We were a family of 4 and after lot of apprehensions and research, we opted to go with EuropaMundo for our ‘Fabolous Poland and Fjords ending in Copenhagen tour’ 14 days. This was our fourth Europe tour overall and with EuropaMundo the first.
The anxiety we had prior to the beginning of the tour instantly disappeared the moment our English tour guide Yurena met us at the hotel reception in Warsaw on Day – 2 of our tour. She made us feel so comfortable and at ease that after that point the whole tour was just a roller coaster for us. She is a highly professional, well trained guide who we would rate excellent - 10 out of 10 stars. Her knowledge on the local, geographical, cultural and religious subjects was excellent. Furthermore, she always went out of her way and ensured that we as a ‘Family’ get our accommodation rooms next to each other. She is a reason we might opt to go back with EuropaMundo again for any of our future trips. The Spanish tour guide Paula was equally friendly and well informed and popular among her Spanish group.
Our overall experience with EuropaMundo was satisfactory. The itinerary was organized effectively and followed to the T. Though people sometimes feel extensive walking / long driving hours but considering the itinerary, we felt this was expected and we were well mentally prepared as it was pre-informed in the itinerary provided by EuropaMundo well in advance. Even my 8 year younger kid could walk and keep up to the pace.
Moreover, the highlight of the tour was that we could interact with co-passengers from different countries having diverse ethnic backgrounds. Everyone was so pleasantly joyous to interact with. We could learn quite a few new words in different languages while interacting with all.
A big shout to one local guide in Warsaw – Agneska, who was so professional and excellent in her job. She was so well prepared and carried a booklet with visual photographs that depicted the entire history of Warsaw and Poland relating to the World War II. Her story telling along with the visual photographs created such a lasting emotional connect as if we were traveling back in time and reliving in that era. Hats off to her
I recommend Europa Mundo to always hire her as local guide for the city tour in Warsaw. She deserves that….
Another big shout to our tour driver Marius – who ensured we reach safely to our destinations. Especially once there was some technical issue with the bus which he managed professionally well and drove slowly to ensure safety of all passengers.
Areas for further improvement:
1.Solidarity centre visit in Gdansk together with World War II museum was bit overdose. Could have been avoided. Instead, free time at the town square could have been a better option
2.A boat trip at Geiranger closer to the narrow point of Fjord would have been a good inclusion
3.A little more time in the beautiful Sopot in order to have the opportunity to walk on the 500m pier and explore further
My overall rating – 4.5 out of 5
City sightseeing
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Copenhagen, Warsaw, Bergen, Oslo
Copenhagen, Warsaw, Bergen, Oslo, Gdansk, Sopot, Stockholm, Mora, Trondheim, Molde, Loen
Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland - M/V Greg Mortimer GREENLAND, SPITSBERGEN- TRIP CODE GMGI
August 2024
We joined the Greg Mortimer in Svalbard having spent the night in a hotel in Longyearbyen. The ship is modern, clean and bright. Our cabin was on the 6th deck with a balcony accessed by a sliding door with room to sit out so long as we put enough clothes on. It had ample storage space, a wonderful en-suite with a heated floor, sheer luxury! All types of plug were catered for so recharging batteries was easy. The first 3 days were spent round Svalbard looking at the wildlife and scenery. Leaving the ship on the zodiacs was very easy and well thought out. We ended up wearing 5 layers to stay warm. Sitting in the zodiac for a couple of hours could get very cold with out the right gear. The ship itself is well appointed with plenty of observation space, both indoor and outdoor. The lecture theatre is excellent and, if you don’t want to attend, you can watch the proceedings from your cabin on the TV.
The food was very good, Buffet style lunches and a good menu in the evenings.
Crossing the Greenland Sea on the 4th day was a little rough but the ship has stabilisers which worked well. There was a noticeable lack of people in the dining room on the first night though.
Reaching Greenland, the itinerary was adjusted based on the weather and conditions. Each day we generally had two zodiac trips with landings when we could. The supplied Wellington Boots were comfortable and warm although we did supplement them with a thermal sole insert and two pairs of socks.
The landscape is fantastic with towering cliffs and glaciers coming down to the sea. The scale is hard to describe as there is not much to compare it with but some mountains like the Devil’s Castle loom over the ship at some 1100m. Very impressive. Each day was at a different site with the ship moving overnight.
We did get to see a couple of Polar Bears, seals, walruses, musk ox and plenty of birds.
All in all, a wonderful trip full of fantastic scenery and wildlife on a comfortable ship designed for the job. The crew were excellent and always helpful as were the very knowledgeable Expedition staff.
If you want to see a mostly untouched wilderness with stunning views and wildlife, we can recommend this trip.
Polar expeditions and cruise
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers