Marlene

We are considering the Continental Odyssey tour by Globus in September - it goes to 10 countries in 22 days. We would like to see as many of the highlights of each country as possible but do not want to feel too too restricted .Has anyone taken this tour or any Globus tour? Would you go on a tour again ? Did you find it very tiring? Did you feel like you spent a lot of time on motorcoachs? What was the average age of travelers? Were the hotels centrally located? How do they compare to Trafalgar tours ? Any advice/comments would be appreciated. Thanks

Lori Whitmore

Just got back from a Globus tour to Italy for 2 weeks. I looked at the itinerary for the Continental Odyssey tour in my book. At first blush I would say that you will see a lot of Europe but also very little since you spend so little time everywhere. We spent 2 weeks in one country and felt that we still missed so much, but at least we got a good overview. I note that you only would spend one night in most locations. This will be extremely exhausting. Most of your time will be spent on the bus with that much travel involved. I don't mean to discourage you, because we really enjoyed our Globus trip. However, we spent at least 2 nights at each of our locations, and we were still very tired. They get you up at 6:00 to 6:15a.m. every morning. On travel days you will spend 4-6 hours on a bus. You get breaks, an hour here and there, but you get into many places late afternoon or early evening which won't leave any time to do much but eat dinner and go to bed. As far as the group itself, we enjoyed ours. My husband and I are age 49 and 39, so we hoped it wouldn't just be "older" people on the bus. Our group ages were 20's to 80's with most in their 40's and 50's. We had people from America, Canada, Australia, and Cuba. Very interesting people from all types of professions. The tour guide was excellent, had been doing it for 30 years so really knew her stuff. Not having to worry about dragging luggage around, checking in at hotels was wonderfully convenient. However, again, we had lots of free time to see things we wanted and eat at places by ourselves when we chose. I don't think on the Odyssey tour that their would be much free time. But some people didn't want free time and felt lost without the guide. Most hotels were centrally located, but the drawback was that they were very noisy as well. We have never taken a Trafalgar tour, this was our first. We would take a tour again, definately, although we have already talked about just confining it to maybe 3 cities in 2 weeks so that you don't have to travel quite so much. Again, I don't mean to tell you not to take that particular tour, just think about what is most important to you on a vacation.

Lori Whitmore

Just got back from a Globus tour to Italy for 2 weeks. I looked at the itinerary for the Continental Odyssey tour in my book. At first blush I would say that you will see a lot of Europe but also very little since you spend so little time everywhere. We spent 2 weeks in one country and felt that we still missed so much, but at least we got a good overview. I note that you only would spend one night in most locations. This will be extremely exhausting. Most of your time will be spent on the bus with that much travel involved. I don't mean to discourage you, because we really enjoyed our Globus trip. However, we spent at least 2 nights at each of our locations, and we were still very tired. They get you up at 6:00 to 6:15a.m. every morning. On travel days you will spend 4-6 hours on a bus. You get breaks, an hour here and there, but you get into many places late afternoon or early evening which won't leave any time to do much but eat dinner and go to bed. As far as the group itself, we enjoyed ours. My husband and I are age 49 and 39, so we hoped it wouldn't just be "older" people on the bus. Our group ages were 20's to 80's with most in their 40's and 50's. We had people from America, Canada, Australia, and Cuba. Very interesting people from all types of professions. The tour guide was excellent, had been doing it for 30 years so really knew her stuff. Not having to worry about dragging luggage around, checking in at hotels was wonderfully convenient. However, again, we had lots of free time to see things we wanted and eat at places by ourselves when we chose. I don't think on the Odyssey tour that their would be much free time. But some people didn't want free time and felt lost without the guide. Most hotels were centrally located, but the drawback was that they were very noisy as well. We have never taken a Trafalgar tour, this was our first. We would take a tour again, definately, although we have already talked about just confining it to maybe 3 cities in 2 weeks so that you don't have to travel quite so much. Again, I don't mean to tell you not to take that particular tour, just think about what is most important to you on a vacation.

Arizona

From years of experience and travels all over the world, we have arrived at some conclusions. First, the more you travel (drive, ride, cruise), the less you see. Second, guides are for guiding, not for handholding. Do some things on your own. Third, the more stuff you lug along, the more exhausted you become. Fourth, the more you study about where you are going, the more you will get out of the experience of actually going there. Fifth, money spent on comfort, quality, and relaxation is money well spent. And sixth, make each trip special by seeing one country or city in depth -- 10 countries in 22 days? Never.

Margaret

Marlene, I saw a Trafalgar tour group come into my Athens hotel last year on the last evening of their 3-week continental tour, essentially the same as the Globus tour. They looked shell-shocked and many said they no longer knew or cared where they were. It was a beautiful, cool evening in May and they were 10 minutes'walk from the Acropolis and some lovely restaurants in the Plaka, but all said they were heading for bed until they had to get to the airport. In my experience, you'd have much better memories from longer stays in one or two places.

