What do people on a RS tour do in the free evenings?

Sometimes people go out for nice dinners. Sometimes they will explore more in the area. Sometimes a concert or play, and sometimes simply rest from a busy day.

I am usually simple dinner and rest from a busy day. Often that dinner is by myself, but sometimes with others in the group.

I'm an introvert, so I look to go off by myself once the group portion is done for the day on most occasions. Sometimes another participant and I share an interest in a particular restaurant and go together. There are always people who are more social and make plans as a group.

Yes, all of those options are possible and happen. It's entirely up to you and the interest of others. If you want to extend invites to tourmates to meet up or go out after dinner, ask away. Just know that not everyone may interested, so go do what you want! Occasionally a guide will set up an optional outing. For example in Dingle, Ireland, our guide offered to meet people at a local pub to hear music (drinks were n our own dime) and in Italy our guide set up a couple free time activities like a walk to a historic church.

As a solo traveler I appreciated being asked and had some rather enjoyable dinners and cocktails with tourmates. I also appreciated being able to go put my feet up after a long day and not having to worry about being good company. To each their own!

We went to dinner with another couple towards the end of our tour. Joined folks at our lodging for drinks outside. Had a single gentlemen join us for dinner one night. We did try to see if someone was sitting in a cafe, did they want to join us.

Most RS folks are pretty casual.

I've seen every scenario you've mentioned on the 3 tours we've taken.

On one of my tours, the guide organized happy hours every other day or so. After a week it became regular thing without any organizing. People drifted in and out. On another tour, people tended to congregate in the hotel lounge after dinner.

Expect that many of your tour mates are friendly and inclusive.

People never went out clubbing, perhaps because of the early morning departures and/or busy days, as well as personal inclinations.

I agree with Chani. On my first tour in Italy (the village tour) the guide organized several happy hours. It ended up being one of the best tours as I really got to know folks on the tour better. I travel solo and have lifelong sleep issues so I try to maintain my 'sleep schedule' in the evenings, but I do occasionally go out with folks from the tour. I love the friendly people who go on these tours and whether couples or other solos there is usually someone who is up to sharing an experience in the evenings However, you do have really busy days sometimes and just being alone to rest, relax & recover from being with a group all day is VERY welcome. On free afternoons I usually have something planned that isn't included. Sometimes I ask folks to join with me.

A few years ago, the Rick Steves' tour package was much more generous than it is, now. A $100 travel store credit was offered. I used my store credit to get quite a few things including a small day pack, a rain poncho and the most current edition of his Spain guidebook. I was signed up for the "Best of Barcelona and Madrid" tour - a wonderful experience. Upon arrival in Madrid, I consulted the comprehensive RS guidebook where, much to my surprise, the location of Madrid's prostitution community could be found (Calle de Montera near Puerta del Sol). Very helpful. (I understand newer editions have eliminated this "information".)

When my husband & I did a few RS tours, we had our own plans of things to do - sites, museums, parks, etc. and we ate almost all of our dinners as just one couple.

When I am traveling solo on some RS tours, I have plans of things I want to see or do. Occasionally I will tell the group in case someone else would like to join me, but mostly I am heading off by myself with my plans….or no plans and just enjoying the wandering for a little serendipity. If there’s other solo travelers, we might meet up for a dinner. I try to have ideas ahead of time, so I am putting out a verbal invite vs. having no plans and hoping someone notices I am alone. I am naturally an introvert, but I switch to an extrovert for these situations.

I travel solo independently often, so I am very used to becoming comfortable dining alone or enjoying sitting in a piazza in the evening & enjoying the ambiance with everyone around me.

Most of our group dinners seem to have gone toward 9 pm or later so just wandering back to the hotel and to bed. For free nights after numerous trips, I’ve gotten to where I look up recommended restaurants for places known for great food and make reservations. A must for someplace like Dingle or Edinburgh. In the smaller villages I ask the hotel front desk for a recommendation. Sometimes we meet up with another couple sometimes we don’t. As far as the free afternoons, I usually have an idea of what I want to see but on the last two tours have kept it flexible because either the tour guide has offered an optional “come along with me to see” or I just want to relax. RS tours do have a tendency to pack a lot into a short amount of time so socializing in the evening after dinner at a bar can happen depending on the group but not something I want to do knowing that it will be go, go, go the next day. I think gathering in the hotel patio with bottles of water around 4 pm has been more common on the last couple of tours.

