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Back to Back to Tuscany, Cinque Terra, Portofino
I'm considering the Crown of Switzerland tour May 2027 followed by Tuscany, Cinque Terra, Portofino back to back. Seems there is a 1 hour flight from Zurich to Florence that would make the back to back relatively easy. Would appreciate any comments suggestions from those that have done either/both of these tours. Thanks!
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We did back to back Switzerland to the Normandy/Brittany tour. Easy to fly Zurich to Paris as you don't deal with customs at all. We got our gift of time for both tours. Also you only pay for one guest protection for both tours. Switzerland is beautiful and we also enjoyed some of the same Italian cities you're considering on the Classic Italy tour. If you have time you could travel by one of the scenic train routes in Switzerland to Florence.
Hi Jeff, I have not done these particular tours but please keep in mind your personal tolerance of nearly 3 weeks of a pace level 3 trip. This is basically the same as the Australia/NZ trip and it can be exhausting for some people.
I don't understand the pace level 3 for the Crown Jewel trip, unless it's due to the altitude of some stops. I took it last July coming from a Week in Scotland and didn't find it tiring or overwhelming to be on tour for 3 weeks.
Per Tauck, Pace is how full your days are, how often you change locations, and the rhythm of your journey with things like early starts, lots of activities, etc. The Activity Level is about how much walking, standing, and physical effort is involved daily. Note that Tauck has changed their definitions of both Pace and Activity levels for 2027 tours/cruises. https://www.tauck.com/guest-travel/pace-activity-level
Also good to keep in mind packing considerations, as there may be different climates involved.
Switzerland alone can give you a pretty wide range of temps/weather. We went in Sep and while you needed warm clothing for the Alps, when we got to the southern end and into Italy you could easily wear short sleeves and capri pants.
Claudia - I understand all that you mentioned and am well aware of Tauck's categories. I'm just saying it wasn't exhausting. Lots of down time and bus rides to recuperate, if you needed.
We’ve taken several three week long tours recently. I would say for us, they are tiring rather than exhausting. Nest year, we will do our first attempt of back to back tours with Tauck.
I think you have to be fit and organized to be able to get the most out of the tours, such as packing wisely. If you are not used to lots of walking, start upping your game on that. Choose a time of year when it is less likely to be hot, because for us, that is the number one reason to make a tour exhausting, followed by the very early starts to the day that seems to be the Tauck trade mark and then you get the afternoon free, when you can either relax or explore more on your own.
Some people might say that being with the same group of people for three weeks is the exhausting part. We are all different in what we think makes anything exhausting. Just know yourself how you might cope.