Tours Other Than Rick Steves': 2001
There are lots of European tours available: one-day tours of a city or on a side trip...factory tours...two- or three-week bus, biking, or hiking tours. Here are some you recommend:
prague tour guide
I would strongly recommend Dana Chaloupka as a guide in Prague and the surrounding countryside. I have used her twice and she will customize a tour for you. She speaks excellent English, is very knowledgeable and nice. Her email address is danachal@volny.cz Have fun!!
Lorri Ayers <email>
charlotte, nc USA 12/30/01
Bicycling Tours of Spain
For bicyclists, I highly recommend Easy Rider Tours (http://www.easyridertours.com). We went on their Viva Andalucia tour in October for my mother's 50th birthday. We are both fairly athletic, although we are not cycling die-hards, and we had a teriffic and challenging time! For extremely serious bicyclists, it might be a bit too easy, but I don't think any average cyclist would find the tour to be too easy. We speak no Spanish, and it was wonderful to have arrangements made and a handy translator in the person of our two guides. Our guides, Javier and Juan were great. It was really fun to get information from someone who is a local (our guide Javier was from Granada, Spain, and gave us a lot of information about the Spanish viewpoint on the world). Our other guide Juan was from Arizona, and he was able to provide some insight onto the Spanish people from an American point of view. We also spent some non-cycling time before and after the organized tour, and both were great, but having the tour was a unique and wonderful experiment.
Brittany <email>
Idaho Falls, ID USA 12/15/01
City Tours-Paris
Spent the first week of November, 2001, in Paris on our own. We did wish to see Versailles but we are not yet bold enough (or young enough) to try the train. City Tours-who also owns one of the hop on, hop off buses in Paris-has a multitude of full day and a few half-day tours of Paris and environs. They have a combination of two half-day tours-one to Chartres and one to Versailles. Purchased together, you save about 10%-but you can take them separately [which was our choice]. The tours are multilingual-a separate guide for each language. Our trip to Versailles had Japanese, Italian, Spanish and English speaking guides. To Chartres, English and Spanish. The quality of the guides varies-our guide to Chartres could not shut up [she talked for nearly 20 minutes on the the detail around the doors] but knew little about the city of Chartres. Our guide to Versailles was excellent and was able to keep a "wise guy [who had been to Versailles several times]" from spoiling it for the rest of us. Odd thing: our original brochure for City Tours came from Boston [the home of Greyline Tours, the parent?] in English with prices in dollars. The brochure in French quoted prices in French francs that were about 10% cheaper. Purchasing the 2 half-day tours saved about another 10%. Glenn
Glenn Runyan <email>
Baton Rouge, LA USA 12/03/01
Tours Other Than Europe Through The Back Door
I just want to give a thumbs up to Scala Reale Tours in Rome. I found out about them through Rick Steve's guide book on Italy and have used them two years in a row. The tours are all walking tours and conducted by people who are highly educated in a variety of fields. As an example, on the Roma Antica tour, our guide had a doctorate in Archaelogy. She had obtained decrees from both Princeton and Oxford. For the "tour group" phobic, note that all semi-private tours are 6 people or less.
Janine Belveal <email>
Canon City, CO USA 11/09/01
Try Both
Two years ago, four of us were making our first trip to Europe. We chose a relatively short 8 day tour with Globus to see Germany and Austria. After the tour, we spent another week on our own with a rented car going through the countryside. Our time with the tour allowed us to familiarize ourselves with local customs, people, etc. and gave us the confidence to venture out on our own with a very loose itinerary. Our tour mates were envious that we had set it up this way, as most were headed home after the tour without the chance to go back and see whatever they may have missed while on the tour.
This past spring, we went back to Europe (Italy), and I planned the entire itinerary via the internet starting with a villa rental through rentvillas.com. During my research process, I spent hours sifting thorugh websites like this one for tips. If you like that sort of thing, it can be fun. If you want someone else to fuss over the details, go with the tour. However, setting up our own accomodations saved us several hundred dollars per person over a comparable tour. We met up with a Globus tour during our last night in Rome. I was reminded that most Globus travelers were easily 15 to 20 years older than us. Not such a big deal, but it's just not the same as traveling with your own age group, especially if you're interested in sampling the night life away from the hotels.
