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Collette vs Trafalgar
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Collette and Trafalgar.The Low Down
While new to the Australian market in 2017, Collette have actually been operating since 1918. Offering coach touring and small group explorations around the world, you won't find too many Aussies and Kiwis on their trips yet, but clients of ours that haven taken the plunge over the last season have come back with very positive reviews. Collette is very popular in the US and now has offices and support in Australia, Canada and the UK too. Collette market their trips as 4 star accommodation with 5 star service and inclusions - so if that sounds like your cup of tea, then how about this - Collette also includes a roundtrip home to airport chauffeur service for those within a 40km radius of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Darwin, Cairns and Hobart airports.
Over 250 coach tours around the world, and one of our clients most popular Operators, Trafalgar is part of the Travel Corporation, which includes under its umbrella the sister brands of Insight Vacations, AAT Kings, Uniworld, Contiki & Costsaver. With a worldwide presence along eith local operations in Australasia for many years, you'll enjoy the company of many nationalities aboard your coach, including those from Downunder. Sitting between Insight and Costsaver, Trafalgar pride themselves in touring innovation, introducing 'Insider Experiences' (where you get to know and dine with the locals) and travel styles to suit those that prefer smaller groups or those that prefer a more leisurely itinerary.Look out for Trafalgar's Early-payment savings where you can enjoy significant savings on your trip as well as further savings if you are a past passenger on any of the aforementioned sister brands.
Stats
No. of Trips
197
No. of Departures
4,293
Avg. Trip Length
11 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$748
Accommodation
4 Star
Budget
Premium
No. of Trips
348
No. of Departures
8,040
Avg. Trip Length
11 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$553
Accommodation
4 Star
Budget
Premium
In Their Own Words
We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
At Collette, we consider everyone who travels with us to be our personal guest. Every moment matters to us because we know it matters to you. This may be because at heart we are a family owned company that has been in business for 100 years. It may be because our team are passionate about sharing their own love of travel and uncovering mysteries.
Choosing Collette comes with benefits that take your guided travel experience to another level. Our inclusive tours provide you more value for your money and more of what makes travel special. Let us show you the world!
We are the world’s leading and most awarded travel brand spanning all 7 continents of the globe. From the iconic to the unexpected our guests connect to the real depth of the places we go. They will break bread with the locals at our exclusive Be My Guest experiences and unlock local secrets of our Travel Directors and Local Specialists. Everything is taken care of, so they travel with true ease and get the real thing without worrying about a thing.
We consider how we can positively impact the communities we engage with. Through our JoinTrafalgar initiatives powered by TreadRight, guests don’t just leave footprints on the ground, but leave a lasting legacy for the betterment of locals and the future of their communities.
It’s 72 years of destination experience and feedback from over 5 million happy guests that fuels our innovation to continually delivery simply the best holidays.
Recent Reviews
4.6
Scenic Slovenia and Croatia 0
Discover Croatia, Slovenia & the Adriatic Coast
Helen , QLD, Australia, Jun 2026
I had the best time on this tour in the beautiful scenic countries of Slovenia and Croatia. This was my first time travelling with Collette tours and I couldn’t have been happier. We visited beautiful places such as Ljublijana, Lake Bled, Plitvice Lakes, as well as the historical and interesting old towns of Split and Dubrovnik on the Adriatic Sea. read more There were guided tours in each place.
We also had lots of fun experiences from exploring little hill top villages, farm to plate lunches, sampling local tasty produce, liquors and wine and little surprises along the way with unexpected extras such as visiting a war bunker and an old salt mine. We had great accommodation and breakfasts in all stays!
Our tour manager Sonja was excellent and being from Croatia gave us great insights into the countries and cultures. Our driver was very safe and professional. All fellow travellers, mainly from the USA were friendly, fun and interested in sharing stories with us three Australians! I’d definitely consider travelling with Collette tours again.
We also had lots of fun experiences from exploring little hill top villages, farm to plate lunches, sampling local tasty produce, liquors and wine and little surprises along the way with unexpected extras such as visiting a war bunker and an old salt mine. We had great accommodation and breakfasts in all stays!
Our tour manager Sonja was excellent and being from Croatia gave us great insights into the countries and cultures. Our driver was very safe and professional. All fellow travellers, mainly from the USA were friendly, fun and interested in sharing stories with us three Australians! I’d definitely consider travelling with Collette tours again.
We booked this tour because it had all the areas of Umbria and Tuscany that we wanted to visit. Collette is an excellent company, and we thought that every detail was well planned. We definitely got the experience we desired.
Cultural Treasures of Japan 0
Cultural Treasures of Japan
Suzan and Stephen, NY, United States, May 2026
I had a fantastic time on my trip to Japan with Collette. Ethan received my booking after the original booking agent left. He was terrifically helpful, even though it was last minute.... very patient, knowledgeable, and reassuring. My guide on the trip was engaging, lively, and very experienced...taking care of all our needs and enriching the experience read more for everyone. The tour was very well balanced between scheduled activities and free time, and the activities were well chosen and enriching. The land was beautiful, and the hotels were quite luxurious. I booked my own flights, and I ended up with more convenient and efficient flights at considerably lower prices, than those who booked air with Collette. I did use Collette transfers to and from the airports, and they were fine. This was my first tour with Collette and I was delighted by it.
