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29 Insight Vacations Tour Reviews (Displaying 1-29)
4.2 out of 5 based on 29 user reviews.
European Grandeur

27 Day European Grandeur


It was a great experience booking our tour with Global Journeys - Yvonne was great giving us all the required tour information. Touring with Insight was a wonderful experience! Everything was arranged seamlessly - the wake up calls - baggage collection - breakfasts (yumm.. yummy!) - bus journey - comfort stops - local guides - great locations - super dinners - well thought off locations and various modes of transports and above all very imaginative tour director Mr Lampard and incredible bus driver Maritzio. The whole experience was like a dream and each day was like a silken thread - smooth and effortless. We have already started saving money for our next Insight Vacation. [More+]

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Jyothi & Vasu Sarpeshkar (Europe Multi-Country Coach Tour)
Tour Date 17/04/2012
Best of Spain & Portugal

15 Day Best of Spain & Portugal


Very well organised. Perhaps the itinerary could be varied to include some nature parks if possible. Guide was really first class with her personality and knowledge of the cities visited. [More+]

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Don Granger (France, Spain, Portugal & Morocco Coach Tour)
Tour Date 23/03/2012
Vienna, Prague and Budapest

7 Day Vienna, Prague and Budapest


The tour went off without a hitch, everyone involved, the tour director, driver, hotel staff and local guides all were great. There was lots of information, enough free time to poke around and additional tours for those who wanted to delve deeper into the cities and the culture of these amazing places. Without guides the cities themselves would have been daunting and could not have been appreciated in the short time frame. Stops in Chesky Kumlov and Bratislava enhanced the experience as the time on the bus was not too great. Overall a good time with a group of 24 friendly people. [More+]

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Sandra Skelly (Eastern Europe & Russia Coach Tour)
Tour Date 03/01/2012
Winter Wonderland with Christmas Markets

9 Day Winter Wonderland with Christmas Markets


70 people prayed for snow and snow is what we got from the 1st morning of our tour, it was amazing. We had the best historian and orator as our tour guide - Vincenzo. A winter wonderland in all its glory. My only complaint was that a couple of the motels would only be rated as 3* and the food on the last night in Offenbach was terrible. Our driver and the tour itself - fanstastic. [More+]

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Ron & Sandra Wood (The Alps & Central Europe Coach Tour)
Tour Date 19/12/2011
Winter Wonderland with Christmas Markets

9 Day Winter Wonderland with Christmas Markets

I'll bullet point the comments to make it easier to read, but please dont think we were disappointed with the tour, we were VERY happy with the overall experience. The poor points were really disappointments relative to our expectations after reading the itinerary blurb.

  • Its called a 9 day tour, its really only 7 days the first and last days do not contribute to the tour very much at all.
  • The tour director and driver were very good, helpful, talkative and we always felt safe. I suspect that the tour directors each have their own interest/expertise, ours was history and while we learnt a lot about historical events, we would have liked a bit more information about our surroundings at the time.
  • The included dinners were poor quality, the welcome meal at the Sheraton Hotel was particularly bad and we actually complained about it at the time. The 'Highlight Dinner' was very average, more like a pub meal and I wont mention the very poor (house) red wine served! This was inconsistent with the 'Business Class' touring style Insight portray.
  • The Sheraton & Hilton hotel experiences were very good, probably better than expected actually, whereas we stayed at a couple of other hotels that were quite disappointing, surly and unhelpful staff and small/hot/noisey rooms.
  • The coach was very airy and spacious and quiet, with plenty of legroom (I'm 6' 4")and the driver managed it extremely well particularly in tight spaces/parking.
  • The tour pace was very good, casual and generally unrushed with the optional tours generally well recieved by everybody on board.
  • We were disapointed by the cancellation of our chairlift ride up into the mountains in Lucerne (due to poor weather, high winds) and can accept that these things happen, however, there was no alternative offerred, not even a drive up into the mountain villages. Hence we had way too much time in Lucerne just shopping/walking around and felt that there should have been a backup plan for bad weather.
  • The exposure to the Christmas markets was very good, every one was different in its own way.
  • A general observation we made (not just on this tour, but everywhere we went in UK/Europe) was that visiting popular places at weekends is to be avoided! We could not believe the crowds, and Valerie actually felt claustrophobic battling our way through the christmas markets on Sat/Sun (she is 5' 2").
  • Global Journeys (Yvonne) was very supportive and helpful (and patient with all my questions!), particularly when our tour date was cancelled while we were already travelling, she managed to make the new arrangements quite painless for us.

