TIPS and MUSINGS
TIPS
Tips (from Me) now that I'm a seasoned world traveler!
1) pack some fun items. I packed a lot of black and boring. It worked and was adequate, but I would mix it up a bit next time. Some of the more experienced travelers on the trip had much more of their personal style reflected in their wardrobes and it was just a result of them having a lot of experiencing and knowing what they like to wear when they travel.
Type of fabric IS still important because drying time is a major consideration, but we may brighten up our wardrobes a little more next time.
The kids had no problem with variety - you can fit a LOT of teen clothes into a carry on. and, of course part of the fun of Europe is shopping in Europe so - we picked up some fabulous souvenirs along the way as well - sweatshirts, t-shirts, and a number of treasured items - I collect Christmas ornaments, they're small and every year when we put them on the tree we admire them - Abby got keychains everywhere and Grace collected tote bags.
2) pack an extra bag that is foldable in your luggage so that you have extra space for the souvenirs (and also so that you can take some of the overflow along the way so that everyone doesn't have to expertly pack every two days in order to fit everything in their luggage). I took an Eddie Bauer 25 liter with a top that could close (VERY important), and it made my life so easy. At the end we shoved all dirty clothes into one carry on along with a few things that we couldn't take onto the flight (like a snow globe from the Eiffel tower) and I checked that bag and took my bag of souvenirs onto the plane with me.
3) buy a universal plug in (we got ours from Amazon) - it's square and fabulous and works great in every country so - there's no guess work. On the bus we all had USB ports so we could charge as we went, but for the hotels we appreciated the plug.
4) Take a battery charger for your phone. I needed it every day as I took pictures everywhere we went. The others were mostly fine with their phone’s single charge for the day since we were busy and not on our electronic devices.
1) pack some fun items. I packed a lot of black and boring. It worked and was adequate, but I would mix it up a bit next time. Some of the more experienced travelers on the trip had much more of their personal style reflected in their wardrobes and it was just a result of them having a lot of experiencing and knowing what they like to wear when they travel.
Type of fabric IS still important because drying time is a major consideration, but we may brighten up our wardrobes a little more next time.
The kids had no problem with variety - you can fit a LOT of teen clothes into a carry on. and, of course part of the fun of Europe is shopping in Europe so - we picked up some fabulous souvenirs along the way as well - sweatshirts, t-shirts, and a number of treasured items - I collect Christmas ornaments, they're small and every year when we put them on the tree we admire them - Abby got keychains everywhere and Grace collected tote bags.
2) pack an extra bag that is foldable in your luggage so that you have extra space for the souvenirs (and also so that you can take some of the overflow along the way so that everyone doesn't have to expertly pack every two days in order to fit everything in their luggage). I took an Eddie Bauer 25 liter with a top that could close (VERY important), and it made my life so easy. At the end we shoved all dirty clothes into one carry on along with a few things that we couldn't take onto the flight (like a snow globe from the Eiffel tower) and I checked that bag and took my bag of souvenirs onto the plane with me.
3) buy a universal plug in (we got ours from Amazon) - it's square and fabulous and works great in every country so - there's no guess work. On the bus we all had USB ports so we could charge as we went, but for the hotels we appreciated the plug.
4) Take a battery charger for your phone. I needed it every day as I took pictures everywhere we went. The others were mostly fine with their phone’s single charge for the day since we were busy and not on our electronic devices.
MOBILITY
How serious are they about being able to walk and carry your luggage and climb stairs?
A lot of Europe definitely tried to kill us with uneven ground and uneven sidewalks, tiny, strange elevators, and more stairs than any human could ever anticipate existed. The places we went were not overly friendly to anyone with limited mobility. Many of the sites we went through were ancient. There were pits, cobblestones, roots, uneven ground and a lack of railings and handrails. Finding elevators in many of the subways and buildings was difficult and access to them was not guaranteed and/or the location of alternate transportation was not conveniently located, so steps were necessary.
I think it's accurate to say that you do have to be able to walk a few miles, have ok balance, and be able to climb stairs if you are going to participate in a tour like the 13 Day London to Florence adventure.
We had people in our group with more limited mobility. They were able to walk a few miles, and go up and down flights of stairs but the accumulated distances and the heat meant that they missed a few city walks (or enjoyed sites and museums and castles and everything else on a more limited basis).
Our guides and the other tour members were wonderful and super accommodating. The guides made it possible for all of the tour members to participate as much as possible. I think when there were options to do so, they attempted to give hotel rooms with easy access to the main areas to the group members who would appreciate them the most (lower floors if there were no elevators, main locations if there were options for rooms further out), the guides were, in fact, way more accommodating and thoughtful than they were asked to be, (which was so appreciated).
