Stay an extra day after tour ends or same day?

Depends what airport you are flying out of. If you do not have a desire to stay a couple of more days in or near departure airport, I would give yourself at least an extra day. Let's you sleep in a bit, leisure travel to Zurich, Geneva, Milan etc or wherever you are traveling out of. Then stay near airport and get early flight home.

I think it depends on if you think there is more that you would enjoy seeing.

For my Italy trip in the Fall, it ends in Rome and I'm opting to stay one more day because flights were better on Monday. In the past I've done extra days or lol, extra weeks if it's Paris!

It varies. Since airfare is a big chunk of the expense, we’ve added extra days whenever we can. On our first tour this year, only one person headed back to the US the day the tour ended. I think a few stayed over a day in Catania and the rest departed after breakfast for their next destination. We had a 6 a.m. flight which meant we ended the final evening early. On our second tour, a My Way tour, most people headed back to the US the final day at various times. There were enough people going at similar times to be able to share taxis and the guide helped the hotel staff set this up.

We've taken 3 RS tours. Twice we had to say good bye to all our new friends after the farewell dinner as we were skipping the final breakfast to get to the airport for early flights home that day. Once we extended our stay by one additional night in a town we wanted to see that was near the final tour city. On all three tours, it appeared that the vast majority of tour members were extending their stay by a couple more days in the final tour city, or heading to another place for the next part of their vacation. On our most recent tour, one couple was headed to France for a month-long stay in an apartment and one couple was going to be sightseeing for 3 days on their own before beginning another RS tour.

On all three tours, I did hear people with flights after the final day express that they kind of wished they were just headed home, as the thought of seeing things on their own was a little depressing after two weeks of having a big group of fun people to socialize and dine with. Our next tour will be Best of the Adriatic and we'll schedule a couple of extra days because ending in Dubrovnik gives us a chance to visit Montenegro (not on the tour). Also, it's hard to get home from Dubrovink without two stops or long layovers, long total flight duration, giving us the idea that we should use Easy Jet to fly to Amsterdam, then stay overnight there one night and get on a non-stop Delta flight home.

That tour doesn’t end in a location that is as handy as some to add another location on your own. But, you still might want to consider staying a night in beautiful Annecy (we rented a small boat & road bikes there), and take the train for a couple of days to end your trip in Paris.

We’ve been on 2 RST. We come 1 day early & go home when the tour is over. People do different things. I’d come 2 days early if it was just up to me but ready to head home when it’s over.

I wouldn't recommend flying home the same day the tour ends unless it happens to be the same city as your flight home. We stay at the airport hotel the night before departure to minimize the risk of strikes, flight delays or cancellations, etc. It's always a good idea to plan for the worst-case scenario, especially these days of traveling when the unexpected seems to happen a lot.

Otherwise, our rule of thumb on staying depends on whether we extend our time before or after the tour. Our feeling is that if we go all that way, spend that much $ on flights, etc., it warrants spending more time in Europe. Since retirement we average three weeks total before going home.

We did the Alpine My Way tour in 2018. Several people were heading home the day with tour ended, with flights from Geneva. They had to arrange the bus to the airport from Chamonix ahead of time, and catch it pretty early in the AM. I think Rick discusses this option in his section on Chamonix. I believe it is important to pre-book it, as space can fill up.

We were going back to Switzerland for a few days, and took a mid-morning train to Montreux.

It's a great tour.

I usually head home the last day but try to get a later flight. I’m usually so tired at the end of the tour ( in a good way) that I’m ready for home. That said, many people on the tours stay or head off to other tours. It just depends on what you like as a traveler.

In 2019 we did South of Italy tour. We flew into Rome four days early and flew home from Venice six days afterwards. This year I'm going on the South of France tour, flying into London for five days, then going to Paris for four before the tour. I'm going to Venice for four days afterwards with an overnight in Milan. Next year's tour is Berlin, Prague & Vienna. I plan to fly into Munich for four+ days prior to Berlin and stay in Vienna for six days afterwards.

