beatrice metzelaar

WARNING TRAVELERS: TRAFALGAR TOURS MISREPRESENTS MUCH IN THEIR LITERATURE: "FIRST-CLASS" (HA!) HOTELS ARE INFERIOR AND REMOTE, COFFEE IS NOT INCLUDED, NOT ALL MAJOR CITIES INCLUDE TOURS,ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IS INCLUDED: ONLY TRANSPORTATION AND LODGING, AND OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS ARE OVERPRICED, BUS SEATS ARE PROHIBITED FROM RECLINING BECAUSE THE BUS IS OVERCROWDED. CAVEAT EMPTOR! ASTA, USTOA, BBB, N.Y.GOVT. WILL NOT ENFORCE TRAVEL FRAUD LAWS. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN WHEN YOU TRAVEL WITH TRAFALGAR!

Gerald Kallan

Tell me more! We're planning a major European trip through 10 countries and I was curious about Trafalgar. The two travel agents here rate is just above Globus, so I'm curious as to what problems (misrepresentations) you ran into on your trip. So please unload on me and enlighten me before we possibly make a big mistake.

Jim

We took a Trafalgar tour thru Europe in 1996 And could not get over how well we were treated. The trip was for 3 weeks and included 4 adults. We were well aware of everything before we ever started and, if we wanted to, could add options for an addittional expense but the point is we made that decision. Tralfalgar did over and beyond what we expected. We have discussed the trip many times and would not hesitate to use Trafalgar the next time we travel by motor coach. In all it was a rewarding, satisfying and beautiful experience. The motor coach we were on was extremely comfortable and there rotation system gave everyone the opportunity to get the views from every angle. Feel free to write if you would like more detail.

Donna

We have traveled with Trafalgar and received everything exactly as promised, along with friendly service and excellent tour guides, who were not only knowledgeable but amusing. When booking any tour, it is important to check out the hotels and their locations so you will know what to expect. I think the Trafalgar catalog does an excellent job of explaining what is included and what is optional. When we were in Paris, the optional tours were provided through a local tour company and Trafalgar's prices were the same as those in the tour company's brochure at their office and in the lobby of our hotel. You can also obtain a list of optional tours and their prices from Trafalgar in advance for planning. You can also take optional excursions on your own, which is more economial but less convenient. You must also understand the ranking of "first class" for hotels. Unlike the airlines, where first class is the best available, the hotel key in the Trafalgar brochure calls the top hotels Deluxe, then there's Superior First Class, then First Class, then Moderate First Class.

becky

I've also taken some tours with Trafalgar and found them quite enjoyable. The tour guides were funny, accomodating and knowledgable, overall service was great, only one First Class hotel was bad (out of the six hotels) and the price was relatively affordable considering that it included lodging at a First Class hotel (central location, had a lot of amenities), transportation, luggage handling, 2 good meals a day and stops at all the major attractions! <BR> <BR>Trafalgar does have 2 diff. classes of tours: CostSavers and First Class. CostSavers tours feature hotels outside main cities/towns. The more expensive First Class tours features hotels located inside main cities/towns. The bad First Class hotel I mentioned earlier was not located inside a major city. It was the Ramada in Mestre (outside Venice). <BR> <BR>I've noticed that that most people who complain about tours usually do not read the tour brochure and the tour description thoroughly. Those that do usually know what to expect (i.e. hotel types and amenities, optional tours, designated stops, additional fees etc.) <BR> <BR>P.S. Coffee was included during breakfast and dinner. I slept in an air conditioned, Mercedes Benz bus with comfortable, reclining seats (no seat belts though).

Rosemary

I agree completely with Becky. I have read Trafalgers catalogs and they clearly detail what you will be getting. Globus is the same. I got exactly what their catalog promised. And had a wonderful time. You have to read carefully and you know exactly which hotels you will be stay at and which excursions are included. It pays to do your homework

Terry

I only took a Trafalgar tour once. That was more than enough for me. Bus was okay, driver good, hotels out of the main area (sometimes quite a bit out of) but okay, food was quite bad (but I don't much care about fod anyway) and optional tours were overpriced and *really pushed* by the tour leader. And he was *just awful!* I will never forget that man, he was so bad. His name was Ron and he was from New Zealand. Almost everyone on the bus (which was almost 50 people) just hated him by the end. Someone started collecting tip money for him from everyone but people didn't want to give or gave just coins. When he was given this on the last day he just ripped into the whole group verbally on the bus. Called people all sorts of names. Insulted and belittled people. Reduced two women to tears with his vile tongue. He was the worst tour leader I have ever seen or heard of. I never even considered a Trafalgar tour after that (he had worked for Trafalgar for years he told us). What a creep! <BR>

Rosana

What else is different between Trafalgar's First Class and Cost Savers aside from the hotel's proximity?

Judy

We initially decided to pay the extra money and go first class with trafalgar because of the hotels. But when we finished our wonderful trip we realized that we probably got the better tour guide, bus driver, bus, service. It was well worth the extra money and we will travel with Trafalgar again. The only thing I worry about is whether our next trip can possibly as good as our first. It was great and we were very happy with Trafalgar. We probably won't go for as many extras the next time, though. It's just that you don't want to miss anything!!

