Stupid Roman Question

Jim, that would be an excellent way of introducing yourself to the joys of travel. I’ve done the Rome tour twice and have taken 14 tours in total. I felt confident enough after what I learned to take quite a few solo trips and learned I had nothing to fear. You’ll learn about how to travel from guides and your fellow tour mates. The more you travel, the more confidence you will have. Don’t be afraid.

I’m now 74 and began traveling in 2000. Other than the Rick Steves’ Tours, I’ve traveled independently to Germany, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Italy, France, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal beginning in 2003. I speak English, very little German and know a few Italian and French phrases. Unexpected things have happened and you just deal with them as well as you can. Some problems you’ll solve, some you won’t, some will become epic tales you share with friends and family. When you board the plane, leave your fears at home. You won’t need them.

Happy travels!

Dale Carnegie said it best. "Stop worrying and start living!"

Sure, take the RS Best of Rome tour. Then you will find out that English has become the world wide international language, and is widely spoken there. Its how Italian engineers communicate with Finnish architects and Dutch computer programmers.

German will certainly help in Bayreuth, where they don't use those super-title translations. Wagner would not have approved. But if it is on your bucket list, go. And don't call Brunhilde "screechy" :-)

In my experience, that is absolutely how it works with the Rick Steves tours!

I traveled some to Europe in the 70’s and 80’s but was very rusty when I had the opportunity to travel again a few years ago. One of the reasons I chose Rick’s tours is that learning travel skills was very attractive to me. On the first night in Rome on the Heart of Italy tour the guide gave us a transportation lesson and we took the bus to the city center for a walk and dinner.

Now, because of what the guides have taught me I do both independent and group travel. I generally go solo and it works well for me to bookend independent time around a tour. I’ve done 8 RS tours with more to come.

I’ll also tell you they are perfect for a solo traveler. There is a nice combo of group and free time.

BTW... I have very dismal language skills. I am just missing the chip that makes languages easy to learn. I can do the niceties in French and a little in Italian but after that it’s the phrase book and gestures.

I will also say I usually sound like a shill for Rick but really it’s just because I have so much fun on the tours!!

U have established that u want to travel and learn and to go forward with a tour is wonderful. English will take you far in travel so do not worry about language.
U will quickly see how easy it is. May I suggest u think about traveling to london also. A great city with lots to see that includes alot of history, yes all in English.

The problem with Bayreuth festival are not screechy sopranos, it is that the waiting list to get tickets may be several years long. Salzburg festival is much easier.

You might be able score tickets to a single opera at Bayreuth, but it did take me 3 years to score Ring tickets and did have to join the Friends of Bayreuth Society. When I got there, I found out that Wotan was mafia kingpin and crocodiles crawl around Alexanderplatz under the World Clock.

I don't know Italian and even after several visits, I've only managed to learn a few basic phrases of politeness. The only time I ran into a dilemma was in Sicily and knowing conversational French saved the day. I freely admit that the dilemma was created by my own lack of planning and bad assumptions, and that if I'd had a phone, I could have solved the problem on my own. People were incredibly helpful and even went well out of their way to help me to a solution. I found that attitude prevailed all over Italy. There's no reason to think you'll run into big problems, but there's every reason to think that if you stay calm and seek help, you will be able to solve any difficulties.

Taking an RS tour is a great way to start your European adventures. You are likely to find it is a lot easier than you can imagine. My recommendation is to get a copy of Rick's Europe through the Back Door and read it before you go. It will give you a much better idea of what to expect and how to avoid problems, and, of course, how to prepare for your trip.

I think travel to Westen Europe (and many other places) is much easier than you are worried about. But, of course, the only way for you to know that is to do it. If taking a tour will help you feel comfortable then by all means go! I think you will enjoy it, and also see that there’s nothing to be worried about. In future trips you will more comfortable going alone, or maybe you will prefer tours anyway and do more out of preference.

Language really isn’t a barrier. English is everywhere, so knowing the basic politeness phrases is enough. Of course knowing more is helpful in having full conversations, but not necessary for daily activities.

