Best Of
Re: Horseback Riding
To answer my own question, horseback riding at Castlefergus Equestrian is great! Sarah, who owns the property with her parents, was very accommodating and responsive to the many emails I sent her. Her horses are mild mannered and we did not need to constantly squeeze our legs or kick them to keep them moving. She asked if I wanted to trot a little, which I did and it was so much fun! We went for a one hour ride through the woods, fields with the sheep and along the river. The price of 95 euros per person included the riding helmets with a sanitary cloth, so you didn’t worry about wearing a hat that others have worn before you. The Dromoland Castle arranged for a taxi for transportation and that was 20 euros each way for both of us. Not only do you get to ride her horses, but also share a conversation with her about living in Ireland. The castle can make reservations for you or you can go direct, which I did.
Sussan
Hidden Greece Land Tour - itinerary, hotels, & prices posted
Very excited to see that Tauck has now posted details related to the new 2026 Hidden Greece Land Tour. Details sound promising. Only disadvantage I see is that the tour neither begins nor ends in Athens. This makes flights to/from US a challenge --- mostly because my DH still works and tries to conserve his leave. Hope we can figure something out :-)
Re: River Boat Cruise Recommendation
We're coming up on our 7th river cruise so we've done all Tauck's rivers except the Soane. They were all good. The ships are pretty much the same - same decor, same cabin types to chose from, same excellent service and food. It sort of depends on what you're looking for. The Danube I think is the most scenic especially in terms of castles, quaint towns, docking close or in the action, etc. The Rhone (our first) has France especially Provence going for it. Lots of Van Gogh sights. The Seine includes Paris and iconic locations like the Dday beaches and Giverny's wonderful house/garden. The Douro is lovely but some don't care for it because it's a lovely, sleepy river full of vineyards but doesn't have excursions to major sights compared to other rivers. We did the longer version with Lisbon and Madrid plus added some time on our own in Barcelona so it didn't bother us that the river portion was kind of sleepy. The Rhine isn't very scenic except for the upper middle Rhine with a slew of castles to cruise by. The Moselle was similar to the Douro (small and lots of vineyards) but does have more interesting stops.
If you are looking for pleasant sundeck cruising opt for a summer cruise (June is ideal) as it can be chilly as the ship moves. If you want some relaxing daytime cruising, you'll see more of that on the longer cruises. We prefer longer cruises to maximize our airfare expense. For a first cruise, I'd recommend either Amsterdam to Budapest (Rhine, Main & Danube) or one of the longer Rhone cruises. But it really depends on what sights you want to see and what cities you want to start/end the cruise in.
Memorial Day
For those who have lost family members and friends serving our country, thank you for your sacrifice.
Ben
Re: Is it time to boycott cash tips to get Tauck to join the modern era?
We do a lot of river boats and small boat tours, but we have also done six land tours. I think the TDs do a lot more work on land tours. I have done riverboat tours where I have barely known who the TDs were. The tour ‘guides’ are mostly the local people. But, I have also done tours where the TDs on the small ships and riverboats were great. I also know that Tauck wants the tipping of TDs to be a personal thing that is a reflection of the quality of the service. If you include the tips as part of the salary and part of the cost of the trip the incentive for an over the top performance and experience has been removed. The carrot will have been removed. I was mugged once in Chicago while flying for American (my ID was actually found in Dallas by some coincidence), and my wife was once mugged in Barcelona near the Ramblas when we were traveling to the airport by bus. The most valuable thing they got was her Coach purse. They apparently cut the strap with a razor and she did not even know it was gone. That being said, I will reveal my system. When out and about, no jewelry. I use a room card holder as a wallet. I carry one credit card and thirty dollars and thirty euros. Everything else is in the safe in the hotel. We travel with one hundred ones, twenty fives, ten tens, and five twenties. That’s four hundred bucks for two of us. In an emergency that would cover some medical expense, perhaps a hotel room, and a meal or two. I consider this a minimum travel stash. This is separate from the TDs tip which is already in an envelope. We have traveled rather extensively aside from Tauck, and I have used the cash.
Sealord
Re: Paris, Dordogne & Bordeaux
I am showing my age now, but I like to have a little nap if we have free time. Different strokes for different folks.
Choc
Re: Paris, Dordogne & Bordeaux
LBF - if you don't get an answer re facilities here you can go to the website of each hotel and they will list them especially things like gyms or pools. Most Tauck european hotels will have laundry services though they tend to be pricey.
British - you've made comments elsewhere on the forum that Tauck itineraries have too much free time these days so now you have time to use the gym/pool. 
I already know what you're going to say ("I'm on tour to see sights not work out") but not everyone has the same desire to be constantly sightseeing from breakfast to bedtime. Tauck is trying to balance everyone's desires.
I have used the gyms and pools on tours. A pool is a great way to relax after a long flight or a busy day. The gyms I've used mostly when we did have a later start time and/or I'd woken up early due to sleep issues.
Re: Hotel recommendations in Bruges/Brugge, Belgium?
Terrilynn, we stayed at the Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce a couple of years ago for two nights. It is less expensive than the above mentioned hotel but is filled with charm and is beautiful. The people there are very helpful and friendly.
Wherever you stay you will have the magic of walking at night in Bruges without any crowds. Excellent museums and, if you are into a bit of bicycling, you can rent bikes and follow a canal to Damme.
Re: Is this trip worth the price that Tauck demands?
We took this tour last September and it was one of our favorite Tauck tours. We were in countries we’d never been to and were always on our bucket lists. We weren’t thrilled with one night stays, but that was just part of the tour. We didn’t mind the long rides because the scenery was so gorgeous and we had the most amazing tour director (Terri) and bus drivers. They filled the time with information and anecdotes, also rest stops and other little stops along the way. We didn’t necessarily love each hotel or all of the food, but all in all, this trip was very special and so very different from the riverboat tours we’ve become used to. One of our favorite parts was the ferry to Oslo, which I understand has been changed. It was just such a different way to travel to our next destination! So, I know everyone has their own opinion about every Tauck tour, but we really loved this experience. So, go with an open mind, and I hope you love this tour as much as we did!
mjhandle
Re: Hotel recommendations in Bruges/Brugge, Belgium?
Please consider the extraordinary and unique Hotel Van Cleef in Brugges. We had an exceptional visit there in 2019 (pre Covid) for our 2 nights visiting the Christmas markets. The hosts are outstanding, speak perfect English, and were so helpful when the trains went on strike and we couldn’t get to Paris for our ride home. They went above and beyond to assist us!
The hotel has some lovely rooms with little terraces that overlook the river and a wonderful breakfast and spectacular afternoon tea. When we arrived , we relaxed in the lovely lounge beside the beautifully decorated Christmas tree and enjoyed a drink and Hors d'oeuvres. A very warm and peaceful welcome.
The next day, Pascal arranged a walking tour of Bruges for us (in English) and it was the highlight of our trip!
Though we were only there a short time, we really felt at home.
We just took TAUCK’s Belgium and Holland Southbound. It was spectacular! We are from Miami and needed 3 more layers to feel warm! We did not have time to visit “our hotel” this time as we only did a quick visit to Bruges before heading to London. We can’t wait to stay there again. I really hope you enjoy your visit to Bruges, wherever you decide to stay.
Bon Voyage!
