I’ve just received a heartwarming letter from a bus driver who has driven 68 of our tours over three million kilometers and made about three million travel thrills possible through his hard work. For 25 years, I worked personally with bus drivers (who happen to be Belgians — many actually learn to speak English from their travelers). They are away from home and away from their loved ones, surrounded by foreigners partying and having a wonderful time nonstop. They endure the stress of keeping a busload of people safe and on schedule, their guides or tour managers satisfied, and maintaining a very expensive bus often with a demanding boss back in their home city. I wanted to share François’ retirement announcement letter here to remind all who enjoy Europe by bus that their bus driver is an all-too-often un-sung hero of their travel fun. I will be forever thankful for the steady support drivers like François have given us and our travelers over the years.
Dear Rick and Staff,
After 21 years and close to 3,000,000 km, I have made my decision to end my career as a coach driver. I was so lucky to work the last 10 years for your company. I’ve done a total of 68 tours for you, and I can tell you that I enjoyed all 68 tours from day one until the last day of the tour. All the tours were so much fun with the tour guides, assistants, and especially with the tour members. I’m 100 percent sure that there was not one single day that I worked without having fun. After the first tour, you know how the system works and you can prepare the next tours better.
I was lucky to be at two reunions with you in Edmonds — the first in 2002, the second in 2006. The last one, in 2006, I also was allowed to speak four times in two days to the tour members (remember that I was so nervous). Coming to your town to see again all of our happy travelers will always be a big memory for me.
Rick, at the end of my coach-driving career, I’m a happy person with a lot of good memories, especially the last 10 years. I want to thank you for the years that I could drive for you in Europe and Scandinavia. I also want to congratulate you for the wonderful staff and guides and assistants that work for you — those people are not only wonderful, they are SUPER.
To the guides and assistants that I worked with, thank you very, very much for all the wonderful days that we were together on tour. It was never work, but for me it was like having fun doing your job and taking care of the tour members.
Last, but not least, I thank my “Supervisor Above” for letting me drive safely on the roads and for protecting me and the people in the coach every day.
Now it’s time to take care of my family: my wife, Gertje; my daughter, Sabrina; her husband , Adrie; and my two grandchildren, Alessia and Luana. Now my plan is to make up with them for all the years that I was on the road and not available for them. The date of 12-31-2009 is the end of a wonderful time in my life, and 01-01-2010 is the start for a second wonderful time in my life.
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING,
François Olaerts
Hasselt, Belgium
Sounds like the best kind of endorsement for your company, Rick. (I’ve never taken one of your tours.)
Very touching. I wish him all the best!
I greatly admired the defensive driving skills of our coach driver during our May 8, 2008 tour of Spain and Portugal. His name is Jose Luis and he kept his passengers safe by getting the big picture and keeping a safe distance from other vehicles. He avoided near misses and close calls – no thanks to some very bad drivers around us. But in addition to his primary job of transporting precious cargo safely, he did yeoman’s duty by hefting bags into and out of the cargo bay. One was so heavy I tried to help him and it must have weighed 80 pounds (I know how heavy that is because I carried a pack about that weight on an Outward Bound trip a few years ago). The bag belonged to a very attractive woman who probably brought along her barbells. But Jose Luis deserves recognition beyond pay. I believe Jose and his wife were about to have their first child in mid 2008. Hope he and his wife and child are doing well (and that there are no back seat drivers in the family). Incidentally, thanks to RS for recognizing that bus drivers are exceedingly critical components in his tour business.
That really says it all for the differnce between your tours and others. The day that my husband and I don’t feel like we want to do these trips on our own, we will be signing up!
Boy, I hope that I can write such a retirement letter when I retire, but I sure couldn’t right now. I’m going to have to rethink. Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s wonderful. I join the others in wishing Francois all the best.
