Globus Tours
 

I had posted some questions earlier regarding a trip to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. I have since found an interesting tour of these three places through a tour company called Globus. Someone had mentioned this company in my earlier Forum request. It is a 15 day tour and sounds like everything we are looking for. At this point, I would like to know if anyone has done the Globus Alpine Countries Tour. There are options for side trips and I am interested in knowing if anyone has done these as well. They are: Linderhof Castle out of Munich: Heurigen Dinner in Vienna: Isola Bella tour in Lake Maggiore: Gornegrat trip in Zermatt: Mt. Pilatus in Lucerne: Tremmelbach Falls in Interlaken? Any comments on the tour itself and any problems anyone encountered, would be appreciated.

Have you read the detailed itinerary carefully? Do you know where the hotels are located - near city center or way out? How many meals are included?

Globus is a low end tour company and the basic itinerary gives you little inside sightseeing. Most of your guided sightseeing is with optional tours. The rest is basically drive bys and short photo ops.

Can you handle early starts and lots of bus time?

Add up the base tour price, all the optionals you're interested in, and the meals you'll need to buy and get the total tour price (plus tips to guide(s) and driver).

Compare with a few other tour companies to determine best value for your money and interest.

I've taken 1 Globus tour and would never take another. The included meals were really bad, hotels far from anything to do in the evening, less than knowledgeable tour guide.

Some people do like this type of tour and only care that they see many locations rather than fewer locations in more depth. You'll need to decide on your travel style.

which tour -- post a link.

But in general <u>many</u> of the sites will be 'see' -- meaning glimpse from the bus window without stopping, and not 'visit' - meaning getting off the coach and actually going inside.

I believe this is the tour.

http://www.globusjourneys.com/Produc...tent=optionals

Well <i>at least</i> there are some two night stays.

That is the best I can say about it.

Looks bloody awful. Short stays, numerous "optional excursions" that mean "pay more money." At least there aren't a ton of trips to ___ factory to see how ___ is made (read: go buy stuff now!).

And Globus caters to oldies. What's your age?

BigRuss - they're in their 70s.

We took a Globus tour elsewhere in Europe many years ago as a family. We considered this tour for our upcoming Austria and Switzerland trip, but the dates did not overlap with the time we had off from work. We ended up planning our trip on our own with help from Fodors and Rick Steves.

As Adrienne said, the downsides are that you often have to pay for extras which end up being some of the most desirable side trips. They usually have arrangements with certain restaurants for meals, so there is little personal freedom if you'd rather eat somewhere else. The tour guides can be a little tired - meaning, no passion, little time for side chitchat or individual questions, and may even have a harder-to-understand accent. You often end up having to leave hotels early morning and feel like you're always on the go - no time to linger at a favorite spot. They are not subtle about requesting tips or steering you toward certain shops where there's a commission or special arrangement. Who is in the rest of the group can make or break everything.

On the positive... We don't all have infinite vacation time, and sometimes you just want to travel as much as possible and see as much as possible. It's not everyone's style, but it's not disrespectful and there's no harm in that. You will see and do a lot with all of the planning done for you. If there's a hiccup, it's on them to fix it. You may make good friends with someone else in the group. Globus has been around forever and does lots and lots of tours. It's not bad - it can just feel a bit tiring and like a tour out of a box. Just like a cruise, you can either make magical memories or have one bad experience ruin it all.

I personally would take another Globus tour if all the stars lined up in that direction. Just go with the flow and you'll be fine. Enjoy!

What places do you actually want to visit?

There is no way in *** I would consider this tour. Everything will go by in a blur.

<<BigRuss - they're in their 70s.>>

Not stated in the post.

That said, if there are mobility issues the tour may work.

But there has to be some tour company somewhere that actually tours areas at a decent pace with multiple days in a given setting instead of a forced march like this one, no?

Tour company that "actually tours areas at a decent pace with multiple days in a given setting instead of a forced march like this one" exits. They are high end tours like Tauck or specialty tours like Rick Steves. The former requires more fund while the latter requires more stamina.

Many people are ok seeing the glimpse of many things cheaply without having to do any planning, Additionally, for many people, a trip is just a context, not necessarily a goal. When I talk to these folks, they don't remember hardly anything from the trip, but they sure talk about having a good time with friends. The tour company mentioned by the OP fills this kind of market segment.

That is the tour I am talking about. I don't consider myself an "oldie",Big Russ, but we are 73 and 70. We don't require wheel chairs or canes as yet, so think we can make it to all the sights without help. Since we both hiked to Delicate Arch out in Utah last summer and have done Angel's Landing as well, I would say we are in good physical shape. I just need a break from planning everything, so was looking for a a TOUR. Do you have any suggestions for us as to what TOUR you think would be better than Globus? I am most open to good suggestions as we want to see as much as possible.

