Jazzdog

I need advice as to whether to book a 16 day European trip in mid-September with Globus or with Travalgar through AAA. I land in London and travel to Paris, then throughout Italy and fly home from Amsterdam. Does anyone know which one offers the better accomodations? Does anyone know of other travel agencies that offer escourted tours? I am single and was told I could fill out a survey that would match me with another female traveler in order to keep my hotel accomodations within my budget. Has anyone traveled this way before and is it a nightmare or a pleasant experience? If you know of any books I could purchase before traveling to Europe that would also be greatly appreciated.I was told by a friend to go on the Internet and start networking with other European travelers from the U.S. Help! and Thank You.

Travelnut

My first trip to Europe was with my husband using Trafalgar/AAA, and we had a great time. Most of the hotels were 3-4* and decently located, but a few were more on 'outskirts' where you would need to use local transportation to get to the city-centers. We had full days (8am-4pm) nearly every day, and we paid extra for many of the 'optional' sidetrips. I'm sure we spent more money than if we had done everything ourselves (true only if cheaper hotels were chosen) but I didn't really know how (no computer at home then) and it was a great introduction to Europe.

I am pretty sure Trafalgar has a customer feedback section on its website, and maybe Globus does, too.

You can get the hotel selections for each city from the brochures and look them up on <u>www.tripadvisor.com</u> for reviews and on <u>www.mappy.com</u> for locations.

isabel

Hi. First, I'd suggest reposting this question with a title that includes the fact you are looking for information about using tour groups. Just &quot;European trip&quot; is a bit vague for a Euro forum thread question.

Second, I guess I'd ask why you are considering a tour. I know lots of people do them but I personally hate them, and the majority of people here on this forum aren't too crazy about them either. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, just suggesting you think about why you'd want a tour over going independently. Tours are VERY limiting in terms of what you'll see and how you'll spend your time, they are generally more expensive than you could do it on your own. And the thought of rooming with a stranger - well that would certainly make me think twice. Bad enough rooming with people you already know. Could work out great but could be a total disaster and you have no way of knowing in advance. Just some thoughts, if you decide to look into going on your own you can get tons of help here in the planning. Good luck what ever you choose.

missypie

I would never want to room with a stranger. If you need a traveling companion, how about going with your college alumni asociation, a church group, or whatever.

There is an assistant pastor at our church who supplements his income by leading groups on tours of the Protestant Reformation sites.

I'm not saying THAT is what you have to do...just that you may have a better time if you connect with a group with similar interests.

tuscanlifeedit

If I were to travel alone, and I am so blessed as to have the perfect companion in my DH that I hope Dear Lord that I never have to, here is what I would do:

I would do as suggested above, and go with a church or alumni group, or I would go on a special interest tour: painting, photography, food, hiking, whatever my thing might be. I think it would be so much better for me to try to connect with people that have similar interests, but also that I would have an interest and occupation while traveling alone.

There are many people here who travel alone all the time; I tend to get lonely and probably would try to find a travel buddy. But I would not want to share a room with a stranger. I am a bit intolerant, so it wouldn't work for me.

Only you know if you are the type to suffer fools, or snorers, or chatters, or insomniacs, or bathroom hogs, or whatever, gladly. Not me. No way. I only put up with the people I love, and even that's a stretch sometimes. ;-(

suze

While Fodor's is an excellent internet resource for travel information, please realize that the majority of the posters here are avid self-planners. That's mostly what this forum supports.

So I can only say, no I haven't traveled that way because I know I would not enjoy the schedules, getting up early, being on a bus with the same bunch of strangers every day, and most staying in a room with someone I don't know.

That said, I have friends who have traveled with organized tours and enjoyed themselves very much. Felt they saw more in a shorter period of time than they would have on their own.

As mentioned above, maybe try another post specifically titled seeking input about organized tour companies for western Europe.