Other Options...

[carpenta]

Thank your for the responses! I thought I read the age range for the "kids" can be older. We have done 2 ABDs previously and there were guests with us that didn't have kids with them or were traveling with adult children. So I didn't think too much of requesting a quote for three "adults" for TB. I think the agents were just being thorough.

I got a quote from the agency you used kaseyC. Thank you for the feedback. I think that is who we might go with.

As much as I enjoyed our ABD trips, the TB Italy looks like a better fit for us. And right now they have a special on airfare to Europe for $890. We can't come anywhere close to that rate out of our airport.

Thanks again for the help! You guys are the best!!

......on our T.B. Italy trip there was an older couple with no kids on our trip. After the first day or so the kids bond and parents interact as if the kids are not there. Have a wonderful trip.

 

[kaseyC]

For anyone that is interested, I'm getting ready to head off to South East Asia with National Geographic Adventures in a week's time (we leave next Wednesday, February 1). Our trip officially starts on February 4th but we are arriving a day and half early so have booked a private full day excursion to Cai Be as well as a half-day cooking class. I plan on writing about it all in my blog when I return. I can't do it while we're on the trip as we will have very limited access to the internet. I will let you know when we're back and how the trip went, as this is our first non-ABD trip but I already really like dealing with Nat Geo and I will let you know when the blog starts going up again.

We are contemplating where our 2018 plans will take us. We are not sure if we will stay with Nat Geo as there are a number of great trips we want to do with them but there is also an amazing train trip through Europe that we are seriously considering with G Adventures (they run a number of the Nat Geo Journeys trips).

Have a great trip. I look forward to reading your trip report on your blog.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Have a great trip. We're doing Nat Geo Patagonia in the Fall and our trip was guaranteed last week. Super excited--it's our second trip with Nat Geo--and can't wait to hear your thoughts.

 

[Lulu27]

For anyone that is interested, I'm getting ready to head off to South East Asia with National Geographic Adventures in a week's time (we leave next Wednesday, February 1). Our trip officially starts on February 4th but we are arriving a day and half early so have booked a private full day excursion to Cai Be as well as a half-day cooking class. I plan on writing about it all in my blog when I return. I can't do it while we're on the trip as we will have very limited access to the internet. I will let you know when we're back and how the trip went, as this is our first non-ABD trip but I already really like dealing with Nat Geo and I will let you know when the blog starts going up again.

We are contemplating where our 2018 plans will take us. We are not sure if we will stay with Nat Geo as there are a number of great trips we want to do with them but there is also an amazing train trip through Europe that we are seriously considering with G Adventures (they run a number of the Nat Geo Journeys trips).

Have a great trip! Can't wait to hear about it!

 

[Bobo912]

Have a great trip. We're doing Nat Geo Patagonia in the Fall and our trip was guaranteed last week. Super excited--it's our second trip with Nat Geo--and can't wait to hear your thoughts.

I would love to hear your impression of this trip when you get back. Patagonia is on my short list for 2018.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I would love to hear your impression of this trip when you get back. Patagonia is on my short list for 2018.

We'll definitely report back. Going with a friend who also posts here so you'll probably get two opinions

 

[Calfan]

I would love to hear your impression of this trip when you get back. Patagonia is on my short list for 2018.

We'll definitely report back. Going with a friend who also posts here so you'll probably get two opinions

That would be me, and we'll definitely report back. This will be my third NatGeo trip. The first two have been fantastic.

 

[Woodview]

Has anyone seen the Christmas Market river trip by AMA Waterways ?

view enews@amawterways.com

 

[Calfan]

Has anyone seen the Christmas Market river trip by AMA Waterways ?

view enews@amawterways.com

I've looked at it and also Uniworld. From inquiries I made of both companies, Uniworld seems to offer the more family friendly holiday markets river cruises. We are planning to do either ABD or Uniworld in December 2018.

 

[Aulika]

For anyone following along, I've posted the next instalment.

Can you send me the link to your blog ?
Thank you !

