Globus Reviews
The 843 Globus reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have travelled with Globus. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
The 843 Globus reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have travelled with Globus. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
Wonderful trip, have already recommended to others 1
Eastern US & Canada Discovery with New York City
Rosemaree & Colin, WA, Australia, Sep 2014
This was a wonderful trip and we have already recommended it to others. The itinerary was extremely well planned and our tour guide Ali ran a very tight ship to ensure that we were all able to experience all that was planned on a daily basis. The accommodation was central in every place we stayed and in our free time we were able to enjoy the sights read more that each had to offer. We were very fortunate that we had a really lovely tour group which added to the overall experience. We would definitely travel with Globus again and look forward to using Global Journeys again.
Very good tour overall 7
Eastern US & Canada Discovery with New York City
Alan & Valerie Jennings, Australia, Sep 2014
The tour was very good overall - the comments below did not marr our experience with Globus and we would travel with them again, they are really things that could have been done better. There was no opportunity on the Globus assessment forms to list these specifics either (other than the CN Tower which everybody commented on!).
The places visited read more were very good with the exception of Montreal which wasn't up to expectations, exacerbated by the fact that the key must see of Notre Dame Basilica was not available/open due to weddings. The tour inclusions and optional excursions were potentially very good but spoilt by poor (included) meals - all evening meals included were poorly served, inferior positioning in the restaurants, and restricted menu options which spoilt otherwise enjoyable events. The optional excursion to the CN Tower in Toronto was very, very poor - expensive, poor food, poor service, poor layout, only the first people in got the ends of the tables adjacent to the windows to experience the views while eating, everybody else was squeezed into long tables that were well in board of the windows. The noise levels were also incredibly high.
The tour guide was very knowledgeable and helpful and well organised. The coach driver was very helpful and approachable also. The tour bus was very good except for leg room, I'm 192cm and expected more leg room, based on a previous Insight Vacations tour, which I thought was at a comparable 'business' level. The hotels were very good 'business' type hotels generally and well located within the cities visited, such that we could walk to and from them during free times. Some of the hotels were very 'hands off' with respect to their staff attitudes, friendly but not generally as helpful as others. Still enjoyed the tour a lot!
The places visited read more were very good with the exception of Montreal which wasn't up to expectations, exacerbated by the fact that the key must see of Notre Dame Basilica was not available/open due to weddings. The tour inclusions and optional excursions were potentially very good but spoilt by poor (included) meals - all evening meals included were poorly served, inferior positioning in the restaurants, and restricted menu options which spoilt otherwise enjoyable events. The optional excursion to the CN Tower in Toronto was very, very poor - expensive, poor food, poor service, poor layout, only the first people in got the ends of the tables adjacent to the windows to experience the views while eating, everybody else was squeezed into long tables that were well in board of the windows. The noise levels were also incredibly high.
The tour guide was very knowledgeable and helpful and well organised. The coach driver was very helpful and approachable also. The tour bus was very good except for leg room, I'm 192cm and expected more leg room, based on a previous Insight Vacations tour, which I thought was at a comparable 'business' level. The hotels were very good 'business' type hotels generally and well located within the cities visited, such that we could walk to and from them during free times. Some of the hotels were very 'hands off' with respect to their staff attitudes, friendly but not generally as helpful as others. Still enjoyed the tour a lot!
Such a great memory 1
Sue van Diemen, Australia, Sep 2014
I thought the planning of the tour was excellent. I didn't feel rushed or pressured at anytime. I was more than happy with everything that we saw and heard. Yvonne, our guide, was very personable and helpful and I think everyone on the tour loved her as she was so helpful and kind to everyone. Alfonso, our driver was amazing. He was courteous and read more happy the whole trip. Thanks you everyone who made this happen. Such a great memory.
The trip went very well and I had a most enjoyable time. I wanted to see the Islands of Hawaii, and I certainly did get a very good overview of them. I was particularly interested in the volcanic history of the islands, and saw much evidence of this. I took the opportunity to see the active volcano on the Big Island and did a helicopter flight over read more the area, which was quite unique and the highlight of my trip.
The hotels were well located and had everything you could wish for in facilities. All the hotel staff were extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with. The ocean view rooms were very nice and centrally located, and as we stayed 3 nights in each location an impressive view was worth it. The only exception was The Sheraton in Maui, where the ocean view rooms were in building 6 which was so far from the centre of the hotel, and the 10 minute walk so confusing that people constantly got lost. This was very frustrating, the other group members were in a much better central position. Also the rooms looked out on to a hedge which blocked half of the ocean view. The Luau at the hotel on the Big Island was such a nice evening, with dinner on the lawn and entertainment. The group did not meet until breakfast on day 2, and then after information was given, the day was at your leisure.
