Is 2 tours back-to-back too much?
Considering going on Savoring France (river cruise) followed by Cinque Terre, Tuscany and Portofino (land). Is 2 trips in a row too much? Thanks,
Peggy
Ann Arbor MI
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Considering going on Savoring France (river cruise) followed by Cinque Terre, Tuscany and Portofino (land). Is 2 trips in a row too much? Thanks,
Peggy
Ann Arbor MI
Comments
Definitely doable, if you have the stamina. Our longest trip was 28 days, two tours and extra time in London. That was our limit.
Things to consider:
Tour schedules - how much time between tours.
Logistics of getting from France to Italy. Flying is probably preferred as handling luggage on the trains can be a hassle (but doable).
Laundry - While it is possible pack for three weeks and keep to Tauck luggage limits, you may want to do laundry after the first tour. There is a self-serve laundromat near the Mercado Centrale in Florence, if you have the time.
Pace - Savoring France is pretty laid back and you only unpack once on the boat. The Cinque Terra tour is more active and involves frequent packing and unpacking. Are you up for the more active tour at the end?
Bon Voyage!
We've done it twice and have another 2fer planned for next year.
Advantages: Tauck will only charge one Guest Protection for both trips (the higher of the two if there is a difference), you maximize the cost of your airfare, and only have to go thru jetlag once. If you book before the yearly deadline for Gift of Time (31 Jul) you will get it for both trips.
Downside: It can take some researching getting the right dates so the tours don't overlap but don't have more days in between than you want. You can fill gaps with extra stays at the Tauck hotels or find you own accommodations. Tauck helped us with the air arrangements once but other the other we were taking a train so we had to handle that ourselves.
Some people are totally ready to get home by the end of a tour which I worried about initially. But it's always been a new city, a new group, a new TD so we've had a great time.
If you're happy being gone that long and can work out the logistics I'd recommend going for it.
We have done this twice. We did the Scandinavian land tour, followed by Iceland cruise. We also did French land tour followed by river cruise. We preferred doing the more active land tour first, and then relaxing on the cruise. Both trips were 28 days. Took some extra planning, but was well worth it. We thoroughly enjoyed both trips.
We have done extended trips a couple of times, just returned from back-to back week in Venice, Florence, Rome and week in Tuscany and Umbria. I agree with all the previous comments. The early morning bag pulls and two-night hotel stays can get tiresome unless you are a morning person, energetic, and have a well-organized suitcase. I would definitely prefer the more active land trip before the more relaxing river cruise. We spent five days in Siena between our two week-long land tours. That time for relaxation and laundry helped.
We did it twice, the first was the England tour followed by the Ireland tour. The second was Rome to Sicily and then Egypt. I didn't find it a problem. If you can stay away from home that long, it works fine. (A limitation might be if you have to put your dog into a kennel).
Never tried it. Have been on single longer tours, longest was 24 days.
We've done it three times, and we are scheduled for a fourth time next year. We love it, and we figure it actually saves a lot of money (because of airfare and insurance). Just takes planning.
Pegacav -- If you're concerned about stamina, you might want to consider doing the land tour first. A river cruise is more relaxing than a land tour, and if you decide you need a day off, you can just relax and enjoy the boat for the day.
We’ve done 2 tours back to back multiple times. As many have suggested, it just takes some planning and coordination. But it’s always worked out well for us. My husband justifies it saying that we’re saving money on the airfare etc. it’s very “doable”. Have great fun !
We did two river tours back to back: Douro then Danube. Not a problem. We have another river 2fer planned for next year in France. River cruise then land tour may be a bit much because of all the hotel hopping on the land tour. I agree with MCD that land first would be better but it all depends on dates of the tours and personal stamina and availability.
I agree with Ken from Vegas and MCD regarding how stamina plays a major role. It also depends on the length of the tour. I have not done two back-to-back fourteen (14) day land tours in years and wouldn't consider it now.
Pegacav - Specific to your question, Savoring France was filled with unique and wonderful excursions, but we never felt rushed at all. I have not done the Cinque Terre tour but understand from a neighbor that it can be challenging at times due to the topography. As MCD suggests, taking the land tour first will afford you the opportunity to relax on the cruise.
No matter your decision, have a wonderful time and please report back with a critique of your experiences.
About to embark on back to back tours South Africa "Elegant Adventure" and "Epic" Namibia . It's a LONNNG flight! So decided to do both! Unlike most of you who have been returning to Africa numerous times I imagine this will be my one & only trip.
Carpe Diem!
Stellie, who’s betting it won’t be your last. East AFRICA next, it’s so different!
British you are a "hoot". You could be right?!
Thank you all! My hubby and I appreciate all your informed comments. Happy traveling, Tauck pals!