Arrive Early/Stay Late - Do you add extra days to your tours?

[AquamarineSteph]

The first time we traveled with ABD, I was quite proud of myself for booking us to arrive a day early. We used the day to walk around, spend our first Euros, completely massacre the Italian language with my attempts to speak it, and generally just try to get used to the time zone difference. After the adventure began, we talked to other people who'd actually arrived early and planned side trips OR who were staying late for the same purpose. Yes, it was a light bulb moment for me, but in all fairness I hadn't traveled much prior to that.

Now that I've been reading the boards here while waiting for our next ABD (less than three weeks), I've been so impressed by the number of trip reports where the posters have reported wonderful trips they've done in the days before their ABD adventure begins that it started me thinking.

So my question is - do you have a normal amount of days you look at arriving early/staying late when considering a trip with ABD? Do you always stay early and never stay late? Stay late and never arrive early? How do you make your plans for your extra activities? Do you book them yourself or through a travel agent?

I'm just curious, because I am already thinking ahead to possible trips we might take.

 

[heart]

I am always trying to squeeze as much as possible into a vacation. For Backstage Magic we arrived a few days early and toured LA. In South America we went on another (non ABD) tour of the Galapagos before arriving early in Lima and doing ~three days of touring there.

Leaving tomorrow for Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos with ABD (eek!). We are meeting friends a day early in Ho Chi Minh and have two tours scheduled. After the tour we have added a non ABD tour of Thailand.

I never have a set amount of days--it's always as many as I can manage to be away from work, take kids from school and afford.

 

[Cousin Orville]

We always stay early a couple of days or more to get over jet lag and tour around. In China we also added additional days to the end because there wasn't a lot of time spent in Hong Kong. For me I prefer adding pre days over post days, because after the ABD ends, it's kind of a let down transitioning back to the real world, but that's just me. I'm the same with DCL cruises. I prefer the extra days before the big trip rather than after. A lot of it depends on my work schedule as well.

 

[pixiepirate]

For my first ABD, BSM, we arrived the day the tour started. We won't be doing that again. It will always be at least the day before. We did stay 2 extra nights post tour because we wanted to spend more time at the parks. We booked that through ABD.

My next ABD to Australia is coming up in a couple of months. We will be arriving the day before the tour starts and have booked a half day morning tour for the day of the Welcome Reception. I booked that online myself. Post tour we will be leaving for Melbourne on the Sunday and spending three days there before returning home. We have arranged the airfare and hotel with a travel agent but I will most likely book the tours on my own as it is easier to make adjustments to our schedule if necessary.

I can't say I have any set amount of days. A lot depends on who I am traveling with and what their schedule might be.

 

[White Rose]

The first time we traveled with ABD, I was quite proud of myself for booking us to arrive a day early. We used the day to walk around, spend our first Euros, completely massacre the Italian language with my attempts to speak it, and generally just try to get used to the time zone difference. After the adventure began, we talked to other people who'd actually arrived early and planned side trips OR who were staying late for the same purpose. Yes, it was a light bulb moment for me, but in all fairness I hadn't traveled much prior to that.

Now that I've been reading the boards here while waiting for our next ABD (less than three weeks), I've been so impressed by the number of trip reports where the posters have reported wonderful trips they've done in the days before their ABD adventure begins that it started me thinking.

So my question is - do you have a normal amount of days you look at arriving early/staying late when considering a trip with ABD? Do you always stay early and never stay late? Stay late and never arrive early? How do you make your plans for your extra activities? Do you book them yourself or through a travel agent?

I'm just curious, because I am already thinking ahead to possible trips we might take.

I would treat ABD like going on a cruise...arrive a day early to avoid travel delays, and add additional time to the beginning or end of the trip depending on what you want to do and what you want to see, and where the thing is you want to do! A day at least for any new city or experience.

We always arrive a day early for cruises, group tours, WDW, and overseas to avoid any possible problems with flight delays, or time adjustment that could prevent us from starting the trip on time, like with ABD. Even when doing regular WDW, we stay one extra night before the trip officially starts to get our first full day. We stay at a cheaper place, usually on hotel points, someplace with free breakfast. Sometimes we stay at our local airport hotel to make sure we can get an even earlier flight without having to get up at 2-3 am from home and drive to another state for our flight.