Alan & Valerie Jennings (The Alps & Central Europe Coach Tour)
Tour Date 03/12/2011
Best of Spain & Portugal

15 Day Best of Spain & Portugal

The tour was a great success. Previously I had driven around Spain and Portugal, but being driven by an expert who knew all the best routes and having hotels and meals arranged was much more relaxing. Having to give up complete freedom for an organized tour was well worth it. The tour was well organized with a brilliant tour guide (Mark) who supplied us with information from his lifetime experience of these countries. It was constantly interesting and informative. We were taken to out of the way places which we would not have known about on our own. The bus was comfortable with lots of room to relax. As well as the organized parts we were frequently left on our own to wander around interesting places and find shops and cafes. All the hotels were really good, some much better than we normally choose. Breakfasts and dinners were very good. I can think of absolutely nothing to complain about in the whole time of our journey.
George & Kathleen Crank (France, Spain, Portugal & Morocco Coach Tour)
Tour Date 22/10/2011
Turkish Delights

8 Day Turkish Delights

We were absolutely delighted with this tour. The quality of the accommodation was excellent as were the included tours and all the meals. The bus was spacious, clean and very comfortable. The tour guide, Rashid Ergner, was exceptional. He had an amazing knowledge of all aspects of Turkey and even though Georgia was the only child on the tour she enjoyed this tour as much as us. We would highly recommend this Insight tour and would consider Insight again if we choose to tour again.
Alana, Rob & Georgia Buick (Greece, Turkey, Egypt & Israel Coach Tour)
Tour Date 29/09/2011
Country Roads of France

16 Day Country Roads of France

Country Roads of France' was a really enjoyable tour. Probably the best way to see the 'real' France. Travelling through the countryside and seeing all the villages was delightful. The upgrade to the Fairmont at Monte Carlo was a bonus. I would thoroughly recommend this tour.
Elizabeth & Gerard Marshall (France, Spain, Portugal & Morocco Coach Tour)
Tour Date 24/09/2011
Italian Escapade

13 Day Italian Escapade

The Insight tour was great, very energetic. We really enjoyed the tour and fell in love with Italy. The accomodation was great, the hotels which were chosen couldn't be better. The food unfortunately was very ordinary compared to the Uniworld cruise we went on. The Tour director was wonderful and the tour guides were good. All in all very good time was had by all.
Maureen & Michael King (Italy & Sicily Coach Tour)
Tour Date 20/09/2011
Best of Italy

10 Day Best of Italy


I found Georgie to be an excellent Travel Agent - always willing to answer my many questions about my Tour of Italy. The Insight 10 days Best of Italy was amazing, I saw many more sights than I expected - our Tour Guide was fun and very professional. When I go on another tour, I will be contacting Georgie at Global Journeys for any assistance that I need. [More+]

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Faye Mitaros (Italy & Sicily Coach Tour)
Tour Date 17/09/2011
European Heritage

