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[Candycane83]

Yes Sweet Life: Rome & Sorrento is Tauck Bridges and we are going on that soon. You should call and ask about age though. The youngest on our tour is 10 yrs old. I think 8 may be the minimum.

I did call them this afternoon and she mentioned that the recommended age is 8 but the minimum is 3. She did seem to try to discourage me a bit from booking stating it’s expensive and strenuous for a child. I’d love to hear about your experience on this! I’m still on the fence about whether to go with ABD or Tauck Bridges but that phone call seems to discourage me from booking Tauck bridges.

 

[Candycane83]

Usually the "recommended" age for TB is not the real minimum. We did TB Costa Rica when my youngest was 4 and he ziplined with a guide. It used to be more clear, but I you can definitely go below the "recommended" age. He was a good traveler though, and had already done several DCL, including Alaska, so we had a sense of how he would be with the flights and excursions.

Yes! The recommended age is 8 but minimum is 3. Costa Rica sounds amazing but not sure I can convince my husband. Lol! Yeah, my son has travelled a bit, we usually have a big trip a year. How did your son enjoy Costa Rica? I’m afraid my son would lose attention on the cultural/ historical elements of the tour if it goes too long for Italy I guess. I’m wondering now about the Italy Switzerland tour! I’m so undecided.

 

[nemofans]

We also did TB Costa Rica 2 years ago. My younger DS was 8. We loved it!

 

[laceltris3]

Costa Rica with TB was amazing, especially for younger kids (mine were 4, 6, and 9 at the time). No museums at all. Zip lining, water slides, boat rides looking for sloths and iguanas and toucans, and a rafting trip that ends up in a water fight for willing participants (there is a "dry" boat too for people who don't want to do it), going to a chocolate factory and the kids getting to make their own chocolate bars!!

 

[Candycane83]

Costa Rica with TB was amazing, especially for younger kids (mine were 4, 6, and 9 at the time). No museums at all. Zip lining, water slides, boat rides looking for sloths and iguanas and toucans, and a rafting trip that ends up in a water fight for willing participants (there is a "dry" boat too for people who don't want to do it), going to a chocolate factory and the kids getting to make their own chocolate bars!!

Sounds amazing!!

 

[nemofans]

It is!

 

[FSU Girl]

I wanted to post about a couple tour companies I used on my recent trip to the UK. They were all really amazing and not expensive at all. I only did day tours, but they offer longer trips. I used Rabbies and Highland Explorer Tours in Scotland and International Friends in England.

 

[disneyphx]

We did TB Costa Rica too and it was great! Youngest on our trip was 2 (!) plus I think 4 or 5 in the 5-7 range.
Some of the parents of the younger kids were frustrated to not be able to zipline because the kids didnt want to do it.......If your 6 year old thinks it would be cool to zipline, I say go for a Costa Rica trip!
We have done a bunch of ABD but not a pure Italy one even though they sound amazing in some ways - animal loving, thrill seeking DD doesnt gravitate to them. We did do Italy/Switzerland which was a really fun trip - not cities and museums and cathedrals. We also did TB Alpine Adventure which was great too - similar but different. (We love Austria and Switzerland!)
One of the biggest differences we find between TB and ABD is more grandparent/kid combos on TB (lots on CR and Alaska).

 

[Candycane83]

We did TB Costa Rica too and it was great! Youngest on our trip was 2 (!) plus I think 4 or 5 in the 5-7 range.
Some of the parents of the younger kids were frustrated to not be able to zipline because the kids didnt want to do it.......If your 6 year old thinks it would be cool to zipline, I say go for a Costa Rica trip!
We have done a bunch of ABD but not a pure Italy one even though they sound amazing in some ways - animal loving, thrill seeking DD doesnt gravitate to them. We did do Italy/Switzerland which was a really fun trip - not cities and museums and cathedrals. We also did TB Alpine Adventure which was great too - similar but different. (We love Austria and Switzerland!)
One of the biggest differences we find between TB and ABD is more grandparent/kid combos on TB (lots on CR and Alaska).

Which would you recommend for younger kids? The TB or ADB one? I read the description of the TB one and seemed like there were a few restrictions for younger kids. It does fit my dates more though. I looked at the Norway ABD one too which seems a little more adventurous too.

I’m not sure how my son would like to zip line, he sure likes climbing but seems more on the cautious side right now. Maybe I’ll wait until 2021 for CR!

Thanks so much for the feedback.

 

[disneyphx]

Hmmm, I think for younger the ABD trip is slightly better suited. But if dates are better for TB, I would probably go for it.
The one 'big' activity is the zip line/ropes course in Zermatt. I can't tell you anything about it - didn't do it because I had hurt my foot - and I was a bad mom and went shopping instead of watching them.....
The pace of those trips is good for a younger kid I think because it is not big cities.

