The heat and crowds definitely influenced how the tour and our guide presented certain sites. Tonight we'll take an alleys-and-canals orientation stroll to St. Mark's Square and enjoy dinner together. His presentations often seemed a bit "stream of consciousness." "The hike in the Swiss Alps. It was one of the highlights of my life. Day 4 - Travel to the French Riviera (I'll say Nice for simplicity) via TGV, sleep there 2 nights. RSE really did their homework for this first tour in 2 1/2 years. My pictures don't do it justice. We'll take a scenic drive to Venice today, stopping for lunch along the way. Our guide Beata was stellar- full of historical information, funny, kind and helpful. Address:Santa Croce 278, 30135 Venice, Italy, Getting from Ljubljana to Venice:Take a bus from Ljubljana (Slovenia) to Trieste Centrale Station (Italy), then fromTrieste Centrale Station to Venezia Mestre Station (Italy). The hotels were beautiful! The platter came with a generous mix of salad, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, a pork steak and more. The places that encompassed evil are now reclaimed to celebrate life.". I will never forget sitting Moderate walking: 26 miles throughout the day with some hills and stairs. It was more than I expected. Bus: 8 hours. But I do have to say, that going into Venice I had an attitude (less than good) from my previous visit 15 years ago. Burano also boasts of being a fishermans island with fresh seafood available at most of its eating joints. to make that happen! Savor the beauty of legendary vineyards and imbibe in local vintages like . An attitude of seriousness, when appropriate and a sense of fun as we traveled together, was perfect for my first time abroad. And then the cows, coming down from their mountain pastures, bells clanging and flower bedecked.I was transported to a simpler time. Arrive in Munich AM; Salzburg PM. I also felt the "specialized" tour guides in the major city stops were chosen. Created in 1953, the specific 7x7x7 dimensions is one of the elements that make this Bled Cake iconic. By the 3rd day of our tour we were already trying to decide which RS tour we would take next year. I was pleased from beginning to end. "Hmm. Also sharing the tour with a great group of people was fun.". Amazing!". I loved the audios we had throughout the tour. Thank you. Our hotel was perfect and the hosts were very warm and welcoming. Later, your guide will organize an optional gondola ride for this romantic, uniquely Venetian experience. Light to strenuous walking (your choice). The tour was wonderful. I enjoyed having the local guides take us around. We saw so much and had such wonderful experiences. The first thing we had to check out at the Marienplatz was the Glockenspiel Munichs lauded cuckoo clock! It was an amazing adventure from beginning to end. Days 12 - 14: Rome. It was a good balance of planned group activities and meals with free time to explore on our own. First was in Rome walking through the colosseum. "Hard to choose one, but the colloseum and the twinkling Eiffel tower were great! "Swiss Alps at the top of the gondola in Lauterbrennan.". So much so that we are going to try to plan our future travels around towards that he leads. @Tom Byrne, Hi! Book the trip when you are satisfied. We began with 2 guides (1 primary and 1 apprentice) and 22 in our group. Arguably the best meal we had on our trip, Ostarija Peglezns food is worth every euro spent with its excellent food and kind staff. Moon was rising between the two sections.". I thoroughly enjoyed the diversity from beauty of Paris, to the sobering history of WWII and Dachau onto the aquatic Adriatic sea in Venice to the time honored sites in Rome. You had room to spread out on the bus and interact with the other tour goers. "Probably Jungfrau and Dachau. Read Complete Guide to Slovakia Read 24 Hours in Bratislava Slovakia Read . The "no grumps" expectation was embraced by the whole group. His knowledge of the different areas we visited was very good and he also would give little tutorials in the language of the places to ensure that we were able to be good representatives of the U.S. "For me the gondola ride and hike in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland was a thrill! There was beauty everywhere and meaning with every history lesson but those two were at the top of the list for me.". Opening Hours:10AM 1AMAddress:Bayerstrae 31, 80335 Mnchen, Germany. "Seeing Switzerland. Sleep near Florence. Their advice helped make touring safe and fun. If youre looking for somewhere further away from cities, this quaint resort town surrounded by nature is a nice change of environment, home to the scenic glacial Lake Bled and Bled Castle. The breakfasts and dinners were great. Address:Piazza di Trevi, 00187 Roma RM, Italy. With your smartphone in hand and the Rick Steves Audio Europe app, Rick's voice will personally guide you through a limitless collection of treasures to one of the world's most famous works of art: Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. Everything was well