I’ve just returned from the Best of Poland in 10 Days tour, and am still smiling reflecting on the wonderful experience I had with my tour mates exploring this beautiful, resilient country. This was my first Rick Steves Europe tour. Rather than write a day by day report, I’ll categorize my thoughts based on what I think may be relevant to those considering the tour and questions I had before the start of the trip.
Guide
Our guide throughout the entire tour, Monika, was a complete class act. Not only was she knowledgeable and professional, but also she was incredibly friendly with a great sense of humor. She always made herself available to offer help and answer questions. Thanks to Monika’s guidance and leadership, our tour ran like a well-oiled machine. Plus, she often came equipped with surprise vodka shots (a staple in Poland) and treats!
Hotels
I was expecting small rooms with no air conditioning throughout the trip. I especially thought my rooms would be small since I was not sharing with anyone. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find a decent sized room with air at each location. Plus, all hotels were easy walking distance to restaurants, museums, and other attractions.
Food/Drink
The food was plentiful at every breakfast with elaborate spreads. I already miss the vast selection of cheese, meats/eggs, pastries, and more. All organized lunches/dinners offered ample delicious food and drink. I don’t think I felt hungry once on the tour. I brought a small stash of snacks just in case, and I never needed to tap into it. When meals were on our own, there were always many options nearby.
I perhaps drank more vodka during the 10 days of this tour than I have throughout my entire 47 years. I now have a new appreciation for it! Of course, the vodka was not mandatory and some tour mates politely declined without issue, and were always offered good alternatives, not just water.
While all of the meals were great, two of them were particularly special: the Ukrainian dinner at the Chopin Boutique B&B in Warsaw and the farewell dinner in Krakow. I do not want to spoil any surprises, and my retelling of events won’t accurately describe the evenings, so I will just say that if you go on this tour, you have so much to look forward to and will walk away with cherished memories.
Other Travelers
As a solo female traveler, this was my biggest concern. All 23 others on the trip were great people! Five of us were solo travelers, there were three couples, and the rest were a mix of duos and trios of friends and family. Everyone was kind, considerate, flexible, and inclusive. Our group was female dominant-- 21 women and 3 men, ranging in ages from early 30s to 70s (if I had to guess). I once heard Rick Steves say that “a Rick Steves tour group is like a band of merry travelers,” and I have to say that this description perfectly describes our group. I would be thrilled to go on another tour with any one of them again in the future!
Overall
This was a stellar experience. My personal highlights included the WWII Museum in Gdansk (did this on my own the day before the tour started), walking tours of each city, a lively vodka tasting in Warsaw, making and sampling gingerbread in Torun, learning more in-depth history from WWII through Solidarity in all locations, trying new-to-me foods, spending time connecting with and learning from my fellow travelers, learning how to make pierogies in a local’s home (huge shout out to Anna for opening her Krakow home to us!), and our evening chatting and sharing a special meal with Jarek, owner of the Chopin Boutique B&B in Warsaw.
I cannot think of a single criticism of the trip. I joined the tour not knowing a soul, and walked away with many new friends in travel. Thank you to Rick Steves Europe for an all around absolutely wonderful experience. I had such a great time that I already booked my next tour-- Turkey in 13 Days next summer!