Cosmos Tour Reviews
The 1984 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.
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Definitely recommend this tour to anyone 1
Trans-American Adventure
Jason Taylor, Australia, Jun 2014
All three of us had wonderful time. The tour Director (Jason) was the best we could have hoped for and went well out of his way to make everyone's journey perfect. The driver (Dave) was also just the loveliest person and did everything he could to make us all see everything. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone. We saw soooo much. Even read more though we were fully aware this was a budget tour, we didn't have high expectations for the accommodation, however were pleasantly surprised. A real life changing holiday!
We just loved everything about this tour!! 1
Trans-American Adventure
Robin & Lynne Lerch, Australia, Jun 2014
Wow, what a trip!! Our 2nd trip with Cosmos & we were not disappointed. Our tour director Jason & bus driver Dave are the best! These two guys are so so good! If you want to see a fair bit of the USA, this is the trip for you. We just loved everything about this tour, the hotels, the cities, & the National Parks, they are to die for!!!! Even went to read more Canada side to see Niagara Falls. Loved the optional excursions. Great stuff Cosmos & Michelle from Global Journeys.
This tour was our first and the start of many. We loved everything about it, so much so, that we are missing America so much and want to go back there as soon as possible. We are organising for about 18 months time. Yes there were little things that bugged us, but this trip had everything from the big cities to the national parks to the small country read more towns. Each hotel had something different and were very comfortable. Loved the cabins at the grand canyon. Met some really nice people who we have kept in touch with since the end of the trip. Our Tour Director Jason Capalongo, was awesome and made the trip every bit as exciting and fun as we had hoped. Dave the bus driver, was just as awesome, taking us to places that alot of drivers wouldn't have done, so we were spoilt. So much happened on the trip that even Jason was surprised, so many good things. Thank you Georgie for your assistance with booking this trip, you made it easy and as this was our first overseas trip, you did whatever you could do to assist us. I would definitely travel with Cosmos again and book through Global Journeys. I have mentioned Global Journeys to a number of my friends, so hopefully they will book with you in the future. In closing, this was the best trip and we were so happy we did it. By the way, we got married in Vegas and had so much fun in doing so. Just a note: if you are expecting 5 star hotels, then you might want to look elsewhere, this is a low budget trip and the accommodation is very sufficient and very comfortable for the price you are paying.
Saw so much more than expected and enjoyed every minute 1
England, Scotland & Wales
Edda Cody, Australia, Jun 2014
Thumbs up to our tour guide Gavin and driver Percy. They were the best. We saw so much more than expected and enjoyed every minute.
Global Journeys handled the bookings very well 3
John McIntosh, Australia, Jun 2014
I should mention I am a professional Tour Guide and Driver, working for companies like Scenic, Evergreen, FJ Tours and Boutique Tours in Australia, NZ, Canada & Great Britain. Tour was Ok but way too much time on the coach. Our main driver, Enzo was great but other drivers a bit ordinary. Overnight cruise to Greece & back is closer to 24 hours. The read more included breakfast on the vessel was greasy bacon & eggs, no alternative. San Marino - Venice was not the coastline as described in literature but on an inland motorway. Carcassonne was amazing. Central Park Hotel, Sorrento was well below standards and could pass as Fawlty Towers. Breakfasts were spartan and dinner was awful. The TV in the room was the smallest I have ever seen. The towels were like sandpaper. Staff were surly. Hotels & meals in Olympia and Rome were tops. San Marino Hotel was great too and we had the added bonus of a parade and cannon salute. Hotels in Koln & Amsterdam were well out of town and we saw nothing of Koln. Lake cruise at Lucerne should be p.m as the morning mists had not cleared. The restaurant manager in Venice Hotel did not like the fact that I sent the white wine back as it was warm. He dumped a huge bucket of ice in the middle of the table and would not accept the fact that I don't eat pasta. Very rude. The final dinner in Amsterdam was not worth EU45 pp. Global Journeys handled the bookings very well. Many thanks!