Thing is, how many days we stay after all depends on the nature of the trip. High energy trips with lots of walking and activities might require a day or two of vacation from our vacation...trips with an awesome destination might require an extra day or two to do other things not included. When we did a cruise from Alaska, due to vacation time constraints we did not do anything extra, but the trip was already 2 weeks long. But when we went to Barcelona, we came 3 days early, giving us a chance to adjust and do some mild touring before getting on a cruise ship.

For ABD southern CA we are arriving one day early and staying at an embassy suites on points, getting a free breakfast, and getting over to the airport for our ABD pickup. At the end of the trip we are extending the Disney portion by 2 days, then switching hotels back to Burbank to do the WB tour! We are extending the whole trip by 4 days.

Our trips can be very complex but my hubby is a experienced business traveler. We are doing a total of 5 hotels for our upcoming trip and only paying for the ABD ones...we have status at the others, we have free nights, and will get room upgrades and free food, limiting the extra expenses to just attractions, souvenirs, or extra food.

I would suggest starting with the number of days you can use for a trip, say 11 days, and subtract 2 days for travel days That leaves you with 9 days. If the ABD trip is 7 then you have 2 extra planning days. Then do research on how many things there are to do in the starting city and end city, and fill the remaining 2 days based on your research. End or beginning of the trip depends on you.

If you are changing time zones to Europe, do not fall asleep on your arrival day, instead get off the plane and start doing light walking tours or a bus tour, hop on hop off variety. Going west is easier, but you might need a day to recover when returning home.

Sorry, there are a lot of IF's because you know your interests and how long you have for vacation, so you need to map it our and do some logistics. Good luck!

 

[TXTransplant]

Granted, Germany was our first ABD, but we didn't arrive early or extend our stay, and I don't regret that decision. I would have loved to have a longer vacation, but that trip is already one of the longer ones, and since we had direct flights, the arrival/departure days were much more convenient. We left on a Friday on an overnight flight and returned on a Saturday. That allowed me to maximize the use of my vacation days. Jet lag wasn't really any worse for me than it is when I travel to the west coast (meaning I'm going to get it and it's going to last the entire trip anyway), so I don't think pre-days would have really helped.

We've booked the Italy Amalfi Coast trip for next year. We are going to arrive/depart via Rome, and there aren't any direct flights from our home city, so it makes a little more sense to plan pre-days. This trip is also just a little shorter than the Germany trip. I also had the option to choose between a trip that started on Sunday and one that started on Wednesday. I booked the trip that starts on Wednesday, and the plan is to fly in on the Saturday before and have a few days in Rome before meeting up with ABD in Naples.

That's a long answer, but for me, the decision depends on the flights (direct or not), the length of the ABD, and whether or not I can make the most of my vacation days (ie, not using them for travel days). I also like to return home on a Friday or Saturday so I have at least one day to recover before going back to work.

 

[TXTransplant]

And as much as I hate to say it, I am not inclined to book extra days through ABD. Another family booked extra days in Munich at the Kempinski though ABD. I asked them how much the hotel was, and they said $600 a night. And that didn't even include breakfast (another $40 per person)!

When I got home and started planning our Italy trip, I looked at all the hotels in Europe that I can book through my VISA signature card. The Kempinski in Munich is one of them, and the rate through my credit card was only about 250 euros per night (actually a little less, I think). And that rate included a free room upgrade, free wi-fi, breakfast for two, and a $25 hotel food/beverage credit.

You lose the "free" airport transfers when you don't book pre or post stays through ABD. But I'm getting around this by booking our stay in Rome with a hotel that includes pick up at the airport in the room rate (also booked with my VISA signature card).

 

[carpenta]

We always add days to our trips especially to Europe. You can get some good deals by scouring the internet, as TXTransplant stated looking at all the perks the credit card companies offer, web sights such as cruise critic, trip advisor, etc. will give you some honest reviews of tour guides as well as hotels. We find it easy to travel in Europe for the local airlines are affordable and most flights are quick. Our biggest worry in the beginning was fear of language and the unknown but we are very comfortable scheduling over the internet for we have had great results on tours in the past. Our best trip was spending 5 days in Prague after a Danube river boat trip. Love the extra days to really enjoy the local culture and daily life.