Casey Bresnahan <email>
Woodland Hills, CA USA 10/28/01
Loire Valley Chateaus — 1/2 day tour with Acco-Dispo
I went on a 1/2 day tour of selected chateaus in the Loire Valley (France) and had a wonderful experience. Pascal (our guide) was extremely helpful and informative. He turned the trip into a very fun day and drove us past the outside of chateaus we didn't have time to visit. I highly recommend them!!
Christine Roda <email>
Cary, NC USA 10/25/01
Sound of Music Tour, Salzburg
Pass on Panorama Tour "Sound of Music Tour" in Salzburg. You will have the movie locations used at the Mirabell Gardens, the cliff top Winzel Cafe, Nonnberg Abbey, St Peter's Cemetary, Mozart Steg (foot bridge), front and tree lined avenue of Von Trapp's film home all pointed out in the distance as you whiz about thru traffic.
If you take the morning tour, you will see many of your "Tour" companions that afternoon as you walk on your own to and from those places that were supposedly included in the tour. You will be taken to the north end of Leopoldskroner Weiher to look across the small lake at the Schloss Leopoldskron which was the lake front location used for the filmed Von Trapp home (need telephoto lens for snapshots) and to see a distant mountain peak the tour guide called, "Maria's Mountain". You will also be taken to see the glass gazebo which is now located in the gardens near the bus parking area at Schloss Hellbrunn.
The major part of the tour is a long country ride to Mondsee, with a "convenience" stop at a tour "approved" gift shop on the way. An uneventful return trip to Salzburg follows. The "doe" in the tour is not only in the song, it is also the tour company'$ main goal! The information about the filming and locations is interesting, but hardly made up for the lack of a real tour. I want my money back!
Ironically, one can use Panorama's own tour booklet, a city map and, with a few tips from the Information office, go see most of the film locations on their own. They will end up doing that anyway! It helps to watch the movie again before and after your trip. If you must see the church in Mondsee (only the interior was in the film for the wedding) take a day side trip to Bad Ischl via Mondsee. Or, if going to Salzburg from Hallstatt or Bad Ischl, take the detour to Mondsee enroute. (PS: Bad Ischl is a swell overnight stop going to or from Hallstatt and even serves as a great place from which to visit Hallstatt!)
David Law <email>
Tacoma, WA USA 10/21/01
ACCO-DISPO tours in the Loire Valley
We traveled to France in September to visit some of our favorite places and some new ones. Our trip to the Loire valley was outstanding. The highlight was our tour we took with Pascal Accolay of Acco-Dispo Tours. We planned one day to see the chateaus with him and another on our own. It was a pleasure to cover so much geography, see the chateaus and learn the history as we traveled. It was a great day. Because our trip was extended due Sept 11, we went back to Amboise and took another tour with Pascal. He has a great website so you can get an idea of where you will go and the days agenda and he speaks great English. We also put together a custom trip that his second driver, Marcel, took us on. They were both great to tour with and those tours were well worth the price and convenience. We never take tours since we began traveling with the Rick Steves books, but we would do this again! Thanks Rick for recommendation.
Susan Fears <email>
Plano, TX USA 10/15/01
Private Guide in Transylvania (Romania)
If you are in the Brasov area and are looking for a private guide, I recommend Viorel Muntean. Vio knows his region and its history very well. He also speaks perfect English. Whether your travel plans include visiting famous landmarks (such as Bran or Peles Castle), hiking in the mountains, or learning to ski, Vio can do it all. He is a National Guide of Romania, a Mountain Guide and a Ski Instructor. You can reach him at home (in the evening) at: (40) (68) 322 562 or also on his mobile phone: (40) 92 353 289. (40 is the country code for Romania, and 068 is the city code for Brasov—ignore the 0 when calling from abroad.) His mailing address is: Muntean Viorel Str. Calea Bucuresti Nr. 102. Bloc. 20g. Sc. C. Ap 40. Brasov-2200 Romania
Tom Thurber <email>
Seattle, WA USA 10/14/01
Insight tours
Just finished 18 days in France with Insight on their Country Roads of France tour. Magnificent! This was our 4th Europe trip. One Gobus and 3 Insight. Insight seems to use nicer accomodations (3 and 4 star) nicer included meals, super optionals and great guides. That said we were also happy with Globus, just not as much as Insight.We feel these are great trips for a first exposure would be a great preface to trying one on your own. It's also nice to have the security of a group and a guide.There is no way you could see as much in the time allowed if on your own. Yes some days can get a bit rushed but all in all an exceptional value.