 

[Rapunzellover]

So finishing my first Tauck tour (Portugal) tomorrow. Some thoughts:

1. Food was top notch, as were accommodations, coach, and driver.
2. Love how Tauck does scatter lunches where you are basically given lunch money and it's up to you how to spend it, if you're not that hungry.
3. Pace was slow, and it was not nearly as strenuous as some ABDs. But that's the itinerary, not Tauck.
4. Really really really dislike the assigned bus seating and rotating. Very annoying.
5. Tour director was great, but two is better than one.
6. I felt the director didn't go as above and beyond as adventure guides. Ex- I wanted to arrange a tour of Fatima, and she sent me to the concierge. The adventure guides I've had would've gone to the concierge for me to save me time/hassle. Not a huge issue, but ...

Anyhow, just my thoughts. Btw, Portugal is amazing and everyone should go. ABD seriously needs to create a Portugal itinerary.

 

[Donalyn]

I've been hoping for Portugal from ABD. And land based, not river cruise.

 

[broadsheet]

This thread is so useful, thanks all! I would like to do Costa Rica - it would be my family’s first experience with group tours. I cannot decide between ABD or Tauck Bridges in 2021 (what can I say, I plan ahead!) or NatGeo/G Adventures in 2022. Kids would be 6/9 or 7/10.

G adventures is so much cheaper and I like the Nat geo tie-in - I just have no clue what to expect. It also looked like a ton of coach time, but maybe that’s just par for the course in CR?

Thoughts? Someone save me from indecision?

 

[Rapunzellover]

I've been hoping for Portugal from ABD. And land based, not river cruise.

I waited for ABD. I had hopes. A land only is definitely the way to go. The douro is nice, but.....

 

[tink1970]

4. Really really really dislike the assigned bus seating and rotating. Very annoying.
5. Tour director was great, but two is better than one.
6. I felt the director didn't go as above and beyond as adventure guides. Ex- I wanted to arrange a tour of Fatima, and she sent me to the concierge. The adventure guides I've had would've gone to the concierge for me to save me time/hassle. Not a huge issue, but ...

Thanks for your report and thoughts! It's funny because I like the rotating-I get motion sick but feel that it's more "fair" than some people taking the same seats over and over. Also, I got to know more people with the rotations (some I'd rather have not, but that's the risk of a tour).

I also prefer Tauck's single tour director and that they are more hands off. Again, completely personal preference. With some of the recent changes in ABDs (number of guests, more OYO time, focus on places I don't want to visit), I have a feeling that our next two ABDs will be our last and Tauck will be our go to tour operator.

What were your favorite places in Portugal? And would you return again on your own?

 

[Candycane83]

Hmmm, I think for younger the ABD trip is slightly better suited. But if dates are better for TB, I would probably go for it.
The one 'big' activity is the zip line/ropes course in Zermatt. I can't tell you anything about it - didn't do it because I had hurt my foot - and I was a bad mom and went shopping instead of watching them.....
The pace of those trips is good for a younger kid I think because it is not big cities.

Thanks!! I was looking for when would be a good time to go to Costa Rica and am thinking about March break next year. My son would be barely 6 though. When did you go? Any suggestions on a good time?

Edit to add: I saw that the age for zip lining is 8 and above, was there anything for younger kids? Maybe I should wait until he’s 8...

 

[Candycane83]

Sorry I’m all over the place but I wanted to ask what is the difference between river cruises by ABD vs TB? Which is preferred? Any one river cruise that’s better than the other? Or is there another river cruise line that is recommended? With young child

 

[aggiedog]

With a young child, if you want built in activities to keep him occupied, I would stick with companies that do Family Travel trips for river cruises. To my knowledge that is TB and ABD, though there could be more. You could always just book a river cruise on your own, but it will be almost all 65+ folks, no adventure guide, etc. Some river cruise companies don't even let kids sail. For the TB/ABD river cruises, those companies rent out the entire ship and the entire cruise is dedicated to the Family Trip, if that makes sense. One difference is you'll have 130+ people on the river cruise (split into smaller groups for excursions) and just your 20-40 on a land based trip.

 

[Candycane83]

With a young child, if you want built in activities to keep him occupied, I would stick with companies that do Family Travel trips for river cruises. To my knowledge that is TB and ABD, though there could be more. You could always just book a river cruise on your own, but it will be almost all 65+ folks, no adventure guide, etc. Some river cruise companies don't even let kids sail. For the TB/ABD river cruises, those companies rent out the entire ship and the entire cruise is dedicated to the Family Trip, if that makes sense. One difference is you'll have 130+ people on the river cruise (split into smaller groups for excursions) and just your 20-40 on a land based trip.

Thanks for the insight! I know it’s personal opinion but which is better- ABD or TB in river cruises? I’ve seen on this thread that people seem to like TB better if the same destination is offered on both. Im assuming that extends to river cruises? Or just Europe and Costa Rica?

 

[aggiedog]

I have no clue, as I've done neither myself, at least not with ABD or TB. Sorry!