I am planning a 3-4 week trip to Europe. I would like to find a list of the top rated escorted tour operators. Has anyone schedule their trip with a tour operator such as Trafalgar or such? I am interested in a first class trip not discount. Any suggestions would be helpful.<BR><BR>Thank you<BR>Lindsay

Definitely Tauck World Discovery meets your criteria...we have been on seven and have no complaints.

Have mostly done Europe on my own but took an Abercrombie &amp; Kent tour of Kenya and it was superb. They offer trips in Europe and if you can afford their fare I would check them out.

What about a trip with the infamous Rex Bickers? He likes to rent villas, he does the food shopping and cooking when you don't eat in restaurants, he is the driver and navigator. He customizes his tours based on the desires of those that join in. What more could you ask for? Email him at [email protected].<BR><BR>By the way, Rex is a major contributor to this forum, and is most knowledgeable about travel throughout most of Europe. He speaks French fluently, and dabbles in a few other languages. Also, he's a physician. You could not ask for a better tour guide and traveling companion.

I believe the poster is looking for first class operators, not deluxe. You may want to also try Insight vacations, Perillo Tours, Brendan Tours and CIE Tours. Trafalgar and Insight both have message boards which may be very helpful in making a decsion.

Lindsay, I have taken an escorted tour with Trafalgar and was unhappy with it. To be fair, though, I know other people who have been pleased with that company.<BR><BR>However, since my Trafalgar tour, I have taken 2 tours with Globus and have enjoyed them. They are reasonably priced with well-educated and helpful tour directors, and the accommodations are good.<BR><BR>Another point regarding Globus is that they have several different types of tours. I have found that their &quot;At Leisure&quot; tours are of a slightly higher caliber than the others. The hotels are also better situated and the included dinners are usually at a good local restaurant rather than in the hotel. And there is usually a bit of free time at each locale so that you can personalize your tour, to a degree.<BR><BR>I have taken the Spectacular Spain tour, which was not an &quot;AT Leisure&quot; tour, and Italy at Leisure. I have also planned a trip to France with Globus for this April. For this trip I have combined to separate tours. The first is Normandy, Brittany, and Chateaux Country, which will lead into Paris and the Provence (an &quot;At Leisure&quot; Tour). <BR><BR>By the way, Globus is pretty flexible about customizing certain aspects of their tours. For example, combining more than one tour and giving credit for overlapping days, or adding days to the beginning or end of a tour.<BR><BR>I am sure that there are many fine tour companies out there, but I have found that Globus offers very good value. Tauck and Abercrombie are much more expensive.<BR><BR>Globus also has a website that you can visit for further information. The address is www.globusandcosmos.com .<BR><BR>I hope this has been of some help to you, Lindsay. I am sorry for being so wordy but I remember that when I was looking for information regarding tour companies I was happy to receive as much detailed information as I could get. If you have any further questions, please let me know.<BR><BR>And whichever company you choose.....Enjoy!!!

Thank you Fodors for the clean-up of this thread. Your actions outline proper posting on this forum loud and clear.<BR>

Dear Lindsay<BR><BR> I have used Globus for two other trips to Europe and they were great. I researched other Tour companies before and they by far give more for the dollar. The other thing I like about them is that there is plenty of choices and free time so you do not feel everything is so regimented. Visit their web site as noted above. They will post special discounts on their sites. I am planning a tour with them to Italy and Greece in the Spring. The hotels have been great as well as the food and the Tour guides have been well educated and very informative. Good luck on your planning Lindsey.<BR><BR> Peace Robbie

I have taken tours with both Trafalgar and Globus and, although they are similarly priced, I would agree that Globus is a much better tour. Trafalgar advertises itself as &quot;first class&quot;, but the tours I have taken with them are far from it!

I don't normally take tours but a friend asked me to go on one with her to Ireland last May. We used Collette Vacations and it was terrific. Great hotels, usually 4-5 stars and centrally located. Wonderful tour guide and bus driver and no problems. I would recommend them to anyone.