2024 Itineraries/dates & new land trips are on the ABD Website

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

I would love to do the Colombia trip.
I guess I would like any of the new destinations, but it's great to see Latin America getting more love.

 

[laceltris3]

I just called regarding so many waitlists. They said it is just they haven't finalized all of the details for the other dates yet. They said the majority of them will open up to the public. Only a few are being held by travel agents etc. It just sounds like they are getting them organized in batches.

I suppose I am not surprised that ABD didn't have their stuff together when they put the dates up.

When we took TB to Ireland, we booked super early and there were only trips scheduled for every other week. We always travel the first trip of the summer and before I could book (we were doing a big family trip for my parent's anniversary with siblings/grandchildren), the first date filled up. Then they added the trip for the week after that, which was open and we booked that. It seems like that is a better way to balance out the demand and supply without having a bunch of trips cancelled.

 

[Donalyn]

I am surprised by no Spain trips for 2024.

The dropping of US based trips does not surprise me - while the New England itinerary was nice, it is a lot of time in a car and very hard to justify the expense for things that you can so easily replicate. (I mean, we took 5 people to New England for 11 nights this last summer for about the same price as 2 people could do the 7 ABD night trip.) I mean, we didn't do the same trip or the same hotels, but I still really struggle with the value of the US trips, when there isn't any language barrier to planning the trip or issues driving, etc.

All of the waitlist trips is interesting.

 

[sayhello]

I am surprised by no Spain trips for 2024.

The dropping of US based trips does not surprise me - while the New England itinerary was nice, it is a lot of time in a car and very hard to justify the expense for things that you can so easily replicate. (I mean, we took 5 people to New England for 11 nights this last summer for about the same price as 2 people could do the 7 ABD night trip.) I mean, we didn't do the same trip or the same hotels, but I still really struggle with the value of the US trips, when there isn't any language barrier to planning the trip or issues driving, etc.

All of the waitlist trips is interesting.

Just because you *can* arrange and do this trip and all the logistics and transportation yourself doesn't necessarily mean someone *wants* to do all that! It's really nice to have someone else do it for you so that you can relax and not worry about it all and just show up. I *like* being taken care of.

Sayhello

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

Every other Egypt date is "waitlisted"

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

Every other Egypt date is "waitlisted"

I'd written a long post about how the dates and prices changed for Egypt.

Someone posted on FB yesterday that the Egypt thumbnail dates and the full website dates didn't align. We both just came to the conclusion that ABD accidentally copied all the new Morocco dates and prices for Egypt

 

[AquaDame]

At that price, I will be doing Tauck.

I checked out Tauck just now for their SE itineraries and they are the same ballpark though it IS more days. Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand (instead of Laos) is $8690 for 16 days.

 

[kenthanson]

Nova Scotia is actually the first "adventure" trip I ever took, with Backroads back in 1996. I loved it! But it was only 5 days and a camping trip, and did not include PEI or New Brunswick. I really am loving the idea of going back 27 years later!

Sayhello

Prince Edward Island is my favourite of the maritime provinces. Absolutely beautiful. They have strict rules on size and frequency of business signs and billboards so you just get to see the landscape while driving and not ads constantly.

 

[sayhello]

I signed up for the Nova Scotia ABD (my TA *did* get me the Adults Only departure with the EBD) but this is the first time I've booked with the thought that I might cancel before the 14 days is up. Because of all the traveling I've been doing lately (family wedding following New Zealand) and my COVID brain, I didn't really get a chance to finish all the research I was doing on other providers like Tauck and Classic Journeys. I told my TA this, and she was OK with it because whichever trip I choose, I'll just book it through her. Even for ABD, it's pricey for what it is (but it's a unique itinerary). We shall see!

Sayhello

 

[MrsW]

I signed up for the Nova Scotia ABD (my TA *did* get me the Adults Only departure with the EBD) but this is the first time I've booked with the thought that I might cancel before the 14 days is up. Because of all the traveling I've been doing lately (family wedding following New Zealand) and my COVID brain, I didn't really get a chance to finish all the research I was doing on other providers like Tauck and Classic Journeys. I told my TA this, and she was OK with it because whichever trip I choose, I'll just book it through her. Even for ABD, it's pricey for what it is (but it's a unique itinerary). We shall see!

Sayhello

I hope you'll share your research findings. We just signed up for this trip and while we're still in our very short refundable window, I'd love to hear what you decide to do. Thanks!

 

[sayhello]

I hope you'll share your research findings. We just signed up for this trip and while we're still in our very short refundable window, I'd love to hear what you decide to do. Thanks!

I will let you know! Which departure did you sign up for?

