Rick Steves tours --yes or no?

Oldbabe said:
NW-Bound, your adventures are exactly the kind of experiences I'd prefer to avoid! *shudder* I had plenty of those in my youth.
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Does that mean DW and I are still in our youth? Hey, thanks! :D
 
I've been doing a price comparison of these two tours:

Rick Steves 17 Tour of Italy $4695 plus air
Rick Steves' Europe 2010 Tours: Italy in 17 Days

Exploritas Rome, Florence, and Venice tour (14 days) $4295 plus air
Exploritas : Italian Classics: Rome, Florence, Venice - Italy - Country Studies

The RS tour ends up about $335/day while the Exploritas is more like $375/day. That is without a single supplement and the RS tour does not include lunch or half the dinners. The Exploritas includes all but 2 dinners.
Both include all tips for guides, admissions, and transportation.

I have to add on kennel expenses for my dog at $35/day. So another $650.

Total for the RS tour including $1000 for air: $5700 + 650 + 180 for meals = $6530 basic cost
For Exploritas, including air $5300 +650 + 100 = $6050

Still haven't decided but am leaning to the RS tour because it goes to all the places I want to see, including the Lakes and Cinque Terre. I think I'll put together a rough budget of an independent intinerary for comparison.
 
If you are going alone... a tour might be nice since there are others you will get to know and share the experience.

If you have a traveling companion... consider getting Rick's book and do it independently. You can always take tours in individual cities... or do the hop on hop off bus thing.
 
Moemg, I took a look and didn't really like the structure of the tours. They are too short as well, and, hate to say it, but I don't enjoy the company of large groups of women. I'm sorry ladies! I love my friends individually but in groups . . .

I've been looking at HF Holidays. Its a British company that does walking tours. The prices are GREAT. But the walks are long.
Guided Walking at San Quirico d’Orcia - HF Holidays

The more I look into tour groups, the less I am inclined to sign up, at least for Italy. I think I can manage on my own, even at my *advanced* age.
 
How about finding a friend or a relative to go with you? I myself do not find traveling alone attractive.
 
NW-Bound said:
How about finding a friend or a relative to go with you? I myself do not find traveling alone attractive.
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Yeah, I agree in general. But it's easier said than done to find a compatible travel partner. I haven't totally dismissed the idea of going on a tour yet.
 
OldBabe - I just spent 3 days in Rome - I was alone - I used three books:

Rick Steve's, the Day Trips in Italy series and the Rome book (it's the series that is a narrow book with lots of color photos - they do a book for all of the larger cities in the workd and in many languages). I did a combination of the different walks in each of the books. I found the Day Trip's books to be excellent - the author has you pick an anchor city and then has a series of walking tours around that city and the area beyond. He tells you which trains, buses, etc to take, gives you hotel and restaurant suggestions - and focuses on what you will see and experience and not necessarily buy. The Rome walks were long ones, but definitely covered the area. I used the Rick Steve's for interesting tidbits - his stroll starting in Lago de Argentina (?) where Julius Caesar was killed and then through the Ghetto, the Ottavia ruins, the Michelangelo stairs up to a view over the Forum was the best, in my mind - and it was a bit shorter than the Day Trips.

In any case, I think you can do fine without a tour group - OR - start out with them for a few days and then break off by yourself. Tour groups are OK but it gets to be a blur - I tend not to use them now as I'm comfortable pretty much wherever I go - but I'm also willing to do the research ahead of time.

Rick Steve's is also good for low to mid-priced hotels that are not chains, have the flavor of the country or culture and are well placed. Actually, his idea of staying in Orvieto and training into Rome is how we did it the first time - Orvieto is an amazing hill town (great Italian ceramics at great prices) and quiet (and cheaper than Rome).

PM if you want some more info - and I'm sure you'll enjoy Italy - they'll just appreciate you can speak the language somewhat.
 
Deserat, thanks for the reply and the great ideas. The more I read about Italy themore I want to see and experience. I only had a brief taste in my youth as I was traveling in several countries on that trip. I'm going to have to reduce expenses to do all the traveling I want to do. I've been looking into Monastery stays. Apparently, these are spartan accommodations with private baths for around 40 to 60 Euros a nite for a single! Some of them are in historic buildings.