Rick, Francois drove our Best of Europe tour in october 2007. He is a wonderful driver, terrific tour companion to us all, and the best of the best, like all of etbd. He talked of retiring, yet loved every tour so he did not know when. So this is wishing you, Francois, the finest family joys, and I know that comes from the heart of all of us on that tour, and also your friends on those many other tours. Larry from springfield, retired (sort of) too, yet keeps traveling on…
Let’s hear it for the coach drivers! Each one of the 5 we’re had the pleasure of riding with has been extraordinary – they become an indispensAble part of the tour family. Kudos to them, and Kudos to ETBD for finding such a great travel partner!
Seeing this reminds me of a tour bus driver that left a positive impression on me. “Lo Pi” was a Thai driver that took us through hair-raising turns and keep us safe from hagglers in Thailand in ’94. As very individualistic teenage, Lo Pi was like my Mr. Miyagi. He taught me interesting Thai customs and ‘more scenic’ back roads that was a great learning experience. I do believe bus drivers are people that hold more than just driving skills. From Europe to Asia, my experience has told me that they are important sources of local information, advice on everything for life, and even making good lunch companion. With that in mine, I would like to salute to all the François’s out there making their living one mile after another. Thank you for keeping us safe and adding to our ‘global experiences’.
Sounds great.. City Breaks
I just noticed where he lives, Hasselt. Great little city that is completely ignored by most tourists.
I definitely agree – a round of applause is certainly warranted for the Drivers that are employed on ETBD Tours. I’ve taken three of Rick’s tours and in each case the Coach Drivers have been OUTSTANDING! To Francois…. I’d like to wish you a happy and healthy retirement!
Last year and the year before you gave us an update in November of how far off or on target the tours went compared to better years and how well books sold. So how about tell us how well things went last year with the heinous recession we have had.
What a beautiful letter and what a blessing to all the people who have been on a tour with this kind gentleman. Although we never met, I am sure his beautiful spirit has blessed many people. This letter made my day!
I have been a long time reader here but have never posted. Seeing this post about Francois brought back some great memories. I have had the pleasure to go on 4 ETBD tours and Francois was our driver on two of them (Best of GAS and best of Italy). Without a doubt, Francois is one the kindest, most unique people I have ever met. He made both of the trips immeasurably better. God speed to you Francois and thanks for giving so much of yourself!
This is not regarding the post, but I cannot find some sort of discussion forum anywhere. I would like to ask why That in the European Christmas episode, Rick states that – at the time he was in Bavaria – that the Christkind comes on the 25th of Dec., and that it was Luther’s idea, and that Bavaria is “Luther country”. My experience living in Germany for a total of 18 years, is that Christmas is celebrated on the evening of the 24th of December, and it doesn’t take but a second on google to verify that Bavaria is about as staunchly Roman Catholic as is comes in Germany. I am curious about the reasoning behind those statements, it is different from my own experience and knowledge. Foremost, I would appreciate if someone could point me towards a Rick Steves Forum or something similar.
Marc, you are quite right. I haven’t seen Rick’s European Christmas, but if he states that Bavaria is “Luther Country,” he is wrong. Lutherans are few and far between there. They are much more prevalent in the north of the country. The main and most important Christmas celebration is on the evening of the 24th of December, just as it is in many home and churches in this country, if they follow the German tradition. Perhaps there could be some clarification from Rick or his staff?
I was fortunate to meet Francois in May, 2009, as he was the driver for the Best of Italy tour. He was a very good bus driver but also has a great personality. He really knows how to have fun and fit right in with the tour group. His stories about all of his travels and tours were very enjoyable. In addition, he really knew where to go to get the best Irish stout in each Italian town we visited! I would have liked to travel with him again but I wish him all the best in retirement – he has certainly earned it. Thanks Francois!
We did the Best of Italy tour with Francois in May 2009 and found him to be an integral part of the group. We always felt safe in his bus and knew he would lead us to a good time when we were out of it. Sorry, Francois, I just couldn’t eat that dish in the Cinque Terre that had the whole octopus looking at me! We wish him all the best as he enters a new stage in life.
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