Alpauffahrt ... an annual cattle drive that takes place in September or October throughout Alpine regions in Europe.
Alpauffahrt ... an annual cattle drive that takes place in September or October throughout Alpine regions in Europe.
This map shows where I started in Vienna, then train to Melk, then train to Hallstatt and onto Salzburg, so I didn't follow the arrows on this map.
This is a map of our magical 12 days on the Tour! Then I spent my last few days in Annecy ... a short bus ride from Chamonix and the Geneva Airport.
I had never been to Vienna, but the Lipizzaner Stallions were on my Bucket List, so I had to go ... and I absolutely fell in love with the beauty and history of Vienna!
Seemed like a good stop-off on the Danube ... and it turned out to be an amazing few days touring the breathtaking Melk Abbey and the beautiful Wachau Valley!
I had to go and see if it was as breathtaking as the puzzle-perfect photos I'd seen ... and it was beyond breathtaking !! Absolutely a Kodak-moment in every direction!
Let the tour begin! I didn't know what to expect ... but every adventure I took in and around Salzburg was absolutely wonderful. I even took a day trip to Eagle's Nest.
The photos I had seen of the Dolomites didn't impress me, so I didn't expect much. Was I ever wrong!!! The Alpe di Siusi and Dolomites were absolutely magnificent!!
I had been here before and knew I was riding a bike to Mary's bridge for castle photos, then onto Tegelberg to ride the luge and watch paragliders take off on top. Great day!
I couldn't wait to get back to Gimmelwald and see Walter's place ... and have a beer at the Biergarten. I left my heart in the Berner Oberland ... in 2000. Another magical visit!!
I truly thought Chamonix, France would be uneventful after the beautiful alps I had already seen ... but WoW! Mont Blanc didn't disappoint. And I took a gondola to Italy for lunch! Priceless memory!
Annecy was a Rick Steves suggestion that I used for filling in a few more days in Europe at the end of the tour in Chamonix. What a magical delight! I could live in Annecy forever!
We had a wonderful Rick Steves Tour Group ... and the Rock Star among us was our truly delightful Tour Manager ... Mary Carlson ... who's been with Rick Steves for close to 20 years! And our driver, Hans, was wonderful!
I did so much research before my Rick Steves trip determined to get my 60 lbs of luggage down to 25 lbs. I did it! Happy to share some of what I learned from the Rick Steves experts!
I love taking photos off the beaten paths. People say Europe is so crowded, but that depends on where you go. I love taking the paths less traveled ... and I took RS's advise ... go early!
Thank goodness my parents were travelers and adventurers ... so I started at a young age. I'm happiest when I travel ... seeing new sights and experiencing new cultures. I am a single woman that enjoys traveling alone and enjoy the freedom it gives me. There is a huge population of single baby boomers (men & women) out there and they should NOT give up on their travel dreams because they don't have a travel partner! There were many single women (and a single man) on this trip that roomed together and created adventures together! Just get out and do it ... and create memories of a lifetime!! Rick Steves tours can definitely help with that!
A little Rick Steves background ... back in 2000 my son graduated from high school and we backpacked around Europe for 6 weeks together. We were fortunate to spend 3 of those weeks on the classic Rick Steves Tour ... The Best of Europe in 21 days WoW! In 2000 my son woke up in Rome on his 18th birthday and our group had a big birthday dinner for him in Vernazza on the Cinque Terra where we stayed that evening! RS booked him his own special room that night up top with an ocean view ... priceless!! It was the best trip of my life ... until this trip ... Rick Steves ~ My Way: Alpine Europe. Another WoW trip! All priceless, magical memories!!
During that trip in 2000 we had the unique pleasure of staying at Walter's in Gimmelwald ... and for 19 years I have wanted to go back to the stunning Berner Oberland and the Swiss Alps!! That's how this trip came to be. Back in 2000 I did ALL the recommended tours during our RS Classic ... The Best of Europe in 21 Days! ... which was fabulous ... but this time I just wanted to smell the roses ... so to speak ... and have the independence to do whatever I felt like doing. Then I discovered Rick Steves offered "My Way" tours which basically includes lodging & transportation ... which is VERY time consuming on your own, including all the navigation logistics! The other huge advantage is that no matter which tour you choose Rick Steves always has the best and charming hotels off the beaten path, yet centrally located. It just makes sense. And almost like a bonus you have their knowledgeable Tour Manager who is a wealth of information and is available to you every morning during the tour.
As Rick Steves calls it ... Europe through the Back Door!! That's how I love to travel!
Just down the road from the famous Neuschwanstein Castle is the Tegelberg Luge that I played on with my son 19 years ago. After photos at the castle ... the kid in me couldn't wait to get back and ride it again! The photo tells the story.
Thanks to a little note in our informative Rick Steves Tour book I found out about horseback riding near Castelrotto where we were based in the Dolomites. What an amazing ride that turned out to be surrounded by these stunning alps ... and on a beautiful horse!! Magical experience!