Tauck Tours 2011

Posted on Wednesday, March 02, 2011

When Tauck begins operating its first 2011 trips in Europe next month, the company will celebrate its 20th anniversary on the continent and mark the expansion of its diverse European portfolio with nearly a dozen new itineraries.  The new trips include a pair of river cruises on the Rhone, several additions to the company’s classic Tauck World Discovery land programs, new Tauck Bridges family itineraries in Italy and the Swiss/Austrian Alps, and two new trips in the company’s Culturious collection of active, immersive, small-group experiences for boomer-age travelers.

Tauck’s expansion to a total of 49 itineraries in Europe comes on the heels of robust growth there in 2010, and amid additional, double-digit gains in 2011 pre-season bookings.  As a result, Tauck is boosting departures to Europe by 15% to help meet demand in 2011.

Tauck CEO Dan Mahar cites the economic rebound as one reason for Tauck’s strong success in Europe, but of equal importance at least says Mahar, has been the company’s continued investment in its products.  "Even when the economy stalled, we continued to add new experiences to our existing itineraries, we continued developing new trips, and we expanded our riverboat fleet by christening the ms Swiss Jewel and committing to the ms Treasures, which we’ll launch in August," said Mahar.  "That sustained investment in the quality of our products has positioned us perfectly to take full advantage of the recovery now underway."

TWENTY YEARS ALONG EUROPE’S  YELLOW ROADS

According to Mahar, that investment translates into insider access to unique, authentic and "off-the-beaten-path" experiences that guests can’t get on their own – a hallmark of Tauck’s European tours since their introduction in 1991 under the banner, "The Yellow Roads of Europe."  Named for the scenic secondary roads highlighted in yellow on Michelin’s road maps of Europe, Tauck’s first European tours eschewed high-speed freeways in favor of those scenic secondary roads and the more authentic and traditional experiences to be found along them.

Twenty years later, says Mahar, that philosophy endures and Tauck continues to seek out and provide exclusive, authentic, and unique experiences. "Our guests enjoy private, after-hours tours of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, they have dinner inside the Tower of London after it’s closed to the public, and they have private dinners in the homes and palaces of nobility in Vienna, Prague and the Loire Valley," said Mahar.  "That sort of access simply isn’t available to the average independent traveler."

Mahar also pointed to the deep personal connections that guests make with the local people they’re introduced to on Tauck trips, from an art restoration specialist in Florence, to an Irish family living on a small dairy farm, to a boat builder in Venice whose family has handcrafted gondolas there for five generations.  Adding to the appeal of Tauck’s European trips, Mahar said, are the exceptional value the company delivers, the quality of Tauck’s professional tour directors, and the convenience of true, all-inclusive pricing.

"TAKE OFF WITH TAUCK"

Tauck is also marking its 20th anniversary in Europe by reducing the cost and the confusion of flying to the continent.  The company recently launched a Take-Off With Tauck program that offers travelers simple, transparent, two-tiered pricing on airfare to Europe ($1,090 per person for all roundtrip economy fares and $2,990 per person for business).  The fares are all-inclusive, with no added taxes, fuel surcharges or hidden fees, and they apply to new bookings for departures from select U.S. air gateways booked by March 31, 2011 for travel to Europe from April 1 - August 31, 2011. 

Tauck’s new itineraries in Europe for 2011 include:

Tauck World Discovery land journeys

• A Week In… Venice, Florence & Rome (8 days, from $3,590 pp, dbl, plus air)
• A Week In… Bavaria, Austria & Venice (8 days, from $3,590 pp, dbl, plus air)
• A Week In… Ireland (8 days, from $3,390 pp, dbl, plus air)
• The Best of Ireland (14 days, from $5,190 pp, dbl, plus air)
• The Art of Living: Barcelona to Paris (13 days, from $5,890 pp, dbl, plus air)

Tauck river cruises

• French Waterways and Vineyards (10 days, from $4,490 pp, dbl, plus air)
• French Escapade: Monte-Carlo to Paris (14 days, from $5,990 pp, dbl, plus air)

Tauck Culturious active, immersive journeys for boomer-age travelers

• Venice & the Veneto (8 days, from $3,990 pp, dbl, plus air)
• Paris & the Loire Valley (8 days, from $3,990 pp, dbl, plus air)

Tauck Bridges family itineraries

• The Sweet Life: Rome & Sorrento (7 days, from $3,214 pp, dbl, plus air)
• Alpine Adventure (8 days, from $3,941 pp, dbl, plus air)

Tauck Tours Egypt

Posted on Thursday, December 24, 2009

Egypt: Jewels Along the Nile 12 days from $4,900 per person double plus on-tour air Luxor ~ Edfu ~ Nile Cruise ~ Aswan ~ Abu Simbel ~ Cairo ~ Giza ~ Memphis

