A busy 31 days in Europe 4
Anilou, SA, Australia, Sep 2016
If you want to see nearly everything in a relatively short time, this is the tour to do, especially travelling the long distance from Australia. You get a really good taste of different European cities and you will be able to decide whether you would like to return to your favourites next time! This was our second Globus tour but our first to Europe read more and we will definitely consider using them again in the future. Our group of 44 (initially, one of the couples had to fly home after second day) were a great bunch of people. There were mainly Australians, followed by Americans, New Zealanders and a single Canadian! I would not want such a large number again though. We did all the optional excursions (not including London) except for two, which were the Windmill & Cheese Tour in Amsterdam & the Neapolitan Experience in Sorrento. The total cost if you do all of them from Brussels to Paris is approx. 2790 Euros for 2 people. If you do the Windmill & Cheese Tour, you will not get a chance to see Amsterdam! The ones which I would not do if I had the chance again are 1. Swiss Folklore Party & Dinner in Lucerne 2. Sorrento Flavours 3. Excursion to Toledo in Madrid. This is my personal opinion only. I thought they were either not that interesting or special or they infringed on free time too much. Also you will most definitely not go hungry with all the included and optional dinners.
The first week is probably the most tiring as some mornings, we had to leave the hotel around 7.30 to 8 o'clock, but this got easier and some mornings were more leisurely, the further we got into the tour. I would suggest you need to be quite mobile as there is a reasonable amount of walking and be able to walk slightly uphill on occasions. It isn't really for unfit people, unless you're prepared to miss out on some sights. Our tour started from London on 2 September and whilst the weather was on the warm side, mid to high 20's, overall it was good travelling weather everywhere. It was slightly cooler when we finished in Paris, so take a light to medium jacket, which you will also need for Mt Pilatus in Switzerland. You also need some dressier clothes for the optional Waltz & Operetta Concert in Vienna and the optional Moulin Rouge in Paris.
The hotels were mostly very good and usually close to the city, but not all. The hotel in Vienna overlooked the Danube River and was one of my favourites, although it wasn't close to anything else. The hotel in Paris was nice and the breakfast was excellent but it was too far from the centre of Paris. Our driver, Oscar was brilliant and our tour leader, Lode was very efficient and knowledgeable, but I found him to be a bit intimidating! We felt like VIPs actually, as we skipped queues and got extra inclusions, which we noticed other tours did not get. We got first class seats on the TVG train from Bordeaux to Paris which was great. Overall I thought the tour was excellent and great value for money and we were very happy with the price and service given to us by Global Journeys and Hannah. I was a tiny bit concerned about booking and paying over the internet and not actually seeing the travel agent, but I would be confident in booking with them next time. (Ed: Review based on a similar but longer itinerary. Trip name and itinerary updated this season)
Global Journeys provided trouble free bookings and set up a great Globus Holiday in Iceland
6
Iceland Adventure
David & Susanne Taggart, WA, Australia, Aug 2016
Global Journeys provided very helpful and professional staff who quickly dealt with our initial inquiries and our subsequent booking of our 8 Day Iceland Adventure with Globus from 28th August, 2016. The Globus Tour bus was full but very comfortable and Globus provided an excellent Icelandic Tour Leader, "Holm", was her the name I used, her full Icelandic read more name was unpronounceable/unspellable. We saw all of the sights and learnt a lot about the Iceland Geographic and Icelandic customs and culture from "Holm". We really enjoyed our tour it was excellent, although the weather was cold, by our standards (with outside temperatres during the day of between 8degrees C to 10degrees C) but it was rain free and sunny except for a half of one day. Our Hotel Accommodation and included meals were all of the best quality throughout the whole trip. We also did both of the additional excursions, the boat trip in Lake Jokulsarlon through the gigantic blue icebergs fed by three or four enormous Glaciers, and the float/swim in the Blue Lagoon, both were very good.
Tour director Riccardo and driver Emilio provided us with a really good tour of France. It was great not having to worry about the hotels, the parking, the luggage, the TGV back to Paris. On the whole, the hotels were great and in good locations (loved the chateau de Chailly , and Mercure at Chamonix) Some of the rooms were on the small side and air read more con not up to coping with the heat; the included dinners were sadly disappointing on many occasions, and only one drink included with your meal. We did most of the optional tours, Versailles and Monaco were wonderful, but the Canal du Midi and Fontaine de Vaucluse trips were a waste of time and money.
Geographically Spectacular
8
Iceland Adventure
Tony Georgeson, NSW, Australia, Aug 2016
Way up there as far as scenery is concerned. Couldn't ask for more opportunities to "Ooh aah" over waterfalls, glaciers, icebergs, geysers, bubbling mud, rugged cliffs, serene valleys, verdant farmland, whales, horses, etc. Tour director was very good - knowledgable, hard working, patient, good sense of humour and tried really hard to find us a puffin. read more Bus was comfy with wifi. Seat rotation. Bus driver was excellent. Accommodation was probably as good as it gets in Iceland. We had no reason to complain. Meals were fine, especially the seafood and lamb. Would really recommend the whale watching. Plenty of whales putting on a show and anyone interested had the opportunity to catch a fish. A personal bonus. Blue Lagoon was great! Warm water, a mud facial, muscle relaxing plunging water and several bars within the pool made for an enjoyable afternoon.
