Question for RS veterans: On other tours I've gone on, the luggage protocol for days spent on the bus was that after morning hotel checkout, all luggage was locked in the "cargo" area of the bus until arrival and unloading at the next hotel. I'll be on the Spain My Way trip in October, and this is my first RS tour, so I'm wondering if the same or similar system is employed. I will have my 4-wheel spinner suitcase and a very small tote bag as luggage.
Thanks everyone!
Yes, all large luggage is locked in the hold. My Way tours don't make as many interim sightseeing stops as fully guided tours, so you may arrive to your hotel earlier. If rooms aren't ready at that time, then the hotel will provide a holding area (not necessarily locked). You can keep a smaller day bag with you at your seat on the bus, and can leave a sweater or something you don't need on the bus during a rest stop. Remember that the first transfer of the trip, from Barcelona to Madrid, is by train, so you'll carry your luggage onto the train and stow it in the passenger compartment.
Thank you Laura!
RS offers a bit more . . . there's deep storage where you can put things you don't need for the rest of the trip as well as all the souvenirs and other shopping you do. You can leave items on the bus overnight - things you aren't going to need in your room - like a neck pillow or hiking shoes.
Wow, that is great to know! Thank you Chani.
Another thing you should know is that sometimes the bus doesn't get very close to the hotel. You may have to walk with your suitcase from wherever the bus can park to the hotel. Looking at your stops (Madrid, Granada, Ronda, Sevilla), I would guess that you'll have 1-3 blocks on paved sidewalks without hills. It should be easy with a spinner.
Debbie - I've done two My Way tours. On the first, our tour manager was very good about telling us what to be prepared for in the next stop, such as when we went to Cinque Terre and Venice, only take what is needed for that one stop and leave all the extra under the bus. We had to catch trains and boats and walk a bit more than typical, so he kept us prepared for that. On our second, the tour manager was not quite a proactive. It was a new tour so all the finer details had probably not been thought out. For example, we arrived early to our lake town destination, before the rooms were ready, but many were not prepared with walking shoes, bathing suits, etc., and had to open luggage in the middle of the (small) hotel lobby and pull out stuff, and change in their public bathroom. That could have easily been avoided with a little preparation.
I think that with the Spain tour, your manager will be well prepared and, by all means, ask if you aren't sure!
