About Us
Guten Tag! Grüß Gott! Hello!
We're Justin and April. We're both teachers from Washington. Our wedding reception had a travel theme: each table was a destination (with postcards, brochures, and pictures) of places around the world we'd love to visit one day. On this tour -- which also coincides with our anniversary! -- we'll cross some of those places off our list. Justin has enjoyed traveling most of his life; this is his third Rick Steves tour. This was April's first time to Europe -- and although she was a bit nervous stepping out of her comfort zone, she loved it! How did we decide on a tour? We knew we wanted to travel Europe before having kids. And as with most things in a marriage, it's all about compromise. April's dreams take her to England, while Justin, a confirmed Francophile, wants to trade escargots for the Swiss Alps this time. So we decided to take the "Best of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 14 Days" tour, while doing a week independently in England prior to it. |
You can read about Justin's first two tours here:
Paris and the South of France in 15 Days (2011) ~~ Eastern France in 14 Days (2014) A NOTE ABOUT THIS SCRAPBOOK: Our goal for this scrapbook is to share photos, our tour activities and personal discoveries, and hopefully capture the spirit of a Rick Steves tour (including why his tours are a smart choice) and European travel in general. We include mementos of our trip (receipts, journal entries, and similar souvenirs), plus some entertaining illustrations about some differences between Europe and the USA. While we give a little historical background to each city we visit, you'll find much more comprehensive details in your guidebooks. However, you can click on most photos and/or hover over them, to read more info. Also, because this is primarily a scrapbook of a Rick Steves tour, our coverage of pre- and post-tour traveling is not as detailed. |
Packing Lists
We're going to Europe: June 30, 2016 - July 27, 2016!
We'll be visiting:
We'll be visiting:
You probably know you'll need to convert your dollars to Euros, but visitors to England will need British pounds and Switzerland uses Swiss Francs. No matter where you visit, take some time to study the currency, especially the coins, to avoid confusion and embarrassment.
*Approximate rates at the time of our trip
As a comparison, during Justin's trip in 2011 the rate was 1 EUR = ~$1.44. The rate right before Brexit was 1 GBP = $1.47. Obviously this is not good for the economy, but for the traveler, this is a good time to visit Europe (especially Britain), as you get more for your money.
Don't forget your converters. Different countries also use different plugs. While we knew that Britain's was different, we forgot that Switzerland has a different plug than its neighbors. (Thankfully our hotel had a spare converter.)
As a comparison, during Justin's trip in 2011 the rate was 1 EUR = ~$1.44. The rate right before Brexit was 1 GBP = $1.47. Obviously this is not good for the economy, but for the traveler, this is a good time to visit Europe (especially Britain), as you get more for your money.
Don't forget your converters. Different countries also use different plugs. While we knew that Britain's was different, we forgot that Switzerland has a different plug than its neighbors. (Thankfully our hotel had a spare converter.)
JUSTIN'S PACKING LIST
Since we were taking a 3.5-week trip, our plan was to do laundry every week. I used Rick's "Rolling Carry-On" Suitcase, plus the Civita Day Pack as my day bag. These are great items, and I'm not just saying that. The carry-on suitcase is light and fits in all overhead compartments, even on the smaller European airlines. This saves you lots of time and hassle at the airport later! Plus, in combination with space bags, I was able to get all the below carry-on items into my suitcase at under 18 lbs., making it easy to haul around Europe and between hotels! The Civita pack is surprisingly roomy; you can fit sweaters or jackets inside, guidebooks, even a bottle of wine! When booking a tour, you receive a $100 credit to the Rick Steves Store. I highly recommend these bags.
SUITCASE
-Shirts (5) -Pants (3) + belt -Undershirts (4), underwear (7), socks (7) -Sweater -Beanie (for the Swiss Alps) -Waterproof jacket -Sleepwear -Toiletries bag, including sunscreen, extra ziploc bags (these come in handy for many reasons), and remedial medicines like aspirin, Imodium and Tums. -Shoes MONEY BELT (wear it!) -Passport -I.D. -Credit cards -Health insurance card -Cash (both dollars and Euros) -Photocopies of passport and credit cards (both sides); we also left copies of these with family at home in the event we needed to report them lost or stolen. |
DAY BAG
-Umbrella -Important paperwork for the day, like boarding passes, confirmations for train or concert tickets, etc. -Journal and pens -Guidebook and phrase book MISCELLANEOUS -Camera + charger -Cell phone + charger -6-in-1 USB charger which allows you to charge up to six devices at a time -Adapters -Sunglasses -Puzzle books for the bus |
APRIL'S PACKING LIST
I used Rick's "Rolling Backpack" Suitcase, plus the Civita Shoulder Bag as my day bag. I chose the Shoulder Bag so I could carry it like a purse, which feels normal for me, but it may be more weight on your shoulders than you're used to. The Backpack suitcase is convenient for wearing while walking up staircases. I used packing cubes to categorize items. The suitcase, when full, weighed ~25 lbs.
SUITCASE
-Layering tanks (4) -T-shirts (5) -Long-sleeve T-shirt -Light sweaters (3) and 1 heavy sweater -Pants (3); skirt (1) -Undergarments and socks -Pajamas -Jacket -Scarves -Swimsuit -Shoes (2 pairs) + flip-flops -Toiletries |
DAY BAG
-Tablet -Headphones -First aid and sewing kits -Puzzle books -Umbrella -Flashlight -Water bottle -Notebook and pens -Mints, gum MONEY BELT (wear it!) -Passport -I.D. -Credit cards -Health insurance card -Cash (both dollars and Euros) -Photocopies of passport and credit cards (both sides); we also left copies of these with family at home in the event we needed to report them lost or stolen. |
Questions about this tour or Europe in general?
Comments? We love to hear from fellow travelers! |
OUR TRIP ~ BY THE NUMBERS:
6338 feet high up in the Swiss Alps 5413 feet above sea level in Murren 4003 photos taken 194 ounces of beer 125 miles walked 82 degrees in Vienna (the warmest part of our trip) 60 minutes: the amount of time blitz tours spend in a major European city before moving on 42 pounds of combined luggage 40 hours of bus and train travel 29 hours on airplanes 27 awesome tour buddies 22 "WOW" moments 12 degrees in the Swiss Alps (the coldest part of our trip) 10 hotels slept in 7 castles 6 countries traveled (including our layover in Amsterdam) 5 fondues 3 weiner schnitzels, Black Forest Cakes, & apple strudels (tie) 2 nude spas 1 amazing trip of a lifetime! |