All aspects of the tour were a very high standard 6
Andrew Hill, Australia, Jun 2014
From my first contact with Global Journeys to the end of the tour I found all aspects of the tour to be of a very high standard. Airport transfers, pre and post tour accommodation and the tour itself were well organised and stress free and had one knowing they were in good hands. Booking of the tour, flights and accommodation by Georgie proceeded smoothly read more and efficiently and prompt email replies to my queries were appreciated. The tour director, Michael, was a font of knowledge about the places we visited and provided commentary in an appropriate manner at a rate that most tour members, I spoke with, appreciated. The main driver, Enzo, as well as Mario, were incredible and negotiated many tight bends and narrow, busy streets with great skill and mastery. Michael, Enzo and Mario were each very approachable, friendly, likeable and always of good humour and cheer. They conducted themselves professionally with the care and well being of the group always a major consideration. Most of the local guides I also found to be of similar character. I enjoyed the pace of the tour which was needed to do all that the tour promoted. The short time we spent in some places served to whet my appetite to return for a longer stay. I could not fault the included breakfasts or evening meals and enjoyed all that was on offer. Accommodation was generally of a high standard in regard to quality and location. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the All About Europe tour (previously named European Masterpiece) and the company of all the tour members and Cosmos employees. On returning home I described the tour as 'an enjoyable adventure and party' which lasted for 27 days. (Ed. Itinerary amended slightly in 2019)
Excellent value and an exceptional experience 1
The Canadian Rockies with Alaska Cruise
Vispy & Dinaz Mehta, Australia, Jun 2014
My husband and I had a wonderful tour with Cosmos including the Holland America cruise. Our tour director John Gargrave was a wealth of knowledge and lifted the tone of the tour to another level. He was polite, helpful and with his extensive knowledge the information he shared was both informative and entertaining. Overall the package from Cosmos was read more excellent value and an exceptional experience.
The trip of a lifetime for me and would highly recommend it 2
Cindy McCloud, Australia, Jun 2014
Our tour guide was fantastic. She was very friendly and knowledgeable. Most of the hotels were average - one without air conditioning which was so needed, especially spending 2 nights there in the humidity. Free wifi should be offered in every hotel. The coach was comfortable and should have free wifi, as well as maybe having available travel pillows. read more Other than that the tour was a trip of a lifetime for me and would highly recommend it especially traveling to Europe for the first time. (Ed. Thanks for the feedback, Cindy. For a better class of hotel, WiFi on the coach and a few more tour inclusions then perhaps you should consider travelling with Cosmos's sister brand Globus next time - of course that also comes at a higher price.)
We had a very good time 2
Ngoc Lan Le, Australia, May 2014
We had a very good time. Both the tour director and the driver were excellent. The tour was fantastic, however it was a pain entering Russia. We were given visa exactly two days stay in St. Petersburg's. The tour director had to check all our visa again to make sure that the date was correct. It is expensive for a two days visa. Some of the group members read more said that they received the travel document quite late and had to pay extra to get their visa on time for the trip. Thanks to Yvonne we received our travel document well ahead. Thanks Yvonne for your diligent and first class service. We were apprehensive about booking our trip with Global Journeys because we are in Sydney and thus cannot have face to face contact. We are now happy and feel confident to book our travel with Global Journey again.
Returned with some amazing photos and life experiences 4
Western Wonders
Lavinia Verduci, Australia, May 2014
A chance to see the Grand Canyon... I really enjoyed the layout of the Western Wonders tour on paper and anticipated a great time. What I completely forgot about was to consider the temperature at the time of the tour. It didn't strike me that I was doing a desert tour until I landed in LA! As someone who hides indoors in airconditioned comfort when read more it hits the high 20's I was completely unprepared to find the majority of the tour would be in the high 30's/low 40's - even though it was just at the start of summer. It was such a simple oversight but it impacted on the whole trip - inappropriate clothes, inappropriate footwear, inability to explore on foot as much as I anticipated (and I'm a GREAT walker). Thankfully the coach carried bottled water for purchase at a very reasonable price. The stops were also very well arranged - plenty of opportunities to explore new sights and cities. Some of the accommodation sites lacked air conditioning or room fridges - and so next time I travel into similar climes I'm prepared to pay a little extra for my creature comforts. Similarly with breakfasts. I wont travel again on a package where it's not included (but that's a purely personal thing). Trying different routines and things is one of the benefits of travel. My tour guide, Linda Perez, was extremely helpful and knowledgable. The trip would not have been the same without her. I'd happily tour with her again. Though I'd avoid Hunan Homes' Chinese reastaurant in San Francisco (which she raved about)... I don't think that they expected our party to be so large so squashed more of us onto tables but did not proportionally increase the servings. A few of the serving dishes emptied before completing the circuit of the table. I wasn't the only one who went out for a burger afterwards! Pity, because what was served was actually tasty. Personally speaking, I've travelled a Cosmos tour (Canada) with a lot more extras for not that much more money per day. That's the benchmark I'd set for considering future tours. Some of the Western Wonders tour had quite comfortable accommodation, but a couple of nights were definitely under 3 stars (maybe 2.5). This wouldn't influence my recommending the tour to anyone - I'd just make them aware that sometimes the bathrooms wouldn't have exhaust fans or fridges in rooms were optional extras. Everywhere the linen was clean and there were plenty of pillows. This time the tour selected was influenced by the finishing date of another trip. It's made me aware that staying a few extra days in a city is a worthwhile expense rather than taking the first available connecting tour. That being said, I'm extremely glad to have taken this tour and have returned with some amazing photos and life experiences, plus I've met an interesting assortment of fellow travellers. I couldn't have done this staying home.