I agree with the suggestion of getting the Europe Through The Back Door book. The first half to 3/4 of it are Travel skills - and seeing how it’s done may ease your mind. Rick Steves also did a Travel skills tv show (2 or 3 episodes on PBS?) a few years ago. If you can get ahold of that it could also help. It’s on Hulu if you have that, otherwise maybe PBS? Not sure.

I have been to 72 countries and most of Europe. I took Spanish in college, but was never fluent. I lived in Germany for four years and learned a bit of conversational German.
Still, nowhere have I had a problem communicating when I needed to do so. I have a small phrase book with about 20 European languages and key words and phrases.
However, I rarely have need to use the book. In most European countries, there are enough people that speak English.

If there's a "stupid" about any of this (and there's not), it's being frightened of Italy. :O)

We don't speak Italian either, other than a few manner phrases we've learned, haven't taken a tour, and have yet to have a problem. It's highly advised to do some homework in advance so that you have an idea how things work, such as taking trains, which attractions to pre-order tickets for and whatnot, but it's generally a very tourist-friendly country.

But an RS tour sounds like a great place for you to get your feet wet and build your confidence. There's reassurance in being in the company of others, and you'll have assistance with some of the how-things-work stuff. For a lot of your how/what/where/when questions prior to the trip? That's what this forum is for, and you'll be in good company so ask away!

PS: we did Paris solo as well, and did fine there too with my pathetically little French, almost limited to "croissant", "oui" and "crepe", and all pronounced incorrectly, I'm sure. The Parisians were probably horrified.

Good for you, jimcurzq, for asking the questions and taking the leap! One more fantastic place to start is Rick Steve's book, "Europe Through the Back Door." It may help build your confidence that you, like so many of us who are also "not very young" can do this - and even do this independently! At 63, I just returned from two weeks in Italy (traveling with a friend who speaks NO Italian), and found that my handful of "tourist Italian phrases" were sufficient, and certainly the polite way to navigate much of Italy, AND that most of the Italians that we encounter in our travels will speak more English than many of us do Italian.

Just do it. If you don't, you'll always wonder if it would have changed your life. Absolutely you will learn travel skills. Read Europe through the Back Door and you'll be well prepared.

Your idea of taking a RS tour to Rome (or anywhere for that matter) in order to get your feet wet and start to assimilate skills for independent travel is excellent! Go for it!!

"PS: we did Paris solo as well, and did fine there too with my pathetically little French, almost limited to "croissant", "oui" and "crepe", and all pronounced incorrectly, I'm sure. The Parisians were probably horrified."

Kathy! So funny! I do find when I try to plow thru some sort of question in French or Italian using a phrase book or my limited vocabulary that the response is often in English. I am sure my pronunciations are wildly incorrect but I think it gives you some credit rather than just plunging in to English and assuming people will understand.

To the OP....you can generally count on young people having had English in school so are usually helpful if you can't figure something out.

I think a tour is a decent fallback, but I don't think it will give you "resilience in meeting unknown problems" because someone else is basically doing all the work and handholding for you (and resolving potential problems so you don't have to). I would encourage you to at least contemplate an independent trip. If you are insecure about Italian, you can always take classes and learn beforehand, right? I took 2 years of Italian and felt totally comfortable to strike out on my own in my 20s. Fear is a huge barrier but it sounds like "fear of the unknown" (and maybe some language ability) is your only barrier. Once you start getting the hang of basic Italian phrases, I guarantee that your confidence will improve. Once you start actually planning your trip and visualizing having a successful & fun-filled trip, your confidence will improve as well. There will always be a "first trip" where you'll be tested but you only build confidence/resilience with practice. If you feel like a tour is really the only way you'll be swayed, by all means just go for it...it's not a bad idea, but not the only option.

Kathy! So funny! I do find when I try to plow thru some sort of
question in French or Italian using a phrase book or my limited
vocabulary that the response is often in English.

And I am always relieved. At least Italian sort of sounds (sort of) like it looks and is somewhat similar to Spanish. French?

"So who the heck is Dennis?"
"Dennis?"
"Oui, that saint with his head gone missing. Saint Dennis, with the church, don'tcha know."