planned, our tour guide was so knowledgeable and excellent at bringing our group together and helping all of us with issues that arose, such as losing a museum ticket! Single Supplement $775. Overall the tour was outstanding. Nice! It is a perfect balance of guided group activities and time on your own. Sistine chapel, walking away from the tourist areas and discovering beautiful private gardens , the hilsides in Tuscany and the sound of the cowbells in Switzerland, the sadness if Dachau, lunch in a small Tirolean town, street concert in Munich, scary bottomless walkway on the side of a mountain. I had no idea the Colosseum was so grand! Each one felt more exciting than the last. Address:Jirskovo nm. ", "The beautiful scenery of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.". Great final meal but shameful food waste! They deliver right to your doorstep for free! My favorite "wow" moments were listening to an Italian musical artist in Tuscany with good wine, friends and a lovely castle in the distance. It's so beautiful high in the hills (Gimmelwald was my favorite) that it doesn't feel real to the senses. Hallstatt Day Trip. . Moderate walking: 26 miles throughout the day with some hills and stairs. More about the Eurail pass in thisEurail Guide. "Learning about Rome and also seeing Venice.". Although this tour was very active and moved very quickly, everything went without any major hitches and our transition from place to place was generally smooth. Tour Type . "I had so many "wow" moments that it's hard to say which one was the biggest. The local tour guides were all so knowledgeable and we appreciated not waiting in lines at museums and historical sites. 10 Day Europe Itineraries. Berchtesgaden. :), "The Swiss Alps and the delightful village of Lauterbrunnen", I loved the balance of guided tours and free time. I really cant express how perfectly timed and choreographed everything was! My overall experience was very good. We absolutely loved our Best of Europe tour. This was my first Rick Steve's tour, and it didn't disappoint in any way. Our group became family and we had many great times. We saw so much, it was a whirlwind of amazing experiences. There were many more "Wow" moments, these were just a few that have really stuck with me.". . As for the tour "WOW", it would have to be everything about Rome!". To walk from the narrow canal roads to St Mark's Square was a definite wow. I cannot think of any situation that left me thinking I should have known something more. South Of France Itinerary - 13. European Christmas Markets. I guess I would have to say it was a jaw dropping moment the entire trip. Sleep in Munich. "Its hard to choose. Prizren is the second-largest city in Kosovo and also one of the most beautiful, which makes it a perfect addition to this Balkans travel itinerary. I was worried our 18 and 20 year olds would not have others there age but our group was 1/2 adults and 1/2 10-20 year olds. Also included in this 14 day Europe itinerary is a 3 days stay at London - the capital and most popular city of England. I felt like I was in Shangri-La! Theres also the option to ride up in a horse carriage for 6 (S$9.50) uphill and 3 (S$4.75) downhill butI personally would not recommend it as the horses look dehydrated and mistreated. Day 1: Start of tour in London. Transport Coach, Ferry & Flight. The experience was so wonderful I have a hard time finding words to express how awesome this trip was. The hotels we stayed at were very nice and perfectly located. ", "It is hard to describe because each experience was different, but none was better than the other. The side of the group was excellent. "I honestly don't know if there was one "wow" moment. ", The Best of Europe in 14 days was a very nice experience where the time is enough to enjoy the city most important places Paris -Fantastic. "For me the whole trip was a wow moment. 14 days, add: Ljubljana, Lake Bled; 16 days, add: Vienna; . The format of the tours fosters learning how to travel on your own. Thetravel pace was the most grueling of all our 11 Rick trips, "The entry into the Laterbrutten valley always blows me away. You cant leave Ljubljana without visiting this hipster town! The only place to get food at theNeuschwanstein Castle is their cafe and prices are exorbitant there! "Lauterbrunnen Valley - cable cars to the top and hiking from Murren to the cable car back to Lauterbrunnen. He was very knowledgeable, nice, fun, and helpful. Extremely good value I believe. Venice, Florence, and Rome, Italy's most iconic destinations, make the perfect combination for a 10-day Europe trip itinerary. Day 2: Madrid. It was extremely well-organized and our guides were fantastic! We were told to either get there super early or late to avoid the crowds. "Waking up in Switzerland on a clear, crisp morning after the first snowfall!". Fillipos is a very knowledgeable guide, and he worked hard to keep the group informed and entertained on the bus. Coming from the US, or really anywhere other than Europe or Northern Africa, you will lose 2 of the 12 days to