Anyone have any experience with Austin-Lehman?

[tracyz]

We're planning to vacation in Yellowstone next summer. Still in the glow of our fabulous experience with our ABD med cruise add-on, I've booked with ABD. I'm inside the change-your-mind window, and doing some research that is making me wonder if I was a bit hasty with this one. The Austin-Lehman family trips look similar to ABD. The differences seem to be that they're one day shorter, and a thousand dollars per person cheaper. Can anyone give me any good reasons I should pay the extra money and go with ABD? Remember, I'm already convinced that ABD is a top-notch experience, I'm just not sure that Austin-Lehman could be worth that much less...

 

[Bobo912]

I haven't done an Austin-Lehman trip, but the next time I do another North American trip I think I will go with them. I didn't choose them this summer when we did SWS because they tend to stay in one area rather than moving around and I wanted to do both Grand Canyon and Arches. But we may do a Yellowstone trip within the next couple of years and I think we will go with Austin Lehman. They are consistenly rated one of the top tour operators by Travel & Leisure and National Geographic. I've read a lot of good reviews for them and I read a post of this board just a few days ago from someone who had done an Austin Lehman trip and said there were more special touches than with ABD, but I don't remember who it was. Hopefully, he or she will pop in and provide some first hand information. If you do decide to go with Austin Lehman, please post and let us know how they compare.

 

[TravelTimeFun]

We've tried both companies and Backroads stands heads and shoulders over Austin-Lehman. The Backroads leaders we're truly caring and wonderful. Our trip had 3 leaders and 2 vans. The Austin-Lehman trip fell short in vans and leaders.

My two cents... hope that helps.