"Is ABD worth the $$$?" Discussion thread

I'm curious, how did ABD handle luggage on the internal flights? Did you have to check your own luggage in at the airport, or did you just show up and they took care of check in and handed you the boarding pass? Because bypassing the check in process is another huge time saver.

They carry all the bags for you and check them in. If it's an internal flight (like within Australia), you go directly to the gate. No messing with bags. If it's an international flight (between HK and Mainland China) you have to present yourself at the check in counter when your bags are checked by the guides.


@jimmymc Pretty cool breakdown. I think it's helpful for people to see. For me, the premium of not having to plan it out and having the guides' concierge services are particularly valuable. However, as you start pushing to a family of 4 or 5 it becomes a more difficult decision for me. We're still planning on a family ABD in Peru this Christmas, because it's too difficult (or at least stressful and time consuming) to plan that type of trip with 3 young kids. And moving around the country on our own with the kids would be challenging. We may consider Japan next year if it's released.

On the other hand, this past Christmas we went through a Portuguese travel specialist recommend by Conde Nast. And they created an awesome 10 day trip for us with lots of little VIP experiences, very nice unique hotels, and private guides. Even if ABD offered a trip to Portugal, this was about half the average cost.
 
They carry all the bags for you and check them in. If it's an internal flight (like within Australia), you go directly to the gate. No messing with bags. If it's an international flight (between HK and Mainland China) you have to present yourself at the check in counter when your bags are checked by the guides.


@jimmymc Pretty cool breakdown. I think it's helpful for people to see. For me, the premium of not having to plan it out and having the guides' concierge services are particularly valuable. However, as you start pushing to a family of 4 or 5 it becomes a more difficult decision for me. We're still planning on a family ABD in Peru this Christmas, because it's too difficult (or at least stressful and time consuming) to plan that type of trip with 3 young kids. And moving around the country on our own with the kids would be challenging. We may consider Japan next year if it's released.

On the other hand, this past Christmas we went through a Portuguese travel specialist recommend by Conde Nast. And they created an awesome 10 day trip for us with lots of little VIP experiences, very nice unique hotels, and private guides. Even if ABD offered a trip to Portugal, this was about half the average cost.

That's good to know how easy the flights are. I don't have kids, but I can only imagine how difficult it is having to be completely responsible for other people.
 
I'm curious, how did ABD handle luggage on the internal flights? Did you have to check your own luggage in at the airport, or did you just show up and they took care of check in and handed you the boarding pass? Because bypassing the check in process is another huge time saver.
And the other side of this is when you arrive at your internal destination. You get off the plane, and leave the terminal to head to your motorcoach. :) No fighting the crowds to get to the carousel to wait forever and pull your luggage off and roll it to your transportation. It magically appears in your room at your destination! Not having to check it in *or* pick it up is HUGE, especially if the trip has a lot of internal flights, like China does.

Sayhello
 
These are so awesome and helpful! Thank you so much for pulling it all together. I can't imagine the time that took! Pretty big premium on this one!

Huge premium, but it makes sense for such a long, complex trip. And it's fun looking up all these places! I rarely stay in hotels this nice, so seeing what's out there is fun.
 


They carry all the bags for you and check them in. If it's an internal flight (like within Australia), you go directly to the gate. No messing with bags. If it's an international flight (between HK and Mainland China) you have to present yourself at the check in counter when your bags are checked by the guides.

Wish it had been that way for us this past summer. For the internal flights in Australia, we had to check our own bags. They were unloaded from the bus, we picked them up at the curb and took them to ticketing/check in.
 
In Australia this year, we did have to wait in line to check in with our own bags. Some felt it was more bag handling than on other ABDs but I did not have an issue with it. Our trip was December and security was tight so that may have been why. Airports were also very crowded. We were expedited through group check in but still had to wait. Again, not an issue for us but the baggage handling was not terribly different than if we went to the airport on our own.

However, at the destination, our bags were handled and delivered by ABD. In some cases, we chose to collect and move our own bags so we could get them right away.
 
Wish it had been that way for us this past summer. For the internal flights in Australia, we had to check our own bags. They were unloaded from the bus, we picked them up at the curb and took them to ticketing/check in.