I would like to suggest that a get together be organised on the evening of day 1, even if all the people have not arrived, the vast majority certainly have. It could be for dinner or drinks a little later. People are ready to meet the group and get started, and people arriving the following day could be informed of arrangements separately. It seemed an anti climax after the breakfast meeting to just let people go and do their own thing. I feel a much better plan would be to have an included tour to The Polynesian Cultural Centre on day 2. I booked this tour myself for this day which was at our own leisure, and found it to be a wonderful introduction to Hawaii. I had to excuse myself from the breakfast tour briefing as my Polynesian Cultural tour departed at 10 am. Hence a meeting the night before would have been a much better arrangement.
On a similar note the farewell night was in Maui as some of the group were departing from there. This was a nice dinner, but for all the rest of the group, again the majority who went on to Kauai it did not feel like a farewell as we had 4 more nights on the tour. It would have been really nice and valued by everyone if we had had an organised a get together on the last night in Kauai, again either dinner or drinks so we could all be together to say our parting words and exchange addresses. As it was people were dispersed on the last night and we only got to see some of the group then, and the next morning others waiting for the airport bus. There were people that we would have liked to talk to before we left, and missed the chance. The departure was disappointing.
The tour director was very friendly, pleasant and helpful. The coach drivers were incredible, so funny and very informative. You got the impression that they really enjoyed their job, which is rare today. The Polynesian people everywhere were just so lovely. They have a beautiful nature which is so special and precious. I do hope that tourism, which provides their livelihood, does not spoil the natural beauty of the people, their way of life and the beauty of the islands. The trip was wonderful and my comments are more fine tuning that criticism.
The hotels were well located and had everything you could wish for in facilities. All the hotel staff were extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with. The ocean view rooms were very nice and centrally located, and as we stayed 3 nights in each location an impressive view was worth it. The only exception was The Sheraton in Maui, where the ocean view rooms were in building 6 which was so far from the centre of the hotel, and the 10 minute walk so confusing that people constantly got lost. This was very frustrating, the other group members were in a much better central position. Also the rooms looked out on to a hedge which blocked half of the ocean view. The Luau at the hotel on the Big Island was such a nice evening, with dinner on the lawn and entertainment. The group did not meet until breakfast on day 2, and then after information was given, the day was at your leisure.
I would like to suggest that a get together be organised on the evening of day 1, even if all the people have not arrived, the vast majority certainly have. It could be for dinner or drinks a little later. People are ready to meet the group and get started, and people arriving the following day could be informed of arrangements separately. It seemed an anti climax after the breakfast meeting to just let people go and do their own thing. I feel a much better plan would be to have an included tour to The Polynesian Cultural Centre on day 2. I booked this tour myself for this day which was at our own leisure, and found it to be a wonderful introduction to Hawaii. I had to excuse myself from the breakfast tour briefing as my Polynesian Cultural tour departed at 10 am. Hence a meeting the night before would have been a much better arrangement.
On a similar note the farewell night was in Maui as some of the group were departing from there. This was a nice dinner, but for all the rest of the group, again the majority who went on to Kauai it did not feel like a farewell as we had 4 more nights on the tour. It would have been really nice and valued by everyone if we had had an organised a get together on the last night in Kauai, again either dinner or drinks so we could all be together to say our parting words and exchange addresses. As it was people were dispersed on the last night and we only got to see some of the group then, and the next morning others waiting for the airport bus. There were people that we would have liked to talk to before we left, and missed the chance. The departure was disappointing.
The tour director was very friendly, pleasant and helpful. The coach drivers were incredible, so funny and very informative. You got the impression that they really enjoyed their job, which is rare today. The Polynesian people everywhere were just so lovely. They have a beautiful nature which is so special and precious. I do hope that tourism, which provides their livelihood, does not spoil the natural beauty of the people, their way of life and the beauty of the islands. The trip was wonderful and my comments are more fine tuning that criticism.
A great trip with a good operator 3
Pang & Chay, Australia, Sep 2014
The schedule was busy as you would expect in a tour like this. It was a well organised schedule and we had a great time seeing many places in a relatively short period of time. The Tour Director (Liz) was patient, personable, good and knowledgeable who looked after us well and the Driver (Danilo) was a pleasant man. Personally, my wife and I (and I read more think a few of the other tour members) were disappointed that we did not have the option of going to Moulin Rouge. We were so looking forward to Moulin Rouge but had to settle for Nouvelle Eve. Also, whilst it is great having wifi on the coach, it is unstable or unreliable at times and got a bit annoying. Sometimes, the wifi was not turned on (perhaps forgotten) and perhaps it is something not in Globus' control ie. poor or no reception whilst travelling in remote and hilly areas, etc. Generally, all the hotels except maybe one or two are good. Overall, a great trip with a good operator, Globus. Would my wife and I do another trip with Globus? You bet!
