Transfers
My wife and I are arriving in Lisbon a few days prior to the start of our tour. If anyone else has done this, how are the transfers from the airport to the hotel work? Does someone from Tauck contact you with a confirmation and details? Thanks.
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You just have to tell Tauck when you are arriving and on what flight at least three weeks in advance. A couple of days before, they will text you the details.
You don't state but I'm assuming you mean the Douro Cruise that includes Lisbon and Madrid. If not the answer is slightly different.
It depends on where you are staying those few days. If you booked your hotel stay with Tauck at their tour designated hotel (the Intercontinental) then Tauck will arrange pickup at the airport to the hotel. The hotel rate will also include breakfast as is standard for hotels Tauck uses.
If it's a different hotel than the Intercontinental, likely Tauck will arrange pickup/transfer to that hotel but getting to the Intercontinental you'll be on your own to arrange. Basically have the other hotel call you a cab you'll pay for.
If it's to a private address like an AirBnB you're on your own for airport transfer to where you're staying and to the Intercontinental for the tour start.
FYI, the transfer services Tauck uses just operate between transportation hubs (airports and train stations) and hotels.
Don't stress about cabs. We took that tour last summer and found the cabs in Lisbon to be very inexpensive. Under ten Euros will get you almost anywhere.
As British indicates, you need to enter your flight information on your profile page for the trip. Tauck will confirm your arrival time when they send you your final documents. They will give you the name of the transfer company as well as a phone number for the company. They will also give you an emergency number for Tauck should you need to contact them. Be sure to carry this information on your person.
After collecting your luggage look for your driver who will be holding a “Tauck” sign. Tauck pays for the transfer but we sometimes offer a nominal gratuity at our discretion.
It is a fabulous trip. Enjoy and please consider posting a critique afterwards.
Like Claudia said, if you are staying at the Tauck hotel then Tauck will arrange your extra days reservation for you and you will need to give them arrival and departure information.
If you are staying at a different hotel the follow the information that Claudia gave.
Ok so what I'm understanding is, if we're staying at a different hotel from the Tauck hotel the night before our river cruise, we get no transfer at all? We need to arrange our own transport from the airport to our hotel, and then from our hotel to the Tauck hotel the Day of the cruise? I'm taking about Munich here, so the transportation is not going to be inexpensive.
Your understanding is correct. If not staying at the Tauck hotel you are on your own. If you have a post stay river cruise they are now arranging transportation to non Tauck locations. You could take the train to central Munich from the airport
You might get a transfer to your first hotel, but definitely you will have to make your own way to the Tauck hotel for the start of the tour. The only way to be sure is to call Tauck and ask them. When you get transport from the airport to the Tauck hotel, you must provide Tauck with your flight arrival information at least three weeks before the start of the tour. So if I were you, I’d sort this question out as soon as you can.
I looked and this is what other tour page clearly says
Guests who enjoy a pre-cruise stay in Munich will receive a transfer from Tauck's hotel to the riverboat.
We've hired a car from the airport to our hotel. It would be nice, since Tauck is not paying for an airport transfer, if they would at least spring for the taxi from our hotel to theirs. They did say that from Budapest we will have transfers from our hotel to the airport or train station, so that's good. I'll contact them, thanks.
Tauck offers the service to their hotel, you can’t expect them to pamper to someone who chooses not to use this. You might be interested to know that once you have traveled with Tauck one time, after that you are entitled to a free pre- stay or post stay in the Tauck hotel as long as you book usually by July 31st the year before. In that case you won’t have to find a cheaper hotel.
Their hotels are very expensive. I get this is an upscale company and that's great for the actual cruise, but when you've spent a year's income on the cruise, a taxi ride in lieu of a more expensive airport transfer should not be a big deal for them.
Anyway - just wanted to be sure I understood before contacting their representative, thanks again.
Plead your case and see what happens. Tauck will have paid upfront for your limo ride so it’s a stretch to think they would pay for a taxi in addition to that. How many are in your family? If there are nine of you, one place is free, I think that’s pretty good.
To be clear, we're paying for our ride, not Tauck. I understand we don't get a transfer from the airport to anywhere but their hotel, and, since we're not staying at their hotel, we don't get an airport transfer. There are 7 of us who will need to get from the Marriott to the Tauck hotel (Bayerstrasse?). It will all work out, one way or another.
If the logistics work for you, go from your hotel to the Tauck hotel, and then they will take you to the boat. You get free porterage on A “Tauck: trip, not a pre-trip of your choosing. Your choice of hotel could be a long way from the boat. The Tauck hotels are nice, and expensive but relatively close. Plua the logistics of the move from the Tauck hotel is often a van or a bus, not a taxi or limo … although the latter often happens.
