Anything I should bring on a RS tour that I didn’t need for independent trips?

Good question, Jean, thanks! I'm going on my very first RS tour in three weeks (My Way France) after 20 independent trips. I don't know what I don't know!

On many RS tours they use the "whisper-guides" where the guide has a microphone and everyone carries a receiver. They'll give you a disposable earpiece but if you have your own (such as a more comfortable one made of silicone) you can bring that and use it instead. I have one that I use in the gym when exercising that I bring. I don't remember the jack size but its the standard jack that plugs into a phone.

Prior to your trip they'll let you know the complete hotel list and a list of the travelers is available on your tour account. I've found it handy to print these out at home and bring along.

Jean, when and where, if I may ask? I found a neck pillow was nice for the bus rides.

I haven't done a RS tour, but recently did 2 in India. For the bus, I took a bag - your choice: backpack, tote or shopping bag - and in that I had scarf or sweater for church use on shoulders or for cold buses. It can also double as a neck pillow if long trips and there is a post lunch nap. Umbrella, or rain jacket. I also am an advocate of reusable water bottles when the water is potable. There are numerous on the market that roll or crunch up when not full of water. I don't need cold water to quench my thirst, so whatever there is, is what I drink. I also had buses with charging ports, so carried my charging cords (including the plug head). I did find a zip top bag would be better so things don't fall out.
Particularly for long walking and standing days, I like an electrolyte supplement. There are numerous on the market - but know that Gaterade isn't allowed in a number of countries, so NUUM seems to be the easiest. they can be broken in half for smaller water bottles. That isn't particularly different to independent travel for me, but if you will have longer prolonged days than you are used to, then you might care.

Take the guidebook they send (or at least the parts on the places you will visit) with you. This will help you identify places to eat and sights to visit in your free time.

I (or my roommate) was glad to have these on our tour:

A wired headset so that when the tour-provided one stopped working, she didn't have to stick to our guide's side to hear

A travel power strip so that we could plug in 2 cellphones and 2 Whisper devices and 1 tablet

Hi Janet, this will be my 4th RS tour. It’s how my husband & I traveled in Europe at first, and we really thought the tours were well run, so interesting & fun!

Hi John, oh yes, thanks for the reminder to make sure I have each hotel and their address kept in my purse to know where to return in the evening! I usually try to pick a hotel near the town’s cathedral to make it easier to find as I wander during the day. These won’t be that way.

The list of names will be handy to jot down a note as they’re being introduced to try for some word associations to learn everyone’s name quickly.

Hi Pat, I’m doing the Best of the Adriatic early Summer. : )

Jean, I’ve been doing a mental rundown of everything in my suitcase to think if I pack anything different for a RS tour than independent travel. The answer is that I pack the same.

I know I bring my 'I am part of an organized tour' attitude and sensibility and am ready to take pics of guide's card/contact info as available and the posted day's itinerary for awareness of the schedule. I am prompt and on-time as requested and take the buddy system seriously. Side bar: funny-if-somewhat-horrifying story; on BAM tour, having our group boarded back on the bus from the Madrid monument locale we'd just enjoyed, not only the buddy but the spouse, too, did not speak up until after driving off that a tour member was missing! I know to bring up and talk (privately) with the guide if there is a situation I need addressed. I am inclusive and amiable with the guide, other members and the bus driver and try to offer a helping hand whenever I can. I make myself consciously lose my standard oversized 'personal space' boundary and attempt to have a zen "laissez les bons temps rouler" vibe when involved in queuing or crowded environs. Please, report back on this tour, I trust it is going to be fabulous and memorable.

Jean, Dramamine and/or motion sickness wrist bands are very handy when the bus is driving on twisty roads.

As you probably remember, the bus driver has water you can buy or they did so on the two tours I’ve taken. I’m adding a small water bottle with a wrist strap this trip which I think will be easier to carry around and can clip to my extra small Travelon purse. Living in AZ I feel naked without a water bottle in hand.

Some days, if weather is iffy or I need more room for ??, I carry a packable backpack. It can stay on the bus if I don’t need/want it when sightseeing.

Each day’s tour itinerary is posted by your guide. Take a picture with your phone. Not only will you know what’s happening that day, you can refer to it when you write your trip report.

I haven’t used the guide book(s) on the past two tours. So this year, the pages are staying home. I read the books at home and make notes on my tour itinerary; restaurants, tour sightseeing, free time sightseeing and retail therapy on Google Maps. Plus bookmark websites on my phone and download RS Audio Europe app. It’ll save 1 to 2 pounds of paper pages (or 6 pounds of books).

Definitely a “bus bag”! I am kind of blanking out on whether you are taking a personal item other than your Cotopaxi and small cross-body bag? Are you taking the small day pack?

I like to have a bag with a rain layer or umbrella, bottle of water, my iPad mini with the pertinent RS guidebook on the Kindle app, maybe a small snack, power bank. On the Best of Italy last fall I did “outline journaling” on a googledocs document the iPad on the bus. I leave this on the bus when we are sightseeing.