 

[OKW Lover]

We pretty much always add days before. Several times we've added days after as well. Our thinking is:
Before - allows us to get acclimated to the time change, do some exploring on our own, and most importantly get rested before the actual ABD starts because we find those to be pretty heavily scheduled.
After - allows us to go back and look at things we wish we had more time for during the ABD or things we pickup from talking to others on the trip.

 

[sayhello]

We always stay early a couple of days or more to get over jet lag and tour around. In China we also added additional days to the end because there wasn't a lot of time spent in Hong Kong. For me I prefer adding pre days over post days, because after the ABD ends, it's kind of a let down transitioning back to the real world, but that's just me. I'm the same with DCL cruises. I prefer the extra days before the big trip rather than after. A lot of it depends on my work schedule as well.

I agree with this. At least a one day early, preferably two or more days, to get over jet lag & allow for travel snafus. And I've found that I also prefer pre-days to post-days because I find myself, on post-days, going "Where are my Adventure Guides? Why am I lugging my own luggage around?" It's easier to do all that *before* I'm used to ABD doing it for me!

Sayhello

 

[SingingMom]

First ABD we came in the same day the tour started. Since it was our first trip abroad and it was London/Paris, it worked out fine, but we were tired.

Second ABD we arrived in Heidelberg a day early and it was much better. We did a river cruise and walked around to get our bearings. We adored Munich and wished we had stayed an extra day post tour, but as SayHello mentioned, I would miss the white glove treatment on my own afterwards! Lol

Third ABD this summer we arrived in Prague TWO days early! After reading the itinerary and a trip report here, we realized there wasn't enough time to see Prague in the actual ABD tour, and DH really was looking forward to that city. We stayed on the concierge level of the Marriott, so it was terrific, and we were picked up at the airport by ABD and didn't have to switch rooms when the tour started. We even met our guides the day before, so they gave us ideas on where to go, too! We really felt rested when the ABD started. I loved Vienna and could have stayed longer, but, again, once ABD is over, it's time for us to get back to reality! Lol

I'd recommend arriving one or two days before an ABD!

 

[AquamarineSteph]

Thank you everyone for your replies! I love to see how other people travel and plan that travel, and it's given me some really good ideas before we start looking at our next adventure!

We've now started looking at arriving two days before a tour starts just because there always seems to be some issue at the airport (mechanical, weather, plane's just not there yet) that has caused major issues with connecting flights. But you guys have given me all kinds of suggestions that I might try to incorporate into future trip planning.

 

[White Rose]

Thank you everyone for your replies! I love to see how other people travel and plan that travel, and it's given me some really good ideas before we start looking at our next adventure!

We've now started looking at arriving two days before a tour starts just because there always seems to be some issue at the airport (mechanical, weather, plane's just not there yet) that has caused major issues with connecting flights. But you guys have given me all kinds of suggestions that I might try to incorporate into future trip planning.

There are lots of brave souls who arrive same day their trip starts and with ABD it is much more forgiving then say, a cruise ship, which WILL leave you behind. I think each trip will be different! Personally, even with direct flights, I like to get there early if possible. luckily it works out well for the S. CA trip, which starts on a Sunday. We are flying out Saturday afternoon. For someplace overseas, I'm getting there the day before, and doing some sort of light touring so I can force myself to adjust to the time zone.

Good luck!

 

[cheryllarsen]

We tried to go around by ourselves and its very difficult without a guide!

 

[cheryllarsen]

We were in a Spanish speaking place and that may have had something to do with it as we speak English only.

 

[SingingMom]

We were in a Spanish speaking place and that may have had something to do with it as we speak English only.

Both in Heidleberg, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic, we did not speak German or Czech, but managed to sightsee with limited trouble. For those pre days, our strategy is being a "tourist lite"! We arm ourselves with a few maps and a tutorial from the concierge at the hotel. We make certain we know how to get back to the hotel. As well as the address & phone number. Then we go take a "look around". We don't plan anything complicated, just in case we find English isn't as prominent as we had hoped.

We had zero problems in Heidleberg. Prague, however, was a little different. The street signs are "suggestions". Lol. Following a map was a little confusing. Most people did speak English, but the Czech language is very different. Seems like there are six consonants before you get to a vowel. but, we managed very well, and the second day on our own we were pros. (Well, maybe not natives. Lol)

We figure, if we stay close by as we get our beatings, we can determine if we feel comfortable venturing out on our own. If not, we spend that extra time relaxing before the ABD starts, since once it STARTS, you don't STOP!

