Dear Fellow Travelers:

Once more it is my pleasure to announce my services as your Tour Director on an upcoming Insight Vacations departure, this time the magnificent "Highlights of Eastern Europe" beginning in Vienna on Oct. 10. Our route will lead us from the Austrian capital to Budapest, Krakow, Warsaw, Berlin, Prague and eventually back to our starting point Vienna.

All countries visited are members of the European Union and the so called Schengen Zone, which means no en-route passport checks will be necessary to cross from one country to another. You will need to have your passports on you for other reasons, though, so please don't discard it right upon arrival in Vienna...

Our departure will be the last of its kind for the 2009 summer season; the weather in Eastern Europe during autumn is usually pleasant, with the chance of occasional rain especially in Poland and Northern Germany, and much cooler evenings and nights. Having said that, I suggest to dress in layers and bring a set of warm clothing (sweater/jumper, jacket or coat, and gloves if your hands tend to get cold easily). Also, good, warm walking shoes are essential - you may know that the only way to explore some of the best-kept treasures in this part of the world is on foot, which often entails cobble-stoned streets, stairs and uneven walkways.

I look forward to answering any of your pre-departure questions on this forum, and of course to meeting everyone in Vienna on October 10!

Bernhard

TY for the alert Bernhard and Bon Voyage.

Dear Fellow Travelers:

While the final preparations for this last "Highlights of Eastern Europe" have been nearly completed, I wanted to remind you again to pack warm(er) clothing for this tour. The imminent forecast for the Vienna region for this coming Saturday & Sunday are lows of 48 deg F (8 deg Celsius) and highs in the low 60ies on the Farenheit scale (between 15 and 18 deg Celsius), with scattered rain showers. Once we get a bit further North-East, I expect to see dryer weather, but nonetheless temperatures will be cooler.

That aside, October is a fantastic time to travel in this part of Europe, and I look very much forward to welcoming each and every one of you in Vienna this Saturday!

So long,

Bernhard