We selected this tour so we could do day hikes in the Alps, and based on the tour information my guess is most people sign up for this tour for the same reason. For those of you who have already taken this tour, is it easy to identify hikes once you are in each site? I have found general information about hikes on the Internet, but wondered if it is easy enough to get specific hike directions (trailhead, distance, elevation gain, etc.) when we arrive, either at a TI, or hotel or ???? Thank you for your suggestions/advice.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15781 posts
On my tour, our leader spent lots of time on the bus, first speaking to the group as a whole, then going to everyone individually, to explain what was available at our next stop and then to help each person understand the options and choose what was best for their abilities and desires. She was also available at breakfast every morning and had "office hours" every day at the hotel. She also handed out brochures.
Look at the scrapbooks for this tour to get a better idea of what's in store for you.
Posted by
San Francisco,CA
1 posts
Hi! You are completely correct in that assumption regarding people signing up for hikes in the Alps. That's what I counted on too, when I signed up for this My Way Alpine Tour. I went on the 5/16/2016 Tour, and I can tell you that other than a small amount of hiking in Hallstatt, and mainly the Dolomites, and the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland, there is very little hiking on this trip.
We ran in to some weather problems(rain), then snow at higher level in Switzerland. We were able to walk on a paved road through Murren & Gimmelwald. Hiking trails were covered in new snow from night before.
The sights you'll see of Nature will take your breath away, that will not disappoint! But I was very disappointed that there was so little real hiking available on this tour. There are 5 countries you will be going to, and you sometimes arrive in afternoon to your new country, and if it's been raining, you will not be able to hike. We were lucky, the next day was sunny, so it allowed for hiking. Getting to each new destination can be a 4-6 hour bus ride. There is NO real hiking in Fussen, or Chamonix. Salzburg, is a city with plenty to see, and has many places to walk(paved/cobbled streets) all over, and hike(Paved) to vistas throughout.
In reality, the only countries on this trip that you can really hike in, on trails,(weather permitting) is Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.
The RS Tour Guides are very thorough in giving you all the information you need regarding safety, trailheads, maps, hiking info. They make themselves available to you for any questions you may have. They either post additional info and their hours of consult in AM if you need or want their advise. The specific hike information we were given, was easy to understand.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
All you have to do is fly into Zurich/Geneva and train to Lauterbrunnen. Check into your hotel and the hoteliers ALL know about the hikes in the area, and they'll tell you all about it for free. You don't need a "tour" to do that.