Are You a Piano and/or Music Lover?

If You Are, This Unique European Piano Tour is for YOU!

Here is Your Opportunity to Combine a Wonderful European Tour with Your Love of Piano & Music!

Germany - Austria - 12 Days - 9 Cities - 4 Piano Manufacturers - Music Museums - Composer's Homes - Cathedrals - Castles - Concerts - Pianos - Music!

Come with us to Europe and watch how some of the worlds finest pianos are created, stroll through great composers homes, visit incredible musical instrument museums, attend live piano concerts (in a gorgeous castle with our very own "Piano Girl"), meet other Piano Forums members, stay in lovely hotels, eat in fine restaurants, Tour Castles & Cathedrals, take in all that Germany & Austria have to offer.

All this and lots more. THERE IS STILL TIME TO Join Us! But you must act soon.

This Unique European Tour is open to anyone who loves music, you do not have to be a member of our Piano Forums to join us. Of course we'd love to have you join the Piano Forums too (membership is free).

Although visiting some of Europe's finest piano makers is central to our plans, we've expanded the tour to include SO MUCH MORE than piano shops see below.




Some Highlights from Your Itinerary (not in date order):

• Hamburg Steinway Tour (Hamburg, Germany) Kyle Kirkland, Chairman of Steinway Musical Instruments has promised a memorable tour. (I wonder if that means I get to take a D home with me?)
  
• Meet & Greet and Concert with Robin Meloy Goldsby (Author of The Piano Girl
  )(Cologne, Germany) Robin is one talented lady, and a member of our forums (see the long running "Let's Talk Weddings" thread).
• Steingräber u. Söhne Tour (Bayreuth, Germany) Conducted by Udo Steingräber himself. A gentleman and world class piano designer.
• Visit the Beethoven Museum in Bonn
• PM City tour of Leipzig with Thomas Church
• Mendelosohn Museum
• Music Instruments Museum
• Blüthner Tour (Leipzig, Germany) Tour to be conducted by Dr. Christian Blüthner. Dr. Blüthner has a fascinating bio, as does Blüthner piano.
• Dinner at famous Auerbach-Keller
  
• Germanisches National Museum, historic music instruments (Nuremberg, Germany)
  
• Visit Wagner & Liszt Museum (Rothenburg, Germany)
  
• Visit Deutsches Museum (one of worlds largest musical instrument collections)
  
• Visit National Museum (possibly with behind scenes visit)
• Bösendorfer Tour (Vienna, Austria)Thanks to the artist formerly known as Bosie Eric for putting us in touch with the right people.
• Visit Mozart Haus, the birthplace of Mozart
  
• Schonbrunn Palace Visit, Vienna (See 360 degree tour of the palace HERE )
  
• Musical Vienna Tour (a city tour connected with composers and music)
• We've also scheduled free time to explore on your own
  

We will of course try to get some hands on time playing pianos ourselves as well.
After all, there will be plenty of piano players in the group. I'm quite sure we will be
able to get a little playing in when we visit the piano manufacturers, but we'll have to seek out some other pianos too :-)


Plus ...
~ Panoramic Scenic Drives with Photo Stops
~ Walking Tours
~ Breakfast & Dinners Included
~ Lovely Hotels
~ Free Time to Explore on Your Own