Craig M. <email>
USA 10/09/01
Prague Walking Tours
We were in Prague a few weeks ago and I had found a great walking tour by a group called "Prague Walks". The tour we took was the "Good Morning Prague" walking tour on the morning of September 11, 2001 at 8 am. My friend and I were the only 2 people who showed up, but the tour guide was still very happy to conduct the tour. Our tour with him was the best thing we experienced our entire trip. He was very intelligent and knowledgeable about Prague's people and history and he was interested in communicating with us. He encouraged questions and wanted interaction. It was like taking a tour with a friend and not with a tour guide. We have rarely experienced anything so wonderful. So the next time you're in Prague, check out the tours with "Prague Walks"!!!
Tom Gibble <email>
Lancaster, PA USA 10/04/01
Untour
If you want to have a residential type/supported independent travel, try Untours. We went to Meiringen with them this summer & I have already booked to go to Kandersteg with them next year. They are wonderful and generate tons or repeat customers. Specialize in rural Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, and Austria. www.untours.com Happy trails
Amy
NM USA 09/30/01
tour of Cordoba & Sevilla , SPAIN
In Spain if you like medieval history, walking and wine tastings look up Dan O'Byrne who was our private guide in Cordoba and beautiful Sevilla....you can call him in Spain (34) 954 53 44 09 or call his mother in the USA at 601-445 4822...sorry don't remember the websight
Bob Keller
Chicago, USA 09/18/01
Athens Greece, Private Tour
We were on a cruise that docked in Athens. Via the internet I had arranged an Athens taxi driver with a web site to pick us up at the dock and give us a full day tour. It was wonderful. If you take the tour arranged by the ship, you will be on a bus with 50 other people. It was just the 4 of us in the cab all day, where ever we wanted to go for a flat fee that was half what the ship charges. If you are in Athens, we would like to highly recomend Petros Petrou. His website is: http://www.greek-taxi-tours.gr/
STS Tours in Kusadasi (Ephesus) Turkey
We took a Cruise this past summer that docked in Kusadasi Turkey, rather than take the tour arranged by the ship (would have been 50 people on a bus), we arranged an all day tour with STS Travel and Halit Degerli a guide. It was just the 4 of us, our own driver, and Halit as the guide. It was wonderful. We can HIGHLY recommend.
Jac Irvine <email>
Keller, TX USA 09/16/01
I just returned from a week in Germany and I took a tour on the Romantic Road through Euraide (Deutsche Tours). Our bus driver was very, very proud to be German and didn't have much tolerance for us American and Japanese tourists. I don't speak German and there was a bit of confusion at the end of the tour: Frankfurt to Fussen. The bus driver thought I wanted to get off at one of the stops prior to Fussen (Schwangau) and got frustrated and began cursing me out in German and slammed the bus door closed with such force, I thought it would shatter the windows! The tour in and of itself was nice, but the driver is really just that, don't ask a question or you might get hurt! No, I'm sure they're not all that bad, I just got a short tempered one who had too many hours on the ol' bus clock. You know that Seinfeld episode about the soup....yikes! Be careful but have fun!
Jen
MI USA 09/10/01
Check out the self-drive Ireland tours at www.etmtravelgroup.com My sister and I went on a very affordable and close to the ground vacation with this company and had a fantastic time! It was liberating to have the freedom to stay at the B&Bs of our choice and travel and see what we wanted at our own pace.
Angela <email>
Mo USA 09/08/01
Anyone thinking about visiting the "real" France may want to check out the following site on Loire and if you are into art workshops you may want to participate in one next May: http://www.independenttraveler.com/community/article_report.cfm?ID=117&coun=11
Norm <email>
Montreal, QC Canada 09/03/01
We took a Go Ahead tour of historic England and loved it. There was absolutely no pressure to buy the options. The places they went to were great. The bus was about 2/3 full. The included meals were great. Would use them again without hesitation.
