Travel to Europe, tours

[LeslieG]

My mom recently went on a trip to Europe with a tour group. London, Paris, etc. She enjoyed it and really likes going with a tour group, because she likes not having to plan things. However, it seems all her pictures were taken from inside a tour bus! I'd like to take a trip with her to Europe in the future, but I don't know if the whole tour bus thing is for me. Can anyone recommend a compromise? We're both a little intimidated by going somewhere alone where we don't speak the language, but yet I don't want to be so regimented by a tour group.

 

[plutolovr]

Right now probably the most economical way and maybe the nicest way to see some of Europe is by taking a European cruise. You will be paying US prices for the cruise, (Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Disney, Celebrity and Princess are probably the best). The ship is your hotel and meals, although you could eat in port. The cruiselines offer wonderful excursions to see the sites or you could arrange some tours on your own. The itineraries are extensive, some doing the Mediterranean and some doing the Baltics.

Other than that I would say to find a good travel agent and have them book you an independent trip (FIT). In other words you would work out an itinerary of where you want to go and when and book hotels and transportation either by way of rental car or train (best way). This could get costly though.

 

[cheriemek]

My DD spent the Spring semester in England. I had always wanted to see Ireland, but didn't want to stress out over it, so DD and I took a bus tour of Ireland. I had a great time. There was no stress, the hotels and dinners were great. I thought it would be all old people, but there were a few young women traveling with their families (it could be that the theme of our trip was "Pub Tours of Ireland" !!). We used CIE Tours.

 

[IluvKingLouis]

Hi! I'm not a tour group person at all and have done my own travel plans. If this is your first "unstructured" trip I'd recommend a Eurail pass.

I maintain a hobby site with lots of Europe info at www.hopskipandaway.com

It's really not as scary as you might think. Most Europeans speak very good English and are happy to help you. I'd take small walking tours with a tour guide to gain insight the the cities history.

We also like staying in small apartments. Much cheaper then hotels and you get to do some local grocery shopping as you will have a kitchen.

I don't mean to get political, but with Obama as our new president, the Europeans are back to loving Americans.

Lastly, I'd really recommend watching Rick Steves (PBS), he has some excellent tips!

 

[HaleyB]

Travel is Europe is easy, everyone speaks English.
Really.We spent 3 weeks in Greece traveling on our own and never once had a problem with communication.

We are brave so we rented a car and drove (you get to see a ton more) but you could also base out of a big city and do mini tours.

Go to Paris, and then see the city on your own since it is so easy to do. Take a 2 or 3 day tour to see castles or the countryside. I will also add that we always look at tour prices, and we will stay at the same hotels they book for about 30-40% less a night. The tours are no value at all, they all claim they save you money but I can't find one that actually does.

Athens is a great city to do mini tours out of (an in, it has so much to see) since there are tons of big sites w/in 2-4 hour drives (so lots of 1-3 night tours out of the city. It is also a port city so spend a week on land and then go to a couple of islands on a mini cruise.

Just start looking at tour books to get ideas. We travel a lot and I have never done an organized tour. Way too much time is spent getting from A to B and not enough time in A or B to really see it.

I like the Message Boards at ... brain fade.. the site that gives hotel reviews with the owl logo... Trip Advisor! They are a bit hard to find on the site, but tons of great advice and lots of locals!

 

[CarolA]

I am doing two weeks in Portugal and Spain next year.

My suggestion. Go to your liabray or bookstore and read Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door. Some of his ideas area little wacky, but... it is kind of a "How to get over the intimidation of going to Europe" It's really not that much more complicated then going to Disney. (Heck it's probably less complicated no ADRs and no EMH to work around)

And limit what you are going to do. No, you can't see the entire continent in 2 weeks. Pick an area that appeals to you and then start reading guidebooks etc.

A few websites

www.tripadvisor.com (Forums for all of Europe)
www.fodors.com Very helpful people on the Talk section (a few jerks, but... that's true everyplace)
www.ricksteves.com Not as helpful, but the Traveler's Helpline isn't bad.

There are country specific sites maintained by fans just like the Disney fans too. Greece had a great one I used for example.

Have fun!

