This was one of the worst trips we have been on. The experience was certainly not as good as others we have been on. Part of that was the tour director - he was not very good at his job. He did not give enough information. At times if you asked him a question he would respond that he did not know. For example I asked if there was going to be a comfort stop and he replied he did not know. He also did not give enough information about how the day was to go. At times we did not know that we had to find our way back to the hotel. This information would have been helpful especially since at times it was raining and no one was dressed for the weather or had umbrellas with them. People who did not sign up for one specific optional tour were left to amuse themselves for a couple of hours before being taken back to hotel. They did not know about this until they were told they had to get off the bus. We were not told about having to pay for restrooms. We were not told whether a drink was included with our meal or not (as an FYI a drink was hardly included). Covid was going around the bus but we were not told about this until people posted after the trip. Our tour director saw a doctor at one point and was told he was okay to continue with the tour. Looking back we now realize he knew about Covid but did not relay this information to the group. Our tour director was German and loved his country very much. I think we heard way too much about his homeland. A couple of times I made suggestions to our tour director to improve things. He was not receptive to these suggestions.
The Trafalgar tours are now more expensive as we have to pay for more meals that are not included. You get less for your money when you pay for the optional tour in the evening. There was not that much food on the plate. On several occasions my husband was still hungry and he is not a big man. The food itself was nothing spectacular and there was not much variety. We did have a couple of good meals but when you have a McDonald's burger and it tastes so good, something is wrong.
Some of the hotels had tubs with a shower which made it difficult to get in and out of. Some people did not shower because they were afraid they were going to fall. The hotels themselves were clean, in good locations. The beds tended to be on the softer side and the pillows needed help. If you use a face cloth you will have to take your own with you as they are not supplied.
My husband and I have talked and have decided we are going to take a break from Trafalgar. After this last trip, we do not feel it was worth all the expense for what we got.
The sights we saw were amazing, especially in Norway. If you are not aware, things are very expensive in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Sweden is a bit cheaper. These three countries are trying to go cashless so everything can be paid for by credit card - even going to the bathroom.
The coach driver we had, was amazing. He looked after us so well and was a very good driver. Sometimes he knew more than our tour director. He worked with the staff at the hotels to get our luggage to us quickly. He was always on time for picking us up.
All in all, we were glad to have done the trip but would caution people to check things out before booking. Maybe you will have a better tour director - that makes all the difference. Good luck.
