We are thinking of going on this tour in early December. Our concern is does the bus stop between the main towns where you overnight so that you can take photos and have meal breaks. Has anyone been on this tour as it sounds so good.

Hi Suzie and welcome to the Bulletin Board.

If you look in the topic: Where Are All the Tales? (which sits permanently near the top of the Tour Tales forum, you will find a link to a tour journal written by a traveller on the Winter Wonderland tour which she took at the end of 2008. It is quite detailed and should give you a good appreciation of the tour.

In general, on most of Insight's tours, there is a daily pattern something like:

• 0615: Wake-up call.
  
• 0700: Put suitcases outside your door and go to breakfast.
  
• 0800: Depart for the day. Travel on the coach with the Tour Director explaining the history, culture, art, architecture, farming practices, etc., along with relevant information about the tour/optionals (menus for that night's optional, etc.)
  
• 1000: Morning tea/toilet/leg stretch stop. This could be at a little village, a place to be visited after the break or a roadside stop.
  
• 1030: Perhaps an included or optional visit or an orientation tour or more time driving (as above).
  
• 1230: Lunch. [If in a town, the stop may be for 1.5-2 hours, if it is at a roadside place, it may only be 45 minutes.]
  
• 1400: Perhaps an included or optional visit or an orientation tour or more time driving (as above).
  
• 1600 to 1800: Arrive at your destination hotel, receive key and proceed to room, with bag arriving 5-10 minutes later.
  
• 1900: meet in hotel restaurant for included dinner, depart on foot or by coach for optional dinner or set off for your own exploration.

With the shorter days in Winter in Europe, it may be slightly compressed, time-wise.

phil

Hi Susie48, my daughter and I took this tour at the end of Nov beginning December 08. It is a great tour. To answer your questions, you will have many opportunities to take photos. Each day you stop for a morning tea break as well as an afternoon stop. If you read my tour tale it may help. On the way to Munich you stop at Rothenburg and then we were offered an optional of Dachau camp but those who chose not to do this one went on to the Hotel.From then on you will be given a run down of the day and the optionals.There will be free time to explore the Xmas Markets in each town you stay in. We took all the optionals and had a wonderful time.

Cheers Denise

Hi Suzie48,
I read thru my tour tale and my our tour journal this evening and thought I would just fill in about the Xmas Markets which we visited.
The first was across the road from the Hotel in Frankfurt Offenbach.this one is spread out over a few areas in the shopping precinct. There are lovely ornaments and delicious treats like ginger bread,cakes,marshmallow,Sausages etc & Gluwein and Kinderpunsch.The next was Frankfurt AM which is very large and crowded.This one as a beautiful Carosel.The atmosphere is fabulous.Then there was Rothenburg-not so big but nice things to see and buy,Munich is also a large one spread over several streets,Salzburg is a nice Market and spread over a couple of streets,Innsbruck was smaller but once again pretty and very unique ormaments.It is good to see the markets in both daylight and at night which we did do a few time. That is about it with the markets till you get back to Frankfurt as Switzerland doesn't seem so Xmassy.All the markets are full of interesting goodies I think you will enjoy them.Try the Gluwein or kinderpunsch(non Alcoholic)it warms you up.

Cheers Denise

HI, my family have signed up for the winter wonderland tour dep on Dec5 and that includes my 9-yr old. Now I am wondering whether the tour would be boring for a 9-yr old with all the long drive from cities to cities, no theme park etc. My 9-yr old is well travelled since a toddler, understand English perfectly, has a keen interest in European history recently & not afraid of chilly cold weather. However, the past holiday vacations has always been theme parked-focus and the winter wonderland would be a different experience all together.

Any advice from anyone?

Hi Hotclimate,
The distance between the cities on this tour are not huge and you generally would stop after 2-2.5 hours for a stop for morning tea/ lunch or whatever. There are many things of interest for your 9yr old to see but might I suggest that you hold on to him/her when you go to the christmas markets especially the one in Frankfurt. There are just so many people. When choosing your optionals I don't know how much the 9yr old would understand if you do the Dachau Camp. The scenery is beautiful especially if you get snow.

HI Denise,
thanks for the good advice about Christmas Market - would definitely hold on to my son