Hello everyone! This will be our first time in Europe, and we are booked on the May 2 tour. We are planning on arriving the day before the tour in Amsterdam, and staying one extra day in Paris. Any hotel recommendations? We were going to wait to see what hotel the tour selects, but we need to get our airfare in line soon.
Thank you in advance!
Are you take an RS tour? Maybe the 21BOE? I would stay in the tour hotels pre and post tour. Much easier and one less move!
Yes, but we do not receive that information until 04/01/2016. Is that enough time to book?
You should receive the first and last hotels much earlier than that. I don't usually book this far in advance, but when I have booked in Jan for a Sept tour I got the first and last hotels right away. If you call the office (or if someone from the staff pops in here) they may be able to tell you when you will be the first and last hotels. They may still be finalizing arrangements for next years' tours. You will get the rest of your hotels about a month out.
Your tour will start in Haarlem. I got there the night before the tour started and stayed in the tour hotel. I went in to Amsterdam on the train for the day but wished I had planned another day ahead to spend IN Haarlem. There are some very interesting things to see there.
I loved this tour! I had so much fun with the group, and the guide. The itinerary is fabulous. Be prepared to take the guide up on anything optional they organize. For instance, your day in Switzerland is a free day, but the guide will organize a trip up to the top of the Schilthorn if the weather is good and organize a hike on the other side of the valley if weather permits as well. The gondola rides are expensive but oh so worth it! The Switzerland day was my favorite day.
I did a Trip Report if you are interested in reading it.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/21-day-best-of-europe-8-26-14
Sorry...I can go on forever about this tour.
Oh, do go on! I love hearing about these types of things. I have to admit I'm a little nervous for whatever reason, but I am VERY excited at the same time! I am very much looking forward to it!
Sylvia
A little anxiety ahead I think is normal. What will it be like traveling with this group of strangers for 3 weeks? Will the food be good? Will I figure out what I want to do in my free time? How strenuous is this tour? Will I be able to find my way around in my free time? etc!!
Group travel - After your first couple of days you will know everyone's name and you will not be strangers. Be sure to print out your roster which will come about a month ahead with the list of the hotels other than the first and last which you will already have. Take that with you to the first meet-up as there will be introductions then. I usually try to make a few notes...where people are from, who is with whom, etc. I also try to talk to everyone and try to sit with different people for each meal. There are some really interesting and entertaining folks on these tours!
Food - I think the group meals are very good. I am a vegan so my expectations are probably lower than others but I've had some delicious meals. Right now, wishing for cooler weather, and remembering the vegan pumpkin soup the hotel in Reutte served me as a starter. Oh My Word. If you need restaurant recommendations for your free time the guide will be excellent about that!
Free time - In the cities you will usually start with a city walk and you can often decide what you want to come back and see. Take your guide book (tear out the sections for the areas you are visiting!) and flip thru it on the bus before you arrive at your next destination. Your guide will also have excellent suggestions on what to do if you are stuck.
Activity level - Believe Rick when he says a day is strenuous. I usually am very good about increasing my walking ahead of a tour and for this tour I was up to walking 10 miles 1 day a week and doing 4 miles 2 or 3 other days. That was probably overkill but I did not run out of energy! I would say you need to be able to walk 4 or 5 miles several days a week. I am leaving next week on a RS tour and it is so smoky here I have not been able to get my walking in. Even inside it is smoky. I will just make the best of it and it will all be fine!
Finding your way around - In each city your guide will do an orientation to the city and to transportation. At each hotel, as you get your key, pick up a business card from the desk and put it in your purse/pocket. You will also have a list from Rick that he encourages you to keep in your money belt. The hotels in the big cities like Venice, Florence, Rome and Paris all have big pads of maps at the front desk they will give you and they will mark the location of the hotel on it if you ask. I had them do this in Venice because that city confuses me!
Luggage - You do need to manage your own so it is good to pack light. In both Venice and Monterosso you leave the bus and take public transport to your hotel. In Venice, of course, it is vaporetto. In Monterosso you leave the bus in Levanto and take a train in to Monterosso. Both times I just packed a change of clothes and toiletries in my tote bag and left my suitcase on the bus so I didn't have to manage it off and on the boat/train.
Wow, went over the character limit so have to do another post!
Here's the rest of what I was thinking!
Packing light - Start now figuring looking at packing lists and thinking about your clothes and forming your own packing list. You will be at a transitional season for Switzerland so might need long sleeves but it will probably be warm in Italy. My basics are pack 2 pants/wear 1 (and you may need a pair of capris for Italy), pack 4 or 5 Short Sleeve shirts/wear 1, pack 1 cardie/wear 1, take a waterproof (not water resistant) jacket, pack 1 pr shoes/wear 1. Bring a light pair of gloves for Switzerland...I use Smartwool glove liners but if you live in a colder climate you will have liners. If you are in a warm climate, then you have time this winter to pick up some cheap light gloves from Target etc. I love the blog The Vivienne Files to get wardrobe ideas. You will want all your tops to match all your bottoms and you will want to limit your color palette. If you can't wear something 3 ways it does not make the cut! (for example 1 shirt that matches all 3 pants is good. If one shirt just goes with one pair of pants and 1 sweater, then it stays home and sulks in the closet while it's buddies are out having fun, lol!!)
You really got me started, lol!
I want to second the suggestion that you stay in the tour hotels. I did that on the Berlin/Prague/Vienna tour and was very pleased.
If by any chance you cannot stay in the tour hotel in Amsterdam, the Hotel Brouwer is where I stayed the last time I was in Amsterdam and I really liked it.
You can call or email the ETBD office. You ask them to send you the names of the first and last hotels.
Sometimes I received before years end and other times early in January of the next year.. I think you'll be fine waiting for the information. Meanwhile you can book your flights as you know your dates. There's a zillion places to hang your head for 1 night so I wouldn't be over concerned with that.