Weighing in on the foreign language aspect of this all, there are two apps for your phone which should really give you some confidence. These are "Speak and Translate" and "Google Translate." If you are a luddite, I suggest you invest in this pamphlet, which is a card that allows you to point to pictures of things you need/want. A great resource.

https://www.amazon.com/Translator-Communication-Language-Dictionary-International/dp/B01MTXCSY9/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01MTXCSY9&pd_rd_r=ZREW0PMPCFWTP2HSV2ZE&pd_rd_w=IiEIZ&pd_rd_wg=5Eajo&psc=1&refRID=ZREW0PMPCFWTP2HSV2ZE

Rick's video lectures can be viewed on this website.

As can his TV shows.

This webpage also has links to his podcasts, blogs, etc. It's a one-stop shop.

Doing things for the first time is always a little bit scary, but be assured that independent travelling has never been easier.
English is quickly becoming Europe's lingua franca. The doctor in an Italian hospital probably won't speak it, but the waitress in some Polish provincial town does.
The Internet gives you a wealth of useful tools:
A few years ago I discovered Forvo, a site on which native speakers give the pronunciation of thousands of words of all those interesting, but incomprehensible langu, including an amazing number of place names.
The German Railways have a pan-European train planner, covering almost every connection from high-speed international trains to local trains in the middle of nowhere.
My favourite OpenStreetMap gives incredible detailed topographical information of almost all Europe.
WIth sites like Booking.com selection and booking of hotels have become easy and reliable.
Wikipedia gives a wealth of information about cities and places which somehow attract your attention.
And... most people are most willing to help you if need be.

"Magical thinking." - you could say that Jim.

""Magical thinking." - you could say that Jim."

What part is magical thinking, Gundersen? I did find the Rick Steves tour guides taught me travel skills and that yes, I am now good with venturing out on my own. Has this not been your experience on a Rick Steves tour?

Pam, I have never been on a Rick Steves tour, nor a tour of any kind. And yes, you are right, there is no "magical thinking" involved when one is seriously thinking of travel, either in an organised form or on one's own.

Taking a Rome tour to "get your feet wet" and learn some travel skills sounds like an excellent idea. I would also suggest, if you're willing and able, that you also plan 2-3 days on your own before and perhaps also after your tour - you could spend them somewhere quieter than Rome. The 'before' days would help you get over jet lag, and the 'after' days would let you decompress and also put your new-found skills to use.

If you know English that’s all you need in Europe. Not everybody speaks English there but all the people who must interact with tourists (hotel staff, sales staff, restaurant staff, etc.) do and so does the vast majority of people who grew up in the internet era. I don’t think there are too many people under the age of 30 or 35 who don’t speak English.

There is nothing to fear In traveling but fear itself.

I am now in my mid 70’s and I have traveled most of my life, usually by myself. If I didn’t go by myself, I probably wouldn’t have gone anywhere, including emigrating from the UK to Canada in my 20’s as a single woman. I also lived in Libya for four interesting years! You will have heard the phrase, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step......take that first step and the world will open up to you! Good luck. Rome is a great place to start...amazing city, friendly people.

I am one of those ugly Americans who doesn't speak a foreign language. I have been to Europe 11 times(3 on tours) and my language inability has only been a problem on a few occasions. If I were you, I would save my tour dollars for trips involving more than one city. Tours are more efficient in your use of time when traveling from city to city and transportation between cities can sometimes be one of the more difficult things you do on a trip(partly due to the need to carry your luggage). If you just want to go to Rome, Rick Steves country and city books give excellent detailed information about travel.
With regards to your fear of unknown problems, be sure you have cash in the local currency in a safe place and a card with the address of your hotel and a phone with the number of the cab company and you can always spend your way back to your hotel if you get lost in a foreign city. The "some ability in French" that you have will take you far in France as they will appreciate your efforts to speak their language. The first time I ever went to Europe, I was able to navigate the subway system to get back to my hotel from the Louvre by myself and I don't speak any French, so you can definitely handle France!

I would also say that some people like the planning of trips and maneuvering in a foreign country and others do not. We have friends who have been to Europe a dozen times and always take a tour. Neither wants to plan a trip. They both enjoy going.

Beth

My only comment is that, if you take a 7-day Rome tour, you will wish you had taken a longer one Definitely consider a longer tour or two tours back-to-back or going for a few days ahead of your tour and staying for a few days after, as someone else suggested. Once you've paid the airfare, you need to enjoy more of Europe!