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

I think you can vacation in Europe without doing a tour. We went to France, Germany and Austria last year, and only knew a few key phrases in French and German. We got along just fine and rarely ever had communication issues. Most Europeans know conversational English, especially at hotels, restaurants and tourist sites. Just take a good guide book and map, and you'll be fine!

 

[2Princes_&_1Princess]

We've been doing our research about a Europe tour, and have found that River Cruises enable you to spend some time in each city, have structured tours, and enjoy the relaxing aspects of a vacation.

 

[pooh98378]

If we ever get a chance to go to Europe, we will probably try to do Adventures by Disney. It is NOT cheap (like anything with Disney ever is), but the reviews have been phenomenal. They have their own message board here on the dis also.

http://abd.disney.go.com/abd/en_US/index?name=HomePage

 

[CarolA]

I am not really a fan of Adventures By Disney or any tour. Basically you wind up spending your entire time in Europe with AMERICANS! So... where's the cultural learning there? Don't we already know how Americans work? And actually having watched an Adventures by Disney from a distance (the London tour was staying in my hotel last Christmas) yes it's nice, but it's way overpriced and boy are you protected. Meeting a real Brit who wasn't being paid by Disney would have been VERY hard LOL! And I did basically the same things for a lot less money. (Except that I went to see Wicked instead of Mary Poppins.)

 

[hambirg]

Rick Steves!!! He has a series on PBS about independent travel, Europe Through the Back Door. They offer tours too. It's not your "everything from a tour bus" type of tour. We used his guide books when we went and it was awesome! I highly recommend checking them out.

http://www.ricksteves.com/

 

[DisneyDreams4P&B]

As a former expatriot who lived in London, while I was attending college. I would love to add my 2 cents.

I would also stay away from tours as you are usually overpaying, going to over touristy places and on a rushed schedule. I traveled constantly while overseas and never had an issue, even with a language barrier. There were a lot of good tips already posted (let me just say you CANNOT go wrong with Rick Steves - he was a lifesaver during my travels)

If you are worried about traveling in unfamiliar territory, start with the British Isle first. Ireland is beautiful and they offer packages with a car and hotel vouchers (you drive, tour, visit and then find a hotel, inn B&B on your approved list and just stay for the night, or however long you want). England offers you the excitetment of London (you must catch a show in the West End, or go to the Old Vic Theater, I hear Kevin Spacey has done wonders to revitilize it) and beautiful, quaint country sides. Scotland is just amazing and I would so go up to the Highlands, where William Wallace statues are everywhere. It was so beautiful, but be warned while they do speak English, the higher up you go in Scotland the thicker the accents. I am telling you in Aberdeen (where we were) I could not make out a word.

Don't worry if you get lost, just ask, the majority of people in Europe are warm, friendly and go out of their way. I had amazing experiences in Ireland, Scotland, Spain and Italy and France (once I got out of Paris - where I found alot of rude people). Read as much as you can and keep your wits about you. if it doesn't feel right, sound right etc, then it probably isn't.

I agree about the Eurail pass, it is your best bet. The transportation system in Europe is NOTHING like here, besides, wouldn't you rather be able to get the chance to meet and talk to someone from the country your visiting, You won't get that on an insulated tour, surrounded by other American's getting the same prepackaged view of Europe. Sit in a cafe, go and get some gellato and walk the square in Florence, you will be so glad you did.

Good Luck

 

[TallyTutter]

I am doing two weeks in Portugal and Spain next year.

My suggestion. Go to your liabray or bookstore and read Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door. Some of his ideas area little wacky, but... it is kind of a "How to get over the intimidation of going to Europe" It's really not that much more complicated then going to Disney. (Heck it's probably less complicated no ADRs and no EMH to work around)

And limit what you are going to do. No, you can't see the entire continent in 2 weeks. Pick an area that appeals to you and then start reading guidebooks etc.

A few websites

www.tripadvisor.com (Forums for all of Europe)
www.fodors.com Very helpful people on the Talk section (a few jerks, but... that's true everyplace)
www.ricksteves.com Not as helpful, but the Traveler's Helpline isn't bad.

There are country specific sites maintained by fans just like the Disney fans too. Greece had a great one I used for example.

Have fun!

I agree - Rick Steves! I have 3 Europe trips under my belt, 2 using Rick Steves & 1 on a tour . Ask yourself this question....do I like eating the same time, the same thing, as everyone (40+ people) do? I DON'T!!