Great replies! I’ll add what I found helpful last summer in Italy: a small square of non-slip shelf liner to set on the seat-back tray on the bus. The trays are not that big, but they are slick! I liked to keep one tray down to set my eyeglasses, book, water, etc. The non-skid shelf liner kept my things from sliding off on some of those fun turns! I’d say a square smaller than a sheet of copy paper. (Mine was that cushy liner, so it could double as a jar opener if needed).

Some of us shared a plastic grocery bag to collect our snack trash along the way, esp after the stops at the autogrills on the highway. We reused the same one for most of the trip (until i added cherry pits & stems LOL).

Our bus driver kept waters stocked on the bus, which i appreciated. I would usually grab one as we got OFF of the bus, so i didn’t have to find a little shop right away. He let us keep a tally system and pay at the end. It was hot on most days, and I also took the electrolyte packs mentioned earlier.

Thanks for sharing!

Hi Jean,
Both Gatorade and Pedialyte (for adults) sell single-serve powder packets to add to your bottled water. I always take some along with me on my trips. A portable battery power charger is handy too for phones and/or tablets.
Enjoy your traveling!

I want to put in a plug for a bluetooth transmitter and bluetooth earbuds. Not only does this eliminate wires, the sound quality is usually better. I used mine on the plane for movies, and with the tour radio. It was SO nice not to have to deal with wires. I could keep the tour radio in my bag instead of around my neck. I could control volume with the earbuds.

I think any transmitter and earbuds will work. I have Anker SoundBuds Slim earbuds, which they don't seem to make anymore - but Anker products are great and reasonably priced. I also have a TwelveSouth bluetooth transmitter (I have the SE, $35).

I agree with the idea of a bus bag. Each day when traveling by bus I brought my daypack backpack (or a tote bag would work) to sit on an empty seat. There I could leave a sweater, umbrella, hat, etc... in case it was needed. While walking around the sites I just carried my crossbody purse.

Bring some Euros. I find when independent traveling I used my credit card more than cash. But on tour the cash is good for sharing a meal with other tour participants or paying the tour guide for any extras such as extra wine, the rare extra excursion(ie gondola ride), or bottled water on the bus.

Also, for what it is worth, I have been prone to motion sickness my whole life, but did not have any problems with it on the tour bus rides.

On our RS Swiss trip, pre-COVID, we had a happy hours group in the back of the bus. We had to buy a cork screw to support this routine. (Not sure corkscrews can go thru airport carry-on security.) We used empty water bottles instead of wine glasses, so maybe plastic travel wine glasses? Our group got larger each bus trip. This may not be of interest to you, but worked for us!

@TheOrdinaryRebecca writes: I want to put in a plug for a bluetooth transmitter and bluetooth earbuds.

What a great idea! I already have a bluetooth earpiece for talking on my cellphone so I'm ordering the transmitter.

I have carried a corkscrew on every European trip (20) and have never been questioned. It's an el cheapo plastic one that was a liquor store giveaway years ago, very lightweight. You pull it apart and make a T with the other part so it becomes a handle to turn. (Bad description - sorry!)

Edited to add: Shawn - this is brilliant!

Thank you sharing your helpful ideas!

I always have to “weigh” the benefit of adding anything to my packing list, and some of these are making the cut!

-I’ll print the name & address of each hotel in case I need to find it in the evening or take a taxi.
-The list of tour mates will definitely be with me.
-I will pick up a water bottle in Ljubljana to refill during the tour. The NUUM idea is great; ordered some today to try.
-The powerbank mentioned will probably be needed since I may not have the chance to recharge my phone as often compared to traveling independently.
-My RS guidebook has been read & shamelessly ripped and reduced. I’m planning to bring the remainder of it with me. : )
-Theresa, this is great advice! ”I know I bring my 'I am part of an organized tour' attitude and sensibility.” I tend to be early to everything & will enjoy all of the benefits of having a fun group of people to meet and share experiences again!

@TheOrdinaryRebecca writes: I want to put in a plug for a bluetooth transmitter and bluetooth earbuds.

Just a caution that these transmitters may not work as well with the current RS whisper sets. I used one in 2017 and again in 2019 with no issues and was MUCH happier not tangling up wires and camera straps. But last October on our Barcelona/Madrid tour, I immediately encountered problems, with the guide's voice cutting in and out. I ended up switching to the provided cheapo earbuds. A tourmate who'd been on another tour the week before said someone on that tour had the same issue. I suspect, but do not know, that the newer whispers use Bluetooth to transmit, thus interfering with the additional device. I'd still take it along, but be prepared for it to possibly not work.

I find that I like the paper RS book for planning and will cut out the relevant pages for the RS tour stops. As a back up I also buy the online version to give me access to the entire book while I’m on the road.

As for water bottles I have a collapsible 500 ml bottle from REI that is perfect size to fit in my moderately sized purse. Not too big and it’s not a bulky hard sided bottle that takes up lots of room even when empty. My travel packing focus is reducing the weight I have to carry and it has really helped guide the decisions I make.