Phyllis

We took Trafalgar's Best of Spain and France tour in 1995. Besides being the only company that offers the combination of those two countries(as opposed to Spain and Portugal), the tour itself was excellent, and the tour guide,Hillary,was brilliant.The group was very friendly. Only one hotel was extremely disappointing and that was in Seville. I can't say enough about that tour. However, as I am researching a tour company to go to Prague, Budapest and Vienna in late summer, I have looked over maps and such and see that Trafalgar's hotel choices,as well as Globus, are far from city centers so I would not choose either for this tour.

Bob

Too bad Beatrice - it sounds strange. I took a 10-day Trafalgar tour of Spain over Christmas, and the accommodations were indeed first class - superb accommodation in every respect, and most well-located. We were on our own for lunches and most suppers, but breakfast buffets were wonderful and ample. The bus was not overcrowded, but then I suspect that was just pure luck. There were tours in all major cities. As for extra tours, they are indeed overpriced, as with all tour groups, but this should come as no surprise and you know that going in. Some people opt for most, and others use time to explore on their own. It's always safe to read the travel brochures with alittle bit of skepticism.

topper

!!!!!

pvh

My husband and I took a Trafalgar first-class tour a few years ago and found it provided everything that was advertised and much more! The brochure told us exactly what was included. We took every optional excursion and did not spend nearly as much money as just taking a few of the excursions on our Alaskan cruise. Our tour guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. If you have a bad experience with a guide, you should let Trafalgar know (just as you should with any service). First class does not mean 4 ot 5-star hotels, and they do not indicate this. When you compute how much you pay and how much it would cost you to buy the same thing, you will realize how much money you do save. Incidentally, these guides work extremely long hours. They are usually working hours after you are long asleep planning your next day's itinerary.

Joanna

Pvh - have to disagree about guides working out the next day's itinerary. You can see from the brochures that it's all preplanned and these tours are done so often they have everything down pat.

Christina

I've taken a few tours, but not Trafalgar's, and generally people who complain just don't bother finding out what they're buying. Hotels are no secret, they tell you where they are and you can look them up somewhere to get an idea of convenience and grade, usually--if they switched hotels in every city to a different one very different than the brochure, then I would be mad. The same thing for whether side excursions are included or not, the brochure legally has to be explicit on that and it's no secret. Anyway, nobody forces you to take the extras, it's your choice. Occasional bad guides would be a bummer; I took TWA tours and the guides we had were absolutely superb, every one of them, both in knowledge and personality. The extra excursions TWA offered were very fairly priced and it was convenient to not have to search these out yourself with limited time available. I also agree with the last post, the tour guides are not at home deciding what you're going to do the next day--in fact, they'd better not be, as it's not optional, the company has decided your itinerary and it's planned in advance, that's what the brochure tells you. <BR>

pvh

Joanna, I am well aware the places to go have already been set but there are numerous other things that are managed by the guides. They are making sure all the hotel rooms are in order, finding out if there is a strike in transportation in Paris (happens all the time), numerous items in regard to the optional excursions. My daughter worked as a guide for a time for a division of Trafalgar (this was after our tour), and she said sleep was extremely hard to come by.

Ignacio

I see there is another Trafalgar listing on this forum at the moment - a similar complaint from someone who also apparently can't read their brochure and doesn't understand the word "misrepresent." I note that the replies are generally very favourable. Please give it a break Beatrice.

Nellie

I've taken Trafalgar once 10 years ago and remembered we had a great tour guide and good driver. Only thing I didn't like was everything was to be purchased optional. I went with them bec I was bumped off by Globus 1 week before departure. Now I know that Insight is the better choice bec although they are more expensive, the hotels are better and the tours are included. But the tour guide of Terry is no excuse. He should have been reported to headoffice. If everyone was verbally abused by this guide then someone from the group should have taken the initiative of getting everyone who was offended to write a complaint or if your tour ended in London should have called the headoffice there to complain to the manager. I have been treated badly on a cruise by a matre 'd and wrote a letter of complaint after I got home to the company involved not only did I get a response but got compensated for it too.

J. West

We just finished an 8 day tour of Italy (Rome, Venice, Florence) with Trafalgar and enjoyed it thoroughly! We were a little anxious about using a tour service but wanted to see as much of Italy as we could in a short period of time. The trip was everything the brochure described, the tour guide was extremely knowledgable and accomodating, bus travel was pleasurable, food and lodging were as good if not better than we expected. We are planning our next trip to Germany and will use Trafalgar again. <BR> <BR>J. West

tobi

I was also concerned about booking a tour a few months back. <BR>But I did a search on Globus & Trafalgar. They both had wonderful reviews as well as horrible ones!!!! I actually went to a Globus open house at Dillards travel. There were so many people there that had been on both and HIGHLY recommended Globus. As mentioned in above posts, READ, READ, READ the broshures. Ask for a copy of the optional excursions. This will tell you what to expect and how to budget your trip. <BR>I went on a American Express tour of Europe in '82 and all the city tours were included, but the tour was twice what we're paying this year. I like having the choice to choose between spending quiet time with my husband or taking the optional tour. Unlike before where you felt you had to take the tour because you PAID for it in the package. <BR>I' sorry this is long, hopefully it will help someone. <BR>BTW: We chose the Globus European Horizons 19 day tour!!! <BR>Tobi