Sealord: that’s good advise. That is exactly what we did in Florence this year. We stayed at the Marriott for 5 days using points for that hotel stay, and walked 10 minutes with our luggage to the assigned Tauck hotel ahead of the pickup time and waited in the lobby for the Tauck pickup van to transport us to the Tauck hotel for the first day of the Tauck trip which was a very long drive outside of Florence. Toy have to alfovtell Tauck of your intention to it this way because your names have to be on the pickup list.
Yiyak, have you spoken to Tauck about transfers? In my experience of staying in non-Tauck hotels, they have been willing to arrange one transfer. The easiest would be a transfer from the airport to your hotel. Then you can get a cab from there to the Tauck hotel.
Agree with Claudia Sails! We took Tauck's Grand Canadian Tour a few years ago and stayed at the Hilton Hotel 2 blocks from the Fairmont (Tauck's hotel) in downtown Vancouver. Tauck transferred us from the Vancouver Airport to the downtown Hilton for our one-night pre-stay. We walked two blocks with our backpacks / rollerboards to the Fairmont Hotel to begin our Grand Canadian Tour the next evening. It worked out great!
Thanks, Claudia - I spoke with them this morning and they're working on it. It's turned into a convoluted thing, because they say we can't meet the bus at their hotel because "the hotel's public spaces can't accommodate a large group of people." They're considering other options for us.
Update: We were contacted yesterday by Tauck's journey preparation team representative, and will have transfers from our hotel in Munich to the boat for our Holiday Magic cruise on the Danube. Will also have transfers from our hotel in Budapest to the airport at the end of the cruise. Now that that's all sorted, we can relax in happy anticipation of our first trip with Tauck!
Thanks to everone for your helpful input and suggestions!
How lucky you have been and on your first tour too. Many who have posted here have not had success like that
Please consider posting a review here when you return! I don’t think I could ever persuade my husband to do a river cruise at Christmas, any holiday shopping would be a nightmare for him and we are starting to get rid of holiday decorations for a downsize.
I’d be interested too on any substitutes Tauck has once the markets are closed after Christmas as that might appeal more to me.
British, I will! The Christmas markets will be done by the time this cruise starts - a real selling point for the non-shopping men in the family 🤣. Plus, it looks like we'll be plenty busy with non-shopping activities all week!
For our Danube cruise departing December 28, we're supposed to be receiving transfers from our non-Tauck hotel to the boat - that's confirmed by email from Tauck in October. But we haven't received any further information about the specifics...is this normal? Do we get some sort of voucher or the name of the transfer company or any further information or just hope someone shows up at the hotel on the appointed day to transport? I'm a little nervous, as it's getting close.
Transfer information should have been in your final documents. If not, give Tauck a call. Be sure to keep the transfer company’s phone number handy should you need to contact them.
Have a wonderful trip. I look forward to reading your review afterwards.
Typically, 3 days prior to the pickup date, your arrangements are confirmed by email and text, and you are provided with the name of and contact information for the transportation provider.
Thanks - the only information in our travel documents was that transfers would be provided.
Thanks Lotusgirl - I'll be on the lookout for that info!
As an aside in all this, I do try to research myself and did speak with Tauck this morning. My experience in the phone with them has not been good. This morning for instance, instead of just providing me the information Lotusgirl did, the agent went down a bunch of rabbit holes before finally "making a note" that I would like to know who my tour director is (?!), then we got cut off. On the phone, my experience has been that Tauck's right hand never seems to know what the left is doing, and I'm actually hesitant to contact them because they have managed to nearly always mess something - not even something related to the question - up in our record. It would be nice if they could simply answer a question.
I’m not sure whether your comments about the Tour director was a question you asked. If it’s a river cruise, there will be three of four tour directors on your trip
I can’t recall any problems when calling Tauck and I’ve taken many tours.
I didn't ask about the tour director - I asked about details of our transfer. The agent ended up with that idea all by himself 🤪.
Yiyak - I normally receive a second confirmation shortly before the tour start date (as Lotusgirl mentioned) regarding transfers, but since you never received the initial information I would encourage you to contact Tauck again. It’s possible the corporate office has limited staff due to the holiday season.
I would be uncomfortable not having the information. I would also try to get the general area of where the ship will be in case you need to hail a cab to get you to the ship.
Good luck. I’m sure all will work out okay.
When you call, just ask for the Journey Preparation department. I feel they will assist you better than a reservationist booking a trip. Be persistent because the reservationist may ask you why you want to be connected to that department. Obviously, your specific questions were not answered. Yes, that has happened to me, and I consider myself a seasoned traveler. I always get a name with whom I am speaking with. Once, the Journey Preparation Department called me back and clarified an error that yet another member on the Journey Preparation Team made for one of our back-to-back trips.
Miguel, who I talked to this morning basically chuckled, reminded me that Tauck has been doing this for a long time and would take care of everything, and basically said not to worry. I'll try to get in touch with the journey preparation department on Monday, thanks.