This was our first tour and we were rather unsure whether we’d enjoy a coach tour and thought it might be rather hectic and regimented. However, the pace was just right with plenty of time to do our own thing and no really early starts. We travelled with a friendly group, mostly of people who would have been fifty plus but with one or two younger ones read more and all energetic and interesting people. We didn’t want to drive around the Rockies as we both wanted a chance to relax and see everything and this tour worked well in that regard.
There were many highlights but the standout was Mt. Robson (where we had a lunch stop) and the section from Jasper to Banff which was just amazing. Another favourite of ours was Lake Louise, both the hotel (we only visited it and walked around the public areas) and the view of the lake between two mountains.
On the way back to Vancouver from Banff we covered a similar route to the Rocky Mountaineer (as well as the goods trains) and in fact I think we probably had better views as we were above the railway line for much of the time and were lucky enough to see a (very long) goods train going through the spiral tunnels.
The hotels were all of a good standard, we particularly enjoyed our stay at the Fairmont in Whistler, but those in Victoria, Jasper and Kelowna were also very comfortable. The included meals were of a very good standard and there were plenty of choices on the menus. All in all a wonderful well organised tour with a friendly and informative guide and a great driver.
After finishing our Pacific Coast Adventure with Globus we then joined the California Classics tour. As with the first tour, most hotels were very good. Lake Tahoe was an eye opener - it was like a big city - not what I was expecting. The drive from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite was great. Again often got in late and out early the next morning, no having read more any time to enjoy the facilities that the hotels had on offer. Carmel and Solvang lovely spots. The road does not follow the coast as you would expect and we always ended up on the wrong side of the bus to get the good views. Unfortunately we did not get to Hearst Castle as it was closed due to the recent fires giving off a lot of smoke. Our visit to the Getty Museum was good - need a couple of days to see everything. LA is the "pits" far to many people and the traffic!! Plus we were at LA airport when it was evacuated - flight ended up being cancelled, had to find additional accommodation very late at night and had to rebook our flight for the following day - glad to be back home. (GJ: Ahhh the joys of travel :)
Every day was a brilliant new experience. Learnt so much about the 'West' and the Native American culture in particular. The variety of mountain ranges, plains,and lakes spectacular. We saw Osprey, Bald eagle, Elk, deer, Bison/Tatanka and Black Bear to name but a few. Derek our guide was exceptional and Phil our driver not only a very safe driver but read more knowledgeable about the area and a gentleman. All hotels of great standards. Will be happy to book our travel with Global Journeys again especially with Yvonne Brooks assistance.
Wonderful introduction to Scandinavia
2
Northern Capitals
Sharon Wright, QLD, Australia, Aug 2016
Even though it was only a tour of the capitals, I enjoyed it immensely. The excursion to Tallinn in Estonia was especially good. Our Tour Manager and Coach driver were the loveliest people I've met in a long time. All local Tour Guides were very knowledgeable. The accommodation & meals were to a good standard, considering we only had 2 nights in each read more city. I think the highlight of my trip was the overnight cruise from Stockholm to Helsinki. Sailing through the Archipelago was magnificent. I would definitely recommend this tour as it is great value for money, and booking with Global Journeys on-line was easy, the response was immediate, and they kept you up to date throughout, with your booking.
Overall very good, most hotels were great. Having said that our accommodation at Jot's Resort Gold Beach was rather rustic, and our included dinner and breakfast was well below standard. The boat trip on the Rogue River [Jerry's Rogue Jets was great - the weather was perfect. Would have liked more "down time" to enjoy the facilities at the hotels. read more Some days did not get into hotels until late and out early the next day. The tours in Seattle were good - Boeing Tour and the Space Needle. Would drop off visit to Pike Place Market and replace it with Underground Seattle Tour. Thought we would have seen more wildlife, only saw a few squirrels and a couple of deer.
Wow what an amazing time we all had on our wonderful trip through the Rockies !! With a group of 7 I enlisted Hannah from Global Journeys to help with planning and booking and I couldn't be happier with the service (thanks again Hannah). The Globus coach tour was great and the Rocky Mountaineer an amazing experience, the scenery was just picture book read more perfect all the way! Everything I had hoped for and more - until next time Hannah!
This trip is for anyone looking for a short tour of the picks of Spain. At times I thought it was a little rushed, but if we took the time it would have been an eleven day trip. Optional excursions are well worth it. The one thing letting the tour down was the air-conditioning in most of the accommodations, most were too noisy for a 4 star hotel and read more it was a shame to say as the hotels were nice in all other respects, though the pillows were too soft and the beds too firm, but this seems to be typical of other places I stayed at even off the tour. The tour guides were great and enthusiastic and their English was no problem at all. The meals were mostly great with lots of variety. One of the other people in the group said this Globus tour was his sixth Globus tour, so I will definitely consider Globus for my next tour.
