Albatross Tour Reviews

I would recommend Global Journeys to anyone wishing to book a holiday. Everything went off with out a hitch and we had a great time. The Albatross trip was great because we spent very little money as everything was mostly included and all the people we travelled with were great. The food and the wine included were terrific although I put on 3 kilos!. ...read more I would travel with them again, its a pity they dont have more of a variety of places they go.

The meet and greet in the lobby of the hotel in Munich was very disorganised. Otherwise a good mix of Aussies, some younger which makes a good group.

I picked this tour because it went to all the places in Italy I was keen to visit. I didn't mind not having much time in Venice, Florence or Rome as I have visited them before. I also liked the idea of spending more time in each hotel (minimum 2 nights, maximum 5 nights) which meant you could unpack and return each day after your excursion - this worked ...read more really well. We were also given plenty of leisure time (including 1 full day) when you could do your own thing. The tour met all my expectations and there were no unpleasant surprises. The tour guide was excellent, we were well informed all the time and everything went very smoothly. He even added in a few special surprises including a stop in Bologna and a visit to the War Cemetery in Cassino, which weren't on the itinerary.

There were many highlights but the Italian Lakes Como, Maggiore and Orta were definitely one. Another was our visit to a farmhouse in Tuscany where we had an olive oil tasting and then a delicious Tuscan repast in the most beautiful setting. The hotels were for the most part of very high quality although not all were quite up to the same high standard set by our first hotel in Stresa. I would also have preferred to stay in one of the Amalfi towns other than Maiori (e.g. Amalfi or Positano). You need to be prepared for the crowds even at the end of the season (late September) and although we were blessed with mostly good weather there were a couple of days - especially our day in Florence - which were a bit dampened by rain. It would have been nice if there had been an indoor alternative for Florence (e.g. going inside the Cathedral) rather than walking around in the pouring rain. We had 25 on our tour which is a good number and I would not have wanted any more than that - it meant we had plenty of room on the coach and less waiting time. We were well looked after by all the agencies involved. I'd certainly recommend Global Journeys, Albatross Tours and The Italian Grande tour to friends.

This was an excellent tour, my first, but I was not disappointed in anything! It was a wonderful holiday. It was wonderful spending a few nights in the one place and seeing the area around our accommodation so well while learning as much as we could about the history and present activity in the areas. The bus and water cruises were splendid and gave ...read more us a variety in our days, sometimes part bus, sometimes on the water, as well walking from one spot to another, at leisure or with a guide. It was not too strenuous for well and fit people. Most of the guides were excellent where one was required, e.g. Florence. It was very good commencing the tour in the north of Italy where it is quieter, before moving on to busy Florence, Amalfi Coast and Venice. Meals were good, some better than others, but in all we were very well catered for, the accommodation very good as well. Our tour director Helen was wonderful and she did a great job, as did the bus driver who managed the "tricky" roads in some places so safely and confidently. Such an amazing country I would recommend everyone to visit it. Thanks to Michelle everything went to plan and her support and preparation for our trip was excellent. Thanks again Michelle.

Being our first overseas trip and guided tour, we did not really know what to expect, however, we can say that we were very impressed with the Italian Grande tour by Albatross. Our tour guide was exceptional, coach and coach driver were brilliant, hotels and food included in the tour were of a high quality and our fellow travellers were great fun. ...read more We visited all the popular attractions but the other places we either stayed in or visited were chosen carefully by Albatross and we loved and appreciated each and every one of them. We feel that we have been spoilt by the quality of our tour guide, Vanessa and she and Albatross have set a very high standard for future tours that we will do. Hannah at Global Journeys was helpful, positive, bright and there when we needed her always responding to our needs. I would highly recommend Global Journeys and Albatross Tours to all!

I thought this tour was professionally managed by our very likable and competent tour director (Rinehart). The group size was ideal at 26 persons and the coach easily accommodated this group in very comfortable surroundings. We thought that the scenery was amazing and lived up to our expectations, with the accommodation provided also living up to expectations. ...read more The whole tour ran like Swiss clockwork, and the tour we went on I would recommend.

Overall a wonderful tour enjoying the company of fellow Australians and New Zealanders - good idea having tours which cater for mostly Australians and keeping the numbers on tour low - 26 on this tour. While I enjoyed Provence for me the Italian hillside towns and Rome were the highlights - more wow factors!! Would like to see the Italian hotels that ...read more tours stay at, provide an area for tea/coffee making. I do not believe we should have to visit the hotel bar and pay for a tea/coffee. Making oneself a cup of tea/coffee at the return of a busy day on tour would be lovely, it provides hydration and is cultural for Australians to do this throughout their day, whether at home, work or on holidays.

An excellent tour - well paced, good value for money, and highly recommended. The tour guide was very good and made the journey a delight. Some of the included meals were outstanding, and there was a very good balance of structured activities and free time.

This was our first coach tour, and we enjoyed it. Great to wake up each day and not need to worry about where we are going and how to get there. The tour manager was excellent - extremely professional and organised. Added value constantly throughout the tour, and coped well when the one of the touring party was pick-pocketed. Coach and driver both ...read more excellent. Accommodation was mainly good, and one or two hotels were excellent (eg in Salzburg and Hohenschwangau). However the Triberg hotel was only satisfactory (very small room, tiny bathroom, hot and noisy, patchy food quality, wifi only worked in lobby, and some staff seemingly disengaged). A lot of coach travel and similar quaint villages in early stage of tour, but this settled down after Triberg and some of the days/excursions were really excellent.

