In his books and on podcasts RS mentions having picnic lunch as a low-cost alternative to a restaurant. Having been on a few tours I just realized that every tour has had a picnic lunch. I'm guessing they do this as part of RS's intention to not just arrange a trip but to give travel lessons while doing so. I've also realized that the guides have never spoken the guidance aloud, I guess it's an implicit lesson and it's up to you to make the connection.
Posted by
Bend, OR
2153 posts
We’ve been on 13 RS tours and I only remember one, Eastern France where the guide actually had each couple or single go to the outdoor market and learn how to procure an item for a group picnic lunch… in French. Of course we’ve had, on several tours, the guide buy us a local speciality, sometimes just a sandwich, and hand it out. I wish we’d had more guides like Virginie, it was quite fun with limited French and complicated cheese names.
Posted by
95 posts
We've only been on 2 RS tours, but neither included a picnic lunch. It might be something they encourage the guides to do (perhaps with the discretionary funds they are given), but could depend on the right logistics -- a market near an appropriate public place to sit and eat, and good weather.
We've often had our own "picnic" lunch (sometimes in our room) on all the tours we've been on with various companies. A big buffet breakfast has always been included (and we fuel up!), and particularly when there is another included meal for the day, all we need for the 3rd meal is maybe some bread, cheese, fruit, salad, and wine, or whatever. I enjoy going into the local grocery stores or markets and seeing what they have. It's part of the cultural experience.
Posted by
Idaho, USA
9927 posts
The picnic lunches used to be very much part of the tour back during the early 2000’s.. The 2003 trip had two guides, and the assistant guide was often gathering picnic items while we were finishing a museum stop on the way to another city.
For the 2006 trip, we saw that transitioning to the AutoGrill type stop, instead. For the tours in 2023 on, there haven’t been any picnic lunches on the tours I have taken.
Probably the last time we seriously were doing picnic-type lunches on independent trips was during a trip in Switzerland/Italy to try to keep expenses in Switzerland lower where practical. Now I typically skip lunch or dinner when traveling solo since the breakfasts at little hotels or B&B’s are plenty to reduce my eatings down to two meals a day.
I always just bring one travel toothpaste, so I have a good excuse to bring my foldable bag & go buy a small toothpaste in a grocery store and pick up a few items for my hotel room occasionally. I enjoy seeing the proportion of item categories in shelf space compared to our US stores, too.
Posted by
Twin Cities, Minnesota
2598 posts
I think my favorite picnic was on my first, and still in top 3, Rick tours. I loved everything about the Village Tour of Italy. It was market day in Orvieto and we were sent out to shop for lunch. We were teamed up in groups of 2 or 3 and given an assignment (like, cheese, bread, fruit, etc.) It was SO much fun trying to speak Italian and getting, and paying for, our selections. AND, the picnic lunch was delicious! I've enjoyed other picnics on other tours since then, but nothing in my memory will beat that first one.
Posted by
Wisconsin
612 posts
Our first tour was in 2003, the BOE, and yes, we had two guides. We had a very memorable picnic lunch beneath the Eiffel Tower, with our first exposure to Nutella. Wonderful!
Posted by
1917 posts
We're about to embark on our 4th and have never had a picnic lunch. We've had a winery lunch, a farmhouse lunch, a roadstop lunch and lots of other food adventures. I don't think anyone on any of our tours has needed travel lessons. Everyone has seemed to be very experienced independent travelers and well as tour travelers. One thing is for sure, you never lack for food on the RS tours!
Posted by
Washington, DC
301 posts
I’ve been on several tours and some have had picnics and some have not. I think it depends on whether or not the planets align and the logistics work out. On picnic day those who are interested were sent to the market with assignments on what to purchase. I think we were reimbursed for our purchases but I don’t remember for sure. For a picnic to work, we needed to be in a market town on a day when the market is open and then near a a picnic site at the appropriate time. And the guide has to travel with all the picnic supplies. The group pitches in to prepare and set up. When it all comes together, it’s lots of fun. When I wander through the markets I always want to try all the different things and that’s not always practical when traveling. This is an opportunity to do that. The picnic meals have been delicious with lots of variety.