"Is ABD worth the $$$?" Discussion thread

[calypso726]

1) "Is it worth the cost?"
2) Depends upon your point of view.
3) EXAMPLES:
. . . a) We are taking two grown daughters and a friend each to Ireland for 15-days in just two weeks.
. . . b) We have a Private Driver guided tour, just for us six in the entire bus . . . very exclusive.
. . . c) The cost is less than ABD for all of us on one of the ABD "normal" ABD bus tours.
. . . d) Wife and I are doing Australia-NewZealand-Fiji next Mar-Apr for 35-days at 1/3 less than ABD.
. . . e) Both trips are lay-flat Biz Class seating, not CRAMPED tourist.

4) TO US, "ABD" IS JUST AN OVERPRICED TOUR PROVIDER, CAPITALIZING ON THE DISNEY NAME! THEY OFFER NOTHING - - - NOTHING - - - OTHER TOURS CANNOT PROVIDE AT LESS COST.

While you try to find any tour operator that allows you to launch off Urquhart Castle onto Loch Ness, allow me to be nice and save you some time. You can't. Only ABD is allowed to do that. So with regards to your bullet point number 4, you are quite mistaken on that point.

Point number 2. Yes, of course it depends on your point of view. While launching off the Castle grounds to canoe Loch Ness may not be important to you or valuable, it does not negate the fact that the activity is ABD exclusive. ABD has a number of activities on various tours they offer that are ABD exclusive as well. Meaning, you can not have that experience with ANY other tour operator at ANY price. Again, your second sentence in point number 4 is wrong.

As to 3 e - ABD has never required that I fly in cramped tourist seating. Not sure what that even means, but I imagine you are referring to coach/economy seats. I rarely slum it in business class, much less economy. I am married to a Plane Princess after all (Budget Board friends will understand the reference ) So, I will see your lie flat business class seat, and raise it with my Singapore first class suite complete with unlimited Krug I know, I know, pics or didn't happen. Here's two from flights to and from ABD trips.



I have also had a private driver for an Ireland trip coincidentally. Just me and my husband though. It was an awesome trip and we stayed in castles including one that ABD stays at on their itinerary. Yeah, it cost a bit less than an ABD. It was a great trip but my ABD trips have all been far more exciting and memorable. Mind you, I nearly recreated the entire ABD itinerary and then some and can still say that.

There are some intangibles on an ABD trip that you simply cannot put a price on. I know what I speak of because I have completed 10 ABD trips. Number 11 is booked. I also travel without ABD and create my own luxury style adventures. Sometime I do it with with points and miles. Sometimes I pay real money for them. I enjoy them all but my most memorable ones and most fun ones are with ABD. I give the ABD guides 90% of the credit because they are instrumental when it comes to creating fun memories and getting the group to bond. I can't put a price tag on those kinds of memories and experiences. Its not something you get until you experience it.

With regards to ABD capitalizing on the Disney name. They do and should because they deliver what one expects from Disney. With that I mean SAFETY! I know that when I travel with ABD I am in good hands. My safety will be their top priority. That was put to the test on my most recent ABD trip which was China. I want you to imagine being in a communist country where you don't speak the language, the culture is not similar to your own, traveling with some budget tour operator and you suddenly begin to have stroke symptoms. Imagine you've already read a few horror stories of tourists needing medical attention in China and now it's happening to you. Well it happened to me and thank goodness I was with ABD and not on my own or some budget tour operator. Imagine the type of service a well known celebrity would receive under the same circumstances and you will know how it was handled. I haven't fully recovered yet but I am grateful that it wasn't a stroke and it was only Bell's Palsy. More than that I am grateful that if the scariest moment I have experienced in my entire life had to happen in China, that I happened to be traveling with ABD when it did.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

As someone who feels extremely blessed to be able to ‘slum’ it in ‘tourist’ class seats in order to explore the wonderful, wide world, I’ve been shaking my head here, trying to figure out what plane class has got to do with the credibility of this discussion.

But then I realised that at the end of the day, value of tours, like the value of plane seats, comes down to the perceived value of a dollar. One person’s $1 is the equivalent of another person’s $100, so debating whether that $10 item is affordable or good value is only going to be constructive to a very limited point.