My grandma & I recently completed Collette's Spotlight on Tuscany tour with the pre-extension tour in Rome and had a fantastic experience from start to finish. The itinerary was very well organised and provided a perfect balance of guided activities and free time to explore at our own pace. The accommodation was comfortable and centrally located, making read more day trips throughout Tuscany very convenient. Our tour guide Luca was amazing and always went the extra mile to make the trip even more enjoyable.
Collette Alpine Lakes and Scenic Trains tour 0
Alpine Lakes & Scenic Trains
Nida and Dante, NSW, Australia, Apr 2026
We recently had the pleasure of joining Alpine Lakes and Scenic Trains Tours, and it was nothing short of exceptional from start to finish. The entire experience felt thoughtfully designed, balancing breathtaking natural beauty with comfort and seamless organization. The alpine lake destinations were truly stunning—crystal-clear waters surrounded by read more dramatic mountain landscapes that looked almost unreal. Each stop was timed perfectly, allowing enough time to explore, take photos, or simply sit and appreciate the peaceful surroundings without feeling rushed.
The scenic train journeys were a highlight in themselves. Traveling through winding valleys, across historic bridges, and past panoramic vistas offered a unique perspective you simply can’t get by road. The trains were clean, comfortable, and well-equipped, making the journey just as enjoyable as the destinations.
What stood out most was the professionalism and warmth of our tour guide Armando. He was knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about the regions we visited. His insights added depth to the experience, sharing stories and local history that made each location even more meaningful.
Logistics were handled flawlessly—transport connections, timing, and best accommodations all ran smoothly, which made the trip feel effortless and relaxing. It’s clear that a lot of care goes into planning these tours. Big thank you to the best driver, Diego and tour director Armando Disanto.
We would highly recommend Alpine Lakes and Scenic Trains Tours to anyone looking for a well-curated, memorable travel experience. It’s an ideal blend of nature, comfort, and discovery.
And to Global Journeys, Tracey who assisted us from the beginning until the end of our booking. She made everything hassle free and stress free. Thank you so much Tracey for your help. We would gladly book with them again.
The scenic train journeys were a highlight in themselves. Traveling through winding valleys, across historic bridges, and past panoramic vistas offered a unique perspective you simply can’t get by road. The trains were clean, comfortable, and well-equipped, making the journey just as enjoyable as the destinations.
What stood out most was the professionalism and warmth of our tour guide Armando. He was knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about the regions we visited. His insights added depth to the experience, sharing stories and local history that made each location even more meaningful.
Logistics were handled flawlessly—transport connections, timing, and best accommodations all ran smoothly, which made the trip feel effortless and relaxing. It’s clear that a lot of care goes into planning these tours. Big thank you to the best driver, Diego and tour director Armando Disanto.
We would highly recommend Alpine Lakes and Scenic Trains Tours to anyone looking for a well-curated, memorable travel experience. It’s an ideal blend of nature, comfort, and discovery.
And to Global Journeys, Tracey who assisted us from the beginning until the end of our booking. She made everything hassle free and stress free. Thank you so much Tracey for your help. We would gladly book with them again.
4.6
I had a great trip, the hotels were all great but one. They seemed to be a 4 star . The food and choice of entertainment was amazing. Also the choice of towns was great. We covered a lot of France and points of interest in history. Our guide was the best I have had ever.
Great tour with a mix of city and safari. 0
Best of South Africa with Victoria Falls
I.L, VIC, Australia, Aug 2026
An excellent tour if you want to see more than just the wonderful National parks and safaris. We were very lucky and saw the BIG SIX and more on our Kruger safari, with St Lucia and CHOBE adding more to our list of wildlife sightings.
The cultural dinners and shows were entertaining and city and beach visits were relaxing and informative. There read more were some long driving days but we covered a lot of SA. Hotels were all top quality and TD Craig insured we were in our rooms with bags within 15 min of arrival.
Our group was small, only 11 travellers from US, UK, NZ and AU. We all became great friends and thoroughly enjoyed our travels. A big thank you to Hannah from GJ, for all her assistance with booking and follow up.
Tips…. Do the Victoria Falls extension, well worth the extra days. If you do book extra nights pre tour via Trafalgar, check directly with the hotel that they have received the booking. All the optionals were excellent. Cape Town optional - do the Peninsula trip, penguins were awesome. Not enough time in Cape Town would be great if Trafalgar added one more independent day there to the tour.
The cultural dinners and shows were entertaining and city and beach visits were relaxing and informative. There read more were some long driving days but we covered a lot of SA. Hotels were all top quality and TD Craig insured we were in our rooms with bags within 15 min of arrival.
Our group was small, only 11 travellers from US, UK, NZ and AU. We all became great friends and thoroughly enjoyed our travels. A big thank you to Hannah from GJ, for all her assistance with booking and follow up.
