# Rick Steve's tours



## Luanne (Jan 7, 2015)

I'm looking for input from anyone who has been on any of Rick Steve's tours.  I did a quick look up as we're interested in going to Brussels, Bruges and Amsterdam and he has a tour that includes all of those.  We generally just plan trips ourselves, but for something like this I'm wondering if a formal tour group might be the way to go.

TIA


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## Bwolf (Jan 7, 2015)

Luanne:  Having lived in Europe for fours years, my view is that Brussels, Bruges, and Amsterdam are very easy to plan and see on your own.  You are a seasoned traveler, so you will probably get more into your days on your own, and appreciate it all even more.

JMHO


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## Passepartout (Jan 7, 2015)

I've never taken a Rick Steves' tour, but from his PBS show, my take is that they are pretty 'close to the ground' tours. Not a huge amount of hand holding. They require carry-ons only (no checked bags) public transport (no big, private buses), small, family- owned lodgings (no big, American chain hotels). That said, the 'back door' approach is really empowering and you will, of necessity, get close to the people you travel to visit.

A group tour, though they tend to move at the pace of the slowest traveler, can take care of the basic logistics, what to see, where to stay, which restaurant to eat in, type stuff, allowing you to concentrate on getting the most from your trip in the least time. I think his tours keep it in perspective, so there is less of the 'It it Tuseday, so this must be Brussels' mentality, and there is ample private time to explore on your own, with basic guidance from a tour guide.

I have taken a few Overseas Adventure Travel tours, www.oattravel.com and that's where my experience comes from.

Jim


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## Luanne (Jan 7, 2015)

Thanks for the comment that I'm a "seasoned traveler".  Ask me about Hawaii, I'm somewhat of a pro.  But for some reason when it comes to planning trips outside the U.S. I tend to freeze up.  I've traveled very little in Europe and the destinations have been determined by certain obligations (Switzerland for a business trip for dh) and London for his graduate school graduation ceremony.

I probably could plan the trip myself.  Maybe I'll take something like a Rick Steve's itinerary and go from there.


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## stmartinfan (Jan 7, 2015)

I have never taken a Rick Steves tour, but have done group tours for countries where I thought it would be helpful to have the support of an organized tour, like India and Japan.  I have travelled quite a lot in Europe and would not want to use a group tour for the cities you mention, unless you feel you need extra support when you're traveling because of health, etc.  In most European cities, it's easy to get around because the signage is in letters you can read and English speakers are pretty common.

Here's how I approach planning travel in Europe:  I first get the Rick Steves book and use that as a starting point for priorities of what to see and how long to stay somewhere.  Once I've picked the cities, then I read about them again in a different book, like Frommer's or Fodor.  Steves does a good job of emphasizing the highlights, so it helps prioritize sights.  The others provide more in depth info, and also allow me to add things that perhaps aren't in the top 10 in a city, but have a special appeal to me, like a small toy museum I took my kids to in London.  I like having more down time to just hanging out at a sidewalk cafe or shop than most tours and tour books, so I factor that in when I'm figuring out what I'll see.

For these cities, the big question will be whether you'll drive between them or look at train or other transportation.  That's one of the advantages of a group tour - not having to handle those details, but driving between cities is easy in Europe.  And you'll be able to easily use public transportation somewhere like Amsterdam.  In fact, you might want to start or end your trip in Amsterdam, and not even have a rental car for those days.  We've found European tram or metro systems to be very easy to use.  (Just be careful to guard your purse and wallet in Amsterdam; my husband almost got his stolen on a crowded tram!)

My other tip is to use the "round the city" tour on the first day in a new location to get a quick overview and city layout.  We find them really helpful to see lots in a short time.  I usually use the "hop on/hop off" bus tours, but you could also book a more formal daylong tour that would provide visits to a couple of locations and a guide.  It's kind of a way to get a hybrid between independent touring and a group tour. 

Good luck!  I love traveling in Amsterdam and some of the other areas of The Netherlands!