Sayhello

 

[WxKristin]

I'm really interested in the Morocco trip as that is probably something I'm way to intimidated to try to plan. Same for areas like Columbia or India (if ABD goes there someday). But I just don't know if I can get past the sticker shock. $25-30K for a family of four + flights. DH already said if we were to do it, it would be have to be with a group like ABD as he wouldn't be comfortable traveling to such areas on our own. So, its spend that level of money or don't go.

 

[MrsW]

I will let you know! Which departure did you sign up for?

Sayhello

Thanks - I'll look forward to seeing what you think. We took a quick look at Tauck but based on this year's trips, we do prefer the ABD itinerary. We'll be on the August 25th - Adults Only trip.

 

[sayhello]

Thanks - I'll look forward to seeing what you think. We took a quick look at Tauck but based on this year's trips, we do prefer the ABD itinerary. We'll be on the August 25th - Adults Only trip.

I've signed up for the same one! I look forward to meeting you if I keep the reservation!

So far, there is a Classic Journeys trip, but it's way too similar to the Backroads trip that I did years ago, and only covers Nova Scotia. Plus it's only 6 days.

There's an 8 day Tauck trip that's very similar to the Classic Journeys trip, but adds in PEI, which I do want to see. But it doesn't go to New Brunswick, which I'd also like to see.

There's also a longer Tauck trip (11 days) that looks interesting. It includes both New Brunswick and PEI like the ABD trip does, and also spends some time in the Highlands of Nova Scotia. But the hotel in the Highlands (it's a pretty remote area) does not sound pleasant, and gets poor ratings both on Trip Advisor and in reviews of the Tauck trip itself. So I'm pretty sure that hotel may be a non-starter. I plan to call Tauck and talk to them about that, but there's rustic and then there's neglected...

So it *is* starting to look like I may stick with ABD, it seems the best blend of all of them. But it's by far the most expensive of them all.

And I haven't gotten good explanations yet from ABD of the 3 options available for the afternoon at Broadleaf Ranch in New Brunswick. I haven't been able to ascertain if I'm physically up for any of the 3 options a) the "active and brisk guided kayaking adventure" b) horseback riding and canoeing or c) bike riding and canoeing. I was really looking forward to the kayaking in Bar Harbor on my New England ABD, but that ended up being 2 1/2 hours of *serious* kayaking that was more than my poor shoulders could handle. And I definitely can't go horseback riding. And I've learned that bike riding can be a big variable depending on the terrain (I bowed out of the bike ride in New Zealand). There's no easy-going option. ABD always used to offer an easy-going option, but they don't seem to do that as much anymore. Instead of kayaking, I had more shopping time in Bar Harbor. Instead of the bike ride, I had more shopping time in Arrowtown in New Zealand. I like shopping just fine, but I hate having to skip activities I've paid for, and my only option is shopping. Still looking at all of this.

But I'll keep you informed!

Sayhello

 

[Donalyn]

Just because you *can* arrange and do this trip and all the logistics and transportation yourself doesn't necessarily mean someone *wants* to do all that! It's really nice to have someone else do it for you so that you can relax and not worry about it all and just show up. I *like* being taken care of.

Sayhello

Sayhello - very true. I get it and I'm not saying that people will not make different decisions on these points or that any of those decisions are wrong. (And I like getting taking care of too and not always being the tour guide.)

But that said, for us, there was no way to justify paying 270% for the ABD New England trip, versus what our New England trip cost, for fewer days. (I mean, we basically did 11 days in our NE trip, 7 day spring break trip, 7 days at a lake cabin and a long weekend trip last year for what the ABD would have costs us, airfare excluded.)

And, based on a lot of discussions over the years here of the benefits of ABD and concerns about the price, I've always assumed that there are a lot of people who have similar thoughts on the US trips - that it is just harder to justify the costs (other than for Disneyland and maybe Alaska, because I know people get overwhelmed planning Alaska trips). Trips outside of the US have more complicated logistics which helps change the value analysis.

 

[richflour]

I just signed up for my 5th ABD trip !
So excited!
We have not done one since 2016.

 

[sayhello]

I just signed up for my 5th ABD trip !
So excited!
We have not done one since 2016.

Congrats!! Which trip?

Sayhello

 

[AddictedtoTravel]

Morocco booked! I was looking last year to go to Morocco and was considering Classic Journeys (I had a voucher on British Airways that I needed to use but ended up going to Ireland for two weeks on my own).
And then ABD announced Morocco!!! I'm so psyched.

 

[richflour]

Congrats!! Which trip?

Sayhello

Italy

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

We have Egypt booked for next summer! (And then Jordan with Nat Geo)