Cosmos Tour Reviews
The 1,984 Cosmos Tour reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have traveled with Cosmos. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
We had a great time travelling within a group of forty-seven (47) people coming from Australia, New Zealand, US, UK, Canada and Philippines. Global Journeys (Jemma Rosen) smoothed out the process of booking and preparation for the Cosmos tour. Initially we had some concern with the luggage size limit and hand luggage size limit but in real life, Cosmos read more staff is more flexible than the laid out rules. Since the chosen tour period was in June, the weather in southern Europe (Italy) was warmer than expected (up to 37 degrees C).
We took all of those extra tour inclusions and they seemed to be well chosen by Cosmos given the limited time of visiting six countries within 12 days. We were impressed with Tour Director's enthusiasm and friendly attitude. Though we were from diverse background, we all seemed to enjoy each other company during the 12 day bus trip.
We took all of those extra tour inclusions and they seemed to be well chosen by Cosmos given the limited time of visiting six countries within 12 days. We were impressed with Tour Director's enthusiasm and friendly attitude. Though we were from diverse background, we all seemed to enjoy each other company during the 12 day bus trip.
Our third and final back to back tour with the Globus/Cosmos group. Again, this tour went very smoothly and was well organised. Tour director, Andreas, was very good and very knowledgeable and Driver, Vito, was excellent. The coach again, under Vito's care was spotless. The Italian lakes region is simply beautiful and a must see if you seriously want read more to see all of Italy. This Cosmos tour was very good value for money. Food in one of the included tours was not as good as what we've been spoiled with, but a minor issue. After doing 3 back to back tours with the Globus Group, we definitely recommend them.
16 Day Jewels of The Baltics & Scandinavia 3
Deric, NSW, Australia, Jun 2017
Having now returned from this trip, I would prefer that some of the 2 night stays be allocated to Sweden and Finland. It will be worthwhile for Cosmos to consider a cruise option from Estonia to St Petersburg to avoid the border crossing. This was a long and excruciating travel period.
European Masterpiece 13
Heather, VIC, Australia, Jun 2017
Overall we would recommend this tour as a good overview of the European Continent. It was good value for money.
Our first comment is that the tour director Amela and the bus driver Flavio were excellent. We drove on so many narrow twisting roads we thought the driver did an amazing job, and the coach was so comfortable it was like gliding along the read more highways. Amela had a great sense of humour and an excellent knowledge of every place we went.
As we had never been to the Continent before, this tour appealed to us because it visited so many countries. The tour mostly met our expectations as we did visit the main cities, and there was enough time to see the major tourist attractions. The pace of the tour was fast to fit everything in the 29 days. Overall we had a very enjoyable experience. However, we were disappointed that we spent all day driving through Germany and saw nothing of any German city or major town and we spent the night in an unpicturesque area in the outskirts. The one hour cruise on the Rhine in Germany was enjoyable but did not compensate for really seeing nothing of Germany except the highways and trees.
Overall the hotels we stayed at were standard 3 star accommodation, and with a few exceptions were acceptable. We actually enjoyed the old hotels as their antiquity was part of their charm, and we had some stunning views from hotels such as in Sorrento and San Marino. Most of the included dinners were good.
Highlights of the tour were the optional extras which in most cases were exceptionally good, particularly the Lido in Paris, the Mt Titlis experience in Switzerland, the visit to Capri, Barano island, the Greek night out and many others that were well worth the cost.
However a couple of excursions were quite poor. We chose the excursion to three Greek Islands, not knowing that on the boat we would be charged extra for further 'optional excursions' such as a 'panoramic bus tour' of one island because we were told we would see nothing if we didn't go on it, and a guided walk to see less known parts of another island. We felt ripped off because we were not told about the 'extras' in this optional excursion. We also thought the gondola ride in Venice was spoiled by crowding six people into one gondola, which made it uncomfortable and difficult to take photos. We would have preferred to pay a higher price if necessary to have less people in each gondola so we could have enjoyed the experience. The amount of tipping recommended by Cosmos for the tour director and bus driver seems excessive to us and was an issue of controversy for the whole group who went on the tour. (Ed. Itinerary amended slightly and name changed from European Masterpiece to All About Europe in 2019)
Our first comment is that the tour director Amela and the bus driver Flavio were excellent. We drove on so many narrow twisting roads we thought the driver did an amazing job, and the coach was so comfortable it was like gliding along the read more highways. Amela had a great sense of humour and an excellent knowledge of every place we went.
