Hello everyone, thank you all for such wonderful information. CVC, I’m so happy to know about the Holly Door and see your photos. And thank you for all the other great suggestions. Everyone has offered so many fantastic tips and I appreciate it so much.
VickieBerendse, please let me know how it goes getting to see The Aura at Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal. We are on the September 24 departure trip and that sounds like something we’d like to see as well. Thank you, Grace
We are considering this program for September 2025. There are Small Group dates and Classic dates. Can anyone relate the relative size of the groups and how it impacts the experience. We are considering doing this tour back-to-back with Cruising the Great Lakes: Chicago to Toronto. The cruise schedule dovetails nicely with a Classic date for the Canadian Capitals tour but would prefer not to be with a huge group. Thanks for any insight.
Small group sizes are 24. Classic group sizes are up to 44 on some tours. The groups are always divided up for local touring, plus if you go on the cruise there will be up to 184 people. I am on that tour now, There are 5 tour directors. Yesterday, part of the group toured the Art institute, these are split even more, so we had one local guide for about ten or twelve people.
We will be on this tour on 17 September and we are really looking forward to it. British, any recommendations or places to avoid please let us know as we value your opinion.
Cleverpig - I prefer the intimacy the small group tours offer. Without appearing flippant, it is also easier to herd less people around and you have the luxury of spending more time exploring. Unless changed, Tauck now offers a 'smaller' group tour—no more than fifteen (15) people. It is a fabulous tour and one that I plan on retaking.
Not sure, only taken one small group. If they are not divided up, then that means you could end up with the divided up groups that happen on a regularl size tour being smaller, never thought of that.
A long time TD told me this year that the more senior TD’s don’t like to lead the small groups anymore because Tauck took away the extra money they paid then to lead the small groups, so they now earn less on tips from them. So the newer TDs are being landed with them.
Gourmet Gal - I took this tour—small group—in 2018 and we stayed together as a group for the excursions. We loved this tour and I plan to do it again as part of the 'smaller' group.
I have been on many small group tours and have always had experienced tour directors. I do recall one or two times in which a trainee shadowed the tour director.
When we have voxes and the guide is talking, most people huddle and watch the guide, I don’t, I listen on the fox and wonder round and look at the things he is talking about , I can take photos with no one in the way. I think some people think I am being rude or not interested by walking a few feet away, they forget the voxes work quite a good distance from the guide. It’s the same on the bus, people watch the TD as he/she is talking, and I look at the scenery and hear him.
On one of our recent trips there was an older gentleman, possibly with hearing issues, but not sure. Anyway he just wandered around, but without a VOX!! He never took one on excursions!!
Gourmet Gal - Being that this tour is not heavy on museums and crowded tourist areas, I don't recall feeling overwhelmed by having just one guide. Most of the time, our tour director served as the local guide. I don't remember the exact count of our group, but I believe it was less than twenty-four (24). I agree that on a European tour having more than one local guide is beneficial, but it really was not necessary for this tour. Hope this helps.
Comments
Hello everyone, thank you all for such wonderful information. CVC, I’m so happy to know about the Holly Door and see your photos. And thank you for all the other great suggestions. Everyone has offered so many fantastic tips and I appreciate it so much.
VickieBerendse, please let me know how it goes getting to see The Aura at Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal. We are on the September 24 departure trip and that sounds like something we’d like to see as well. Thank you, Grace
I look forward to reading about your experiences! Such a marvelous trip.
Really appreciate everyone's comments! Looking forward to seeing more posts when people return!
We are considering this program for September 2025. There are Small Group dates and Classic dates. Can anyone relate the relative size of the groups and how it impacts the experience. We are considering doing this tour back-to-back with Cruising the Great Lakes: Chicago to Toronto. The cruise schedule dovetails nicely with a Classic date for the Canadian Capitals tour but would prefer not to be with a huge group. Thanks for any insight.
Small group sizes are 24. Classic group sizes are up to 44 on some tours. The groups are always divided up for local touring, plus if you go on the cruise there will be up to 184 people. I am on that tour now, There are 5 tour directors. Yesterday, part of the group toured the Art institute, these are split even more, so we had one local guide for about ten or twelve people.
We will be on this tour on 17 September and we are really looking forward to it. British, any recommendations or places to avoid please let us know as we value your opinion.
Cleverpig - I prefer the intimacy the small group tours offer. Without appearing flippant, it is also easier to herd less people around and you have the luxury of spending more time exploring. Unless changed, Tauck now offers a 'smaller' group tour—no more than fifteen (15) people. It is a fabulous tour and one that I plan on retaking.
I’ve taken several Canadian tours but not this one.
Does anyone know if the Smaller groups are also divided for tours?
Not sure, only taken one small group. If they are not divided up, then that means you could end up with the divided up groups that happen on a regularl size tour being smaller, never thought of that.
A long time TD told me this year that the more senior TD’s don’t like to lead the small groups anymore because Tauck took away the extra money they paid then to lead the small groups, so they now earn less on tips from them. So the newer TDs are being landed with them.
Gourmet Gal - I took this tour—small group—in 2018 and we stayed together as a group for the excursions. We loved this tour and I plan to do it again as part of the 'smaller' group.
I have been on many small group tours and have always had experienced tour directors. I do recall one or two times in which a trainee shadowed the tour director.
So the groups for excursions are 24 with only 1 guide? That’s really big. Even the 15 in the smaller group is more than I am accustomed to.
Local guides use Vox boxes, so everyone isn't jammed together trying to hear the commentary.
When we have voxes and the guide is talking, most people huddle and watch the guide, I don’t, I listen on the fox and wonder round and look at the things he is talking about , I can take photos with no one in the way. I think some people think I am being rude or not interested by walking a few feet away, they forget the voxes work quite a good distance from the guide. It’s the same on the bus, people watch the TD as he/she is talking, and I look at the scenery and hear him.
On one of our recent trips there was an older gentleman, possibly with hearing issues, but not sure. Anyway he just wandered around, but without a VOX!! He never took one on excursions!!
Our small group Spain and Portugal was divided into two groups with two local guides. Don’t know about this tour though.
Gourmet Gal - Being that this tour is not heavy on museums and crowded tourist areas, I don't recall feeling overwhelmed by having just one guide. Most of the time, our tour director served as the local guide. I don't remember the exact count of our group, but I believe it was less than twenty-four (24). I agree that on a European tour having more than one local guide is beneficial, but it really was not necessary for this tour. Hope this helps.