New to a Tour

Been on a number of RS tours. All of them had solo travelers and they fit in very well. No problem at all being "a third wheel" as they were all accepted right off the bat. As an old commercial said, "Try it, you'll like it."

Have done 2 RS tours. One had a single traveler, and he fit well with the group.

As for the single supplement or not, I suspect you will end up in a twin bed either way.
The single supplement may get you a room without a roommate, but could still be a single bed

You may want to call/contact the RS office to see what the bed situation is.

Which tour...hmm Have done Best of Italy and Best of Greece. Both wonderfully enjoyable
Best of Europe is the next on our horizon.

Which to choose depends on what interests you.

I traveled solo on my first tour, RS Greece, this spring and had the same reservations...well not about the bed. Anyway, It was lovely. No one was an outsider on this tour and people welcomed me into their group. On the other hand, I could also go off on my own without offending anyone. I purchased the single supplement and would not consider going any other way. I like my down time alone. So go on one, you will enjoy it. IMO. BTW, I never had a single room. I was a single in a double room! Nice rooms also.

Been on 10 RS tours. All as a single.

You and I are about the same size (I'm a little taller and heavier). Never had a problem with bed size on these tours. The beds apparently vary depending on what part of Europe you are in with the most generous sized ones in Ireland from what I have experienced and the smallest being in Germany. The single beds in the single rooms are not really twin beds, they are wider. My main issue is that the room size overall is tiny when you get a single room on the tours. Sometimes the bathroom is larger than the sleeping area! Sometimes you do end up in a double room even if you are a single by yourself, it just depends on what the hotel has available. But you should be prepared to always get a single bed unless you are traveling with a friend or family member and share a room.

Paid the single supplement on 7 of the tours, and it was worth every penny! My first tour I was lucky enough to be the only single male so no sharing of rooms. Second tour was lucky again. Third tour I alternated with 2 roommates. First one snored like a freight train, other one had so much luggage which he unpacked every night that I had almost no room other than my bed to put stuff. Fourth tour I started out sharing with the assistant tour guide (never understood that arrangement) but paid to have my own room after the first couple nights. It is so much more relaxing, even if you get the tiniest single room, to know you have the solitude of a room to yourself at the end of the day so I pay the supplement now even though sometimes I would have had a room alone even without.

I am going on my 9th RS tour as a single to Paris this Christmas. I have paid the single supplement on the last trip I took and on the upcoming one. I do the single supplement because I had a roommate on a city tour who snored so loud I was woken up even wearing earplugs. Luckily, I was able to pay for another room. On another tour I was the only single so had my own room. Before that the single supplement was not available.

I found that my rooms were a mix of double rooms, rooms with a single bed and very small rooms with a double bed. All were nice and had enough room. Also if you are in Germany, Switzerland or Austria, you are likely to get a frame with two twin beds in it. Regardless if there are one or two people in the room.

All the tour members were welcoming and I always had someone to do things with if I wanted. Go you will have a fantastic time. One of my favorite tours was eastern France.

I was going to post what others have said. I have done 3 RS tours as a single person and on the last one the guy I shared the room with snored so loud that it woke me up. By the end of the tour I was exhausted from lack of sleep. So I'd recommend the single room if you can afford it.

As far as fitting in to the tour, not a problem! People are friendly and I never felt out of place.

Hi Jim, I've done seven Rick Steves ours, four of them solo. I'm pretty independent but sometimes welcomed the invitation to join others for dinner and/or sightseeing in our free time. Three of the times I traveled solo I paid the supplement to get my own room. I really enjoyed having my own space. One time I did share a room but it didn't work out too well.

Although some of the single rooms were small, I don't think there is a difference in the length of the beds. Many times the double rooms are just two single beds pushed together.

I love traveling with Rick Steves and I'm currently signed up for tour #8. What tour(s) are you thinking about?

Hi Jim,
I have done 4 RS tours, 3 solo. The last one was 7 Days in Rome and I had a roommate which worked well. The 2 other solo tours, I had no roommate. I'm signed up for my 5th tour in September, The Heart of Ireland in 8 Days, and my travel companion wants her own room so she paid the single supplement. I may have a roommate but I'm willing to take the chance. So far I have not had a bad experience.
As for being accepted by the group, I have had very nice experiences as a single traveler. People who go on RS tours are friendly and social so I think you would have a great time. Give it a try and you will see!

Judy B,
I am also on the Heart of Ireland tour in September as a solo. Perhaps we'll be roommates. Looking forward to my very first Rick Steves tour.
Jeanne

I did the Sicily tour in Feb as a solo tour and leave June 9th for the Prag/Budapest as a single traveler. I have paid for a single supplement on each. There were 6 solo travelers on the first one and looks like 6 on the one in a few weeks. The only issue is that on both all the single travelers are females. I had no problems in fact everyone was great! One of the solos that I met is going on the June tour-We are both leaving husbands behind.

Jeanne,
What dates in Sept. for your Ireland tour? I'm on the 9/03 - 9/10 one. Looking forward to it!

I will echo what many others have said: numerous solo tours with RS and always paid the single supplement. Have never been at a loss for company.

I have done VFR twice. I did the Paris and Loire tour and the Eastern France tour. Eastern France gives a great variety of settings: mountains, seaside, vineyards. It was one of my favorites. And, you can't go wrong with VFR!

Beds: sometimes I have ended with a single, but more often with a double. You can always inquire with the RS tour folks about accommodating tall folks.

Best,

Debbie

Judy B,
I am on the same tour as you 9/03 - 9/10. Can't wait

Jeanne,
Woo hoo!! this will be so much fun!

When do you arrive? My friend and I are arriving on 9/03 in the morning, to Shannon which should be plenty of time to make our 2 pm orientation meeting. I usually arrive 2 - 3 days before a tour but this time we are not. We are coming from Atlanta to JFK and then to Shannon.

Judy B
Arrive in Shannon 7:00 am from Newark with a another couple - co-worker and her husband.

See you on Sept 3

Jeanne,
Yes, see you on Sept 3rd. I've been listening to Rick Steves' interviews with Irish guides on his app to learn more about Ireland plus, reading his guidebooks.
My friend, Pat, who you will meet, and I are going on to London on 9/11 for a few days. Will you be extending your trip? If so, where?
Judy B