"What day is it?" 

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This is a question you're likely to think and hear several times on a Rick Steves' Europe tour.

Everything is so well organized, that it's very easy to lose track of what day it is!

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This was our second Rick Steves' Europe tour, and it was every bit as good as the first one.

I am a very independent traveler with several trips to Europe under my belt, so I was a bit

skeptical of joining a tour group. However, prior to our first Rick Steves' Europe tour, my

family had never been outside North America, and the thought of playing tour guide, educator,

travel agent, interpreter, and schedule keeper all while trying to relax was a bit daunting. We

chose a family-oriented tour the first time, as the prospect of having other kids along was a

bonus. There's quality family time and then there can be a little too much family time. Having

other kids and adults along helps provide kid time away from mom and dad, and grown-up time

away from the kids. This second trip was not specifically a family-oriented one, but we ended

up with several teens anyway. It was summer break, after all!

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Live in the moment...

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With a Rick Steves' Europe tour, all the logistics are done so you can

truly live in the moment and experience the local flavors and atmosphere

without having to worry about finding a hotel, deciding what time to get to the

train station, or where your next meal will be. In addition, these tours give you

enough free time to explore on your own and pursue personal interests

that might not be included in the group activities.

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• No stress - we all know that traveling can be stressful, especially in a
  foreign country with a different language and culture. Your guide, or the
  local guides, will give you a tour of the areas surrounding your hotels so you
  can find your way back on your own, give you a crash-course on navigating
  either the local bus or subway systems, and introduce you to some of the
  local customs, history, and unique quirks about each area. This way you can
  feel more comfortable and make the most of the limited time when you venture off on your own.

• Educational and informative - The tour guides and local guides are fountains of information. Sometimes there is so much that it's hard to absorb it all. But you will gain a valuable look into the local history, customs, and people that would be hard to do on your own.

• Awesome tour guides - Being a tour guide must be challenging. They have to be "on" all the time, learn to deal with a different personalities, handle last minute changes and challenges, all while remaining upbeat and enthusiastic. Our guides on both our tours were incredible! Hats off to both of them!

• Skilled drivers - The drivers on both our tours were amazing. They were able to maneuver these giant buses around some hairy turns, through impossibly narrow streets, and down some very steep and curvy roads.

• Transportation - It's all arranged for you. Primarily bus, but there are a few situations where a short train or boat ride is needed. You don't have to worry about learning the local road rules if you rent a car, or watching the clock so you don't miss your train.

• Hotels - All the hotels have been vetted by Rick Steves' Europe pros and tour members can provide feedback after their trips so there is constant quality control on the hotel selections. Reviews on consumer websites are not always that reliable, as they can attract the biggest fans (or manufactured/paid "reviews") and the biggest critics.

• Shorter lines at major attractions - As a group, you can get into many tourist attractions via the quicker group entrance, bypassing the general admission line and potentially saving yourself several hours.

• Local guides - Rick Steves' Europe has relationships with many local guides to give you tours and introductions to the cities you visit from a resident's perspective. You could hire them on your own, but that just means more research and scheduling tasks for you.

• Special events - We experienced several special treats we'd never be able to do on our own, such as having dinner at the home of a local chef or getting a personal demonstration from a local craftsman.

• Did I mention no stress? Not only during your trip, but before it as well. It would likely take many hours to make all these arrangements on your own, and the cost savings is probably negligible. Let the pros at Rick Steves' Europe do it for you!

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