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## LisaRex (Jan 7, 2015)

Luanne said:


> But for some reason when it comes to planning trips outside the U.S. I tend to freeze up.  I've traveled very little in Europe and the destinations have been determined by certain obligations (Switzerland for a business trip for dh) and London for his graduate school graduation ceremony.



You know, if the price isn't ridiculous, I think you should give a pre-planned tour a shot.  I mean, there's something to be said for having logistics mapped out and taking the stress off of your shoulders.  And it might be just what you need to get you past the blockade.


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## VacationForever (Jan 7, 2015)

My husband and I consider ourselves seasoned travelers and we are currently looking at guided group tour in Europe as well.  My husband has also been to most of Europe.  

I think if you are young and active and willing to tough it out, Rick Steve's tour may work well.  Their tour is between 24-28 people and it is too large for us and too "rough" for us.  We are older, fit and active but we are no longer 20.  

We want to travel in small group (under 20) and we are looking at Tauck where it is a bit more luxurious.


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## DeniseM (Jan 7, 2015)

DH and I are planning a European trip after his retirement later this year, and I think we are going to do one of the river cruises, since we are European novices.  That appeals to us more than a ground tour.

No packing or unpacking
No buses
All food and beverages included

We are looking here:  http://www.rivercruise.com/?source=cruisetop


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## tschwa2 (Jan 7, 2015)

I think his tours look good but they cost at least twice as much as if you booked similar accommodations and did the same type of sightseeing yourself.  It is of course a lot easier to let someone else do the planning.  You can find tours that are cheaper (like Cosmos) but plan on having accommodations that are much further off the beaten path so that you still have to be willing and able to do a lot of legwork and planning or pay fairly high optional excursions.  For example there was a salt mine tour in Poland.  The excursion cost was about $50 a person.  For less than $1 I found the bus that took us to the same location and paid the $6 admission price that included the tour and we didn't have to stop at the tourist trap market where the tour guide gets a cut from everything that is bought.


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## stmartinfan (Jan 7, 2015)

An important consideration for picking a European tour is the location of the hotels.  Part of the charm of places like Amsterdam is being able to walk in neighborhoods and do some things on your own.  Since they travel by bus,many group tours put you up in hotels that are nice but cheaper because they are located outside of the main city centers and off the transit systems.  It's like being stuck at a suburban hotel n the US without a car.


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## Passepartout (Jan 7, 2015)

sptung said:


> I think if you are young and active and willing to tough it out, Rick Steve's tour may work well.  Their tour is between 24-28 people and it is too large for us and too "rough" for us.  We are older, fit and active but we are no longer 20.
> 
> We want to travel in small group (under 20) and we are looking at Tauck where it is a bit more luxurious.



This is the reason we have chosen O.A.T. Never more than 10-16 travelers. And the guides GENUINELY want to show you their country. They aren't the cheapest, but imo, they truly do it right.

We went to a Tauck presentation once, it was too much like a timeshare presentation, they have their own jackets and hats and bus emblazoned with the TAUCK name in letters 5' high. I don't travel for the locals to be able to recognize ME as a well-to-do American tourist. The more I can blend in, the better. To each their own.

Most of the time we travel independently, but sometimes- especially when there is a language issue, like kanji symbols in Japan, Cyrillic in E. Europe/Asia, or Thai, utilizing a good guided tour helps you get the most of an area.

Jim


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## Talent312 (Jan 7, 2015)

I've been to Europe 5x, beginning in 1992 (w-a former wife). We mostly travelled by train and booked our own lodging.
Many main-city stations are convenient to the old-sections. We were always able to find a 3-4* hotel in walking distance.

Occasionally, we'd rent a car to tour the countryside... Loire Valley in France, Romantic Road in Germany, etc.

We used Steve's guidebooks. Saw other tourists with them.

But now that I'm older and not as limber, I can appreciate the advantages of letting others handle the arrangements.
.


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## JudyH (Jan 7, 2015)

I met a couple that had just done Rick Steves in Italy and they were due to do one in the middle of Great Britain. One was less planned and more independent than the other. They loved both.

