Help me pick a RS Tour please...

I haven't been to the Adriatic- but Scotland is my favorite place. It would help to know what your interests are- history? Art? Nature? Photography?, etc. etc. etc. We haven't done a RS tour, but we have been to the UK more than 40 times!

Toni - WOW! Fast response. THANKS. I enjoy the 'city life' that I would get Edinburgh as well as the scenery of the outlying towns! I like some art/churches and museums, but I really just enjoy soaking up the culture of a place: people watching, taking photos, eating ;), etc. etc.

I eventually plan on doing BOTH tours, but I'm just not sure which to pick for next year. I'm putting out on the Helpline since oftentimes, someone mentions something I wouldn't have thought of that would help me decide.

Hi,

You mention weather and that would be one determining factor for me. I hate hot summer days, but I have a coworker who would be lapping up the Adriatic heat and wishing for more, so only you know your tolerance levels.

My other determining factor is a strong pull to all things Scotland, so no question which I would pick in the end :-)

I see the tour starts/ends in Edinburgh, an absolutely terrific city, even if all its hills seem to only go UP (as I saw a writer post online and I agree :-)

Stay after the tour ends and you could continue your travels on your own in the city or around its area. I have visited twice on my own and enjoyed it so much! Edinburgh has quite a few free museums. If you know of Greyfriars Bobby do not miss the Edinburgh Museum; you can see a Bobby display with a number of pictures and his collar and food dish (yes, aw, so sweet).

I stayed at the Dene Guest House my first trip and rented an apartment right behind Holyrood Palace for the second (http://www.aboutscotland.co.uk/edin/waverley.html).

Cheers.

Hi Gretchen! Have you read the tour feedback for the two tours? There might be something in the feedback that would help you decide. As you say, you can't go wrong with either one. Since you'd be going in late June/early July, I'd choose Scotland for the cooler weather and long days. Gardens should be at their peak. Enjoy!

Gretchen,

I'm sure either tour would be fantastic. It would help to know a bit more about your interests and reasons for choosing those two particular tours?

As the others have mentioned, the weather will likely be a bit warmer in the Adriatic at that time of year than in Scotland.

As you're eventually planning to do both of them, it probably doesn't matter which one to choose.

Good luck!

Gretchen - I'm a huge fan of RS tours. We've been on eight so far and have three more scheduled for next year. That being said, we went on the Adriatic tour last year from June 22 - July 5 and it was one of the most miserable experiences of our lives because of the heat. The temperatures were near and above 100 degrees on several days. Not all of the hotels had air conditioning, so we couldn't even cool off in our rooms. Obviously, this was not typical weather, but it was a shame to have such a wonderful tour (and it is!) be so unpleasant. As someone who hates being cold, I don't mind hot weather, but this was oppressive. I'd go with Scotland mid-summer!

Gretchen, I love Scotland and June is a wonderful time to visit. The days are long so you have sunlight late into the evening. Scotland is a photographer's dream. The scenery is spectacular, but you can also enjoy photographing castles, distilleries, pubs, pipers, flowers, highland cows, pheasants, children, gardens, ships, boats, otters, dolphins, and much much more. I would recommend staying over a bit if you can. You could just stay over and explore more of Edinburgh, and Glasgow. There are day trips, but I like the freedom that car gets me. Areas that you could explore for a few days would be the Borders (Abbey's, Castles, Walter Scott's home and more. You could go to the Trossachs or back up into Perthshire. Aberfeldy is nice. Or you could go west either back to Oban and over to Mull or down to Argyle or the Isle of Arran. Or, if you a birder, then book a flight to Orkney which is favorite spot for birders or twitchers as the Scots and English call them. Orkney has many stone age sites and has wonder jewelry designers and is wonderfully different than the rest of Scotland.

Pam

Thanks for all the replies! The info about the 100 degree heat last summer may just be the post that will sway me toward Scotland ('cause I've been leaning toward the Adriatic for this coming year; that may wait now). I did the Village Italy in '08 and had a great time. I'm sure I will again, regardless of which tour I pick! Thanks everyone. :)