Tour or not to Tour for your 1st trip to Italy...?

Have no idea who told you that people on Rick Steves' tours stays in hostels and shares baths, but they are wrong.

He has gone to great lenghts through research and hasactually stay in the hotels that are used on his tours.

I am sure you will receive many many responses to your post.

Here is a link to his Best of Italy in 17 days tour:

http://tours.ricksteves.com/tours10/product.cfm/rurl/code/ita10/215

There has been wonderful feed-back from people that have taken his tours.

Laura,

As the others have said, I think you've received some incorrect information regarding RS tours. Here's what Rick says on the subject:

"Often quaint (sometimes creaky), and full of personality, they are run by Europeans who are also our friends. "Shared facilities" have all but disappeared from European hotels, so there's about a 98% chance your room will include a private bath. However, there will still be stairs — hundreds of them. Many of our hotels don't have elevators...one more reason to pack light and be in good shape."

After several RS tours, I've found the rooms were all very comfortable and clean. However, these aren't a Sheraton or other five-star property, and the bathrooms sometimes feature the European 3 x 3 shower enclosure. If you want five-star North American style facilities, you'll probably pay more than with a RS tour.

Although I've never taken one of the "Big Bus tours", I very much doubt that the experience would be as rewarding or interesting as on a RS tour. Rick's Guides are outstanding and all highly qualified (the Guide on my recent tour of France had a Master's degree in French Art & History and spoke five languages!). Also, unlike many tours Rick pays his Guides and Drivers well, so NO extra Gratuities are required or encouraged!

You might want to order a copy of the free tour DVD and Tour Book, so that you'll at least be making a decision based on accurate facts. RS tours tend to appeal to the more energetic and inquisitive and tend to show more of the local culture.

As this is your first trip to Europe and your first trip to Italy, I can't think of a better first experience than on a RS tour!

Good luck and happy travels!

The ONLY tour in Europe I would ever even consider and go on would be a Rick Steves Tour! You'll have a better understanding of ETBD Tours if you get the Rick's Tours DVD then you'll be able to decide if it's right for you.

Laura, we've been on two RS tours...super hotels with no shared baths...those RS tours of old are gone with the wind. You would LOVE the RS tours....SSSOOOOOO much fun, with really fun and friendly people. At least that's our experience. Check out all the feedback online. We spent our 34th anniv in Rome with our new RS tour buddies, had a ball. I would not choose a tour with more than a couple dozen in the group.

Having been a tour director on the big bus tours, I'll try to help with some generic thoughts.

Your first question is: should you tour or not. That depends on you. If you like traveling with others, on a set schedule and having most of the planning done for you, then a tour is right for you. If you prefer to do your own homework, see things on your own time, and don't feel like being led around, then a tour is not for you.

If you decide to take a tour, make sure you ask the following questions:

1) Is the tour given only in English. Some tour companies actually conduct tours in 2-3 languages simultaneously.

2) Where are the hotels located? Are they in town, out of town, in a different country?

3) What's included and what isn't? With some companies a lot of sightseeing is optional--you pay extra.

4) Is the tour going where you want to go?

5) What's the average age of the group? You didn't say how old you are but big bus tours tend to skew 50+...and the longer the tour, the higher the average age.

6) Are you an early riser? Most tours start out early in the morning?

Those of just some of the questions to ask yourself and the tour company.

There is another option you didn't mention: a mixture of the two.

You could make your own hotel and transportation reservations, and then take local tours or hire a local guide. A local guide, while more expensive, will let you see more than an organized local tour because it will be customized for you. However, a local group tour would be cheaper.

Those are the first things I would think about. Ask yourself what kind of traveler you are. And if you have any more questions,, feel free to PM me.

A couple of notes about tour brochures...make sure you know the lingo. If it says you "see" something, it means you see it as the coach drives by. If it says "visit" it means you actually stop, get off the coach, and spend time there.

If something is an option or an optional, there is a fee for it if you want to take part.

Frank's advice about English speaking tours is very important. This summer we scheduled an independent tour company for a day trip outside of Amsterdam. The guide translated everything in English and then 4 other languages! We have never experienced anything like that. While I was impressed with his mastery of so many languages, his accent was the same so we were never sure when he was actually speaking English. It made for a very long day because we were captive on the bus.

Something to consider, which hasn't been mentioned, is do you want to spend your anniversary trip with a group of other people? You'll have your own room, and a little time to wander off by yourselves, but most of your time and your meals are going to be spent with the group.

I've taken a bus tour and don't want to again.

The first big advantage to a bus tour is you don't have to do any planning. Your rooms, transportation, many meals and siteseeing are planned for you. I like to plan and pick my own siteseeing priorities, however, so it's not for me.

The second big advantage is you stay in American style hotels. I prefer to save money on lodging and spend it on siteseeing and entertainment.

