What's It Really Like?
Great! Every tour I've been on has been an absolute blast - that's why I keep coming back.
Here's what you get on a tour:
Here's what you get on a tour:
- Great groups - The tours are full of smart, curious people. Often someone asks a question that I didn't even know to think of and then I learn all kinds of great things.
- Small Size - Tours are limited to 28 people. This gives us plenty of room on the bus and a real opportunity to get to know all the members. The smallest tour group I've had was 18 people.
- No Grumps - It really is true that everyone has a great time - I think it is in part because we have flexibility in the tour. You can opt out of events if you want and there is plenty of free time to break off from the group and enjoy something on your own.
- Centrally located Hotels - The location of each hotel puts you right in the center of everything. You can easily walk to find restaurants, museums, or whatever tickles your fancy. They are usually small family run establishments with friendly and helpful owners. (They've all had really great breakfasts too!)
- The Guides - They are truly amazing! Each guide gives you their own unique perspective and experience. They are also just a wealth of information on everything tour related. They go above and beyond to make sure that each tour member has the trip they imagined - and are really helpful if something goes a little off kilter while traveling.
- The Bus Drivers - On a Rick Steves' Tour, the bus driver just becomes another tour member. They have their own insight and stories to share, plus they are really good at driving those big busses down small little roads and around tight corners.
- Food - Half your dinners and some lunches are included on a tour. The restaurants are always top notch places and there is always more food than you probably should eat - but it's oh so good! All those great breakfasts are included too!
- No Tipping Required - It is already included in your price!
- No Obligation to Buy - On your tour, people welcome you into their businesses to teach you about what they do and why. You are never obligated or pressured to buy anything.
- No Hidden Fees - The price you get is what you pay for all of the items included in the tour.
- Tour Kit - When you place your deposit for a tour, you get a code to order a free tour kit from Rick's online store. This ensures that everyone has the same guidebook that will be used for the tour - including some specialty tour books like our Germany, Austria, and Switzerland book that had just what we needed for the tour.
Every Rick Steves' Tour begins with a welcome meeting. The group meets at a designated time and place (usually the breakfast room). During this time, we introduce ourselves, learn about our guide and the tour, and pick our buddies. It's a great little orientation and there may be snacks or drinks!
What's a Tour Buddy? It's Rick's system for making sure that everyone is where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there. It also makes it really easy to get a headcount without have to go through the whole list. You get to pick your buddy - the only rule is that it can't be someone that you are traveling with. They don't want you and your buddy wandering off together, so this lowers the probability of that happening. After the Welcome Meeting, your tour moves on to an orientation walk and your first group dinner. |