 

[Jess_S]

I disagree with the statement that there is nothing you get from ABD that you cannot get from another provider at a lower price. When I compare ABD tours to other tours where you stay at similar caliber hotels with similar activities, the price for other providers is well in the range of ABD. Often, a price that seems to be lower is because either internal flights are not included or you are going to spend 6 hours in a coach where ABD would have put you on a short flight. In short, ABD seems to be competitively priced with other luxury tour companies. There also don't seem to be any other tour companies that do the kids movie night like ABD does and that was something that was a big value to me. I would never leave my son at home and travel without him, but having an evening without him where I got to talk to other adults was great.

I have been trying to find another provider for South Africa that matches up to ABD in terms of itinerary, and it has been a struggle. I have only found 1 other family tour company that covers all of the areas I would like to visit -- and that company uses a hotel in Cape Town that is not actually in Cape Town. For me, that's a serious negative because I like actually being in town if I am staying in an area. I am waiting for ABD to release their 2020 Africa dates before deciding what to book because I would choose ABD again all things being equal (or even ABD being a little more expensive).

As far as using the Disney name, I think that ABD provides the number one thing that I associate with Disney. To me, that's excellent service. (My 5 year old actually did a little spiel on why Disney trips are good family trips after our last ABD where he compared ABD to our Disney World trip earlier in the year. His view is that all Disney trips are "good for small children and big children and also adults." He liked that he felt included on our ABD trip. Like DH and I, though, he also enjoys independent travel and he says that he wants to do both kinds of trips going forward).

 

[calypso726]

As someone who feels extremely blessed to be able to ‘slum’ it in ‘tourist’ class seats in order to explore the wonderful, wide world, I’ve been shaking my head here, trying to figure out what plane class has got to do with the credibility of this discussion.

But then I realised that at the end of the day, value of tours, like the value of plane seats, comes down to the perceived value of a dollar. One person’s $1 is the equivalent of another person’s $100, so debating whether that $10 item is affordable or good value is only going to be constructive to a very limited point.

Please allow me to apologize if my comment was taken differently than intended. “Slumming it” in business was meant to be a tongue in cheek retort to what I perceived was a snotty sarcastic comment “cramped tourist class.” If we are traveling out of our country we are “tourists” regardless of how we get there. Clearly anyone who is paying for airfare isn’t “slumming it” as air fare, especially internationally, costs quite a bit. So calling it “slumming” for business class was intended to be a ridiculous comment.

Most of those who have read my trip reports or are regulars on the budget board’s credit card thread know I use points and miles in order to fly international first class. It’s a hobby that I enjoy and have also helped many others here on the Disboards learn so that they can travel more and create great memories with their families by mitigating their vacations costs with points and miles. They also know that I use the phrase “slumming it” in business very tongue in cheek.

Again, I apologize to anyone who took this comment in any way other than as a tongue in cheek retort to therustyscupper’s cramped tourist comment.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I disagree with the statement that there is nothing you get from ABD that you cannot get from another provider at a lower price. When I compare ABD tours to other tours where you stay at similar caliber hotels with similar activities, the price for other providers is well in the range of ABD. Often, a price that seems to be lower is because either internal flights are not included or you are going to spend 6 hours in a coach where ABD would have put you on a short flight. In short, ABD seems to be competitively priced with other luxury tour companies. There also don't seem to be any other tour companies that do the kids movie night like ABD does and that was something that was a big value to me. I would never leave my son at home and travel without him, but having an evening without him where I got to talk to other adults was great.

I have been trying to find another provider for South Africa that matches up to ABD in terms of itinerary, and it has been a struggle. I have only found 1 other family tour company that covers all of the areas I would like to visit -- and that company uses a hotel in Cape Town that is not actually in Cape Town. For me, that's a serious negative because I like actually being in town if I am staying in an area. I am waiting for ABD to release their 2020 Africa dates before deciding what to book because I would choose ABD again all things being equal (or even ABD being a little more expensive).

As far as using the Disney name, I think that ABD provides the number one thing that I associate with Disney. To me, that's excellent service. (My 5 year old actually did a little spiel on why Disney trips are good family trips after our last ABD where he compared ABD to our Disney World trip earlier in the year. His view is that all Disney trips are "good for small children and big children and also adults." He liked that he felt included on our ABD trip. Like DH and I, though, he also enjoys independent travel and he says that he wants to do both kinds of trips going forward).