We both thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Our guide Freda was obviously very experienced, so knowledgeable, and fantastic at managing such a varied group of people . Despite my husband saying that was going to be our last overseas trip, he is now thinking we could go on another Globus trip in Europe in 2-3 years time ! Yippee!
We are so happy that we selected this tour 3
Maritimes Adventure
Glenn & Tina Jones, QLD, Australia, Sep 2014
We are so happy that we selected this tour based on possibly catching some of those much-touted 'Fall' colours. They were quite elusive due to a very mild season, but both our tour guide, Chris, and coach driver, Bob, promised they would find them, and find them they did - spectacularly so. In fact, Bob, a keen photographer, went out of his way (literally) read more to find us the perfect location for the perfect shot time and time again resulting in lots of Happy Snappers. The downside of the tour was the daily distances of up to 450kms necessary to cover the itinerary, but Canada being the size it is, there's really no option if you want to see what the Eastern Maritimes have to offer. The almost new coach was very comfortable, and seating was rotated regularly as is routine these days. Even on our longest travelling days, our stops were varied and interesting. We were blessed with almost perfect weather throughout the trip which was a real bonus. It was impossible to pick a favourite destination from Lovely Lunenberg with its startlingly coloured houses; Pretty Peggy's Cove - a quintessential fishing village; Historical Halifax with its connections to the Titanic along with its own horrendous explosion of 1917, or Progressive Prince Edward Island which so cleverly combines past traditions with future aspirations. And we all loved Anne with an E, both the house and gardens, but especially the outstanding show that had us alternately laughing and crying. The inclusive lobster and scallop dinners were outstanding, as was the selected accommodation. Having our luggage magically whisked away and deposited back to our next night's room was the 'cherry on the cake' of this Pamper Package. We have to say that Canada and this tour did not disappoint in any way and can thoroughly recommend both.
Overall the tour was excellent. Would have preferred a hotel in Paris closer to the centre of the city. Tour guide and bus driver were both excellent and extremely helpful - a pleasure to travel with. Very impressed with the organisational aspects of the tour - it all went really well. Enjoyed the whole trip.
Would we travel Globus again? You better believe it 1
Italy's Great Cities
Rod Ellt & Emidio Puglielli, Australia, Sep 2014
We had an AMAZING time on our tour 'Italy's Great Cities'. Not only did our Globus tour guide (Elizabetta) go out of her way to always ensure everyone was informed and up to date as to what was happening or going to happen next, the local guides that we had for the city tours were just as welcoming and informative. Initially we were not going to do read more the optional walking tours, but we are so glad we did. We would never had gathered the same amount of information by walking around and reading signs. Never think the optional tours are a waste of time or money. They are very much value for money. Would we travel Globus again? You better believe it.
We enjoyed everyday and the scenery was breath-taking 3
Great Canadian Rail Journey
Heather Gilbertson, Australia, Sep 2014
Thank you for a great trip. We enjoyed everyday and the scenery around Canada was breath-taking. The accommodation was always centrally located which made it very easy to get out and about to see more of the cities when we had some free time. The tour guide was also great and had a great knowledge of the area.
I really enjoyed this tour because it had so much to offer , what an amazing country with its contrasts, truly a land of fire and ice. We travelled within 160 kms of the erupting volcano and just to see the huge ash cloud spread across the horizon with the large glacier in the foreground was truly a sight I will always remember.
The tour of Scotland was a thoroughly enjoyable holiday. Andrew and Hanna both did a great job. Andrew was passionate about his subject, really making the history of Scotland come alive. We had an optional excursion to the pub ceilidh cancelled, so a tour of the Castle of Mey was put in as an offered replacement. It was excellent, one of the more beautiful read more castles, and well worth including in preference to the ceilidh. One concern was the lack of safety rails in bathrooms, especially where showers were over the baths. With some older people on these tours, this must be of some concern for them.
Would recommend this tour to all 3
Gillian Bickerstaff, Australia, Sep 2014
The 15 day National Parks Spectacular exceeded our expectations. The tour guide Eugene and coach driver Steve were fantastic, nothing was ever a problem and their knowledge of the parks and surrounding areas was exceptional. Each national park we went to had something special and seemed to step up a level on the previous. We would recommend this tour read more to all and have done already.