 

[carpenta]

We too did Prague on our own and it was quite easy. Italy and Spain (esp. Barcelona) is pretty easy to get around on your own for most people we met usually spoke or knew some English and those who didn't we could communicate through hand gestures and maps. People are generally quite gracious we have found.

 

[abdgeek]

I always do pre and post nights if they're offered for DCL(I did them for 2 Med cruises, Alaska(Vancouver)) and ABD(I did them for Italy, Greece). Usually, I do both. I base the number that I do on the number of pre and post nights Disney will allow me to book. Most of the time, I don't plan to return to the foreign countries I go to(Italy and Spain have been the exceptions) so I make sure I see everything that I want to see before or after I see what Disney wants me to see. I do a lot of prep work before the trip and look at Tripadvisor to see what there is to do in each country. Once I've decided what I want to do with my pre/post days, I buy tickets online, download maps, etc. Basically, when the plane lands, I am ready to go and have all the info I need to get to where I want to go. I've never had a problem with language. I speak enough Spanish to get by and didn't have any problems in Italy or Spain. I also read Rick Steve's tips about the country and bring his book with me. He tells you everything you need to know. As OP have said, I also come in early to make sure that I don't have transportation delays. My last Med cruise, my flight was delayed 5 hours. I wasn't worried because I was coming in early anyway. It just meant that I didn't get to do everything on my list. However, if that had been the day of the cruise, I would have been a wreck. I know DCL would have gotten me to the ship, but why take that chance? The hotel concierge is also a godsend. Frequently, they will have local maps that show the tourist sites and can tell you exactly how to get to where you're going.

 

[Calfan]

I'm a big believer in coming in at least the day before the ABD officially begins, and preferably longer. In addition to making sure travel delays don't become an issue and giving you a chance to get over jetlag before the "official" trip begins, if you are interested in really seeing the city that the ABD begins in, I have found that you really do need some pre-days to do that. In my experience, ABD is not great in covering the starting city (and sometimes not the ending city either). For our Scotland ABD, I think we arrived in Edinburgh 3 days before the ABD began, and for the Central Europe ABD, we had 4 days in Prague before the ABD began. And we could easily have spent a day or two more in Prague. In fact, we plan to go back sometime within the next few years. I tend to prefer pre-days to post-days because there is a certain feeling of letdown after the ABD (or other organized trip) ends, and we've found it takes us a little while to get our mojo back when we add post-days. This was the case after our 2011 Med cruise when we went to Paris for 3 days. That being said, after a little adjustment period, we really did enjoy our time in Paris. Last year, we ended up having to add a night in Vienna at the end of our Central Europe ABD in order to get our flights on miles. The feeling of letdown was a bit less because we happened to be meeting friends who live in in Vienna and spent the day with them. For China next year, we are planning to come in to Beijing the day before the tour starts, and add a couple of days in Shanghai at the end so we can check out Shanghai Disney.

 

[wdwtheplacetobe]

The first time we traveled with ABD, I was quite proud of myself for booking us to arrive a day early. We used the day to walk around, spend our first Euros, completely massacre the Italian language with my attempts to speak it, and generally just try to get used to the time zone difference. After the adventure began, we talked to other people who'd actually arrived early and planned side trips OR who were staying late for the same purpose. Yes, it was a light bulb moment for me, but in all fairness I hadn't traveled much prior to that.

Now that I've been reading the boards here while waiting for our next ABD (less than three weeks), I've been so impressed by the number of trip reports where the posters have reported wonderful trips they've done in the days before their ABD adventure begins that it started me thinking.

So my question is - do you have a normal amount of days you look at arriving early/staying late when considering a trip with ABD? Do you always stay early and never stay late? Stay late and never arrive early? How do you make your plans for your extra activities? Do you book them yourself or through a travel agent?

I'm just curious, because I am already thinking ahead to possible trips we might take.

We came in on THE day and felt awful...combined with not sleeping on the plane due to excitement.... I was exhausted that first night.
(Italy with you!)

This time we have learned our lesson. We are flying to DLP for 3 days and then getting to Prague a day early. We have scheduled Beer Spa Bernard to relax before the ABD starts.