Home > Compare Tour & Adventure Operators > CIE Tours vs Insight Vacations
CIE Tours vs Insight Vacations
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of CIE Tours and Insight Vacations.The Low Down
CIE Tours are specialists in guided coach tours through Britain and Ireland. With over 80 years of history the team at CIE certainly have the local ties and experience to deliver you a top notch touring experience through Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. They have recently dipped their toes into new regions within Europe (like Iceland and Italy) but for now Global Journeys only sell their trips on the mainland of the UK. CIE are relatively unknown in the Australasian market but are very popular in the rest of the world, so you're fellow travellers are likely to be from all around the world, but perhaps with more American's onboard than Antipodeans. With itineraries designed to be fully inclusive, putting your hand in your pocket for optional day trips and activities is not something you need to worry about.
Accommodation on each trips sits at the 3 to 3 1/2 star level, with breakfasts (along with many lunches and dinners) also included. There's a maximum group size of 44, but look out for selected departures on selected trips that are designed for small groups. Also keep a lookout for CIE's Tour of the Week Deal which runs year round and offers savings of up to 15% off the normal retail price.
Upmarket coach touring, with 4.5+ star accommodation, maximum group sizes of 40 on a full size coach and more leisurely paced touring itineraries. The pricing of Insight's trips tends to attract travellers in their 60's and 70's. If you're tall, then you should seriously consider Insight, as their coaches been reconfigured to allow up to twice as much legroom as on a standard coach. Insight have recently launched trips through South America, and expanded their range of Gold Luxury Vacations, where you can expect the ultimate in luxury and refinement.We find that the feedback we get back from past clients is sometimes a little critical, and we feel this is because of the very high standard some of our clients are expecting due to Insight's positioning in the market. On every multi-day journey, there will always be little annoyances, but as a whole package the team here definitely recommend Insight worthy of your consideration. If you've travelled with any of its sister brands like AAT Kings, Trafalgar or Uniworld further savings are available.
Stats
No. of Trips
65
No. of Departures
3,666
Avg. Trip Length
9 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$493
Accommodation
3.5 - 4 Star
Budget
Premium
Trip Styles Coach Tours
Regions Explored UK & Ireland
No. of Trips
430
No. of Departures
5,114
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$661
Accommodation
4 - 4.5 Star
Budget
Premium
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
When you travel with CIE Tours, you will get the warmest of welcomes and all the benefits of our 87 years of experience. The itineraries are locally crafted - we set our own high standards for delivering excellent holidays with state-of-the-art luxury coaches; the best hotels; carefully chosen authentic experiences and entertainment.
Our outstanding local tour directors are ready to share their knowledge, stories, passion for their home places - they are our greatest assets. Many of our tours spend 2 nights in each location, and our flexible itineraries include a great balance of escorted and free time. We include full breakfasts, most dinners and some evening entertainment. No one has to worry about paying for optional extras on the trip. It’s all included, no hidden extras.
We know how much these trips mean to you and we want to ensure that this is a trip you will treasure forever.
At Insight Vacations we have been creating magical travel experiences for over 40 years, showcasing the most outstanding destinations and curated experiences in Europe and North America.
Why are we different to any other operator? It’s our unique Insight experiences. It’s our authentic and varied dining options, it’s travelling in smaller groups on customised coaches with twice the legroom, it’s staying in the right hotels in the right location, all brought together seamlessly by our exceptional travel directors. In essence: All the sights, and the insights….up close and personal…in comfort and style.
Travel is such a joy and a personal passion for myself and every member of our team. We’re so proud of the quality, service and value we provide and invite you to try it for yourself. Talk to Global Journeys to find out more about travelling in style and booking your next holiday with Insight Vacations.
Recent Reviews
4.6
CIE are a great tourist organisation. All costs were in the price quoted , no added extras like some tourist organisations. The tour covered big and small venues, cities and towns whilst the places used for accommodation were of great value. I would recommend CIE.
Loved every minute of the trip. Sam our driver was amazing. Jaquie our guide was fabulous. Couldn't recommend them any more. Would do it again in a heartbeat. A must do trip to add to your bucket list.
Stunning scenery in the wilds of Scotland, with some logistical challenges. 2 Norm, VIC, Australia, Aug 2023
This was an excellent itinerary to see the stunning landscapes that Scotland offers. Isle of Skye, Glencoe and Orkney were standout locations, The trip also had a liberal dose of castles and stately homes, both functioning and derelict. The tour guide provided an immense amount of history and perspective, to bring locations alive with their significance. ...read more Overall a very worthwhile experience.
On the downside, the tour company, CIE, chose to deliver our 'welcome pack' to the first hotel, rather than to our home. This appears to be their practice for Australians. This was in the least inconvenient as it meant we would not have the benefit of the provided backpacks for our outward journey. All other participants, who were from the USA, had their packs delivered to their homes. The impact was exacerbated by the packs not being there when we arrived, so we were without backpacks, name-tags, maps etc for the whole trip. It was only after pestering our guide that we finally received our packs on the very last day of the trip.