Monastery Stays - Italy Accommodation - Convent Lodging
Has anyone stayed in this type of accommodation?
 
Never stayed in the monastery/convents, however would have to say they look fabulous. For me, when I have travelled alone, I find it important not to stay at a big impersonal hotel. Staying at a B&B or something like the convents, is more likely to attract single travellers so think it would likely be beneficial to you.

BTW don't be afraid to ask any of your friends if they are interested in travelling as you never know if they are thinking the same thoughts as you. I am married, but last year I made a 10 day trip to Vietnam with a friend. I asked her to go, she probably never would have asked me, assuming that I only want to travel with DH. We got on fabulously and it was our first trip together. The key was we laid down the ground rules to start with, each of us did a portion of the organising, we were both open about what we did and didn't want to see and we agreed to tell each other if we were getting on the others nerves.
 
Yes, I haver stayed in a monastery in Rome ( LAR 138 of your link, Procura Generale Suore Missionarie Pallotine) and in Syracusa.
I would go back any time.
The place in Rome is located very conveniently, close to the Vatican. We covered most of the city by foot.
The one in Syracusa was in the middle of the old town. SIS 101 belongs to the convent, but is a hotel. There was also the option to stay at the convent, much cheaper and also very nice.
The nuns were extremely friendy, the places very clean. If you need hotel atmosphere, it is not the right place, but if you want fair value it is perfect.
No religious details were required. I am protestant - nobody asked.
No curfew - when we told the receptionist that we would come back late we got a key.
Breakfast was basic - but there is a coffeshop on every corner.
 
Thanks, Chris! It's fabulous to get a specific recommendation. I was looking at the ones in Rome but couldn't tell if any were centrally located. This sounds exactly right for city stays. I would rather have basic accommodations rather than hotel amenities if the price savings is substantial, which it is.

Now I need to find an agritourismo for Tuscany. Any recommendations?


Danger, unfortunately most of my friends are still working full time or don't have the money for international travel. Their vacation times are hard won and spent with husband/boyfriend or don't fit with my working schedule. But I do have a couple of friends who might be interested. So thanks for the suggestion!
 
I was in Tuscany by car. Our agritourismo was a bit far off if you rely on public transport.

But for Rome, if you stay in the area close to the Vatican, remember to take the direct train from the airport to the Vatican station, not via the central station in the city. It is quite frequent and very convenient. We walked to the monastry from the station, no problem even with our luggage (on wheels). This also helps to avoid the central station where some specialist thieves are said to concentrate on "incoming" tourists and cab fees can be quite steep.
 
Great suggestion on the train, Chris! This is exactly the kind of advice I was hoping for. I remember very well in 1976 arriving at the Rome central train station. What an intimating place it seemed at the time. Of course, I was 26. I've grown up a bit since then. ;)

Thanks so much!
 
We were meeting our walking tour guide at the central station in Rome. As soon as we got off the train, we asked where the McDonalds was (perpetuating the myth about American tourists). When we finally found him, we realized that there were four McDonalds in the area.
 
We have been to Italy, but did not have time to explore Tuscany. We need to come back, and tour it with a car. Same as the Loire River region of France which we have toured, the hill towns of Tuscany are not convenient to visit using trains.

Oh, so many places to go, so little money, now that we have time...
 
Only downside on cruises or tours where they pair you up with someone when you get there is this: Went to a 2 week course once that just paired folks up as they came in. I got the most boring gal that ever lived. Truly. It really cramped my style alot as you felt some obligation to walk to class with them and so forth, so I vote buying Rick Steve's books as suggested earlier and going it alone. Live dangerously.:rolleyes:
 
Many of us remember solo traveling when we were young. Even without language facility, there were always other English speaking travelers around, both North American and Northern European. Being young and mostly unemcumbered, these other travelers were often open to casual social encounters.

Not necesarily true when you are 50+. For one thing, most of similar aged people are traveling with spouses or long time friends, or are in tours themselves. I'll take a boring companion over no companion at all when I am away from home and familiar surrounds for a long time. :) Anyway, "boring" is a complex determination.

People of the host country, particularly European countries that see more than enough travelers may not be overly eager to get to know some random typically unstylish American tourist.

