Rick Steves Tour Basics
As I said in the intro, I was skeptical about my first tour. But it was excellent, and I discovered that everything I liked was part of the Rick Steves "brand" and would be found on every other tour, too. Here are the basics:
You will meet great people.
Travelers: Mom and I are both introverts, yet we’ve both made a lot of friends and friendly acquaintances on our trips. Rick Steves tour groups tend to self-select for active, independent, curious, adventurous people of all ages. You’ll meet families with kids, retired couples, singles in their 20s and 70s, mother-daughter teams like us, and more. My sense is that the tours are LGBT-friendly. We really like that the groups are small - no more than 28 people, which means you get to know everyone by the end of the trip. My only quibble: travelers are overwhelmingly white, which is something I hope will change.
Buddy system: When you first meet your guide and group, you’ll be asked to find someone you don’t know, and then you’ll be “buddies” for the trip. This doesn’t mean you have to go everywhere together; in fact, the system works because two buddies are unlikely to wander off together. Whenever your guide needs to know if everyone is accounted for, s/he will ask for a “buddy check!” You’re responsible for letting the guide know if your buddy is missing. This is so much more efficient than having the guide try to count everyone all the time. Plus, it’s fun and you start to get to know people this way. My “buddy” from the Best of Eastern Europe tour is now a good friend! |
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Itineraries: Your guide will post the next day’s itinerary at the hotel front desk. Take a photo! Most days “on the ground” will include 2-4 hours with the group, often on a tour of a city or site of interest with a local guide. The rest of the time is on your own. Your guide can give great suggestions. Museums, parks and walks not covered as a group can be fantastic. Sometimes it's good to slow down, sit in a cafe and have a cool (or warm) drink, or go back to the hotel and take a nap.
Activity levels: The website shows the average activity level for each tour, and the day-by-day itinerary estimates the mileage and strenuousness of each day’s plan. Best of Scandinavia in 14 Days was on the low end of the range. But, remember that even on the lower activity tours, you should be ready to carry your bag up lots of stairs and roll it along several blocks of cobblestone streets between the bus and the hotel. For group activities, listen to your body. You don’t have to do every group thing – just let your guide (and tour buddy!) know and discuss when you’ll rejoin. |
Bus time is not wasted.
Some itineraries include many hours on a bus to get from Wonderful City A to Wonderful City B. Don’t let the amount of bus time dissuade you! The buses are spotless, and since Rick Steves tour groups are small, you’ll get your own row. They stop at least every two hours to give everyone a chance to visit a bathroom, get a bite to eat, stretch, etc. There's a bathroom onboard for emergencies. People are good about rotating around so everyone gets time up front for good views.
For maybe one-third to half of the time, your guide will give little lectures, answer questions, walk down the aisle handing out treats, or play music by local artists. (Yes, of course we got some ABBA, which led to a great discussion of the Swedish school system, taxes, the Eurovision Song Contest, the EU, etc.) If you don’t want to engage, that's fine! Just put in ear plugs (or ear buds), read a book, watch the scenery, or take a nap. |
You will be in good hands.
We can’t say enough good things about the guides and drivers we’ve had on our tours. Ylva was a prime example: incredibly knowledgeable, resourceful, a great storyteller and infectiously enthusiastic about Scandinavia, traveling, and learning. Pinge was yet another perfect driver: 110% committed to safety, able to negotiate seemingly impossible turns in cities and mountain passes, and also fun to talk to during breaks or over a meal. He even brought homemade cinnamon rolls for a delicious roadside fika on our first day on the bus! Ylva and Pinge worked together seamlessly to get us where we needed to go, comfortably, safely, and on time. Thank you, Ylva and Pinge!
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You'll learn to use your words!
A really fun challenge on multinational tours is learning a whole new set of phrases every few days. Just when saying “tack så mycket” is getting easier, it’s time to change to “tusind tak.”
Rick Steves guides are great at teaching you basic phrases—Ylva’s lesson was especially entertaining—and you’ll even be encouraged to check into your hotel and say your room number, please, in the local language. In Kalmar, our whole group managed it! Never fear, though: everyone in Scandinavia speaks nearly perfect English. For that matter, practically everyone in the service industry in every corner of Europe speaks passable if not flawless English, so you’ll always be OK. But please be a courteous guest and use some of the words and phrases you learn. It’s fun and gratifying. |
You'll want to see your friends again!
In January, there is an official Rick Steves reunion in Edmonds, WA for members of the previous year’s tours. I can’t get away from work that time of year, but Mom has been to a few and it sounds like great fun to reconnect with former guides and travel companions.
We’ve also gotten together with former tour group members for a few of our own mini-reunions. The friendships we’ve made on these trips have been the most unexpected gift of Rick Steves tours. |