 

[tink1970]

@Woodview- the abd we did over Christmas was on AMA. It was just DH and me and everything was wonderful. He wants to return to them in the future for a vacation I can't say enough good things about the ship, crew, etc.

 

[EllinK]

Just got an email that Thompson Family Adventures has added a trip to Japan.

 

[Calfan]

Just got an email that Thompson Family Adventures has added a trip to Japan.

I saw that too and should have thought to post. They were offering first dibs to their past travelers. We won't be able to do it this first year since we already have our plans set, but I've asked my contact at Thomson for the full itinerary so we can evaluate it. We are planning on Japan in 2020 for my daughter's 18th birthday trip.

 

[hilarys]

I saw that too and should have thought to post. They were offering first dibs to their past travelers. We won't be able to do it this first year since we already have our plans set, but I've asked my contact at Thomson for the full itinerary so we can evaluate it. We are planning on Japan in 2020 for my daughter's 18th birthday trip.

We have talked about Japan in 2020 to co-incide with the Olympics. Will need to look at this trip.

 

[Calfan]

We have talked about Japan in 2020 to co-incide with the Olympics. Will need to look at this trip.

It would be awesome to end up on the same Japan trip in 2020 When I get the itinerary (I'm going to ping my contact again), I'll send it to you.

 

[disneyphx]

We are thinking Japan for 2020 for the Olympics too - Opening Ceremony is a bucket list for me!
The Thomson Azores looks cool too

 

[Calfan]

We are thinking Japan for 2020 for the Olympics too - Opening Ceremony is a bucket list for me!
The Thomson Azores looks cool too

We could have an ABD Central Europe reunion in Japan in 2020! That would be so much fun.

Just got the full Japan itinerary from Thomson. I'll send it to you and hilarys. My contact also just sent me the following:

"…now, I know 2020 is a looong way away. But, if you and your friends/family are definitely interested, we’d be happy to guarantee 2017 prices for your 2020 trip if you book by the end of March 2017. I’m sure you can’t even begin to plan that far out..but if you can, this is a great opportunity. We all know the prices are bound to go up year after year."

 

[RSM]

Just got an email that Thompson Family Adventures has added a trip to Japan.

We just booked for 2018 (no dates yet, but locked in the price). We were debating between this and Nat Geo's Tokyo to Sacred Kumano trip. The itineraries are somewhat similar. Both are pretty light on Tokyo, so we are going to add on at the start and do a couple of days in Tokyo and a couple of days in the Mt. Fuji area so that we can climb Mt. Fuji for sunrise (it's a bucket list thing).

 

[Calfan]

We just booked for 2018 (no dates yet, but locked in the price). We were debating between this and Nat Geo's Tokyo to Sacred Kumano trip. The itineraries are somewhat similar. Both are pretty light on Tokyo, so we are going to add on at the start and do a couple of days in Tokyo and a couple of days in the Mt. Fuji area so that we can climb Mt. Fuji for sunrise (it's a bucket list thing).

I just finished looking at the full itinerary. The trip is shorter than some I have seen, but it looks really good. I love that it includes activities like hiking, bike riding and a jet boat ride. We'd almost certainly add on time in Tokyo for more exploring and also to hit Tokyo Disney, and if we could get tickets to the Olympics Opening Ceremony as others have mentioned, that would be fantastic. I also really like your idea about Mt. Fuji. I'm actually really tempted to plunk down a deposit for 2020 to lock in the 2017 pricing!

 

[Calfan]

I just finished looking at the full itinerary. The trip is shorter than some I have seen, but it looks really good. I love that it includes activities like hiking, bike riding and a jet boat ride. We'd almost certainly add on time in Tokyo for more exploring and also to hit Tokyo Disney, and if we could get tickets to the Olympics Opening Ceremony as others have mentioned, that would be fantastic. I also really like your idea about Mt. Fuji. I'm actually really tempted to plunk down a deposit for 2020 to lock in the 2017 pricing!

Kind of funny that I'm now quoting myself here, but just wanted to take back the part of the post above about the Thomson trip being on the shorter side. It's actually the same length as the NatGeo and A&K family itineraries I've been looking at.