You're right. Thinking back on it, I do remember now checking our own bags in Sydney to Tasmania. I remember because the flight was so early in the morning. I don't think we had to do that for internal flights in China and Vietnam, but it could be selective memory. :)
 


You're right. Thinking back on it, I do remember now checking our own bags in Sydney to Tasmania. I remember because the flight was so early in the morning. I don't think we had to do that for internal flights in China and Vietnam, but it could be selective memory. :)
For China, we only had to do it for Hong Kong to Beijing. The rest were taken care of for us.

Sayhello
 
I had enough fun with the Alaska trip I did some more research:

ABD Italy, July 27 through August 3, 2018
$5,099 per adult x 2 = $10,198

Hotels:

All hotels assume 1 Queen/King or 2 doubles, whichever is cheaper, and double occupancy.

Gran Melia Rome Hotel, including breakfast, 2 nights = $1,112.73

Hotel Borgo di Cortefreda, including breakfast, 3 nights = $498

Hilton Molino Stucky, 2 nights = $651.41

Hotel Total = $2,262.14

Transportation:

This gets tricky. On the Alaska trip I assumed a rental car because there isn't much public transit. This time I'll try to use busses, trains, and metros, or a private car when applicable.

Transfer from Rome airport to hotel: $61.60

48 hour bus/metro pass in Rome: $14.58

1st class train from Rome to Orvieto: $22 x 2 = $44

1st class train Orvieto to Florence: $39.80 x 2 = $79.60

Since the hotel is in a very rural area, we'll rent a car again in Florence.

Rental car, automatic, for 3 days, plus estimated $50 for gas = $236.43

Car takes care of all transportation in rural Italy

1st class train, Florence to Venice: $83.66

2 Day Vaporetto Pass: $34.96 x 2 = $69.92

Boat transfer from Venice to Airport: $17.48 x 2 = $34.96

Transportation Total: $624.75

Meals (all prices are for 2):

Day 1
Welcome Dinner at Hotel: $174.71

Day 2
Breakfast included in hotel
Lunch at local restaurant: Estimated $60
Dinner on your own

Day 3
Breakfast included in hotel
Lunch at local restaurant in Orvieto: Estimated $60
Dinner at Ristorante Cortefreda: $111.82

Day 4
Breakfast included in hotel
Lunch at Fattoria Poggio Alloro: $228.29
Dinner in a Castello: Can't find any prices, estimate $200

Day 5
Breakfast included in hotel
Lunch on your own in Florence
Dinner on your own in Florence

Day 6
Breakfast included in hotel
Boxed lunch onboard train: $40
Dinner on your own

Day 7
Breakfast at hotel: $51.25
Lunch on your own
Dinner on The Jolly Roger: $256.25

Day 8
Breakfast at hotel: $51.25

Food Total: $1233.57

Activities

Day 1
Tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum: $134.34

Day 2
St. Peter's Basilica Skip the Line Tour: $44
Rome Tour Bus: $53.04
Rome Walking Tour: Free, guides work for tips, so ~$10 tip
Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel after dark: $815.34

Day 3
On your own in Orvieto, lots of travel

Day 4
Wine tasting: Free with meal price

Day 5
Accademia Gallery Tickets/Tour: $53.58
Palazzo Vecchio Tour: $75.89

Day 6
Gondola Tour: $93.18
Piazza San Marco Tour: $155.94

Day 7
Venice Architecture Tour: Free w/ tips, ~$10
Mask Making: $80

Day 8
N/A

Activities Total: $1525.31

Summary:
Lodging: $2,262.14
Transportation: $624.75
Meals: $1233.57
Activities: $1525.31

Grand Total: $5,645.77

Price Difference: $10,198 - $5,645.77 = $4,552.23

Things included in ABD but not included in booking on your own:

2 Guides familiar with the area acting as your personal concierge
Luggage service at all hotels and the airport
Private transportation that does not involve driving yourself or any public transit
Several private meals at the restaurants mentioned above
Separate activities for children

Some observations, comparing this trip witht the Alaska trip I looked at earlier:

Both trips are 8 days, 7 nights. Hotels are much less in Rome and rural Italy compared to Alaska. Transportation ended up being slightly cheaper as well, mostly because of the amount of mass transit. It would be interesting to see the price of having a car in Rome and Florence area, but parking and gas make it a little complicated to figure out the real price. Meals were more expensive in Italy, I'll address that in a minute. Activities were a bit more in Alaska, mostly because of the on your own time in several different cities. Overall I can navigate Italy pretty well on my own, so I would probably be more inclined to take the Alaska trip, but if I had kids and was trying to ferry them between different cities on public transit it could get pretty hectic and the trip might have more value.