We really enjoyed our trip to the Rockies and seeing the Glaciers. The tour was very good and at a good pace. We could have spent more time at some places as some places was really good (Kelowna). The Tour guide and the driver were very friendly and always on time.
A thouroughly enjoyable expeience 10
Gabrielle & Henry, QLD, Australia, Jul 2016
We very much enjoyed The 18 Day Grand Scandinavian Circle Tour. It was most comprehensive and well balanced, including many interesting sights and optional excursions. In particular we liked the visit to the Engholm Husky Farm and Sami people reindeer farm. The visit to Tallinn (Estonia) was rather rushed and we would have appreciated more time to spend read more there. Much credit has to go to our Tour Director Colleen, who was most knowledgeable, very professional and helpful at all times.
Absolutely wonderful!
6
Italian Treasures
Allan & Shirley Stephenson, New Zealand, Jul 2016
We booked the Italian Treasures tour as it featured the top locations and historical sites ie. Rome, Vatican, Cinque Terra, Venice & Assisi. Our travel period was peak time in Italy, summer holidays, and would have been difficult without the tour. We where fortunate to have a fantastic tour guide, Giampero Filadoro, and made some good friends read more with others on the tour. The tour was well organised and we did not experience any problems. It is difficult to list one highlight as all of Italy is beautiful. Venice was like a movie set! St Marks Square at night with the music and people is amazing. Cinque Terra is not to be missed . We opted for all excursions and that proved a good choice. Thank you to Leanne at Global Journeys for arranging a wonderful, stress free holiday. We will be using Global journeys for future bookings.
We enjoyed the trip very much. The Cicerone at Rome was a great motel in a great location. We enjoyed our stay there. All the motels were good except we had a very small room at the motel in Florence. One issue we had was the amount of time spent at the Vatican compared to the Colosseum. Our tour guide for that day was a very strong religious type read more and we spent far too long at the Vatican. After the Vatican and the Roman Forum she even said we are now going to the greatest history monument in Rome's history which was the Colosseum and we only spent 15 minutes in there and 10 minutes was talking about the movie the Gladiator in the hall and we only looked at the main arena for about 5 minutes.. We did not continue with that guide after lunch. The tour guide at Florence was obviously a Michael Angelo lover and he spent too much time talking about statues that had no real appeal. The tour guide at Venice was absolutely excellent. He was very knowledgeable and very funny which made a great experience. We would have no hesitation in recommending Globus. We had a lovely group of people on the trip.
Epic train trip (service, comfort, host and staff best we have seen). Great but necessary "all go" Globus tour and leader. Very good relaxing cruise to finish. Wonderful views and country. Transfers to and from airport and waterfront on the Canada line sky train are unbeatable in time, efficiency and cost. Vancouver does it well.
Tour includes many world known archeological sites, monuments and places some registered in the UNESCO World Heritage list. We enjoyed many places of great natural beauty, friendliness and hospitality of Greek peoples. Sightseeing involves a fair amount of walking. Comfortable, sturdy shoes with good grip, sunglasses and sunscreen are necessary. Bottled read more water was provided by Globus. Our tour director- Maria was knowledgeable, friendly and entertaining. Hotels were of good and very good standard. Our group of 25 consisted of professional peoples, some with teenagers, mainly from USA and Australia. Optional dinners were enjoyable. Excellent experience.
Excellent overview of Scandinavia 4
Colleen, New Zealand, Jul 2016
This was an amazing experience. Even though I ended up travelling on my own, I never felt left out. The forty three of us got along really well together. We had enough time to enjoy the included visits as well as the optional excursions most of which I did. I felt very safe with the Polish bus driver. The tour guide was excellent and left us with many read more wonderful memories. I would recommend this tour for its pace and the places it enabled us to visit.
Northern Capitals 3
Anne Bridges & Irene Snow, WA, Australia, Jul 2016
We were very disappointed at the start of our holiday. When we arrived in Copenhagen we found where we had to wait for the Courier. The previous people had been picked up 20 minutes before we arrived. We were supposed to wait 2 hours which stretched out to 3 hours. By that time 14 of my tour had arrived. A Globus van arrived to pick up 3 people from read more another hotel and tour. After much deliberation squeezed us into the bus. We arrived at our Hotel 15minutes before the Welcome Dinner started. At the start of the tour we were supposed to receive "whispers" these didn't arrive till days later. Oslo Hotel was very hot and was apparently being closed for refurbishment soon after our stay.
Absolutely magnificent tour from start to finish. Scenery was unforgettable. Rocky Mountaineer Train was all and more than we expected. Glad we didn't upgrade to Goldleaf as we felt more pampered in Silverleaf. The service was first class and not having to move from your seat for meals was excellent. We really didn't get to see much of Whistler as the read more Canadian Ironman was running that day and we had to wait for hours outside of the town until the road reopened. Globus really should have had more forethought in getting us to Whistler before the road closed. The cruise was more than we expected. Scenery was fantastic and the verandah cabin and all meals and service on board were excellent.
Results
441-460 of 817