airports. The scenery was spectacular! Theyre really generous with their gravies and thats something we appreciated! I'd highly recommend this trip to everyone. The gardens was what made the Schnbrunn Palace for me. Loved It All and to get to do it with my family was amazing. "Too many WOW moments! We had an unscheduled stop at the U.S. military cemetery outside Florence, Coming across the grave of a cousin who died in WW2 was definitely a wow moment for me.". This is the ideal amount of time to explore and discover most of the city's renowned spots, like Big Ben, London Eye, Tower Bridge, and Buckingham Palace.. Then, hop onto a train and travel to Paris, where you should be spending the next four to five days of your multi-city itinerary. I appreciated the visit to the South Italian US War Memorial, that and Dachau.". ", Wonderful and extremely informative while maintaining an entertaining atmosphere country to country thanks to our tour guide Ragen,incredible bus driver Hilda and merry band of travelers. Days 4-7: Prizren, Kosovo. They encouraged us to explore and enjoy each place we went. Our Paris guide was wonderful as well (name spelling?? Check out our suggested summer itineraries and start creating your itinerary. It felt like a page out of the children's book "HEIDI". Sleep in Rome. I never imagined it that big. Everything went smooth from start to finish. Jody was very knowledgeable on every city we visited and was certain to share that knowledge with us. This was my first tour in Europe and it was outstanding. We took the tour 11 years ago and found that not much had changed since then. A business travel itinerary template can also include separate pages for meeting dates, times, and locations. "There were Many WOW moments! While my past guide was good Lisa was EXCEPTIONAL. "I guess in every city we visited,it was recognizing famous places, or art work. Each day was action packed with wonderful sights! But it was extra special because my girls were with me. I really appreciated all the attention to details that I know I would have missed as a first-timer. London is a multicultural city, full of open-minded-people with different lifestyles. "All of Italy was excellent, we lucked out and had natural site musical events. Darija was the primary with Filippos as an apprentice. "Of course Switzerland had us all staring in disbelief, so did the drive thru Austria. The map tool is interactive and super easy to use; you can make a plan without any obligation to book your trip with us. Overall, we felt that the tour was structured and organized to maximize sightseeing that would have been difficult to achieve on our own in the same time period. Then we'll continue on our scenic drive past pristine mountains and sparkling lakes as we climb high into the heart of the Swiss Alps to our destination the magnificent Berner Oberland, flanked by towering, waterfall-laced cliffs and crowned by a trio of Switzerland's most formidable peaks: the Eiger, Mnch, and Jungfrau. And the Arc du Triomphe and Champs Elysees were a stone's throw from our hotel. Start to finish was outstanding. Rick Steves is lucky to have both! This was my second visit to Europe, with my last trip being 36 years ago. Our bus driver, Paul, was a true professional and ate with us when he could. In case you wish to book pre- or post-tour hotel accommodations, the contact information for the tour's first and last hotels is included in your tour confirmation email, as well as in the Itinerary section of your tour account. Marijan arranged for musicians to be in our evening gondola ride for my 60th birthday, and I have never been so Wowed! Dont be afraid to talk to the locals to find out what is happening, as there are performances occurring almost daily! Harry Potter fans, think Hogwarts library. This was my 5th Rick Steves tour, and the only one I've taken in the summer. A statue has never had that effect on me. See our Tour Conditions for important details regarding everything listed above. "Tuscany and Switzerland were my favorite places. Copenhagen | 10 Days in Europe Itinerary. We'll drive to Florence this morning and hit the ground walking with a Renaissance tour of the city's historic center learning how Brunelleschi's cathedral dome and Ghiberti's Baptistery doors helped define this world-changing era. We decided to embark on this half day tour as we were intrigued about Beethoven and how he explored the woods whilst living in Vienna. The people in our group were easy to get along with and fun. Introduction. "The Alps. We had an excellent tour guide who brought out a feeling of being a team with all of the tour members. The tour guide, Jodi, and our driver, Ronnie, were the best!! Another "wow" moment was Switzerland! Breakfast is provided, but there are no group activities today. They also have shops selling them. Great and fun staff. Caviar and Champagne - The Luxury 2-Week European Itinerary - French Riviera, Monaco, Milan. I took a video out the window, and I still get chills watching it. 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