"we want to see as much as possible"

Define "see" in this context. Do you mean "see" as in "it was outside the bus window", or "see" as in "we spent an hour touring the cathedral and half an hour sipping coffee on the main square", or something in between.

It sounds like you are more than fit enough to handle a Rick Steves tour. If the prices are too high, look at his new "My Way" tours, which just include hotels and transport.

Many universities offer excellent tours. I don't know of any specific tours that meet your requirements, but I would suggest doing some more research. I'm sure you can do much better than Globus which I would put at the bottom of any list.

I voiced the same comment, above, as thursdaysd about your travel style. It's difficult to know what to suggest unless you can answer that question.

Road Scholar offers in-depth tours that combine sightseeing with lectures. They have various tours in Germany and Switzerland.

http://www.roadscholar.org/

Collette is a well-regarded tour company. Here's a tour on Switzerland, Austria, and Bavaria.

http://www.gocollette.com/tours/euro...er-switzerland

Tours all have certain disadvantages. The less expensive ones more and the most expensive ones (have a look at Tauck less - hotels are usually more central and meals may be somewhat better).

But the essence is:

Early starts and long days on the bus:

Bags packed and outside your door at 7 am
Breakfast at 7 am - if you wait the good stuff will be gone - and you have to have fannies in the seat on the bus by 8 am
Lots of long drives so you will have time to nap

As far as sights:

View is see from a distance - usually out of the moving bus window
Stop means a 5-minute photo op out front - but you don;t go inside - or leave the immediate vicinity of the bus
Visit - is the only thing that gets you inside and often you will get an abbreviated one hour visit versus 3 or 4 hours people might spend on their own

Whenever you stop plan on long waits for toilets - especially for women (tour groups are usually more female) - so you do that first and have you companion order your meal or snack - or you will be rushing and racing for the bus

They usually say the bus has a toilet but in fact they don;t want you to use it - will forbid it except in a dire emergency - because of all the extra work involved. And then no one will want to sit near it for the rest of the trip.

Hotels are often chain places out by the highway so your "free time" is usually illlusory

Food is usually americanized versions of local food that is poor in quality ad may even be in short supply (if it's a buffet get there early - a couple big eaters can mean those that come a little later have not much left except vegetables and bread

As mentioned - in expensive tours hotels will usually (but check) be closer to the town to see something on your own. And food is usually not so poor - but friends of my mom still organize most of their own meals - even on Tauck tours - since they just want something better/more local - and cab to and fro restaurants at their own expense. But they are quite elderly and do them to avoid dealing with luggage and handling a lot of logistical details - and they know what they;re giving up and are willing to pay extra to get more of what they want.

So - you need to review all this - and the itinerary in detail - and get specific costs of the extra tours - and then figure out what meets your needs.

>>Do you have any suggestions for us as to what TOUR you think would be better than Globus? I am most open to good suggestions as we want to see as much as possible.<<

Do you want to pay top dollar? There are lots of slower pace/smaller group/better hotel/more sites included tours . . . but they cost MUCH more than Globus.

To see a LOT on a slower/smaller group tour you'd need to take a much longer trip.

You really can't 'see' a lot in a short time unless you really do mean just see from the outside. So what do you want out of your trip?

see a bunch of stuff on the fly, or see fewer places but actually "see" them.

nytraveler's list of horrors is probably accurate for Globus, Trafalgar etc. It is NOT true for Rick Steves' tours. (I've been on five, bet nyt hasn't been on any). Nor is it true for Intrepid, but their tours may be roughing it bit more than you want, and I'm not sure they even cover much of Europe.

We took the Globus Alpine countries tour in May of 2006 and enjoyed it very much. We usually go on our own but have taken two Globus tours and had great experiences both times. The other was the Thames to the Tiber tour in April 1996 which was our 1st. trip to Europe. If you are going to take a tour, the Alpine Countries is a good one to take. Let the experts drive in the Alps. The most memorable excursion we took was from Zermatt to various stager up the Klien Matterhorn. At the top we were emerging from the cave carved into the glacier when we got caught in a white out blizzard. Quite a shock for a couple of New Orleanians. When we got to the next level down the skies were starting to clear. The views were spectacular. We had a good view of the Matterhorn, the next mountain over. On the other side of the overlook, we were looking down at the snow covered Alps and the city of Zermatt off in the distance. When we are asked what the most spectacular scenery was that we have seen during our travels, we point to our venture up the Klien Matterhorn.

