France Spain Tours and Trips

From the excellent hotels with views of the Alps, great shopping opportunities and great meals included as well as by our discovery, I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. I especially was impressed with Mauro Ciummo who was truly born to be a tour guide. He was personable, took time with everyone to get to know them and was generally very jolly and entertaining. There was time between sites to enjoy on our own which was well planned. It was difficult staying awake on the longer bus rides and although we all needed the rest, I wanted to keep my eyes on the beautiful views! Seeing fields of strange wildflowers, soaring peaks, oodles of giant snails feeding at the base of an Olympic ski jump, sheep and Great Pyrenees guarddogs outside our first room and cows being herded up the main street below another room with bells clanging...great memories. And the St Bernards were wonderful. We were very happy with British Airways also, except for the excessive charge to pick our seats. Nice trip.

First the negative - there is a heat wave in Chamonix Valley and unfortunately the accommodations were not air conditioned, and there is no cross ventilation, so after a day of hiking and sweating in the heat there was no place to cool off. Additionally, though the food was good, the options were a little limited at the hotel (last trip in Portugal we visited 8 different restaurants). Second the positive - if there was not a heat wave this itinerary would have been perfect. Varied trails, nice views, good length, etc. but unfortunately there were long stretches without any shade. Also enjoyed cramming in the bus with other trekkers to get to the trailhead (some will complain about that). The guide was fabulous. He knew where he was going and what to expect. He made sure the slower hikers were okay and controlled the speed appropriately (61 year gap in ages from youngest to oldest). He made appropriate rest stops, and the picnic lunches were great. He kept us informed and he made sure to speak to everyone on the trip. Lasly, I should mention that there were differences in the hike descriptions and the actual hikes, but that did not matter to me.

The smaller centres were my favorite. Heidelberg and Innsbruck were so much more beautiful than I imagined. Venice was such an experience, not knowing that there were various islands spread out with such diversity amongst them, Lake Maggiore and Lucerne were exceptional . The venicular and gondola to top of the Swiss Alps spectacular! The history, the architecture! The beauty was astonishing! We loved Paris, our hotel was close to the main trains, however be ready for lots of walking throughout the various centres! Our group felt that the tours in Rome were too much for one day, perhaps split over two days. Our guide was knowledgeable too, and very helpful with recommendations for which option’s may be suitable, preferable to individuals. He perhaps could share a few more details from the coach, of the various landscapes etc? Highly recommend Insight Tours, as this was out second trip!

The whole trip was well organised and had a good balance between cycling and visits to local places. Our guide Erwin was excellent and adapted the programme to accommodate the unusual heatwave in France during our trip. Accommodation and food was good and I would recommend this trip.

Just the best time! Absolutely breathtaking scenery, led by a fantastic guide Juanjo who knows everything about the place. His family hotel is a lovely place to relax in after a long day out and his care for us during the heatwave by swapping walks around so we wouldn't feel it as much was greatly appreciated. Not to mention the superb local food we had every day and all the delicious cheeses!!! Wholeheartedly recommend

Visiting the olive oil farm was so interesting. The entire trip was amazing! I had a fantastic time and would definitely recommend this trip. Fernando was an awesome tour guide, very accommodating and knowledgeable.