Ha
 
Some larger cities have travel clubs... That might be a way to connect with other single travelers.
 
haha said:
Many of us remember solo traveling when we were young. Even without language facility, there were always other English speaking travelers around, both North American and Northern European. Being young and mostly unemcumbered, these other travelers were often open to casual social encounters.

Not necesarily true when you are 50+. For one thing, most of similar aged people are traveling with spouses or long time friends, or are in tours themselves. I'll take a boring companion over no companion at all when I am away from home and familiar surrounds for a long time. :) Anyway, "boring" is a complex determination.

People of the host country, particularly European countries that see more than enough travelers may not be overly eager to get to know some random typically unstylish American tourist.

Ha
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Let's just say that out of all the experiences in my life, I actually remember her as being the most boring person I ever met in my life...and remember I was selling about 35 years and have met..well, quite a few folks in my lifetime so far.

But, okay, I do get your point, haha, and it's a good one I admit at this age.
If I travel with anyone, it's going to be someone I've even just met before. We don't have to be best friends, but someone that, at least, doesn't put me to sleep would be nice.
 
Oldbabe said:
I am looking at a Rick Steves tour of Italy but have no idea whether or not I'd like it. Seems kind of expensive. My inclination is to travel independently but this particular tour goes to a lot of the places I want to go and seems like it would just be easier on me, at age 60. Has anyone gone on a RS tour and did you like or not and why?
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oldbabe,

I just got back from a 2-week independent tour of Italy that my friend and I did in a rental car, using Rick Steves' book. We had a great time. Several nights we stayed at his recommended convents/monasteries and other nights we stayed at small hotels he recommends. They met my criteria -- all were clean, quiet, convenient, and comfortable. The convent we stayed at in Florence had an 11:30 pm curfew, but we were so zonked from traveling and walking, that 11:30 was not an issue for us.

We met TONS of people using RS's book -- it became sort of an ice-breaker at the hotel breakfast, at a restaurant for lunch/dinner, or waiting at the train station, etc. We did meet 2 couples who had just completed a Rick Steves' tour (and were extending their vacation time by traveling on their own.) Both couples raved about their tours.

If you have any command of Spanish or French, you can probably muddle along...as many Italians have at least a smattering knowledge of English and somehow they seem to understand their 'sister' languages. About a month before leaving, I went to the library and got the Pimsleur conversational Italian course on CDs and found it to be quite helpful, especially when trying to figure out spoken prices of things.

I would go back in a heartbeat. It's a beautiful country, full of history, culture, and art, the food and wine is fabulous, and we found the people to be rather laid-back, tolerant, and helpful. Even when we did something a bit dumb, like driving the car into the wrong area, someone would just gently wag their finger at us and very helpfully point us in the right direction.

Make sure you've got super-comfy walking shoes, as you'll be doing a lot of walking. And no place we visited seemed to have paved streets/sidewalks like we are used to here -- they all seemed to be either [uneven ]cobblestones or huge rocks that were set into the soil. And literally watch your step everywhere you go; we noted a number of freshly-broken arms (that would ruin a nice vacation!) and some fresh facial scabs from recent 'face plants'.

omni
 
I wonder which shoes work best on cobblestones? They say not to wear white tennies to Europe unless you want to automatically be labeled a tourist.
 
On the Rick Steves site is a Graffiti wall section with a link to a walking shoe thread (in the planning and packing section). There are always lots of great suggestions for walking shoes and sandals there.

Graffiti Wall: Best Walking Shoes
 
Orchidflower said:
I wonder which shoes work best on cobblestones? They say not to wear white tennies to Europe unless you want to automatically be labeled a tourist.
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Recommend 2 1/2 inch slingback open toe heels.

More responsibly, I would say look at enclosed Birkenstocks, which is what I settled on after a lot of trial and error walking 5-10 miles a day on Seattle city streets. Only drawback is that they are not stylish at all, and once the soles get worn they can be slick on wet brick or tiles. I have resoled my three pairs maybe 10 times each in the past 4 or 5 years.

Advice per se is not that helpful, as by middle age our feet have accumulated their particular set of issues.

Ha
 
there's a couple refs to keen's sandals and smartwool socks
on the r steves site.

that's what i used on city streets travel walking @ 5+ miles a day
and that worked well for me. I actually used some columbia socks
that are very similar to smartwool but cheaper in price.

good socks are important in my opinion..

-mike
 
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