RS Tour of Italy

Kathleen, I've been on six RS tours, and have NEVER had to "get up in the middle of the night to bring suitcases to the tour bus"! RS tours operate a bit differently than many of the other firms. The hours can sometimes vary a bit according to local conditions, but typically breakfast is from about 06:30 to 08:00 and then the Bus departs about 08:30. You're responsible for hauling your luggage to the Bus and then to your room. You may find it helpful to order the new Tour Experience DVD or you can watch the clips online at http://tours.ricksteves.com/tours/content/tour-experience-clips.cfm (these provide a good idea of what the tours are like). The RS Italy tour is one of the most popular, so I'd suggest booking as soon as you have your dates worked out. I'm sure you will REALLY enjoy it! Happy travels!

You will never be asked to be up in the middle of the night to 'bring your luggage down'. That's preposterous. Breakfast is typically available starting at about 7:00 or 7:30 AM (normal for most hotels that include breakfast). I have never seen the tour group asked to actually be ready to go out the door earlier than 8:30 AM. If it's a day when the group is departing from a hotel, you either bring your bag down when you come down for breakfast, or leave it in your room and go get it after eating breakfast. I eat a light breakfast so I typically go down for breakfast at 8:00 AM. There might have been one morning when we departed at 8:00 AM because the tour guide knew it was greatly to the group's benefit to get an earlier start that particular morning to beat the big anticipated crowds at a particular museum. She wanted to be sure we were among the first ones in, and it was well worth making that extra bit of effort that day.

Our first guided Europe tour was not with Rick Steves and we just had to have our bags outside our rooms by 7:30 and they would get picked up and put on the bus. We are taking our first RS tour this year and I have learned my lesson and I'm going to pack lighter. Felt sorry for the people that had to drag my extra large suitcase down to the bus.

I have to agree with my fellow Canuck on this one. After three Rick Steve's tour, crack of dawn is somewhere after 7..7:30.. or even 8:00 am. Since YOU are your own porter, your bag will arrive when you do. We are going on another Italian RS tour in September. Got a smaller bag this time. Looking forward to it! I'm sure you will enjoy yours as well.

I have been on two RS bus tours and we never had to get up in the middle of the nite to take our suitcases to the bus. You usually have breakfast and the tour guide will tell you what time you need to be at the bus. You then get your suitcase and bring it to the bus after breakfast. They tell you a specific time so that you are there and the bus driver loads the suitcases on and you get on the bus. Very well organized. You need to be able to get your suitcase up and down stairs, so allow yourself time for that, and you will have to bring your suitcase to the bus as the driver will not always be able to park in front of the hotel or B&B. I agree with Ken's time frame, but it is not a lot of work if you are fit enough to carry or roll your suitcase from the hotel to the bus. And most of the tours have a two nite stay for most of the trip which is nice. And on the one nite stays sometimes, I just take what I need and put it in my bag and not take my suitcase into the hotel.
I have never gotten up at 5AM on a tour.

Thank you all for your replies! You have greatly relieved me. Now I will continue with making tour plans. :-)

There isn't a RS Italy tour that won't completely knock your socks off. If what you've read about the RS tour style of travel on the website sounds like your style and resonates with you, you will have a fabulous time, meeting great guides and fellow travelers, enjoying wonderful camaraderie, and getting hooked! As soon as I finish one trip, I'm looking forward to and planning for the next. This type of travel is perfect for me at this time of my life. I hope you have a great time!

Yes, the NOT 'setting luggage in the hallway while still dark out' is one of many things that sets RS tours apart from some of the big bus tours :-( And sorry, but I'm not leaving my luggage on the sidewalk while I'm inside, getting the keys to my room...waiting for my luggage to hopefully be delivered to my room. Been there (once), done that. Me no likey. Because I'm feeling generous today :-) I'll make a clickable link of Ken's suggestion: Tour Experience Video. Do enlarge the video to fill the screen; send me a PM if you need directions how to do that.

On my recent Heart of Italy, we could place our bags in the lobby of the hotel in Monterosso at 715 to get them picked up by a van for transport to the bus in Levanto. You also had the option of carrying your bag yourself on the train from Monterosso. We did need to leave the hotel at 750 to make the 8 oclock-ish train departure but it was no hardship.