Trip Prep

The Nitty Gritty:

Traveling Solo: Three words: Just do it! While I was fortunate enough to have my cousin, Lily, come with me for my pre-tour travel, I knew no one on tour. Getting to know my tour mates was arguably one of the best parts of this experience! I had read on other scrapbooks that Rick Steves' Tours attracts a certain kind of person and I can attest to that. Everyone was so friendly, welcoming, and genuinely nice. I'm still in touch with several of my tour mates!

Packing Light: Yes, it is possible to pack for 25 days in a carry on and a backpack! There were several opportunities to do laundry during our adventure and ample opportunity to pick things up if we needed them.

Activity Level:  The folks at Rick Steves mean business when they say this is one of the most active tours! I had done some prep walking at home but wish I had done more.

Research: Part of the fun of traveling for me is researching the places I'm going. I watched every episode of Rick Steves' Europe that covered our destination, watched the Somebody Feed Phil episode that covered Venice, and researched places to see and things to eat in 1000 Places to See Before You Die and 1000 Foods to Eat Before You Die. While those two books are definitely more bucket list-y, I like to use them to add to my own personal interests and tastes to find experiences I may not normally have had.