Best Of
Re: Bait and Switch for Switzerland Tour of September 7 to 17 2023
We went on this tour in September of 2022. The Glacier express ( or “non-glacier express “ as my husband called it ) was definitely a highlight for us, however , there are no glaciers. We had the entire car for our small group tour. Lunch was decent, and it was a beautiful day. The tour was not without it’s last minute changes, however. Two of the hotels were changed - in Lugano we were in the Grand Hotel Castagnuolo and in Lucerne we were instead 20 minutes outside of the city in the Kempinski Palace, Engelberg. In Lugano we were definitely not in the heart of the town, and Engelberg was a significant car ride from Lucerne. There was definitely grumbling, however we thought both of those places were fabulous and were also trip highlights unto themselves. We did think that Tauck cheaped out a bit by not getting us tickets and transfers to Mount Titlus when we were in Engelberg. The funniculare was right near town and was expensive ($65 ). Given that we were nowhere near Lucerne we thought it was a shortcoming particularly since many of us stayed the extra day at the end and it was a small town.
Re: How is luggage handled when traveling on the Eurotrain from London to Paris.
Yes, Tauck handles all aspects of luggage. It will be picked up within your hotel room in London and transported to Paris. All you have to do is to enjoy the lovely train ride. When you enter your riverboat cabin, your luggage will be waiting for you on the bed.
1240 - edited for clarity.
kfnknfzk
Re: Antarctica tours with a flight over Drake Passage
It's Quark Expeditions. Their ship, the Ultramarine, is beautiful, very comfortable and built specifically for polar expeditions. Quark's expedition that crosses the Antarctic Circle still ranks #2 of all the trips I've taken.
SAdivr
Re: Antarctica tours with a flight over Drake Passage
This trip is on our BucketList and MIL (from these forums) told me about Quark Expeditions - we are looking into them for when we do this trip in a few yrs (prob after we retire). Glad to see a good review of Quark here.
Re: Anyone on the August 30 2025 Jewish Heritage tour?
I loved this trip. I always do a bit of research before I go so I can maximize my time. I always call Tauck to see what the daily itinerary will be so I can figure out if I have time to take in a private tour or museum. As I recall, this is a very busy itinerary with some free time in Vienna. Enjoy. You’ll learn a lot.
Re: Bait and Switch for Switzerland Tour of September 7 to 17 2023
The Glacier Express is a tourist gimmick IMHO. It is a just ride with a mediocre meal and the scenery is hit and miss from the train. Tauck had reserved the entire car for our small group. We had simple seats at a table, not comfortable. The bus ride we took to our next stop was outstanding. Up and down the magnificant Alps. I was in awe being there.
Re: Bait and Switch for Switzerland Tour of September 7 to 17 2023
The 2025 brochure that I have does not mention the Express train. Rather, it features the cogwheel train to Jungfraujoch.
Re: Canadian Capitals and Niagara Falls 2025
It is our preference to always have some local currency for incidentals, refreshments, et al. As mentioned, credit cards are accepted virtually everywhere. Have a wonderful time!
kfnknfzk
Re: Canadian Capitals and Niagara Falls 2025
I wouldn't bring any. We took this trip in September. Tauck gave us cash for lunch on one of the first few days of the trip. We used a credit card for lunch so we would have some cash available. We used it for some incidentals but there was never a time we HAD TO use cash.
judy05
Re: Trip Report, Patagonia Feb/March 2025
JanP - you will love it. I think the key is to be prepared and be flexible. There are lots of time changes.
For the first time for us, the tour group was contacted by the TD by email prior to the trip (privacy preserved). She introduced herself, asked about dietary issues and provided information about Santiago. During the tour, the TD emailed regarding time changes, reminders of depature times, etc, and forwarded several group photos taken during the tour. I liked the email notifications and reminders.