Family Europe Amsterdam to Rome Bus information

Posted by bpiecewicz on 08/27/17 08:00 PM

We initially looked into Rick Steve's Tours for a possible family trip (Mom, Dad, 16-year-old and 13-year-old) to Italy 2018. Then I saw the Family Tours and was intrigued. However, because of the amount of territory covered, the amount of bus time is intimidating. Do any of you have experience with teenagers on these trips? How did they handle the long rides? Thanks!

PS I am sorry if this topic has already been covered. I searched the first few of over 20 pages and didn't see the same topic in regards to these family trips.

Posted by Jazz+Travels

Chicago

08/27/17 08:08 PM

8164 posts

Thats a good question. I do not know but think of how you would handle those long rides.
It sounds miserable 4, 6, and 7 hours on a bus to get to places, considering you have to spend 6-8 hours to get to Amsterdam from the USA.

edit:
It has some recent reviews that you can read
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/europe/family-europe-amsterdam-rome

Posted by Agnes

Washington DC Region, USA

08/27/17 08:15 PM

7054 posts

I did a tour (not a family tour though) that covered long distances in southwest Turkey and there was quite a bit of time on the bus. I don't recall it being daunting. I was happy to look out the window at the scenery outside and actually enjoyed it. The bus stopped every few hours for breaks so everyone can stretch their legs, use a restroom, etc. Many people used the bus time to catch up on sleep or reading or chatting with their tour mates. I am not sure I would expect functioning wifi on the bus unless you hear otherwise, so I don't know how teenagers entertain themselves if they're the kind that are glued to their electronics and would be really bored enjoying the views from the bus. Hopefully you'll hear back from some families with kids your age.

Posted by Robert

Liberty, Missouri

08/27/17 09:11 PM

265 posts

Long rides are just not a problem. The bus stops at least every two hours for a break / pit stop. On this tour they also schedule touring stops during these longer bus days. They have been doing these family tours for years and have worked out this tour to make it an amazing experience for everyone.

Read the trip reviews and comments for this tour.

I took this tour in 2016 and one of the neatest things I witnessed was the way the kids bonded with each other from the first day of the tour. My tour was about half kids and half adults. (Kids 8 - 18 years old.)