There were times where we just had to do a longer walk or we just had to use the stairs because an elevator wasn't close, and that worked out ok. The tour was flexible enough that individuals could use alternative means of travel when there were city walks or other appointments that the rest of the group would walk to. For example, in Florence, instead of walking to our cooking class or walking to the museum to see the statue of the "David", those tour members who wanted to, could take a cab and meet up with the rest of the group. The guides would just let everyone know what time we expected we would be at a location or where anyone not walking could meet up with the rest of the group. It was easy. And we never waited for anyone, it was never a problem.
Some people did miss out on a few things, like some of the city walks. But, if the main focus was to experience the trip of a lifetime with family and go on amazing adventures that everyone can talk about for the rest of their lives? Then mission accomplished.
A lot of Europe definitely tried to kill us with uneven ground and uneven sidewalks, tiny, strange elevators, and more stairs than any human could ever anticipate existed. The places we went were not overly friendly to anyone with limited mobility. Many of the sites we went through were ancient. There were pits, cobblestones, roots, uneven ground and a lack of railings and handrails. Finding elevators in many of the subways and buildings was difficult and access to them was not guaranteed and/or the location of alternate transportation was not conveniently located, so steps were necessary.
I think it's accurate to say that you do have to be able to walk a few miles, have ok balance, and be able to climb stairs if you are going to participate in a tour like the 13 Day London to Florence adventure.
We had people in our group with more limited mobility. They were able to walk a few miles, and go up and down flights of stairs but the accumulated distances and the heat meant that they missed a few city walks (or enjoyed sites and museums and castles and everything else on a more limited basis).
Our guides and the other tour members were wonderful and super accommodating. The guides made it possible for all of the tour members to participate as much as possible. I think when there were options to do so, they attempted to give hotel rooms with easy access to the main areas to the group members who would appreciate them the most (lower floors if there were no elevators, main locations if there were options for rooms further out), the guides were, in fact, way more accommodating and thoughtful than they were asked to be, (which was so appreciated).
There were times where we just had to do a longer walk or we just had to use the stairs because an elevator wasn't close, and that worked out ok. The tour was flexible enough that individuals could use alternative means of travel when there were city walks or other appointments that the rest of the group would walk to. For example, in Florence, instead of walking to our cooking class or walking to the museum to see the statue of the "David", those tour members who wanted to, could take a cab and meet up with the rest of the group. The guides would just let everyone know what time we expected we would be at a location or where anyone not walking could meet up with the rest of the group. It was easy. And we never waited for anyone, it was never a problem.
Some people did miss out on a few things, like some of the city walks. But, if the main focus was to experience the trip of a lifetime with family and go on amazing adventures that everyone can talk about for the rest of their lives? Then mission accomplished.
How Flexible is the tour?
I had no idea that we could really customize these tours so much. There's free time in every city where you can fit in sites and experiences that are really important to you. A few travelers on our tour, who had done one of these adventures before, really had their time all planned out. We had almost nothing scheduled and loved every minute of the whole adventure. It was so great
There is also a huge amount of freedom to decide what to do during your days and hours off while on the tour. We would have gladly spent a month in every place we visited, there was no wrong way to spend the time enjoying each city. Everyone was able to customize their schedule to accommodate their ideal adventure when we got to each of the locations on the trip. So, for example, we booked it around the Louvre to see as much as humanly possible in the time given, and other tour members decided on the most important works of art they could not miss out on seeing and used their time to enjoy the masterpieces that were the most meaningful for them to see. Still others didn't even use all of their time in the museum, they saw a few things and then went out to enjoy the grounds and the city.
There is also a huge amount of freedom to decide what to do during your days and hours off while on the tour. We would have gladly spent a month in every place we visited, there was no wrong way to spend the time enjoying each city. Everyone was able to customize their schedule to accommodate their ideal adventure when we got to each of the locations on the trip. So, for example, we booked it around the Louvre to see as much as humanly possible in the time given, and other tour members decided on the most important works of art they could not miss out on seeing and used their time to enjoy the masterpieces that were the most meaningful for them to see. Still others didn't even use all of their time in the museum, they saw a few things and then went out to enjoy the grounds and the city.
The guides made it exceptionally easy to plan our time off. During bus rides between cities they would give history lessons and also information about the cities we were going to visit (what foods they were famous for, where to go for delicious meals, which museums or sites were the most popular). And then they'd go around to each family and see if they could help plan anything. As we went along we began booking experiences or dinner reservations ahead of time.
Value
At over $4000 per person, is the tour a good value for 12 nights / 13 days?
