Newbie considering Spain tour 2016

Also, regarding the Seville airport. Is it best to get back to Barcelona by train for international return to US or do the major airlines have sufficient flights out of Seville without too many connections? thanks.

Are you asking about one of Steves' bus tours? Or bus tours in general???

We survive for four weeks or more on one carry one size bag. It is basically a matter of carefully choosing clothing items that correctly cross match and fabrics that are easy to care for - mostly synthetic or synthetic blends. And you do need to a little laundry (mostly a good raising) of underwear and shirts frequently. We have learned to do it every night so it is not a big burden later in the week. And then find a laundry every week to ten days for a good washing. It is learned behavior. Now, for us, it is second nature but for others is can be a real bother.

Just use one of the airline search engines to see your options from Seville.

Thank you. Steves in particular and groups in general. My brother raved about Steves tour but he can wear same clothes for a week. Just was concerned if there was time for laundry and drying time if use hotel sink. Trying also to balance if you will need a vacation after u return from the schedule?

I can address the question about pace of the RS tour vs. traveling on your own. I have done both. The RS itinerary is very well thought out. There is major sightseeing time, usually done at nonpeak times, to decrease the likelihood of running into the masses. You are likely to have a local guide to tell you all about the area you are visiting. There are some cultural insights that you gather that would be unlikely if you were on your own, such as having dinner prepared by members of a contrada in Sienna, Italy and hearing about the social structure of the city. If you travel on your own, you will need to buy entry tickets for the days you are there, find a local guide, research, etc.

Even though you need to rise and shine on the RS tour, it pays off. When we are on our own, we tend to relax, have a coffee, and wait around for our friends and relatives to get ready ... after all it is vacation! That is how we got stuck at Versailles during spring break with hoards of tourists and each one of us grouchier than the next. We much prefer the RS style of getting there early, especially if seeing sights is high on your wish list. We notice that we stay in better spirits.

RS tours sends you the itinerary when you sign up so you can plan some "alone" time away from the group. The members of the group are really a lot of fun and it is a treat to travel together. However, we made special plans for just the two of us to add a bit of romance to the mix. After all, it was our anniversary trip!
Once you are familiar with an area and sightseeing is not as high on your list, you may prefer to travel on your own, especially if you speak the language of the country and are willing to do the research.

Very helpful thanks

On the Spain Tour page, the more detailed description under "Itinerary" gives you a good idea of which activities are planned for morning or afternoon. Expect group morning activities to start around 8:00 for a longer bus ride or 9:00 for a city walking tour (all subject to the specific tour plan and to adjustment by the guide). If you have an "afternoon and evening free," then assume that starts by lunchtime (which is late in Spain). If you are arriving in a town where you'll stay the night, then standard procedure is to check into the hotel first thing, and normally have time to freshen up before dinner, if that's next on the agenda. Do watch the Tour Experience videos to get a better feel for this.

Laundromats are marked in your guidebook and your tour guide will normally remind you of points where full-service washing is available; these may be facilitated by the hotel or may be that the Laundromat is a short walk away. Hotel staff are always another resource for knowing what's closest.

I would not plan to return to Barcelona. The major air carriers should all have code-shared partners serving Seville.

If you haven't seen this thread, you might take a look. I believe there are some folks who had done some Tauck Tours as well as some Rick Steves' tours so their comparisons might help you decide.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/rs-tours-compared-to-other-tour-companies

I have not done the Spain tour, but I managed for 8 weeks last Fall with a RS 22" carry on. It was fine, but I don't mind sink washing. I do have clothes that dry usually overnight, but always over 2 nights. This is a mindset and there are lots of threads on the Packing forum that will give you all ideas. It IS a change in your approach and for me required some practice in shorter US trips.

A few thoughts on your questions........