Tips…. Do the Victoria Falls extension, well worth the extra days. If you do book extra nights pre tour via Trafalgar, check directly with the hotel that they have received the booking. All the optionals were excellent. Cape Town optional - do the Peninsula trip, penguins were awesome. Not enough time in Cape Town would be great if Trafalgar added one more independent day there to the tour.
It was my first ever coach trip and I didn’t really know what to expect so I was open minded about it. I wasn’t disappointed, everything was very well organised. Hotels were good, chosen experiences were good value. Perhaps a little bit more could be included in the price though, I felt that optional ones heavily outweighed inclusions. Something to read more be mindful of when budgeting for the trip. One thing that left me puzzled though was constant badgering about tipping tour director and the driver. Surely Trafalgar is paying adequate salaries to their staff?
The trip is organised around drivers hours, coach drop off and parking. None of which help my experience of seeing Europe. The "sell" to buy optional experiences takes place at the slowest part of the trip when you drive all day to spend an hour of time at a location, and you realise that you spent all this money and won't see anything.
The travel read more director made a great sell, and he was great and everybody's best friend. He was just like my buddy that sells cars. A slick positive guy that everybody likes. I don't know what his kickback is on the sell, but he pulled in an additional $100 thousand on the options for the bus. If you opt out of the optional experiences, they drop you off at a random spot and need to find your way to a meeting spot. I bought the options.
The places we go are the places the bus is allowed, not really the highlights. The best parts of the trip were when I took off to do my own thing. The logistics can be difficult and that was what I thought we were paying the travel director for, not going to places where the bus can go and people stay together so they don't get lost.
The local specialists should show highlights and let us see what is there instead of holding us back and together so we don't get lost, explaining in great detail one piece of art, or a room. Because of this detail, I did not get to see all of the castle, palace, Vatican Museum, roman Colosseum, etc. Let us see all of the highlights.
Another example was, there is a path through the Roman ruins, but we don't go there to see them, instead we walk the other direction to walk in a dirty back alley, slowly so we can get picked up by the bus. I could have walked through the ruins and been back in time to catch the bus at the pace they move if I had been given an option.
I am there to see Europe, not find a convenient place for them to pick me up. The hotels are good, but away from the things you want to see when you have time in the evening. I would recommend this trip to people that want to sit on busses, get out for an hour to buy souvenirs, shop, eat and drink, and you can now say you have been there. It is not for people that actively want to see Europe. This is the 5th month long trip I have taken, and the one I saw the least and cost 3 times as much as the other trips.
The travel read more director made a great sell, and he was great and everybody's best friend. He was just like my buddy that sells cars. A slick positive guy that everybody likes. I don't know what his kickback is on the sell, but he pulled in an additional $100 thousand on the options for the bus. If you opt out of the optional experiences, they drop you off at a random spot and need to find your way to a meeting spot. I bought the options.
The places we go are the places the bus is allowed, not really the highlights. The best parts of the trip were when I took off to do my own thing. The logistics can be difficult and that was what I thought we were paying the travel director for, not going to places where the bus can go and people stay together so they don't get lost.
The local specialists should show highlights and let us see what is there instead of holding us back and together so we don't get lost, explaining in great detail one piece of art, or a room. Because of this detail, I did not get to see all of the castle, palace, Vatican Museum, roman Colosseum, etc. Let us see all of the highlights.
Another example was, there is a path through the Roman ruins, but we don't go there to see them, instead we walk the other direction to walk in a dirty back alley, slowly so we can get picked up by the bus. I could have walked through the ruins and been back in time to catch the bus at the pace they move if I had been given an option.
I am there to see Europe, not find a convenient place for them to pick me up. The hotels are good, but away from the things you want to see when you have time in the evening. I would recommend this trip to people that want to sit on busses, get out for an hour to buy souvenirs, shop, eat and drink, and you can now say you have been there. It is not for people that actively want to see Europe. This is the 5th month long trip I have taken, and the one I saw the least and cost 3 times as much as the other trips.
We travelled as an extended family of 13 and, overall, really enjoyed the tour. Days 3 and 4 involved very long hours on a bus, which made for some uncomfortable days. A few of the hotels were located away from main attractions. During our free time we often had to catch taxis to get where we wanted to go, which added extra cost and reduced the convenience. read more
A few of the included dinners at the hotels were also a little unusual, with combinations such as a pizza slice and tempura and other bits and bobs that didn't feel very authentic or particularly appealing. The included lunches - such as the sushi making and the Hida beef lunch were you cooked your own beef on individual burners - were AMAZING! We loved the tour overall. It was well organised, we saw some wonderful places, and it was a great way to experience Japan. PS Japan is extremely hot and humid in July!
A few of the included dinners at the hotels were also a little unusual, with combinations such as a pizza slice and tempura and other bits and bobs that didn't feel very authentic or particularly appealing. The included lunches - such as the sushi making and the Hida beef lunch were you cooked your own beef on individual burners - were AMAZING! We loved the tour overall. It was well organised, we saw some wonderful places, and it was a great way to experience Japan. PS Japan is extremely hot and humid in July!
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