I'm planning my first trip to Italy. <BR>Has anyone used Brendan tours? They look very similar to the Globus tour I am also considering. 9 day trip - Rome, Florence, Venice. Thanks very much!

Good question. I am going on a 11 day tour with Globus, the Italian Treasures tour. I tried to book this 5 months in advance and the travel agent said that Globus was booked but that Brendan was avaliable and was exactly the same. Something did not feel right. I told her if I got on the bus would it be a Globus bus, (no) and I said I did not want to go unless it was with Globus since that is the only company I was familiar with. Well, when she called Globus there were openings and she booked it. I didn't know if she was making more of a profit by tring to place me with Brendan or what, but the books are the same or identical. I was asking myself the same question. hope you find an answer!

I believe that Globus owns Brendan. I have been on a few Globus tours and there were Brendan people on them. They had the same tour, the same meals and the same hotels that we on Globus had.

I also am booked on a Brendan tour and, after getting the same kind of confusion as Lisa, did a bit of research. It appears that Brendan is the western U.S. arm of Globus. If Brendan has enough people on their tour, it is a Brendan tour; if they don't the people combine with a Globus tour. The two tours are identical. So far, I haven't seen any difference in price between them, though I must admit I haven't seen a Globus 2001 catalog.

I was just talking to my Dad about this today. He and Mom went on four trips with different companies each time-- Globus, Cosmos, Trafalgar, and Brendan. They would also come back satisfied and had no preference as to which company. They enjoyed their traveling companions and seemed to have good tour guides. One time one of the copmanies cancelled the upcoming tour due to low attendance and didn't give my parents much notice about it. On a Ireland tour in June, Dad didn't get back to the bus on time so they left without him (part of the rules). His traveling companions told Dad later that the tour guide was heartsick and everybody worried that Dad had dropped dead somewhere. But Dad was able to catch a local bus and catch up. One of the many tour stories I've been told over the years.

Helen, would you be willing to name which tour company left your father? I never want to take that tour company. I've taken Globus and we have waited for people (only about 15 minutes). Sometimes people get lost in a strange city and to just leave them behind is cruel.

Helen, you say your parents have enjoyed all the tours. What about Cosmo's which is the budget branch of Globus. How did they like that? I was told that the difference was that the hotels were not as upscale, and that the bus was a bit smaller but the rest was the same. Did your parents notice any big difference between the budget tour and the "regular" tours? I was real curious about that. Thanks, Lisa