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Laundry?
New to Tauck, our first tour coming up this fall. Are there places to do laundry along the route, either hotel or freestanding?
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New to Tauck, our first tour coming up this fall. Are there places to do laundry along the route, either hotel or freestanding?
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The itinerary has changed since I took this tour, but I would recommend having one of the hotels do your laundry if you really have the need to launder items. I have never done this but understand it can be expensive--a relative term all things being considered. To ensure your items are returned timely, give them to the staff the afternoon/evening on the first of a two night stay.
Enjoy your tour!
Thank you! I should add we are veterans of many Rick Steves tours. We usually pack one carry on size rollaboard (international size, quite small) and an under the seat bag. This for 2-4 weeks! We wash underwear, socks in the sinks, get other stuff done at the hotel if possible. We are packing more this time as the venues look a bit more dressy.
Folsomdoc, the hotels Tauck uses are considerably more expensive than Rick Steves tour uses and sadly have pretty pricey laundry services at most. Not too bad if you're just having something like slacks done which can be hard to sink wash/dry. Most nights for dinners provided you don't need to dress up much - collared shirt/slacks for men, slacks and a nice top for women. You also usually have time to change before dinner if you want.
Don't worry about wearing the same thing multiple times. Nobody notices or cares. If dinner is on you, then of course you can pick a casual spot and not worry about dress code. If you're used to packing for a small carryon, the being able to bring a full sized checked bag you should be fine.
Have fun. I'll be interested to hear how you liked the tour as we're considering it for a future tour.
Many years ago, I read a suggestion to pack old underwear and just throw it out as you go, freeing up room in your suitcase for purchases along the way. I tried it once - seems like a good idea. I just hate wearing the old stuff on vacation!
Now - I'm thinking that along with an extra 2 weeks of meds in case of a positive Covid test, we should consider bringing extra underwear, socks, etc. in case laundry isn't readily available.
We're scheduled on Silversea Expedition in a month, and I fully intend to do laundry before leaving the ship, just in case.
Then again, if we do test positive before returning home, I'll have all the time in the world to hand wash clothes and dry them with a hairdryer, piece by piece. 😬
As a veteran of Rick Steves' tours, Folsomdoc, you certainly know how to pack!
You are correct that some of the venues may be different from what you have experienced before. The topic of attire will usually bring forth many divergent responses herein.
If you enjoy dressing up a bit by wearing a jacket or dress, by all means do so. I can tell you that the Spaniards are quite more formal, especially when fine dining either in hotels or in local restaurants. This is very true in Madrid, not true at all in Barcelona. There is one evening in which you will have a seven course (at least) meal in La Seu d'Urgell in a palace on the grounds of the hotel. This would be the time to dress up if you desire. It is a very special evening!
Have a wonderful time and please be sure to post a review.
Though I’ve never been on a Rick Steve’s tour, I do know you have to carry your own bags on his tours. With Tauck, they do all the handling so don’t be afraid to bring a bigger suitcase.
We generally hand wash underwear and other easily dryable items. We recently sent a nice shirt and pants to be laundered on the Silversea Origin. Poor job and rather expensive. If you choose to use the laundry be specific about any spots etc. you need treated. We bring clips similar to these:
[https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B013Y1YMFK/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B013Y1YMFK&pd_rd_w=ooZXf&content-id=amzn1.sym.24b0b161-2d2e-40f8-8233-013eb186b34a&pf_rd_p=24b0b161-2d2e-40f8-8233-013eb186b34a&pf_rd_r=K1T9K3QBCCJM0RRAFD1F&pd_rd_wg=hPZ4b&pd_rd_r=9775d806-0eae-40eb-a620-c4c03d43ea17&s=home-garden&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFKU01GQUJGRTBOTlkmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA0NjU3MTEzVExUQlJOWU40SFBNJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxNjg3NjcxQjRTS1pEQkpRTE05JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B013Y1YMFK/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B013Y1YMFK&pd_rd_w=ooZXf&content-id=amzn1.sym.24b0b161-2d2e-40f8-8233-013eb186b34a&pf_rd_p=24b0b161-2d2e-40f8-8233-013eb186b34a&pf_rd_r=K1T9K3QBCCJM0RRAFD1F&pd_rd_wg=hPZ4b&pd_rd_r=9775d806-0eae-40eb-a620-c4c03d43ea17&s=home-
garden&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFKU01GQUJGRTBOTlkmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA0NjU3MTEzVExUQlJOWU40SFBNJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxNjg3NjcxQjRTS1pEQkpRTE05JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==)
The ones we got are not on amazon anymore but recommend going with stainless steel. The plastic ones break easily and can be awkward to hang.
I pack a small zipper bag with items for laundry and a repair kit. The stopper is by Oxo ($12 on amazon). The sinks on many Tauck river cruise ships don't have stoppers. The empty spray bottle was repurposed and I pack it empty. I've used it to just relax minor wrinkles and once to iron my husbands dress shirt for the farewell dinner after 2 weeks packed in his suitcase. The clothes pins came from our Seine cruise at a riverside market when I was trying to dry socks and they kept falling off the clothes line in the shower. Handy and a useful souvenir of our cruise. Sometimes I might pack some concentrated detergent but usually just use hotel shampoo or bodywash.
The clothes pins come in handy to keep drapes and curtains closed tight on the rare occasion you have a late go. 😀
I love Alan’s tip. In the UK we call clothes pins Pegs
When we did the Parador tour, there was a laundry service across the street from the Hotel Maria Cristina in San Sebastián. Carry in and drop off early morning, ready for pickup late afternoon. And at a reasonable price. It’s in the same building as the fish market but is downstairs in the basement. Ask your tour director if it’s still there.
Some tours don’t stay at Maria Cristina during the San Sebastián film festival (Sept16-24 this yr). Call Tauck and ask if your group will be staying there. Have fun….it’s a wonderful tour.