Michael Baird <email>
Vacaville, ca USA 09/01/01
We have taken 3 Cosmos tours of Europe and they have improved immensely in the last 11 years, much better hotels, etc. They are budget oriented and usually have 52 on the bus. I don't think I would recommend them for your first tour. Mostly people are very experienced travelers. Many other English speaking people. There are people from England, Scotland, Australians, people from Newfoundland, India and of course Americans too.
Barbara Ormonde
Ontario, CA USA 08/31/01
To be fair, most tour operators offer optionals. The idea of an optional is not just to see something but to enjoy the company of your fellow travelers. Optionals originally came about because passengers requested additional sightseeing other than the main components of the tour.Optionals are just that! If you choose to do your own thing, great! If you wish to do a tour with everything included, the costs will then rise along with it. At least optionals give people an "option" and they can plan accordingly. The main sights are included within the tour.
Sherry <email>
St.Petersburg, FL USA 08/30/01
I am a "Rick Steves" traveler but took a tour this last summer because of inexperienced friends in our group. It was a Globus Tour- from the Thames to the Tiber. Never again! The optional tours were encouraged throughout the trip. The tour guide constantly warned people about the amounts of extra time involved in going alone, the safety issues, the inability to really see much without a tour, etc. All of these, as readers of Rick Steves' books know, are untrue. The tours that were included were time-consuming and rushed. We were surrounded by other tour groups, allowed limited time at important sites and taken to commercial areas often. Many of our hotels were inconveniently located to promote optional tours. Also, many of the hotels were completely uneuropean and very bland! In short, every negative thing I ever read on the wall about tours is true and I will never take another tour unless it is with ETBD!!
Natalie Garrett <email>
Ashland, OR USA 08/27/01
For those of you who decide on a tour with a tour company, do some homework before you go and when you get to the different towns. The optional tours that are offered can almost always be done much cheaper and at your leisure, on your own. In Paris we did Versaille for about one fifth the price of the tour group and could stay as long as we wanted. It was easy to get to, on the metro with a day pass and we had lunch in the quaint town before we went into the palace. Crowds were not as large in the afternoon. All of the museums in Paris are also easy to get to and in. Get a museum pass and use your metro multi day pass. In Lucerne, we paid somewhat less for the trip to Mt. Pilatus, but when the tour group had to leave, we were able to stay and watch the man who was getting ready to parachute off the side of the mountain. Priceless!
Linda Draksler <email>
New Port Richey, Fl USA 08/25/01
If you like hiking the countryside with locals then I can highly recommend HF Holidays — they run 500+ hiking tours thru the UK every year. We did a 6 day Cotswolds hiking trip and loved it. Very friendly people, great accomodations, good food, superb hikes, not very expensive.
Fred Blum <email>
Durham, NC USA 08/20/01
We highly recommend Fjord Travel Norway (www.fjordtravel.no/rammesett.html) and click on #4 under "escorted tours" for a description of this wonderful tour through Sognefjord. It says 4 days but we got the Flam Train in Myrdahl on a Thursday and arrived on our lovely boat in Bergen on Saturday. It was a great tour and our guide, Giannluca, was so much fun!
The crew on our boat were the best — very professional. the boat was very comfortable even on our last day as we motored down the main fjord when the weather was a bit rough. Despite whitecaps the ride was smooth.
We also had bus trips up the mountains (outstanding scenery of course)and lunch at the base of a glacier (reindeer stroganof). Also visited a Norwegian artist's home/art gallery and a goat farm where we sampled goat cheese (Norwegian style which is different) and delicious carrot cake and Norwegian crepes. Another short bus trip to a stave church (c. 1150) in Vik was interesting. The Norwegians are proud of their country and what it has to offer. They are gracious and very welcoming to tourists.
We stayed at Kvikne's Hotel in Balestrand. Great smorgasbords at dinner and breakfast. We enjoyed sitting on the long veranda with other guests, watching the sun almost set in the beautiful fjord and staying up all hours due to the lack of darkness. Wish we had more time to enjoy this beautiful hotel and the peace and quiet of being in that section of Sognefjord. You can see photos of the hotel at www.kvikne.com.