I know that I don't always deal with jetlag well, usually about day three, so the pre-days give me time to adjust. Afterwards, I want to relax and see more. Airfare is a large portion of the trip cost; the same if I fly in and out for only the tour or if I add more days. Since I'm retired I don't have to worry about time away from work.

It all about time and money. If you have the time and money to stay....stay as long as you can. As mentioned, you are already paying for airfare. No rule says you have to go home right after a tour. Someone mentioned Annecy as a place to stay after your tour. I would second Annecy as well. Very nice French town with easy access to Geneva airport for a flight home.

I think it depends on the person and the location. We've been on two previous RS tours and other travelers had various plans depending on their circumstances and preferences. We are going on back-to-back tours in Italy in September and October. Our first tour starts on Lake Como so we scheduled a few extra days to see the sights in Milan including the Last Supper and then spend an extra day in Varenna before the first tour starts. Our second tour ends in Naples so we will spend four extra nights on the island of Ischia which is in the bay near Capri. It is little more authentic, and less touristy and expensive from what I understand. In the past, we left soon after the tours ended and wished we could have stayed a little longer in Spain and Greece.

Sally, we always stay at least 4 or 5 days after the tour, usually longer. We may stay in the city in which the tour ends, or move on to some other place we'd like to visit. Our second tour this year ended in Naples. We spent an extra two days there, then spent another 10 nights split between Siena and Bologna.

I'm with Threadwear on this: if you have the time and money, stay as long as you want. We also always come a few days early. This year we came a full week before our first tour started, and split the time between Paris and Chartres, where the tour began.

I do know that not everyone can do that, but there is no right or wrong way to do the tours.

As you can tell by the variety of answers received , it is personal choice depending on airport locations, work schedules, airline schedules, etc. I tend to arrive a few days early and leave at the end of the tour, bit that could change if circumstances warranted.

The good advice has already been posted, but normally at the end of the organized tour we're ready to go mentally. I'd rather get there a couple of days early. I'd just add that you don't want to cut it too close.

We like to arrive a couple days early to get acclimated & see sites that are not included on a tour. We also enjoy extending our stay in other locations. For example- Greek Islands after Greece Tour. After Portugal- flew to Spain, After a Tuscany Tour-extended to Rome. After Southern Italy & Sicily Tour- extended another week in Sicily. I have not done the Alpine Tour, so can’t advise. May depend where you are connecting from, etc. Sounds like a lovely tour & helpful advice up thread!

Go early and stay late!

For me, it would depend on your return flight schedule. I'm usually ready to come home. But if my most convenient flight makes me rush through breakfast, or skip it altogether, I'd rather stay another night, if possible. Not always possible.

Thanks a lot for your replies. In a perfect world, I would definitely stay extra few days as we already spent the time and money. My sister who is going with me would like to stay an extra day so if we do we will look into Annecy ( not sure if I spelled it correctly). As for me, I would rather take a later flight like what Stan said and depart same day to have time to get over jet lag as it will be back to reality with work after vacation but it all depends on the flight.

After our most recent experience at the end of an excellent RS tour, I plan to resume going home at least a day after the tour ends. British Airlines cancelled our Saturday AM flight and rebooked us on a Friday evening flight. This meant we had to leave the tour a day early, missing the last night dinner and a hotel night we'd already paid for on the tour. There were no better solutions than to roll with it, so we did and it was OK, but lesson learned.

I've been on three RS tours. On two of them I left the morning of the last "day" and regret it. On two different tours (one started and ended in Athens, the other started and ended in Amsterdam) there had been itinerary changes in the beginning of the tour and we did not get to visit all the sites that are normally included. (It happens, need to adapt.) I really wished I had another day or two at each so I could see on my own what was missed during the tours.

