It is always a bit emotional at the end of a tour, when we say goodbye to our bus driver and guide. We have a tour culture where bus drivers eat meals with our groups and are part of the family. Farewells (even with Roddie's fake over-the-top emotions in this clip) are heartfelt. Our groups pack light, carry their own bags, and take care of the bus as if it's ours. Drivers appreciate that. And drivers add a wonderful bit of spice to the social and cultural mix.

Our tour guide, Liz (now with three Rick Steves tours — two assisting and one leading — under her belt), has picked up and embraced our quirky style well and clearly enjoys the group.

The party Liz invited the group to is our annual tour reunion party in Seattle. We'll be flying Liz to Seattle in January (along with our other European guides) for our annual reunion festivities and tour guide summit. Our guides look forward as much as anyone to being reunited with their tour members.

As our tour disperses, I'll be heading for Glasgow, Berlin, and Prague before meeting Steve Smith in Alsace and then joining up with the crew for TV production in France. Stay tuned.

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