I just put a deposit on a Vantage river cruise for Brussels Brugges and Amsterdam. We will stay in Amsterdam for a few days after. It seemed like a good compromise.

Next month I am doing 7 weeks in NZ and OZ, part with Road Scholar and Tasmania with another group. The biggest reason was I am the only driver and didn't want to do all the driving on the "wrong" side.

I wouldn't have any issue driving in Europe but it's really easy to just use trains and limit renting a car.


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## Beaglemom3 (Jan 7, 2015)

We are DIYers when it comes to travel and tend to do more hybrid touring  when abroad, meaning that we take a couple-few day tours (coach or train group tours-day only) in order to maximize our time and solo the rest.


I'm not sure if a week+ organized tour with a tour group such as Rick Steves would work for us due to our travel style. I love his show and books, though.

It all depends on how you like to travel.


0


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## eakhat (Jan 7, 2015)

We have traveled to Europe on our own several times and traveled with Rick Steves twice and will be doing another tour next year.  We enjoy his back-door style of traveling. Four years ago we did the RS Village Italy tour and traveled on our own for about 1 1/2 weeks to Lake Como, Milan, Dolomites and Venice.   Last fall we did 10 days on our own (Normandy, Brittany, Paris and Brugge) and a 12-day RS France tour.  I spent hours and hours planning the 10 days on our own.  We like to know where we stay each night and that takes knowledge of how much time to spend in each city/area, especially in Normandy.  The RS tours build in time to be on your own.  They are expensive but also include many, many entrance fees, all breakfasts, half of the dinners and all tips.  

We don't usually travel to Europe two years in a row, but friends asked us to join them on a river cruise (Amsterdam to Zurich) next September.  After we booked that, people on last fall's RS tour in France asked if we would join them on a RS tour to Scotland so we are doing that right before the river cruise.  We will plan on own time in Dublin, Amsterdam, Luzern and Zurich Switzerland.  When we plan on our trips, we use the Rick Steves books extensively.  At our age, mid-60's, it's nice to have others help with the planning and the details.  Travel can be completed more efficiently.


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## Luanne (Jan 7, 2015)

sptung said:


> My husband and I consider ourselves seasoned travelers and we are currently looking at guided group tour in Europe as well.  My husband has also been to most of Europe.
> 
> I think if you are young and active and willing to tough it out, Rick Steve's tour may work well.  Their tour is between 24-28 people and it is too large for us and too "rough" for us.  We are older, fit and active but we are no longer 20.
> 
> We want to travel in small group (under 20) and we are looking at Tauck where it is a bit more luxurious.



I've been getting some input from another TUGGER who has done a couple of Rick Steves' tours.  I asked the age of the groups and how strenuous the tours are.  She told me her dh is in her 70's and she's not far behind, and they'd done fine with the tours.  I think she also said they have a few health issues.  So I'm thinking our ages might not be a huge issue.


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## Luanne (Jan 7, 2015)

DeniseM said:


> DH and I are planning a European trip after his retirement later this year, and I think we are going to do one of the river cruises, since we are European novices.  That appeals to us more than a ground tour.
> 
> No packing or unpacking
> No buses
> ...



Denise, I've looked at a couple of river cruises, but they don't go to the cities I specifically want to see.  I was looking at Viking, but I'll take a look at this link as well.


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## eakhat (Jan 7, 2015)

On our RS tour last fall,the youngest couple was 50 and the oldest probably 75-80.  You have to be able to carry your own luggage; sometimes you will carry it up steep, winding steps.  Four years ago, the person who slowed the group down was young, but she needed knee surgery and walked with a cane.  The guides walk pretty quickly and expect people to keep up.  In the two trips I've taken, the majority were in the 50's/60's and I didn't notice any problem with people keeping up.


