Traveler age range for Rick Steve's Tours

Take a look through some of the scrapbook pictures to get an idea https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/scrapbooks/tour-alum-scrapbooks

I don't generally travel in the summer months, so there haven't been teens on any of my tours, but the age range is pretty wide, with some in their 40s and 50s. Because the tours are active, I don't thing RS tours skew as old as some other tours.

Been on 2 summer and 2 shoulder season tours. Summer tours each had 1 young adult, 20 something traveling “on her own “ and older teenager with his parents. Shoulder season tours all working age to retiree age adults. RS run their dedicated Family BOE tour all summer. No guarantee but I think good chance of one or more teenage guests on other summer tours. What a great graduation gift, congrats and enjoy your trip! Even if she’s the only “younger “ tour member, most adult tour members enjoy talking with the younger members about their interests and future plans, and I encourage your daughter to engage with the “older “ members; it’s always interesting to learn about people’s varied life/work/travel experiences, even on a temporary casual basis (plus good practice “talking with adults “ )

My daughter and I did the Best of Paris trip last year and there were six teen-to-twenty year olds on our tour. It was awesome. Ages ranged from High School to 70s and we had a blast.

Summer tours have a wider age range.

We are heading home after finishing The Best of the Adriatic. Guide Sanel said he has two days off before starting the 14 day Best of Europe, and he has four teens on it. (Actually I recall him saying six, DH said it was four).

Also I believe you can contact the tour folks and ask about general make up of those already signed up. Of course they won't give any personal info, but you may be able to get some info on ages.

We've been on 3 RS tours and there were teenagers on all of them.

We've never had any teenagers on our tours from 2016 through just last month in 2023. All have been shoulder season - no summer travel.

There was a younger (25-ish) couple on our 2016 Best of Paris tour.

Every succeeding tour seems to skew older. Our 2017-2019 tours (Italy, England...) were mainly middle-aged and senior couples with several 30-40-ish couples & singles.

Our tours this year (Belgium & Holland in late April, Berlin-Prague-Vienna in May) were composed almost entirely of seniors with half already retired and others who were still working into their 70's. There was one middle-aged aunt with her 20-something niece on the B-P-V tour.

We were surprised to see so many people older than us this year and we're retired ourselves (66 & 67). ) The first tour of 28 was reduced to 26 by covid and there were 27 on the second tour. The second tour group developed a great camaraderie very quickly which was noted by the guide. The great disparity in ages between the niece/aunt and the oldest members was hardly a factor at all.

Bill,

The 3 trips we've been on have all been in late April to Early May and so there have not been any school aged kids. One tour had a couple in their 30's (I'm guessing), but the overwhelming majority are in their 60s and up. I think you have to translate, when someone says "yes, our tour had youngsters" they might mean people in their 40s! It's all relative, isn't it?

Certainly younger participants would be welcome and would not have a problem, but it might not be exactly what you are looking for.

Like others have said, I suspect the "Family" tours would skew younger.

Your daughter is very lucky! What a great graduation gift. Both you and your daughter will have memories that last for the rest of your lives.

My only summertime tour had a 12 year old and four high school to first year in college age. My tours during school time have had late 20s to very active 80s.

I rarely travel in summer. That being said, the one tour I took in June did include the widest age range. We had two older teenagers traveling with their parents and grandparents. They were a great family group and mixed with all of us. The usual range I have seen is from mid 30's to early 80's. I taking my 9th tour this September and I am in my late 70's. I think the main criteria for folks is they love to travel and they are fit enough for walking alot during the day. The majority also seem to have been introduced to Rick via PBS or his many guide books. Each tour is different, but each tour is full of very friendly and interesting travelers.

We've been on tours with folks as young as 14 years old, in their late teens, and folks in their 70s. The majority of our tour mates, however, have ranged in age from the mid / late 20s up to the 60s. Regardless, the age differences have never had a negative impact on anything related to the tour. In fact, in many instances the age differences have improved the tours by presenting different perspectives. Don't give the possible age differences of the tour participants give you a minute of concern. It's really a non issue.

Of our 8 tours, only one was in the summer (GAS) and there were 5 children on it. Age ranged from 12 to college sophomore. They were a great addition to the tour and we all got along well.

During summer, I think there's a good chance of having kids on your tour. Plus, you could do a Family Tour.
I'm doing a My Way this month with my 15 & 19 y.o. and I know of at least 2 other teens in our group.

I have been on one RS tour during late April-May. I was the third youngest tour member of the 29 people on my tour by far. The only two younger than I were a couple in their late 20's/early 30's. My group had no teens or young adults--I believe due to school still being in session. The group were mostly in the 60-75 age range.

I did not mind--but if I were a teen may be it would bother me. This issue may be moot since you will be traveling during summer and there maybe teens traveling with their parents.

I hope you have fun.

One of my RS trips was over Christmas vacation. There were several families with teens, ages 13-18, as well as young adults. They all seemed to have a great time. Other RS trips have not had any teens and only an occasional 20-something, but these were scheduled during the school year.

You can call the RS office and ask what the make-up of a particular tour is - couples, families, singles. They will give you a general idea of who is signed up at that point. I have done this a couple times to find out if there will be other solos on a trip.

Our My Way Alpine Tour last summer had half a dozen teens with families and several couples in their 30s and 40s. The active nature of that particular trip might be why. It was an utterly beautiful and diverse travel experience.

We've done a couple of RS tours; out of the dozen couples, there was one couple on the most recent tour who were in their middle 30s . On the tour last year, I don't recall anyone younger than 50 or so.

I'd guess that on the 2 tours we've done, the average age was around 60 years old; there was a couple in their upper 70s on the last trip, and on the trip last year there was one man who was 84--and who kept up with all of us.

To the question of whether I think young people (teenagers, people in their 20s) would feel comfortable on a RS tour, I guess it really depends on the individual, but they would almost certainly be in the minority.

Bob, I'm really surprised that both of your tours consisted of only couples.
I mostly travel solo, and in 10 RS tours I have never been the only person traveling alone.

Actually, I wasn't very clear; on each tour there was a single guy; one was probably in his mid-60s, who was traveling with a couple who were his close friends; last year, the single traveler was in his mid-50s.

I just completed my first Rick Steves tour with the Heart of Italy last week. Surprisingly (to me) the majority were families or mother-daughter duos with young adults - 6 of them were new high school graduates, so they had the same idea as you. I assume this was due to it being a summer trip and also one of the shorter ones (about 8 full days).

I just completed my first RS tour Heart of Italy last week. There were two 15-yr old, four-six college age young adult in our group. Rest age from 40-60. We all had a great time.