Agree I don;t know Rick Steeves tours. It might be worthwhile doing a detailed rad of one of them - and get opinions from several sources. But I think you will find them not in the same price range as Globus - and I beleive you are responsible for your ownluggage. Also look carefully at the hotels and their amenities.

I have exprience with only 2 tours. One was American Express (much higher priced than Globus) to Scand and Russia when that was the only way to go to Russia - and what I have described was true of that tour. One evening was 30 minutes "late" to dinner - since I am not used to dining at 6 pm - and found that most of the choices on the buffet were gone. When I wet to find the tour guide she told me to make do with herring (ick!) and vegetables. The problem was that the hotel was not in a town - but the countryside - and there was literally no place else with food withing 30 minutes. So I tried to order separately directly from the hotel and it turned out they had only 2 tour groups there - no private guests - and no other food.

My other experience was a free "package" including London, Amsterdam and Paris in 16 days - and this was true of the 4 days when we were stuck on a bus with the group (in London and Paris we bagged anything from the tour and did what we wanted on our own).

Uh, letsgeaux, in Switzerland you can see more of the Alps from trains/postal buses/boats/gondolas/funiculars/etc. than you can from the road. Cars or tour buses are the worst way to see Switzerland. But, of course, you do see something.

The OPs sound spry enough for a Rick Steves' tour. Everybody I know who has been on one liked it.

I also urge the OP to look at the Road Scholar options as recommended by Adrienne.

Well, there are tours and tours. And like anything, to a large extent you get what you pay for. Not always, my (xpensive) Smithsonian tour of China had all too many shopping ops, and I felt like I was in a coccoon, but some of that was because we were in China, not because it was a Smithwonian tour. And I believe Intourist htoels were notorious.

However, if you want a feel for RS tours, former participants have a lot of scrapbooks up on his site: http://www.ricksteves.com/tours/scra...lum-scrapbooks

I am not saying that Globus tours are THE best way to go. The OP asked about the Alpine Countries tour and I felt qualified to give an opinion because I have taken that exact tour. I would not put Globus at the bottom of the totem pole, but closer to the middle. Regarding the food: breakfast every morning is pretty good. The dinners that are included are nothing special, but, they are not every night, they are optional, and they are free. On many nights we went out on our own and ate at some very good restaurants. The best was Steirereck in Vienna which was a Michelin 3 star. The Old Swiss House in Lucerne was another good one. We have been to Europe numerous times but have only taken 2 tours, both with Globus. Maybe we were lucky but both times we had great guides and a good group of people. I am sure there are better tours out there, but I will give this one a thumbs up.

>>but closer to the middle.<<

Sorry, but Globus is not in the middle of the pack. They are at the budget / low end.

I also took the Thames to Tiber tour with Globus, with family members. I liked it a lot, it was my first trip to Europe.

It was mostly good with a few down sides, but we saw a lot, the accommodations were very nice with one exception. They meals were OK, a couple being really good. Our tour director was wonderful and there was quite a bit of free time, if you wanted to use it. My brother and I did opt for several optional tours and that was fine at the time. I also liked being able to get right in to places like St. Peters, the Eiffel Towers and others.

I haven't taken another tour, my other trips have been on our own, but under certain circumstances, I wouldn't hesitate to take another tour.

My dad is in his 70s, and not very active. For him, he would never hesitate to take a Globus tour. He gets plenty of wonder and amazement looking about him, seeing things at a cursory level, listening to what the tour guides have to say, and he is quick with his picture taking. As opposed to myself, he just would not do well sitting in lectures, sitting for longer periods of time in one place… That is just not him, and it is different but not bad. I just commend him for continuing to want to see the world at his stage, I don't expect him or anyone else to do it my way. As others have mentioned, it is up to your style. If you like to linger, get in-depth researching and area, have your choice of food and drink and wake up times, then perhaps this is not the tour for you. If you don't mind quick paced, eating what is given to you, etc., then Globus is just fine. It also depends on your goals. If you are drawn to a specific place for a very specific reason, like ancestry, or to celebrate a special occasion like an anniversary, I might not do this with Globus. But if you have a specific defined period of vacation time, and are looking for something to do, I think you'd be fine. One thing I've always found with bus tours and groups, perhaps because of our own scheduling and planning our time off, is that the first day I usually experience significant jet lag. The first day on the bus, I find myself dozing quite a bit.

Don't want to ask any questions that are too personal, but for people that took Globus and liked them, can you provide any perspective on what you spent in addition to the cost of the basic tour? For instance:

How many of the optional tours did you take and how much did Globus charge per person for each?