Thoroughly enjoyed the tour from start to end 4
Trevor Emmitt, Australia, May 2014
Thoroughly enjoyed the tour from the start in London to the end in London, but cream of the tour was when we teamed up with our Tour Director Zsolt and Coach Driver Giorgio without who, we would not have experienced such a delightful and fun filled holiday. We were blessed to have a small group (24) of travellers - Zsolt made a point of telling us that read more we were not tourists, we were travellers and a very happy band of brothers and sisters, we were, just one big happy family. I will definitely be booking another tour through Europe and only hope that when I do, that both Zsolt and Giorgio are with that tour group. Cosmos are very fortunate to have these two men in their employment as they went out of their way and in my opinion, over and above their duties. As I mentioned before, I thoroughly enjoyed the total trip and now return home to convince my wife to join me on the next adventure. Made so many friends on the trip who I think will remain lifetime friends. I would also like to mention the fabulous local guides at the different cities/towns we visited. There were a few little hiccups along the way like some hotel a/c not working and other minor faults but Zsolt was right onto it to ensure the comfort of those persons affected. Thank you Cosmos & Global Journeys for the great tour.
Tour was value for money 3
Leigh McTaggart, Australia, May 2014
Generally the trip was very good. While one cannot visit everywhere, the biggest dissapointment was going on an average boat cruise on the River Sienne ( which wasn't really 'exciting') & missing out on the Effiel Tower & not stopping or visiting the Arc de Triumph. Our guide did a good job for us & I feel everyone liked him. Over all I feel the tour read more was value for money. I would go Cosmos again to certain destinations.
A great success for both my daughter and myself 1
Golden West Adventure
Donald Schoen, Australia, May 2014
The 8500 tour was a great success for both my daughter and myself. The Tour Director (Jose Lumos) was very informative, effectively dealt with individual guest requests and professionally managed unplanned events over the 16 day period. The accommodation exceeded expectations in both standard and location to centres of tourist activities. I would read more recommend the tour to anyone who wants to sample the delights of the US west coast.
A fantastic experience! Amazing tour and tip top clean hotel room. I could not have hoped for more. I found Hannah at Global Journeys extremely helpful.
First trip with Cosmos. We are impressed with the organization, competence, friendliness, and knowledge of the staff. For our next destination we will definitely look at Global Journeys first.
Well organised and good value for money 2
Central Europe
Sandra Wilson & Geoffrey White, Australia, May 2014
Both Geoffrey and I thought the tour was well organised and good value for money. Most of the hotels were a good class of accommodation except there were a couple that could have been better. It seems that we had a mixture of 2, 3 and 4 star hotels instead of them being all the same class. A couple of the hotels had very small rooms and small showers read more but most of the hotels were in great locations. We especially enjoyed staying at the Aquincum hotel in Budapest with the indoor pool, spa and gym. The tour guide Osman, was very friendly, humorous, attentive and was exceptional at helping with any questions or problems that we had. Franco was a great driver with a good sense of honour and good interaction with the passengers and with Osman that helped to make the journey very entertaining. The whole tour was well organised and I feel we would have certainly not seen as much as we did if we had not gone on a coach tour holiday. Some of the local tour guides where very difficult to understand due to their accent and that they talked very quickly. The guide that we had in Budapest was especially difficult. He had a very heavy accent and spoke in a very low, monotone voice so doubly difficult to trying to understand him. As we couldn't understand him we tuned out and that part of the tour was boring. We also felt that some of the local tour guides placed too much emphasis on the history of the war and although we realise that is a significant part of their history we do not need to know a lot of dates of events as we would not remember them.