As we had never been to the Continent before, this tour appealed to us because it visited so many countries. The tour mostly met our expectations as we did visit the main cities, and there was enough time to see the major tourist attractions. The pace of the tour was fast to fit everything in the 29 days. Overall we had a very enjoyable experience. However, we were disappointed that we spent all day driving through Germany and saw nothing of any German city or major town and we spent the night in an unpicturesque area in the outskirts. The one hour cruise on the Rhine in Germany was enjoyable but did not compensate for really seeing nothing of Germany except the highways and trees.
Overall the hotels we stayed at were standard 3 star accommodation, and with a few exceptions were acceptable. We actually enjoyed the old hotels as their antiquity was part of their charm, and we had some stunning views from hotels such as in Sorrento and San Marino. Most of the included dinners were good.
Highlights of the tour were the optional extras which in most cases were exceptionally good, particularly the Lido in Paris, the Mt Titlis experience in Switzerland, the visit to Capri, Barano island, the Greek night out and many others that were well worth the cost.
However a couple of excursions were quite poor. We chose the excursion to three Greek Islands, not knowing that on the boat we would be charged extra for further 'optional excursions' such as a 'panoramic bus tour' of one island because we were told we would see nothing if we didn't go on it, and a guided walk to see less known parts of another island. We felt ripped off because we were not told about the 'extras' in this optional excursion. We also thought the gondola ride in Venice was spoiled by crowding six people into one gondola, which made it uncomfortable and difficult to take photos. We would have preferred to pay a higher price if necessary to have less people in each gondola so we could have enjoyed the experience. The amount of tipping recommended by Cosmos for the tour director and bus driver seems excessive to us and was an issue of controversy for the whole group who went on the tour. (Ed. Itinerary amended slightly and name changed from European Masterpiece to All About Europe in 2019)
The trip was better than expected. The itinerary was good. Coach new and comfortable. Tour director and local guide all excellent. Some hotels are in the city center. All hotels with excellent breakfast.
8 Day New York , Niagara Falls, Philadelphia, Washington DC 14
New York City, Niagara Falls & Washington DC
Hellen & Andrew, New Zealand, Jun 2017
We would never have seen as much as we did if we travelled solo. It was exciting to see the places we have seen in movies and on the news etc. highlights were every day! But I must say the monuments in Washington were fantastic and very emotional. I,m keen to read more American history now.
Our tour mix was good, Americans, Australians, English and read more kiwis! A young schoolboy and his grandmother , young couples and older couples, families and single travellers. The ones we got to know the most were those who did the optional extras. Everyone was really looking out for each other and couples joined up with a single if they were going somewhere, it was a friendly bunch.The optional extras were good. Everyday we moved 4 rows which was good, gave us another view and we met a new person in the seats across the aisle!
The hotels were all very good. Only Niagara Falls had a fridge and a supermarket next door to buy real milk! The New York hotel had no beverage making facilities in the rooms. New York location fantastic, Niagara had a bus stop at the gate into the falls and you could purchase a daily pass , Philadelphia was in the city, Washington hotel was out of town in the most beautiful old town / suburb Alexandria.
Day 1 was a non event, we just got tour information handed to us. Everyone commented it would have been nice to have a social hour for people to introduce themselves etc especially as everyone staying in same hotel and get a short outline of the following day. At times it felt like we were asking the Tour Director what time do we meet etc . The Globus handbook for the tour could be written so that it could be used as a trip diary etc. Local guides in all places were really good. We had never been in a bus tour holiday before. We enjoyed it very much and will now probably do another one.