The third "advantage" of bus touring is you will never miss a meal. The tour I went on catered to seniors, they will miss a major site if it interrupts regular meal times. I'm the opposite; I'll gladly miss a meal to see a major site.

There is also lots of shopping time allocated at tourist traps. As an example, we spent three hours at Gretna(?) Green for lunch and shopping. It's a kitschy tourist trap that was a famous place to elope in it's day. After our really long stop that wasn't interesting at all (to me), we only had time to stop for a minute (literally) in the parking lot of Jedburgh Abbey.

What is your age? What age group do you prefer to tour with? The one I went on was with my mother and there was only one other non-retiree on the trip - the very gay son of another woman. The senior women kept suggesting that we should have a lot in common. There are tours that cater to different age groups. Make sure you pick the one you want to be on.

Don't assume any more than the brochure specifically says. If the brochure says see Windsor Castle, that's what you will do - drive by in the bus and "see" it. If it says "a stop" at Jedburgh Abbey, that's what you get. If it doesn't say tour, you won't.

Optional means additional cost. Make sure you understand that nothing optional is included in the price. Check prices ahead of time for the options you think are worth purchasing. It's similar to a cruise in this regard.

Under Rick Steves Bus Tour Self Defense....I find the questions in the first part to be good.

However, in the latter part, he makes non-Rick Steves tour guides seem like vultures who only care about squeezing every dollar out of a passenger or wanting them to just follow orders.

Like any industry, there are a few bad ones. But the majority were nothing like that.

Examples: He says independent type travelers tend to threaten guides. Not true. It's easier to please an independent type tourist than one that has no clue.
Nor are we scared of the "informed tourist" with a guidebook, which, by the way, we never called them. Like the independent, this person knows what he wants and it's easier to please.

Regarding shopping, I don't know any reputable tour guide who will try to stop you from sightseeing on your own, or shopping on your own, instead of going to the planned shopping sight.

The real reason we're concerned about passengers wandering off during planned visits is sticking to the schedule. We have a lot to do each day and know how long it will take. If people are late or get lost, it's a headache for us and once you get behind it's very difficult to catch up. And that hurts the entire group.

At the end of every tour, each passenger is asked to fill out an evaluation of the tour and tour director. If a tour director had more than one tour with negative comments, he or she would probably be out of a job. I've seen it happen.

Remember, please, that Rick Steves sells tours and in a sense is in competition with the other tour companies.(Plus he hasn't led a non-RS tour in over 30 years.) Of course he's going to make them sound bad. But if people stick to reputable tour companies, with good reviews, they will do fine.

And as Brad mentioned, age has a lot to do with it. If the tour is geared towards an "older" crowd, it will be at a much slower pace than one for a younger group.

It's a good idea to find out exactly where the hotels are where you will be staying. A friend was considering a non-RS tour; I went to their website and saw that their Paris hotel was at La Defense and not central Paris. This sort of hotel placement makes it more difficult for travelers to go out on their own. The RS tours stay at central hotels, so tour members can often walk around the city.

There was one overnight stay in rural France on a RS tour years ago where some of us did share a bath. And another time in Vernazza. All other accommodations on the 7 tours I took were en-suite.

An important issue is luggage. If you take a tour with one of the big-bus companies, they may allow you as much luggage as you can imagine. Those companies may put you up in large, American-style hotels. You may have elevators in these hotels. This is important for some people.

RS admits that his tours are "not for everybody." Consider what will work for you.

I want to thank everyone that has offered their insight and advise on my question. It is a lot to think about and consider. Like age - My husband and I are in our mid-40's and I would say somewhat active. We enjoy walking, biking, swimming...etc. The type of travelers that we have been over these past 15 years are ones that book every thing as "all-inclusive" as possible. We have enjoyed each vacation part in fact that we can take a "vacation from money". If everything is paid up front to include transportation, rooms, meals and activites/tours, that just leaves time for shopping. And not counting your dollars everyday to see where you are and how to budget your trip until the end.

I believe that we are looking for a somewhat small group to tour with (16-20) that like to have a good time no matter what is going on around them and ones that are active and can keep up with each other. Most tours that I have read other than RS don't even mention the amount of walking done each day or apprx. how many miles will be covered by foot.

I will keep digging and consider all the pro/cons of each tour. Any more comments or replies, I would greatly appreciate!

Laura,
You mentioned that you like biking. If you are going in spring or summer, you might want to check out some bycycle tours. I have done several European bike tours with different tour companies. Send me a private message if you'd like info.