My take on this trip: Like I said, I've been to Italy before and have no issues taking subways, buses, or walking long distances in cities, and I'm fine taking trains in between cities. Private car airport transfers are probably the only thing I would splurge on transport wise. The hotels in Rome is perfect. Walking distance to Vatican City, and a longer walk to the Forum area but still doable, and you pass by many sites on the way there.

Many of the places you get private tours of are easy to see on your own, and I don't know how much the guides add over a decent book about the site. Hop on, hop off tour buses are popular in Italy and a cheap way to see things while stopping wherever you want. The gondola rides are fun and easy enough to find. Most gondoliers are very knowledgeable about the city and can give you a tour and recommendations while on the ride. The after hours Vatican Museum tour looks amazing, I'm just not sure if it's worth the money. For reference, it's $16 to get in normally and the lines aren't that bad if you get there after lunch.

The food is an interesting case here. There a lots of meals on your own, however the ones ABD does provide are pretty amazing. 2 of them are Michelin Star restaurants, and the dinner cruise around Venice as your farewell dinner is a nice touch. I would usually skip the hotel breakfast in exchange for finding a local restaurant or going to the grocery store. While the fine dining restaurants in Italy are delicious, there is plenty of cheap, filling, delicious food around Italy.

In conclusion, like Alaska, I would probably skip the trip and book it on my own. I pack pretty light and don't buy too many huge souvenirs, so luggage service isn't that much of a value to me. I would also skip the hotel in the Italian countryside and stay in Florence, as the podcast team has done. I would love to see the countryside, but I would just take a bus somewhere for the day. There will be plenty of options leaving daily from all 3 cities. Florence is a spectacular place to stay in and just live like a local. It's also Italy's college town, so if you're young and want to meet locals and discover the nightlife this is a great place to do it.

Biggest tip for this trip: Book pre and post nights. You can explore the coast, go see Pompeii, and spend more time looking around the historical sites in Rome. And like Florence, Venice is just a great place to be, even if you just walk around, stop in a cafe, do some window shopping, and live like a local on the weekends. I highly recommend visiting Rome, Florence, and Venice in general.


Thank you for this!! I have gotten on and off this fence 15 times in the last week. I keep going back and forth on the merits of $24,000 for a trip that I know for a fact I can do (and have done) SO much cheaper in a country my husband and I are already so familiar with. . . . using your calculations it would be a $9,000 price difference. The more I consider this, the less i think I can justify it for Italy. . . . China on the other hand, sounds like the kind of place that would be very difficult to maneuver on our own and for which we could really use this kind of tour. Back to the top of the fence I go . . . . sigh.
 
Thank you for this!! I have gotten on and off this fence 15 times in the last week. I keep going back and forth on the merits of $24,000 for a trip that I know for a fact I can do (and have done) SO much cheaper in a country my husband and I are already so familiar with. . . . using your calculations it would be a $9,000 price difference. The more I consider this, the less i think I can justify it for Italy. . . . China on the other hand, sounds like the kind of place that would be very difficult to maneuver on our own and for which we could really use this kind of tour. Back to the top of the fence I go . . . . sigh.

I think Europe in general is easier to navigate as an American who only speaks English. I haven't done China, but I looked at Australia, and with the internal flights and how packed the itinerary is, I actually think it's a decent value. I would prefer to spend 3-4 weeks in Australia, but if you only have 2 weeks of vacation to spare, then I think you get to do a ton of stuff. Having luggage service and guides at the airport is a big added value. Out of all the trips ABD does, the Vietnam trip looks the most worth it to me because of how exotic it is. I can see China being worth it as well, however that trip stays in larger cities with more tourist infrastructure. Just going by myself I would probably do China on my own, but with children I really see the value in ABD. I would probably extend my time to see the Shanghai and Hong Kong parks.
 
compared to what?
to a high end private tour? no
to a cheap contiki one maybe
personally I would rather go local with a tour

My tour to Europe for 14 days cost 50000 dollars for two of us!
 
I agree money will not guarantee a good vacation, love, or any number of things in life.

