I loved my tour! It was a big investment, but I am so thankful that I booked it. As I mentioned, I looked at the online scrapbooks last year and used them to help answer any remaining questions I had after spending lots of time reading over the Rick Steves' website.
Here are a few other things you might find helpful if you're deciding whether to book or have already booked a tour:
Here are a few other things you might find helpful if you're deciding whether to book or have already booked a tour:
Before you go
Packing: Don't pack this much! Lesson learned! I definitely had too much stuff with me. I was traveling for 2 months rather than 2 weeks, but I still overpacked. I managed to carry it all, but could have made it easier for myself if I'd taken less.
Money: I never had trouble with my credit cards or getting money from an ATM. However, I did get some Euros from my local bank before I left. That way, getting cash wasn't my foremost thought when I arrived. Switzerland was the only country on our tour where Euros were not readily accepted. We obtained just enough Swiss Francs at an ATM to cover our time there.
Hair Dryer: While this isn't the best photo, it is representative of some of the hair dryers we encountered in our hotels. If you can't imagine using one of these, then you may want to pack your own travel dryer and adapter.
Travel Packet: Like I've said - the books are totally worth their weight! I loved opening up the map to see where we were headed each time we got on the bus. The language phrase book was super helpful. And I can't say enough about Rick Steves' guidebooks! I like to be well informed and they did a wonderful job preparing me for what I was going to see, helping me decide what to do when we had free time, and giving me a little background on the culture of each city & country we visited.
Souvenirs
Certainly the memories are the best things to bring back from Europe! And yet, I love souvenirs. Since I was traveling for awhile and already had a heavy backpack, it was easy to pass up some of the things my tour mates were purchasing - wine, boots, purses, etc. I picked things that were a little easier to pack.
Postcards
I only mailed a few postcards from Europe. Stamps to the US are around 1 Euro each, which adds up quickly. I actually wrote and mailed some postcards when I returned from my travels. However, the bulk of the postcards I brought home ended in up my postcard collage, pictured below.
Scrapbook
Here are some of the brochures, cards, pamphlets and tickets from the tour which I've kept to go in my physical scrapbook.
Blog
I kept a blog of my travels so that my friends and family could keep up with where I went and what I saw. If you're interested in reading more, check it out: Laura's Blog.