GAS tour beginning July 7th

You all will have a wonderful time! One thing I've found on my RS trips is that many people do not know about the RS forums. I hope someone does respond that they are on your trip though. It's fun to talk about it ahead of time.

I did this trip in 2016. I hope you all will be able to get to Trier at least one night before the tour starts if not 2. It's so much better to have a jump on jet lag before you hit the ground running with a tour. I found a lot of things to do in Trier and even though I was there for 2 nights ahead (1 full day and a part of a day) I didn't get everything seen that I wanted to. It's also good to build in some flex time in case your flights are delayed. One couple on our tour didn't arrive until during the day on Day 2 so they missed the walking tour of Trier and the trip to Burg Eltz. They had flight cancellations - can remember if it was due to weather or what.

Here is a link I used to plan my time in Trier.

http://www.trier-info.de/english/sights-in-trier

If you are coming in early or staying after in Vienna, go ahead and make your hotel arrangements now. The hotel in Trier is a bit odd - it's an Assisted Living Facility that has a hotel wing. I suggest you print out a map of the route from the train station to the hotel to give to your taxi driver (it's a bit far to walk) as this is not a usual destination for them. The rooms are huge and the breakfast buffet was really good.

Thanks so much for your response! I’ll definitely be arriving a few days early and am looking forward to exploring.

GAS was our first RS tour too, and it was pretty much the best one! We met some great people on this tour. In fact, a large group of us are taking the Best of Ireland tour this next summer.
We spent two days in Luxembourg City before the tour started. It's only 45 minutes by local train which run every 30 minutes. We went to the local Saturday market and explored The Grund (the old area of LC).
Enjoy the trip!

That’s so cool that you are taking another tour with your GAS group.....enjoy! I’m so excited for my tour, July can’t get here soon enough. I’ve been scouring the guidebook and tonight will be watching Sound of Music :)

Hahaha, Londa!! I make myself stay up for the wedding scene, then to bed. You’ll need to watch it again right before you go. And after you come home! Then you can bore others by exclaiming “I’ve been right there”, “ The walking tour went thru there” etc!!

The hotel we stayed in was right across from Mirabell Gardens.

The scene where they were escaping and hiding in the cemetery crypts was shot in Hollywood I think BUT the cemetery was based on the crypts at St Peter’s Abbey cemetery. That was not on our walking tour but very easy to go look at during free time. You’ll go by Hellbrunn Palace to see the gazebo on your way out of town on the way to Hallstatt.

That reminds me...for the one overnight in Hallstatt I suggest you leave your suitcase on the bus and just take a small bag for overnight. I usually have a bus bag with me on the bus for water, snacks, guidebook, jacket etc. I wish I had realized it would be easier just to take toiletries, pj’s and a change of unders in my bus bag. The bus parks and you board a boat (with your luggage) for a tour of the lake then are dropped near the hotel. The next AM you walk with your luggage through town back to the bus parking area. It’s not steep but getting luggage on/off the boat then back thru town was a pain for 1 night!!

The one night in Baden Baden was not bad as the bus was able to get pretty near the hotel.

I made it to the end of the movie and my mom taped it so we will definitely watch it again just before the tour. I’ve been reading up on SOM sites in Salzburg so it was fun to watch and say I’m going to be there in July!

Thanks for the info on Hallstatt, it looks so beautiful as does every place we will visit.

Two of the strenuous days on the tour are visits to Eltz and Neuschwanstein. Do you recall if the shuttle services were easy to get to? My mom is 77 and walks a lot, but we will be slower going uphill and don’t want to hold the group back so we will want to use the service to take us as close as we can.

At Burg Eltz the shuttle goes right to the parking lot where the coach will let you off. The unexpected thing here is you actually walk DOWN to the Castle. I had some blisters on my feet so I took the shuttle back up to the lot. I think it was 2€ or so one way.

At Neuschwanstein the shuttle up is in the vicinity of the coach drop but there is a little walking to get to it. However, the shuttle lets off (or did when I took it in 2014 on another tour) above the place where you need to be to enter the castle for the tour so again you have to walk down but to get the coach down you have to walk up ... if that makes any sense at all. I don't remember how much that shuttle was. When I did GAS I opted to walk around the lake instead of going back in this castle.

In getting to the hotel from the gondola in Mürren there is quite a walk and part of it is uphill. You might need to manage both cases while Mom manages herself as this is a car-free village. There is no rush to get to the hotel altho it always feels like it, lol. She can take her time. Some people use walking sticks to assist with balance going up and down. If your Mom uses these when hiking now that might be a good thing to consider taking along. I would not take them unless she has experience with them. I find in a group they can be annoying if people aren't skilled with using with them because they take up a lot more personal space.

Another suggestion: On one of my tours someone complained to the guide that he was going too fast. He said he was going a moderate pace and if it seemed too fast to make sure you are right with him not further back in the pack. He said the further back you are the quicker you will have to move to keep up. I had never realized that and yes, he was right. If I was right near him we walked moderately. If I stopped to look at something or got distracted and fell behind yes, it was tough to catch up. So...I'd suggest with your Mom that you stay right with the guide when you are doing a walking tour.

The shuttle, bus, was easy to use. You will see the booth and line for the shuttle. There is also a horse drawn cart up to the castle. We did this two years ago & my mom really enjoyed that. She sat up front with the driver.
Enjoy your trip.

Thanks for the information! She doesn’t use a walking stick but we will live by the mantra, slow and steady wins the race :)

I think the last time I was there people were advised not to take the horse drawn carriage up as it would not get them up to the castle in time for the timed entry guided tour. They are very strict on entrance timing. I ~might~ have made that up though! Anyway....I would have a chat with your guide while you are in Munich. There will be some free time and you should be able to get them off to the side to discuss when they are not busy.

Thanks for the heads up about the carriage ride, I will make a point of talking to our guide!

This thread is seriously making me miss Salzburg! We enjoyed it sooo much. If you have a chance, be sure to rent bicycles and ride out to the SOM Gazebo. If your mom can't ride a bike, then get a taxi. It's so beautiful. The old town is small and walkable. And every time I watch the SOM I say, "I've been there." It's pretty much fantastic!

I watch the SOM every chance I get so to see the gazebo would be icing on the cake! Thanks for your message and I’ll do my best to go see it.

Your GAS tour will likely stop at the gazebo on the way out of town. Talk with your guide to make sure before you spend extra time heading out there on your free time.

Thanks, I will be sure and ask!

Hubby and I have been on 7 RS tours, but not the GAS tour.

On the Villages of Eastern France we met 2 couples from other parts of the US that we really clicked with.
A few months later they came to visit us and we showed them some of Colorado. Then we all went on another RS tour together. And we are all still in touch.

But, I digress. This whole discussion about the GAS tour makes me want to take that one! I'll have to talk to hubby and show him the tour and this discussion!

Thanks everyone and Happy Holidays

Mimi

This will be my first RS tour, Maybe I will see you on the GAS tour starting July 7 :)
Happy Holidays!