34 Day European Heritage

Jenny and I returned today from our trip to England and Europe today (25 October 2011). Many thanks to Insight and to Global Journeys for co-ordinating our travel itinerary. Our transfers and accommodation in London (Thistle Marble Arch) were great and we enjoyed our 5 or so days in London. The Insight 'European Heritage Tour' was one of the best spent 34 days of our life. At first I was cautious about spending 34 days touring Europe in a coach but the experience turned out to be fabulous. The coaches used by Insight are set up for 40 people rather than the 50 plus seat coaches. Plenty of leg room to lay-back when you are tired, scheduled breaks every two hours or so. Every hotel met or exceeded our expectation. Nobody could ever complain about the high standards of accommodation provided by Insight on this tour. Our tour commenced in London on 15 September with around 30 passengers, two couples were from Canada and the remainder were Aussies. Some left the tour in Athens where another 8 passengers joined us, yes, another 8 Aussies! The included tours, excursions and meals were excellent as was the included three-night Greek Island Cruise. I will be writing to Insight separately to acknowledge the great time we had. However, such times are only achieved through great planning, coordination and teamwork between Insight, the tour director and the coach driver not to mention a wonderful group of fellow passengers. Betty Griffiths, our tour director and Dino, our Italian driver, are true professionals, noteworthy organisers, good companions and great representatives for Insight. When we were approaching the Greek border from Albania we learnt that the border was closed for our coach. Betty and Insight arranged for a Greek Coach to meet us on the Greek side of the border to transfer us and our baggage for the next two days then onward to Athens. The paper work needed for our coach to cross the border to Greece could not be processed because the public servants were on a 48 hour strike. As you are probably aware the Greek Government has imposed severe austerity measures because of the EU monetary crises. At first it looked as though we would have to take our bags off our coach and trolley them 850 metres down the road (being no-man's land between the Albanian and Greek border). Alas, Betty convinced the Albanian Police to drive her down to the Greek border and then got permission to drive our coach down the 850 metres of road to make the baggage transfer much easier. How easy was that? Dino had to stay with his coach in Albania for the duration of the two day strike in Greece. He ultimately met up with us in Athens. Upon arrival at our first night in Greece (Ioannina) one couple received sad news of the death of a close family member and they needed to urgently return to Australia. Their timely return would not have been possible without Betty Griffiths. At short notice Betty went to unprecedented lengths to coordinate their departure from Greece, albeit during a 48 hour general strike. A truly remarkable tour director! Betty and Dino should be commended, they were just great. On another day, when leaving Athens, we were passing the Greek Parliament, red traffic light and the coach was surrounded by about 300 protesting students. No panic, five or so minutes delay and off again. All of these exciting extras at no extra charge! What more could you ask? Finally a big thanks to Yvonne Brooks at Global Journeys for all of her help in organising this wonderful trip, we had such a great time. The standard of service and follow up to every question that I raised was quickly satisfied. We received all of our travel documents on time. Global Journeys were very efficient. Who said that great holidays cannot be successfully organised on the internet? I will be recommending Global Journeys to all of our friends.
Gary & Jennifer Corben (Europe Multi-Country Coach Tour)
Tour Date 15/09/2011
Best of Spain & Portugal

15 Day Best of Spain & Portugal

Really enjoyed the 'Best of Spain & Portugal'. Tour guide was very professional but relaxed. Places visited were very interesting. Loved the fact that there was so much leg room on the bus. Enjoyed the Spanish lifestyle. Would very much recommend this tour.
Elizabeth & Gerard Marshall (France, Spain, Portugal & Morocco Coach Tour)
Tour Date 10/09/2011
Northern Capitals & Russia

18 Day Northern Capitals & Russia

The Insight tour to Northern Europe Capitals and Russia was generally excellent. The Tour Director and Driver were both excellent and very caring. The Tour Director was most knowledgeable and at times humourous in her commentary. The accommodation was first class with exception of Vitebsk in Belarus which was a poor Russian concrete construction hotel with poor facilities. Meals where provided, were first class with exception of Vitebsk, where we were given our Russian ration. My greatest critisim was the local tour leader in Berlin who had great difficulty in filling in an hour let alone filling in 2 hours of the tour, given Berlin with its recent history since WW2. I received more information talking to a German man alongside the Berlin Wall. The tour guide in Vitebsk seemed to being giving the tour party the local Communist line on how good the city was and how well the people were treated by the Russians. The visit to the Marc Chagall home was a waste of time as the tour group (cut in two), rooms were so small for the tour party that crowded into the house to hear the Guides (translated from Russian) that they could not see the paintings/photographs on the walls. The Chagall Museum and its etchings were not generally appreciated by the tour party and it had a limited appeal to audiences. It appeared the visits to the Chagall locations were a fill-in as there was nothing better to see in Vitebsk. By comparision the visit to Vilnius, with a similiar history to Vitebsk, was brilliant. Overall the tour was both educational and entertaining and the tour group mixed very well to make a happy time. Would highly recommend Insight tours.
James Corkill (Eastern Europe & Russia Coach Tour)
Tour Date 03/09/2011
Best of Italy

10 Day Best of Italy

This was the very first bus tour my husband and I had experienced. My husband had alawys said he would not go on one. Well he has now changed his mind. We had a wonderful tour. It was hectic but enjoyable and we saw all that we wanted. Our tour guide Belinda Richardson was an absolute gem. So knowledgeable and enthusiastic, we could not have had better. The bus with it extra legroom was much appreciated and the hotels generally were more than acceptable. The only hiccup was in Assisi, the meal was awful everyone complained, but all the rest were magnificent (not good for the waistline). So thank you Global Journeys for a wonderful trip. We certainly hope to do another one!
Jim & Judith Samuel (Italy & Sicily Coach Tour)
Tour Date 01/09/2011
Treasures of Turkey