Our other concern was that the the quality of some of the hotels was below our expectations, with cramped rooms and bathrooms lacking power outlets etc, This is understandable in small remote towns, but the worst examples were actually in Glasgow and Inverness. We shared those hotels with other tour companies, such as Trafalgar, so we were not alone in the experience. The multiple tour groups also made meals, especially breakfast, a bit of a bunfight and far exceeded lift capabilities. We chose to walk up 5 flights at one stage, Would we do it again? Probably not with CIE. Their offices are in Ireland and USA and they appear to be not well geared for Australian participation.
On the downside, the tour company, CIE, chose to deliver our 'welcome pack' to the first hotel, rather than to our home. This appears to be their practice for Australians. This was in the least inconvenient as it meant we would not have the benefit of the provided backpacks for our outward journey. All other participants, who were from the USA, had their packs delivered to their homes. The impact was exacerbated by the packs not being there when we arrived, so we were without backpacks, name-tags, maps etc for the whole trip. It was only after pestering our guide that we finally received our packs on the very last day of the trip.
Our other concern was that the the quality of some of the hotels was below our expectations, with cramped rooms and bathrooms lacking power outlets etc, This is understandable in small remote towns, but the worst examples were actually in Glasgow and Inverness. We shared those hotels with other tour companies, such as Trafalgar, so we were not alone in the experience. The multiple tour groups also made meals, especially breakfast, a bit of a bunfight and far exceeded lift capabilities. We chose to walk up 5 flights at one stage, Would we do it again? Probably not with CIE. Their offices are in Ireland and USA and they appear to be not well geared for Australian participation.
Very organised. tour. Excellent hotels. Would book with Global Journeys again. My travel advisor Jemma Rosen was excellent answering concerns I had.
Amazing journey through Scottish Highlands and Isles, getting to see parts of Scotland that I would normally not have considered going to. Went in May and weather was fantastic. The accommodations (with the exception for the Balmacara Hotel) were very ordinary and well below expectations. Whilst I would recommend this trip, I would hope that the tour ...read more operators review the accommodation options and provide better options in the future.
My experience with Global Journeys was excellent along with my travel consultant Jemma Rosen. Very helpful in answering all my questions and I would definitely book with Global Journeys again in the future. Enjoyed my trip with CIE which I thought was good value.
4.5
This tour was an excellent way to see Spain and Portugal and made even more delightful by our Tour Director Denise Lamas whose knowledge of the countries and their history and customs was exceptional as well as her kindness and friendliness to all. There were 36 on the Tour and as a solo traveller I was given a friendly welcome by all. Easter week ...read more in Spain was very special and in spite of the crowds there was an atmosphere of unity everywhere. The highlights of the tour were the visit to Seville and the perfume of the orange blossom, the snow capped Sierras and the Alhambra, the lunch with village ladies in their homes and of course the amazing Segrada Familia by Gaudi in Barcelona. I would recommend this tour to anyone who would like to visit Spain and Portugal.
This was the most wonderful, enjoyable and most memorable tour. While some of the organised guides could have thought about our need to eat...and shorten their chat...other than that...wish there was some more free time as quoted, in Lucerne...before the shops shut. 🥲 Faith was by far the best tour guide!
Travelling with Insight was totally stress free. Our fabulous tour director saw to every little detail and his suggestions for restaurants and optional tours were spot on. The hotels we stayed in were great and our group got along really well. It was relaxing , fun and informative at the same time. I wouldn’t hesitate to book with Global Journeys and ...read more Insight for future adventures.
Insight Vacations through Spring Tours provided a memorable 12 day, small group, Splendours of Egypt tour that included 7 days cruising on the Nile in a boat with a capacity of 120 passengers. While the MS Nile Odessa is a bit dated the river cruising experience was enjoyable, noting it is the Egyptian civilisation sites that were our primary reason ...read more for travelling to Luxor and Aswan. While a day trip to Abu Simbel (from Aswan) was an option extra - we highly recommend it - the Abu Simbel site will blow your mind - Ramses the Great (Ramses II) had a taste for grandeur. Our Tour Director was exceptional, which makes a huge difference to one’s experience. The pace of the tour was excellent - nay faster and it would have been less enjoyable and unable to spend sufficient time each site to appreciate them for what they are - marvels. Finally thank you the Hannah and the team at Global Journeys.
Interesting, packed journey through some of the stunning smaller centres of Italy 0 Pam and Janet, NSW, Australia, Sep 2023
Our guide Federika Nandini was a delight, who kept a keen caring eye over all. Our driver was careful and managed to manoeuvre a large bus on some tight and potentially dangerous roads. Local guides were excellent. There was a considerable amount of walking each day which will test the less fit. Hilltop towns are just that and are challenging on the ...read more knees! Meals provided were usually over catered and in noisy interiors. Optional excursions were varied . Some lovely hotels were included but not able to be enjoyed as we didn’t stay long enough to enjoy.
Wonderful tour through beautiful Türkiye with the best tour director and driver. 0 Susan, NSW, Australia, Sep 2023
Highly recommend a small-group tour with Insight Vacations. It was a worry free holiday with great accommodation and food. The tour director was fabulous and the coach was super comfortable with WiFi and bottled water.
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