Trip Preparation
Mom is Prepared. She visits the Rick Steves online travel forum, checks out multiple guidebooks from her library, does tons of internet research, and peppers me with a bazillion enthusiastic emails about the upcoming trip.
This is because she is retired. I work full-time and rarely have time to do a huge amount of research. Happily, I’ve learned that the tours are so well designed, and the guides are so good, that it is OK to show up without much of a plan (although frequently one or both of us has something in mind for a given region that may have prompted us to take the trip in the first place). We've also learned that there is always a surprise “wow” on every trip no matter how much research you do! |
All that said, I did do a little semi-related research for this trip: I read Neil Gaiman’s excellent Norse Mythology and watched all three Thor movies. 😉 The movies were fun but the book was more useful. For example, in Oslo, I was delighted to discover that I could recognize the figures and symbols in some of the artwork in the courtyard of city hall without looking at the explanatory signs! |
What about flights?
We generally try to arrive a day or two before the tour starts, to put a dent in the jetlag and get oriented. When possible, we sign up for a tour in November so we can take advantage of the discount and get cheaper flights.
When purchasing flights, I try to make sure any international connections are at least two hours long, since delays happen, going through customs and immigration can sometimes take a long time, and gates can be far apart. Finally, greenhouse gas emissions from flights contribute to the world’s growing climate change crisis, which affects millions of the world’s most vulnerable people and is beginning to be felt in coastal cities, including mine. So, I am self-conscious. However, I also believe that travel helps connect people in ways that can build understanding and solutions. So, I choose to travel, but I do it as efficiently as I can, and I purchase “carbon offsets” for my flights. I was so excited when Rick Steves announced that he was investing in climate mitigation efforts, too - another reason I'm a fan of these tours. |