15 Day Treasures of Turkey

We were very happy with our tour of Turkey. It was the best organised tour that we have done. The hotels were excellent except the Dederman in Cappadocia. Rashid our tour guide was the best with his extensive knowledge and sense of humour, he got us to the sights, museums etc. at the right times so we didn't have to cue. It was the first tour that I have done where the tour guide has given his phone no and room no to us. We were very happy with Yvonne's help in booking this tour for us. Thank you all very much.
Lorraine Peatling & Paolo Muzzicato (Greece, Turkey, Egypt & Israel Coach Tour)
Tour Date 25/08/2011
Italian Elegance

12 Day Italian Elegance

Thoroughly enjoyed the trip despite 45 degree heat on some days. Tour leader was excellent, informative and very well organised. Met some fabulous people and saw a great deal of Italy. My only constructive comments would be perhaps to be careful that at breakfasts and some dinners that are arranged that the members of the tour aren't made to feel like second class citizens by putting them at back tables (this happened quite a lot to us). Felt like feeding time at the zoo on some occasions. Secondly we stayed at one hotel in Bolzano (Aldi) which was really sub- standard with a dinner that could be barely eaten. Other than that brilliant! Would go again and recommend it to friends!
Christina Beresford (Italy & Sicily Coach Tour)
Tour Date 19/08/2011
Country Roads of Bavaria, Switzerland & Austria

12 Day Country Roads of Bavaria, Switzerland & Austria

We had a wonderful trip. Thanks Yvonne at Global Journeys for making the booking and payment process painless and easy to understand. And for your patience and understanding when we rang you to clarify some aspects of the tour as this was our first overseas trip. Happy to recommend Global Journeys to others and will contact you again for our next trip. The trip itself was fantastic. We were very impressed with Insight Vacations. Sue, our Tour Director was a wealth of knowledge and has a true passion for Europe and travel. Everything happened with a minimum of fuss. The places we visited were wonderful and the hotels we stayed in were also very good. Would definitely travel with Insight again.
Colin & Heather Hallett (The Alps & Central Europe Coach Tour)
Tour Date 13/08/2011
Road to Rome

12 Day Road to Rome

We would recommend the tour Road to Rome to anyone. Our tour director Gary was exceptional in all details a very caring manner nothing was a trouble. As for the extras offered they were all more than we had expected so pleased we took the lot. We shall definitely travel with Insight Tours again in the near future. Thank you Yvonne for care and attention nothing seemed to be a trouble to you, thanks.
Lynneve & Norm Burrell (Europe Multi-Country Coach Tour)
Tour Date 12/07/2011
Best of Morocco

9 Day Best of Morocco

Had a great time. Our tour director went that extra mile to please us all. Each destination was just fabulous. Accomodation was first class. This was the first tour I have taken solo, and I am already planning my trip for 2012. Well done! Forgot to mention our excellent caoch driver!
Ashne Davey (France, Spain, Portugal & Morocco Coach Tour)
Tour Date 25/06/2011
European Explorer

20 Day European Explorer

As an introduction to Europe, the tour certainly fulfills this expectation. There are a couple of items where I think improvement could be made. Weather forecasts on the board to ensure appropriate apparel/sunscreen etc. Better explanation of how the optionals work and how little free time there is if you take them up. The ability to sign up for extras the day before as you do not know what the city/place you are visiting is like. The quality of the food on the included dinners. A 'tell everyone a bit about yourself' opportunity to help get to know everyone. An indication of the time on the road each day. Things I think were excellent were, the room on the coach, most of the road stops, the tour guide's knowledge, how much we actually saw and did & the price of the extras. Overall, our experience was very good and we now have the knowledge and skill to return to Europe, back to the places we liked and to others we did not even see. Thanks for showing us what we can do!
Donnalee & Mario Marino (Europe Multi-Country Coach Tour)
Tour Date 19/06/2011
Country Roads of Italy

16 Day Country Roads of Italy

Yvonne looked after our tour and air travel bookings. She was extremely helpful, professional and timely with her responses. She certainly assisted in making the planning of our trip easy. A big thank you. The Italy tour overall was just fantastic. Specific problems in regards to hotels were limited to Florence - we stayed at the LLadro. Rooms were small with limited non smoking options. The smell of smoke in our room was overpowering. We were moved for the second night but to a very small room. The dinner at this hotel was also sub standard. The tour guide and driver were great and we made many friends. Would recommend it.
Phil & Jan Limbrick (Italy & Sicily Coach Tour)
Tour Date 04/06/2011
Wonders of Turkey