Enjoyed our tour overall and saw some amazing places 1
The Best of Europe
Youlla Darjani, Australia, May 2014
We enjoyed our tour overall and saw some amazing places but the pace was too quick and we had very little time in many places, especially stopovers, and very little free time. There were too many 'optional excursions' and not enough 'included excursions' so we were strongly encouraged to do all of these thereby limiting any free time and costing us read more almost as much as the tour itself. Where we expected to have extra time ie 2 night stays, we really didn't have much extra time as we arrived at our destination late at night with time to shower and sleep and we then really only had a full day there. Also, the accommodation was very poor. Most of the accommodation was very far out of the city. There were no four star, only three star accommodations especially in Italy. The only decent hotels we had were in Switzerland. I think this was the only place where our accommodation was close to the city and we had good hotels. On a positive note the bus was very comfortable and our driver was excellent.
A great tour and visited all of the areas listed 1
Focus on Scandinavia
Philip Shephard, Australia, May 2014
We booked the Cosmos Focus on Scandinavia trip with Michelle. We were hesitant at first to book online but our experience could not have been better as Michelle always got back to us and everything went like clockwork. Thanks Michelle. The Cosmos trip was 12 days and we had a very good trip. Copenhagen hotel was out near Bromma airport but access to read more city was good. The trip on the boat and all the hotels were very good and central to most of the towns. We had a full coach of 44 which made some of the toilet stops a bit of a wait for the females. All the meals were good with a cooked breakfast every day with a lot of variety. Our driver was good although not over friendly and the tour guide was always very helpful. The prices quoted for some of the optional excursions on the Cosmos website are not what we got charged but more. Overall we had a great tour and visited a all of the areas listed on the itinerary. In Stockholm we had prepaid for airport transfer and as we were later in the day Cosmos paid for a taxi for us to the airport, organised by the tour guide. We can recommend this tour to anyone who wants a quick tour of Denmark , Norway and Sweden.
Like lots of other people, this was the first time I had booked a tour using the internet. I was very impressed with the service that I received. Firstly I would like to thank Global Journeys, especially Georgina Walpole for the professional job she provided. Any of my concerns or questions were solved promptly, and now I feel that booking though the read more internet is safe and reliable, saving a lots of my time going to a Travel Agency. (Ed. Thanks Van, that's exactly what we are trying to do, provide more choice and flexibility). Now about the tour, it was extremely good, the driver Antony was a very good driver, calm, polite, helpful and drove very safely. My tour guide Alex had very good knowledge about all the places that we went, helping people whenever they needed. All the hotels were excellent. The only thing I didn't like much was the pace - most of the days we had to wake up early. I understand that if we didn't, we wouldn't have enough time to visit some of the very good places during the day. Overall I liked the tour very much and I'd recommend to anybody wanting to have a very good holiday in Europe. Book this tour! Thank you again!
The trip. What can I say. In a word 'Wonderful'. Much better than I had expected. In this tour batch (23 May to 14 June) total travellers = 46. Of this, 44 were Australian citizens and 2 NZ citizens. It was home away from home. All very easy to get along with. Jim Ryan, the tour director very efficient and helpful bloke. Always there for help and advice. read more Larry the driver - he was everyone's darling. We all loved him. He made sure that we had the best views possible by keeping the bus windows as clean as possible. Actually we saw him washing the windows at refreshment breaks, even though he is a Senior Citizen of very calm demeanor, and a man of few words. Always had a smile for everyone. As far as Global Journey's service is concerned I could not fault it. I admit I was a bit concerned when the travel documents were delayed a bit, prior to the travel, but that was insignificant in hindsight. The sights/sceneries between New York to Los Angeles were spectacular in more than one way, from architectural marvels to nature's carvings. One has to see it to believe it.