The complete Itinerary, Pricing, and Additonal Details Below


Piano World European Tour 2011

Full Itinerary & Pricing

June 5, 11 Sun
Arrival Hamburg (transportation provided from Hamburg Airport (HAM) to hotel), city orientation tour, no entrance
Welcome cocktail, welcome dinner, o/n Hamburg Hotel Hafen
June 6, 11 Mon
Morning Tour of Hamburg Steinway, PM free
Dinner at local restaurant, o/n Hamburg Hotel Hafen
June 7, 11, Tue
Full day drive to Bonn via Cologne, to visit the Cathedral (also join up with Robin Meloy Goldsby – the Piano Girl)
Dinner at hotel, o/n Bonn Rhein Hotel Dreesen
June 8, 11 Wed
Morning visit to Beethoven museum, PM free, dinner at hotel, o/n Bonn
June 9, 11 Thu
Full-day drive to Leipzig, dinner at hotel, o/n Leipzig Radisson Blue
June 10, 11 Fri
Half-day Tour of Blüthner Piano with Dr. Blüthner, PM city tour with Thomas Church, Mendelsohn Museum, Music Instruments Museum, Dinner at famous Auerbach-Keller
o/n Leipzig Hotel Radisson Blue
June 11, 11 Sat
To Bayreuth, arrival around lunch time, Tour of Steingräber u. Söhne Piano
Dinner at Hotel, o/n Bayreuth Hotel Ramada Residenzschloß
June 12, 11 Sun
Full-day excursion to Nuremberg (Germanisches National Museum, collection of historic music instruments), continue to Rothenburg, walking tour
Dinner at hotel, o/n Bayreuth Hotel Ramada Residenzschloß
June 13, 11 Mon
Morning visit to Wagner and Liszt Museum, afternoon drive to Munich, prior check-in a panoramic city tour, photo stops, no inside visits, dinner at local restaurant nearby hotel, overnight Hotel Kings First Class Hotel
June 14, 11 Tue
Morning visit to the Deutsches Museum (which houses one of the world’s largest musical instrument collections, with a performance of the music of Mozart on an original piano of his time and comparative demonstrations on instruments from subsequent time periods) and the National theatre (where we have applied for a visit behind the scenes).
Afternoon drive to Salzburg, upon arrival we have a 2 hour walking tour with a local Salzburg guide (local guide is compulsory) and visit the Mozart Haus, the birthplace of Mozart.
Dinner at local restaurant nearby hotel, o/n Salzburg Hotel Austrotel
June 15, 11 Wed
Morning drive to Vienna, arrive around lunchtime, afternoon sightseeing incl. Castle Schönbrunn inside visit, dinner and overnight at centrally located Hotel (name coming up)
June 16, 11 Thu
Tour of Bösendorfer Piano
Afternoon “Musical Vienna”, a city tour connected with composers, with music, of which there are many in Vienna.
Farewell Dinner at local restaurant, maybe in Grinzing, where you dine with local wine and music in a wine village nearby Vienna
o/n Vienna
June 17, 11 Fri
Transfer to Vienna Airport. Auf Wiedersehen

Package includes:

• All accommodations listed
• Breakfast buffet and 3 course dinner daily
• 1 glass of welcome cocktail upon arrival pre dinner
• Deluxe motor coach with A/C, fridge, bathroom and reclining seats
• English tour escort
• Local guides
• Entrance fees on tours included
• Porterage at hotels and airports of once piece per person
• Government tax, parking of coach, service charge at hotels and restaurants

Please keep in mind the pricing does not include airfare, as our members come not only from all over the U.S., but also around the world. We want you to be able to get the best flights and rates for your particular location/situation. However, if you need help with travel arrangements, our Travel Agency (Hills Travel, St. Petersburg, FL) will be happy to assist you.
Also, if you are traveling solo and would be interested in pairing up to save the single supplement, Hill's Travel ( our agent) offers room matching.

Not included:

• International flights
• Tips to driver, escort, restaurants
• If the VAT increase, we have to increase same amount
• Drinks (unless noted)

Pricing is below all the pictures
Please share this with your friends, post it on your Facebook/MySpace Page, Tweet it, do whatever you can to get the word out.
This is going to be an experience to remember. If you like music, and especially piano, this is your tour. Meet other Piano Forums Members from across the country and around the world (everyone will receive some Piano World Piano Forums goodies).







Please Help Us Spread the Word About This Tour

Note:
There were other piano companies who kindly approached us about visting.
We did the best we could with the time we have (taking into consideration travel and free time, and not wanting to overload people with technical piano talk). If this tour is a success, we will definitely plan on another and will visit some of the other piano makers.

Adding Pictures of some of the places we will be visiting.
Please see additional pictures further in this thread (on second page).

Hotel Hafen - Hamburg - Day Shot


Hotel Hafen - Hamburg - Night Shot



Hotel Hafen - Hamburg - Piano Bar!



Lots More Pictures LATER IN THIS THREAD...


