Has anyone ever used Trafalgar Tours in the London or Paris areas???
Feb 5th, 2003, 06:03 AM
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Has anyone ever used Trafalgar Tours in the London or Paris areas???
Has anyone ever used Trafalgar Tours in the London or Paris areas??? We are looking at choosing one of their tours for this August, but are unfamiliar with their company. Well-run business? Respectable? Trips organized to take advantage of most "must-see" "must do" scenes? Rushed visits are relaxed atmosphere?
And who are their major competitors?
Thx for any posts!
And who are their major competitors?
Thx for any posts!
Feb 5th, 2003, 06:36 AM
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If you have not already done so you might want to check out their website at www.trafalgartours.com. They do have a faily active discussion section.
I believe that they are currently updating their server. Might not be able to get in until tomorrow.
I believe that they are currently updating their server. Might not be able to get in until tomorrow.
Feb 5th, 2003, 06:56 AM
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My mom,aunt,and travelling buds always book with Trafalgar.If I am not mistaken,they are the ground operator in Europe for AmericanAirlines Vacations.You might post your message on the TravelAgent Board if it is still around.From my conversations with the travellers,they are very reliable dependable and a bit on the "up"side as opposed to being "economy" so to speak.
Feb 5th, 2003, 10:27 AM
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AAA partners with Trafalgar for Europe tours. I think their competitors would be Globus, maybe GoAheadVacations . . .If you are looking at the City Week vacations, I don't think it is worth the extra money. You can do the same by getting your own airfare and hotel, and then buying local 1/2 day tours, ie. ParisVision or whatever. Our second trip to Europe was the Trafalgar Paris Week, and now that I've been to Paris several times, hindsight says I didn't get that much for the higher budget.
The escorted tours, visiting several locations over 8+ days, are more worth the extra budget for convenience and ease w/ foreign language concerns.
We used them for a France tour and it was nice. Once you get a feel for things, you can branch out and start using the trains or maybe even a car. But nothing wrong with a tour, as long as you accept the schedule and rising hours.
The escorted tours, visiting several locations over 8+ days, are more worth the extra budget for convenience and ease w/ foreign language concerns.
We used them for a France tour and it was nice. Once you get a feel for things, you can branch out and start using the trains or maybe even a car. But nothing wrong with a tour, as long as you accept the schedule and rising hours.
Feb 5th, 2003, 10:41 AM
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Does anyone know much about the White Cliffs to Calais short sea-crossing?
Is it on a cruise-liner style ship or smaller? The little lady doesn't like water and has some fears about sinking.
Is it on a cruise-liner style ship or smaller? The little lady doesn't like water and has some fears about sinking.
Feb 5th, 2003, 12:16 PM
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I have taken Trafalgar Tours to both China and Scotland. My friend, Eddy, is a Trafalgar tourguide in Rome. I have friends who have taken both Trafalgar and Globus (Brendan) and say they are comparable. Trafalgar Tours is one of the top tour companies in the business, and they are endorsed by Triple A. I would use them again if I wanted to go on a "tour." But, like most tours, you are rushed, living out of your suitcase, spending a lot of time on the tour bus. However, some tours are more rushed than others, depending on the length and how many cities you are seeing. I would suggest you don't try to see too much in too short a time period, James.
Feb 5th, 2003, 12:55 PM
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James, I took the London/Paris/Rome tour 9 years ago,but I looked at a book recently and see they are using the same hotels in all three cities and still using the ferry for the crossing. The company was fine, but it was the first and last organized tour I ever took because I quickly learned I could do it easier, cheaper and at my own pace on my own.
The good points: If you choose the mid-level hotels they are located in great areas (London should be the Holiday Inn--formerly Forum--at the Gloucester Road tube stop in South Kensington and Paris should be the Hotel Suffren Fractur (sp) on Avenue Suffren, which is just behind the Eiffel Tower. The people who stayed in the lowest price hotels were VERY unhappy with the locations, breakfasts, cleanliness, etc. The people in the highest priced group were at the Hilton in Paris--right next door to our hotel--they weren't too pleased about that, either!
The down side: They still use the bus from London to Dover, ferry crossing to Calais then bus to Paris. This takes all day (about 7:00 am to 6:00 pm). Most of the other tour groups have gone to the channel tunnel, which is city center to city center in about 3 hours.
Finally, be prepared to have to board the bus really early whenever you are taking part in a supplemental tour or changing countries because they have to make rounds of three hotels each trip for pick up and drop off.
If you really don't want to do it alone, take a look at Go-Ahead vacations. If you just want the security of the air, hotel and crossing taken care of for you, look at go-today.com for a city-break package.
Whatever you decide, have a great trip!
The good points: If you choose the mid-level hotels they are located in great areas (London should be the Holiday Inn--formerly Forum--at the Gloucester Road tube stop in South Kensington and Paris should be the Hotel Suffren Fractur (sp) on Avenue Suffren, which is just behind the Eiffel Tower. The people who stayed in the lowest price hotels were VERY unhappy with the locations, breakfasts, cleanliness, etc. The people in the highest priced group were at the Hilton in Paris--right next door to our hotel--they weren't too pleased about that, either!
The down side: They still use the bus from London to Dover, ferry crossing to Calais then bus to Paris. This takes all day (about 7:00 am to 6:00 pm). Most of the other tour groups have gone to the channel tunnel, which is city center to city center in about 3 hours.
Finally, be prepared to have to board the bus really early whenever you are taking part in a supplemental tour or changing countries because they have to make rounds of three hotels each trip for pick up and drop off.
If you really don't want to do it alone, take a look at Go-Ahead vacations. If you just want the security of the air, hotel and crossing taken care of for you, look at go-today.com for a city-break package.
Whatever you decide, have a great trip!
Feb 5th, 2003, 02:42 PM
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James, just a little hint on getting the cheapest rate on Trafalgar. I used www.trafalgartoursforless.com. They discount 12% off the tour price. Another website that discounts Trafalgar is Pavlustravel.com. TT4L beat Pavlus by $300 in my case. I used them to book my parents upcoming vacation to Italy. I searched the competitors Brendan, Insight, and Cosmos. I know Trafalgar has been rated one of the top 10 tour operators by Travel & Leisure and have read lots of good reviews. Have fun!