I believe the National Geographic family S. Africa trip covers a lot of what the ABD trip does. The hotel they use is well situated (and Uber is amazing in Cape Town for short car trips). For any areas that aren't covered that you want to see, doing a pre or post stay in South Africa is very simple. Also, South Africa is easy to do on your own as well. I do highly recommend this as, in my opinion, the things that people want to see and do in Southern Africa will vary widely depending on each person -- my daughter and myself LOVE time on game drives and prefer private game drives). Our next trip (in 2020) will include Rwanda (gorilla trekking), the Masai Mara, Tanzania and a stay in one of my favorite areas (for the leopards), Sabi Sands.

A trip that covers a lot of ground that really isn't comparable to any other itineraries is the China trip. I think the ABD trip does an excellent job of getting to all the major sights that most people want to cover (and adds in the parks ).

While I have had my beefs with some aspects of ABD, I do think they provide an excellent, highly competitive product, which is why we are traveling with them to Japan in June, 2019 . I am certain I am not alone in this feeling because all of the Japan trips sold out in a matter of days.

 

[jimmymc]

1) "Is it worth the cost?"
2) Depends upon your point of view.
3) EXAMPLES:
. . . a) We are taking two grown daughters and a friend each to Ireland for 15-days in just two weeks.
. . . b) We have a Private Driver guided tour, just for us six in the entire bus . . . very exclusive.
. . . c) The cost is less than ABD for all of us on one of the ABD "normal" ABD bus tours.
. . . d) Wife and I are doing Australia-NewZealand-Fiji next Mar-Apr for 35-days at 1/3 less than ABD.
. . . e) Both trips are lay-flat Biz Class seating, not CRAMPED tourist.

4) TO US, "ABD" IS JUST AN OVERPRICED TOUR PROVIDER, CAPITALIZING ON THE DISNEY NAME! THEY OFFER NOTHING - - - NOTHING - - - OTHER TOURS CANNOT PROVIDE AT LESS COST.

I'd be curious to see your price breakdown for both trips. Southeast Pacific is definitely a bucket list trip for me.

 

[jimmymc]

I disagree with the statement that there is nothing you get from ABD that you cannot get from another provider at a lower price. When I compare ABD tours to other tours where you stay at similar caliber hotels with similar activities, the price for other providers is well in the range of ABD. Often, a price that seems to be lower is because either internal flights are not included or you are going to spend 6 hours in a coach where ABD would have put you on a short flight. In short, ABD seems to be competitively priced with other luxury tour companies. There also don't seem to be any other tour companies that do the kids movie night like ABD does and that was something that was a big value to me. I would never leave my son at home and travel without him, but having an evening without him where I got to talk to other adults was great.

I have been trying to find another provider for South Africa that matches up to ABD in terms of itinerary, and it has been a struggle. I have only found 1 other family tour company that covers all of the areas I would like to visit -- and that company uses a hotel in Cape Town that is not actually in Cape Town. For me, that's a serious negative because I like actually being in town if I am staying in an area. I am waiting for ABD to release their 2020 Africa dates before deciding what to book because I would choose ABD again all things being equal (or even ABD being a little more expensive).

As far as using the Disney name, I think that ABD provides the number one thing that I associate with Disney. To me, that's excellent service. (My 5 year old actually did a little spiel on why Disney trips are good family trips after our last ABD where he compared ABD to our Disney World trip earlier in the year. His view is that all Disney trips are "good for small children and big children and also adults." He liked that he felt included on our ABD trip. Like DH and I, though, he also enjoys independent travel and he says that he wants to do both kinds of trips going forward).

It's very hard to compare tours in general. Things like using buses vs using trains, the hotels, included meals, and special experiences usually vary. Even if you stay at the same hotels, one tour company may put people in smaller rooms while another uses suites. I know many companies will only include breakfast and one daily activity, while all other meals and activities are on your own.

 

[Donalyn]

But then I realised that at the end of the day, value of tours, like the value of plane seats, comes down to the perceived value of a dollar. One person’s $1 is the equivalent of another person’s $100, so debating whether that $10 item is affordable or good value is only going to be constructive to a very limited point.

Value is definitely in the eye of the beholder. That is for everything.

 

[Ava]

I can't afford ABD, and will probably never be able to unless I win the lottery. But I still like reading this board (mainly this thread & the "Other Options" thread) to get ideas for destinations, itineraries, and travel providers so I can put together trips for my family that are within my budget. (Shout out to the credit card thread on the budget board for help with that too!)

But then I realised that at the end of the day, value of tours, like the value of plane seats, comes down to the perceived value of a dollar. One person’s $1 is the equivalent of another person’s $100, so debating whether that $10 item is affordable or good value is only going to be constructive to a very limited point.