And quite honestly, for my life, $25k/person for the 6 of us is crazy talk, no matter how great it turned out. I’d have to then tell my kids “sorry, I picked that over college for you.”

I’m having a hard time parsing your posts, but I hope your $50k was one of the good vacations.
 
I agree money will not guarantee a good vacation, love, or any number of things in life.

And quite honestly, for my life, $25k/person for the 6 of us is crazy talk, no matter how great it turned out. I’d have to then tell my kids “sorry, I picked that over college for you.”

I’m having a hard time parsing your posts, but I hope your $50k was one of the good vacations.

fixed. College is important. I never completed mine. But having the option is should always be there. Thanks for considering the future for your kids.
 
Count me among those who believe that it can be worth it in certain circumstances. I'm quite willing to wander around China by myself, but with the kid? No way. That's a place where I would invest in ABD. To my mind, we only have a certain amount of years/vacations left before she's off doing her own thing, and I want to make the most of it. But can I plan a trip to Italy or England for all of us and do fun things? Absolutely. I enjoy trip planning, and would only pay the ABD premium for experiences where I think they provide added value.
 
For China, we only had to do it for Hong Kong to Beijing. The rest were taken care of for us.

Sayhello
How long ago did you do China and how was it? I have a son that would love this trip. Saving up for it will not be easy for me, but looking at the itinerary it looks worth it. I'm thinking maybe 2020/2021. We've traveled a lot abroad mostly cruising. I'm a pretty capable of doing things on my own. I never book cruise ship excursions, but China gives me a little pause. I would love to do this on some kind of organized tour. Financially it's a stretch for me. I need convincing.
 
How long ago did you do China and how was it? I have a son that would love this trip. Saving up for it will not be easy for me, but looking at the itinerary it looks worth it. I'm thinking maybe 2020/2021. We've traveled a lot abroad mostly cruising. I'm a pretty capable of doing things on my own. I never book cruise ship excursions, but China gives me a little pause. I would love to do this on some kind of organized tour. Financially it's a stretch for me. I need convincing.
Hi! I did China this past summer of 2017. It was *AMAZING*!!! China is just so much more than I ever imagined. It's not cheap, but if you can manage it, it is *SO* worth it. I had a lot of pre-conceptions about China that turned out to be totally wrong (in a good way!) If you check out my signature, there's a link to the Trip Report that I'm posting for this ABD. It's not done yet, but I think it gives a good impression of what the trip was like and what I thought about it. :) Feel free to ask me *any* questions you'd like! I'd be happy to convince you!! :thumbsup2 (And I would *never* attempt something like China on my own! It was really great having someone with us who knew how everything worked, taking care of the logisitics for us!)

Sayhello
 
Hi! I did China this past summer of 2017. It was *AMAZING*!!! China is just so much more than I ever imagined. It's not cheap, but if you can manage it, it is *SO* worth it. I had a lot of pre-conceptions about China that turned out to be totally wrong (in a good way!) If you check out my signature, there's a link to the Trip Report that I'm posting for this ABD. It's not done yet, but I think it gives a good impression of what the trip was like and what I thought about it. :) Feel free to ask me *any* questions you'd like! I'd be happy to convince you!! :thumbsup2 (And I would *never* attempt something like China on my own! It was really great having someone with us who knew how everything worked, taking care of the logisitics for us!)

Sayhello
It's doable. It would just mean one vacation that year. I don't think I would attempt China on my own. I'm definetely going to check out your trip report. What are the cancellation policies are they strict as cruises?
 
It's doable. It would just mean one vacation that year. I don't think I would attempt China on my own. I'm definetely going to check out your trip report. What are the cancellation policies are they strict as cruises?
Your deposit (10% of the trip cost) is non-refundable after 14 days (but transferable to another trip). Paid in Full is 120 days before the trip departure date.

Here's the cancellation policy, per the ABD website FAQ (and I verified this with the reservation confirmation I got from ABD when I made my reservation. That's the ultimate authority on the policy.)

Days Prior to Vacation Commencement Date -- Fee Amount
120 days or more -- Deposit per Guest
119-90 days -- 50% of vacation package price per Guest
89-46 days -- 75% of vacation package price per Guest
45 days or less -- 100% of vacation package price per Guest

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Sayhello
 

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