Charming Luxury Austria Itinerary for Families

Zicasso’s tour company did an extraordinary job ensuring that all pickups, guides, and tickets were done correctly and executed on time! The food tour in Vienna was fabulous for the information we learned about the city and country. Job well done!

We were disappointed in a number of areas. We asked that no areas/tours be suggested where we find lots of tourists transported by bus. Unfortunately, that's what happened.

Lake Garda is just one big tourist trap. We had a private boat but the 'captain' was very disappointing as he gave very little background and just dropped us off at two stops which were almost impossible to navigate because of the people and frankly there was nothing interesting to see unless you like shops catering to tourists.

We had private guides pretty much every day of the trip. We were looking for the guides to give us tips for special places to visit. A couple of them did provide some good tips, but for the most part it was just more history, churches, etc.

In Trieste, we were at a lovely hotel but were immediately warned by the guide to watch our phones, purses and warned that gangs were active in the area of the hotel. The hotel was located so far from the water that we never saw it and the guide never took us there. We were in a 'gritty' part of the city. The next day we had a full day private tour and honestly we spent more time riding in the car than doing anything interesting. Too much time was spent on the history of the city in spite of us stating to the tour company this wasn't our desire. Good concise overviews were our desire.

Our accommodations were labeled as boutique accommodations. Still trying to figure out how our hotel in Udine was labeled a boutique when a bus full of bicycle riders descended both nights and cleared out the breakfast buffet each morning. Not to mention the buffet was very substandard.

The hotel in Innsbruck had Mozart as a guest so it was old. Adequate yes, but hardly what one would term charming. The reception area was essentially a desk in a busy hallway. Rooms were dated but clean and large.

We chose Zicasso because we had used them (another travel company within the Zicasso umbrella) previously. On that trip we had accommodations in a former castle with a Michelin star restaurant. Very charming to say the least. We also stayed on Lake Como. Beautiful hotel on the water. The Italian Prime minister had a dinner at the hotel which gives you an idea of the quality. Our Lake Garda accommodations were very nice but located about four blocks from the water in a residential area. The contrast between the two trips is stunning.

Some of the fault lies with us as we failed to drill down enough and relied on the tour company to have heard our desires and put us in wonderful accommodations, Let me say that the hotel in Vienna was perfect-location, rooms, breakfast, etc. So, there were home runs but without going into further detail other accommodations were questionable.

During the trip planning phase I found the tour company to be very responsive to all requests for information.

We are a family of seven, ages 17-63, and Zicasso’s travel company created an incredible 12-day trip for us all to Switzerland and Austria. There were a lot of transportation logistics, tickets, hotel and dining reservations, and intricate details that they seamlessly pulled together for us. Having our own (and the same) driver for the duration of the trip was an incredible perk.

We traveled to Zurich, Grindelwald, Zermatt, Lucerne, Salzburg, and Hallstatt. We had a wonderful time, thanks to their detailed planning, itinerary, and attention to important details, including one traveler with celiac disease/special dietary needs.

Don't miss paragliding and the Via Ferrata in Murren, Switzerland, and the Fräulein Maria bike tour in Salzburg!

What a wonderful trip we had! Everything was planned out so very well. The two tour guides we had were exemplary and we enjoyed those days immensely. Most of the hotels were great, with terrific locations. The suggestions of activities offered for each place were spot-on. We especially loved the string quartet concert in Salzburg.

The communication of Zicasso's travel company was really good. I always felt they were right there to help when I needed it, which I definitely did one early morning. The train passes at the hotel in Lucerne had not been sent to them, but somebody got them to me in 20 minutes. Crisis averted.

We were not thrilled when we got to Vienna and found the Pride Festival was in full swing. It really made getting around the city a challenge. If I’d known that, I probably would’ve stayed an extra day in another city to avoid that.

Thanks for all you did to make this trip for our family so memorable.

The trip was operationally well planned and the coordination with Zicasso's travel agency was generally very good. Their proposal was significantly more expensive than the competing proposal, so I guess I expected a bit more. I would give it 4.25 or 4.5 stars if the rating system was bit more nuanced.

A few things were sub-optimal. On our first morning, the guide contacted the agent to tell them that they would pick us up at 10am (or at least that is what the guide told us), but our itinerary indicated 9am. At 9.15am, we called the agency and they called us back about five or 10 minutes later to tell us about the new 10am time. Not a great start.

That guide and the one in Munich were what I would describe as average guides – knowledgeable, but without much personality. The guide in Salzburg was outstanding.

From an organization perspective, we went to Salzburg from Lucerne, Switzerland, passing Innsbruck on day four, then trained it back to Innsbruck the very next day, basically adding four hours of driving/training for no real reason. We could have just stayed in Innsbruck on day four and then gone to Salzburg on day five and not backtracked.

Lastly, the hotel in Munich was very dated and the whole feel of the place was drab, including the decor and the lobby.

All that said, the operational people were very responsive and just about every leg happened right on time and the guides were organized. I never heard from the lady who organized it after I booked it, which I told her was odd, especially since I thought a trip to Italy, their specialty, was on the cards for my larger group that I had been with in Ireland the week before this trip.

So, all in all, a good trip, but not a great trip. I am not sure I would use our travel company again, but I have not landed firmly on that just yet.

Thanks, Greg S.

We had a wonderful trip to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland! The people from the tour operator were very helpful in the planning phase of our trip. They were able to design a trip that included a variety of experiences that appealed to our different interests in each of the six cities we visited.

The accommodations they booked for us were all very clean and comfortable, and in good locations, within walking distance of sights or transportation to those sights. We mostly traveled by train once we arrived in Europe and they were helpful in booking train tickets for travel in Germany and Austria, and the Swiss rail and bus passes that we used for travel in Switzerland.

A representative kept in contact with us and was available to answer questions as needed. When one of the activities was canceled due to bad weather, they facilitated ticket refunds for us. We were very pleased with the planning and responsiveness of Zicasso's tour operator and would use them to plan a trip again.