Anova
Fairfax, VA USA 08/17/01
My wife and I took a two week Globus tour, From the Thames to the Tiber. Before I give you the pros and cons of the tours, I want to say that if you are looking here debating whether you should tour Europe on your own or on tour, you probably have the spirit to do it on your own.
Our impressions of Globus: We were pleased. Generally speaking, we receieved what had been promised. Good tour director and bus driver. Not a ton of pressure put on to buy the optional excursions, which was a major plus since we only took three on our two-week tour.
The pros of the tour: 1. Never having been in Europe before, it was comfortable traveling with a "safety net." We did not have to make travel or hotel arrangements, and the hotels where we stayed at were at the very least bilingual, so communication with the staff (especially the concierge desk) was never a problem.
2. A decent amount of on-site visitation was included, and traveling with the group saved us many hours of lines. For example, we got to the Vatican at 7:45 and still had to wait a good 30 minutes in the group line. An individual arriving at the same time probably had to wait at least 2 hours.
3. A real pro with our tour was that in the big cities (London, Paris, Rome) we had three days, with at least 1 1/2 on our own if we wanted.
The Cons: 1. The schedule. On the days when we had tours scheduled, wakeup call was by 6:30 and on road by 7:45. For the people who would go to bed early, this was not a problem. We wanted to see the cities at night and it was not uncommon for us to get in at midnight.
2. The sight-seeing schedule. Very rush-rush. Did the Vatican in two hours (had a whopping 10 minutes in the Sistine Chapel). The excursion to Versailles spent two hours at the palace and gardens.
3. Lodging was inconsistent at best, and the three included meals were mediocre. Best hotel was the Metropole in London — awesome place, lots of cabs, great breakfast. The rest of the hotels were just adequate and most were not all that close to attractions. Included meals stunk.
4. If you are a savvy traveler, it can get you down how much money the tours can make off of people. Our guide said that Versailles could not be done on our own because it involved taking a special train and then transfering to a bus from the station to get to the palace, so if people wanted to go to Versailles they should buy the optional excursion for $44 per person. What she didn't reveal was that the advantage of our out-of-the-way hotel was that we were a 10 minute walk from the very RER line that goes to Versailles, and that it is at most a 10 minute walk from the station to the palace.
5. The best values on optional excursions were only the first city meal/night sightseeing tours and things that would be hard to arrange without having transportation. Other notes: — Kind of insulting that we were only one of three couples that brought along a phrase book, and one of five that had any guidebooks with them (this was out of 34 people). I am proud of how we traveled — for us, it was more of an adventure.
Bottom line: If you haven't gone to Europe before and want to see multiple countries, doing a tour is the most convenient way to do it. But if you only want to see one country or one or two cities in depth, it can be done on your own.
Chris Bryant <email>
Southfield, MI USA 08/13/01
Hi Rick, Just returned from London. Loved your London Book. It was very helpful. One correction however. The River Boat tour to Kew Gardens leaves at 2:00pm not 2:15 as stated in your book. Also there are two Boat Tour Companies. One leaves from the Embankment and sails to Greenwich. The other leaves from Westminster Pier and sails to Kew Gardens and Hampton Court.
Diana Atwood <email>
Laguna Niguel, CA USA 08/09/01
I do NOT recommend the tour of Dachau recommended by the Munich TI. They told us that there was little information available at the site and urged us to use a tour service that left from the station.
The tour provided train travel (which our validated railpasses would have covered), bus travel, and the free entrance to Dachau for about 25 Marks per person. Once arriving at Dachau, we found that all information (including the movie) was in both German and English, and that free tours of the site were offered in English. Save your money and do it yourself!
Jennifer Davis <email>
Norman, OK USA 07/05/01
We just returned from a whirlwind tour of Europe. With your help, Rick, we were very successful! Before we left, we visited your web site on a regular basis, bought many of your books, and watched your PBS specials. To say the least, you were a fabulous "travel agent!"
The Big Bus Tours in London are wonderful and we also took advantage of their Changing of the Guard walking tour (free with bus ticket).
We also took advantage of one of the Evan Evans day tours to Stratford and the Cotwolds. The guide was outstanding and the bus was immaculate!
