Past Tauck travelers can receive our Gift of Time of two free hotel nights at Tauck’s hotel before or after all our 2012 European River Cruising, Small Ship Cruising and Exotics trips if you book their cruise and hotel by September 30, 2011 and deposit is paid at booking; other restrictions apply – call for details.

Take a look at just some of the cruises and Exotics journeys you can enjoy – along with two complimentary hotel nights in 2012. With the Gift of Time, everyone wins!

Tauck Cruising – Travel + Leisure’s 2011 “World’s Best River Cruise Line” and personalized Small Ship Cruising experiences

French Escapade: Monte-Carlo to Paris
14 days starting at $5,790 per person double plus airfare
Cruise-only, 10-day trips starting at $4,790 per person double plus airfare

Two nights ashore in Monte-Carlo and in Paris... vineyard visits and wine tastings along the Rhône and Saône rivers... a Provençal lunch with cowboys in la Camargue... a tasting lunch at Les Halles de Lyon... dinner at the renowned Fouquet’s brasserie on the Champs Élysées...

The Blue Danube
12 days starting at $4,290 per person double plus airfare
 Cruise-only, 8-day trips starting at $3,290 per person double plus airfare

A private tour and dinner at Lobkowitz Palace in Prague... a private Imperial evening at Vienna’s Palais Pallavicini... the Baroque libraries of Strahov Monastery from the inside rather than a just a peek from the door... city-center hotel stays in Budapest and Prague...

Treasures of the Aegean
14 days starting at $7,790 per person double plus airfare

Multi-night stays at hotels consistently rated among the “World’s Best” in Athens and Istanbul with extensive city sightseeing... Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes... Bodrum’s St. Peter’s Castle and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus... ancient Ephesus... local cultural entertainment aboard...

Exotics – Connecting people and places with the promise of an inspirational travel experience

China, the Yangtze River & Hong Kong
16 days eastbound with a 3-night cruise starting at $5,190 per person double plus on-tour air
17 days westbound with a 4-night cruise starting at $5,290 per person double plus on-tour air

Tauck’s China journeys include a culturally enriching Yangtze River cruise, special private talks and presentations by local experts in their fields for Tauck guests only... and cultural connections from Beijing to Shanghai to Hong Kong...

Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand
16 days starting at $5,390 per person double plus on-tour air

Guests explore the ancient Khmer Kingdom to present-day capital cities, with special experiences like an elephant trek... visits to hill tribe villages... cruises through Bangkok’s klongs and along Hué’s Perfume River...

Essence of South America
14 days starting at $5,540 per person double plus on-tour air

The best of Chile, Argentina and Brazil... breathtaking Iguazú Falls... the splendor of the Andes during a two-day crossing... the rhythms of Rio... beautiful Buenos Aires with unforgettable special experiences for Tauck guests only...

With 10 small ship cruises, 10 different European river cruise experiences and world-wide Exotics trips to choose from plus the Gift of Time, you’ll understand the benefit of traveling with Tauck in 2012 right away. Get your vacation booked before September 30, 2011!

Another day would be great but we're off to Pamplona and the San Sebastian.

Blog written while on the 14 day Tauck Tour Paradors of Northern Spain.

Tauck Riverboat Cruising 

What's included: Uncommon access ashore... spacious riverboats with just 118 guests aboard... one Tauck Cruise Director and three Tauck Directors... all shore excursions... most meals, including meals ashore, plus all-day soft drinks and wine with dinner onboard... special events and entertainment... and much, much more. Click on the links below and check out Tauck's European river cruises.

The Blue Danube
12 days including two-night hotel stays in Budapest and Prague
Bratislava ~ Vienna ~ Linz ~ Salzburg ~ Regensburg 

One memorable Tauck experience among many on this cruise:  private Imperial Evening with dinner and entertainment at Vienna’s Palais Pallavicini

Strasbourg to Prague Serenade
12 days including two-night hotel stays in Strasbourg and Prague
Obernai ~ Baden-Baden ~ Heidelberg
Würzburg ~ Nürnberg ~ Regensburg

One memorable moment among many on this cruise: private wine tasting, dinner and entertainment in the wine cellars of the Residenz in Würzburg

Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat
15 days with 14 nights spent aboard one of Tauck's premium riverboats
Köln ~ Rüdesheim ~ Rothenburg ~ Würzburg
Melk ~ Passau ~ Vienna ~ Bratislava

One memorable moment among many on this cruise: private luncheon cruise along the canals of Amsterdam

NEW! French Waterways and Vineyards
10 days including a two-night stay in Paris
Lyon ~ Vienne ~ Tain-l’Hermitage ~ Tournon
Avignon ~ Roussillon ~ Arles

One memorable moment among many on this cruise:  private Provençal dinner overlooking the Pont du Gard

Cultural Land Exploration

What’s included: Tauck’s seamlessly choreographed sightseeing... insights from experienced local guides and experts in their fields... hotels handpicked for their locations... meals, many a la carte, offering a true taste of the destination... special events in remarkable venues... exclusive cultural experiences... Tauck Directors who provide warm, caring, thoughtful service... and much more. Find out all about it by clicking the links below.

