Tauck’s 100-Year Journey in Guided Travel

It has been a remarkable century for Tauck. In 1925, Arthur Tauck Sr. rented a Studebaker to take a group of paying passengers on a 1,100-mile road trip through New England, New York and parts of Canada. Most of the roads were gravel and dirt, but the guests enjoyed the experience. Positive word-of-mouth quickly spread, and the 27-year-old realized that escorting travelers with good meals and fine hotels was a more interesting and rewarding business venture than selling coin trays (that he invented) to banks. Tauck Motor Tours was born.

Now, 100 years later, the Connecticut-based, family-owned company is a world leader in upscale all-inclusive travel. Tauck operates on all seven continents with more than 170 land tours, safaris, river cruises, small ship ocean cruises, and family travel adventures.

Tauck’s Rhine Enchantment, Milan to Amsterdam: Land, Rail & River

We’ve traveled with Tauck several times, enjoying “Ken Burns American Journeys” U.S. history tours, as well as ocean and river cruises. Most recently, we embarked on the 11-day Rhine Enchantment, Milan to Amsterdam itinerary, which combines guided land travel, a rail journey, and a Rhine River cruise. The five-country adventure was very complex and showed how much this company has evolved and innovated over the last century.  

We began our land, rail, and river excursions in Milan, Italy. A Tauck driver met us at the airport and brought us to the 5-star Principe Di Savoia hotel. This 1920s Neoclassical building—the same age as Tauck Tours—was an ideal location for the welcome dinner, which introduced all 116 guests to this historic city and the three tour directors who would be guiding our journey. At dinner that evening, a rousing toast was offered to Tauck and its century of excellence.

As part of its upscale appeal, Tauck always offers some exclusive experiences. In Milan, that included priority entrance to the Duomo (construction on this massive cathedral started in 1386) and a private evening viewing of Leonardo da Vinci’s 1498 mural masterpiece, “The Last Supper.” All guests also enjoyed private boat rides on Lake Como, with scores of magnificent lakeside mansions and dramatic views of the Alps. As usual, all fees were covered by Tauck. At the Lake Como resort town of Bellagio, a Tauck Director gave each of us 5 euros for a coffee and toilet break at any café.

After three days in Milan, comfortable coaches took us to the Italian border and the city of Lugano, Switzerland. Guests enjoyed some free time, then headed to the train station for a high-speed, three-hour Swiss Rail express to Basel. Tauck booked several private First Class cars. The train left exactly on time (after all, this is Switzerland) and went through many mountain tunnels, including the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world’s longest at 35 miles, reaching speeds of up to 155 mph. When we weren’t underground, the views of the Alps were magnificent!

In Basel, population 200,000, we joined our Tauck riverboat, but not before tours of the medieval town center. Our group chose a tasting tour, and our guide gave each of us 25 Euros to purchase additional Swiss chocolate or cheese.  The company really does take care of everything.

Tauck’s Rhine Riverboat, MS Inspire

Our Rhine riverboat, MS Inspire, was built in 2013 and renovated in 2020. It has the standard 443-foot length but, with larger cabins, holds just 130 guests. Once onboard, we met the efficient Cruise Director, Tea Clougher, an 11-year Tauck veteran, who confirmed that Tauck has one of the best staff/guest ratios in river cruising. Tauck also waives the single supplement for solo travelers booking category 1 cabins on its European river cruises. Its all-inclusive fares seem high, but include all transfers, tours, gratuities, gourmet meals, and premium drinks.

“Tauck, with 100 years of experience, is a name you can depend on, especially if something goes wrong. If you’re sick or injured, we will care for you,” said Clougher. In our experience, this was true: One couple missed the train to Basel because they forgot the departure time, and a Tour Director stayed behind in Lugano to find and escort the couple to Basel via another, slower train trip.

Our river cruise to Amsterdam included a unique Tauck tradition: a private gala dinner at a riverside castle or palace. In our case, it was fine dining with excellent wines at Schloss Biebrich, a Baroque palace in Wiesbaden, Germany. Entertainment included a talented harpist and an elegant classical singer who excelled with both opera and Elvis.

All along the Rhine, the three tour directors organized excursions using excellent local guides. Evenings were special with many menu choices (always accompanied by excellent and complimentary alcoholic or non-alcoholic wines) and entertainment by local musicians. The highlight was a celebration of Tauck 100 when many guests dressed in 1920s flapper finery or donned gangster outfits with Gatsby accessories like newsboy hats and garish suspenders. It was all great fun and a fitting celebration for the company’s legacy.