Just for kicks, I did some estimating. This is not scientific, it is probably not even accurate. I didn't agonize over the prices or look up specific hotels or hotel meals. I'm sure I left out some considerations (like the book that Rick Steves throws in when you buy a tour and the fact that the company sends you a welcome package where you get to select a money wallet or fanny pack and it includes ear plugs. Or the fact that there are live experts available to help you plan your days on the tour, and help in any way possible to you get ready to take off for Europe. It all adds value and excitement but none of it was factored into my estimate).
Hotels= $200 night for 12 nights, double occupancy = around $2400 or $1200 per person (this could be WAY off. The May Fair Hotel is sold out this July so I couldn't even get a room to see how much it might cost, but one night in June is $577/night, so the $200/night estimate could easily be doubled). I'm assuming Rick Steves gets a deep discount for the hotels, classes, tours, etc. because of his leverage with the number of tours he brings through. I haven't figured in any discounts. If I was doing this trip on my own I certainly would not be getting a discount. And, obviously, if you were going on your own you could book way cheaper lodging or activities or you could book way more expensive lodging and activities.
Activities: The following costs are just a ballpark figure based on the websites for these locations: London bus tour ($50), tickets to the subways in London and Paris ($30), Tower of London ($35), Thames boat cruise ($15), Eurostar from London to Paris ($100, this varies depending on the time of day but we went at noon so that's what I used), Seine river cruise ($20), Louvre ($20), Guedelon castle ($20), Train to Court of Miracles/Pisa ($5), Leaning Tower of Pisa (the website said $27 but our tickets said $10 so I'm going with $10), Art Class in Florence (this was only for the kids) ($60), Cooking Class in Florence ($75), the Academe (David) ($25), guided tour of Florence (two different days: $100), Guided tour in Paris $50, Guided tour in the Alps (our guide, Bea, went with us all day in the Alps ON HER DAY OFF (which was worth $1 million dollars and so much fun, but let's just say $50)), train in Cinque Terre ($10), I'm sure I've left something out ($25), for a grand total of $700: over $700 per person in guided tours and tickets to attractions and transportation.
Included in the tour is the cost of breakfast every day and a number of dinners. So, 13 breakfasts ($20x13= $260) and Dinner in London, Paris, Burgundy (x2), Lauterbrunnen, Cinque Terre, and Florence (but the Florence dinner is already calculated as a class, so I left it out) ($40 x 6 = $240). I have no idea what the actual cost of dinner was (but, in the Cinque Terre, dinner came with a pesto making demonstration, which was lovely, and in Paris it came with escargot for everyone to try as an appetizer. In Lauterbrunnen there was a small fondu course and in Burgundy everyone was provided with a medieval outfit and we had minstrels (with historically accurate instruments) come and serenade us. So all of the meals provided by the tour were pretty special. There was also dessert. So, I have estimated $40/meal).
A bus. I don't know how to calculate this so I just put the cost of a rental car for 7 days = $1000 (so $500/adult), but it would be much more expensive to get a similar experience to what we got on the tour and you would have to pick up the car in Paris and drop it off in Italy. Additionally there would be parking and hotel costs associated with a car of at least $50/day = $350 or $175/per person for two adults in the car. Total is $675 ballpark (VERY ballpark). I didn't even factor in gasoline.
Total cost for just the items provided by the Rick Steves Tour is MAYBE?? at least $3000/adult if my estimates are even remotely close to what it would cost to do this on our own, and that DOES NOT include two guides or a bus driver and the convenience of being on a tour and not having to worry about any of the logistics. (It also doesn't take into account that some of the items are less expensive for children (though the Rick Steves Tour does give a small child discount of a few hundred dollars, so they're factoring that in somehow)).
The takeaway for us was that you could save money doing this on your own. But if you were doing all of the same things, it would probably end up pretty close to the same amount but without ANY of the convenience, which makes the tour a really good value. In fact, I'm not sure they make much money on each tour, especially after they pay two guides, a bus driver, company overhead, gas, hotels for guides, etc. Though expensive, we all felt like it was completely worth it.
Every one of us that went on the tour is hoping to do future tours with Rick Steves. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Rick Steves needs us to go on every one of his tours, just to quality check each one personally and so that I can live out all of my travel dreams, Dan can have coffee in every single country in Europe, multiple times, and the girls can see every city in Europe. I'm expecting a phone call.
We know so many people who have been on Rick Steves tours. Every single one of them enjoyed their time immensely and would go on another tour if they could (and/or, they already plan to go again in the future).
Thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed our tour summary (and my first attempt at creating a website, it was quite an experience). Happy traveling!!
