Nice Multi-country European tour(s) for Neophyte Traveler and Niece
Nov 14th, 2011, 08:13 AM
#21
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'll agree with the others that the particular tour that you have selected is doing too much. It's like that movie: "If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium"
What the tour is suggesting would be something like this in the US:
Day one: arrive Boston, next full day in Boston, third day train to New York, Fourth day, all day at the NY Metropolitan Museum, 5th day on to Washington DC, sixth day do Washington DC, 7th day go to Charlotte NC, do Charlotte, next day, train all the way to Chicago, one day in Chicago, fly out of Chicago.
I thought you wanted to relax on this trip, LOL!
Remember also that the US is a lot more homogeneous, so this in-and-out method is hardly going to allow you to savor and understand each different European culture as you zip through.
How about a cruise? Even a river cruise? There are river cruises that go along almost the entire length of the Danube, for example. You can do a portion of the Danube or all of it. Cruises are a lot more relaxing because you don't have to unpack and repack at each stop. I met one person once who said that he was on a river cruise and he was allowed to bike from one town to the next; the tour provided the bike and he met them at the next stop along the river.
Or find a tour that's more like what the others are suggesting, a few days in each major city. Less is more. Don't try to do too much. If you like this trip, you'll be going back to Europe again and again and again.
What the tour is suggesting would be something like this in the US:
Day one: arrive Boston, next full day in Boston, third day train to New York, Fourth day, all day at the NY Metropolitan Museum, 5th day on to Washington DC, sixth day do Washington DC, 7th day go to Charlotte NC, do Charlotte, next day, train all the way to Chicago, one day in Chicago, fly out of Chicago.
I thought you wanted to relax on this trip, LOL!
Remember also that the US is a lot more homogeneous, so this in-and-out method is hardly going to allow you to savor and understand each different European culture as you zip through.
How about a cruise? Even a river cruise? There are river cruises that go along almost the entire length of the Danube, for example. You can do a portion of the Danube or all of it. Cruises are a lot more relaxing because you don't have to unpack and repack at each stop. I met one person once who said that he was on a river cruise and he was allowed to bike from one town to the next; the tour provided the bike and he met them at the next stop along the river.
Or find a tour that's more like what the others are suggesting, a few days in each major city. Less is more. Don't try to do too much. If you like this trip, you'll be going back to Europe again and again and again.
Nov 14th, 2011, 09:14 AM
#22
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>one of the advantages of tours is that you almost always skip the long lines. <
Only if yours is the only tour bus there.
In reality, the tour buses pile up, one behind the other, sso that the tours end up standing in line, too.
Only if yours is the only tour bus there.
In reality, the tour buses pile up, one behind the other, sso that the tours end up standing in line, too.
Nov 14th, 2011, 09:35 AM
#23
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 210
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm not anti-tours as I went on a very fun, satisfying one with my grandmother in May this year. We had wanted to go on an INSIGHT tour, as my grandmother has been on a couple before and finds them quite good, but due to circumstances we had to book the tour at the last minute and INSIGHT had no places left for our dates, so we ended up taking a GLOBUS tour of Italy. I am quite young myself ( almost 21 ) and amazingly, there were other young people besides myself on the tour and we had a ball!! If you would like to read about my tour experiences, you can do so in my trip report ( which isn't quite finished but I'm hoping to finish it one day soon ). http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...the-report.cfm
Nov 14th, 2011, 10:27 AM
#24
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,561
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm thinking IW90's experience is an exception. I still remember seeing a Globus bus unload near Fatima and seeing a sea of blue and white hair. Definitely was praising the Contiki paradigm then.
You need to deal with specific facts that can allay your fears: (1) In the UK, everyone speaks some near equivalent of English, even the Scots; (2) in every other country, the #2 language is English, especially in the tourist trade and in Netherlands and Scandinavia everyone is at least bilingual because no one outside those countries speaks their tongues; (3) every country in Western Europe uses nearly the same alphabet - so you can discern a lot of what you're trying to understand and most tourist and transportation portals have multiple languages of which one is ALWAYS English; (4) no one in another country expects you to know the customs so if you're worried about causing offense, just don't be an arse and you'll be fine - the indigenous population is likely to be ruder than you (especially if you're from the Southern US) and outside the UK the concept of a queue is still frequently foreign.
So quit sweating the small stuff and trying to rely on a tour to plan your life. You're best off with some sort of independent traveler tour set up where a company gives you transfers, tickets to some good sites, etc. instead of a today is Belgium, tomorrow is Germany set up. Plus, you can orient yourself in whatever cities and areas you go to with day tours and short trips (e.g., Fat Tire Bike Tours in London, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin; walking tours available in every dang city, etc.).
You need to deal with specific facts that can allay your fears: (1) In the UK, everyone speaks some near equivalent of English, even the Scots; (2) in every other country, the #2 language is English, especially in the tourist trade and in Netherlands and Scandinavia everyone is at least bilingual because no one outside those countries speaks their tongues; (3) every country in Western Europe uses nearly the same alphabet - so you can discern a lot of what you're trying to understand and most tourist and transportation portals have multiple languages of which one is ALWAYS English; (4) no one in another country expects you to know the customs so if you're worried about causing offense, just don't be an arse and you'll be fine - the indigenous population is likely to be ruder than you (especially if you're from the Southern US) and outside the UK the concept of a queue is still frequently foreign.
So quit sweating the small stuff and trying to rely on a tour to plan your life. You're best off with some sort of independent traveler tour set up where a company gives you transfers, tickets to some good sites, etc. instead of a today is Belgium, tomorrow is Germany set up. Plus, you can orient yourself in whatever cities and areas you go to with day tours and short trips (e.g., Fat Tire Bike Tours in London, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin; walking tours available in every dang city, etc.).
Nov 14th, 2011, 11:27 AM
#25
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi, Irish Whistler! Glad to see you're still on these travel forums! Really enjoyed your trip report!
Karen: you have quite a few options on how you want to travel. The other posters have all pointed out various ways. Choose one way, whatever works best for you.
Another method is to book yourself into a nice hotel in several cities. About 4 days minimum each large city. Then let the hotel handle things for you. That's what a hotel concierge desk is for.
You can ask for their limo/shuttle to pick you up or drop you off at the airport. You can also write to their concierge desk before arrival and tell them what you are interested in and let them recommend, say, a city tour. Some hotels can also get tickets for major attractions for you. The better hotels and even some of the smaller boutique hotels can do a lot of things for you.
You still have some time to decide which method works best for you.
Karen: you have quite a few options on how you want to travel. The other posters have all pointed out various ways. Choose one way, whatever works best for you.
Another method is to book yourself into a nice hotel in several cities. About 4 days minimum each large city. Then let the hotel handle things for you. That's what a hotel concierge desk is for.
You can ask for their limo/shuttle to pick you up or drop you off at the airport. You can also write to their concierge desk before arrival and tell them what you are interested in and let them recommend, say, a city tour. Some hotels can also get tickets for major attractions for you. The better hotels and even some of the smaller boutique hotels can do a lot of things for you.
You still have some time to decide which method works best for you.
Nov 14th, 2011, 02:50 PM
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks again for all your input. I am definitely thinking twice about touring. I will let all this marinate in my brain - and think seriously about hiring local guides or doing a tour for a few days.
I have read and considered every post - I think you all have good points and appreciate you all! Sincerely - thank you.
I have read and considered every post - I think you all have good points and appreciate you all! Sincerely - thank you.
