Munich to Vienna December 2019
"There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing"-- Alfred Wainwright
I didn't want to bring my ultra warm, heavy ski jacket--no, that would take up so much room when I can layer with a jacket, vest and pashmina. NOT!!! I was freezing. After our first walk on tour I had to buy a coat.
A warm, appropriate coat made all the difference in my attitude, my well being, and fun factor. Bring the right gear from the get go!!!
Before-- freezing cold and regretting not bringing my heavy ski jacket.
After-- happy and warm with the right cold weather coat.
No joke, pack light!!!!
Here are the packing extremes and norm on the tour. You can't see Sue's bag in this picture because my bags obliterated her only piece of luggage, a small bag. My motto now is "Be like Sue!"
When traveling at this time of year you don't need many clothes. You'll be bundled up under your jacket, hat and gloves the entire week. Bring quick drying long underwear to wear under pants and tops. You'll need it to stay warm. A quick rinse and your clothes stay fresh. Ladies--accessorize with a scarf or pashmina to stay warm as well as look and feel put together fashion wise.
I highly recommend using packing cubes to compress items and pack a bag more efficiently.
This is the spiral staircase at the Pension Nossek in Vienna--an excellent example of why to pack light. The reception area is on the 4th floor of the building. Luckily there was an elevator, but you can't depend on elevators to save you from carrying bags. Elevators can be slow and small--no fun waiting in line to get your luggage up to the room.
Pack light!!! Be like Sue!
Shopping at the Markets
The Christmas markets are filled with so many great things. If you see something you like, buy it. It may not be available at another market.
I brought bubble wrap and tape with me to wrap up the more fragile things I bought. I didn't have to worry about them getting broken in my bags.
There are many small or non fragile things to purchase at the markets. And as Rolinka says "the best souvenirs are the memories."
Read the Rick Steves Tour books before you go
I wish I had done a better job reading the books before we left. While looking up spellings and such for this scrapbook in the guide books, I realized how much I missed by not being better prepared.
One thing I did read about was the mass at Augustinerkirche in Vienna. It was an incredible experience and we would never have known about it if we didn't read about it in the Rick Steves Vienna book.
I recommend looking at the tour itinerary, do a bit of research using the Rick Steves book. You won't miss something you didn't even know you should see. Watch "The Third Man" once or twice before you take this tour, too!
Don't be afraid to venture off the beaten path. Add some free days before or after the tour.
We stayed on an extra day after the tour and arrived to Munich 2 days early.
On our last day in Europe, we decided to challenge ourselves and see something that wasn't familiar.
We ventured into nearby Slovakia and spent the day in Bratislava. It was so easy to get to Bratislava via bus. It was incredibly cool to see a former Communist country now an amazing hub of commerce.
If time and money permit, consider arriving a day or two before the tour and spending a day post tour. The benefits are getting acclimated to the time change and not having to get back to reality so fast after a great trip.
We asked a shopkeeper where locals go for lunch in Bratislava because we did not have our guide book with us. DUH! Conversing with the local folks is fun and interesting!
Wear comfortable footwear.
Here is a picture of what women were wearing in the fashion area of Vienna.
A waterproof boot and comfy shoe is all you need at this time of the year.
We like to do alot of walking. Between the tours and our free time, my Fitbit was registering 20,000 steps a day for most of the week.
I hope you enjoyed our scrapbook of our adventures. It sure was fun putting it together and reliving such a fantastic trip.
We were so glad that we did this tour and will definitely do more tours with Rick Steves. I can honestly say that we would never have had so much fun doing it on our own.
If you would like more information on this tour for 2020, please click here: https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/austria/munich-salzburg-vienna-tour
Maureen and Jim
