daniel

Has anyone taken this tour in the past? Did it give you enough time to visit the sights? What were the highlights. THANKS

Sharon

We were scheduled to go on this trip but were nervous about cancellations so we changed our mind--instead we went with Globus (they let you know status of specific departure dates) on the "Best of Austria and Switzerland"--just returned and it was fantastic! Note Trafalgar has a similar tour. Goog luck.

Alice

Tours are not everyone’s cup of tea but can be a lot of fun, especially if you are a gregarious sort. The passengers on our trip ranged in age from 10 yrs to 60-something newlyweds, not at all an old fogey group.

Alice

Well, nuts! I copy/pasted from word due to note size, but it only took the last part. Let's try again:<BR><BR>Trafalgar’s Scenic Europe was our first foray into Europe in 1996. Overall, I think it is a good value and provides a wonderful overview of the high points. You should be prepared to adjust to an escorted tour’s schedule, ie. up early (6:00-6:30) to get dressed so your bag can be in the hall for porter to load on bus, breakfast, out by 8:00 or so. The buses are comfortable and our 2 experiences indicate a rotation system is observed, so everyone gets different vantage points as the trip advances. There is always a lunch stop, often in a nice area or town so you can grab a sandwich and stroll around. Usually arrive at hotel by 3:00-4:00, providing some time to either catnap or sightsee alone, whichever you prefer. <BR><BR>It is comforting for the unitiated or stressed to have a tour director who can provide some information and assistance – but you will get more out of the trip if you still do some reading/research about the places you will be. Plan to visit a few things on your own, just get out and walk, caf&eacute;-sit, etc. Tours are not everyone’s cup of tea but can be a lot of fun, especially if you are a gregarious sort. The passengers on our trip ranged in age from 10 yrs to 60-something newlyweds, not at all an old fogey group. <BR>

Alice

None of the hotels currently listed on the tour were the ones we stayed out, so can’t help you on those (however, they will be very nice/comfortable in every case). On our trip the Germany hotel was a highway stop therefore no sightseeing, and the Rome hotel was in the EUR?, but you could reach the historic district by taxi very easily; the Venice hotel was also in Mestre, meaning you are not on the islands of Venice, but not much time was spent there anyway. Otherwise, all hotels were in central areas, easy for sightseeing on your own. Not sure if the same situations apply in your case. <BR><BR>I think the best visits were the time in London (which is 95% on your own, so read up), Italy (good coverage of the big 3), and Paris (in spite of it being a national holiday). I feel the time in Germany was abbreviated (Rhine cruise is great) – Germany and Switzerland portion was more scenery than towns or sights, but oh, the scenery!. Also, enjoyed the stay in Nice / Monaco – definitely fit in Vieux Nice while you’re there. You will not actually see Lyon, just time for lunch and go to the train station. <BR><BR>I scoured tour brochures and still feel that this one included the most cities / sights, especially for my first trip ( I used to say ‘trip of a lifetime’ but now I know how easy it is to go back !). Hope you have a wonderful time.

Wayne

I don't mean to sound negative, but Alice's wonderful messages contain all the reasons why I don't ever want to take a guided tour, as well as some reasons why you might like it. <BR><BR> However, if you are comfortable with the conditions she described, you can have confidence that several tour companies can satisfy your desires. Personally, I can't stand the following situations in all guided tours:<BR>-Having someone else dictate my daily waking / eating schedule.<BR>-Having someone else decide where I'll stay for the night.<BR>-Not having the opportunity to stop and explore interesting sights I might see as the tour bus goes down the road.<BR>-Being forced to sit in a tour bus, sometimes for hours a day, to go from prearranged place to prearranged place.<BR>-Having only a limited selection of dates for my travel.<BR>-Not having the time to spend an extra hour or so when I do encounter an especially interesting item or sight on the tour.<BR><BR>If those things don't worry you, and if you like the security of having someone else plan your travel and get you from place to place, then the tour is for you. But do as Alice said; go get a book or two and read about the places you will go. And I would suggest you try to select the tour company that allows you the most free time to do things on your own. At least, with the maximum free time, you can do some independent moving about, even though you are usually restricted only to the city or town where you are stopping.<BR><BR>Regardless of what your choice is, go at it with great enthusuasm and you will love it.