Insight Vacations Reviews
The 613 Insight Vacations reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have travelled with Insight Vacations. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
The 613 Insight Vacations reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have travelled with Insight Vacations. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
Fantastic tour. Some long driving days but we'll worth it. Spectacular scenery throughout the tour. Hassle free Insight tours take care of everything. Good time to tour Scandinavia. August not as busy as June and July. Booked three tours with Global Journeys. Made process easy and always professional.
Insight provided an excellent tour with very good hotels and coach with highly skilled driver. Of course would like to have more time in each place but we covered a lot of ground ( and history ) in a relatively short time. A negative was the unnecessarily hard sell on the "optional experiences". Also while I can understand rational for offering the read more optional dinner outings, I thought the extra three city walking tours and especially the visit to the Krakow salt mines should have been included in the basic itinerary.
A wonderful scenic trip in Switzerland and Italy! 10
Country Roads of Switzerland
Joyce, QLD, Australia, Aug 2017
August is a good month to travel in Switzerland. The weather was fine for most of the time although colder in the mountains. Maria Reisterer was an interesting and caring guide which, as a senior solo traveller, I really appreciated. The coach with our skilled driver was quite comfortable. I loved the itinerary with mostly two night stops in carefully read more chosen locations and three in Montreux. The scenery was magnificent with mountains, lakes and pretty picture postcard towns and villages. Thank you to Yvonne at Global Journeys for her help and organisation. Everything went smoothly as planned.
Great experience in the Arctic Circle and Fjordland 10
Grand Scandinavia
David, SA, Australia, Aug 2017
Arrive day or two prior to start of Tour so you can enjoy the wonderful city of Copenhagen as the Tour itself doesn't provide much time to enjoy the city. The itinerary itself was good. Some of the additional excursions whilst sounding interesting were disappointing. I did many of them but not the dinners. Accommodation was ok the Scanic hotel group read more had lousy pillows! I pre-booked into the Radisson Blu Scandinavia in Copenhagen and discovered the tour used a lower grade hotel room than I had booked privately. Included meals were adequate. The scenery and the experiences were wonderful in some instances giving me whiplash switching between sides to see the next wonder.
A comprehensive and enjoyable tour. 5
Britain & Ireland Discovery
Pamela & Brian , New Zealand, Aug 2017
Highlights were the Edinburgh Tattoo, Orkney, optional shows in Edinburgh, Killarney, Dublin and Cardiff.
An excellent tour manager who shared his extensive knowledge of local culture, history, geography, nature etc.
A great bunch of fellow passengers.
An excellent tour manager who shared his extensive knowledge of local culture, history, geography, nature etc.
A great bunch of fellow passengers.
Spent a couple of weeks in London after our lovely but busy Scandinavia tour - every day a new experience. Fantastic scenery particularly Norway. Lots of different side trips, some better than others. We took all the side trips as we feel we might miss out on something special and this is more than often the case. Our guide Zsofi Ferencz was attentive read more and very informative.
Weather this time of the year almost perfect, although fog appeared early in the day when we were to see the midnight sun at North Cape but we made the most of it - just unfortunate but otherwise weather was great. Our highlight of course was Geiranger area and the Troll's Road - absolutely breathtaking area. Don't miss it if you have the opportunity. As the tour proceeds north from Helsinki the accommodation is not as good as Insight Vacations normally provides (this is at least our 3rd tour with Insight Vacations) but this is to be expected in this area, but always the best available in each town.
The Insight Vacations coaches are always very very comfortable and this was no exception and of course the driver was extremely competent as some of the roads can be quite difficult. Now we are looking for our next tour with Insight Vacations - just have to decide which one to choose.
Weather this time of the year almost perfect, although fog appeared early in the day when we were to see the midnight sun at North Cape but we made the most of it - just unfortunate but otherwise weather was great. Our highlight of course was Geiranger area and the Troll's Road - absolutely breathtaking area. Don't miss it if you have the opportunity. As the tour proceeds north from Helsinki the accommodation is not as good as Insight Vacations normally provides (this is at least our 3rd tour with Insight Vacations) but this is to be expected in this area, but always the best available in each town.
The Insight Vacations coaches are always very very comfortable and this was no exception and of course the driver was extremely competent as some of the roads can be quite difficult. Now we are looking for our next tour with Insight Vacations - just have to decide which one to choose.
Wonderful trip with insight Vacations 1
The Eastern Discovery
William & Martha, VIC, Australia, Jul 2017
Comfortable bus, good guide who explained local history and looked after any group needs with competence.
Good combination of inclusions and options. Excellent driver of coach on narrow streets and roads instilling confidence throughout the journey. Local guides well chosen. Wonderful memories.
Good combination of inclusions and options. Excellent driver of coach on narrow streets and roads instilling confidence throughout the journey. Local guides well chosen. Wonderful memories.
