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Detailed, Hourly Travel Itineraries

GinaW

For seasoned Tauck travelers: When do you usually receive a more detailed (hourly ) itinerary? A Tauck advisor told me that was what would be uploaded through the portal 60 days prior, but I see only a daily summary (similar to the website) included with Travel Docs. How soon does the more detailed version typically arrive? And I fully realize it’s always subject to change, but I like to plan our free time and know what to expect for morning start times, etc. Thank you for any insight!

Comments

maximgr

The only time you may receive an hourly itinerary is from the tour director once you are on the tour. All other itineraries are daily.

British

Yes, agree, only when you get on the tour. Sometimes you get the entire tour details then but occasionally you might get it for just say three days ahead or even just the day before. The best thing to do is research ahead everything you would like to see well in advance and be prepared to fit it in around the planned itinerary if time allows. This is more difficult post pandemic now that timed tickets are required for popular sites. The tour director may also add extras not mentioned on the original tour description or change days around.

BKMD

For some trips, where I want to schedule a timed free-time activity in advance, I call Tauck and ask for details on a specific day or two. I've never had the need to get an hourly itinerary in advance for the entire trip.

Claudia Sails

For land tours we've typically gotten the hourly schedule at the welcome dinner. Sometimes only the first week of the tour then and the second later in the tour. For river cruises you get it day to day. A printed copy for the first day when you may be at a hotel but once on board the ship they use a QR code system so you access the daily schedule from a mobile device.

If you need to know it prior to the tour start the Tauck phone agents have it. Its not published for exactly the reason that things can change before and even after the tour start.

GinaW

Ah ha—thank you! This makes sense, given a phone agent was able to tell me what the hourly was looking like very early on, but did say they would post it online 60 days prior. I’ll just call back in an inquire on the days I most care about. I am our travel agent (and so far, so good) so relinquishing control on a tour is very new to us. A bit difficult, but also feels good now that my day job has been so busy.

Claudia Sails

The itinerary that gets provided closer to the tour - emailed to you and available in your acct on the website - doesn't usually provide much more detail than the original one we seen when booking the tour. It might list a bit more detail on sights to see, excursion options, and any itinerary changes. The only times I've ever seen listed were official tour start on day 1 and ending on the departure day.

Most of the information provided in the final itinerary you can find on Tauck's website page for your tour i.e. luggage restrictions, what to pack, reading list, weather, etc. What I scan the final itinerary for (and usually print out) are the recommended tip amounts, the instructions at the airport/train station to find our transport driver and the phone numbers for that service and Tauck's emergency number.

British

I have learned that it’s risky to book sometimes on your own when there was supposed to be free time, because often it is not. that’s partly why I hate all the free time on tours these days, it an be tricky to organize anything. Instead, we go early or stay at the end of a tour and do things then as often those places are skimmed over by Tauck

Kathrine_Wnek

So glad to see this question. I just got my “details” for a trip in October and expected a lot more than a rehash of what was already online. So, I’m a bit disappointed. I guess I need to follow with my TA to get real details first a couple days. I’m already adding days before and after, but usually the stuff in the middle doesn’t change as much.

GinaW

Katherine, A call to Tauck should get you to someone who will give you the more detailed itinerary. I’m grateful to have it, though I definitely know it can change, and I’ll have no issues pivoting from what we have planned during “free time” if schedules change.

Kathrine_Wnek

GinaW - my TA (big group) who books loads of Tauck, got nothing when she called. This is my first Tauck tour and I have another scheduled next year. I was looking for much more details prior to the trip, the trip starts in six weeks. I’m always positive, but my mom did these trips years ago and I remember pages of details, not a couple of sentences per day. It’s not like Petra moved and they haven’t done the trip before!

British

I guarantee she got those pages at the start of the tour, not before.

Sealord

I don’t think I have ever gotten an ‘hourly detail’ in advance. Sometimes things change, and the TD’s have a great deal of flexibility on how they put a tour together when it comes down to the details. If a tour does not fit your schedule, you are always free to skip it and do whatever pleases you.

MNNUTE

Every Tauck trip we've taken - we've gotten the detailed schedule on the first night of the trip or in our room the day before as we arrived a day or two early.

You can always try to find a trip report of the tour you are going and it may have more details.

BKMD

And sometimes you only get a few days at a time.

Claudia Sails

I can understand wanting to know as much as possible about an upcoming trip and being able to plan your free time. I'm the planner in our family. But I've also learned that the unexpected bonuses that happen on tour came be really fun and often form our happiest memories of a tour.

When I've needed to have more detailed timing of the daily schedule I haven't had any issues calling Tauck and the agent could fill in the blanks. They don't know every single detail and things can definitely change once you're on tour. Unexpected traffic, canceled ferries, a once a year festival, marathon race coming thru town, weather, etc etc. I've seen loads of things happen.