We drove all over Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland using Rick Steves. We saw what we wanted for as long as we wanted. We ate when & where we wanted. We followed his advice & were never led astray.

On my tour we were allowed only 15 minutes in Notre Dame because traffic delayed our schedule bit we spent 45 minutes across from the church waiting for the bus to come back for us!!!! NEVER AGAIN!!

 

[bavaria]

I am not really a fan of Adventures By Disney or any tour. Basically you wind up spending your entire time in Europe with AMERICANS! So... where's the cultural learning there? Don't we already know how Americans work? And actually having watched an Adventures by Disney from a distance (the London tour was staying in my hotel last Christmas) yes it's nice, but it's way overpriced and boy are you protected. Meeting a real Brit who wasn't being paid by Disney would have been VERY hard LOL! And I did basically the same things for a lot less money. (Except that I went to see Wicked instead of Mary Poppins.)

I think that many of you know my opinion of ABD and Rick Steves. I too have encountered the ABD crowds and I must say that I was very disappointed by what I saw. The Germany intinerary I find very cliched. I will leave it at that as I was pretty much driven off with pitchforks by some rather strong ABD fans.

Carol and I disagree about Rick Steves; I know that he has made Europe 'easy' to many Americans but I have seen so many places become Americanized thanks to Rick. I was walking past a restaurant in Vatican City this summer, crowded with Americans, which advertised proudly 'recommended by Rick Steves'. The problem is that his name attracts so many Americans that they sometimes lose some of their charm and local flavour. I do find his radio show in particular patronizing to both Americans as well as Europeans; some say that his books can be similar but I know that he has fans.

But I do applaud the fact that he has helped people to move outside their comfort zone, and if it means doing things differently that I would, so be it.

For me I would not do a tour; I spent this summer in Europe in popular tourist destinations including Nice, Monaco, Paris, Bavaria, Salzburg, Rome, etc and I encountered many groups. Finding one which meets your personality seems to be key, but I would also wonder how much of the true local experience one can have. I used to walk to work in Vatican City and smile inwardly at the tour escorts shouting and hurrying their charges along in the 35 degree heat. Nobody seemed to be enjoying themselves, sadly.

I've also seen tour groups literally racing through Versailles and other tourist sites in Paris. That is not my way to see something new, but if it appeals due to the 'safety' factor then go ahead. Everyone is different.

Many people PM me for advice about travel in Germany/Austria/France and I am always delighted to assist. Many posters here are quite adventurous and interested in going off the beaten path.

It comes down to your priority - tours are not cheap, and you can explore Europe still very cheaply on your own, with just a little sound research. The Euro plummeted from a high of 1,54 in August to 1,25 now, so even better.

 

[shortbun]

Get a good tour company. Ask a good travel agent. All tour companies are not the same. Make sure your hotels are centrally located and find a company that just includes 1/2 day tour and more free time. Thus, your breakfasts, hotel and transportation would be included allowing you to browse the areas on your own.

 

[sk!mom]

My mom recently went on a trip to Europe with a tour group. London, Paris, etc. She enjoyed it and really likes going with a tour group, because she likes not having to plan things. However, it seems all her pictures were taken from inside a tour bus! I'd like to take a trip with her to Europe in the future, but I don't know if the whole tour bus thing is for me. Can anyone recommend a compromise? We're both a little intimidated by going somewhere alone where we don't speak the language, but yet I don't want to be so regimented by a tour group.

If you stick to major cities like Paris- language isn't a problem as many people speak english. We plan and travel without tours so I have no suggestions- we love to go it alone.

 

[my2minnies]

We went on a tour of Provence (France) with a touring company called Backroads. It was around before adventures by Disney but it is similiar to that. It was actually a biking tour but they do more low key tours for different groups of people. Let me say that it was an amazing experience! I am not a die-hard cyclist and other than say a spinning class I am never on a bike. Because we were on bikes we were able to take these tiny rural routes and really see the area.

If you have the money I would recommend something like this.

 

[TallyTutter]

I think that many of you know my opinion of ABD and Rick Steves. I too have encountered the ABD crowds and I must say that I was very disappointed by what I saw. The Germany intinerary I find very cliched. I will leave it at that as I was pretty much driven off with pitchforks by some rather strong ABD fans.