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## VacationForever (Jan 8, 2015)

Passepartout said:


> This is the reason we have chosen O.A.T. Never more than 10-16 travelers. And the guides GENUINELY want to show you their country. They aren't the cheapest, but imo, they truly do it right.
> 
> We went to a Tauck presentation once, it was too much like a timeshare presentation, they have their own jackets and hats and bus emblazoned with the TAUCK name in letters 5' high. I don't travel for the locals to be able to recognize ME as a well-to-do American tourist. The more I can blend in, the better. To each their own.
> 
> ...




Good point.  I have never heard of OAT but I looked at Tauck because it's the smallest group size I could find.  I just checked them out but it looks like they don't cover a whole lot of locations.


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## VacationForever (Jan 8, 2015)

DeniseM said:


> DH and I are planning a European trip after his retirement later this year, and I think we are going to do one of the river cruises, since we are European novices.  That appeals to us more than a ground tour.
> 
> No packing or unpacking
> No buses
> ...



My husband has also been encouraging me to look at river cruise in Europe and I just started looking.  You raised an excellent point which I did not think about which is no packing or unpacking at each place.  My concern is that land time won't be too long at each location.


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## DeniseM (Jan 8, 2015)

sptung said:


> My husband has also been encouraging me to look at river cruise in Europe and I just started looking.  You raised an excellent point which I did not think about which is no packing or unpacking at each place.  My concern is that land time won't be too long at each location.



If you look at the specific cruises on the websites, you can see the detailed itineraries.  In general, the great cities of Europe were built along the main rivers - the super highways of the day, so the distance between cities, and stops, isn't far.   It's not like an ocean cruise where you have long distances to cover between ports.

To me it looks easier than a land tour with packing, and traveling by land, and changing accommodations every night or two. I like the idea of a different city every day or two, but every night, the same room, and the same dining room all-inclusive, with consistent food quality, if we decide not to eat in port.

If you want to spend a lot of in-depth time in one city, it probably won't work, but we want to get a taste of a lot of different cities.


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## MuranoJo (Jan 8, 2015)

sptung said:


> We want to travel in small group (under 20) and we are looking at Tauck where it is a bit more luxurious.



We're also using Tauck, but for our first European river cruise.  Another couple traveling with us have used them before and they're big fans.  

I've been to Europe several times before, but always on business.  A couple of times friends and I would extend our business trips and stay & explore extra days on our own.  However, DH has never been and I feel the river cruise with friends will be a good introduction for him.


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## PStreet1 (Jan 8, 2015)

We're doing our first river cruise in October, but we're spending 3 nights in Budapest before the cruise and 3 nights in Prague after the cruise.  Everyone I know who has done a river cruise says they are much less touristy than port cities where ocean cruise ships dock; I've resisted the river cruises because it seems to me that smaller towns/cities where the river boat stops rely just as much on them for dollars/visitors as larger ports rely on their cruise passengers.  However, I've now decided that since no one I've ever talked to about a river boat cruise has ever been displeased with the experience, I'll probably like it, too.


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## VacationForever (Jan 8, 2015)

MuranoJo said:


> We're also using Tauck, but for our first European river cruise.  Another couple traveling with us have used them before and they're big fans.
> 
> I've been to Europe several times before, but always on business.  A couple of times friends and I would extend our business trips and stay & explore extra days on our own.  However, DH has never been and I feel the river cruise with friends will be a good introduction for him.



Tauck river cruise is where I started looking at too.  When will you be going?  If you don't mind, please come back here and post your experience.  My husband also suggested looking at Viking since they are advertising alot but I have not looked.  I went on a river cruise at the Mississippi River up/down Cincinnati many years and I thought it was also called Viking but I am not sure.


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## MuranoJo (Jan 9, 2015)

sptung said:


> Tauck river cruise is where I started looking at too.  When will you be going?  If you don't mind, please come back here and post your experience.  My husband also suggested looking at Viking since they are advertising alot but I have not looked.  I went on a river cruise at the Mississippi River up/down Cincinnati many years and I thought it was also called Viking but I am not sure.



I'll be happy to, but it's not until later this Fall.  Meanwhile, I did find a pretty thorough review written by a woman traveling solo--and this is the same trip we're taking.  You can read it here.  (Specifics about the river cruise are at her posts dated Nov. 17, 18 & 20 in the Comments section further down.)

