Croatia and England Tours and Trips

The Dalmatian coast was beautiful! So nice to go on a bike ride and just follow the leader, no worries about where to go, you’re never lost! We stopped at some beautiful spots for coffee, lunch and for free time. I really enjoyed the breakfast every morning, the breads are amazing! The tomatoes and vegetables were so good. My only complaint was hotel BALENTA. SKOLA, the room had a very bad odor, the front desk person was extremely rude when I asked her if I could, please have toilet paper and towels since they were not in our room. No one was at the front desk from 7:00 pm till 1230 when I went to bed… we stayed at hotel RIVA the night before which is a five minute walk away, I would highly recommend moving the group to that hotel in the future.

The itinerary moves very fast and a moderate degree of fitness is required Not much chance to sleep in, be prepared to to have your suitcases out and for breakfast by 7a.m. Good quality hotels, the showers over the bath can present a challenge. The tour director is very organised and has a good knowledge of the areas. The Coach driver was very friendly and helpful. Itinerary had a lot of history as we expected, some local guides were also a treat. Castles were something different for us. Meals were a high standard and a good choice of food at the breakfasts. Some of the meals out were long distances to travel in the coach. Some of the optional tours were really good. The included evenings out were very good and some spectacular. Must be aware that the prepaid gratuities are only for the Tour director and the coach driver. so any local tour guides you will need cash for. You must make a choice for all the optional excursions very early into the tour so that they can be arranged. The ferries and loch rides created a good variance to the coach. The Orkney's were very interesting and also the Isle of Skye. all up a very interesting and enjoyable tour.

The itinerary is very fast paced but you will see and experience a lot in a short time. It was my first organized trip style of vacation. A lot will depend on your guide and the people you are travelling with steadily for the duration. Be prepared to set alarms to be on time with the full itinerary, early starts, and to live out of your suitcase. Lastly, it makes sense but when booking for the first time hadn’t thought of it but the day prior to actual tour departure & day after returning are considered part of the trip, even though you aren’t “on the tour”. So our nine day tour was actually only seven days. Just something to consider when planning and comparing prices. I thoroughly enjoyed my tour, but it is not relaxing. It’s an immersion into scenery, culture, and a test of being prepared for weather, illness, etc. in order to successfully enjoy all of your time & experiences.

The itinerary is well thought out and covers most of the historic sites that you should see on a visit to the UK. Also plenty of free time so that you can visit sites not necessarily on the itinerary but worth visiting.

We thoroughly enjoyed this trip - and wished an extra day was attached to each location! We absolutely loved Sarah Dunn as our guide - she was knowledgeable, approachable and so accommodating, we felt taken care of every step of the trip. She went out of her way to support us along the way, such as practical tips for alternate ways to travel on our own like catching the metro and buses. What I truly appreciated was her considerate attention to ensure alternate meals were catered for, especially since I had specific dietary requirements - and the food everywhere was amazing, especially Chez Paul in Bastille. With many not knowing how to use WhatsApp, Sarah spent so much time showing others on the trip how to use it appropriately which helped with their independence throughout the trip. People really appreciated this opportunity. Rest breaks were always well planned and there were many options to eat out. Being out of Sarah’s control was the Paris location (would have liked it closer to city centre) but she provided many options to get out there as often as we could. Both hotels were excellent - accommodation and breakfasts were brilliant. Although I didn’t attend any live shows, Sarah provided many options for a large and diverse group of people - 50+ is quite big for one person - and she did it with such grace, effort and energy. We were so impressed with this trip, we plan to come again in two years with more family members. I can only wish Sarah to be our guide again! In start contrast, we are currently on another Trafalgar tour right know, (Prague, Vienna, Budapest), and I can honestly say, it’s not as well guided as the London Paris explorer…not impressed with the Trafalgar guide at all. But that will be for another review.

I choose all the optional experiences. Although the cost was an additional expense, I’m very happy I did it. I saw everything I wanted and then some. Everything was well organized. The days were full and sometimes exhausting, but I am so glad I got to experience it.