Smallest RS tours?

If you say which tour that small size just might inspire some last minute additions!

South Italy, June 6. PLEASE come. I'm really nice!

... and also important, now saving 400$ on new bookings 😉

Please come. I'm so so sad. I don't want to go on a RS tour without RS people.

Good News

As I write this only 9 spaces left

South Italy❤️is a wonderful tour! We had one of our all time favorite guides for that tour. Today we finished our 9th RS tour and there were only 21 of us. It was also our first My Way tour. The group was absolutely lovely! Kind, caring and friendly tour mates. Don’t know if because smaller size, My Way tour or just lucked out. We have had mostly great tour mates but a few tours were challenging. The tour mates just didn’t jell well. Embrace the low number of tour mates and get ready for a fabulous visit to South Italy❤️

I just returned from the Best of Tuscany tour, April 8-18, and there were only 10 of us! I was shocked because the only other tour with a small group was in 2016, The 17 Days Best of Italy tour- 19 people. I have now taken 15 RS tours and this is the first time a tour was discounted $500 off and the single supplement of $550 waived. And now to read your South Italy tour has 6 people, I am very shocked. I also enjoy the larger group size (20-28) because I have so many opportunities to mix with and chat with lots of different people. If it’s a really small group, you hope everyone is congenial and open to meeting new people. Generally RS tour groups are friendly.

A couple of years ago we were on a RS Tour with just 13 in the group. It was nice because everything moved faster (loading/unloading the bus, walking to dinner, etc). It also seemed easier when the group was riding public transport (like we weren’t taking over an entire subway car). It was also easier to get closer to the local guides as they were explaining things (but we did have whisper devices). I had a great time and everyone in the group was friendly and we all seemed to get along. I would say that with a smaller group you end up sitting with the same people at meals, etc more often because there are less people to ‘rotate’ through (although there’s not an official rotation on larger tours). So there could be a higher chance of irritation if there’s someone you’re not particularly compatible with.

I’ve often wondered if there’s a minimum number of attendees that RS needs for a tour to run. Although I suppose once they confirm your spot on the tour and you’ve bought your airfare, they’d face some angry customers if said tour was then cancelled (maybe this would be covered in trip insurance?). I suppose financially it evens out for RS, if most tours are close to full or sold out and a smaller percentage are undersold.

I’ve often wondered if there’s a minimum number of attendees that RS
needs for a tour to run.

There is a minimum number but I believe it varies by tour. I know someone who had their tour canceled and had to change dates, it was a hassle but no different than if you had to do so for something like a volcano erupting and preventing you from flying (that happened to me!)

lanomatic having been on mostly very full RS tours, I think a small group sounds like an excellent opportunity to test out how you like a small group, without the typically added cost to have a smaller crowd. You'll have easier access to the guide, be more nimble, and still have all the RS tour feels. Buddy checks will take no time at all :)

One time, many years back I was signed up for the first tour of the year as I usually do and they cancelled it because they didn’t have enough bodies. They called me to explain and said they would reschedule me and pay for any penalty changing my airfare might bring. As it turned out I hadn’t booked airfare yet so it wasn’t a big problem for me. I can’t remember how far out from the start of the tour it was but it must have been at least a month or more.

Then in 2015 on my Paris and the Heart of France tour there were only 12 of us. Our guide, Arnaud, said in the beginning, ‘oh yeah, Rick is loosing money on this one.’ It was a great tour with good folks, I was the only solo woman and we had one solo guy. And the group dynamics were very good, typical to most tours I’ve been on. But even doing the very first or last tour in recent years they have all been 20+. Number 13 tour for me will be in Oct.

Not Rick Steves tours but on my Seymour Travels tours I’ve had 5-10 people on the 6 tours I’ve done with Mark. I LOVE the small group! I’m not sure if the RS guides have the flexibility but Mark can tailor some sights to the group interest. Honestly this is a plus in my book!

For reference I’ve done 11 RS tours and the last one, Best of Italy, was 28 which felt too big.