Thoroughly enjoyable trip, Pre-paid meals were great 1
Eastern US & Canada Discovery
Eileen & Jim Perri, Australia, Sep 2014
This tour is a fabulous tour, fast moving but covers quite a few kilometres and cities. The tour guide very pleasant and a wealth of information keeping us organized and on time. Coach driver helpful and always had our luggage in our room on arrival. Hotels we stayed were of a high standard. Pre-paid meals were all great. Thoroughly enjoyable trip.
Loved this tour 10
Anne Darcy, Australia, Sep 2014
My husband, son and I have just returned from our Traditional Grand European tour with Globus. We had a great time although there were some issues we experienced along the way which are worth noting by anyone considering this tour. On the plus side, the people on the tour were exceptionally nice although we were under the impression that there may have read more been a slightly younger clientele. Of the 42 people travelling, only two including our son would have been under 50 with most well into their 60s or 70s. We had a mixture of nationalities - 5 from New Zealand, 2 Canadians, 18 from the United Staes and 17 Aussies. This added to the enjoyment of the tour. The tour was extremely fast-paced - up at 6am on most days and leaving at 7:30am. This enabled us to see more, arrive at locations before most tour buses and get the long days of travel done earlier than may be expected. We were happy with this but it did not suit everyone.
The Eurostar which was included in this tour both to and from London was brilliant and we would highly recommend this form of transport for time-saving and convenience. Our hotels varied with issues in London (prior to the commencement of the tour) where the room at the Holiday Inn in Kensington was incredibly small and a little run-down, Venice where security was questionable, Lucerne which was quite old and Montecatini where internet was not available initially and the room was sub-standard. Venice, Lucerne and Montecatini were definitely not 4 star hotels. On the plus side, our hotels in other cities were very, very good, in particular in Rome, Munich, Vienna and Wiesbaden. They were often away from the centre of the cities but, due to the nature of the tour, this was not a problem. Most of the hotels supplied very good breakfasts and the included dinners were adequate although not 'fancy'.
The coach was extremely comfortable and the travelling passed by easily with excellent commentaries by our tour guide. However, internet was rarely provided as our tour guide turned it off or we were not in an area where it was available. The latter was understandable but it was frustrating when he would not connect it for us when he was able to.
Our tour guide ran the tour like clockwork. This was good and bad - good because everyone (without exception) was on time always but bad because we all felt like school children on an excursion and were scared of being reprimanded for being late. The tour was fast-paced so that stops were generally 20 minutes with 45 minutes for lunch. This put enormous pressure on all of us with queues being long for bathrooms and food and then there was little time to eat and enjoy the food and virtually no time for shopping for souvenirs or essential items on 'coach days'.
Our driver, Giuseppe, was skilful and everyone felt totally safe with him as he manoeuvred in and out of tiny areas. The included tours were excellent as were the local guides and we saw and experienced things which we could never have done by ourselves. The Optional Excursions varied in quality but I would definitely recommend, the Dutch Cheese Farm, the trip to Mount Pilatus and the cruise on Lake Lucerne, the Gondola Ride in Venice and the dinners in Venice and Rome, the walking tour of Rome, the dinner and tour of Monte Carlo and the Moulin Rouge evening.
The Optional Tours were cheaper than the Viator equivalents and transport was always included. Inclusion of transport is significant as taxis are expensive and public transport hard to work out in a strange city. There were many pluses for going on a Globus tour - value for money which is unquestionable, not having to deal with language issues in non-English speaking countries - our tour guide spoke 5 languages (at least) fluently, having large suitcases taken care of every morning by placing them outside the hotel rooms, being informed in an amazing way by our tour guide about every aspect of the places we visited and the sites we saw and fantastic companionship where new friends were made.
However, anyone considering doing this tour must realise that there is not a lot of time over for personal exploration of the places visited and it is essential to be fairly fit with good walking skills to be able to handle all that this tour has to offer. Having said all this, overall, we loved this tour and are very pleased that we chose to do it. We would like to take this opportunity to thank and recommend Hannah who finalised every aspect of our tour with precision and accuracy. We would highly recommend Global Journeys for tour bookings and would recommend this tour to anyone who wishes to see Western Europe in a nutshell with all the famous places and sites included!