Our tour mix was good, Americans, Australians, English and read more kiwis! A young schoolboy and his grandmother , young couples and older couples, families and single travellers. The ones we got to know the most were those who did the optional extras. Everyone was really looking out for each other and couples joined up with a single if they were going somewhere, it was a friendly bunch.The optional extras were good. Everyday we moved 4 rows which was good, gave us another view and we met a new person in the seats across the aisle!
The hotels were all very good. Only Niagara Falls had a fridge and a supermarket next door to buy real milk! The New York hotel had no beverage making facilities in the rooms. New York location fantastic, Niagara had a bus stop at the gate into the falls and you could purchase a daily pass , Philadelphia was in the city, Washington hotel was out of town in the most beautiful old town / suburb Alexandria.
Day 1 was a non event, we just got tour information handed to us. Everyone commented it would have been nice to have a social hour for people to introduce themselves etc especially as everyone staying in same hotel and get a short outline of the following day. At times it felt like we were asking the Tour Director what time do we meet etc . The Globus handbook for the tour could be written so that it could be used as a trip diary etc. Local guides in all places were really good. We had never been in a bus tour holiday before. We enjoyed it very much and will now probably do another one.
Interesting Eastern European Tour 9
Treasures of the Balkans & Transylvania
Bill , VIC, Australia, May 2017
Really enjoyed this Cosmos tour which included more evening meals than expected and great accommodation including a 5 star Sheraton in Bucharest and other hotels with full suites with separate Lounge-rooms. Buffet breakfasts were excellent. Our guide Kristina gave a very good commentary and was always available and helpful. The optional tours were read more quite expensive though. We have booked a number of Cosmos Tours through Hannah at Global Journeys and we have always been impressed with her service and expertise.
The Canadian Rockies tour with Cosmos certainly did not disappoint. The scenery is absolutely amazing. Our tour began at the end of May and while there was lots of snow on the mountains, some of the lakes were still frozen. We were very lucky that Lake Louise had thawed only days before we arrived, so we were able to see all of its amazing reflections read more and beautiful colour. We did see some wildlife including bears and cubs. The hotels were all very clean and comfortable. Our coach was excellent and was driven by a very capable driver, Jim, who was always on the lookout for wildlife along the roads. This was our fifth trip organised by Global Journeys and touring with Cosmos and we are very impressed with both companies and will continue to use both in our future adventures.
Our Driver Rob & Guide Tara were sensational. Relief driver's were great too. It was a fantastic tour with a great bunch of people. Lots of wonderful memories have been made and some sensational places seen. I would happily book another tour with Global Journeys.
A few disappointments with accommodation places lacking a bit of maintenance. i.e. loose read more toilet seats, taps in basin loose, only spare power point in wall falling out and it would be nice to have a fridge in the hotel rooms as us Aussies like to drink our drinks cold not warm. The return night in the Holiday Inn in Kensington was disappointing as we were squeezed into a room that you couldn't walk around the bottom of the bed, You had to squeeze between it and the wall. Most of the guests on our tour had the same sort of rooms for the last night.
A few disappointments with accommodation places lacking a bit of maintenance. i.e. loose read more toilet seats, taps in basin loose, only spare power point in wall falling out and it would be nice to have a fridge in the hotel rooms as us Aussies like to drink our drinks cold not warm. The return night in the Holiday Inn in Kensington was disappointing as we were squeezed into a room that you couldn't walk around the bottom of the bed, You had to squeeze between it and the wall. Most of the guests on our tour had the same sort of rooms for the last night.
I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Our tour guide was fantastic. He was a fountain of knowledge. He was extremely good to deal with. Nothing was too much trouble. He had a very happy disposition which made the tour very enjoyable. The sights were very good and the optional tours were excellent. The only thing that was a bit below par were a few of the read more hotels. The one in Kalambaka was very ordinary. Also the one in Olympia was just ok. The hotel in Athens was very good and the hotel in Nauplia was exceptional.
