Refillable water bottle, yes or no?

Yes definitely bring a refillable water bottle. You can leave things on the bus that you may or may not need- ie. you make a short stop for lunch or to see a site and don't think you'll want to carry it around for that part. But perhaps you want it for an all afternoon activity.
It's easy to fill up in the mornings at the hotel breakfast; and then have it throughout the day.

But on all 3 tours our bus driver has had cold water bottles for sale for one euro (or some reasonable price) which has been a nice option as well.

We never bring our own bottles since, as you say, it's just something else to keep track of. We just buy a bottle of water at a tabac or similar shop in whatever city we're in and refill it on the go as needed. And, in EU countries, it's mandatory that the lids on plastic bottles are attached to the bottle, which is a very nice feature.

I usually buy a heavier plastic bottle of water here, either bring it empty from home or pick it up at the airport for an exorbitant price, lol. The plastic water bottles in Europe are often the really flimsy kind with a terrible cap and I like one that is going to stand up a bit better BUT I won't be attached to if I decide to chuck it along the way.

Your bus driver will doubtless have a stock of bottled water, perhaps beer and maybe wine. Usually you just make a hashmark on a sheet at the front of the bus and settle up on the next to the last day. I have not done the Central Europe tour but that's how it's worked on my other RS tours.

On a transit day on the bus you'll stop for a comfort stop and can always get water or another drink of choice then.

I bring a refillable water bottle on RS tours. I usually leave it in my bus bag, not necessarily carrying it with me all day.

We try to be good shepherds and not buy disposable plastic when we can avoid it. We took water bottles on our tour and it was fine.

Refillable water bottles are now on our list of souvenirs to buy - you can find some lovely designs that serve as great reminders of your visit. So we tend to travel out with an old, simple plastic bottle (or disposable aluminum) and buy a re-usable when we see one we like. Plastic bottles are still the best, in our opinion, because they are the lightest and are transparent (so you can see the level). We wash/re-use them until they die. If you are obsessed with only drinking ice-cold water, an insulated re-usable is necessary.

It is one more thing to keep track of, one more thing to lug around with you, then you need to have a bag to haul it in, then you reason that maybe you will drag along your umbrella and rain jacket, maybe a guidebook, some snacks sound like a good idea, maybe a first aid kit, and of course a compass and paper map only makes sense, and then...

Try to head out with just your phone, a credit card, and a bit of cash.

Planning to take this tour in 2026, would love to hear about your trip and any tips etc. Have a great time!

A 500ml bottle of water here is 30 to 40 cents. It is refillable. Before heading home you can turn it if for the recycling deposit (50 forints).

And, while the tap water is mostly safe to drink in Central Europe, it doesn't always taste good. So you might not like refilling your Eddie Bauer® Mesa Two-Tone Vacuum Insulated Personal Hydration Device with it. I say mostly safe to drink, because who really knows about the plumbing in 150 year old, basically unrenovated buildings?

So I recommend buying a couple of 1.5L bottle of water and carrying them in your daypack so you can fill your Eddie Bauer® Mesa Two-Tone Vacuum Insulated Personal Hydration Device a few times for that recommended 2L+ of water per day https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/wellness/how-to-calculate-how-much-water-you-should-drink.

But don't hydrate from your Eddie Bauer® Mesa Two-Tone Vacuum Insulated Personal Hydration Device in restaurants or outdoor cafes ... very rude. Buy their water (which you can pour into your Eddie Bauer® Mesa Two-Tone Vacuum Insulated Personal Hydration Device for hydrating later.)

Those attached caps on bottles are a pain to use. I usually pull them off to get them out of the way.

I wouldn't bring a bottle from home -- just do as someone else suggested and buy a bottle of water from a business -- grocery store, bakery, convenience store... whatever. But avoid the really thin "crinkly" bottles by buying a bottle of sparkling water.

Because of the pressure exerted by carbonation, the bottle walls have to be thicker and stronger for sparkling water. If I find myself without a water bottle on a trip and I'd like one to use and reuse, my go-to water bottle is a 500 mL Perrier bottle. I like the water, yes, but the container is tough and durable, yet not so big that it's difficult to manage in a day pack or even a jacket pocket.

At home, I have metal water bottles with wide mouths so they can go in the dishwasher. But for traveling, these are just too big for my tiny purse (about 6”x 8”) and I figure that my travel bottle is for “emergencies,” not to keep me hydrated all day long. There are fountains, coffee bars, meals, and the water they bring you constantly on airplanes.

I love my current very very sturdy plastic bottle with a wider mouth and a really good cap. I wish I could tell you exactly what it was, but I fished it out of the recycling bag at our family cabin. It was a juice bottle for kids, maybe apple juice? It has gone on many trips and been washed many times and is as good as new. I also wish I had more than one, especially since the trend seems to be toward the crinkly kind of bottles.

I should mention that we never travel in the summer, so I don’t need as much water as people who do.

Anyway, consider a small, sturdy, but still recyclable bottle that can fill in the gaps of your hydration needs. Go squeeze some juice bottles in the kid section of the juice aisle!

I always travel with a water bottle. My current bottle is 3 yrs old! As soon as I get through security in the US I fill it up. Since in the US I always have it with me I never have a problem leaving it, etc. It’s just a habit. I have a side pocket for it in my day bag

I either take a 500ml collapsible bottle (REI or Amazon stock them) or buy a bottle there and fill it up. I drink a lot of water so I like to keep the small squishable bottles tucked in my day bag.