Hi Laura,

My husband and I have travelled to Europe well over a dozen times. We always do it on our own. We are in our early 60's now and pretty intrepid and experienced. We have wonderful memories. We have made mistakes along the way such as getting lost, people trying to scam us, etc. but that's what makes the trip memorable. Granted it takes more planning but (for me) that's half the fun. Get some good guidebooks (RS and Lonely Planet are my favorites) and educate yourself as to logistics, what to see, where to eat, tourist scams, time consideratins, etc. I will admit to taking a day tour here and there when it is expedient i.e. the site that I want to see is not accessible by public transportation and renting a car for a day is a pain in the neck. But that's not very often. You can do it on your own and you will enjoy it more. This blog, Thorntree (Lonely Planet), Tripadviser and others are great resources if you have questions. We went to Italy in 2001 and loved it. We used public transportation (15 day trip) from Venice to the Amalfi Coast and rented a car for one day to tour the Tuscan countryside. The rest was planes, trains and boats. Shopping is not a huge concern for me as I only buy (other than postcards and books specific to a site) something for my granddaughter on our trips - any other shopping is irrelevant. The memories of your trip will last longer than anything you could buy.

In 2004 I booked a tour to Eastern Europe and the company cancelled it due to lack of participation. This I only found out through message boards with other participants. I then had to make many phone calls to confirm. In the end we did a similar itinerary independently. Now we would never book a tour.

All that said, I do enjoy a one-day bus tour once or twice on a trip. It can be nice to sit back and let someone else do the driving for a day. From Rome we did a GreenLine tour of Orvieto and Assisi. These you can generally book from the desk of your hotel after you arrive.

Here's more food for thought...I have taken big bus tours with other companies over the years (but not the ones you mentioned above) as well as a RS Italy tour. Many others have already explained about the hotels/bathrooms. No worries there re: Rick's tours. (Actually, I LOVED most of the hotels he used b/c they were so quaint and the staff was always so friendly.)

Now specifically about the RS Italy tour I took: I took the Village Italy Tour (14 days) in the summer of 08. I really enjoyed this tour in particular b/c it took us to more small cities and very small towns(Orvieto was AWESOME). I really felt I was 'part' of Italy!!!!

I also loved this tour b/c on most of the days that we were actually on the bus, the bus rides themselves weren't that long (maybe 1 1/2 - 2 hours) because the small cities and villages were somewhat close together. There were a few exceptions of course (like when we left the Cinque Terre and went north to the Lakes region), but DURING the tour, I didn't feel like we were riding around on the bus all day long. This would be something to consider when checking out Rick's other Italy tours - they may have more bus time (I'm not sure). I would highly recommend this tour! I LOVED IT!!

Since it's your first time to Italy and you will probably want to see Rome/Florence/Venice, I suggest adding one or more of these cities on at the beginning or end of the tour. That way, you can have some time to yourself, if you'd like. Or, if you were going to pick this as your RS Tour, I would try not to go in the summer time, b/c of the crowds.

In terms of the group makeup, on my tour we had a range from college age (family with 2 daughters) to the mid 60s. I'm in my late 30s and there were a few other people close to my age and most of the tour members were probably in their 50s. Quite an active group of fun people!

If you have more questions about this tour (or whatever), feel free to pm me! ENJOY!!

Laura,, I think the RS tours are quite a bit different from most "big bus " tours. I have only ever taken one, a RS Family tour,, but we were not rushed, we got a fair amount of free time, and the earliest we had to leave was about 815 or 8:30 ,, and often not till 9 .. which I thought was fair. I didn't spend thousands of dollars to lay in bed all morning and see nothing! We had 28 people on our tour, which was the limit,, but had a huge bus ,, loved that..always got a seat alone( kids all sat together in back of bus) .

I thought our tour was great in that there was virtually no nickel and diming.The only thing I remember paying extra for,, in the 13 days, was the gondola ride in Venice.Of course, not every meal is included, but its not like you are with the group all the time so why would you want every meal together.

I think your age is a non issue, the tour attracts an active traveller, wimps do not want to carry their own luggage or go for long walks,, RS tours do not cater to wimps,, of any age.,. which was great!

Anyways,, you could easily do this trip on your own,, IF you care to,, and there is nothing wrong with doing a tour if you decide that is how you would like to do it,, I just think you need to realize that all tours are NOT equal.. and the RS tours are different then alot.. ( PS all our hotels were nice, and we never shared a washroom!! )

We usually like to do our own thing for travel, but did an escorted tour in Greece this year because it pretty much looked like I had planned it myself. However, on Santorini we broke away from the group 1) to have a few together-alone days and 2) to stay in a spectacular place with a spectacular view. We were there for 3 nites, so it was a great decision on our part, even tho expensive. Tours can be excellent, but you do have options within the tour framework, so you might be able to combine both areas to "customize" your trip.

Hi Laura,

One reminder about the costs. Rick's tours DO NOT include airfare, as it would be impossible to arrange. Many tour members either arrive early or stay late, so when doing your calculating, don't forget that for RS it's: tour price + airfare. But once you've paid, you're done. Other companies usually include the airfare, but you must pay for optionals and incidentals (plus you are less flexible on traveling before/after the tour, because the company arranges your flights for you).

Also, I've answered your other questions on private messaging. :)