trafalgar
 

We are looking to use this company for a 14-day Italian tour. Does anyone have opinions about this tour?

Try doing a search for trafalgar tours. Plenty of info on this site. Also, Trafalgar has its own site, www.trafalgartours.com which has a bulletin board. I'm sure you can find the info you need there. We have used Trafalgar in the past for an independant tour. What tour are you looking at?

Thanks for responding so quickly - the tour we are looking at is The Best of Italy - we're also looking into Insight Tours. <BR>Thanks <BR>Joyce Isbitts

I took the best of Italy tour from Trafalgar two years ago. My husband, daughter and I loved it. The guide was great; he went out of his way to make special arrangements almost everywhere for us because my daughter was only 5 at the time and my husband is a strict vegetarian. <BR>We loved everything about the trip. We also took every excursion and didn't regret doing this one bit. I loved all the excursions, especially Burano in Venice, the Doctors house in Capri, and visiting Pompeii. The trip was tiring, but we slept on the bus. <BR> <BR>Also, to save money we left home two days early for Rome. The flights were around $800 total cheaper for the three of us. This was a money saver, but we really didn't know our way around the city. I would suggest saving extra days for after the trip if you can save money this way. <BR> <BR>P.S. Our guide was Marcello, he was very pleasant. A second tour followed us, their guide was a lady, don't know much about her.

Carl, I think that Trafalgar is good but Insight is a cut above, especially with hotels. In any case, go and enjoy!Helen

I just wanted to say that I never traveled with insight. So I don't know if it is better. Maybe people who are experienced with both can help. Also, Trafalgar is a budget tour. So you probably would get nicer accomodations with another tour. <BR>However, we were very pleased with all of our accommodations on the tour except the hotel in Florence wasn't too great. The water was cold and the heat was warm enough in the room. <BR>

Carl- <BR>Trafalgar Tours is a very good company. They have been doing escorted tours to Europe for many many years. I am a travel agent with AAA Travel and Trafalgar is one of our preferred vendors to Europe. Trafalgar offers first class tours with hotels that are in very good centralized locations. Their budget product is called "Costsavers" and offers similar tours but with more tourist/moderate class hotels that are still in good locations but just not as centally located. They also offer good package airfare with airport trasfers included. They are a very safe company to book with. You will not be sorry booking a package with Trafalgar.

My husband and I have traveled with both Trafalgar and Globus, using their 1st clss tours, at least 7 times. There have been times when the Insight tour bus was at the same hotels (Insight is part of the Trafalgar group). Sometimes even the budget sections of T and G have been at the same hotels.Sometimes, even on the 1st class tours the hotels are not right in the center of things. We never found this a problem. I believe that it is the Itinerary which really matters; then the price can be factored in. Usually, both T & G have comparable itineraries and cost varies with what is offered.You have to decide what is important for you to see. Don't forget that you can do some investigating on your own, within a tour, if you've checked things out before you go. Friends took a Trafalgar tour in Italy last year and thought it great--it was a 14 day one but not sure which one. The comment about doing your own airfare is also a good one--we usually do that and can work in a couple days extra, which is cheaper than going back for another tour!!

I have been on escorted tours including 1 with Trafalgar. I know they have a cost saver and a first class version of most of their tours. Just so you know, I did the first class and my tour was a short glimpse at many differnt countries and a good introduction to Europe in general though I don't remember the exact name of it. I would just warn you that even the "first class" trafalgar tours are not what I would consider American first class (I can't imagine what the cost saver is like I'm sure a little bit lower) That is fine if you know this going into the tour as I did and you will still have a good time. The meals are sparse (a hard roll w/butter for breakfast) and there is not much menu choice. The hotels are ususally not located in the center of town and optionals are never included. You almost have to take the optioanls as you are way outside of town sometimes and there is no other choice for dinner or entertainment. If you really just want to see the sights and experience Europe you will have a good time. they are a very reputable "moderate level" tour company. A couple of suggestions though. 1) Use the tour to introduce yourself to Italy (maybe take a shorter tour) then extend your stay at least 5 days and concentrate on the areas you like staying at hotels in the center of the city where you can get around on your own and see more of the local culture. 2) Spend the extra money and take a Deluxe tour with a "deluxe level"tour company. You will have hotels in the center of the city, more meal choice and better food and it will be more leisurely paced thus concentrating more time in a city where you can get out on your own and see more things or else more things will be included. don't let anyone fool you, where you stay makes a TREMENDOUS difference. European hotels are not like American ones. Deluxe or Superior first class there is more alonfg the lines of your everyday hotel here in America, deluxe there does not mean the Ritz here!

Don't use trafalgar. My wife and I did and it was our worst travel experience ever. <BR> <BR>Think about traveling on your own. It's much cheaper, you won't be rushed from sight to sight, and you'll get to dine with Italians & taste REAL italian food. <BR> <BR>The internet makes booking hotels extremely fast & easy (You'll have much nicer rooms at much lower rates than you'll pay with Trafalgar.) <BR> <BR>Train service is fabulous & the roads are good if you rent a car. Language is no problem in the cities & we got by in small towns even though we don't speak italian. <BR> <BR>

I went on a Trafalgar tour of England and Scotland in 96 and my parents took a different one at the same time and we both had a great time. The guides were very knowledgable. We did add a few days on at the beginning and end of the tours for some additional sightseeing on our own. I can only guess that this company would be as reliable in Italy.

We took an American Express tour "Romantic Italy" two years ago and thought it was wonderful. Would recommend highly. A friend took a Trafalgar Italy tour in May and enjoyed it also.

My husband and I have toured with Trafalagar for the last 4 summers. Our first tour was 28 days. That was too long to be on a bus. The last 3 years the tours were 14-16 days and that was perfect. We love Trafalagar. We always go a day early to rest and stay longer to vacation on our own. This summer we are going to go to Italy on our own. We are going for 34 days. I hope it goes half as smoothly as Trafalagar's tours.