Insight Vacations - Motorcoach - Review Please
Aug 29th, 2009, 03:30 PM
#22
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You know, I am helping my Aunt plan this trip. Myself, we always do the "own trip" thing. We book our own air fare, hotel, then do whatever we want with the itinerary. She thought this would be easier but then you know you have to consider all the pros and cons and land on what seems best for you. Thank goodness she has time to plan this trip still as she is going in May or June of 2010. You guys are awesome. I always find this board helpful.
Aug 30th, 2009, 06:46 AM
#23
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nytraveler, wrote "once in a city, you're perfectly free to do what you want when". While this is true, I know many tour companies use hotels in less than disirable locations. I haven't been on a tour of Europe, I prefer to travel independently in Europe. I know someone who was on a Trafalgar tour (Trafalgar and Insight are owned by the same company) she want to sightsee independently in the cities and didn't want to join any optional excursions. When she was in Paris the hotel was so far away from the city and any of the tourist sights, her only option was to take a taxi to see the Eiffel Tower at night. She also tried to sightsee independently in another city, I don't remember which one, and returned to the hotel only to find her luggage had been packed and was outside in the corridor of the hotel. She came back complaining about the tour. If your aunt does join a tour, and wants to sightsee independently make sure she books with a company that uses centrally located hotels. Otherwise, optional excursions or expensive taxi rides maybe the only option for sightseeing. The guides do make commission on all the extra tours they sell so be prepared for the guides to keep trying to sell the optional excursions, telling you how great they are and that there is no other way to get to some of the sights.
Aug 30th, 2009, 12:15 PM
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I have been on two Globus tours to Spain and also a two week independent trip.
I find the big difference is this:
Some people on tours make NO effort whatsoever to research sights, restaurants and locations. Yjey have no idea what is what. They allow themselves to be hearded ALL the time. When you have reserched the recommended places near you specific hotel you feel much more confident in going out without the group in the free time.
By the way don't expect the tour director to encourage independent sightseeing as they will be the ones to deal with clients who get lost or venture out too far, or get pickpocketed..so that understandable imo.
Get the info on te tour, do the research, plan your free time & eating plans. I guarantee the experience will be so much more enjoyable.
I find the big difference is this:
Some people on tours make NO effort whatsoever to research sights, restaurants and locations. Yjey have no idea what is what. They allow themselves to be hearded ALL the time. When you have reserched the recommended places near you specific hotel you feel much more confident in going out without the group in the free time.
By the way don't expect the tour director to encourage independent sightseeing as they will be the ones to deal with clients who get lost or venture out too far, or get pickpocketed..so that understandable imo.
Get the info on te tour, do the research, plan your free time & eating plans. I guarantee the experience will be so much more enjoyable.
Aug 30th, 2009, 07:08 PM
#26
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No I have only discussed the Insight tour here on this forum and with friends. I suppose I could write up the travel adventures, but I also feel like I have served my time parked at a word processor writing books.
I got annoyed with Insight for several reasons. First the tour was switch was from a 6 day tour to a 7 day tour at a lower cost. To make up the difference I am sure the hotels were lower in quality. Otherwise I don't see how the lower cost and 1 additional hotel night could have turned a profit. One thing you might also figure into the cost is about the equal of 6 € per day for a tip at a minimum.
Insight may have deemed the tour I was assigned to to have been comparable to the one which was cancelled; I did not. When a rep at Insight absolutely refused to talk to me about the switch, I became more than slightly incensed.
Other people on the tour were offered tour options of comparable value other than in Ireland; I was not, even though Insight said I was. That assertion did not improve my morale.
The tour covered a wide geographical area. We started in Dublin, went via Kilkenny to Tralee, then around the Dingle Peninsula, from Tralee we went via the Cliffs of Moher to Ennis, and from Ennis back to Dublin for our last night. There was a high level of bus riding, and very little chance to see much off the bus.
One of our tour companions from Canada was a teller of tall tales, obviously not totally true, but there was underlying kernel of truth that made the tale funny rather than absurd. He described a time he was driving with his niece in the London area. They got caught in a roundabout and could not escape. He called the emergency squad and reported a death in the traffic circle - his. He was scared to death. The emergency vehicle came, he got in it, and his niece followed it out of the circle.
I could identify with it because the first time I hit Washington Circle in DC at rush hour I thought I was going to have a similar experience. I must have driven around that circle 3 times trying to work my way over to the K Street exit. I also stood and watched the traffic fly around the Arc de Triomphe. I was glad I was a spectator and not a participant.
I got annoyed with Insight for several reasons. First the tour was switch was from a 6 day tour to a 7 day tour at a lower cost. To make up the difference I am sure the hotels were lower in quality. Otherwise I don't see how the lower cost and 1 additional hotel night could have turned a profit. One thing you might also figure into the cost is about the equal of 6 € per day for a tip at a minimum.
Insight may have deemed the tour I was assigned to to have been comparable to the one which was cancelled; I did not. When a rep at Insight absolutely refused to talk to me about the switch, I became more than slightly incensed.
Other people on the tour were offered tour options of comparable value other than in Ireland; I was not, even though Insight said I was. That assertion did not improve my morale.
The tour covered a wide geographical area. We started in Dublin, went via Kilkenny to Tralee, then around the Dingle Peninsula, from Tralee we went via the Cliffs of Moher to Ennis, and from Ennis back to Dublin for our last night. There was a high level of bus riding, and very little chance to see much off the bus.
One of our tour companions from Canada was a teller of tall tales, obviously not totally true, but there was underlying kernel of truth that made the tale funny rather than absurd. He described a time he was driving with his niece in the London area. They got caught in a roundabout and could not escape. He called the emergency squad and reported a death in the traffic circle - his. He was scared to death. The emergency vehicle came, he got in it, and his niece followed it out of the circle.
I could identify with it because the first time I hit Washington Circle in DC at rush hour I thought I was going to have a similar experience. I must have driven around that circle 3 times trying to work my way over to the K Street exit. I also stood and watched the traffic fly around the Arc de Triomphe. I was glad I was a spectator and not a participant.