How much did you end up spending on additional meals - either those not covered by the tour at all - or those covered when you opted to eat elsewhere? Either per person or per couple?

How much did you spend getting from the hotel to activities in town center - either in the evening or during free time? Bus or other local transit? Taxi?

What was the total of the tips for the dedicated guide and the driver?

I won't ask about shopping since that is totally optional and very individual - but were there other significant expenses?

I would be happy to provide info from my experience - but it was so long ago that I don't remember much about costs - nor would they reflect current prices. The one thing that does stand out was that in St Pet the itinerary had mentioned the ballet. Then they tried to substitute some folklore dance program - which the group was not interested in. So we insisted on ballet - and they got us tickets - but they were more than $70 each - and this was so many years ago that the price would be MUCH higher now. (We were prepared to have the hotel arrange the tickets and a different bus from that provided by the tour if necessary for us to get there.) The bus was available and it did take us to and fro at no extra charge - but I know the guide was not happy - probably eliminated the cut he got from the folklore people.

I know these extras are often a surprise to new travelers - and might be esp difficult for someone going on a budget tour rahter than someone who has bought a much more expensive tour - and presumably has more disposable income.

<< Do you have any suggestions for us as to what TOUR you think would be better than Globus?>>

I would like to help but we don't use tours, we do our own itinerary. And so did the two pensioners who look like me when they were your ages (they take it a bit slower now - one or two cities they particularly like to revisit per trip). But my uncle, when he was in his mid-70s, would complain about Globus and Perillo tours because "they're all just a buncha old people." Read: the tourists you'll be with aren't quite capable of clambering around the national parks in the Four Corners region like you are.

That said, our style is hub-and-spoke - pick a couple of hubs and think about where you want to go from there. Much easier on the planning than bouncing from spot to spot on your own. Especially considering the ease, efficiency, and comfort of rail transport in the region.

It is not my intention to be doing unpaid Globus commercials and some of the negative comments may be justified. We have been to Europe about 10 times and only 2 have been with Globus. We have not been on any other tours so we have nothing to compare them to. Globus has a budget branch called Cosmos. We have never taken them. A major difference between the two is that the Globus hotels, while not exceptionally luxurious, are closer to the city center. In Venice, we stayed at the Savoia and Jolanda which is just steps from St. Mark's Square. Many others were either in the city center or a short walk or subway ride from it. This is why I called Globus mid-range. We never had the impression we were slumming it. We never had any trouble getting to a city center easily and cheaply. As for the nights when meals are not included, you can spend as much or as little as you want just like an independent traveler. As for the excursions, I would compare them to cruise ship excursions. They are not cheap but not ridiculously expensive either. Some of them were very good. They take you right in to some of the crowded attractions such as the Vatican and its museums without having to stand in line.. During our tour of Vienna, we got a private tour of Schoenbrun sp? Palace because they let us in 15 min. before it opened, giving us a head start on the throngs. We prefer independent travel, but we did have fun on our Globus tours.

I don't mean to bash Globus - have never used them and don't know they are worse than other tours - except the upscale ones.

But if one needs to budget an extra $500 or $1,000 per person for optional tours, meals not covered, local transit and tips - then the OP needs to be prepared for that.

Globus has seems to curtailed their tours a lot now.
Globus had a terrific tour to South Africa about 6-7 years ago.

I did not take the tour but I know that when the tour pamphlets came out for the following year , the South African Tour was much curtailed.

I called Globus personally and asked why did they omit so many places from their previous tour of a few years ago.

Globus said, "The price of the tour was too high"

I said, "Yes but at the higher price so saw so much more."

She then added that "more people will go on the cheaper tour."

So there you have it, guess if you want to see and do more then get a higher quality tour which is more expensive.

Appreciate all of your suggestions and thoughts on the Globus Tour. I did take your advice and looked into the Rick Steve's 14 day Best of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland trip he offers. I think we can get around hauling our own luggage if I pack lighter!!! Not usually my style! My only concern is the arrival in Frankfurt and the tour actually leaving from Trier. I understand the train station is there at the airport. Since we are looking at next summer dates, nothing regarding a schedule is out yet. I need to just do it for this August, but haven't done that as yet. It appears there are two different trains? Has anyone ever taken the train to Trier? I am going to our travel agent this week to pick her brain about the multiple city flying issues as we later fly out of Vienna. We will need to get home by then, so an excursion afterwards back to Frankfurt isn't in the cards. I have always booked round trip tickets for all our prior trips. When we went to Italy a couple years ago, we flew into Rome, spent most of the trip in Tuscany, but then I got us back to Rome for a few days before flying home from there. This is new for me, the multiple city thing. It is a lot more expensive to do the Steve's trip, but we do like to explore on our own so this would afford us that time. Thanks again for all your help so far!!

Flying open jaw is not a problem. If you look on sites like kayak.com, just select the multi-city option.

I doubt I would use aTA for train tickets. Sites like seat61.com and the Rick Steves site have all the info you need.

There are also packing tips on the RS site, or you can take a look at my packing list at http://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com/...take-part-one/ - I travel for months at a time with a carry-on size bag and a day pack.

Bon voyage!

If I'm not too late to comment... My husband and I don't do tours, but his sister and her husband have done 2 Globus tours (neither was the one you're contemplating) and 2 Viking river cruises. They don't like to do the research and planning for a trip; they like just to show up. Their descriptions of the Globus tours didn't appeal to us AT ALL because of the pace and early starts, but they had a wonderful time on both tours even if they couldn't always tell us what they saw where. And they saw a lot!! They met people on the first Globus tour that they joined on the second Globus tour.

I think when people say to check the hotels Globus uses, it's more about location and size and less about quality. The tour needs to be able to pull a large bus up to the front door, and many hotels in ancient city centers just can't accommodate that so the tour hotels tend to be a little farther out of the center. Also, the tour needs to be able to book a couple of dozen rooms, all fairly equal, at a cost-effective rate. That means charming, small, boutique hotels are out.

But if a tour company is looking to keep costs down, they will down-grade the hotels right after they cut down on the destinations/sights on the itinerary, as mentioned by Percy. It's always a good idea to research the hotels used for any tour. Depending on what your research reveals, it could be a make-or-break aspect to your decision.

Now that you are considering starting in Trier and ending in Vienna, you should look at the Lufthansa website, as they fly to Germany and Austria; they own Austrian Airlines and code share with United; and also look into other airlines. There are non-stop flights to and from Vienna and Frankfurt. if you look on sites such as kayak you can get an idea of who flies where..and costs of flights will vary depending.

As for getting to Trier, you can fly there from many European airports, or take the train (you may be seeing 2 trains as one may be the fast train, or you may be seeing that a transfer is necessary) or take the bus from Frankfurt airport to Trier. if you think you will be too jet lagged to deal with train transfers, then either fly into Trier from Frankfurt, or take the bus.

The website for the bus is http://meinfernbus.de/en/

While you can buy a train ticket in advance for less than on arrival, if your plane is late and you miss the train you will probably have to purchase a new ticket.

Most people who take the Rick Steves tours like them...just pack light,and plan on rinsing out a few things in the sink.

As you have probably discovered by now the Rick Steves site is up front about the time you spend on the bus, and free time,, and it does not appear that they are selling extras which really add up when you factor in the cost of the admissions, the guide and the transportation.

having looked at both tour descriptions, if you are both physically fit, and can walk or hike in higher altitudes then take the Rick Steves tour. While it does not go to as many places as Globus as , you will have more free time, less time on the bus, and will not be moving as much. Those one night stays are real killers. In addition you will get entire days in places like Salzburg rather than a few hours, and will have time to explore places on your own or just sit in a café and relax.

if you feel that you want an extra day or two, consider adding a day at the beginning to get over jet lag, or adding at the end in Vienna, as there is lot to see and do in Vienna. Its not at all difficult to take an airport bus or public transit or a taxi from a hotel to the airport.

A good way to compare the cost of the two tours is to write down side by side, the number of meals included, sights included, extra costs for excursions that may be included on one trip, and extras such as tips for guides and drivers.

also size matters, a tour of 24-28 people at the most is far different than a tour of 34-40 people

do a little research.. start with a few tour guides from your local library or online and decide what places you want to see the most

Salzburg is definitely worth a day, and Halstatt is a very nice town on a lovely lake.

" it does not appear that they are selling extras"

The only optional extra I've ever heard about on a RS tour is a gondola ride in Venice. The tour descriptions are pretty clear about what is included. Also, there is NO tipping.

I would definitely consider adding time at the beginning to get over jetlag before the tour starts (and to allow for possible problems with your flights). If you can manage the time, adding on at the end would be great - besides Vienna, Budapest is an easy train ride away.

Is Cosmos a step above Globus?

<< Is Cosmos a step above Globus? >>

No. It's Globus's budget tour company.

I happened to be at Mt. Pilatus at the same time a Globus tour was visiting the mountain. In fact, I went up with them and came back down 90 min later with them on the same cogwheel train. Since they were a group, they were allowed to board the ascending cogwheel train before the individual passengers. Once up, they were roaming around freely. Most of the folks had English or Australian accents.