From St. Paul's to St. Peter's Reviews

Global Journeys (Yvonne Brooks) organised our holiday perfectly - she was always very prompt to answer questions (which she did fully), she was very efficient with the booking and even kept us updated with changes to our hotels after the booking had started. I cannot more highly recommend Yvonne.

Our Cosmos Tour was enjoyable. It provided value for ...read more money and was a great introduction to Europe. As I was travelling with my 12 year old daughter I was pleased that there were quite a few other families with kids on our tour - in fact I think about 15 of the 42 on the coach were under 20.

The tour director was good and the bus driver very safe. The optional tour to Mt Titlis while quite expensive was a highlight and absolutely worthwhile. The hotels on the whole were adequate and reflected the budget tour cost - the only disappointment was that a couple of the hotels (in Rome and Paris) were a bit further out than ideal - which ruled out walking to sites. By comparison the hotel in London was well located and among the best of all the hotels we stayed at.

I found the tour extremely satisfying and was better than expected. The organisation was good and the Cosmos tour information booklet was very helpful. The Tour Director was very enthusiastic, well informed and most helpful. She wasn't too strict during free time and departures and so maintained a relaxed atmosphere throughout. The bus driver was law ...read more abiding and remained calm no matter the situation. He drove safely by not speeding and tailgating and manoeuvred the vehicle very competently. I'm a truck driver myself and so evaluate these things carefully. I found the hotels in Italy were the best for breakfast and bedding. I note the Cosmos information book stated that hotel breakfasts in Italy might not be good. They were certainly better than the Mercure in Paris, which had limited seating for breakfast and lack of food. The tour was fast paced, which is exactly what I liked. We didn't spend too much time in one place and the dinners didn't drag on. The tour group was conservative, well mannered and behaved and I got along well with everyone. That made the trip more enjoyable. I was very surprised by this and a lot of us exchanged warm goodbyes at the end.

I imagined that the introductory dinner would have taken place on the first night instead of the cabaret show. The optional excursions were good and I participated in most of them. Some excursions were a bit pricey, such as the visit to the palace of Louis XIV and the Vatican Museum and the cable car ride up Mount Titlus. Also, for the price I thought the Gondola trip should have lasted a bit longer. Some tour members spoke about name tags and maps. They would probably not be used by all. Some maps needed a scale so I could figure out distances. Perhaps a map of Europe overall and the places that we were to visit highlighted to give us some perspective with what was around us. There are so many places to discover and that may encourage us to do more. I have already spoken about the tour to family and friends and have recommended undertaking a similar experience. I could not have done it cheaper on my own with comparable accommodation and hiring my own car. On the subject of costs I could have saved myself a few hundred dollars if I went with the singles sharing scheme rather than requesting my own room during the booking process. I was the only solo traveller in the group of 31. Also, the requirement to stay a night at the Kensington the night before departure was a bit of a surprise cost. There are others minor things that I could have mentioned but have forgotten much since trying to get back into my normal routine. Overall, a fantastic experience. Thank you!

Really great tour through Italy. Ilka our guide was great as was Nino our driver. Accommodation was great except for the hotel at Fluelen, Switzerland. Cosmos MUST change them to make the whole trip great!