NOTE: The More People We Have, The LESS it Will Cost! (to a point) We currently have 23 people signed up making the base price $3860.00


NOTE: Our Travel Agency Will Be Handling ALL Payments.

For a breakdown on what the insurance policy covers, visit www.travelexinsurance.com or call 1-800-504-7883 (our ID # is 09-0477).

There is a PDF of the Tour Itinerary & Pricing Here:
Tour Itinerary and Pricing PDF

And a Press Release About the Tour Here:
http://www.pianoworld.com/Press_Room/Press_Releases/Piano_Tour_2011_Press_Release.html


We are looking forward to an exciting tour!!

Tour Arrangements Made Through Hills Travel, St. Petersburg, FL

Hill's Travel Service has been around for over 80 years helping make travel
dreams come true. With personal relationships with thousands of airlines,
cruise lines, hotels, resorts and premier destinations worldwide, you are
guaranteed the best pricing and service available. To learn more about Hills Travel or to contact them with questions...
visit www.hillstravel.com or contact
Elle / Hill's Travel
Trier, Germany
P: (877) 845 7437 ­ toll free
F: (727) 896 7167
Email: elle@hillstravel.com


See running list of people joining the tour in next post below.

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR MORE PICTURES

LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE JOINED THE TOUR:

For details, please see the post above.

If you plan join us on this historic tour, please email me directly webmaster@pianoworld.com AND CONTACT OUR TRAVEL AGENCY! elle@hillstravel.com Please include Piano Tour 2011 in the subject line .

I will add your name(s) to the list below. If other people are coming with you, please include their name(s) as well.

We would also like to list where people are from, as this might entice others from
the same area to join us.


Can't wait to meet you all in Germany!

Planning to Join the Tour
IF YOUR NAME ISN'T ON THE LIST, and you want to join us, email me immediately!
Names In Bold Are Confirmed

Frank Baxter /FL
Kathleen (Kathy) Ford /FL
Ken Wallis /Australia
lillylady /MA
Jim Orr /IL
Jim & Sandy Fariss /England (2)
Lawrence & Sheila Dickenson /Canada (2)
Bob & Ruth Dell /CA (2)
Bart & Diane Kinlein /MD (2)
J. Eric Tkaczyk /NY
Barbara Altenburg /NJ
Dudley Rose /NJ
Kathy McAuliffe /DE
Sam Hagopian /MA
Ann C. (MO)
Rita / Canada
Barbara & Larry Wadsworth / FL (2)
Bo M. / Canada

We have CONFIRMED Deposits from 23 people so far (counting Kathy & me).


Please be sure to send me (via email) all the following information:

Your Name: (real name)
Your Forums Name:
Your Address: (will not be posted except state and/or country)
Your Phone: (will not be posted)
Name of anyone coming with you:

Let me know if you are going solo and might want to pair up
with someone else going solo. If someone else of the same gender asks about pairing
up I will share contact info with each of you.

Email me at webmaster@pianoworld.com subject 2011 Piano Tour

Updates Will Be Posted HERE:



Airport:
- Hamburg only has one int. airport, the code for this airport is HAM

- the tour includes airport pick up. We will try to schedule the transfer with the tranportation company so that everybody can take advantage of it. Since the majority of the flights from the US arrive in Germany in the morning we should be able to find a time which will be convenient for all of you.

HOTEL LIST

June 05 – 07 HAMBURG HOTEL HAFEN HAMBURG
Seewartenstrasse 9
20459 Hamburg
Tel. +49 (0) 40 – 31 113 70 600
Fax +49 (0) 40 – 31 113 70 603

June 07 – 09 BONN RHEINHOTEL DREESEN
Rheinstrasse 45-49
53179 Bonn
Tel. +49 (0) 228 – 82 02 0
Fax +49 (0) 228 – 82 02 153

June 09 – 11 LEIPZIG RADISSON BLU HOTEL
Augustusplatz 5-6
04109 Leipzig
Tel. +49 (0) 341 – 21 460
Fax +49 (0) 341 – 214 68 15

