Australia/New Zealand advice wanted

[The Rodent]

Anyone out there have any experience with the following tour companies for Australia & New Zealand tours:
Tauck
Kensington
Trafalgar
Abercrombie & Kent
We enjoy being pampered!

[nwsteve]

We just got back from several weeks in Australia. With the exception of driving on the "wrong side" of the road, it is no more complicated to see what you want on your own than if you were traveling in the US and a whole lot cheaper with strong US $ (1A$=.72-3 US$). For special sites where a guide would add value, shop the viator and like tours.
Not only does everyone speak English, the locals are probably the easiest bunch of folks in the world to be around. Tipping is limited and many places not used. If it wasn't for the extraordinary amount of time/$ it takes to get there, we would go more often. If you can swing it, plan to go as long as you can as Australia alone is an enormous country with big stretches of nothing between many cities. Be sure to include at least a week in Tasmania.
With that said, folks we met on other Tauck tours rave about their Australia trip which includes charter flights to cut down logistics complications..

[Souschef]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rodent Anyone out there have any experience with the following tour companies for Australia & New Zealand tours: Tauck Kensington Trafalgar Abercrombie & Kent We enjoy being pampered!

Having taken East Coast and Western Canadian tours with Tauck, I would recommend them highly. They put you up in nice hotels, and dinners are usually choice of menu.
I have traveled with other tour groups, and do not enjoy group dinners, which are banquet style.
I have attached a copy of our trip story

[Nemo2]

Me, (although the last time I was there was 1966), I'd choose a starting city, nose around, grab a plane/train*, then go somewhere else....rinse & repeat.

It ain't Kazakhstan.


* https://www.railmaps.com.au/

[Souschef]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 Me, (although the last time I was there was 1966), I'd choose a starting city, nose around, grab a plane/train*, then go somewhere else....rinse & repeat. It ain't Kazakhstan. * https://www.railmaps.com.au/

One thing we have done, is to look at the itineraries of the tours, the hotels they stay in, etc.
Then plan a DIY trip at your own pace. We have done it in Switzerland and in New Mexico.

[Idnar7]

Souschef I really enjoyed your travelogue of New Zealand and Australia. Thanks for sharing. Glad you included pictures of yourself and wife. Nice to see what fellow members look like. Must have been a wonderful trip.

[Lewis Clark]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Souschef One thing we have done, is to look at the itineraries of the tours, the hotels they stay in, etc. Then plan a DIY trip at your own pace. We have done it in Switzerland and in New Mexico.

Thanks for sharing your trip report!

We have done both organized tours and DIY trips. They are very different experiences and we have enjoyed both types.

We returned just one month ago from 4 weeks in Australia and New Zealand. After researching tours and cruises, we decided we had to DIY because neither the tours nor cruises hit the right combination of cities and sights within our available time frame.

DIY trips to both Australia and New Zealand are relatively easy to DIY for US residents since they are English-speaking. We intended to rely on public transportation, but ended up renting cars twice for last-minute day trips.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Souschef Having taken East Coast and Western Canadian tours with Tauck, I would recommend them highly. They put you up in nice hotels, and dinners are usually choice of menu. I have traveled with other tour groups, and do not enjoy group dinners, which are banquet style. I have attached a copy of our trip story

I really enjoyed reading of your trip in 2010, and was wondering what month did you go, as I didn't see that in the write up.
Just wondering about the weather.

[Totoro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nwsteve Australia alone is an enormous country with big stretches of nothing between many cities.

Australia: Size of the USA, with 25 million people. New Zealand is about the size of Colorado, with about 5 million.

Luxury travel here is best characterized by private chartered planes to cut down on travel times.

[Souschef]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset I really enjoyed reading of your trip in 2010, and was wondering what month did you go, as I didn't see that in the write up. Just wondering about the weather.

We went in January, which is the equivalent of July there