How much sleep on an RS tour?

Candice,

I'm a "tour alum" and so far I've found that there's lots of time allotted for sleep. Except for group dinners (there will be several during the tour) the evenings are mostly free so you can "retire" when you feel like it.

There may be one or two mornings where an "early start" is necessary, however for the most part breakfast is about from 7:00-08:30 or so. The Bus or local tours usually depart about 9:00 (most of the time).

I don't have specific information on the Spain tour, but generally the Bus stops every few hours for a break, often at a highway rest stop. That provides an opportunity to buy coffee or a snack. Some of the past tours that I've been on have had a few group lunches as well. I doubt that you'd have to wait more than a few hours for a meal. You could always pack a few Energy Bars along so that you have something available if necessary.

As mentioned, the RS tour folks would have the most specific information on that particular tour.

Happy travels!

I took the Berlin Prague and Vienna tour and I thought that the balance of group time and independent time was just right. Also, I never felt that I had to worry about getting enough sleep. Well, except for the night in Vienna when it was so really, really, really, really hot, when none of us could sleep. The breakfast area was air conditioned, so we were hoping for morning. ; ) Pam

I have only been on one tour, it was the Family Europe in 14 days.. it follows the same itinerary as the regular 14 day tour. Did not go to Spain.

All bus drivers MUST stop at least once every three hours ,, this is a safety law. So you will never be on the bus longer then that,, and all stops we had were somewhere you could pick up a snack. YOu will not be hungary at all, plus everyone bought stuff to munch on while on the bus,, cookies , fruit, etc. The buses have fridges on them that will be stocked with beer, pop, and water,, it used to cost one euro for each item, so a good deal.

We got lots of time to sleep, as noted, we had one or two early mornings, but most were very civilized( for a bus tour),, breakfast between 7-8 or so.. it varied.

Have you read the "tour feedback" on your particular tour,, you should. Everyone who has been on a tour is asked to fill out a little questionaire after they return,, some do and some don't,,but they are helpful to read as you will really be reading what they wrote,, they don't edit,, I know since I read my own feedback and they posted my replies word for word,, positive and negative( mostly positive,, I only said one thing about guide talking above kids heads once,, not a big deal)

My MIL went on a another companys tour two years ago and found it exhausting, they had to be up early every day,, and have luggage outside the door before breakie etc.. on RS tour you carry your own stuff, but at least you can go back to room after breakfast and get it,, really found it nice.

Hi Candice

Wish I could answer more about the Spain trip, but that is the one I am taking this year. It will be my 5th with RS. Can’t add too much more to what Ken, Pamela and Pat have already told you as I have found their experiences to be similar to mine on prior tours.

You can have breakfast whenever the hotel opens for it, usually by 7:30 and I don’t ever remember having to eat in shifts because it is usually a great group activity though people come and go as they please. There are usually a couple “early” starts 8 or 8:30 but most of the time you are doing something about 9, though the mornings with nothing planned, you can get up when you wish.

As said before, you stop every few hours. Picnics are usually left up to the guide’s decision but there are always a few extra lunches thrown in. Lots of local goodies are also provided.

You do not have most dinners on your own, half are part of the tour and the rest of the time there will usually be a group that dines together. Sometimes in the evenings, the guide invite those who want to go on something extra – a walk around the ramparts with Champagne at St Mont Michel, a hike to a stone circle at sunset in England, pub music in Ireland, the Jewish “Woodstock” in Krakow.

Let me know when you are going.

Plenty of time for sleep. Plenty of time for snacks. Many opportunities to pick up snacks for the bus or walking. We went on the 14 day Best of Europe and week in London and loved both. Want to do Ireland, more France, more Great Britain, Germany, etc...

So I too am taking the Spain tour this year, so I can't speak to it, but on the 17 day Italy and 14 day Ireland tour there were plenty of breaks/stops during the day (snack opportunities). Also grocery stores and Autogrilles (in Italy) were snack friendly - I usually bought nuts and crackers to last me for a couple of days.

And you usually had plenty of time to sleep at night if you wanted to, unless it was a late group dinner. Unfortunately, in Ireland I learned the joy of pubs, so my late nights made my mornings seem earlier than they were for others. My own fault, but I had so much fun I wouldn't have done it any other way.

Candice,

I took the Spain & Portugal tour last year. This year they split it up and did some slight modifications to the schedule.

I would definitely recommend that you take the tour.