This is very true. People also have widely varied likes and dislikes. For example, @TheRustyScupper considers his privately guided tour in Ireland to be very exclusive and therefore of good value/desirable. The same scenario would make me uncomfortable/nervous; I would rather be part of a larger group with a guide or go on our own. Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I can't afford ABD, and will probably never be able to unless I win the lottery. But I still like reading this board (mainly this thread & the "Other Options" thread) to get ideas for destinations, itineraries, and travel providers so I can put together trips for my family that are within my budget. (Shout out to the credit card thread on the budget board for help with that too!)

This is very true. People also have widely varied likes and dislikes. For example, TheRustyScupper considers his privately guided tour in Ireland to be very exclusive and therefore of good value/desirable. The same scenario would make me uncomfortable/nervous; I would rather be part of a larger group with a guide or go on our own. Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

I agree. This board is interesting even though it’s not likely that I will be doing an ABD tour anytime soon. I love discussions about travel in general and it’s nice that this board branches beyond the gates of a theme park.

I also get what you’re saying about private tours. When my husband and I did our Gate 1 tour of China, we ended up being the only 2 booked on the tour. We flew between each destination and on arrival at each city we were met by both a guide and a driver. In some ways it felt pretty special having 2 staff assigned just to us, but on days when we were fatigued and needed some quiet time to think, there just wasn’t one of those quiet places on a bus where we could close our eyes for a few seconds and be inconspicuous. By contrast, we once did a sold out Trafalgar tour where every seat on the bus was occupied and that wasn’t ideal either.

I suppose I could afford ABD if I was happy to save longer and travel less frequently. However, I’ve found this happy balance between saving duration, travel style and travel length and if I tilted that balance to much in the wrong direction, I am likely to stop seeing the value. I’ve been happy to penny pinch and go without a lot of luxuries for nearly 2 years now because my upcoming trip is 38 days long. However, I wouldn’t be happy to save for two years for a 6 day trip of five star luxury. Nor would I be happy to save for 2 years to spend 6 months camping. Again, it all comes down to perception.

 

[aggiedog]

"Worth it" is always in the eye of the beholder.

I'm curious what made @rustyscupper feel the need to drop in and proclaim ABD is not for him.

 

[jimmymc]

I can't afford ABD, and will probably never be able to unless I win the lottery. But I still like reading this board (mainly this thread & the "Other Options" thread) to get ideas for destinations, itineraries, and travel providers so I can put together trips for my family that are within my budget. (Shout out to the credit card thread on the budget board for help with that too!)


This is very true. People also have widely varied likes and dislikes. For example, @TheRustyScupper considers his privately guided tour in Ireland to be very exclusive and therefore of good value/desirable. The same scenario would make me uncomfortable/nervous; I would rather be part of a larger group with a guide or go on our own. Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

I agree that this is the closest to a general travel board that we have here. The Japan trip has some places I definitely want to visit on my own, and the shows have given me ideas for Italy, China, and France.

 

[Ava]

I suppose I could afford ABD if I was happy to save longer and travel less frequently. However, I’ve found this happy balance between saving duration, travel style and travel length and if I tilted that balance to much in the wrong direction, I am likely to stop seeing the value. I’ve been happy to penny pinch and go without a lot of luxuries for nearly 2 years now because my upcoming trip is 38 days long. However, I wouldn’t be happy to save for two years for a 6 day trip of five star luxury. Nor would I be happy to save for 2 years to spend 6 months camping. Again, it all comes down to perception.

Wow, where are you going for 38 days?

Since my oldest has been in school, we've kind of settled into a schedule of two ~week-long family vacations per year (one during their February break and one in the summer) and occasionally another long weekend trip. Easter/spring break, Thanksgiving, & Christmas are spent with extended family. I'm also limited by vacation time at work; I could probably get approved to take two consecutive weeks off during certain months when we're slower, but the only one of those months that overlaps with a long enough school break is July. So, until my kids are grown and I retire, I'll have to live vicariously through other people's long vacations!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Wow, where are you going for 38 days?

Since my oldest has been in school, we've kind of settled into a schedule of two ~week-long family vacations per year (one during their February break and one in the summer) and occasionally another long weekend trip. Easter/spring break, Thanksgiving, & Christmas are spent with extended family. I'm also limited by vacation time at work; I could probably get approved to take two consecutive weeks off during certain months when we're slower, but the only one of those months that overlaps with a long enough school break is July. So, until my kids are grown and I retire, I'll have to live vicariously through other people's long vacations!