Some of the other exceptional suggestions from you were:
1. Pilatus Trip in Lucerne, Switzeralnd: we signed up for this at the tourist information in the train station. We did the "round trip" which took all day, but it was well worth it. We even had snow at the top. Five stars!
2. Traditional Swiss Folk Dinner in Lucerne, Switzerland: this was FABULOUS! We give it five stars! Lasted 3-1/2 hours — FUN! Sign up at the TI in the train station (BEST tourist information we had of all the cities we visited).
3. Guided tour of the Louvre is a MUST! Too much to see otherwise...this hit the highlights and made it very enjoyable! We had some confusion when trying to register for this; we went straight in at 9:00 and went to the "group tour" area but almost "settled" for the self-guided tour instead. So glad we waited for the 11:00 tour with a "live" guide. While waiting, we followed the signs to view the Mona Lisa; it was early and not at all crowded. We were able to take our time and enjoy it. We also went to a small cafe overlooking the atrium of the pyramid. We enjoyed wonderful beignets and hot chocolate!
One of our very few negative experiences:
In Rome we took a Gray Line tour of the Vatican. This was a huge mistake! Our guide literally read from a paper/book as we drove down the streets and was very rude and rushed all of us. We were so disgusted, we arranged through our hotel for a "private" guide for our next day in Rome. THAT was the BEST thing we did! Our guide was professional, courteous, considerate and extremely knowledgeable. He is a history teacher for a local college. He gives tours "on the side" on the weekends and in the summers. Well worth the money spent! Here is how to contact him:
Antonio Cataldi
0367-1963293 direct
His mother's number is: 0833/596438
Address: Corso Cesare Vergine, 8
73058 Tuglie (Lecce)
Italia
Cindy & Julie <email>
DeFuniak Springs, FL USA 07/01/01
Had a lovely tour with Far and Wide. The abbey at Montecassini was lovely — the gardens were spectacular.
Walt Cole
Boone, NC USA 06/30/01
Just returned from Rome. Avoid the Green Line Tours Shuttle Bus Off and On tour. It is a ripoff. It touts 24 hour off-and-on, but the tours run form 9:30 to 17:50 on one day. Also the day we took it, the buses ran every hour or less because of a personnel or bus shortage. The recorded tour info was not informative. They provide you with a map of the pickup/dropoff spots, but the locations are not marked on the street as with shuttle tours I took in Paris and London.
Otto Fafoglia <email>
Chatham, Il USA 06/26/01
I had a great time on a tour called "East meets West" with Toot Tours (www.toot-tours.com). The guide Harry did a good job and seemed to know everything. I joined it to see Vienna, Salzburg and Prague; but the small stops like Cesky Krumlov and Rothenburg beat the well-known places.
My personal highlight was the last night. We stayed at Harry´s place close to Rothenburg with his family and had grandma´s potato salad with a BBQ.
Daniel <email>
06/25/01
Acco Dispo, run by Pascal Accolay, is simply the best way to see the chateaus in the Loire Valley if you're "sans automobile." His comfy vans hold up to 8 people and he gives a wonderfully historical and humorous insight to the region and the castles you'll see during the day. He is very accommodating and even gave us a recommendation for a fine restaurant that evening (located at Hotel Le Blason). Prices are very reasonable for both the half-day or full-day tour and he'll pick up from Tours or Amboise at your hotel or the tourist center. Definitely a four-star operation he has! You can find him on the web at http://www.accodispo-tours.com
April Rice <email>
Seattle, WA USA 06/21/01
Just returned from a trip to London (3 days), Paris (3 days), and Rome (3 days) with GOAHEADVACATIONS.
In London, we had a nice hotel, good location, not much of a city tour though.
Went on the high-speed train to Paris where there was a sport-meet going on at the stadium next door and they tried to shove three of us into a room approximately 10 x 10 with a full size bed and a pullout underneath (no place to walk around the room) because overbooked, also in an out-of-the-way location. Almost all 30 on our tour got lost at some point in the metro.
Took plane from Paris to Rome. Flight only had room for 24 out of 30, so 6 stayed behind for 10 hours. Hotel in Rome again out of the way, but bus only 1 block away, so we got around very well there.
