walking on rick steve's trips

As Steve points out, the tour descriptions tell you how much walking is involved on various days - and you may well have to climb stairs, with your suitcase, to reach your hotel room. If you can start walking now, with a goal of getting up to 2 hours of walking [about 6 miles], then you should be in good shape especially if you can work some hills and stairs in as part of the workout.

Also, remember that you don't always have to do all the walking! My husband wasn't quite prepared for our tour, and he spent a couple of afternoons just sitting in a cafe, or heading back to the hotel for a nap, while the rest of the group raced around seeing the sights. He enjoyed the tour, but admitted that he would do a bit more preparation if we go on another one.

Not everyone agrees with Rick's description of 'strenuous.' In fact if you read Tour Feedback on your tour, many people comment that the walking was much less than they were led to believe. I would read the tour feedback section for the tours you are interested in and see if there are comments about the walking. Also a lot of tours include extended standing which some people have more problem with than walking. And, yes, some people choose not to do all the walking and the tour guides are very good about suggesting alternatives if you can't do everything. And, as the previous poster mentioned, not all hotels have elevators and you have to carry your bag.

I think Rick over-emphasizes the walking because it's better PR to have people say "oh the walking wasn't as bad as they led us to believe" than it is for them to say "I felt like we were on a death march!"

Rick sent out a tour survey a few months ago and slower-paced tours were one of the big items being researched & discussed so it is very possible we will see tours of that type offered in the next few years.

As the others have said, if it gets to be too much, you can always take a break from the group. You might also want to call ETBD and discuss the particular tour you are interested in with one of the staff members.

I have only taken on RS tour. The 14 Day Family Europe Tour.

The walking I would rate as light to moderate at most. There was one OPTIONAL walk that only one lady complained about ( through a lovely forest to Neuschwstein, can't spell it, but Cinderallas castle).. but she kept saying "oh I think this is too much for the children,," it was funny as the children were running ahead of us and having a ball..
There was the option to take the tour BUS to visit the castle, and only one lady took that option, as she hadn't packed any decent shoes( dummy).

In your case,, with your definate issues, I would take a city tour as you can always return to hotel when tired,, or continue at your own pace. Having bad knees is not easy in Europe,,there seem to be stairs everywhere. I wish you luck,, the tour was wonderful and we really enjoyed it.

I have never been on a Rick Steves' tour, but I too have had a knee replacement. Climbing stairs is difficult for me and standing for long periods of time. We are about to leave for Paris, and I have purchased a cane with a fold down seat - it's very light weight to carry, and I will be able to sit when I need to.

On the Paris city tour, the group travels by the metro to all sites, and many stations have a lot of stairs and involve quite a bit of walking. The Louvre involves alot of walking also, even if you don't see it all! Of course you can always opt out of activities, and just hang at a cafe but then you don't really need to be part of a tour -- nice though they are -- you might just want to get one of Rick's guidebooks and do a similar tour yourself withouth having the pressure of having to keep up with a group.

joyce,

I've been on four RS tours so far, and definitely planning another next year. Although I haven't had a knee replacement, I did suffer a traumatic knee injury a few years ago and after orthopaedic surgery, 3 months in a rigid splint and 2-3 months of physio I was able to travel again (I Backpacked Europe for two months to celebrate my recovery).

Although the walking may not always be as strenuous as stated in the tour literature, it's best to plan on the basis that it could be that difficult. I often find the standing listening to Museum tours is harder on my back and legs than actually walking. Some Museums have conveniently placed benches for guests to sit on.

As the others have mentioned, you'll also need to consider the fact that some RS Hotels only have stairs, so you'll need to allow for getting your luggage up to your room (hence the recommendation to "pack light"). Having said that, in my experience there's usually a "helper" available to assist those that are having trouble (either another tour member or one of the Hotel staff). However, no guarantees on that so plan on the basis that you may have to do the "heavy lifting".

Another point to keep in mind is that you're able to opt-out of some of the walking tours if you want. Just let the Guide know.

My best advice:

Speak to your Physician and ask his advice on whether you'll be capable of taking a tour. He knows your medical circumstances better than any of us on the HelpLine.

Do some light hiking around home several months before departure so that you can "condition" your knee to exercise.

Possibly buy a light weight Cane or walking stick (look at the products from Leki for one example), to allow you to take some of the weight off your injured leg.

I've encountered a few people on the tours that have had knee replacements, so it should be possible.

Good luck and happy travels!

if you know what tours you're considering, call the ETBD folks and I think they can tell you how much is involved. Note that RS stays in many smaller hotels, some without elevators. So you and your bag will need to go up stairs.

No one can advise you about your limits but you and your medical provider, but you can arm yourself with information ahead of time. Read the tour member feedback and call the RS office about the tours you are interested in. A city tour might be the best option since you stay in only one hotel and would have more flexibility about when to rest (otherwise, you're often just waiting on the bus for several hours).

From my experience, as prior posters have mentioned, it's not always the walking but the standing aspect that is the killer. I've done three RS tours (Italy, Ireland, Spain) and in most cases I would say the walking distances were over-stated, but the "strenuous" days sure did include a lot of standing in museums, on walking tours (walk a bit, stand a lot), and over uneven terrain (cobblestones, stairs, hills, etc.). I am fit and active, and only maybe 3 days out of all of all three tours did I feel exhausted at the end of the day (usually, it was my "free" day where I did way more than usual).

I think BG and Sharons posts had good points. The cane with a seat build in sounds like a really good idea,, and yes, as BG stated, the metros are not mobility impaired friendly,, the bus is a better option.
With that thought in mind, doing a tour may not be your best choice( and it pains me to say that as I do believe the RS tours are very good) but doing a holiday on your own seems alot wiser. You can pace yourself and take the transport options that will work best for you ( buses and taxis) . You can certainly take a few day tours with some other companies when you are feeling particularily fit, and rest on days when knee is sore.

Joyce - I have had both knees replaced and have been on 4 RS tours. We are doing another this Oct. I have had no problems with the walking on the tours. I usually take along a treking pole that telescopes down far enough to fit in my carry on size bag. My biggest problem with the new knees is going through security at the airport.

I've been on RS tours with people who had walking impairments. One man developed blisters on both feet. Others had bad knees. It is possible to arrive at the day's museum or hotel by taxi when the others are walking. If your travel partner agrees, they can carry or move luggage for both people. A tour member may choose to remain seated on the bus while others explore. I've done that. I've been sick on tours and stayed at the hotel while the others went about the day's activities.

I've been on only one RS tour and I will say that the guide was very helpful to a couple of tour members who had breathing or other physical trouble and could not do the more strenuous activities - there were options for cabs rather than walking up the hill or to meet the group. By the time of your tour will you be able to walk 2 miles on a flat surface? Will you be able to stand for 4 hours at a time? Amsterdam was a really long day for us but the walking was spread out and there were opportunities to sit and relex. I'm a little past prime and a little over in kilos, but had no problems. 'Strenuous' is relative and you have to be the judge of your comfort level. One of the tours that are geared to families may be a better paced option. Going and bypassing some sites is better than not going at all. It's worth calling the office and discussing with someone.

The comments from Pat from Canada were a bit judgmental and totally not representative of what to expect when you travel. I did that walk through the forest to the castle after being up all night coughing (as most of our group came down with colds at one point in the trip). I hiked the forest then took the bus up to the castle and did not feel the least bit badly about it nor was I the only one. The bus was there for a reason. The point is to do just what works for you and be happy!