A mix of places really. A week in Orlando, 2 weeks doing a Gate 1 tour of Costa Rica, and 2 weeks on a Sthn Caribbean cruise. Plus a few nights in LA and Miami.

I’ve wanted to visit Costa Rica to see wild animals for so long, but from where I live in New Zealand there just isn’t a cheap, direct way to get there. (Each way, a minimum of 3 flights, over 26hrs in transit inc. airport time, and far too many $$).
Finally we decided to bite the bullet and save like crazy (both money and work leave hours) to get there, but to make the travel worthwhile, we wanted to go for a decent amount of time.

It’s certainly not a regular occurrence for us to do long trips and we usually vacation for a week or less, heading to the likes of Australia or Fiji or road trips around NZ. And to be honest, shorter trips will probably be our go to for a while after this trip as saving this hard for so long has been a bit draining.
The problem is that the bucket list is just so long....

 

[Ava]

A mix of places really. A week in Orlando, 2 weeks doing a Gate 1 tour of Costa Rica, and 2 weeks on a Sthn Caribbean cruise. Plus a few nights in LA and Miami.

I’ve wanted to visit Costa Rica to see wild animals for so long, but from where I live in New Zealand there just isn’t a cheap, direct way to get there. (Each way, a minimum of 3 flights, over 26hrs in transit inc. airport time, and far too many $$).
Finally we decided to bite the bullet and save like crazy (both money and work leave hours) to get there, but to make the travel worthwhile, we wanted to go for a decent amount of time.

It’s certainly not a regular occurrence for us to do long trips and we usually vacation for a week or less, heading to the likes of Australia or Fiji or road trips around NZ. And to be honest, shorter trips will probably be our go to for a while after this trip as saving this hard for so long has been a bit draining.
The problem is that the bucket list is just so long....

Sounds like a great trip! And I'm with you on wanting to spend a decent amount of time if you're going to fly halfway around the world. Australia & New Zealand are both on my bucket list but I would want to travel for at least a few weeks since it's so far for us.

I would love to hear your impressions of Costa Rica. It's one of the places I keep coming back to in my research that I think my kids would love, and you can find some fairly inexpensive tours to there. I don't think Gate 1 offers family tours (at least not that I can tell from their website) but there are ones with Trafalgar and G Adventures that both look good.

 

[Magical2017]

Travel lover here, also. We do not have the budget for ABD, but the tours look AMAZING! So do the Tauck tours. DH and I are not generally tour people, but with kids I'd definitely consider it, especially with all of the fun activities ABD seems to include. I am supposed to travel to Spain next summer for work, and then DH and the kids plan to join me. They want to got to Italy. If I had my way, I would have the kids help us plan a week or two on our own, and then add in a week with a tour company.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Sounds like a great trip! And I'm with you on wanting to spend a decent amount of time if you're going to fly halfway around the world. Australia & New Zealand are both on my bucket list but I would want to travel for at least a few weeks since it's so far for us.

I hope you do get a chance to get to NZ one day. Like Australia, it is a great destination for families.

For future reference, if you are comfortable driving in another country, happy planning your own trip, and physically able to do some short nature walks, then there is no better way of seeing NZ than on your own. I would argue that until I’m blue in the face.
Also, other than a very expensive airfare, it need not break the bank. I balk at the cost of tours to NZ, especially when the majority of our tourist highlights can be seen for free.
I would argue the same for Australia. Best Australia memory: heading off the main road, not another soul in sight other than my family, and watching a group of wild koalas call to each other amongst the trees.

I would love to hear your impressions of Costa Rica. It's one of the places I keep coming back to in my research that I think my kids would love, and you can find some fairly inexpensive tours to there. I don't think Gate 1 offers family tours (at least not that I can tell from their website) but there are ones with Trafalgar and G Adventures that both look good.

Absolutely. I’m hoping it’s everything my mind has hyped it up to be.
Gate 1 don’t do family tours, but we are taking our son with us. Their Costa Rica promotional video does reach out to families, but there is no guarantee there will be any other kids on our trip. We’re okay if there aren’t, as our primary reasons for booking the tour are still being met. It is taking the driving out of our hands (there are some places in the world I would prefer we didn’t drive), it will get us to the 4 destinations top of our CR bucket list (Tortuguero, Manuel Antonio, Arenal and Monteverde) and it was cheap (actually cheaper than doing a similar trip on our own - I priced up a comparison). During our optional freetime (of which we have quite a lot), we’ve booked a number of day tours with private or small group guides. When it comes to finding wild animals and sharing spotting scopes, I don’t think large groups are the way to go.

