Overview
Vered Tours’s classic Jewish Heritage tour of Europe includes all the important milestones and places of interest to the Jewish traveler. Travel through central and eastern Europe and follow the rich history of the Jews from when they left Israel after the destruction of the First Temple (586 BCE) to modern times.
Vered Tours provides personalized service to travel professionals and individual
travelers with customized group and FIT itineraries for all budgets.
Highlights of a Tour through classic Europe
Poland
Travel to Warsaw and go through the Warsaw Ghetto, the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial and Mila 18. In Krakow attend the Altshul, the oldest synagogue in Poland (Krakow) and visit the Oskar Schindler factory.
Czech Republic
Visit through Jewish Prague, including the Old Ghetto, the Altneu Shul, the Pincus Synagogue, a memorial to the Jews of Prague who died in the Holocaust, the Klausen and Maisel synagogues and the old cemetery. Visit the town of Terezin and the Nazi concentration camp
Hungary
Explore the history of Jewish Budapest over the past 150 years. Visit Dohaney Street Synagogue, the largest in Europe, the Jewish Museum, housed on the site of Theodor Herzl’s birth, the Heroes’ Temple, dedicated to Jews who died in World War I and the Community Holocaust Memorial.
Spain
Travel to Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Cordova and Granada; see where Maimonides lived, walk through Jewish quarters and understand the effects of the Inquisition on the Jewish people of Spain.
Italy
In Italy visit the local centers of Judaism from the 14th century to the present in Venice, Ferrara, Florence and Rome.
Go to Venice and visit the Nuovo Ghetto, the Great Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Museum. Visit Ferrara and tour Florence with a close look at the Jewish world that was once centered there. In Rome, tour the Jewish Ghetto created in 1556 and walk the medieval streets.
Gallery
Optional Itinerary
Day 1: Poland
Day 2: Italy
Day 3: Spain
Inclusions
Meals: 12 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 4 Dinners
5 Star Hotels
All Transportation
Additional trip Information
Always keep your ID on you
Did you know it’s the law in France to always carry ID on you? And technically, your driver’s licence won’t suffice. ID has to be in the form of a national identity card or passport.
Adapt to espresso
The coffee struggle is real in France. Don’t get me wrong, the French know their coffee – hell, the country is basically run on the stuff. But you can forget any ‘frills’. Basically, you can have it black, or black with a bit of milk and sugar. Try for anything else and you’ll undoubtedly end up disappointed. Take it from someone who used to live on soy lattes, your best bet is to learn to love it black.
Tipping in Europe
Austria: Small amounts are the norm. It is very common to tip a little extra euro on the table, but does not need to be the extent of 10%. It is also becoming increasingly common to see a credit card line, so no need for cash.
Belgium: You do not need to tip in Belgium seeing as there is a service charge, and when done a simple rounding up of the bill, paid in cash.
Croatia: Tipping is generally not common in Croatia. Servers are typically fairly paid, and tipping is really only at most a few extra Kuna for great service.
Cyprus: Tipping along the beaches of Cyprus isn’t expected, but for good service one can leave a few Euro change on the table.
Czech Republic: Service charges in nice restaurants are becoming increasingly common. Although it is not customary it is becoming increasingly common in touristy areas, and it typically a few Crowns.
Denmark: Tipping is not common in Denmark unless you feel you’ve had exceptional service or the atmosphere requires it, there is no need to tip.
England: Some sort of a service charge is expected. Look at the bill, if no service charge is included a tip of around 10% is considered common courtesy.
Estonia: It is not customary, nor is it always expected. It can sometimes have the opposite effect and come across as an insult. For a simple meal in a small eatery the answer would generally be no, but in a large restaurant with a group, it would be considered very rude to not tip.
France: With fine dining comes fine-dining prices. A service charge is almost always included in the bill, and around 15% at that. However, this does not mean that it always making its way into the pocket of the server, don’t worry they’ll kindly remind you of that. France can be difficult, and it’s almost always best to go with your gut. If it seems high for a reasonable meal it probably is; however, if your meal is hundreds of euros don’t think you’ll be getting off when it comes time to pay.
Germany: 10-15% and it’s safe to add it to the bill here.
Greece: Tipping in Greece varies on when and where you’re eating. Some places a tip might even be turned down think local family taverna. Other places a simple tip of €1-2 on the table for the server should be adequate while eating at nice restaurants one should tip the standard 10%. It should be noted, the Greeks are still facing serious economic woes as salaries continue to drop, so any extra tip will certainly be appreciated.
Hungary: Tips are pretty much standard in Hungary, 5-10% in cash should be good.
Italy: You don’t tip here. There is a service charge as indicated on the menu, and you may even get an added nudge to tip from your server, but it is not expected and Italians themselves do not tip. Tipping at cafes is also not expected.
Norway: Tipping in Norway is pretty much unheard of.
Poland: Tipping in Poland is pretty customary. A Tip of 10-15% is common and the tip should be given directly to the server.
Romania: Tips in Romania are not mandatory, but not leaving a tip means you were dissatisfied with the service. 5-10% should be good here
Russia: 10% cash and given directly to the waiter.
Scotland: While dining out in Scotland expect to tip around 10%.
Serbia: Tipping is generally not expected as a service charge is already built into the prices on the menu, but it is generally in good manners to tip 5-10% of the bill for good service.
Slovakia: Tipping in Slovakia is not standard, but rounding up as usual in sit-down restaurants is pretty standard.
Spain: Adding on a euro or two for each person in your party should be good here.
Sweden: Just like in Norway there will either be a service charge, or you’re not expected to tip.
Switzerland: Tip around 5-10%, but this is not expected.
Turkey: Cash at around 10%, it’s pretty unlikely any server will see the tip if it’s on the credit card. •