Pam

I agree with the above posts that touring is exhausting, hard work. However, I felt that I would never have seen SO MANY places and at such a relatively reasonable price if I had attempted to do it on my own. I did a Globus 21 day tour of England, Scotland and Wales and thought Globus was marvelous.
Yes, you do spend alot of time on the bus,but they are good about free time, too. Try to take a tour with as many 2 night stops as possible - they are a godsend! The other important thing is if you are lucky enough to tour with a congenial group of people, it will only add to your overall enjoyment of the trip!

Donna

If this is your first trip to Europe, a tour is an excellent choice. You may want to go "independently" the next time, but a tour certainly avoids expensive mistakes, getting lost, dealing with language barriers, and a huge amount of research and planning. As you've probably already discovered, just getting ready to go, deciding which tour and tour company to select, and what to pack, are challenge enough. As for Globus vs. Trafalfgar, I have researched these packages obsessively. Trafalgar costs a little more, but you get a lot more. The itineraries are very similar. The major difference is in the hotels and their locations. If this is not a concern to you, don't worry about it. If you study them carefully, there are more valuable "perks" included with Trafalgar. Otherwise, you may want to make a list of the hotels each uses, go to your local bookstore and look them up in the tour guides and see what you think. Trafalgar hotels are generally better located (enabling you to do things within walking distance of your hotel), in better neighborhoods, and just nicer. The market is just so competitive that you really do "get what you pay for". Contrary to some of the advice above, these companies have both been in business for many, many years and have a long experience with the desires and preferences of their travelers. The trips are well paced with a mix (to the common denominator) of organized and free time. It is not likely that you will feel you are being dragged around or not care where you are. However, 22 countries in 10 days is a very ambitious itinerary, no matter how you do it. These tours are carefully planned to ensure that you see the most popular highlights. So, when you have to be dressed and on the bus by 7:30AM, it's just so you can get to where you're going that day at the best possible time. Of course you will spend a lot of time on the bus, in that this is how you get from place to place. Remember, though, that this is your opportunity to rest and enjoy the passing scenery, or just nap. If you were driving yourself around, you'd have to be able to read a foreign map (along with the street and highway signs), be able to plan your routes, and take directions in a foreign language. Getting lost in a remote area where no one understands English is no fun. And, driving in a foreign land through the mountains in inclement weather is truly scary. And, while you may think you feel a bit restricted by the itinerary, consider the research and planning that would be required to take yourself around. You may want to consider which two or three contiguous countries most appeal to you and find a tour that goes to them. Having been to Europe, you will probably get "hooked" and want to return again and again. But, it's really up to you. Some folks could spend an entire day at one museum or attraction, others would prefer to breeze through lots of them one after the other. Best to rely on your own instincts and common sense. Then, do what most appeals to you. Generally, the folks who take these tours are middle aged and/or retired couples and widows and divorcees traveling together. But, you'll also find young single folks, honeymooning couples, and older single folks. You really shouldn't fret too much over the details, though. Just do what you feel like doing. You'll have a wonderful time, learn a lot, and have the experience behind you to do even better next time.

Dayle

I haven't been on a tour, but I can tell you we did Italy all on our own with no advance plans other than knowing where were going to go. We had no problems at all. Take a little initiative, read and plan a little, you'll be free to do as you like, when you like! With all the great advice you can get on a site like this, you might not need a guide. Go for an adventure, talk to the local people, get lost -- it's fun!

Lori Whitmore

Just as a side note for why tours are a great deal, I wanted to add a message about hotels. The Globus tour we took included hotels that went for about $300.oo a night if booked on your own. So if decent hotels are important to you, you get so much more for your money by booking with a tour. Of course much more is included. We did a tour on our own in Europe 2 years ago, and ended up staying in crummy but expensive hotels. We didn't do hardly any traveling around due to cost of cars, gas, etc. It cost as much for us to take that tour on our own as it did to do an all inclusive group tour which we got so much more out of this year on Globus. Yes, we did all the reserach in advance for the trip on our own (6 months worth), and we got a much better deal on the tour.

Lori Whitmore

Just as a side note for why tours are a great deal, I wanted to add a message about hotels. The Globus tour we took included hotels that went for about $300.oo a night if booked on your own. So if decent hotels are important to you, you get so much more for your money by booking with a tour. Of course much more is included. We did a tour on our own in Europe 2 years ago, and ended up staying in crummy but expensive hotels. We didn't do hardly any traveling around due to cost of cars, gas, etc. It cost as much for us to take that tour on our own as it did to do an all inclusive group tour which we got so much more out of this year on Globus. Yes, we did all the reserach in advance for the trip on our own (6 months worth), and we got a much better deal on the tour.

Jen Z

The first time I went to Europe I went to ten different countries. It took me nine weeks, and even so, I still call it my "Whirlwind European Adventure". Travelling can be exhausting, and it was for me, even though I stayed in most places at least two nights, and got about nine hours sleep per night. I think the major sights COULD be done in three weeks, if one were to take lots of night trains and hence maximize on time spent sight-seeing in the daytime, rather than en route. Unfortunately, tours do the travelling in the day time. Well, I wish you luck! I hope you're a coffee drinker!!!