Masterpiece says it all - Breathtaking scenery 7
Canadian Masterpiece with Rocky Mountaineer & Alaska Cruise
Suzanne, NSW, Australia, May 2017
From the very beginning our guide Ken made me feel welcome and gave a handy hints guide on how to get along in Canada with the tipping and the local customs and made sure you were having the experience you wanted. Ken also steered you in the right direction for the perfect dinner or the supermarket.
Ken made sure you were being looked after and had read more that wonderful photo opportunity as well as experiencing the breath taking scenery that Canada has to offer. Ken as our COSMOS guide felt like a personal guide.
As for the scenery I was able to tick of 3 bucket list items and touring at the beginning of the tourist season, allowed me to see the raging rivers, lush landscape, ice capped lakes not yet melted from Spring or the bare Rocky Mountains. You saw it all.
This tour had everything and touring solo, I never felt alone as everyone was friendly and had the same goal of having a holiday experience of a life time. I would love to do this tour again, and have recommended Cosmos to my friends, like Cosmos was recommended to me. The only thing to let this tour down was two of the accommodations, one is being refurnished so will be better in the future, the other the lift was painfully slow.
Ken made sure you were being looked after and had read more that wonderful photo opportunity as well as experiencing the breath taking scenery that Canada has to offer. Ken as our COSMOS guide felt like a personal guide.
As for the scenery I was able to tick of 3 bucket list items and touring at the beginning of the tourist season, allowed me to see the raging rivers, lush landscape, ice capped lakes not yet melted from Spring or the bare Rocky Mountains. You saw it all.
This tour had everything and touring solo, I never felt alone as everyone was friendly and had the same goal of having a holiday experience of a life time. I would love to do this tour again, and have recommended Cosmos to my friends, like Cosmos was recommended to me. The only thing to let this tour down was two of the accommodations, one is being refurnished so will be better in the future, the other the lift was painfully slow.
We really enjoyed our trip. There was a lot of driving most days but plenty of time for resting, looking around and enjoying the trip. Our guide Ausra was fantastic giving us clear instructions on what time we were due to get up, get out of the room, to have breakfast and departure time. We usually caught a nap in the bus at some point. We got two of read more the optional extras and didn't feel we missed out on anything. I'd never done a tour before and found it really great, especially not having to worry about our luggage on and off the bus. Breakfasts were really quite varied with fresh fruit, cereals and hot meals every day at the buffet. We managed to see a fair bit of Scandinavia which we would have found hard to do on a self-guided tour.
All aspects of this tour was fabulous, but the cruise of the islands was amazing. Loved Rhodes and would have really liked longer there.
2017 Trans America with Cosmos Tours 8
Trans-American Adventure
Sharyn & Peter, New Zealand, May 2017
Our trip started in New York at the end of May 2017 and was 23 days long. The tour director of our trip was fabulous and went to great efforts to ensure that we had a very rich experience - loved the background information and history of the places that she provided as we were visiting, as well as suitable music and movies to pass the time on the coach. read more
The journey was really one long highlight, so many wow moments. Accommodation was of a good standard. There were really only two low points - firstly the lack of breakfast created difficulties as we often started early - it was so great the few times it was provided - it was a major drawback. And the other - the coach was beautiful and comfortable but had only one door at the front so loading was very slow off the coach to view the many highlights, and some people being older are quite slow moving - it did create some bad feeling among the passengers. We have done another Cosmos tour this year, Apulia region in southern Italy, with a two door coach and that was just so much better - easy access on and off. The Apulia trip was wonderful too - highly recommend this to everyone.
The journey was really one long highlight, so many wow moments. Accommodation was of a good standard. There were really only two low points - firstly the lack of breakfast created difficulties as we often started early - it was so great the few times it was provided - it was a major drawback. And the other - the coach was beautiful and comfortable but had only one door at the front so loading was very slow off the coach to view the many highlights, and some people being older are quite slow moving - it did create some bad feeling among the passengers. We have done another Cosmos tour this year, Apulia region in southern Italy, with a two door coach and that was just so much better - easy access on and off. The Apulia trip was wonderful too - highly recommend this to everyone.