One night some of us joined our guide for a meal at a wonderful local restaurant in Montefalco. He was happy to have us join him, and he arranged for the pre-set meal and wine tasting.

Another night, a few of us got together and went out for dinner to a little off-the-beaten-path restaurant in Orvieto; a few of us played foosball after in the courtyard of the restaurant, and then we all went for a late-night gelato before heading back to the hotel.

Pizza night in Levanto was another great night for some of the group getting together to try an award-winning pizza place.

In London, my husband and I had tickets for a show and did that on our own, as well as going out to dinner.

We also just had some early nights where we got take-out and brought it back to the room and watched TV.

It really just depends on what your interests are and how late you want to be out.

All of the above, and more! Sometimes folks will take advantage of less crowded museum visits in the evening. We enjoyed a local concert on our most recent RS tour. Some evenings we hang out with other tour members, some not. My husband is always eager to join in if a group is meeting later; I tend to value some "alone time."

At the age range of the RS demographic I assume they aren't hitting the clubs or other nightlife.

You might be surprised; while the demographic definitely is weighted toward the higher end of the age scale, a number of younger folks are often on our tours. And even some of the older folks enjoy a bit of nightlife!

I wander on my own. Only child so I’m used to it.
Have traveled solo for decades; Havana, Amsterdam, Paris, Venice, Rome, Milan, London, Copenhagen, Munich, Lake Como, Grand Canyon, NYC, Mt Rushmore, Vegas, Everglades, Mt Rainer, Lake Tahoe, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico, Bisiti Badlands, Chaco Canyon, and……

At night I like taking pictures but also enjoy quiet time in my room reading.

I like the solitude and freedom of wandering solo. Have taken 2 RS tours.

We've gone to a couple of jazz clubs during free evenings -- we tend to have others tag along, which of course we welcome.

We went to the opera in Scotland and plays in England and other performances in local areas. Many cathedrals have free concerts or services you can attend. Ghost walks are also available in many towns.

We have taken food tours, cooking classes, ghost tours and seen theater and music shows on our free nights. We do like to book some dinner reservations if there are places we want to go to. We have found reservations are needed in many more places these days. We are headed to our 9 this tour this fall

As you can read, you can do whatever you want. Rest, walk, eat, see a show etc. This is why advanced planning can personalize your tour.

I usually have a plan for free afternoons and such, going to see something that the tour doesn't cover, and I don't encourage others to join me because I expect they'd slow me down. This means I often have dinner alone, which is OK. But I've also joined others for dinner and enjoyed that. As a solo extrovert, I appreciate the way others offer to include me. The RS crowd generally seems friendly and outgoing. Of course, it's sometimes the best plan to head to the room early and sort photos, Zoom with my wife, or get some extra sleep.

Bill, to clarify about Rick Steves guidebooks (and free-time ideas incl. in the books)...you'll receive the guidebook for the country or city/region if you sign up for a tour. For example, if you do Best of Germany tour, the RS Germany guidebook will be in your tour package.

And, yes, agree with other posters, have seen all of the above during free time.

I try to find food places either near the hotel, or near the part of town the tour will be visiting on the "tour portion" of the day. Then I read reviews, and note a few in Google maps. I mark the hotels, and places we visit that way also so have some idea of "where we went" as I usually make a "shutterfly book" of the trip when back and it often has memorable food photos that help jog our memory of the day. YMMV

We usually have lunch or a snack and then dinner and try to be welcoming, especially to the solo travelers, if they want to meet up for libations, gelato or a meal. We also hit up museums or sites that are not on tour but still great. For instance, the Bargello in Florence was not on the VFR and I really wanted to go so we used some "free time". Sometimes I geocache too!