Cruise Tours in Europe

The itinerary was excellent. We were able to tour the major cities as well as those not so major but important to visit. There was a balance between scheduled tours and free time. We liked the option to Uber back to hotels if we wanted to continue exploring on our own. Included meals were all wonderful, especially the lunch at a castle along the Rhine. The dinner at the monastery wine cellar was also notable. We were able to cover alot of area in a reasonable amount of time.

Excellent experience! Emmo was a wonderful guide and our area specialist really made the excursions exceptional. So many details were taken care of which further enhanced our experience. It was our first Trafalgar tour, but it won’t be our last❤️

My wife and I went on the 12-day Country Roads of Scandinavia tour across Norway and Denmark, with additional hotel stays before and after the tour. We were joined by a group of friendly, like-minded travellers who were keen to enjoy the less travelled countryside. Visits to Oslo, Bergen and Copenhagen showcased the excitement typical of cities. We enjoyed the Neoclassical architecture of historical buildings, churches and palaces as much as the modern-day lifestyle facilities. There were delightful moments, adding value to the tour like icing on a cake, when we chatted with locals while dining in restaurants or walking along the street. As we are city dwellers in Singapore, we were awed by the spectacular sceneries when we travelled away from the cities to the countryside and visited some of the loveliest small towns and picturesque villages. Here, postcard-perfect painted restaurants and cozy cafes lined cobblestone walkways, a scene enhanced by the rain we encountered. Nature abounds with the majesty of snow-capped Hardangervidda Plateau and frozen fjords; scenic cruises on placid and misty fjords that are flanked by rocky mountains and cascading waterfalls; train ride on Flam Railway that carves its way from sea level up to 1000m across mountains and valleys; awesome Preikestolen and Lysefjord, and so many other memorable places. The late sunset meant that we had more time after dinner to explore the surroundings. Particularly in Ulvik, the serene Hardangerfjord as night falls was truly mesmerising. Much thanks to our travel director "P" who braved rain to confirm dinner arrangement and walked to the ferry terminal in the early morning to collect our boarding tickets. His daily reminder "isn't it great to be alive" resonated with the group as we embarked on our travel each morning. His commentaries added depth to the places we visited, and landmarks we passed during the coach ride. Our gratitude is also extended to our coach driver "R" who kept us safe on the road so that we were able to soak in the scenery or catch a nap. His professionalism and driving skills navigated single-lane winding mountain roads with care and ease. Some of the hotels in smaller towns are not as well appointed or conveniently located as those in major cities. Notwithstanding, they are generally ok. Other than the farewell dinner, the other dinners were provided with a single glass of wine or beer or juice, regardless of its cost value. Perhaps, this can be improved. Considering that food and wine feed the body for a day while nature and scenery feed the mind for a lifetime, it was a fantastic tour!

I have taken several Insight tours, this was by far the best yet. We had a magical combination of 14 travellers, a brilliant tour quide, who was by far superior to any that I have had prior, an excellent competent driver, beautiful weather and scenery. A nicely paced itinerary, the stops were interesting and the hotels were excellent in all bar one. The tour was well prepared and organized making the trip flow smoothly and enjoyable with everything taken care of. It is a trip we will never forget! Croatia is as beautiful as everyone said!

We like Explore! because of the small group mode of all the tours we've done with Explore! (5, so far). The Greek Island Wanderer was 5 guests and a guide, and we had 3 in our party. So, it was the smallest group ever for us. But it was like friends taking a tour and one of them happened to be a local expert. Panajotis was a brilliant tour guide who is passionate about his adopted country. I can't say enough about the tour guide, Pan. The calm nature he presented while the gears were turning in his head to find us the best places for history, the views, the coffee shops and restaurants plus the people of the places we visited. He figured out how to accommodate me and my need for MORE and my wife who's a marathoner but a shopper too. Plus, our cousin Gary with a physical limitation and a lady fresh out of an April surgery who was a total Champ. Folks could dial into all they wanted or chill out with the options Pan offered for 2 weeks. Just brilliant. Overall, the tour was fantastic, so my inputs are really only the stand-out goods or bads. Starting in Athens, the Evripides Hotel was a great choice. The location and the facility offered everything we needed. Initially, it seemed to be in a bad part of town, but it turns out that Athens just looks like that all over and its just fine. The location is unbeatable. We loved the long walks through Athens despite the heat. My wife would have added a few more water or refreshment stops. We absolutely loved the ferries. That's something new for Americans. The schedule was nice between islands allowing just enough time to really see the top spots. We also loved taking the night ferry to Paros. The Mykonos option was fun because of the Super Express Ferry, and we skipped the ruins stop. I’d have been happier staying on Naxos for that day but, indeed, Mykonos is a must-see on most folks list, so I’d do it again. I’d call it marginal. The Francois Hotel on Syros was a low spot. Its very small and the shower stall was ridiculous. We were glad to move on. Each island had its own charm, and the accommodation was just right in all the other places. On Santorini, Pan took us into an art Gallery where he knows the proprietors. I'm a rather-be-hiking guy but my wife and our cousin thoroughly enjoyed that visit. They both suggested more museum and gallery stops. Again, Panajotis made the trip what it was. I’m glad we had him almost all to ourselves even though we usually consider that the other guests and their experiences and conversation to easily be 50% of the reason for traveling in the first place. We’ll be perusing the Explore! Website soon for our next adventure.

Loved the trip, it was everything I hoped for and more! The trip followed the itinerary and had lots of exciting things to do. I loved the hiking, the group/leader, and itinerary.