Before we begin our journey to far away lands, I want to emphasize how important preplanning is to ensure you get the most out of your vacation experience. With so many resources available, it’s hard to determine which will offer the most effective planning tools and the best advice. From my experience, I think all of the resources discussed are invaluable.
One of the most valuable resources out there for just about any popular European city is Rick Steves travel guides or ricksteves.com. Let’s face it, there are millions of guidebooks but Rick knows his subject matter extremely well. Not only does he include detailed descriptions of the cities and the popular sights, he orients you to the layout with maps showing hotels, restaurants, must-sees, and even sorts them based on price and value. He includes locations of travel offices, ATMs, helpful tips for getting around, sample itineraries and more! I have to say that they are not the prettiest books but when you're finished reading them, you have a great introduction to your destination. Also, check out some of the picture books. I really like the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides and National Geographic Traveler guidebooks because these are filled with great shots of the sites. Couple these with Rick Steves and you’re in business.
In addition to these fabulous books, I can’t tell you how invaluable the internet was to planning my itinerary from booking airfare, train travel, rental car, hotels, tours and just about everything and anything else we did abroad.
First, let’s talk about booking transportation. Because I am a big fan of Delta Airlines, that is where I started delta.com. I booked our tickets and we were on our way. Next, there’s train travel to get you to all of those exciting places. Avoid long lines at the stations, broken kiosks, not to mention the overwhelming confusion of trying to determine where you’re going and which train to get on. Book it all before you leave. Start with eurorailways.com. Not only did we book our city to city transport there, I booked our overnight train to Paris on this site as well. It’s very easy and they offer great service. Your tickets are Fedexed to your door so there’s no chance of losing track of them. Now, you’re ready for the station. Find your train and you’re on your way. Renting a car? Avis was our choice of cars for our journey through Tuscany. We got a nice little Benz and the price was right.
Next, how do you determine where to stay? Well, start with Rick Steves and then use the internet. All of the hotel sites are good but be sure to read the reviews and check out the pictures. Also, note the location and its proximity to all of the places you plan to visit. Very important!
Now onto the tours. Since we’ve never been to these cities, I prefer to familiarize myself with the lay of the land, so to speak. There’s no better way than to book half-day walking or canal tours that introduce you to the cities. In addition, check out guided tours of museums, the famous sights, specialty tours including winery excursions, castles in the Loire Valley, etc. I am only going to mention a few sites here but will discuss other tours in greater detail as they relate to the cities visited. I experienced great guest service from the sites I list and had no issues upon arrival. Just be sure to print our vouchers and bring them with you just in case.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Be sure to check out Roman Odyssey Tours at romanodyssey.com to find a number of tours in around the Vatican including the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum as well as the ancient sites including the Forum and the Colosseum. Another great site for tours of Italy is Avventure Bellissime at tours-italy.com. When we visited France, we booked a tour to the Loire Valley on Sight Seeing Tours – Paris at sightseeing-tours-in-paris.com.
Well, I think you have enough to get started. I know it seems like a lot of work but do your homework before you leave and you'll maximize your vacation experience. If you have any questions or comments, please share them with me. I would be very interested in reading your experiences as well!
One of the most valuable resources out there for just about any popular European city is Rick Steves travel guides or ricksteves.com. Let’s face it, there are millions of guidebooks but Rick knows his subject matter extremely well. Not only does he include detailed descriptions of the cities and the popular sights, he orients you to the layout with maps showing hotels, restaurants, must-sees, and even sorts them based on price and value. He includes locations of travel offices, ATMs, helpful tips for getting around, sample itineraries and more! I have to say that they are not the prettiest books but when you're finished reading them, you have a great introduction to your destination. Also, check out some of the picture books. I really like the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides and National Geographic Traveler guidebooks because these are filled with great shots of the sites. Couple these with Rick Steves and you’re in business.
In addition to these fabulous books, I can’t tell you how invaluable the internet was to planning my itinerary from booking airfare, train travel, rental car, hotels, tours and just about everything and anything else we did abroad.
First, let’s talk about booking transportation. Because I am a big fan of Delta Airlines, that is where I started delta.com. I booked our tickets and we were on our way. Next, there’s train travel to get you to all of those exciting places. Avoid long lines at the stations, broken kiosks, not to mention the overwhelming confusion of trying to determine where you’re going and which train to get on. Book it all before you leave. Start with eurorailways.com. Not only did we book our city to city transport there, I booked our overnight train to Paris on this site as well. It’s very easy and they offer great service. Your tickets are Fedexed to your door so there’s no chance of losing track of them. Now, you’re ready for the station. Find your train and you’re on your way. Renting a car? Avis was our choice of cars for our journey through Tuscany. We got a nice little Benz and the price was right.
Next, how do you determine where to stay? Well, start with Rick Steves and then use the internet. All of the hotel sites are good but be sure to read the reviews and check out the pictures. Also, note the location and its proximity to all of the places you plan to visit. Very important!
Now onto the tours. Since we’ve never been to these cities, I prefer to familiarize myself with the lay of the land, so to speak. There’s no better way than to book half-day walking or canal tours that introduce you to the cities. In addition, check out guided tours of museums, the famous sights, specialty tours including winery excursions, castles in the Loire Valley, etc. I am only going to mention a few sites here but will discuss other tours in greater detail as they relate to the cities visited. I experienced great guest service from the sites I list and had no issues upon arrival. Just be sure to print our vouchers and bring them with you just in case.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Be sure to check out Roman Odyssey Tours at romanodyssey.com to find a number of tours in around the Vatican including the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum as well as the ancient sites including the Forum and the Colosseum. Another great site for tours of Italy is Avventure Bellissime at tours-italy.com. When we visited France, we booked a tour to the Loire Valley on Sight Seeing Tours – Paris at sightseeing-tours-in-paris.com.
Well, I think you have enough to get started. I know it seems like a lot of work but do your homework before you leave and you'll maximize your vacation experience. If you have any questions or comments, please share them with me. I would be very interested in reading your experiences as well!
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