Smitha Ramchandani

Hi,

Has anyone taken an escorted tour of Europe
with GRAND EUROPEAN TOURS (of Lake Oswego, Oregon) or INSIGHT INTERNATIONAL TOURS or BRENDAN TOURS?

Any thoughts, complaints, things you really liked or did not like?

Would you recommend any?

We are especially interested in the following countries: Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy.

Thanks for your help.
Smita and Rahul

lee

I have gone on Insight tours and they are excellant! Their tour guides are very experienced and very friendly. Insight always stay in the centre of the big cities (some tour companies don't) so if you want to go out on our own in the evening you are right downtown. Also Insight does a lot of business in Austraia and so you are travelling with Australians and they are wonderful people and lots of fun. I have made lasting friendships with Australians I have met on Insight tours.
Good luck!

Phyllis

Forget Brendan Tours if you want an escorted tour with a tour director to answer questions and resolve difficulties. We went to Greece,Turkey and the Greek Isles with Brendan, and not till we had problems did we realize that there was no Brendan Tour Director!!They used Chat Tours as the host in Greece.And they booked us on the cruise so the liner arranged the excursions from the ship. Basically,all Brendan did was book us and collect the money!I wrote to them complaining about Chat Tours (for example, the 5 day/4 night tour of the mainland of Greece had a motorcoach with poor air conditioning and no lavoratory!!!The 1/2 day sightseeing of Athens had a/c and a lavoratory!)Brendan never replied to my complaint.I guess the figure they make enough money on people who don't return for another Brendan Tour! We have taken Tauck and Trafalgar and highly recommend them. We are currently considering Insight or Collette for Eastern Europe.

Al

In 1995, my wife and I booked a tour of eastern Europe with Brendan. Upon arrival in Frankfurt, we were met by a tour director and taken to a nearby hotel which was fine. It was there that we were told that Brendan essentially is a marketing organization and that we would be conducted on our tour by Globus personnel and equipment. As things turned out, we had a splendid guide and driver, and the equipment, hotels, meals, etc. were fine. We were united with persons who had booked with Globus, and so we made the tour together. My point is that, had things not gone well, I wonder now to whom I would have complained. Somehow I felt as if someone had played a fast shuffle on me, taken my money, then faded into the background. But, as things turned out, it was a great trip -- lucky us.

nancy

Al, On our trip to Italy last year, the back of our Globus bus had a Brendan Tours banner in the back window. In talking to our fellow passengers, it seemed that most of the travelers from western U.S. were initially connected with Brendan, and the eastern travelers, with Globus. I am from Connecticut. In the end, no difference, met some grat people and very satisfied with our trip. If you had a problem, I would guess complaints would be to what ever tour group you booked with. Our tour director and driver were first class. Made for a great trip! This year, back to Italy on our own.

Richad J. Vicek

Good morning Smitha
WE have taken three tours, escorted, thru Amerex in the 70's. The main observation wss that the higher class tour had better quality and located hotel rooms. The lower priced tours had
hotels in the boondocks. For example the location of hotels. in Venice, instead of staying at a hotel within Venice they stay on Mestre, removing from you the experience of the Pza S. Marco at night, also an important factor
is to watch the hotels, you can find web sites for most hotels in EUR giving better locations than "city center" or
"close to", these can be misleading.
Check the number of free days in specific cities. Don't take one with 15 countries in 14 days. You will never pack your suitcase, only place it in the hallway at an early hour for an early departure and a full day on the bus...
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me by E mail..
Have traveled thruout Italy and Switzerland and Wien.
Richard of Hickory Hills, Il...