June 11 - 13 BAYREUTH RAMADA Residenzschloss Bayreuth
Erlanger Strasse 37
95444 Bayreuth
Tel. +49 (0) 921 – 75 85 0
Fax +49 (0) 921 – 75 85 601

June 13 – 14 MUNICH KINGS HOTEL FIRST CLASS
Dachauer Strasse 13
80335 München
Tel. +49 (0) 89 – 55 18 7802
Fax +49 (0) 89 – 55 18 7879

June 14 – 15 SALZBURG AUSTROTEL SALZBURG
Paris-Lodron-Strasse 1
A-5020 Salzburg
Tel. +43 (0)662 – 881688
Fax +43 (0)662 – 881687

June 15 – 17 VIENNA MERCURE WIEN WESTBAHNHOF
Felberstrasse 4
A-1150 Wien
Tel. +43 (1) 981110
Fax +43 (1) 98111930

From Forums member tnew (who lives in Austria)...
Vienna has the musicians corner at the Vienna central cemetary. That is where Brahms, both Strauss father and son, Beethoven, Schubert, and other muscians are laid to rest. There is a Mozart memorial there too, but he is actually buried in another cemetary in the city.

This looks fantastic. I wish I could go.
Just one comment:
I wonder why Schimmel are not yet making it onto lists of this kind. Here in Melbourne we have a a major importer of Schimmel pianos and some of the local professionals have converted. Some claim the Schimmel is competitive with Steinway for quality nowadays. Certainly the Schimmel I get to play occasionally is the best instrument I ever touched.
Is Schimmel not yet big in N.America or are they still not regarded as top quality there?

See Additional Pictures Above and on Next Page

Austrotel Hotel - Salzburg



Deutsches Museum Hall of Keyboards - Munich


Deutsches Museum Hall of Keyboards Continued - Munich


Deutsches Museum Hall of Keyboards Continued - Munich


Deutsches Museum Hall of Keyboards Continued - Munich


Kings Hotel - Munich



Kings Hotel - Munich - Continued



Kings Hotel - Munich - Continued



Schöbrunn Palace:


Bayreuth Marketplace, Bayreuth Germany, home of Steingraeber


Additional Pictures Above, and on next page

Tour looks fantastic - count me in!

Elaine Deschamps (Olympia, WA)

Great Elaine, glad to have you along.
Please help us spread the word, we want to fill up the big bus (or two) :-)

Just posted a link to this page on my Facebook, so we'll see!

Frank, add me to the list of those going: James Davis, Mississippi

What a great tour! I'd love to join you guys. Unfortunately it's in the middle of the semester, and I teach at RWTH Aachen University in Germany, so I can't just disappear for two weeks. But here's a thought: I was responsible for creating the interactive "Virtual Conductor" exhibit in the House of Music Vienna. The entire museum is a must-see for music lovers, and it's right downtown, near the cathedral (http://www.hausdermusik.com/en/sound-museum/16.htm). The Virtual Conductor lets you conduct the Vienna Philharmonic on a huge full-HD screen - you can even control their tempo, and if you do badly, they stop playing and throw insults at you. (http://hci.rwth-aachen.de/po). It's the museum's top attraction. I'd be happy to join you in Vienna and talk to the museum director to arrange a special tour for us.

Also, I live less than an hour from Bonn/Cologne and would love to meet up with you guys there on the 7th, to meet you all as well as Robin. Naturally, I'd be happy to pay my share towards any expenses. Let me know what you think!

- Jan

Thanks Jan,

What a cool toy!

I'll have to see if we can fit it in our schedule somehow.
And yes, we will have to find a way for you to meet up with us while
we are in the neighborhood.

Best,

Frank B.
Piano World

Possible to include C. Bechstein?

I'm afraid not this time.

Our schedule is already very full and time is tight.

We have been approached by a number of piano companies about visiting. It will all depend upon the success of this tour.
If it fills up and goes well, we will most certainly look to put together another tour, visiting other piano and music related places.

In the meantime I would encourage any piano related companies who would like to be part of our next tour to please contact me so we know they are in fact interested in hosting us.

