Pillows on GAS tour

I guess it really depends on the hotels you end up in, but I would not expect anything different on this tour than you found in Italy -- thin pillows, thin mattress.

I've done the GAS tour and also have done 3 of Ricks tours that go to Italy. I have not found the flat pancake-type Italian pillows elsewhere in Europe including the GAS tour. I looked back in my pictures from that trip but the only hotel room shot I got was at the wonderful hotel in Hallstatt. It shows a big fluffy pillow.

What may be disconcerting is the "no top sheet" thing in this part of Europe. Just a duvet with a cover, usually. If it's warm many just take the cover off the duvet and use that for a sheet if needed.

I would expect a little better and fluffier on average, but again with the caveat that you're in three different countries and a variety of independent hotels, which aren't the same for every tour departure date. You'll receive info about your first and last hotel right after your booking is confirmed, and then the full list about 30 days before departure, if you want to explore photos on their web sites.

We had astonishingly poor pillows in the hotels for the Village Italy tour. When we prepared for the GAS tour, we purchased inflatable camping pillows. These compress to the size of a soda can or you can just pack them deflated and flat. They are plastic, so we just partially inflate them and use by slipping them into the pillowcase behind the real pillow. Better support and no sweating on the plastic pillows.
Happy travels!

Pillows are a big thing for me. Perhaps you could a buy some decent (but inexpensive) ones when you arrive in Italy that could then be taken with you from hotel to hotel. You could take some ready-to-toss old pillowcases that could double be used to pack dirties in for the trip home (or tossed). I regularly take an old pillow case for both the flight to and the flight back, in to which I stuff airline pillows or a soft plush jacket for use on the plane, unless I luck out and get a good deal on business class.

We sleep with an embarrassing number of pillows at home.

I just cannot sleep well when I have a case of FPS (funny pillow syndrome) or worse yet: not-much-to-this-one-pitiful-pillow syndrome. Sleep is important.

Everywhere we slept in Switzerland had awful pillows - a Best Western, a Hilton, and a private hotel in Murren. Very flat and no shape and even if you folded them in half, it still didn't feel like there was any substance to them. That is the only thing I can think of to complain about Switzerland, though, it was perfect in every other way! :)

I am a self defined pillow snob. For years now, while still packing light (using a RS bag), I have taken my own travel pillow to Europe. I have a thermarest compressible backpacking travel pillow...available on the internet. My wife made an appropriate sized pillow case. To say I love it is an understatement. I'd cry like a baby if I lost it. Leaving for Germany tomorrow.

Oh my! I love that someone brought this up because I sleep with 3-4 pillows and the thought of having enough pillows worries me. Most hotels usually give 2 pillows per person so my travel buddy only uses 1 pillow and I get her extra one so I have 3 pillows and I’m a happy camper. I’m going on the GAS tour in October and looking at various hotels in Germany and Austria, I’ve only seen one fluffy pillow per bed. I’m hoping I can request extra pillows once I get my hotel list. If not, I’m just going to buy an inflatable pillow and bring extra pillowcases.

I always travel with my fabulous (for me!) down travel pillow. A variety of options are available online either under travel pillows OR (surprisingly) crib pillows. It is easy to get colorful cases online, too; I wouldn't want to leave it behind! It packs flat in my carryon, adds practically no weight and doubles as a pillow on my flights.

Who knew that Rick needs to hire a Pillow Concierge for his "backpacker" tour guests! How do you feel about earplugs for open windows at night?

I think I will look into the travel size down pillow. Seems like they would be light and would squish down easy in luggage. In regards to the question about ear plugs and open windows. I sleep every night with ear plugs and open windows if I can. Worked for me in Italy most of the time.

Have travelled in Germany recently and simply asked the reception in each hotel to please send up more pillows to the room. No problems.

I agree that most hotels will readily supply you with extra pillows if you ask.

I personally have the same problem but the opposite way: I tend to find (German) hotel pillows way too large and fluffy for my taste. So sometimes I simply use a rolled-up sweater or something. In my car, I always have some extra pillows, but I wouldn't want to carry those on a plane trip.

The duvet issue is a different matter. Didn't Rick just have that in one of his recent radio shows? We Europeans hate to have our feet imprisoned in a tucked-in sheet. With a duvet, we can always stick out our knees or feet or whichever part of body happens to be too warm. :-)

How do you feel about earplugs for open windows at night?

I actually need them more when I close the windows. Many hotels (anywhere on the planet) have pretty thin walls, and I hate it when I can understand every word from the room next door or hear exactly what TV program they are watching.

But then, sensitivity to noise is a very subjective issue, and a freeway below my hotel window doesn't bother me nearly as much as room neighbors turning their TV up. :-)

Who knew that Rick needs to hire a Pillow Concierge for his "backpacker" tour guests!

If you go with the camping in the wild definition of backpacker, there are actually quite a number of good travel pillow options designed to take up a minimum amount of weight and space in that realm that can easily be brought on other types of trips.