As others mentioned, the other common not fun problem with early morning departure on the last day, is it means not having that last breakfast at the hotel, and instead of spending one more evening with new friends, you are packing and/or trying to get some sleep due to the need to be at the airport so early. In some cities, public transportation to airport is not an option in the wee hours. Depending on where you live in the states, very early departures are the only option.

As for being ready to leave at end of tour portion, I find that it doesn't matter how long or short my trip is, about 24 hours before departure, I want to be home. So if I stay longer, it doesn't mean I have (example) 3 more days wishing I left. That feeling just comes three days later.

I forgot to include that on two of our RS tours, we ended up with an extra day in the final tour location. The first time we ran into 2 others from the tour and had dinner together. The other time was at the end of Southern Italy and about 8 of us had an extra night in Naples. We all decided to go to a concert in one of the churches close by. It was one of the best tour endings we’ve experienced. So, if you do stay an extra day, see who else might be doing that.

Our Best of Turkey tour last hotel had a rooftop pool and lounge chairs from which you could sunbathe, enjoy a cool drink and watch the sun set. I'm so glad we stayed an extra day and night to wind down and take advantage of it!

I would add that after our Loire to the South of France Tour we stayed an extra day. We got together with 5 other tour members and took the bus from Nice to Monaco. We did a walking tour and stopped at a seaside restaurant for a celebratory lunch. That was almost 9 years ago and we were so glad we had that extra day to relax. We are still in contact with some tour members.

At the end of my tour, I left Chamonix about 10 am and I was next to last to go. Some flew out of Geneva that morning, the rest went on to other locations by train (or bus?). I rented a car. No one stayed on in Chamonix. One group went to Annecy.

We have usually stayed a couple days seeing a different city or region—left Vienna for a few days along the Mosel, left Seville to see Córdoba. After BOE we stayed in Paris, then went to Belgium, then to Scotland for a second tour. In the airport in Brussels, I regretted that I wasn’t going home, but only until we go to Edinburgh. The last morning breakfast can be sad as the group dwindles.
Since retiring we ave been doing back to back tours as my husband hates the flights over and back. We are usually gone 5-6 weeks and it works for us.

Hi, this is to KC regarding having to depart the night before tour formally ends. I would have been quite rattled. Glad it turned out well.
Yes, it is a personal preference to stay extra day or not depending on the flight departure time. Looks like most who chose to stay an extra day would do it in Annecy or Geneva.

We usually arrive at least 3 days before a tour to cover experiences not included in the tour and usually remain in the ending location another 6 days. We were amazed to find that several others on our last Best of England tour also remained for a few more days at the same London hotel. We ran into each other in several museums and spent time sharing our intentions. We had made plans well in advance to celebrate my partner's birthday at "Hamilton" and several others from the tour group also were attending "Hamilton" the same evening. It was especially memorable for us as I had purchased several of the best seats in the house.

We did the BOE14 this year. The tour started on a Monday in Roma and ended on a Sunday in Paris. Our original plan was to fly SFO/CDG/FCO leaving Friday and arriving Saturday. The early arrival would allow a private tour to Ostia Antica and some relaxation before the tour began on Monday at 3pm. We were unable to obtain a good Saturday connection at CDG to FCO. We were able to book a Thursday departure/good connection at CDG/good arrival at FCO. The Thursday departure was $900less than our original plan. Darn! An extra day in Roma and airfare savings paid the bill! Be flexible and happy travels!

Hi, Sally
Just got back from HOI 9 days, our 1st RS tour. I would definitely recommend arriving at least one day early and departing at least one day after the tour ends. So much less stress, as our particular tour required moving from place to place every two days; it was good to not have to rush at the beginning and the end.

Having to leave right away sort of breaks the magic spell associated with the tour experience. We add time before and after the tour, although the post-tour travel sometimes seems anticlimactic.

I try to extend my trips where possible. Especially for places that will be more difficult for me to get back to. London, Rome Paris etc. not a problem for me to get back to. Dubrovnik, Charmonix, and many others are more difficult and would require a more determined effort to get to.