11 Day Wonders of Turkey

The tour was great. Well organised and well run, nothing was ever a problem. Both tour guide and driver were great. The only negative was the 'Turkish version' of history that was presented about the ancient sites visited, which was challenged by a number of travellers who knew their history. eg. presented as Roman ruins rather than Hellenistic, etc. It made it interesting and amusing :)
Chris & Zinovia Georgiou (Greece, Turkey, Egypt & Israel Coach Tour)
Tour Date 27/05/2011
Amazing Spain & Portugal

9 Day Amazing Spain & Portugal

The trip was wonderful. It is a well scheduled trip, but some of the 'optional extras' (175 Euros/person) should really have been included as part of the tour, even if that increased the cost. The hotels were good, except for the Marriott in Lisbon. This was very inconveniently located (and in need of some refreshing). Our guide, John Chappell was informative while the driver of the bus really deserves special commendation in the way he assisted passengers on and off the bus. Thanks for your efficient help with the reservations.
Anne & Gerald (France, Spain, Portugal & Morocco Coach Tour)
Tour Date 21/05/2011
Highlights of Europe

14 Day Highlights of Europe

We both really enjoyed the trip through Europe for 14 days. The tour guide we had on the bus was fantastic and he made the most of our time on the tour. Not much free time but we knew that before we left but we could not have seen half of what we had seen had we not been on the Insight Tour. Also got into the attractions at a good time with not much waiting. We had a great bus load of people and we all got along well and swapped email addresses. I would totally recommend Insight Tours as it was a great introduction to Europe for us first timers.
Peter & Lisa Cassell (Europe Multi-Country Coach Tour)
Tour Date 30/04/2011
Grand Tour of Italy & Sicily

16 Day Grand Tour of Italy & Sicily

It was an amazing experience. The tour director Belinda and driver Antonio were absolute professionals and they really knew their stuff. The coach was brand new and very comfortable with all facilities that were required on board. The hotels and the food of exceptional quality and the staff at all hotels were helpful. The tour was well organised and directed, this was made possible by the attitude that Belinda where nothing was to much trouble for her and Antonio kept us safe with his exceptional skills in handling the coach. I would recommend this tour to all people, but if you dont like walking dont do it, however this is not a reflection on the tour, because the more walking we did the more we saw and experienced. Great all round, many thanks to all involved!
Dominic Fazzolari (Italy & Sicily Coach Tour)
Tour Date 30/04/2011
Highlights of Europe

14 Day Highlights of Europe

Our thoughts on our trip was that is was a very well planned 14 day bus trip through Europe just to give you a taste of the 8 Countries we visited. We had been kept informed through Global Journeys prior to our trip to keep us up to date and also when we arrived home to see how it was. My husband and myself would no hesitation to re book with Global Journeys for the next time we travel to Europe or to any other destination we decide. It was such a great trip for our first time that yes we will try to get back there again some time.
Peter & Lisa Cassell (Europe Multi-Country Coach Tour)
Tour Date 30/04/2011
Glories of Greece

7 Day Glories of Greece

The tour was excellent. We had a great tour guide called Anna who was very knowledgable but not boring. The hotel in Athens was very nice but it could have been more central to the Plaka and shops. The location of the other hotels on tour were great. Overall I would highly recommend this tour.
Margaret Lane (Greece, Turkey, Egypt & Israel Coach Tour)
Tour Date 26/04/2011
Gems of Britain

4 Day Gems of Britain

Our trip, Normandy, Brittany & Chateaux Country was very well organised. Our tour leader, Phillipe was very helpful and gave us enough information, guidance and free time. All the accommodation and included meals were excellent. My daughter and I both enjoyed the trip very much; the standard and punctuality of the coach were first rate and really we could not fault the trip in any way.
Helen Myall (UK Coach Tour)
Tour Date 18/04/2011
New England's Spectacular Fall Foliage

8 Day New England's Spectacular Fall Foliage

Tour was very well organised and accommodations mostly were of a high standard. I would have preferred to have fewer included activities (eg dinners) and more exposure to the natural environment than was included. When we arrived back in Boston after the tour ended, myself and a number of others who were not flying out of Boston directly or not staying at Omni Parker House, were left to make our own way to our alternate accommodation in spite of the fact that the tour ended more than 2 hours earlier that was expected. I did not find this level of service acceptable given the relative high cost of the tour.
Georgia Stergakis (USA Coach Tour)
Tour Date 15/10/2010
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