The day usually starts at 9am give or take 15-30 minutes. Nights with group meals may end finishing as late at 9pm, on other nights you should be done with group activities no later than around 5pm.

Most of the major cities have places open until late since the typical dinner time in Spain much later than what it is in the states (10pm+). You might have a hard time finding food between 2am-10am in the smaller cities.

Don't worry about brining snacks, the food in Spain is some of the best in the world.

Besides, Spain & Portugal tour had a reputation for the one RS tour where people end up gaining weight.

Edwin

Thank you to everyone who answered my questions! It sounds like I will be able to get around 8 hours of sleep then? Also, I can probably sleep on the bus.

Well, I'll need to bring snacks anyways for the flights on the way out there and back. It sounds like I won't need to bring much more as there will likely be opportunities to buy snacks there.

All this is IF I can get my work schedule in order for me to go. That's a big if since things are still up in the air right now.

But if the moon and stars align, I'll most likely be going on the first tour that starts 17 April. If they had one that left earlier in April, I'd be going on that one.

Thanks again for all the great info!

Candice,

"Also, I can probably sleep on the bus"

I haven't been too successful with that so far, for several reasons:

The Guide often provides commentary on the historical aspects of the area during the Bus trips. This is really useful as it helps to provide tour members with important details about the area and especially prior to the next stop (ie: if a group dinner will be held that night, what time the orientation walk will be held, breakfast details, etc.).

There's usually some incredible scenery passing by outside the window and I don't want to miss anything. Although photos through a Bus window aren't ideal, I usually try to get a few.

It's also a good time to visit with other members of the group. You'll probably find that Rick's tours attract some nice people, and the group tends to "bond" as the tour progresses.

At best I can only manage a few "catnaps" on the Bus.

One other point to mention is that the Guide will post a hand-written schedule in the Hotel Lobby every night at about suppertime. This will describe the activities and timetable for the following day.

Good luck with your work schedule and the tour!

How long does the guide talk about the area and give important details?

As much as I would like to watch scenery, I don't think it would be comfortable for me to do so as I tend to get pretty motion sick. I usually just feel really bad so I'll be taking dramamine. Even the non-drowsy makes me drowsy. The bus rides don't look too long so I might be able to make some of them un-medicated.

As a former tour director, although not one for RS, I'm going to add to the discussion.

On all tours, you can be on the coach for anywhere from 2-3 hours without a break. (Mostly closer to 2.)

However, the one thing you give up on a tour is total control of your time.

If you need a minimum of 8 hours a day of sleep, and you need to eat whenever you need to eat, and you get motion sickness...a tour, any type of tour, may not be for you.

No tour director talks forever, but we do utilize some of the "driving" time to give information. If my coach had a video system, I would also show videos pertaining to the areas we were visiting. But we're also aware that doing too much of this can be annoying. Some people on long drives want the quiet time to unwind and relax. To visit with their fellow travelers and even take a short nap.

I've also had a few people on my tours who had motion sickness. Those who took nothing were in misery. Those who took dramamine in most cases just wanted to stay on the bus and sleep. They did not have the energy to go for short walks. If you already need as much sleep as you claim, dramamine will just make it worse.

Do you get sick on trains? Airplanes? If not as much as a car or bus, then you might want to plan your own trip, utilize trains or planes to get to your destinations, and then arrange for local day or half day tours. Make some day travel days and others sightseeing days. This way you can take dramamine on travel days, get a good night sleep, and be refreshed for your sightseeing day.

Frank II has given you some good advice. You won't be on the bus for more than 2 hours, 2.5 tops. Dramamine won't have time to kick in (or kick off) so that you can enjoy your stops. Also, the guide does talk (and no offense to my Ireland guide, sometimes a wee bit too much on the longer rides) and you won't get much zzz time.

If motion sickness is a major issue for you, tell the guide and let them know you'd like to sit in front on the bus (front view out window, less motion than back of bus). In Ireland, we took turns with the front seats (best views) but you may get special dispensation.

As an aside, you might also look into the non-medication wrist bands (one brand is Sea Band) that puts pressure on your wrist in a spot that alleviates motion sickness. They don't make you drowsy and may be a good alternative for this situation.

Candice,

Forgot to add that when excluding the transportation (train and bus) you are with the tour about 1/2 the time and you have freetime the other 1/2 of time. Except for moving from one city to the next city all tour activities are optional so you can participant in them (since you already paid for them) or you can choose to do your own thing.

Edwin