Images2

We had a very disturbing morning with Atlas today. I had book the Montenegro Blue tour on THEIR web site on May 12, and got their voucher with our reference number, date of tour, and number of people, where to meet. They charged my credit card. Today when we met the bus they denied us seats because thez had no reference of our reservation. This was so bad. The driver called the main office, giving them our voucher number and they still denied us. He gave us the phone and mz husband and I argued for 15 minutes with them. Finally after we refused to get off the bus, we had walked on holding their phone, the lady at the main office told me, ok, you can go. She had said there were no seats for us. The tour was really good. The guides excellent. The country poor, but really worth seeing.

After the tour, we went to the Atlas office to question them on their practices. We were not pleased. Thez admitted that the web site has a known problem and frequentlz loses the reservations, even though the customer is charged. Even knowing this, thez denied us seats. This so so unacceptable. They know the web site doesnćt work properly but they still take the reservations and your money. They said do not book on their site. They want you to email them directly. I explained that thez do not often answer their emails. Yes, this is true, they said, they are to busy with customers walking in. So the solution is to wait until you are here to book the tours, but often they are full, so you must book several dazs ahead. No good solution to this problem, But they reallz do not care about this problem. The sad truth is Dubrovnik is beautiful and wonderful at night, but the tour companies are rude, and can not handle the amount of people they are dealing with.

Second problem. There is really poor public information here. We were trying to find the public ferrz to Lopud. We knew it was in Gruž. It is, and has a specific schedule. Find it on the net. They do go to Lopud and the other islands for much cheaper than Nova the private boat. Just not on Sundays and holidays. Thurs. was a holiday so we could not go. We will trz again tomorrow. You can go to Lopud only or in combination with the other E. islands with Nova right from the old harbor in dub. You do not need to go from Gruž for this boat. It costs $23 round trip with Nova to Lopud only or a single day pass to all the E. islands for $25, following their schedule. Jad. public ferries are 32 kuna, or $5 to $6 round trip, but with less of a schedule, but doable, from Gruž

Enough time for now, good luck in your plans. We travel to Europe frequentlz and this city has been more frustrating to us than most in planning, and doing. It is beautiful though!!

LowCountryIslander

Thanks for the "heads-up" Images2.

I will be in Dubrovnik in September and had considered booking a day trip to Montenegro with Atlas on their website. But I kept battting it around in my head whether or not I should just wait until I got to Dubrovnik and book there instead of on their website.

After reading your post I'm glad now that I decided not to book on the Atlas website. I will wait until I arrive in Dubrovnik and check out all my options for a day trip to Montenegro then.

tower

Lowcountry:

As someone who has driven all of the former Yugoslavia, even when it wasn't "former", before the split,(no pun intended), I suggest you do the smarter thing...rent a bloomin' auto in Dub and independently drive yourselves to Montenegro...it'll cost you around $60-75... good road, views beyond superb, go to Kotor, Sveti-Stefan, etc and schedule a lunch or dinner at our favorite dining spot among the waterfalls and nature paths...The Konavoski Dvori...(see link)..it's a few kms. beyond the Dub airport, just before the Montenegro border...no border hassles by the way...

And if you want superior lodgings, try The Villa Dubrovnik, just up the road from Argentina...excellent, dramatic views...about the same price range, perhaps a bit less...

http://www.villa-dubrovnik.hr/

Above all, drink on the pleasures of beautiful "Adriatica".

http://www.esculap-teo.hr/restaurant...vori_menu.html

Stu T.

LowCountryIslander

Stu T....

Thanks for the recommendations! I have my accommodations already in order, but the restaurant looks great I will keep the information in my "back pocket" for reference. Can't wait to get there!

Debs

Images2 - Sorry to hear about your travel problems with Atlas. Perhaps we were just lucky, but we booked 2 day trips via their website 3 months before our trip to Dubrovnik, one of the trips being the Historical Montenegro tour. When we completed the on line reservation form, we heard back from them within 24 hr with a confirmation number. I never reconfirmed our plans before we left, but we did stop into the Atlas office just outside of Old Town the day before our 1st trip to confirm things. We didn't encounter any problems with either trip. I'm glad that things eventually worked out for you and hopefully issues with their website can be worked out so others don't go thru your frustrations. All-in-all, our trips were definitely well worth it.

Images2

Atlas web site now confirms immediately in principle, but doesn't. If you can get through with e-mail it would be confirmed properly.

For those who are wondering, all those we have spoken to about the Mostar trip have loved it. Very hot, it's in a valley, but really worth the trip.

HappyCheesehead

Hi Images2 - Thanks so much about your waring about Atlas, AND the suggestions for dealing with them.

I am glad you got to take your tour, but it just leaves a bad feel to the day (even on vacation) when there is conflict and argument. It seems ESPECIALLY annoying in this case since they are aware of their shortcoming and do nothing to repair them!

I sure hope you enjoy the rest of the trip and only have positive experiences from here out!