I would not recommend this trip to anyone who is not able to walk a lot. Many older people could not go on many of our outings, as we used bus and metro and a lot of walking. We were shortchanged in all three cities until we mentioned we noticed something wrong with the change.
I believe the next time I travel, I will do it by the Rick Steves method, although all of the travel guides just hate to hear his name. I love that!
Candy Mocco <email>
Green Bay, WI USA 06/16/01
We just returned from Rome and we have to give five outstanding stars for DicoveRome. Meg and Luke along with all the rest of the team did a fabulous job making Rome come alive. They have a nice way of integrating humor, art, and history to bring alive all the greatest spots. Our 13-, 11-, and 8-year-olds aren't easily entertained but they loved our guided tours.
They had four tours when we went in early June 2001, including 1 Ancient Rome, 2 Rome at Dusk, 3 The Vatican City and 4 The Catacombs. I highly recommend them. According to a brochure they can be reached in Rome at 0349-8726-943. I wouldn't call them too early on Rome's time. You can also e-mail them at discoverome@hotmail.com
Glenn Rhoades <email>
Lakewood, CO USA 06/12/01
My husband and I did the Accidental Tourist cooking tour out of Florence. We were given a tour of the villa and saw where they make the wine and olive oil. We sampled both and then had our cooking class and ate a great meal. Francesca and Tim were very gracious and informative. It was a very memorable day. If you get the opportunity, take one of their tours. It was a nice break from all the museums and churches.
Carol
Burleson, Tx, Tx USA 06/03/01
I definitely recommend the Accidental Tourist tours out of Florence. If you don't have time to really DO Tuscany, but want a taste of the countryside...it's WONDERFUL! Tim and Francesca were great guides and the lunch served was FAB-U-LOUS! www.accidentaltourist.com
Missy <email>
Seattle, WA USA 05/29/01
I recently returned from Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina and it was definitely one of my most enjoyable and memorable trips ever. Although the infamous siege of Sarajevo ended over five years ago, tourism has not yet returned to this beautiful, fascinating and very much ALIVE city.
Sarajevo has a lot to offer the tourist. If gastronomy is your thing, restaurants, coffee shops and bars are not in short supply in Sarajevo. Be sure to try the cevapcici (ground lamb and flat bread — a Sarajevan specialty) or burek (a meat pie), and wash it down with a shot of shljivovitza (plum brandy — the more you drink the easier this word is to pronounce). And don't miss out on a cup of Bosnian coffee, which instead of being diluted with cream is enhanced with a long conversation (the Bosnian way of drinking coffee).
If you enjoy shopping, Bascarsija (a cluster of small shops where local artisans have plied their trade for centuries) is waiting for you (and your Konvertible Marks — the Bosnian currency is interchangeable with the German Mark). And the total absence of tour groups which one is used to seeing in shopping areas such as this makes the experience all the more pleasurable.
If you like sightseeing, Sarajevo offers several days' worth of interesting things to see.
Nightlife? The Bosnian music scene is one of the most unique I have ever encountered.
The biggest hurdle I had to overcome when researching my trip was a lack of resources. I did a lot of checking around and was only able to find two guidebooks that acknowledged the presence of this fascinating country: "Lonely Planet Eastern Europe," and "Let's Go Eastern Europe." However, even in these guidebooks the information is relatively scant — both only devote about 20 pages to the entire country.
Even on the Internet it is not easy to find information on tourism in Bosnia Herzegovina, but there are a few sites out there with stories and photos from backpackers. The most helpful site I discovered on the net was "Sarajevo City Tour" at http://www.ddh.nl/org/poo/lunjo/citytour.htm This site is run by Amir Telibecirovic, a full-time journalist, part-time tour guide and Sarajevan native who is most familiar with his city, its history and culture. Amir's website covers many sights in Sarajevo that the guidebooks don't make note of.
To get the most of your stay, I highly recommend Amir's city tour. It is relatively inexpensive and lasts as long as your feet do. I had blisters on both feet before my mind was ready to give up. After Amir's tour, you will be well acquainted with the city's layout, culture, food, history and lore.
