OH, NO!!! 2016 "My Way spain."itenirary

I'll go to Nice, Gladys :} It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it.

Gladys,

That's unfortunate, as I really enjoyed having a brief look at Ronda and Toledo, even if it was for one night. If I were looking at taking the new version of that tour, it wouldn't be as appealing.

Yes, Ken-absolutely! Those were the best selling points of the 2015 version. Too bad they were taken away.

All the tour prices for 2016 are down by $100-$300 (a couple even more) for next year. Do you think cutting costs - like eliminating the bus needed for a night in Toledo - is one way they're able to reduce the prices?

Toledo is nicer before and after the day-trippers to appreciate the town, but either way, you see the sights with the crowds. Staying in Madrid gives you the option to choose Segovia or 2.5 days in Madrid instead of 1.5 days. It could be that more people would have liked to have more time in this major city.

The bit I don't understand is staying near Ronda. I've been there (by car) and I can't see how you spend the afternoon and evening in Ronda if you have to travel independently back and forth to a hotel miles away (modern Ronda isn't small). Or is the tour bus going to ferry people back and forth? Or is everyone "stuck" in Ronda for the whole time with the bus going to the hotel at the end of the evening?

It is just the My Way Spain tour that eliminates the stay in Toledo. The Fully Guided tour still includes that stop. I'm sure this change was highly influenced by feedback from previous tour members.

Yes, eliminating the bus for the day does save money for RS. But I am sure some of the cost saving is offset by the extra night in Madrid.

Our tour itineraries are designed thoughtfully by those who have led the tours, organized logistics, and reviewed previous tour member feedback. They have lots of experience with what is practical, comfortable, and rewarding in a travel plan. And if it's likely to cause a debate, they've debated it.

For instance, the third night in Madrid on the Spain My Way tour offers more sightseeing flexibility and minimizes one-night stays in new hotels. Local transport to Toledo is very easy, with direct trains running hourly at least 9:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. (and earlier on weekdays), as well as direct buses every half hour. Those who would rather use their day to visit Segovia or Avila, instead, have similar options.

You may have heard that, "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded," but Nice is a great destination and practical end point for a tour, with quick, convenient bus and train service to towns all along the French Riviera, as well as good flight connections for returning home. Compare the new My Way France itinerary to Rick's fully-guided Loire to the South of France tour, for instance. Both tours spend two nights in Provence and two nights on the Riviera. The guided tour visits the Dordogne in the middle, which fits the route of that tour; Dordogne is less convenient for local transport on your own and also not a place where a tour can end.

There's always more to see, therefore it's hard to choose, and you must plan to return!

Concerning the comment that all the 2016 tours have a $100-$300 or so price reduction from 2015 prices: I wonder if the strength of the US dollar enabled the past year or more has enabled the reduction in prices? With how strong the US dollar has been, I believe price reductions were due. Certainly the cost of lodging in Europe has gone down quite a bit for those paying in US dollars.

I can confirm that the lower prices are directly related to the expectation that the dollar will remain strong throughout 2016.

On the subject of cost-cutting, that really wasn't part of it. That's not to say that we don't pay attention to our costs, but we won't sacrifice quality for low cost.

Dear Webmaster, I hope you're as right about the strong dollar as you are about everything else.

In a similar vein, I was excited to hear there's a My Way France and had hoped it would cover Alsace but rather the route includes Lyon and the Savoie. I'm assuming that's to change it up from the Eastern France trip. Sure those are fine places but know the feeling of hoping the route will include X to find out it includes Y. With all that said, great to have new tours to consider! :)

Good news! The Spain My Way tour hotel has now been booked more centrally in Ronda and web descriptions for this tour will be updated.

Wonderful News, Laura!!! It is now back on our list for 2016!! THANK YOU all at RS for listening and making this a reality! Gladys