My wife chose this tour because neither of us had ever been to Greece, but we have had a long term interest in its history and culture. We thought the tour may offer us the chance to see a number of sites in a short time with the luxury of not having to manage the transport and our luggage - and it did! We had a thoroughly enjoyable time, managed read more the physical demands (despite our years) and learned a lot. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, but also patient and caring. Full marks to Insight for the detailed planning and management of this tour. We could not fault our accommodation or the coach and our driver was exceptional. Highly recommended.
We were grateful for the opportunities this offered, but for anyone at all put off by large crowds and mass organisation, this may not be for you.
We were grateful for the opportunities this offered, but for anyone at all put off by large crowds and mass organisation, this may not be for you.
We had a wonderful 18 day Spain experience with Insight Vacations. We enjoyed all the places we visited, in particular Madrid. Madrid was a lovely city that was easy to get around in our free time and we loved the San Miguel Market, a gastronomic delight. Spain is different in every region which made the tour very interesting. San Sebastian was read more a beautiful sea side town where we enjoyed the pinchos/tapas on offer and the atmosphere of the town. I would recommend this tour to travellers who would like a comprehensive tour of Spain. The optional dinners were not quite up to expectation and some hotel rooms were not consistent across the group of travellers with some travellers having a great room to other travellers not getting the same or similar. Georgie at Global Journeys is fabulous and we would have no hesitation in recommending Georgie or Global Journeys.
This tour, particularly within the Arctic Circle, was a wonderful experience. The pristine scenery in northern Finland and Norway was a particular feature. Other memorable experiences were the visit to Santa's village in Rovaniemi, the nature zoo in the same location, experiencing the midnight sun at North Cape, the optional bird safari cruise off the read more north of Norway and the wilderness boat ride on one of the main salmon fishing rivers.
There were a few downsides however. This tour travelled 5500 kms and there were many very tiring days with early starts and lengthy coach travel, as well as numerous one night stays. This is hard to avoid with the current tour structure but could be reduced if the tour were to focus on northern Scandinavia. Rather than starting in Copenhagen, travelljng to Stockholm and then ferrying to Helsinki, perhaps the tour could commence in Helsinki (or even Rovaniemi) and finish in Oslo. Insight has another two tours that focus on Southern Scandinavia and this option is also available with other tour companies, so foussing on the Arctic Circle area would allow this tour to have reduced coach travel time and more multi-night stays.
The tour director and driver, as with our previous Insight tours, were very good. This was the first time we had used the Global Journeys booking process and it was excellent. The online updating and the personal agent communication all contributed to a seamless and very efficient process which we would gladly use again. The only matter we were concerned about was whether the tour documents would arrive in time or whether they could get lost in the mail but everything arrived in full and on time.
There were a few downsides however. This tour travelled 5500 kms and there were many very tiring days with early starts and lengthy coach travel, as well as numerous one night stays. This is hard to avoid with the current tour structure but could be reduced if the tour were to focus on northern Scandinavia. Rather than starting in Copenhagen, travelljng to Stockholm and then ferrying to Helsinki, perhaps the tour could commence in Helsinki (or even Rovaniemi) and finish in Oslo. Insight has another two tours that focus on Southern Scandinavia and this option is also available with other tour companies, so foussing on the Arctic Circle area would allow this tour to have reduced coach travel time and more multi-night stays.
The tour director and driver, as with our previous Insight tours, were very good. This was the first time we had used the Global Journeys booking process and it was excellent. The online updating and the personal agent communication all contributed to a seamless and very efficient process which we would gladly use again. The only matter we were concerned about was whether the tour documents would arrive in time or whether they could get lost in the mail but everything arrived in full and on time.
This tour company needs to closely examine the passengers surveys that were completed at the end of the tour. They will probably find quite a few passengers on the tour were very disappointed with the tour. So much so that two people left the tour before the tour actually ended.
The tour guide was on of the main reasons why the trip was not enjoyable. read more The meals on the trip were only average. Some of the hotels were situated some distance from the main tourist attractions. The optional experiences were not clearly explained by the tour director. Far to much information was provided by the tour guide and then repeated by the local guide. Many people on the tour have toured with Insight Vacations before and felt that this tour was well below what they had experienced on previous tours.
The tour guide was on of the main reasons why the trip was not enjoyable. read more The meals on the trip were only average. Some of the hotels were situated some distance from the main tourist attractions. The optional experiences were not clearly explained by the tour director. Far to much information was provided by the tour guide and then repeated by the local guide. Many people on the tour have toured with Insight Vacations before and felt that this tour was well below what they had experienced on previous tours.
Good Program compromised by hotels 7
John & Jing, WA, Australia, Jun 2017
Based on this we would be reluctant to travel with Insight again. The hotel in St Petersburg was remote from the main sites and substandard. In Moscow the hotel was even more remote. Guide was very good.
Lots of inclusions. Hotels are all good especially the one in Madrid. In Lisbon, the hotel is quite new but not in the city centre so this is the only downside. Tour director was very informative. Over-all we recommend this tour for those wanting to see Spain and Lisbon.
