Rick Steves' 2011 Tours: More Value + Smaller Groups
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| Tour members will have fun with more included activities in 2011 — and smaller groups! |
Dear Traveler,
I'm very happy to announce our 2011 tours. Our itineraries may have the same names as before, but we've made hundreds of important improvements beneath the skin.
This past spring, my tour guides and I worked through dozens of meetings — investing more time than ever before — to examine each of our tours under a microscope. Our mission: to find every hidden opportunity where we could add more value for our tour members.
We scheduled longer walks with the very best local guides. We carved out time to interact with interesting locals. We found fresh alternatives to places losing their luster. Extra tour activities that used to be surprises — we turned into promises.
You'll see the results on each tour's itinerary page at ricksteves.com, where we've written richer, more detailed descriptions of what's in store for each day you'll travel with us in Europe.
Another way to see the value we've added is to tally up all the "what's includeds" from our tours in 2010 and 2011. (These are all the activities and admissions we include in every tour's price, which most other tour companies charge you extra for once you're in Europe.) For 2011 we've added 129 activities — 24% more per mile, minute and dollar than last year.
Once we finished with that process, we took a deep breath and went one step further: to see if we could improve certain tours by making their group sizes even smaller. The result: for 2011 half of our groups will remain nice and small at 24-28 — and the other half will shrink to an "extra-small" 20-24. You'll find these extra-small groups on our week-long city tours (Paris, London, Rome) and special focus tours (Village Italy, Village Turkey, Villages and Vineyards of Eastern France, Heart of Portugal, Bulgaria, and a dozen more).
We're making it easier to do business with us, too: you'll have the choice of using a credit card for your final 2011 tour payment, or take a 2½ percent cash discount off that amount if you pay by check.
To sum things up, we're offering more value, even smaller groups, additional payment choices, and the best tour guides and destinations Europe has to offer for 2011.
Browse through our new 2011 tour pages at ricksteves.com, and you'll find plenty of reasons to make this your year to experience Europe — affordably — the Rick Steves way.
I hope you can join us!
Happy travels,
Rick Steves