Sue and Tom-
We are wishing that we had extended the Sicily visit, but we leave at zero dark thirty the morning after the "farewell". Have you picked up any info from Tauck or previous travelers? Temps appear to be (much) cooler than we envisioned and the Tauck booklet (a new thing for us as we have not had that on previous Tauck tours) calls for three "dress up" dinners? Would like to hear from previous travelers.
Separately, do you follow "Il Volo"?
Bob and Mary
We, as I presume others, arrive a day early in Palermo. We have not heard from the Tour Director. Is there an "official" ( or at least tested) source of restaurants and activities for newbies in Palermo so that we don't waste the day?
Thanks!
-Bob and Mary Strickler
I've posted a couple of times, but no luck in hearing from fellow travelers - we are on the April 25 tour, and are going to Palermo a day early, and staying in Taormina 2 days post trip; then flying over to Malta for 4 nights.
Would love to hear from anyone on our trip, or anyone with any information on Sicily with Tauck. It seems there are 4 "nicer" evenings for dress, and I don't plan to bring a cocktail dress and heels for one night so will go with my usual uniform of nice silk pants and jacket, etc.
This is our 6th Tauck tour and we are very excited!
The issue that I hope Tauck addresses in the future is providing real information for travelers who arrive early; I.e., names of fellow travelers, suggestions for sites, sights, and restaurants for newbies, like us, without a clue.who are there well before the welcoming reception.
(On a Tauck tour that began in Lisbon we were provided the Tour Director's recommendations of what to in Lisbon as we LEFT!)
The arrival information that arrived as you left would be down to the hotel and probably the porter's desk. That would probably be bell desk for you!! I have seen many TDs roll their eyes in frustration over similar glitches. I know many TDs do leave instructions with the hotels for early arrivers. I am often one of them as I always arrive at my first overseas port of call with at least 5 days grace, maybe even more depending on the city. Naturally, the TD is not there to welcome me. They are often still finishing up another/previous tour or departure and often they don't arrive themselves till the official departure date. They rely on hotel staff to "do the honours" and some hotels are better at it than others. Sometimes I am handed the information when I check in, sometimes the day the tour starts. Because TDs manage their own tours "on the ground" they all have their own style and pre-tour information will thus always vary. But the other side of this is that Tauck always choose great hotels and great hotels always have good concierge desks. When you arrive, why not use their brains? Or if you are really keen, email the concierge ahead of your arrival. Hotels know they need to give Tauck guests excellent service … everyone's pockets depend on it!
Great advice from Jan. It's so easy these days to use the internet for ideas for sight seeing in a particular location. I often go to the Fodor's website for example, which is also another resource where it gives the pros and cons of the best time to visit a location. They show everything from historic homes and mansions to the best place for nightlife. Also, if you go to the first hotel's website there are often sight seeing suggestions there. While Tuack is very good, you can't expect them to cater to everyone's individual ideas of what constitute good things to see and do before a Tauck tour begins. These past couple of tours we have done a mixture of sight seeing and spa relaxation before a tour begins since we are not of retirement age, some relaxation is a little more important to us too.
The arrival information that arrived as you left would be down to the hotel and probably the porter's desk. That would probably be bell desk for you!! I have seen many TDs roll their eyes in frustration over similar glitches. I know many TDs do leave instructions with the hotels for early arrivers. I am often one of them as I always arrive at my first overseas port of call with at least 5 days grace, maybe even more depending on the city. Naturally, the TD is not there to welcome me. They are often still finishing up another/previous tour or departure and often they don't arrive themselves till the official departure date. They rely on hotel staff to "do the honours" and some hotels are better at it than others. Sometimes I am handed the information when I check in, sometimes the day the tour starts. Because TDs manage their own tours "on the ground" they all have their own style and pre-tour information will thus always vary. But the other side of this is that Tauck always choose great hotels and great hotels always have good concierge desks. When you arrive, why not use their brains? Or if you are really keen, email the concierge ahead of your arrival. Hotels know they need to give Tauck guests excellent service … everyone's pockets depend on it!
Cheers,
Jan
Thanks for the suggestions!
I think the thing to do is look at the Tauck published itinerary for Palermo and compare it with Fodor, Frommer, Rick Steves, et al suggestions and see if what is missing from Tauck that is a "must see/do" in the eyes of others.
(It never dawned on us that Sicily would be cool (chilly?) and so we are scrambling now to find appropriate garb to pack. We are coming in from Naples (FL) and we left relevant gear "up North".)
This iis our fourth Tauck tour and the first one in which comprehensive "what to do?" and other pertinent material were provided by the Tauck tour director at check-in ( a day before the tour started).
Melisa (mLIZA) was "out front" and that was appreciated!
We returned to Naples (Florida) late Tuesday and, as is the case with all land tours, the Tour Director can make it (or break it). We were very fortunate to have Melisa Colabella lead the way. She breathed life into a trip which could have been simply a series of bus rides if led by others who do not have ehr insight or exuberant interest in Sicily.
The Grand Wagner in Palermo does not come up to Tauck standards, particularly for a hotel in which most will have to spend four (4) nights, but the wifi works well! Top hotel was the Poggio del Sole near Ragusa, but it was a one night stand. The des Etrangers in Ortigia was well located and showed well from the lobby and surrounding area, but the bathrooms had foul odors and some complained of very murky water. More time in Taormina would have been appreciated as the accomodations (San Domenico Palace) were great but the tour encompassed only a walk down the main drag to the Greek Theatre. There is a lot to see in the adjacent areas, but we missed it. :-(
For those who can still make plans, spend at least one extra day in Taorimina and make arrangements to see the nearby sites and sights. Try to get on the mLIZA tour!