I have no experience with G Adventures, but saw pros and cons to Trafalgar. I would consider travelling with them again, but only if the price was really competitive.

 

[Jess_S]

Sounds like a great trip! And I'm with you on wanting to spend a decent amount of time if you're going to fly halfway around the world. Australia & New Zealand are both on my bucket list but I would want to travel for at least a few weeks since it's so far for us.

I would love to hear your impressions of Costa Rica. It's one of the places I keep coming back to in my research that I think my kids would love, and you can find some fairly inexpensive tours to there. I don't think Gate 1 offers family tours (at least not that I can tell from their website) but there are ones with Trafalgar and G Adventures that both look good.

This is kind of OT for this thread, but Costa Rica is another destination that's great on your own. Excellent tourist infrastructure and hotels, affordable guides and drivers and spectacular natural beauty. I was literally moved to tears when I first saw the sun set over the jungle. My son -- who was 4 at the time -- still talks about that trip.

The tripadvisor forum for CR is very active and I got lots of useful planning info there. Plus there are lots of trip reports to read (including one I did).

 

[Ava]

I hope you do get a chance to get to NZ one day. Like Australia, it is a great destination for families.

For future reference, if you are comfortable driving in another country, happy planning your own trip, and physically able to do some short nature walks, then there is no better way of seeing NZ than on your own. I would argue that until I’m blue in the face.
Also, other than a very expensive airfare, it need not break the bank. I balk at the cost of tours to NZ, especially when the majority of our tourist highlights can be seen for free.
I would argue the same for Australia. Best Australia memory: heading off the main road, not another soul in sight other than my family, and watching a group of wild koalas call to each other amongst the trees.

I don't really drive. I can, legally, but I've lived in NYC for 15 years and can probably count on one hand the number of times I've driven a car since then. So that's up to my wife. I'm fine with planning my own trip though, to me planning the trip is half the fun.
I think guided tours to Australia/NZ cost so much partly because they all seem to include internal flights in order to see a big portion of the country in 2 weeks or less. Which makes sense if the tour is geared at travelers from North America or Europe who may only fly that far to see AUS/NZ once in their lives.

Absolutely. I’m hoping it’s everything my mind has hyped it up to be.
Gate 1 don’t do family tours, but we are taking our son with us. Their Costa Rica promotional video does reach out to families, but there is no guarantee there will be any other kids on our trip. We’re okay if there aren’t, as our primary reasons for booking the tour are still being met. It is taking the driving out of our hands (there are some places in the world I would prefer we didn’t drive), it will get us to the 4 destinations top of our CR bucket list (Tortuguero, Manuel Antonio, Arenal and Monteverde) and it was cheap (actually cheaper than doing a similar trip on our own - I priced up a comparison). During our optional freetime (of which we have quite a lot), we’ve booked a number of day tours with private or small group guides. When it comes to finding wild animals and sharing spotting scopes, I don’t think large groups are the way to go.

I have no experience with G Adventures, but saw pros and cons to Trafalgar. I would consider travelling with them again, but only if the price was really competitive.

How old is your son? Some companies I've looked at allow children over a certain age on any of their tours, even if it's not a family tour, and some don't. I wish I could take a 2 week trip. The 1 week itineraries to CR that I've found visit either Tortuguero or Monteverde (in addition to Arenal and Manuel Antonio). I'm sure all 4 destinations is too much to fit into 1 week but I'm not sure which we'd like more.

This is kind of OT for this thread, but Costa Rica is another destination that's great on your own. Excellent tourist infrastructure and hotels, affordable guides and drivers and spectacular natural beauty. I was literally moved to tears when I first saw the sun set over the jungle. My son -- who was 4 at the time -- still talks about that trip.

The tripadvisor forum for CR is very active and I got lots of useful planning info there. Plus there are lots of trip reports to read (including one I did).

Thanks for the tip on TripAdvisor. I sometimes find their forums a lot to wade through but if it's worthwhile I will try there.

 

[Jess_S]

Thanks for the tip on TripAdvisor. I sometimes find their forums a lot to wade through but if it's worthwhile I will try there.

Their forums are definitely hit or miss. The Costa Rica one just happens to have several really passionate travelers who post there and are great about answering questions. I tried using one of the other forums to ask a question and it was crickets.