Mr. E! I laughed all the way through your comment.

@nancys8 - One of the smaller bottles I use at home is an 8oz one that had lemonade in it. It was from the refrigerated aisle and has a larger green cap. It's nice and durable and fits easily in my purse.

As far as being good to the planet...my piddly purchase of a few bottles of water in Europe in no way compares to the impact my plane flights from the Western US have on the environment. I am sorry about that but I am toward the end of my international travel career and need to go while I'm still able.

I vote yes!

I have two stainless steel bottles. One is 500 mL, and the other is 950 mL. I usually bring the smaller bottle, but the big one comes along during the hot weather months. As soon as I get through security at the airport, I fill up my bottle. Also, I make sure it is refilled before boarding the plane.

Since you'll be riding on a tour bus, you can always leave the bottle behind in your seat if you don't want to carry it around. Also, if you buy a bottle where the lid is attached to the bottle, you can use a carabiner to attach it to your bag. This is a great space saver.

I always always take a refillable water bottle, usually 330 ml.

Also, I would avoid buying Perrier — French health authorities last week made Nestlé pull several palettes of bottles from — and stop production lines at — its factory in the Gard due to E. coli bacteria found in the bottles. For the I don't know how many time. And it seems Nestlé keeps “forgetting” to notify the health authorities for 10-11 days every time they have discovered this the past few months.

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/environnement/pollution/qualite-de-l-eau/info-franceinfo-nouvelles-contaminations-dans-l-usine-perrier-les-autorites-sanitaires-preconisent-le-retrait-du-label-eau-minerale-naturelle_7195530.html

It's possible that the French government is going to order Nestlé to stop labeling Perrier “natural mineral water,” which will essentially kill the Perrier label.

I'm a big fan of my Vapur "anti bottle" for travel.
https://vapur.us/products/0-5l-wide-mouth-anti-bottle
It is practically weightless, takes up no room, but stands up for filling and use. I have the name brand one and a generic one I got at a company event.

celeste, I love it. This one isn't a bad idea at all. Does it come two tone?

It comes in all sorts of colors and they change from time to time. Not sure what the current offerings are. I have a bright pink one!

REI sells a smallish Nalgene that's 16 ounces that I use as my commuter bottle at home. I've also taken it to Italy in my backpack. Because I use a crossbody bag during day travel, the last time I flew British Airways, I kept one of their Harrogate (I believe) slim water bottles that they distribute--or at least used to--on flights. The BA bottle ended up being the perfect size to tuck in my day bag. I wish more manufacturers made "skinny" water bottles that are easier to fit in a purse or day bag.

REI bottle example:
https://www.rei.com/product/246273/rei-co-op-nalgene-sustain-graphic-wide-mouth-water-bottle-16-fl-oz?color=SNAIL%252FWOODSMAN

All these comments are good advice! But, just for grins, take the metal bottle you think you might travel with, fill it full, and walk around your town ALL day with it. My guess is it will get heavy. At home, I use a Hydroflask filled with ice and water. But, that stays in the car, golf cart, kitchen counter, etc all the time. I don't walk around with it in a back pack or purse. Instead, I buy one of the sturdier plastic bottles at the airport and refill it for weeks. I don't bother taking one of the flimsy Kirkland bottles I have at home (my "hurricane" water)-they just don't last. Also, water is super cheap in Europe and the bus driver will have plenty!
Enjoy your tour-we did this one two years ago and loved it!

The only time I ever took a refillable water bottle overseas was when I walked the Camino. My trip this April I did not. It was much easier not having to worry about it. There are plenty of places to get water whether it be a grocery store or a cafe, etc. It's just one more thing to carry all.the.time. I think water bottles everywhere is an American thing as I didn't notice other people carrying them in France.

A few years back I ordered the water bottle from the Rick Steve store. It is lightweight and not too big so stays in the side pocket of my backpack nicely. I fill it with water after security at the airport and make sure it is full of water when I board the plane. Once we get to Europe I use it off and on. We try to find a grocery store that sells the big bottles of water and get a couple of those at the beginning of a two night hotel stay. We usually fill up our water bottles from the big store bottles for the next bus ride. If I run out of water on the bus I buy it from the bus driver. If I want ice cold water I buy it from the bus driver. Unfortunately I am one of “those” who like to have options. I am also one of “those” who panic at the thought of not having water.

I always bring one on the tour. Some places have fountains where you can fill up whenever you need (like the "nasoni" in Rome). I always pack a collapsible water "bladder" (ugh, what a name!). I love it because I can clip it to the outside of my bag with a carabiner when full and when empty it rolls up into the size of a marker and I can just throw it in my purse for later. It works great!

Most of my tours in the last few years were in warm locations, so I think having water with you is important. (I can recall a hike in Mystras on the Greece tour where I definitely should have been drinking more water - I was out of it during lunch that day.) I can see in cooler locations where you might not need to carry water around with you all the time, but I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it!

Thanks to all who responded to this question. We ended up packing collapsable water bottles but didn't use them. We actually used a water bottle that we bought soda in and refilled it with water (sturdy one). That worked fine for us and if we lost it we didn't care.