• The RS tours tend to be somewhat "active" at times, but keep in mind that you can opt out of group activities if desired (ie: local walking tours). Just be sure to arrange that with the guide. A fair amount of free time is provided (afternoons, evenings and at least one free day). I've never found that free time interferes with sleep/rest time.
• I've always found that laundry facilities are available during tours, although not in every town. The guide will be able to provide information on that. Some laundry is self-service, while other facilities are service wash.
• I'm assuming you mean the average age of tour members? That's just about impossible to predict, but all tours seem to have a range of ages, although the majority will be "mature" travellers.
• I'm not entirely clear on the luggage question? On most tours, you won't see the Bus until you're ready to leave the departure city, a day or two after the tour starts. Larger luggage items are placed in the hold underneath the Bus, and smaller carry-on size items are kept in the passenger cabin. If the Bus stops for a local tour between cities, the luggage will stay on the Bus. When you arrive at each city, you'll haul your luggage into your hotel, and then haul it back to the Bus when you leave each city. When you reach the last city, you'll say "goodbye" to the Bus and spend your last day or two in the final tour hotel.
• I have no comments on Tauck or other tours. I've been very pleased with the RS tours, and can't imagine using any others.
• I don't use a "small carry on size bag" and manage quite well. You can take larger luggage items (within reason), but be aware that YOU will be the one carrying it, up five flights of stairs if necessary.

I normally use a "combination" method, combining time on my own with RS tours, and I find that I learn far more about local history and culture on tours, and they provide a much more interesting and rewarding travel experience. When travelling with a group, some flexibility is definitely an asset, as you'll have to follow the schedule. For example, DON'T be late for bus departures! The group meals are always fantastic (albeit somewhat "loud" at times) and you'll eat well. The groups are always no more than 28, so everybody has lots of room on the Buses. As Laura suggested, have a look at the tour experience videos to get some sense of what the tours are like.

One other point to mention. I find that it's a good idea to arrive in the tour departure city at least one day (preferably two) prior to the start of the tour. That provides some time to get over jet lag and visit a few sights that won't be covered on the tour. You will of course have to pay for the extra hotel nights on your own. I also like to stay at least a few extra days after tours end.

Good luck with your decision!

You do not have to reduce your luggage to carry on. There's enough room on the bus for a 24"-25" suitcase. You will have to get it on and off the train and from the bus to the hotel (and possibly up 2-3 flights of stairs) on your own. When your hotel is a long walk from the bus and/or are likely to have lots of stairs, pack an overnight bag (good idea for one nighters anyway)and leave your suitcase on the bus. Your guide will be able to tell you.

There are sure to be opportunities to use a drop-off pick-up laundry service on 2- and 3-nights stays (Madrid, Granada).

Sometimes the tour visits sights en route and your luggage stays on the bus.

The age range of RS tours is usually similar to that of cruises. The fitness level is higher. Expect everyone to have a friendly, positive attitude. I took a tour in early June, we had 3 kids who were 8-9 years old, 2 college students, and just about every age up to late 60's. Everyone got along well and had a good time.

Also consider the My Way Spain tour. It follows much the same route. Stay after the tour and spend more time in Seville or other towns in Andalusia and/or return to see more of Madrid (less than 3 hours by train) and fly home from there.

Afterthought - look at the scrapbooks from the Spain tours. It will give you a good idea of what to expect.

I can only answer the airport and luggage parts of the question, not having taken a RS tour.

Airport - Seville has a decent number of flights, and depending on airline and schedule, may work well. I have flown from Seville, as well as Granada. Both flights went from the smaller city to Madrid, then on to the US. If Seville doesn't work for your airline/times, go back to Madrid, not Barcelona. Madrid is a 2.5 hour fast train, fairly frequent. Barcelona is farther and takes longer. Since both Barcelona and Madrid will have good flights to the US, it makes more sense to go to the closer one!

Yes, you can live from a smaller bag. It will take some planning to look the way you want while using a small suitcase, but you don't need to wear the same clothes all the time. Mix and match, accessorize, and pack strategically and you will be fine. I actually find it a fun fashion activity to put together many cute outfits from 10 items of clothing, plus accessories. The compromise will be on shoes - 2 pairs, 3 if one is tiny folding flat or flip-flop. The Vivienne Files, herpackinglist, and travel fashion girl are all good blogs about packing somewhat lightly while traveling, while still looking nice.