| crefloors |
Oct 23rd, 2005 02:34 PM |
I took a Brenden tour of Europe in 1999. Brenden is part of Globus..I honestly don't know the difference because once we landed in London, everything was Globus. They were very efficient, I have no complaints. Our tour was a little more relaxed than some..we had two or three nights every place but Florence. I have heard good things..and sometimes complaints..about all those companies. My brother and sister-in-law have traveled to Europe every year for the past 6 years, sometimes on their own, but it seems that when they DO use a tour is has always been Brenden or Globus. You have to examine the literature VERY carefully to make SURE you know what IS and IS NOT included and what is offered as EXTRAS. I know with Brenden/Globus, everything was very clearly spelled out IF you read everything. The fewer optional side trips you book, the more free time you have. Check to see how many nights you stay in various cities. You can also get a city map to see where your hotels are booked and sometimes you can even find the hotels on line to check them out. I was happy with the hotels we had except for London..but it was clean and we certainly werent in the room very long..the other hotels were really nice. If you want some time alone check out the transportation in the city you are in...for example, we were in Hammersmith in London BUT we were on the Piccadilly line, so very easy to get on the tube and get into the more central areas of the city. Having said that, when I went back to London, I was NOT interested in staying in Hammersmith, I wanted to be closer in. The one thing about tour companies is, you can see a lot in a short amount of time. No waiting in line most places, no getting lost and wandering around aimlessly which actually can be a lot of fun if you have the time. I'm heading for Copenhagen and Stockholm right after Christmas..will have New Years in Copenhagen and am going on my own, but not really. My neice is in Copenhagen for school this year and she has also been to Stockholm so SHE will be my tour guide and all I have to do is take her shopping at H & M..hmmm, maybe the tour would be cheaper now that I think about it. :D Anyway, I have nothing bad to say about tours, Globus has a good reputation, they are a mid price range, usually have nice accommodations although as stated, not always central. I know you can find one to suit your style and budget. There are some travel talk sites where tours are discussed. I think Frommers has one...and there are others. You might get a better variety of opinions on one of those boards. Have a great trip.
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