Hi. My husband and I attended the Sicily Tour on May 8, 2014. We stayed a day early in Palermo in Grand Hotel Wagner. Not a fan of the hotel; the rooms on the 3rd floor faced the main street and was quite loud with cars and Vespa's most of the night. Apparently we were directly under the 4th floor dining room and the noise from the metal legged chairs scraping along the tile floor was annoying. Try to get a room on the 2nd floor, if possible.
We were a little dissapointed in Palermo. Not quite what we expected; loud and dirty and everyone smokes! Four nights was just too long. If you can, take your extended night in Taormina at the end of the tour. You will be happy you did!
All in all, however, we met some lovely people and had a relatively good time. We expect a top notch experience from Tauck, as this was our 9th trip with them. However, we found that not every hotel was up to their high standards, and the ones that were, were one nighters.
Our tour guide, Birget Ensslin, was informative and helpful. She had some "accidents" occur on our tour but handled them professionally. We even had a strike at the last hotel in Taormina but she was able to work around it and made the guests staying extra night there, feel confident that things would be OK. They were, and the strike was over in just a day.
We are on this trip May 15th 2015,lets start a new, link rather then a year old. More responses. We have been on 10 tauks our friends also on tour have been on four.
Comments
Sue and Tom O'Brien
We are wishing that we had extended the Sicily visit, but we leave at zero dark thirty the morning after the "farewell". Have you picked up any info from Tauck or previous travelers? Temps appear to be (much) cooler than we envisioned and the Tauck booklet (a new thing for us as we have not had that on previous Tauck tours) calls for three "dress up" dinners? Would like to hear from previous travelers.
Separately, do you follow "Il Volo"?
Bob and Mary
Thanks!
-Bob and Mary Strickler
I've posted a couple of times, but no luck in hearing from fellow travelers - we are on the April 25 tour, and are going to Palermo a day early, and staying in Taormina 2 days post trip; then flying over to Malta for 4 nights.
Would love to hear from anyone on our trip, or anyone with any information on Sicily with Tauck. It seems there are 4 "nicer" evenings for dress, and I don't plan to bring a cocktail dress and heels for one night so will go with my usual uniform of nice silk pants and jacket, etc.
This is our 6th Tauck tour and we are very excited!
(On a Tauck tour that began in Lisbon we were provided the Tour Director's recommendations of what to in Lisbon as we LEFT!)
The arrival information that arrived as you left would be down to the hotel and probably the porter's desk. That would probably be bell desk for you!! I have seen many TDs roll their eyes in frustration over similar glitches. I know many TDs do leave instructions with the hotels for early arrivers. I am often one of them as I always arrive at my first overseas port of call with at least 5 days grace, maybe even more depending on the city. Naturally, the TD is not there to welcome me. They are often still finishing up another/previous tour or departure and often they don't arrive themselves till the official departure date. They rely on hotel staff to "do the honours" and some hotels are better at it than others. Sometimes I am handed the information when I check in, sometimes the day the tour starts. Because TDs manage their own tours "on the ground" they all have their own style and pre-tour information will thus always vary. But the other side of this is that Tauck always choose great hotels and great hotels always have good concierge desks. When you arrive, why not use their brains? Or if you are really keen, email the concierge ahead of your arrival. Hotels know they need to give Tauck guests excellent service … everyone's pockets depend on it!
Cheers,
Jan
Thanks for the suggestions!
I think the thing to do is look at the Tauck published itinerary for Palermo and compare it with Fodor, Frommer, Rick Steves, et al suggestions and see if what is missing from Tauck that is a "must see/do" in the eyes of others.
(It never dawned on us that Sicily would be cool (chilly?) and so we are scrambling now to find appropriate garb to pack. We are coming in from Naples (FL) and we left relevant gear "up North".)
Melisa (mLIZA) was "out front" and that was appreciated!
The Grand Wagner in Palermo does not come up to Tauck standards, particularly for a hotel in which most will have to spend four (4) nights, but the wifi works well! Top hotel was the Poggio del Sole near Ragusa, but it was a one night stand. The des Etrangers in Ortigia was well located and showed well from the lobby and surrounding area, but the bathrooms had foul odors and some complained of very murky water. More time in Taormina would have been appreciated as the accomodations (San Domenico Palace) were great but the tour encompassed only a walk down the main drag to the Greek Theatre. There is a lot to see in the adjacent areas, but we missed it. :-(
For those who can still make plans, spend at least one extra day in Taorimina and make arrangements to see the nearby sites and sights. Try to get on the mLIZA tour!
We were a little dissapointed in Palermo. Not quite what we expected; loud and dirty and everyone smokes! Four nights was just too long. If you can, take your extended night in Taormina at the end of the tour. You will be happy you did!
All in all, however, we met some lovely people and had a relatively good time. We expect a top notch experience from Tauck, as this was our 9th trip with them. However, we found that not every hotel was up to their high standards, and the ones that were, were one nighters.
Our tour guide, Birget Ensslin, was informative and helpful. She had some "accidents" occur on our tour but handled them professionally. We even had a strike at the last hotel in Taormina but she was able to work around it and made the guests staying extra night there, feel confident that things would be OK. They were, and the strike was over in just a day.
I am sure anyone taking this tour will enjoy it.