Budapest Art and architecture Trips

The single most important reason I chose Collette, honestly the only reason I chose Collette for this tour, is hotels. The reality is that the tours per se with the bigger and better tour companies are basically the same. I compared several other tour companies for this trip and the itineraries, meals, etc. were all essentially the same. The only difference was the hotels. I went on another tour, to Costa Rica, with Collette and the hotels were very good to outstanding. I expected the same on this tour. Better class hotels, in locations that allow for easy self-touring, particularly since this tour included a lot of “on your own” time, and was a tour largely of cities where one can explore on one’s own. The second hotel on this tour, the Intercontinental Hotel Wien, was outstanding. Beyond my expectations. Lovely and in a great location. The third hotel on this tour, the Up Hotel Budapest, was essentially the opposite. Cheap cheap furnishings, and not a good location. Let’s start with the bathroom. The sink was broken in two places along the upward-pointing rim – if I had inadvertently put my hand down on either of those, I would have cut my hand on the sharp ceramic. The bath towels and mats were extremely thin and rough and, worse, threadbare with strings of threads hanging off of them – pretty much falling apart. Other people on my tour told me theirs had actual holes in them. The towels were what you would find in a cheap motel in the US. The room furniture was also very cheap. Perhaps some optimists may call it modern or minimalist; I call it cheap ****. Bare metal poles supporting laminated shelves, no closet at all. It all looked like worse than IKEA furniture. Again, the place felt more like we were in a cheap motel than a nice city hotel. The location – with the sex shop and ********** a block or so away, not a great neighborhood – also not up the standards I expect from Collette. And not located near to sites or things we would want to see on a tour of Budapest. I advise you, at the least, not to use this hotel again. Back to the positives. The Tour Manager, Marius Curea, was great. He spoke to us at length of the history and culture of places we visited and life in Central Europe, particularly under the Soviet communists. He went out of his way time and again to solve problems. When I got separated from the group just before our evening cruise on the Danube, he called me and helped direct me back to the group. A great guy as well. The tour per se was excellent, although we really did not see much of Vienna. We actually had only two days in Vienna, and on the original itinerary, one-and-a-half of those days was “on your own” – Day 6 “afternoon at leisure” and Day 7 “Choose how you spend your day because it’s your choice”. Happily, while the tour was already in progress, Collette offered us a cruise up the Danube to another village on Day 7. Of course, that full day out of the city did not allow us time to see the city. But, the day was lovely.

Collette tours was so easy to book and made all the arrangements for us. Even the travel accommodations to and from the airport. Our tour guide (Tomas) was excellent. Always there for us whenever we needed him. He was always friendly and knowledgeable to all the places we visited. I would tour with him again.

It was more and better than anticipated. Tomas was an excellent tour manager. Very patient and did more than was listed. I would recommend Collette to everyone and they would be lucky to get Tomas as a tour manager. The tour included a lot to see, but also plenty free time for ourselves. The two optional excursions were well worth the money. Great value and beautiful places to go to.

This G Adventures trip was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the experience. It can be quite fast paced but it’s a great way to see and learn about lots of places in Central Europe in short amount of time.

I couldn't have organized a trip like this myself. Usually I was someone who organized the logistics for her own travel but using G Adventures meant that I didn't have to worry about booking hostels or figuring out public transportation. It was easy, our CEO was great and the other people on the tour were kind and fun.

Our recent tour from Rome to Budapest was an absolutely fantastic experience, flawlessly organized from start to finish. The itinerary perfectly balanced iconic historical sites with charming local discoveries, and the guides were incredibly knowledgeable and engaging, bringing each destination to life. Every detail, from comfortable transportation to well-chosen accommodations, contributed to a stress-free and enriching journey, making it a highly recommended adventure for anyone wanting to explore the heart of Europe.