Magnificent scenery. It's hard to believe one small country is so blessed with such views. A variety of trains, all extremely comfortable and running like the proverbial 'Swiss watch'. They were also much easier to move around on than coaches. Tunnels and bridges in places you would think it was impossible to be and trains going to places you would read more think they couldn't get to. In Zurich, there were more shops selling Swiss Army Knives than souvenirs. Stations were all central but on one or two days the walk from the station to the hotel was a bit difficult for people with walking problems. Cosmos could do better on this but we will never forget our wonderful tour.
Very good Fatima - Lourdes - Barcelona tour 8
Fatima, Lourdes & Shrines of Spain
Tai, SA, Australia, May 2017
Our main purpose of this trip was spending most of our time at Fatima Church and Lourdes in order to absorb the atmosphere of other pilgrimages. Orientation of each place in the afternoon when we arrived allowed us to familiarise ourselves with the big place so we could participate on the event of the first night, but fully involved with all of the read more church activities on the second day.
Another point was both hotels were located about 150 meters from the main entrance, so between the events, we could quickly walk back to the hotel, have a shower, or get changed, or have a rest, or even a diner, then return back to the church to participate with other events in no time. Visiting other different places gave us a more interesting trip.
Another point was both hotels were located about 150 meters from the main entrance, so between the events, we could quickly walk back to the hotel, have a shower, or get changed, or have a rest, or even a diner, then return back to the church to participate with other events in no time. Visiting other different places gave us a more interesting trip.
Spectacular Tour to the midnight sun! 3
Manmohan & Sunita, VIC, Australia, May 2017
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Finland was okay but Norway was interesting with Norcap and Fjords being clearly the highlight. Inclusive breakfasts and dinners were of a high standard. City excursions were interesting but the optional excursion especially the tour of Narvic was not worth the money.
This was my 5th tour with Cosmos, previous tours were in 1987 and 2001. They are fairly hectic at times especially if you go on the optional tours in the evening and there is an early start the next morning. I would highly recommend the optional evening tours as it is a really good way to mix with your fellow group members especially at the folklore read more and dinner evenings. My favourite is the Ziko's grill dinner in Berlin, this is the second or third time I have been there and it is a great fun evening with eating, drinking, singing and dancing. We did not want to leave when it was time to board the coach for the return trip to our hotel and on the coach the singing continued with the CD's played by our tour guide Anita. All the folklore and dinner evenings ended with everyone singing on the coach during the trip back to our hotel.
I found all the meals including breakfast and dinner (when provided) to be very good although some of the hotels were really busy at breakfast time with all the guests that were staying there. Our tour group consisted of people from the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, India, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary (the tour guide) and Italy (the tour driver), so it was a good mix I think. The age range was in the 50's and 60's bracket and we all mixed well together and were one big happy family at the end of the tour and very sorry to go our separate ways.
I found all the meals including breakfast and dinner (when provided) to be very good although some of the hotels were really busy at breakfast time with all the guests that were staying there. Our tour group consisted of people from the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, India, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary (the tour guide) and Italy (the tour driver), so it was a good mix I think. The age range was in the 50's and 60's bracket and we all mixed well together and were one big happy family at the end of the tour and very sorry to go our separate ways.
Wonderful trip. Hotels were good but the included meals left a lot to be desired. Tour guide was very caring and diligent. Actual tour gave us a good overview of France. Most enjoyable.
Global Journeys were very good to deal with. French cuisine was a great disappointment. Vegetarian diet was beyond their expertise. Due to the stated hotel in one place being full we went up market, great. One of the Ibis hotels hardly had enough room for a couple, but overall accommodation was good. The tour guide often departed from the schedule, read more which sometime was a benefit and sometimes was not. We had to pay 35 Euro for a cab for one stop that we skipped that we felt was important, as the one making the schedule also thought. The two bus drivers had incredible skill.
