Can someone post a list of all the various recent hotels stayed at on the BOE 21 day tour from this past year? I know that the same hotels are not used each time, but it would give me an idea of which ones are used often. Thanks in advance.
Posted by
Prosser, Washington
65 posts
We are booked for that tour August 20th thru September 9th. Our first hotel in Haarlem is Lion d’Or and our last in Paris is Hotel Beaugency.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14716 posts
The Hotel Beaugency is pretty consistently the ending hotel for the 21 day BOE. I stay there often and do run into tour groups that are ending there. The staff are wonderful, breakfast is pretty good, rooms are a little tired but last spring they'd gotten new duvets and pillows which were very nice and the neighborhood is my personal favorite.
Did you have a particular question about the hotels?
This is one of the 2 tours where there is the possibility of having a shared bath. If the tour stays at the Hotel Stechelberg in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, some of the rooms there have shared bath facilities. It wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be. Everyone on our floor sharing the male toilet, the female toilet and the shower room (separate cubicle with locking door) was on the tour and by that time we'd been traveling together for 2 weeks so it wasn't as if you were sharing with strangers. The hotel itself was nice and in a stellar location which is why it is used. Absolutely gorgeous and right near the base of the gondola up to the Schilthorn.
Posted by
Sacramento
38 posts
I was on the tour that started 5/8/22.
Our hotels were:
Haarlem- Lion dOr
Bacharach- Altkolnischer Hof
Rothenberg- Gerberhaus
Reutte- Maximmillian
Venice - Serenissima
Florence- Hotel Palazzo dal Borgo
Rome- Hotel Museum
Monterosso- Punta Mesco
Murren- Edelweiss
Beaune- Hotel des Tonneliers
Paris- Muguet
GREAT tour- enjoy!
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14716 posts
Ohhh, Chris! Muguet is one of my favorites! Wonderful sheets and towels!
Posted by
Lewiston, Idaho
30 posts
Larry B we are booked on this same tour! It's our first :) . I am so looking forward to meeting my fellow travelers
Posted by
California
325 posts
The hotels for the tour starting 4/17/22 were:
Haarlem - Ambassador City Centre Hotel
Bacharach - Hotel Altkolnischer Hof
Rothenberg - Hotel Altes Brauhaus
Reutte - Alpenhotel Ernberg
Venice - Hotel Serenissima
Florence - Hotel Palazzo dal Borgo
Rome - Hotel Museum
Monterosso - Hotel Punta Mesco
Murren - Hotel Alpenruh
Beaune - Hotel des Tonneliers
Paris - Hotel Beaugency
And I second the comment above, great tour!
Posted by
Prosser, Washington
65 posts
Curtis and Jill are you on the August 20th BOE 21 Day Tour?
Posted by
2 posts
BOE 21 Days will be our (myself and husband) first Rick Steves Tour! We are very excited for the tour that starts on Sept 17, 2023. This will be our 1st tour type travel experience.
Anyone else booked for the same tour date?
I am wondering if any of the hotels have laundry facilities?
Any tips on best luggage, what to pack, good shoes etc?
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14716 posts
Sandi, the laundry question is a good one to ask your guide at the first meet up. When I went the hotels in Reutte and Cinque Terre had laundry services. I am a sink-wash person so just did that. I use a 2 gal ziplock bag reinforced with mailing tape for my "washing machine", lol.
Luggage - you'll want to be able to handle it yourself so I'd recommend no larger than a carry on size of 21 or 22 inches. I had a RS convertible back pack when I took this tour in 2014 but it was way too heavy by the end and I've since gone over to a 2-wheeled roller bag. If you are buying new luggage, get the lightest weigh luggage you can find. No more than 5-6# empty. I also take a personal item on any tour that I can use for a "bus bag" to hold my rain jacket, water bottle, guide book, iPad Mini, snack. For the nights in Venice (both for this tour and for me Best of Italy last Fall) I left my suitcase on the bus and just took in my personal item with a packing cube that had clean unders/socks, toiletries, pjs, clean shirt. I wear my pants for several days in a row but I start out on the transit day to Venice in clean pants so I don't have to take another pr with me.
Take shoes that you can walk for 10 miles in. I wear one pair of athletic shoes and take a spare, both of which are broken in and comfortable for long days of walking. I sometimes take a pr of flipflops for the hotel.
There is no need to take clothing to "dress up in" unless you are planning events aside from the tour. Some people go to the opera in Venice but that's not my thing and I'd not want to carry along clothing/shoes just to wear one time.
Posted by
Lewiston, Idaho
30 posts
:Larry B. Yes! We are so excited. Happy to see your comments. 222 days to go until we head that way :)
Posted by
Prosser, Washington
65 posts
Awesome, We are flying in on the 17th to Amsterdam and staying in a houseboat for 3 nights before we meet up with the group in Haarlem. This is such a great itinerary can’t wait. Places we’ve been to and many that we have not. If you want to communicate other than here my email is [email protected] FB Larry Blackwell.