Hi Stephen! I also ask members of piano world in the USA the same question about Schimmel. They are highly promoted and highly regarded in Australia as excellent pianos - I certainly like the tone of them! Is there a thread on piano world where Schimmel pianos are discused at length? I will certainly consider this tour. Being located in Melbourne Australia, as the tour is leaving from the USA, can you provide me with a price departing from Sydney or Melbourne? MAny thanks,
Regards,
Michael

We are very interested. Looks like a fabulous itinerary. What kind of response are you getting, as far as numbers? Camille and Gary Sindell

Hi Camille & Gary,

We are posting names as people indicate they plan on joining the tour (above, in this same thread ... http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1474109.html#Post1474109 ).

I also have the Tour details posted as an event on my Facebook pages which currently shows 9 attending and 35 maybe (along with 700+ who haven't responded yet).

My assumption is some folks haven't stepped up yet because they are deciding if this will be their vacation trip in 2011 (hey, what a great way to spend it).
Others may be checking out airline prices (it's a bit early for that, and our travel agency will help if anyone wants them to).

Ideally I'd like to see 25-30 people join the tour, as that's where the best pricing for everyone comes in. And it would be fun to have a good sized group. And if we should end up with even more that would be great.

Can we add your names to the list?
http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1474109.html#Post1474109

Best,

Frank B.
Founder / Host
Piano World

$4400 + $550 ~ $5000 this is getting pretty steep to me.
Are there options for a cheaper trip, for instance by using cheaper hotels along the way?

Sorry wouter79, but we've put together the best overall package we could.
It includes lots of fun tours/visits and wonderful opportunities to see how fine pianos are built, plus lots of music.

Because we wanted everyone to be comfortable, we chose to stay at hotels that offer A/C and other amenities.

I realize it's not cheap, but we believe the tour offers a lot for the money. And keep in mind, once we have at least 25 people, the price drops to $3603 each (based on double occupancy, but we have some people who were traveling solo but are going to buddy up to avoid the "single" surcharge).

I also hesitate because of the price. I think the hotels are generally first class, right? And the included dinners also raise the price.

I will keep it in mind still, if I have a bit more time to think it over. If I don't end up coming though, would I at least be able to meet with the group when you are in Vienna? It would be fantastic to meet you all.

Hi tnew,
Sure, we'd be happy to meet you.

I realize it seems like a lot of money, but we're providing a lot in return.
I don't know about the hotels being first class, but I'm pretty sure they are nice hotels (and air conditioned for us Americans who are used to A/C).

The idea of the dinners is to make it easier for everyone at the end of a long day of touring/site-seeing. Instead of having to scramble for dinner plans, they can relax knowing it's all taken care of.

I hope you do end up joining us for the full tour, but if not, let's plan on connecting while we're in Vienna.


Best,

Frank B.

Well we can't commit yet, but we are definitely interested. It's on our calendar, should know in about 60 days.
Bart & Diane Kinlein (Central Maryland)

Bart & Diane, that's great, I hope you can join us.
I'm going to ad your names to the list but under a new category (Definite Maybe)

Best,

Frank B.

Remember folks, if you know you plan to join us, post here or send me an email.

If you want to join the tour but aren't sure yet, please let us know that too.
We now have to lists running in the thread above.

One for those who have already made the decision to join the tour, and those who would like to but need a little more time to decide.

Either way please let us know so we can get a rough idea of the number of participants.

We hope you can join us, this is going to be a fantastic adventure!

Frank B.
Founder & Host
Piano World

That works. Diane is having knee replcement surgery next Monday. How she recovers (we expect fully) will determine if we can make it.

But a 2 hour walking tour "compulsory"? That could be a non-starter!

I'm sure you can sit out the walking tour (or do whatever you'd like).
The travel agent wrote the "compulsory" part, not me :-) Turns out the "local guide is compulsory", not the walk.

I hope all goes well for Diane, please keep us updated.

Best,

Frank B.

I continue to have interest, although the price is a challenge for me.

No question about the value being offered, just out of our comfort range. I had mentioned earlier that we visited one of our sons in Thailand in January. My wife and I each had a small carry-on and no checked baggage. We stayed in a variety of accommodations from a tribal village to a beach bungalow to a high-rise apartment in downtown Bangkok and several levels in between. We found that the simple accommodations subtracted nothing from our experience. As the Motel 6 ad goes "Everything looks the same with your eyes closed."

