Image Tours Inc.
Oct 18th, 2015, 07:24 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Image Tours Inc.
I am thinking about taking the 15 day Heart of Europe Circle Tour with Image Tours Inc. Has anyone used this company and would you recommend?
Cost is $4140 in May including airfare.
Thanks for input!!
Cost is $4140 in May including airfare.
Thanks for input!!
Oct 18th, 2015, 08:34 AM
#2
Here is the link
http://www.imagetours.com/tour/15_da...tour/itinerary
You get almost 13 days on the ground since 2+ days are spent flying to/from Europe.
This page tells you how long you are on the coach each day (nice feature -- most tour companies aren't that forthcoming) . . . but take a look
day 3 (the 2nd day actually on tour) - 5.5 hours on board
day 6 - 5 hours
day 8 - 5.5 hours
day 10 - 7 hours
etc.
do you want to spend half of each days watching Europe through a coach window?
http://www.imagetours.com/tour/15_da...tour/itinerary
You get almost 13 days on the ground since 2+ days are spent flying to/from Europe.
This page tells you how long you are on the coach each day (nice feature -- most tour companies aren't that forthcoming) . . . but take a look
day 3 (the 2nd day actually on tour) - 5.5 hours on board
day 6 - 5 hours
day 8 - 5.5 hours
day 10 - 7 hours
etc.
do you want to spend half of each days watching Europe through a coach window?
Oct 18th, 2015, 08:40 AM
#3
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well we are independent travelers so have alot of issues with any tour.
But this tour in particular I have some serious comments:
You are not actually staying in any of the towns you will be visiting but in some random village nearby. This means you will have no chance to go back and see places you want to see more of - or skip an afternoon group activity to do something else.
They provide next to no info on hotels.
You are moving VERY fast and will have next to no time in any place - even in Paris you only get part of a day.
If you really want to do a tour I wold search and find one with better hotel locations and that gives you at least a full day IN each of the major places (Not a hotel in a random village near Lucerne or whatever).
But this tour in particular I have some serious comments:
You are not actually staying in any of the towns you will be visiting but in some random village nearby. This means you will have no chance to go back and see places you want to see more of - or skip an afternoon group activity to do something else.
They provide next to no info on hotels.
You are moving VERY fast and will have next to no time in any place - even in Paris you only get part of a day.
If you really want to do a tour I wold search and find one with better hotel locations and that gives you at least a full day IN each of the major places (Not a hotel in a random village near Lucerne or whatever).
Oct 18th, 2015, 10:29 AM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,331
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Other questions to ask before you book a tour like this one...
* How many people will be on the tour and how many seats does the bus have?
* Are the hotels centrally located or out in the boonies?
* Which sights cost extra and which are included?
There are 5 one-night stops on this tour. One-nighters are really hectic and you pick up very little of the place you visit.
It looks like you're not staying in Venice but near it. Ditto for Munich, Heidelburg, Amsterdam, and Luzern. Only one night in Paris? Are they kidding? I wouldn't go on that tour if it was free.
I recommend putting together your own independent travel plans along mostly the same route. Drop 3 or 4 destinations so you have more time in each one. Travel by train. It will be awesome.
* How many people will be on the tour and how many seats does the bus have?
* Are the hotels centrally located or out in the boonies?
* Which sights cost extra and which are included?
There are 5 one-night stops on this tour. One-nighters are really hectic and you pick up very little of the place you visit.
It looks like you're not staying in Venice but near it. Ditto for Munich, Heidelburg, Amsterdam, and Luzern. Only one night in Paris? Are they kidding? I wouldn't go on that tour if it was free.
I recommend putting together your own independent travel plans along mostly the same route. Drop 3 or 4 destinations so you have more time in each one. Travel by train. It will be awesome.
Oct 18th, 2015, 12:16 PM
#5
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 468
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Did I see a night in Lelystad? There are worse places in the Netherlands, but Lelystad is the absolute nothing, or you should consider an outlet centre an attraction. If their other sleeping places are likewise, I would advise you to forget this one.
Oct 18th, 2015, 01:43 PM
#6
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 12,017
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Adding up the bits of travel time back and forth from the hotel is even more time on the bus. Day 4, for example, is over 4 hrs on the bus.
This is one of those bus trips from hell.
Lots of the excursions are optional, adding a lot to the cost.
Many meals are also optional, adding to the cost.
Only about 2/3 days in Paris - crazy!
Day trip of a few hours to Venice - crazy!
Find a tour where you actually do/see/experience more than landscape through the window of a bus. See more by traveling less.
This is one of those bus trips from hell.
Lots of the excursions are optional, adding a lot to the cost.
Many meals are also optional, adding to the cost.
Only about 2/3 days in Paris - crazy!
Day trip of a few hours to Venice - crazy!
Find a tour where you actually do/see/experience more than landscape through the window of a bus. See more by traveling less.
