABD and DCL will certainly be less stressful (or at least less intimidating). for a first time European traveler.

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This was exactly what I was trying to say, Cousin Orville just did it with less words! Use ABD to help you do the more complicated parts of whatever trip you want to do (especially if there is a lot of specialized travel involved). Use pre/post days to visit bigger cities (like Rome and Florence) that are pretty easy to navigate and where there are already a lot of offerings in terms of small group tours (Walks of Italy does tours in Florence, and several other cities, too). In Germany, it would be easy to do Munich on your own, vs. some of the small towns where the ABD trip takes you.

One of the reasons I liked using ABD for the Amalfi Coast so much was because it's not exactly easy to get there. To get from Naples to Sorrento, we had a private driver (provided by ABD). To get from Sorrento to Positano, we took a bus (actually, we had to switch from a larger bus to a smaller bus on the side of the road on the way there), then we took a small ferry to Amalfi, and then we took a large ferry from Amalfi back to Sorrento. To get to Capri, we took a large ferry from Sorrento, then a funicular to the other side of the island, then a private boat ride around the island, then another ferry ride back to Sorrento.

Could I have done/booked all of this on my own...of course! But, then I would have been responsible for checking schedules, buying tickets, keeping up with the tickets, making sure we weren't late, etc. With ABD, they take care of all of that for you. Compare that to a city like Rome, where over three days, we didn't even take a cab (except to get to our apartment from the airport and from the apartment to the train station, and our host arranged both). We walked around the entire city, never needing any more than Google Maps. Florence is equally as easy to navigate.

mare1203 said:

I love that you put the quotes around "private". I always chuckle when Disney lists things like ferries as "private boat ride". Umm guys? You're literally just trying to make the transportation sound fancy. It's just getting us across the lake the same way as everyone else! My favorite use of this of all time was when the writers were trying to make a ride on the monorail for the WDW trip sound like some sort of special experience! I was like, 'Come on guys! Are you even taking yourselves seriously right now?!' I really wish I still had the download of the original tour schedule just so I could get a good laugh every once in a while.

I can only comment on our "private" experiences while in Rome, because we haven't been on any other ABD's that have billed anything as truly "private" but this was our experience: The Vatican after-hours tour was indeed private. We were literally the only one's in the place. I'm not sure if the Vatican has expanded the private after-hours tour since then or because we had a large group. As others have mentioned, ABD isn't the only one who does the after-hours Vatican tour, so it is certainly possible to find a company that might offer if it's of interest.

The Coliseum tour we had was private as well, though we were there in the afternoon so there were certainly hundreds of people around, just not in the areas we visited. When we went to the tunnels, under the stage, we had to go through a locked room to get in. Not sure if other groups followed behind, but our group was certainly the only one there while we were visiting. Again, I'm sure other tours would offer something more, or similar. The Coliseum was on the tour of Rome day, and it is a super long day overall. While I can appreciate others being disappointed by not seeing as much of the Coliseum as possible, by the time we got there I was glad that we didn't spend hours at the place. If I was on my own I would have likely done a 1/2 day for the Coliseum and Forum and then relaxed or explored after, but with the ABD you have an entire walking tour of Rome that same day.

I will say, our local guides in Rome were some of the best guides I've ever encountered, anywhere. There is a small Christina fan club, but our Coliseum guide was also fantastic. She had a graduate degree in anthropology and did research at the Forum while guiding on the side, so she was a wealth of information. Both of them said it took them a long time to qualify as guides, so I think Rome also just has a great system for ensuring guides that are qualified through certification which leads to many options for having a good touring experience of the city.

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The Colosseum tour with WoI is very similar. We did the underground part, and we went through locked doors. Same thing when we went to the very upper level. We were escorted by a Colosseum employee and we were the only ones in that area. But the main areas of the Colosseum were crowded with lots of people. So maybe "semi-private" is the best term? But, you're certainly not going to have the place to yourself.

LOL on the ferry rides, too! Although, our boat ride around the island of Capri was totally private (it was a small boat, though). The boat we took from Positano to Amalfi was also smaller than the other ferry rides (but bigger than the boat on Capri), and it might have been private as well. I honestly can't remember.