We went to places and did great things we may not have had we been travelling independently. The only real 'clunkers' were the Crystal World visit (abysmal) and the steam train (too long, just for kids?). Most food and wine only average compared with our experience in Melbourne, and dinner choices could have been more varied. Would have been happy to pay supplement to improve dinner choices. Most breakfasts good except for the chocolate in the muesli! Albatross did a great job selecting the tour party, they were really a terrific and friendly bunch.

We really enjoyed our tour - it was very well organised and very interesting. Some of the scenery was just incredible - the gardens on Mainau Island, riding the cable car at Kirchberg, Hallstatt in the Austrian Lakes district, etc Too many sights to list them all! Our Tour Director, Maritza, was excellent - efficient, knowledgeable and always showing ...read more a sense of humour. She even gave us a macaroon and a local cherry brandy! She maintained a positive outlook even when we experienced a couple of rainy days. Minor suggestions - travellers should be pre-warned of the exorbitant WIFI charges at the Frankfurt Hilton. The daily charge of EUR25 is a rip-off! The visit to the Swarovski Crystal World is a 'chicks outing' - the guys should have been left at the nearest bar! Overall we were very impressed with the trip and would recommend it highly. Thanks Albatross!

This was our second tour with Albatross and our first time booking with Global Journeys. We were completely happy with the Albatross experience and from past experience with other travel agents know that Georgie Walpole's attention to detail and rapid response to our questions could not have been surpassed. As a result, we thoroughly enjoyed the tour ...read more and returned home fit, well and happy. The tour leader, a woman from the UK, was fluent in French, was pleasant to us all, was well-organised , cheerful and liked by everyone--a pretty good effort! There were 23 of us, all Australians though that isn't crucial; we all got on well together so the atmosphere was always happy and harmonious. And of course the French countryside is lovely and the Loire valley, Sarlat and the Lascaux Caves were highlights. So, many thanks to Albatross and especially to Georgie. We just wish we had known about Global Journeys years ago! (Ed. Thanks John & Barbara!)

The small group, the longer stays, the accommodation, local guides and organised day trips, free days, together with great itinerary made this a perfect tour. Albatross' attention to detail and the experienced tour manager made our tour trouble free. From the first time we contacted Global Journeys we felt at ease and no inquiry was too much trouble. ...read more Being able to track our booking details was great. Thank you Emily and we will be checking Global Journeys next time we are travelling.

A well paced tour with an excellent tour manager and driver. Both went out of their way to ensure the 40 Australian and New Zealanders had a memorable experience and assisted in organising some guests onward travel and side tours. Highly recommended - it even snowed on cue on Christmas day!

Excellent, well thought out tour format. Plenty of time to enjoy destinations. Great accommodation and included meals. Highly recommended for anyone who doesn't want to stress or worry about what to do next, where to go next or where to find great food whilst on holidays!

Guide and driver were excellent, as was the coach. Tour was not as relaxed as expected. Seemed to be on the go all the time. Several mornings of having bags out at 7.15am for 8.15am departure did not seem to reflect the advertised relaxed pace. Side trips to Christmas markets at Wurzberg, Nuremberg, and Budweis became a bit repetitive and we spent ...read more a little too long at each place. Not enough free time in Rothenberg - due to side trips. Fantastic hotel in Rothenberg. Triple room was not always good. Third bed was often very small or very uncomfortable fold out. Not suitable for adult. Initially given a dreadful room at Hotel Regina in Vienna, but they did move us to their credit. Hotel in Prague pretty awful as well (especially the third bed). Gluten free food provided was standard, basic and nowhere near as good as the rest of the tour enjoyed - I expected that, but hoped for better! Food for for the rest of the group was very good and plentiful. Would recommend Albatross for non-coeliacs. Would be fabulous if a tour group could develop tours for people who require a gluten free diet.

The end of the season tour meant we missed out on boat trips Cinque Terre and Capri because of weather conditions - disappointing but understandable. The alternative train trip seemed ordinary by comparison. I found it difficult to keep up with the walking pace of the group and the tour guide gave me time to return to the coach parking zone at my own ...read more pace where possible. His estimations of distances was wildly under kms actually covered (one of the group had a step monitor). Thank you Georgie for your prompt attention to my queries and requests. I would be very happy to book again with Global Journeys.

Some hotels should improve Wi-Fi access and reliability. We didn't see the value in travelling back to Trogir at the end of the trip. The time on Hvar was special. Tasting local food and meeting local people was a treat.

The tour was well paced and included everything we wanted to see. Our Tour Guide Maritza was excellent in her knowledge of the historical facts of each area and her organizational skills were second to none. She was funny and kept everybody's attention as we wound our way through the tour. The cities and towns we stayed in were all well located and ...read more made it easy for the coach to travel to points of interest included in our itinerary. This was our 4th Albatross tour and we will certainly travel with them again. Our Global Journeys experience was also enjoyable. Any questions I had were answered promptly and comprehensively. I was kept up to date with any relevant information. Hannah was a true professional. We appreciated her efforts on our behalf.

A great insight into the fascinating history of Spain and Portugal with their well preserved monuments from the past. We were blessed with the weather (fine throughout), a very compatable group of fellow travellers, a wonderful coach driver and an excellent tour leader. An experience to remember!

We had a wonderful time. Lovely people in our group and the tour guide was interesting, kind and fun.