Watching the sun set over the Nile on a felucca cocktail cruise Riding on a camel at the Pyramids and in a horse-drawn carriage to the Luxor Temple complex Experiencing a spectacular sound and light show at the Pyramids and Sphinx Discovering Egyptian antiquities like the Valleys of the Kings and Queens with an expert Egyptologist Tauck Exclusive – exploring the inside of an ancient mastaba tomb during a visit to Sakkara, the location of the Step Pyramid of Djoser Picking up some cooking tips during a demonstration and galley tour on a 4-night Nile cruise aboard the Nile Adventurer Learning about present-day Egypt during a lecture by a professor of modern Egyptian history

Tauck Tours France

Posted on Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tauck Tours - Culturious New Provence vacation

Seeing luminous Provençal landscapes through the eyes of Cezanne, then picturing them with your own hand… picking up a few phrases en Francais with a language lesson in Aix… discovering the flavors of fougasse, goat cheese, ratatouille, and herbes de Provence… mastering the art of preparing Provençal cuisine with a local chef... pub crawling in St.-Rémy-de-Provence… walking in the footsteps of van Gogh… kayaking on the Sorgue River… discussing French politics with the locals in Joucas… wrapping yourself up in Provençal life dawn to dusk.

8 Days from $3,490 per person double plus airfare
Culturious guests see, hear, touch, taste, feel and experience the inspirational magic of Provence for themselves as they enjoy...

• Two nights in Aix-en-Provence, at the boutique hotel Le Pigonnet featuring a visit to Cézanne’s studio and a hike to his beloved Inspiration Point
• A two-night stay in the Luberon, a picnic in a Provençal meadow and a visit to an ancient abbey
• Kayaking on the Sorgue River near Arles, a pub crawl with a local guide and a market visit and cooking lesson with a chef during a three-night stay in St-Remy-de-Provence

Maximum group size is 16.

Tauck South Africa and Namibia

Posted on Friday, September 25, 2009

New Tauck Culturious vacation: South Africa and Namibia

Hiking to Africa's southern tip and looking back from the “edge of the world”... kayaking with flamingoes, African penguins, and seals close enough to touch... wandering among relics of Cape Town’s Dutch Colonial past... flying over Namibia’s Skeleton Coast... learning a little Afrikaans... gazing at 10,000-year-old rock art...  biking through the Winelands... exploring a South African township with a local guide with his own tales of apartheid to tell... encountering lions, springbok, zebra and rare rhinos on game drives in Land Rovers... climbing a 1,000-foot-high sand dune... sipping sundowners against the African sunsets... staying at Travel + Leisure's 2009 "World's Best Hotel" and at the "Top City Hotel in Africa."

This new adventure blends unforgettable cultural experiences and memorable encounters with African wildlife as only Culturious can with...

• A traditional braai, a South African-style barbeque, at a private home near Cape Town
• Kayaking along Seaforth Beach and the Boulders to see African Penguins
• 2 nights at five-star Bushmans Kloof, recently named the #1 Hotel in the World by Travel+Leisure, with a personal ranger guide on game drives in its exclusive nature reserve
• 2 nights in Stellenbosch and the Winelands
• Dune hiking and a wildlife safari at Namibia's Kulala Desert Lodge
• Sea kayaking with the seals in Walvis Bay, along with game drives in the Ongava Reserve and Etosha National Park during a two-night stay at Ongava Lodge

2010 pricing starts at US $5,690 per person double. 

Maximum group size is 16.

Tauck Galapagos Tour

Posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Cruising the Galapagos Islands

On Tauck's Galápagos Islands cruise, treasure troves of natural wonders appear daily! From Charles Darwin's to today's visitors, the Galápagos Islands continue to fascinate with unique wildlife viewing that is unlike any other place in the world. And since the birds and animals are unafraid of humans, you can get right up close to them.

Make your own discoveries on a Galápagos Islands cruise aboard Tauck's exclusive yacht for 40 guests. Go ashore with an expert naturalist to view giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies feeding their young, and Sally Lightfoot crabs scurrying over the lava. Walk amidst sea lions and penguins on this active adventure.

Tauck Value includes:

• All gratuities to Tauck Director and ship staff
• Exclusive Tauck Cruise - only 40 Tauck guests!
• Private Tauck Shore Excursions with naturalist guides
• In-depth sightseeing within the Galápagos Islands, led by naturalist guides, including a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, Puerto Ayora, and diverse islands
• Entrance fee to Galápagos National Park - $100 per person (ages 12 and older)
• Outside staterooms with individual air conditioning
• Airport transfers, service charges, applicable fuel surcharges and porterage
• Wine with dinner aboard Isabela II

June 15 - Nov 3, 2009
From $4,995 USD pp for 9 nights