Just my opinion FWIW.

Understood Keith, and I agree if it's something you are doing on your own, you can run with whatever is ok by you.
However putting together a tour for a varied group of people means trying to strike the optimal balance.
Sticking with the better known hotels gives us a little more confidence that the accommodations will be clean and comfortable, and able to handle the entire group at once.
Our goal is to make this a unique, pleasurable, and memorable experience for everyone who joins us on this adventure.

I hope you can join us if possible.
Deposits aren't due until Dec. 1st (25%), however we are trying to get an idea of how many people plan to take the tour.

Maybe you can explain a bit about the costs?

A very quick breakdown suggests to me something like this per person per day (eg Ramada Hotel advertises with $82.10 lowest avg nightly rate) (and instead of a bus I took a standard rental car with 4 persons and guessed $200 would do per day):

hotel+breakfast $100 dinner $35 bus $50
Times 12 days I get $2220

I know I'm neglecting the entrance fees etc now but what is taking up the other $2000?

Hi wouter79,
I sent your question to our travel agent figuring she could best answer your questions.
Her reply...


Thanks for the question. There are many hidden variables that many don't
think about when planning a trip like this. That's why so many people
utilize a travel agent, we think of it all for you!


When choosing hotels, we tried to find hotels that had a bit of history or
local feel and were located central to many of the sites within walking
distance to insure less time on the road. Because of this, hotels begin to
get a bit pricier. We did take advantage of some of the low advertized
rates when possible, but cannot take advantage of some of the lower rates as
they must be prepaid and we are offering payment options for the group.


A rental car is a nice option, but not really possible in a foreign country.
Not everyone is comfortable with driving somewhere new like this.
Therefore, we have chosen an air conditioned tour bus (with reclining seats,
a fridge and more) for the entire group. With this we have a driver the
entire time as well as a tour director.


Entrance fees and VAT and meals are actually more expensive that he
projected. Again, it's easy to quickly look at what it might cost but when
you really do break it down, the costs add up quickly. One thing to note is
that because there are so many people joining the tour, we were actually
able to bring the costs down a bit saving money for each traveler for a
really 5 star experience.


Here are some elements that must be included but were not listed in the
$2220 projected. VAT/Government taxes, welcome party for group, English
speaking tour director, local guides for private excursions, entrance fees
to Cologne Dom, Bonn Beethoven Museum, Thomas Church, Mendelsohn House,
Liszt Museum, Germanisces National Museum, Mozart Haus Birthplace, Castle
Schonbrunn, porterage at hotels and airports of one piece per person,
parking for motorcoach, gas for the motorcoach, service charges at hotels
and restaurants (often charged because of larger groups), hotel costs for
driver and tour director. You can see how it can add up quickly!


Thanks again for the question, I appreciate that you are protecting your
investments and hope you join the group on the tour!


Kimberly Winters
Travel Agent
Hill's Travel Service
A Virtuoso Agency
1500 4th St N
St. Petersburg, FL 33704
727-896-7161

Thanks for the reply on my question about the costs!

Apparently I did not state it clear enough but I estimated that the bus (including gas and driver) would not be more expensive than $50 per person. I only based that on costs for rental car for comparison.

It seems a 5-star trip is out of my budget...

Sorry you won't be able to join us wouter79.
Keep in mind the more people we have the less it will cost everyone.

Quite a few people have expressed an interest in joining the tour and it's still early. The first payment isn't really due until the end of November (Dec. 1 actually).

We are hoping to have enough people by then to make it more affordable for everyone.
The sooner people raise their hand the better though, so we can get an idea of how many people will be going, which in turn helps determine the price.

I realize there are cheaper packages out there, but they are typically canned tours that go to the same places over and over.
This is a highly customized one-of-a-kind adventure, designed with our piano/music loving members in mind.

To those of you who may be on the fence about joining us, please let me know if we can put you on the Yes I'm Coming or Definitely Maybe list.

- Frank B.
Founder & Host
Piano World