As for Charmonix. I was there on the RS eastern France tour. Arrived late afternoon and had the whole next day there. The full day was overcast and rainy. Still had fun walking around but no mountain lifts. So if I were to take the Alpine tour I’d definitely tack on one or two days to increase my chances of better weather. Oh and on the morning the tour left Charmoni? Yup clear blue skies and sunshine.

I stayed an extra day once, it was OK. The next three tours I took, I was ready to go home so left after the tour was over. What I would love to do is stay on for another tour. It would be nice to unwind from one tour, do laundry, etc. and then start another tour. If i could afford this and had the time, I would do this. Don’t mind me and my thoughts. Have fun in whatever you do. Consult your Rick Steves’ guide book.

Rocket,

What time of year did you take the Eastern France tour? I'm booked for next September (2023).

Tony

We've done both, it really depends. Sometimes we have to get back for my husband's job and travel on the front end instead.

I travel solo and typically arrive early and stay late. The shortest trip I've ever done was a little over 3 weeks connected to the Best of Scandinavia in 14 Days tour. I flew RT to Amsterdam and spent a couple of nights in a B&B there at the beginning. I flew from there to Stockholm and spent 2 nights there in the tour hotel before the tour started. I spent one extra night at the Bergen hotel after it ended and flew the next day back to Amsterdam, where I stayed a couple of nights at the same B&B before flying home.

I prefer to spend 5-6 weeks or more in Europe at a time, whether it's all self-planned or with RS tours sandwiched between self-planned time at the beginning and at the end.

This was easy in the past because I had Delta flight privileges, so I didn't have the major cost of the WA or AZ RT flights to Europe. I could easily afford the costs of intra-Europe flights.

This year our son decided to stop being a pilot (don't get me started) so I'm totally on my own dime for all airfare. I'm sure that will affect where I go and how I get around there in the future. But it won't affect how long I'm there. In fact I might actually be in Europe longer.

I've observed people more stressed at the end of the tours than at the beginning because they had early flights home. Especially now, I'd advise anyone to take the latest flight home they possibly can. I deliberately chose a 15:35 departure flight from Heathrow back to Seattle on British Airways. Chasing the sun, it arrives in Seattle at 17:20. That decision was long before the current kerfuffles at Heathrow. I'm sure glad I didn’t opt for anything earlier.

Travel writers are recommending arriving for a tour at least 48 hours in advance to create a buffer in the event of a flight delay or cancellation. Seems prudent.

Bob, it does seem a little anticlimactic to me following a tour.

Since my first RS tour, I have always arrived a day early and stayed at least one more day (and as much as a week) after the tour, and never regretted either.
I like having the buffer of the early day, so I don't stress about flight delays and I'm rested before the tour starts, and I really enjoy the days after the tour when I can leisurely soak in the atmosphere and culture of the locale that I'm now somewhat familiar with on my own, as well as engage in activities not included in the tour which I didn't do during my tour "free time." And I avoid having to take an early flight out as soon as the tour is over.

I always get there a day early. Lets me sleep off jet lag and gives me a cushion since STUFF HAPPENS! Esp this with airlines this year. I have stayed extra and made exended plans after tours in the past if I wanted to do something not included in the tour. Like an extra day for Versailles when in Paris, or rent a car for the Romantic Road in Germany. Look to see if there is something in the area that really captures your desires.

I came in 5 days early for My Way Italy since it started in Venice and stayed an extra day when it ended in Rome as I
wanted to go to Pompeii. In 2019 for the My Way Alpine, I arrived in Munich, stayed there 3 days and arrived in Salzburg
2 days before the tour came in. I never fly home the same day the tour ends, too stressful for me. Have fun - I would do the
My Way Alpine again - it is a fantastic tour.

Hi, thanks for all your replies and suggestions. We will definitely arrive a day before tour starts. At the moment, we will depart a day after tour ends. I am always so excited to start our travels/ tours but when it ends, I am tired and ready to go home to get over jet lag before work and reality starts in 2-3 days.