5 Star Review from Fiona.
I have recently returned from the Albatross Sardinia & Corsica Tour, and I had a truly wonderful time! For travellers like myself who have been to most European countries, this tour itinerary offered something new and very exciting to visit. Even though Sardinia is technically part of Italy, and Corsica part of France, they even still maintain their original languages in both regions. Both places are large islands with very mountainous landscapes, beautiful azure blue harbours and seas, history and sites reaching back at least to the Bronze Age and wonderful cities and towns to visit. Corsica was actually where Napoleon Bonaparte was born, and one of the inclusions was to visit where he lived. Our Tour Guide Gilberto was excellent and he looked after us very well. All places were at least a 2 night (if not 3) stay and the tour was at a relaxed pace with plenty of free time. Gliberto was always happy to give suggestions and to organise outings during that time for who wanted to go. There was quite a few single travellers on the tour and everyone got on well and had a wonderful time. Thank you so much to my Global Journeys Travel Advisor, Tracey, who very professionally organised this tour for me, and really made me feel at ease as I was travelling by myself, which I haven't done in a long time.
4 Star Review from Linda.
Firstly, dealing with Global Journeys was excellent. A big thank you to Juliet & Jodie for organising our group of 8. This was our first Albatross tour after studying their brochures for years. I had liked the sound of the smaller group size, relaxed starts, longer stays at each destination, no optional tours and tips included. Also the fact that many meals were included helped with budgeting. Normally they offer a drink with dinner, but that doesn’t apply on the Scandinavian tour. After seeing the price of drinks we could understand why. Expect to pay anywhere from $14 - $20 for a beer & $20 - $25 for a glass of wine! This was a new tour for Albatross and I think with a bit of tweaking it would be fantastic. Not that we didn’t have a great time, because we did. Our fellow travellers were the best I’ve ever had on any group tour. So much fun & laughter. 24 Aussies & 3 Kiwis! We weren’t blessed with the best weather which was a bit disappointing. Scenic cruises & train rides aren’t quite the same in pouring rain! However, we did get to see some amazing waterfalls so it wasn’t all bad. The sun did come out in the Lofoten Islands which were breathtakingly beautiful. The scenery was amazing and some of the group even managed to glimpse the northern lights. The accommodation was generally good as was the food, although most meals were a set menu. It would be nice to be given a choice and it’s hard to understand why there’s not. For example, one dinner we were given roast beef & sauce so the gluten free lady in our group was given a beautiful piece of grilled salmon & veges. You would think they should be able to offer everyone the choice of beef or salmon. But that’s just a minor quibble. A couple of hotels had buffet dinners though which was nice. One thing we did miss was tea and coffee in our rooms. Some hotels provided it, others didn’t. Also some bathrooms had the shower over really high baths which some of the group found difficult to get into. Our Spanish tour director was lovely and though she seemed a little unsure of the Aussie sense of humour at the start, by tour end she was joining in the banter as well! She went out of her way to ensure we all had a great time. It wasn’t made easy with the changeable weather or the fact many things were closed for the season. I would advise going earlier in the season if possible as some things on our itinerary were changed due to that fact. There was probably a few too many museums for my liking, but that’s just my opinion. Tips for Norway - bring a good quality raincoat and waterproof shoes and be prepared to pay a lot for food and drinks! All in all we had a wonderful, relaxing holiday and would be happy to travel with Albatross again.
5 Star Review from Chris.
We had a wonderful tour. The well-designed program allowed us to experience such a lot with our amazing tour director- Gilberto. Every care was given to our well being and comfort. Not only did we travel by coach, but also train and ferry. What an interesting variety of countryside and history these two countries present. Some quite stunning scenery particularly along the coast. For example, sailing into the bay of Bonifacio, on the south coast of Corsica, between vast cliffs with the upper village buildings on top. What a great tour.
5 Star Review from Barry.
We booked this tour through Jemma at Global Journeys and she did a great job. After the initial booking I wanted to make changes and she handled these with patience and efficiency. I would certainly book my next holiday through her and Global Journeys again. This was our second Albatross tour and definitely the best. There were 16 participants from Australia and NZ and we all got on very well. The Albatross hotels at the start and end of the tour were located near major railway stations which made it easy to get to and from the airports. The other hotels during the tour were also located in or near the city or town centres. The Berlin public transport system is easy to use and very efficient. We used the S-Bahn on several occasions to get around. There is so much to see in Berlin that we were glad we had booked an extra day at the start. We could easily have spent another 2 days there. Dresden was another highlight with its Gothic architecture and position on the Elbe. The tour included plenty of excellent activities including a river cruises, beautiful scenic walks in Saxony Switzerland, visits to Potsdam palaces, Konigstein Fortress and Colditz Castle. The latter was particularly interesting with the part it played in WW2 as a POW camp. Prague was also great but far too crowded with tourists. I liked that we were taken out of Prague to visit other interesting places like Kutna Hora and Trebon which are not yet on the tourist radar. Staying 2 nights in Cesky Krumlov was also good as it meant you could walk around the town after all the day tourists had gone. The tour director Ernst was very knowledgeable especially in respect of German history and all the local tour guides were excellent. Overall we thought that this tour was excellent value for money. I would certainly consider booking an Albatross Tour in the future.
5 Star Review from Christine & Mark.
We enjoyed every moment of our holiday from the excellent accommodation and places we visited to our tour guide Vanessa who was the very best guide ever as nothing was too much trouble for her, she was never fazed by our questions, always patient, knowledgeable and caring in every situation. Sicily is a hidden gem of delightful surprises and is the Disneyland of the ancient world... not to be missed. Albatross don't have optional excursions as everything on the tour is included except for "free time".