TXTransplant said:

LOL on the ferry rides, too! Although, our boat ride around the island of Capri was totally private (it was a small boat, though). The boat we took from Positano to Amalfi was also smaller than the other ferry rides (but bigger than the boat on Capri), and it might have been private as well. I honestly can't remember.

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Ha! Most of the ferry boats end up "private" because a group of 30+ takes up the whole boat!

I have taken my daughter to St Andrews, Scotland every summer for the past 3 years. Prior to that, I'd not been in Europe since I was a teenager and not been in Japan since I was in my early 20s (darn job and being a grown up!). We'll explore a city or two then I drop her off at St Andrews.

So this is from a mom who does ALL the planning and has now done this 3 years by herself with a 13, then 14, then 15 year old.

First and foremost: Where can everyone agree upon? You do not want to deal with an angry, sullen teenager (so not fun).

Once that's decided, what is your family's traveling style? All day on the go? Or some scheduled activities with some down time/free time?
Are you all morning people or more night owls with morning being a battle? My DD will decide upon one major and one minor thing she wants to do in a day (yes, only two must haves!) while I'm up and at 'em bright and early. I've been one of 5 people with the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London (2 being Beefeaters) and the only person in the room with the Book of Kells...all the while DD dreamed away. I was psyched to have the quiet, she was happy to sleep. Are y'all active? Do you overpack? Silly things but this will help narrow down your touring style if you go with a group (there is another thread titled "other options" which is very helpful with other groups and their styles). Since I know my daughter, although she would like the other teens on the trip, she would NOT want to get up and go go go. My DH, on the other hand, doesn't like a lot of other people, but wants everything to be seamless so we're doing ABD this Christmas and did another almost all inclusive company last year. Next summer DD, DH, DM and I will do Dover to Barcelona on DCL with pre trip days in London and post trip time in Barcelona. Enough sleep in options for DD but enough hand holding for DH and time on our own for me! It helps to know who likes what and have the time to research and make it happen

Pacling-If you're on a cruise then your packing will be limited to the airline's restrictions and the size of your room (on my way back from Shannon this summer I could have had 3 bags when all I had was a carry on and a purse) whereas tours usually limit you to 1 piece of luggage and a small bag (purse/backpack/etc).

Food-on a cruise usually you (or the kids) can find more, um, American-ish food. On a scheduled tour, this is up to the tour and the restaurants contracted. On your own, you're limited to whatever you can find and/or have researched (I'll tell you my DH can and has found the worst pizza in Italy!).

Other kids/people to amuse your offspring so you don't have to- on a cruise in the summer if you're with DCL (and other family friendly lines) this shouldn't be a problem. ABD vacationistas can tell you the breakdown of ages/genders for specific trips (the reason we didn't do the Ireland ABD this summer was there were waaaay too many young children for my family...good to know before you pay a large amt of $$). On your own, unless you travel with others, doesn't have built in friends.


ETC- If you don't have one or it's out of date, apply for your passport as soon as you decide on a trip. They don't take too too long but you don't want to be holding your breath waiting for it before your trip-that is stress that can be avoided! Adapters...UK are different than Europe. They are very reasonably priced, even from the hotel's mini bar o). Research the weather so you're packed appropriately. For our trip next summer I've been watching the weather in the cities I've been visiting and writing down the temps so next year I'll know what to expect (I'll also do a 10 day forecast before packing but this gives me an idea in case I need to order anything). I was able to buy really cold weather clothes (like long underwear, overcoats) for our ABD Holiday Danube/Prague trip on sale (whoo hoo) this spring. Of course with teenagers they tend to grow
Jet lag stinks so do everything you can to get to Europe as many days ahead of the tour as reasonable/feasible. I have crazy jet lag and reliably takes me 4-5 days to get over it, despite doing all the things recommended!

Finally, although there are not a lot of trip reports, those that you read on these boards are excellent! I read, re-read and almost memorize them. Cousin Orville, Mare1203, sayhello and Calypso726 are just a few of the outstanding photographers and reporters.