Scheduling free time on a tour

Check with the RS tour office, they can give you the best info. After numerous tours, I believe we have always received the itinerary of our tour along with the hotels and tour members list, a month before the start date but even then the itinerary is very similar to what you find online now. I can tell you that things happen, be it weather, traffic, sick local guides, etc., times change…no tour runs exactly on schedule.

You are always free to opt out of a RS activity. The RS guide is working around museum closed days and local situational issues.
Have a great trip!

I realize I can opt out of activities but I would like to avoid that. I realize tours have a lot of moving parts and everything is not timed down to the minute. I was just looking for more advice along the lines of schedule a tour or activity after 5pm, etc. Good advice to reach out to RS office. Thanks

Just to add, if the itinerary said free afternoon, most likely we would be free by 1 but again, no guarantee. The itinerary will tell you if there is a group activity or dinner planned for the evening. I like to find good restaurants on free nights and have depended on that info. Again, calling their tour office is your most reliable source of info.

I have taken 11 Rick Steves tours, but not the Best of Europe. The itinerary that is posted in your tour account does not get any more detailed closer to the tour. However, the RS staff will attempt to give you more information by phone, keeping in mind that the tour guide has a certain amount of autonomy and may adjust the itinerary “on the ground.” I have found that the guides are very good about posting a daily schedule (usually the night before) and giving detailed information verbally as the tour proceeds. They also give a lot of guidance about free time, giving the group lots of suggestions and helping individuals with logistics. Sometimes they even organize an extra activity for those in the group who are interested.

I rarely plan anything specific in advance of the tour, with the exception of something like the Anne Frank museum that must be booked in advance. I I look at guidebooks and internet resources for ideas and simply make a list of things I might like to do. Once I’m actually on the tour and have a clearer idea about the pace and schedule of the tour, I have this list as a reference to plan my time on the go.

Since the BOE starts in Amsterdam, I would highly recommend that you add a couple days before the tour. This will give you the opportunity to schedule an Anne Frank visit, as well as other highly popular sites. (Arriving early also provides some protection from travel disruptions and gives you a chance to recover from a long flight.) An extra day or two at the end of the tour in Paris would also be wise. I know this already a long tour, but I have never regretted having extra time before or after the tour. If you can’t swing that, I would schedule something like Anne Frank as late as possible on a “free” afternoon/evening. Typically, Rick Steves tours have organized tours in the morning, sometimes a lunch, and then lets you loose in the early or mid-afternoon.

One last thing to keep in mind: RS tours can be quite fast-paced, and the BOE is most likely one of the fastest. Sometimes I find that I really just want free time to be ….well, free! Rather than being overly scheduled, an afternoon of just wandering a bit, or having a leisurely meal, or even doing laundry is just the ticket. By planning sparingly in advance for free time, I can make choices based on my mood, my energy, the weather, the guide’s suggestions, other travelers’ ideas, and more.