Germany and Spain Tours and Trips

I loved the beautiful scenery from beginning to end and enjoyed learning about Spain's history. The group dinners were great for providing merriment and a taste of the local food and vibe. In particular, I loved the dinner at the restaurant with the tenors. I feel this is not something I would have found had I gone on my own. Our guide, Dan, provided a wealth of information and humor. Loved it!

Wonderful scenery & an excellent tour leader who was friendly & approachable, with a variety of ideas on options to take on the rest day. Good variety of food options too.

Thoroughly enjoyed the trip, the itinerary and the company of all the other group members. Our tour leader was pleasant and informative, but I did feel that she gave us less information than the leaders I've had on previous trips ( this was my 5th trip with Explore) and at times it felt as if her heart wasn't entirely in it. On the other trips I've done it felt as if we were getting quite specialist information, whereas much of what she told us I already knew from the guide books I had read. Still a great experience overall though.

We covered a lot of ground in a week! The hotels on this trip far exceeded our expectations and we enjoyed the casual dining options for lunch and dinner throughout the week. There was very little downtime but that wasn't an issue. Donal, out Tour Leader, was great and worked very hard to help us get the most out of the trip. He prepared well in advance of the tour and was always available throughout.

Outstanding Guide and great walking routes with things to see. La Calela tapas bar near the hotel in Soldeu has excellent food for a very good price and is the only eating venue we ate at that I would recommend. The hotel is quite basic with almost no hanging space in the rooms, and nothing suitable for drying wet clothes - a shortcoming for walkers and skiers alike. Don’t request a double bed room - they are all tiny! The twin beds can be put together in larger rooms however. Very good shower pressure and room make up service. If you are expecting interesting bread, fruits and locally made yogurt for breakfast in the hotel restaurant (typical of other mountain venues) you will be disappointed. But at least you can order eggs. I was disappointed that the owner showed off baskets of porcini mushrooms he had picked locally, but failed to add them to the hotel menu: He said he would eat them himself! Some foreign members of hotel staff were smiling and charming, but the locals less so. There is a convenient supermarket across the road (where you can even buy hangers!). We joined a very good group which made it fun. Excellent local swimming pool in Canillo.

I found this trip to meet my needs and more. Our tour guide was excellent and had great people skills. She was accommodating to individual and group needs. I wish we had stayed in the cities longer - next time I will choose trips that have long stays and really immerse myself in the beautiful cities. Thanks Trafalgar.