Land tours we've either gotten the entire schedule the first day or possibly the first half with the rest coming later. It's printed out. I use my smartphone to take a picture so I always have it available. On river cruises the detailed schedule is only available 1-2 days in advance and for the last 2 cruises it's been online using a QR code and app. Make sure you have some way to access QR codes on your phone. There may be some printed copies on the CDs desk.

gladysorlando984

I echo Claudia, my last river cruise in April was the first time I've used the QR code and app. Usually on river cruises there's only one tour a day with maybe a couple of days having 2.

Sealord

First time river cruisers be advised. The ship sometimes moves to a new location while you are on tour. If you go into town on your own expecting to return to the ship, you might find it gone. You do need to pay attention to the itinerary.

AlanS

I wonder if it will be different on the new "Roam" tours. You gotta know the schedule to be able to take full advantage of the "abundant time to explore or unwind independently" and "the flexibility to personalize the experience."

BrianMcNamara

I'll be honest in that I was a bit surprised we didn't have a more formal itinerary until the first day of the trip. It wasn't a concern, per se, but it was something I was eager to have. Part of our itinerary changed so I understand not wanting to give this too early but it was something I was curious to see earlier.

British

I’m touring at the moment. It’s not with Tauck, a small ship. The itinerary was partially reversed about three days before the tour began. It could be the predicted weather, I’m not sure. We are going everywhere we are supposed to. One day, rough seas were forecast so instead of requiring a half hour tender to the shore, a five minute one was organized then a bus to our final destination which everyone appreciated.
I do think we have to be flexible and as long as promised site seeing occurs, I don’t mind.
As previously mentioned, unforeseen things happen, one off events etc. Again, that’s why I’m not in favor of so much ‘free time’ during the tours. I would rather have a full schedule on a tour and chose not to join the odd tour rather than have to plan extra things and then find Tauck is taking us anyway or the schedule is changed when I’ve independently purchased tickets for something.

MS78

Katherine, on every journey I’ve taken, the daily timed schedule has been provided by the Tour director at the start of the journey. Prior to, you receive that daily itinerary, which can be 0ver 20 pages long because it includes the hotel info. A suggestion: check and see if Alan S has taken your trip. He always writes a very detailed blog, which might provide you with the info you are seeking prior to the journey. I will say, I’ve never had a lot of downtime on any of my trips unless there was some unforeseen event causing the issue.

Kathrine_Wnek

Thank you all for details. I travelled a lot, but very independently, so more details the better! I also build lots of flexibility into my plans, because stuff happens - good and bad. I just expected much more detail ahead of time! Love the QR option - no need for paper! I will find Alan S.

Grandmas

Hmmmmm…hourly is an interesting term
You will get a more exact itinerary at the welcome dinner but this will usually only cover the following day and the next. Then you will get 2 more day after that etc.
At least for the 2 Tauck tours we have done this year is how it was handled ( as well as a few in the past)
And I might mention that our Japan tour ( April) Alaska (July) and our upcoming Christmas Market tour had/have the tour directors tips included
One less thing to stress over

kfnknfzk

Although I understand some have a desire to know every detail of a tour, I would find that oppressive and too regimented. I much prefer to be spontaneous and to look forward to the many surprises along the way.

British

That’s fine for people who do not wish to see more of the destination. Many more want to delve deeper.

kfnknfzk

To the contrary, I do not want to “see” the country; I want to experience it. The planned itinerary is merely an introduction for me to decide what I want to do on my own time so I can delve deeper.

Please remember that we all have our own traveling styles. The only right one is what works best for the individual.

BKMD

Since travel restarted after Covid, Tauck has included fewer activities (and meals). Personally, I like to fill the free time with "stuff." Sometimes, this requires a reservation or timed ticket. That's why it's important to know hourly details. I understand this isn't always possible. For example, being at the whim of the Vatican for timing of their tours. That is the exception, not the rule.

If Tauck is going to continue their less-included model, perhaps they should offer free full days, so we can more easily take advantage of free time, rather than a few hours here and there in between things, which is far less predictable.

British

Good idea BKMD, Please suggest it to them. Tauck is certainly not the same company it was prior to the pandemic. More expensive, less inclusive of meals and sites.

GinaW

I very much appreciate all of the thinking and information!

Mark_H

My wife and I were thinking of skipping a Tauck-provided dinner - restaurant wasn't named - in order to buy tickets to something else we wanted to see. Prior to buying those tickets, I called Tauck (this was a few weeks before the trip), and we found out it was going to be a dinner cruise on the Seine river. So, we decided to buy tickets to the "something else" for another day.

At some point prior to a trip, Tauck will have very specific info on each day's itinerary, including projected start and end times for each day's activities - walking tours, site visits, meals, etc... - and they are happy to share that info over the phone. It was really helpful to know on a couple of recent trips.