Umbria & Puglia Tour
We’re booked next year for both the Tuscany/Umbria and Puglia trips to Italy. Has anyone taken these and if so, were there specific adventures/things and activities to do that were memorable on each? We’re concerned that we’ll be spending most of the time on the bus as this is what we just experienced on our recent Tauck trip to Canada, which also happens to be our 15th Tauck tour. Many in our group of 23 were in their 80’s (we’re healthy/active and in our late 60’s and early 70’s). Many used canes and had difficulty walking which really slowed everything down making our tour extremely frustrating. I realize there’s no way to know who’s on a tour, but having activities and things to actually do will certainly make it more interesting and keep things active. We’re wondering if we should think about doing Umbria on our own, but sticking with the Puglia tour. Thanks for any advice/thoughts!
Comments
In my experience, the tours in North America seem to attract far more people in their eighties, such as our experience on our most recent tour with them, the Great Lakes. It’s been like that on our North America tours.
We took the Puglia tour when it was new quite a few years ago. I do actually remember one woman collapsing on that tour and two doctors attending to her who were on our tour. Apparently, she was unwell at the start of the tour. They were extremely worried about her, and were on call all night for her. The next day, she got up and went shopping with her daughter, the doctors had suggested she rest. So everyone was really annoyed as the day before she had delayed our tour. I know anyone can get sick, but that really annoyed me, I felt bad for the doctors.
Another company we travel with wants doctors letters from anyone over 80 and you have to list all the medications you take. We still ended up on one tour with three people in that age range who needed to sit down every hundred yards, luckily they all got covid and had to leave the tour not long after it started.
Tauck has changed the Tuscany Umbria tour since I went on it. Personally, I would not do that myself, I would not want to drive.
I think when you take a tour and hope to see a lot of things and usually in no more than a two week period, you have to expect to have bus time, sometimes lengthy, unless you are visiting a small country such as say Ireland or Malta.
I think British is right. If you aren't used to driving in Europe then Tauck does a great job of getting you places. We did Tauck's Umbria tour earlier this year. Day 3 goes to Gubbio and that is a long day. That day has a deviation in the schedule. Some weeks go to Arezzo first. Our tour went to Cortona (saw very little) and met the delightful Frances Mayes and her husband at a Michelin star restaurant. The day that you go to Rome is also long but it is broken up by going to Spoleto.. This tour seemed more leisurely than other Tauck trips that we have taken.
A few years ago we went to Umbria and Tuscany on our own. We didn't drive but hired drivers, using Cortona as a base, and it worked out quite well. We then stayed in Perugia and took the train for day trips. We saw places that interested us more than Tauck's itinerary but we didn't have the ease that Tauck offers so there is always a trade off. .
If you can, go early and stay somewhere. This last trip we went to Ferrarra first and then to Florence for a few days before joining the tour.
We did the Puglia tour in June of 2022. It is long bus rides from one location to the next.
This is a legitimate question from me….could anyone define what constitutes a LONG bus ride. I think it is different for everyone.
a fair question but the answer is highly subjective. For me a long day is when I realize I'm spending more of my time in a bus than seeing or doing something. Much as I liked meeting the author it was a day of driving to have lunch with her. with just a brief stop in Cortona and a bathroom break at the lake. At that point I wish we had skipped two nights in out of the way Gubbio and spent additional days in Perugia. With additional time one day could have been a short half hour drive to Spello. I like the time to wander and to see more than two of ten sights in a location.
We are going on the Tuscany & Umbria tour in 3 weeks. We are going with another couple. We are doing 3 weeks total as we are doing time in Venice, Florence, & Rome on our own also. I will post a review when we return.
Terrilynn, I’ll be following your footsteps but in May 2025. We are touring two weeks on our own and then coming a week in Tuscany and a week in Puglia. Looking forward to your wonderful review.
I agree with the Moore's definition of a long bus ride. If a day involves more time on the bus than actually at the site - it's a long bus ride. Unfortunately, some places are too short for a plane ride but result in a long bus ride.
Trips I recall with long bus rides include Scandinavia (Copenhagen to Stockholm) and Patagonia ((it's a big place).
I recently discussed Scandinavia in another thread. Patagonia - well, it's a big place. However, the drive back and forth to the silversmiths was a big waste of time, in my opinion.
We did the Tuscany Umbria tour together with the Puglia tour in 2022. I did not recall what I would define as long bus rides for those trips. (We did not have the activity with the author that was described above.) Checking Google maps it is about a 3 hour drive from Florence to Perugia, and you don't go this distance in one day. Similar area covered in Puglia. Yes you could see more towns if you drove it yourself. But then someone has to drive. Which means someone can't be drinking that lovely wine or fully admiring the scenery. And Tauck does throw in very nice, memorable experiences. It is all about local culture and history on these 2 tours. You'll learn about local traditions, festivals, foods and artisans. There is a more relaxed feel than the big city tours. As far as walking, unfortunately anyone who has limited mobility will miss quite a lot on these tours. As far as Tuscany and Umbria, they don't call them hill towns for nothing. Lots of hills and stairs. While Puglia is flat in comparison, Matera is practically vertical and has lots of slippery steps. You could avoid them but again, you would miss a lot. I don't recall a lot of time being spent for group walking so I don't think you will be slowed down so much. But it is more work for the tour directors to make special arrangements for people with limited mobility. (You hear them on the phone when you sit in that front seat.)
I get the sense that Tauck is working to improve the descriptions of their tours. I know that some tour companies will list a daily estimate on the itinerary of how much bus time and how much walking there is. I wish Tauck did this. But it is human nature to overestimate our abilities and ignore the advice, and then there are those last minute health surprises that affect us.
Defining "long bus rides" is purely relative in my opinion and depends on the tolerance level of the passenger. We have always enjoyed the rides, especially the beautiful scenery along the way.
I looked at the itinerary again and the drive from Perugia to Rome might be the longest driving day. It is probably about 3 hours of total drive time but they break it up with 2 stops, and the Narni Underground is really interesting.