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Contact the Tour Department
Phone: 425/608-4217
Email: tour@ricksteves.com
Mailing Address:
Rick Steves ETBD
Attn: Tours
P.O.Box 2009
Edmonds, WA 98020
Street Address:
130 4th Avenue North
Edmonds, WA 98020
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed Sunday
Our Tour Hotels & Rooming Policies
Often quaint (sometimes creaky), and full of personality, our hotels are run by Europeans who are also our friends. "Shared facilities" have all but disappeared from European hotels, so in 2008 there's about a 98% chance your room will include a private bath. However, there will still be stairs — hundreds of them. Many of our hotels don't have elevators...one more reason to pack light and be in good shape.
If you're traveling solo, you won't pay the mandatory "single supplement" required by other tour companies. Instead, you'll share a room with another tour member of the same gender. (If you'd prefer to sleep alone, we offer optional single supplements on select tours.)
- Read what our tour members are saying about our hotels.
Single Supplements for Solo Travelers
We room solo travelers (of the same gender) in a room together, usually in pairs and on rare occasions in triple bedded rooms. We rotate roommates throughout the tour when there are multiple single travelers and your guide will do his or her best to make the room assignments as fair as possible. However, we do have several 2008 tour itineraries with optional, limited, extra-cost single supplements if you would prefer a room of your own (price is an additional $425 or $600 depending upon the specific itinerary you select). Single rooms are available on each the following tours for an additional fee: $425 for the Florence; Paris; and Rome tours and $600 for the London or Prague 7-day city tours, the 8-day Paris & London tours; the 8-day Barcelona & Madrid tours; the 10-day Venice, Florence & Rome tours and the 13-day Turkey tours. We also offer the privacy of a single room on our new 7-day San Sebastián & Basque Countryside tour for an additional $100. The supplement price is reduced for this tour because the single rooms have an inner courtyard view. If you would like to request a single room on one of these 2008 itineraries, please indicate that preference with your tour reservation. You can pay your single supplement with a credit or debit card on the Web. If you prefer to mail your tour and single supplement request, please send your check or money order to us with the tour application to:
Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door
Attention: Tour Department
P.O. Box 2009
Edmonds, WA 98020
If a single room is not available, we will contact you immediately. Please note that the single room supplement only applies to the itineraries noted above. In order to maintain our travel philosophy of staying in small, family-owned, centrally located hotels, we cannot offer single supplements on many of our longer tours.
Non-smoking Rooms
Many European hotels classify "no smoking" rooms as a room that you are not smoking in. This means the previous guest may have smoked in your room and there is an ashtray provided. While this has not been a problem for most of our travelers, those with heightened sensitivity to cigarette smoke should know that we cannot guarantee a smoke free room.
We have a "no smoking" policy on our tours. While we do sometimes have smokers join our tours, they are not allowed to smoke at group events, on the bus or in their room if they are sharing a hotel room with another tour member.
Other Rooming Requests
Single Travelers: We room solo travelers (of the same gender) in a room together, usually in pairs and on rare occasions in triple bedded rooms. We rotate roommates throughout the tour when there are multiple single travelers and your guide will do his or her best to make the room assignments as fair as possible. However, we do have some tour itineraries with optional, limited, extra-cost single supplements if you would prefer a room of your own.
Couples: Two people traveling together as a couple will be roomed together with one bed (usually a double bed). If you prefer separate beds you may request them, but due to a limited number of twin-bedded rooms, priority is given to single travelers rooming together.
Two friends traveling together: Two friends or siblings traveling together will be roomed together with two beds.
Families: If you are traveling together with more than one family member, we will do our best to accommodate your rooming requests. Please contact the Tour Department prior to booking your tour. Email tour@ricksteves.com or call (425) 608-4217
Special circumstances: If you have any special needs or requests regarding hotel rooms during your tour, please contact the Tour Department prior to booking your tour. Email tour@ricksteves.com or call (425) 608-4217