The Best of Ireland
14 days with multi-night stays in manor houses,
Ashford Castle and city-center hotels
Blarney ~ Derry ~ Belfast ~ Dublin
Kilkenny ~ Waterford ~ Killarney ~ Dingle 

One memorable moment among many on this trip: private evening of traditional storytelling, music and Irish specialties on the Dingle Peninsula

New! A Week In... Bavaria, Austria & Venice
8 days with stays at grand, historic hotels in Munich, Salzburg, Bolzano and Venice
Innsbruck ~ Passo Pordoi  & Ortisei in the Dolomites
Limone ~ Malcesine

One memorable moment among many on this trip: private evening, beginning with a trumpet fanfare, at Renaissance-era Castel Katzenzungen in Bolzano

A Week In... Capri, the Amalfi Coast & Rome
8 days with multi-night stays in Capri, Positano and Rome
Capri ~ Pompeii ~ Ravello ~ Sorrento ~ Rome 

One memorable moment among many on this trip: after-hours guided tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel without the crowds

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 Culturious South Africa tour

NEW! A Week In... Venice, Florence & Rome
8 days from $3,590 per person double plus air

Special Tauck Experiences include: an after-hours guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel • a special cellar tour and wine-pairing lunch / olive oil tasting at Osteria di Passignano in the Chianti Hills • a private lecture by an art historian in Florence • guided tours of the Uffizi Gallery and Old Rome

NEW! The Art of Living: Barcelona to Paris
13 days from $5,890 per person double plus air

Special Tauck Experiences include: a special dinner at a family-run vineyard in the Languedoc • a cruise along the Canal du Midi aboard a traditional flat-bottom boat • a lunch of hearty Basque cuisine in a local village • arriving in Bordeaux aboard a private boat on the River Garonne • a wine tasting at a winery in the St. Emilion region

NEW! Culturious Venice & the Veneto
8 days from $3,990 per person double plus air

Special Culturious Experiences include: "behind-the-scenes" walking tours with expert local guides • tea with a contessa in her private palazzo in Venice • wine tasting on the "Strado de Vino" • a cooking class with a chef • biking along the Brenta River Valley • Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel • a picnic on the grounds of Palladio’s stunning estate, Villa Barbaro • gondola insights from an expert builder

NEW! Culturious Paris & the Loire Valley
8 days from $3,990 per person double plus air

Special Culturious Experiences include: party like a local at a Paris neighborhood guinguette (an open-air dance hall) • a gourmet cooking lesson with a Paris chef • canoe along the Vienne River • a bike ride to Breze • a sunset cruise on a typical Loire boat • the art of gilding with a restoration artist • a cave walk and tasting in Vouvray

Once part of a large Equatorial land mass that broke off on its own about 180 million years ago – and today the most peaceful place on Earth, the magnificent great white continent of Antarctica astounds with glacial landscapes and Arctic wildlife that defy decryption.  Tauck’s cruise provides the rare opportunity to view them up close with onboard experts who have spent a lifetime studying these natural wonders in extraordinary detail.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    ail.  Due to changing weather and shifting glacial patterns of this remote region, your day-by-day itinerary will vary and may include Zodiac excursions to Antarctic Peninsula islands  During the summer months of January and February you can experience abundant wildlife on the beaches and cliffs of these islands.  Penguins abound…young or old, they have little or no fear of humans and will often spend as much time observing you as you will them.  Seals, whales and myriad species of seabirds are often seen on land and at sea.  On-board naturalists can help you identify them during your cruise.

The four-day Oberammergau extension begins in Munich with a welcome reception and dinner at the Spatenhaus, a traditional Bavarian restaurant, before proceeding to Oberammergau the following day. In Oberammergau, guests will view the Passion Play from Tauck’s specially reserved premier seating in Section 1A, before enjoying in-town accommodations at the Hotel Maximilian. Day three includes a visit to the opulent 19th-century Linderhof Palace and free time to explore Munich, before the extension concludes on the following day.

The five-day extension also begins in Munich and includes a walking tour of the city with a visit to 17th-century Schloss Nymphenburg, a former summer residence of Bavaria’s ruling family. Days two and three include time in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the Passion Play in Oberammergau (again, with reserved seating in Section 1A of the theater). A guided walking tour of Salzburg, Austria highlights the fourth day, with the extension concluding on day five.

ABOUT TAUCK RIVER CRUISING
Tauck will offer a total of nine European river cruises in 2010 aboard a fleet of three sister-ships, the MS Swiss Jewel, MS Swiss Sapphire and MS Swiss Emerald. The three ships have each been launched within the past three years, and all are virtually identical. Tauck’s ships each accommodate just 118 guests, vs 140 or more on other similarly sized vessels, providing a less crowded and more relaxed ambiance. The ships also feature a bistro-style Lido Bar, providing a more casual dining alternative to the main restaurant.

Tauck’s vessels boast over four-times the number of suites and junior suites typically found on riverboats. Suites feature 300 square-feet of living space with floor-to-ceiling windows, walk-in closets and marble baths with full size tubs. The additional 45 junior suites and cabins on Tauck riverboats range from 150 to 183 square-feet, and 85% of all accommodations feature floor-to-ceiling windows with French balconies. All suites and cabins are well appointed with plasma TVs, mini-bars, terry cloth robes and slippers, radios, safes, individual air conditioning and L’Occitane toiletries.

In addition to its European river cruises, Tauck also operates three land journeys that each feature a three-day river cruising component. An Egyptian journey and an itinerary to Egypt and Jordan each include a three-night Nile River cruise, and a 16-day exploration of China and Hong Kong features a three-night cruise on the Yangtze.

Call 866-475-7023 for more details.

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

The country offers spectacular landscapes, fascinating remains of ancient civilizations, a rich indigenous culture and vast colonial treasures. Local markets are filled with woven blankets, handcrafted jewelry and souvenirs unique to their culture and tradition.

A yellow fever vaccine is strongly advised. Altitude sickness is also a common complaints of travelers, so people with health conditions should seek the advise of their doctor before considering travel to Bolivia. As is the case with many foreign countries, drink only bottled water.