Just for kicks, I did some estimating. This is not scientific, it is probably not even accurate. I didn't agonize over the prices or look up specific hotels or hotel meals. I'm sure I left out some considerations (like the book that Rick Steves throws in when you buy a tour and the fact that the company sends you a welcome package where you get to select a money wallet or fanny pack and it includes ear plugs. Or the fact that there are live experts available to help you plan your days on the tour, and help in any way possible to you get ready to take off for Europe. It all adds value and excitement but none of it was factored into my estimate).
Hotels= $200 night for 12 nights, double occupancy = around $2400 or $1200 per person (this could be WAY off. The May Fair Hotel is sold out this July so I couldn't even get a room to see how much it might cost, but one night in June is $577/night, so the $200/night estimate could easily be doubled). I'm assuming Rick Steves gets a deep discount for the hotels, classes, tours, etc. because of his leverage with the number of tours he brings through. I haven't figured in any discounts. If I was doing this trip on my own I certainly would not be getting a discount. And, obviously, if you were going on your own you could book way cheaper lodging or activities or you could book way more expensive lodging and activities.
Activities: The following costs are just a ballpark figure based on the websites for these locations: London bus tour ($50), tickets to the subways in London and Paris ($30), Tower of London ($35), Thames boat cruise ($15), Eurostar from London to Paris ($100, this varies depending on the time of day but we went at noon so that's what I used), Seine river cruise ($20), Louvre ($20), Guedelon castle ($20), Train to Court of Miracles/Pisa ($5), Leaning Tower of Pisa (the website said $27 but our tickets said $10 so I'm going with $10), Art Class in Florence (this was only for the kids) ($60), Cooking Class in Florence ($75), the Academe (David) ($25), guided tour of Florence (two different days: $100), Guided tour in Paris $50, Guided tour in the Alps (our guide, Bea, went with us all day in the Alps ON HER DAY OFF (which was worth $1 million dollars and so much fun, but let's just say $50)), train in Cinque Terre ($10), I'm sure I've left something out ($25), for a grand total of $700: over $700 per person in guided tours and tickets to attractions and transportation.
Included in the tour is the cost of breakfast every day and a number of dinners. So, 13 breakfasts ($20x13= $260) and Dinner in London, Paris, Burgundy (x2), Lauterbrunnen, Cinque Terre, and Florence (but the Florence dinner is already calculated as a class, so I left it out) ($40 x 6 = $240). I have no idea what the actual cost of dinner was (but, in the Cinque Terre, dinner came with a pesto making demonstration, which was lovely, and in Paris it came with escargot for everyone to try as an appetizer. In Lauterbrunnen there was a small fondu course and in Burgundy everyone was provided with a medieval outfit and we had minstrels (with historically accurate instruments) come and serenade us. So all of the meals provided by the tour were pretty special. There was also dessert. So, I have estimated $40/meal).
A bus. I don't know how to calculate this so I just put the cost of a rental car for 7 days = $1000 (so $500/adult), but it would be much more expensive to get a similar experience to what we got on the tour and you would have to pick up the car in Paris and drop it off in Italy. Additionally there would be parking and hotel costs associated with a car of at least $50/day = $350 or $175/per person for two adults in the car. Total is $675 ballpark (VERY ballpark). I didn't even factor in gasoline.
Total cost for just the items provided by the Rick Steves Tour is MAYBE?? at least $3000/adult if my estimates are even remotely close to what it would cost to do this on our own, and that DOES NOT include two guides or a bus driver and the convenience of being on a tour and not having to worry about any of the logistics. (It also doesn't take into account that some of the items are less expensive for children (though the Rick Steves Tour does give a small child discount of a few hundred dollars, so they're factoring that in somehow)).
The takeaway for us was that you could save money doing this on your own. But if you were doing all of the same things, it would probably end up pretty close to the same amount but without ANY of the convenience, which makes the tour a really good value. In fact, I'm not sure they make much money on each tour, especially after they pay two guides, a bus driver, company overhead, gas, hotels for guides, etc. Though expensive, we all felt like it was completely worth it.
Every one of us that went on the tour is hoping to do future tours with Rick Steves. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Rick Steves needs us to go on every one of his tours, just to quality check each one personally and so that I can live out all of my travel dreams, Dan can have coffee in every single country in Europe, multiple times, and the girls can see every city in Europe. I'm expecting a phone call.
We know so many people who have been on Rick Steves tours. Every single one of them enjoyed their time immensely and would go on another tour if they could (and/or, they already plan to go again in the future).
Thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed our tour summary (and my first attempt at creating a website, it was quite an experience). Happy traveling!!