I have used both Globus and Trafalgar and enjoyed both. Do read the fine print though so you know what to expect. A good travel agent should be able to give you good background on any reliable tour company. What tours often come down to is a good quality guide, who can make or break the experience.

Hi, <BR>I recently went on an Insight Tour of Europe and had a fantastic time. I really enjoyed being on a tour as it took away the worry of transportation and accommodations. The downfalls were that we had limited time in each place we went to, particularly in Amsterdam, but the tour did give a good feel of each country and I discovered the places that I want to return to. The tour guides would also point out things that we might not have noticed or learned about otherwise. We stayed in London 2 days before the tour started and 4 days after (not as part of the tour) it ended, a very good thing since there is so much to see in London. The tour went to Holland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France, departing from, and returning to, London. I will definitely be doing another tour again. <BR>You also get to meet people from all over the world. There were people on my tour from Indonesia, Japan, the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It is true that there will be optionals offered, which are extra money and some are more worth it then others, but I didn't really regret doing any of the ones that I did. I haven't taken a tour of England, Scotland and Ireland, but some people were heading off on a tour covering these places right after the European one ended. <BR>We were on the bus for long periods of time, but it wasn't that difficult. We had early mornings but often slept on the bus and never felt over-tired. The bus also stopped every two hours or so for a break. <BR>Hope you have a great trip!