You can probably find quite a few Viking reviews on CC--there are also a few Tauck reviews there.


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## pedro47 (Jan 9, 2015)

sptung said:


> Tauck river cruise is where I started looking at too.  When will you be going?  If you don't mind, please come back here and post your experience.  My husband also suggested looking at Viking since they are advertising alot but I have not looked.  I went on a river cruise at the Mississippi River up/down Cincinnati many years and I thought it was also called Viking but I am not sure.



Ditto, we also are looking a Tauck & Viking river cruise for Europe this year or next spring. We have been to Paris and the Commander-In-Chief felled in love with the city.


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## patty5ia (Jan 10, 2015)

We have traveled in Europe many times, on our own and with tours.  I have found that it is more time efficient to go on a tour.  We are in Our early seventies and we have taken 2 Rick Steves tours, one a My Way tour.  We have no trouble keeping up and enjoy the company of the other people on the tours. We have used other tour companies, OAT and Odysseys Unlimited.  We especially enjoy Odysseys tours, small groups and less tipping.  Very good accommodations and guides. It is easier for us to go on a guided tour and I find we see more than we did on our own.  I have never felt rushed or held back by the group.  The guides usually know how to deal with any difficult people.


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## perktd (Jan 26, 2015)

Denise  My wife and I have taken a two week river cruise in Europe and found it to be one of our most enjoyable vacations ever.  The web site you mentioned is good for seeing all the river cruise options available.  Before you finalize any reservations, I suggest you check with Costco Travel prior to making any bookings. In my research, I found that all travel agencies appear to be given the same offers from the cruise lines and prices are the same as the cruise line charges.  In the case of Costco, they rebate a significant portion of their commission on at least one major river cruise line in the form of a Costco cash card.  In the case of a future cruise we have booked, the cash card will equal almost 10 percent of the cruise, pre and post cruise extensions, and airfare booked through the cruise line.  On our first river cruise we booked directly with the cruise line and gave up that benefit.  You may PM me if you have questions.   Don


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## RFW (Jan 27, 2015)

Luanne said:


> I'm looking for input from anyone who has been on any of Rick Steve's tours.  I did a quick look up as we're interested in going to Brussels, Bruges and Amsterdam and he has a tour that includes all of those.  We generally just plan trips ourselves, but for something like this I'm wondering if a formal tour group might be the way to go.
> 
> TIA



We have used Rick Steves 3X, in this order: 1. Paris city, 2. Barcelona/Madrid and 3. Brussels, Bruges, Amsterdam. We enjoyed all 3, but enjoyed the Paris and the Barcelona/Madrid tours much more than the Brussels, Bruges, Amsterdam tour. The most significant variable was the guide's ability. On our first 2 tours, the guides were just fantastic. They were knowledge, enthusiastic about their jobs and outgoing. On the Brussels, Bruges Amsterdam tour, our guide was less experienced, less outgoing and less sure of himself. He was very professional and knowledgeable, but his inexperience showed. I will also say that I enjoyed this trip more than my wife, that was less interested in the countryside, WWI battlefield and the storm surge barrier visits than me.

When I looked at the description of the Brussels, Bruges Amsterdam tour recently, it appeared that the itinerary had changed somewhat since we went in 2012, which also might be an improvement, particularly since it looked like they eliminated the visit to a Dutch village re-creation, which we thought was a time waster, more suitable to a elementary school class trip than an adult experience. However, we had a trip to Toledo included that does not seem to be there any longer.  

That said, generally, the tour was a good mix of planned activities and free time. The RS routine is to orient you to the location, so you can both experience the planned activities, then be off on your own, armed with enough local knowledge to do your own thing. I suggest that you also look at the recent review of your tour on the RS website. In my experience, they publish what they get. That is to say, they do not edit out the constructively critical reviews submitted by travelers.  

I can try to answer more specific questions you might have if you want to PM me.


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