The Eurostar which was included in this tour both to and from London was brilliant and we would highly recommend this form of transport for time-saving and convenience. Our hotels varied with issues in London (prior to the commencement of the tour) where the room at the Holiday Inn in Kensington was incredibly small and a little run-down, Venice where security was questionable, Lucerne which was quite old and Montecatini where internet was not available initially and the room was sub-standard. Venice, Lucerne and Montecatini were definitely not 4 star hotels. On the plus side, our hotels in other cities were very, very good, in particular in Rome, Munich, Vienna and Wiesbaden. They were often away from the centre of the cities but, due to the nature of the tour, this was not a problem. Most of the hotels supplied very good breakfasts and the included dinners were adequate although not 'fancy'.
The coach was extremely comfortable and the travelling passed by easily with excellent commentaries by our tour guide. However, internet was rarely provided as our tour guide turned it off or we were not in an area where it was available. The latter was understandable but it was frustrating when he would not connect it for us when he was able to.
Our tour guide ran the tour like clockwork. This was good and bad - good because everyone (without exception) was on time always but bad because we all felt like school children on an excursion and were scared of being reprimanded for being late. The tour was fast-paced so that stops were generally 20 minutes with 45 minutes for lunch. This put enormous pressure on all of us with queues being long for bathrooms and food and then there was little time to eat and enjoy the food and virtually no time for shopping for souvenirs or essential items on 'coach days'.
Our driver, Giuseppe, was skilful and everyone felt totally safe with him as he manoeuvred in and out of tiny areas. The included tours were excellent as were the local guides and we saw and experienced things which we could never have done by ourselves. The Optional Excursions varied in quality but I would definitely recommend, the Dutch Cheese Farm, the trip to Mount Pilatus and the cruise on Lake Lucerne, the Gondola Ride in Venice and the dinners in Venice and Rome, the walking tour of Rome, the dinner and tour of Monte Carlo and the Moulin Rouge evening.
The Optional Tours were cheaper than the Viator equivalents and transport was always included. Inclusion of transport is significant as taxis are expensive and public transport hard to work out in a strange city. There were many pluses for going on a Globus tour - value for money which is unquestionable, not having to deal with language issues in non-English speaking countries - our tour guide spoke 5 languages (at least) fluently, having large suitcases taken care of every morning by placing them outside the hotel rooms, being informed in an amazing way by our tour guide about every aspect of the places we visited and the sites we saw and fantastic companionship where new friends were made.
However, anyone considering doing this tour must realise that there is not a lot of time over for personal exploration of the places visited and it is essential to be fairly fit with good walking skills to be able to handle all that this tour has to offer. Having said all this, overall, we loved this tour and are very pleased that we chose to do it. We would like to take this opportunity to thank and recommend Hannah who finalised every aspect of our tour with precision and accuracy. We would highly recommend Global Journeys for tour bookings and would recommend this tour to anyone who wishes to see Western Europe in a nutshell with all the famous places and sites included!
Overall we were very happy with the tour. The tour leader and driver were terrific. Accommodation was generally very good but some locations only offered limited options.
What an amazing tour with incredible scenery, would recommend this tour to anyone. I always enjoy travelling with Globus. What else can I say.
Went without hitch from the planning to the end 1
Turkish Sampler
Dawn Zdraveska, Australia, Aug 2014
Everything went without hitch from the planning to the end. Hannah was our consultant and the communication from Global Journeys was excellent. Our tour 8 days in Turkey was fast paced but we saw a great deal and the tour guide was very organised and extremely knowledgeable. Accommodation varied but overall it was great and the food was delicious. Would certainly recommend.
Alaska by road, rail and sea! 1
Spectacular Alaska! with Alaska Cruise
Paul & Celia, VIC, Australia, Aug 2014
This Globus tour provided a comprehensive introduction to Alaska. The tour pace was moderate and the tour group was made up of people from the former British colonies and was a great mix. The highlights were Denali NP, the Inside Passage and the visit to the dog sledge’s base. With only breakfasts and a couple of other meals included we had no difficulty read more in finding reasonably priced meals along the way. Highly recommended.
Wonderful tour and look forward to seeing more of Italy 2
Northern Italy's Highlights & Cinque Terre
Maureen Smedley, Australia, Aug 2014
Our tour guide Elizabetta was wonderful, always there to help and nothing was too much trouble for her. Wonderful lady and a good sense of humour. Our tour was everything I had hoped for and more. All the included excursions and the extra excursions were great but I was a little surprised by the last extra of going to the Egyptian Museum. I was in Italy read more and had no desire to go to the museum and nobody on our tour went either. We did not go on the Genoa excursion and those who did said it was far to long. Overall it was a wonderful tour and look forward to seeing more of Italy. The WiFi on the coach worked only a little bit better than our previous (Tour Code: ZC) tour.