Carol and I disagree about Rick Steves; I know that he has made Europe 'easy' to many Americans but I have seen so many places become Americanized thanks to Rick. I was walking past a restaurant in Vatican City this summer, crowded with Americans, which advertised proudly 'recommended by Rick Steves'. The problem is that his name attracts so many Americans that they sometimes lose some of their charm and local flavour. I do find his radio show in particular patronizing to both Americans as well as Europeans; some say that his books can be similar but I know that he has fans.

But I do applaud the fact that he has helped people to move outside their comfort zone, and if it means doing things differently that I would, so be it.

For me I would not do a tour; I spent this summer in Europe in popular tourist destinations including Nice, Monaco, Paris, Bavaria, Salzburg, Rome, etc and I encountered many groups. Finding one which meets your personality seems to be key, but I would also wonder how much of the true local experience one can have. I used to walk to work in Vatican City and smile inwardly at the tour escorts shouting and hurrying their charges along in the 35 degree heat. Nobody seemed to be enjoying themselves, sadly.

I've also seen tour groups literally racing through Versailles and other tourist sites in Paris. That is not my way to see something new, but if it appeals due to the 'safety' factor then go ahead. Everyone is different.

Many people PM me for advice about travel in Germany/Austria/France and I am always delighted to assist. Many posters here are quite adventurous and interested in going off the beaten path.

It comes down to your priority - tours are not cheap, and you can explore Europe still very cheaply on your own, with just a little sound research. The Euro plummeted from a high of 1,54 in August to 1,25 now, so even better.

I agree with you regarding Rick Steves, if you don't watch it you will just be following the pack but he does give very good advice regarding getting off the beaten trail that I haven't seen anywhere else. I also like watching his videos. We took his advice, researched it & added or subtracted from it as we saw fit. His directions and recommendations of hotels were always spot on though. We saw things, went places & met people we never would have without taking his advice. The English Conversation Club in Rhothenburg Germany is a good example. I have been to it twice now & not only was remembered by the people I met there but met new friends also!

I have thought about taking one of the Disney Cruises to Europe but just seeing a cruise ship outside of Venice makes me cringe! I did Italy with a tour & while I loved Italy & hope to go back it won't be with a tour!

 

[Cinderella Warenwirt]

I agree with everyone else here; get a good tour company or travel agent and make sure you ask them your itinerary.

 

[CarolA]

I was in Croatia last year.....

And I realized that Europes "cruise line" tours are not for me.

The town (Dubronvik) is TINY! On one day there were at least SIX cruise lines dumping THOUSANDS of passegers on the "guided" tour in there. NIGHTMARE. Once they all got back in the floating hotel.... town was wonderful and beautiful. The benefit of not doing a tour is that a lot of them will NOT do the "tiny town" overnight. So you can stay and enjoy it. I have stayed in wonderful towns with one hotel that sleeps 20 so... no tour companies can go there.

Now this "everyone speaks Engish" myth. No they don't. And assuming so makes you the sterotypical "ugly American". That said I am a typical American. I speak only English (well a little Spanish) I try to learn the "polite" words for the country I am visiting and then I stumble along. Sign language, pointing, writing out numbers etc. It all works, just smile and be friendly. Don't assume that they aren't speaking English to be rude because "everyone speaks English" (And if everyone you meets speaks English, get off the track a little more! LOL!) I will say that Croatia was the exception. I stopped in one stop sign towns at the only bar there to get a coke and the staff spoke English. (Which was good, because that language defeated me!) One guy told me "no one in the world speaks our langague, if we want to survive we have to speak yours"

As I said I don't always agree with Rick Steves, but his Europe Though the Back Door book is the best step by step for newbies I know of. It walks thorough everything you need to consider (flights, transporation, budget etc) For my Portugal/Spain Trip right now I have already read Fodors, Frommers, Rick and Eyewitness. (Eyewitness leaves out a lot of details, but has great overviews and photos. I have found some places that turned out to be magical just because of the photos in there that made me go "got to go see that" LOL! Rick generally leaves out half a country so you can't rely on him. Frommers and Fodors are fairly comprehensive, but you have to watch thier hotel selections. The assume we are all traveling millionares) I ususally hit more books, but Portugal is not as popular with travel writers for some reason?