We had a very enjoyable trip which exceeded all expectations. The Insight tour of Eastern Europe was well organised, the accommodation and meals excellent and most importantly our tour guide Greg was an excellent host, and was full of knowledge regarding WW2 and the fall on communism. Was on the go most of the time. Would recommend this tour to see read more a little bit of all countries. Will be using Global Journeys again as the booking process and their knowledge is exceptional.
Jewels of Alaska 1
Julie & Bob , NSW, Australia, Jun 2017
Tour guide and driver were professional and friendly. Wildlife was amazing - Denali National Park a "must do". Most rooms were clean, well appointed and lived up to 5star rating - others were disappointingly substandard.
Global Journeys (Hannah) was very helpful and responded promptly to all concerns or questions. Information on optional tours arrived read more too late to book some activities.
Global Journeys (Hannah) was very helpful and responded promptly to all concerns or questions. Information on optional tours arrived read more too late to book some activities.
We really enjoyed the scenery 1
Jeanette & Peter, NSW, Australia, Jun 2017
We really enjoyed the scenery and the varied attractions ranging from Denali National Park (the train ride into Denali was spectacular) to the scenery of Denali and the excellent inclusion of the 27 glacier cruise. Our tour guide and driver were relaxed and friendly and met all our needs.
Land of waterfalls, glaciers and geysers 7
Natural Wonders of Iceland
David & Marilyn, NSW, Australia, Jun 2017
We thought mid-summer was a good time of year to visit Iceland but unfortunately it was unseasonably cold and the problem is the beauty of Iceland is much diminished when it is cloudy and raining. The itinerary was good although there were a couple of long driving days with nothing special to see. The accommodation was on the whole good although a couple read more of hotels were below standard - very small room and badly equipped room.
The food included in the tour was excellent, especially the evening meals which comprised a varied selection of fish and seafoods. The breakfasts were also very good. Finding our mid-day lunch posed a problem as most places provided a limited selection of food which was extremely expensive. It was a nice surprise to find the Blue Lagoon had been included in the itinerary and it was a good way to finish the trip.
The food included in the tour was excellent, especially the evening meals which comprised a varied selection of fish and seafoods. The breakfasts were also very good. Finding our mid-day lunch posed a problem as most places provided a limited selection of food which was extremely expensive. It was a nice surprise to find the Blue Lagoon had been included in the itinerary and it was a good way to finish the trip.
The perfect way to experience Southern France 7
Country Roads of France
Ute, VIC, Australia, Jun 2017
Country Roads of France was my 3rd Insight Vacations tour and the most enjoyable. The accommodation was always centrally located and the best available, our tour director Mark was brilliant, articulate, intelligent and highly professional, our driver Gerard was also superb. This culture tour included wineries with 12th Century cellars, Van Gough's sunflower read more fields, Monet's garden (optional excursion) and Toulouse Lautrec's birth town and museum. For those who love French culture and history this is a sensational way to enjoy it. Just sit back, be taken care of and indulge yourself in the adorable French countryside.
Insight Vacations did a great job planning and executing this trip. Our Tour Director, Dan, was the absolute best and showed everyone a fabulous time on our trip. The bus was comfortable as were the hotels. Most hotels were centrally located and handy to supermarkets etc. The actual tour was fantastic. We were shown the best parts of each city and it read more had a good balance of "tour" time and free time. It would have been better to have had a couple of days in Madrid but other than that enough time was spent in each city and the pace was good.
We were hesitant about doing a coach tour as we normally travel independently but felt this would be the best way to see Russia. We did Insight's "Northern Capitals and Russia" tour in July 2017 and we couldn't recommend it highly enough. We booked more than 12 months in advance and were disappointed that we missed out on the Insight "Fly Free" airfare read more deals which were released in September prior to the tour in June. On tour, we were really pleased with what we were able to see and what was included and we saw a lot!
We took most of the Optional experiences, which did mean we were "on the go" most of the time, however we were prepared to put the effort in to see as much as we could whilst away. Most days we walked between 15,000 to 18,000 steps. Piotr (Tour Director) and Werner (Driver) were professional and made everything on tour go smoothly. The accommodation was excellent, we had a triple share room and on some occasions we were given a suite and twice we received interconnecting rooms, which was a real bonus. We would recommend this Insight Tour for anyone wishing to visit Russia, Scandinavia, Lithuania and some eastern European cities.
We took most of the Optional experiences, which did mean we were "on the go" most of the time, however we were prepared to put the effort in to see as much as we could whilst away. Most days we walked between 15,000 to 18,000 steps. Piotr (Tour Director) and Werner (Driver) were professional and made everything on tour go smoothly. The accommodation was excellent, we had a triple share room and on some occasions we were given a suite and twice we received interconnecting rooms, which was a real bonus. We would recommend this Insight Tour for anyone wishing to visit Russia, Scandinavia, Lithuania and some eastern European cities.