Although many people only associate Sarajevo with the war, it actually has a lot to offer the tourist and is well worth a visit. You can read about Sarajevo and get some idea of what you will see on the aforementioned website, or you may contact Amir by e-mail at: tamir@utic.net.ba
Tom Thurber <email>
Seattle, WA USA 05/26/01
I have just returned from my first trip to Italy. My friend and I stayed at a farmhouse outside of Assisi that was recommended by our tour guide, Anne Robichaud. I highly recommend that if you are interested in the hill towns of Umbria, contact Anne at Arobichaud@tecnonet.It. She is wonderful and very well informed.
Anne took us to two medieval towns, Bevagna and Narni, that were amazing in their undiscovered beauty. Had we ventured into the towns on our own, we never would have seen some of the hidden wonders that Anne uncovered for us. She is a fabulous tour guide, energetic, good natured, and fun. She tells the stories of the frescoes, sculptures, and architecture with enthusiasm and humor. She often throws in a little local wit and customs.
Anne also conducts cooking classes, has a lecture on Italian gestures, tours of St. Francis' Basilica, and Assisi, Spello, Speleto and assorted other towns in Umbria. She has great tips on travel to other parts of Italy and set us up with another wonderful guide in Rome, Michael Brouse.
Dori Marler <email>
Los Angeles, Ca USA 05/18/01
My family and I just returned from a 2-week vacation in Siena, Italy. A close friend recommended Antonio Ginanneschi, owner of Country Tours of Siena, for some true Tuscan tours. We decided to set up a few tours and our transportation to and from the Rome airport with Antonio through his website (http://www.country-tours.com).
My family and I are very glad we made this decision. Antonio did a wonderful job exposing us to the Tuscan culture. We visited many wineries, small towns, and we ate at some great, true family-run restaurants. Using Antonio's company for transportation and for tours really made our vacation fantastic. Also, Antonio had a Bar-B-Que at his hotel with a jolly fellow named Alessandro that was a true night to remember! The food was some of the best we have ever eaten and we had lots of fun.
Allyn Johnson <email>
Myrtle Beach, sc USA 05/15/01
I took a 10-day Trafalgar "Best Of Scotland" tour last year. Yeah, I know...you're a real traveler and would never take a tour. But I was traveling alone and wanted to enjoy Scotland without having to worry about hotels, transportation, etc. Sure, the cost is a reduction in personal autonomy — but I had a great time.
Our guide, a Scot named Tom Lang, was excellent. Tour participants were of all ages — 18-75 — and from the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong, and other places. Several were women traveling alone, and we bonded.
We got to see a lot, and I really feel I received my money's worth. And even paying a single room supplement, my holiday was cheaper than I could have done alone. I consider that tour an introduction to Scotland, and plan to return again — probably traveling independently — to see more of the places I loved.
So, don't worry that tours are for old people or the afraid and unimaginative. If your time is limited, they're a great way to explore a new place.
I give Trafalgar very high marks, and would definitely do business with them again.
Joy <email>
San Francisco, CA USA 05/10/01
I am going on a free (yes, free!) 10-day trip to Israel through a Jewish youth program, Birthright Israel (www.birthrightisrael.com). A friend of mine who had an incredible experience on the tour told me about it. You just have to be 18-26 and Jewish to qualify for the program.
There are a dozen different travel agencies across the US/Canada that organize these trips and each agency has a different "spin" on the experience. I'm going with Oranim (www.funtour.co.il) which is a non-denominational group that's pretty active (kayaking in the Jordan, hiking to Masada, swimming in the dead sea, Camel riding in the Negev!).
The fine print is that you must put up a $250 refundable deposit and stick to a very packed group itinerary or they keep the deposit (and can even charge you for the trip if you misbehave). Otherwise almost everything is covered — airfare from NY-Tel Aviv (you must get to New York or Toronto if coming from Canada), hotels, transportation, activities, and 2 meals a day. They recommend you bring $100-150 for incidentals but that's it!
Adam <email>
North Hollywood, CA USA 04/25/01
My wife and I just returned from Germany and Austria. In Berlin, Terry's Tours is now known as Brewer's Best of Berlin. The tour is advertised as a five-hour walking tour for 15 DM. The day we took it, we went for almost 10 hours for the same price!
Terry himself led the tour and we were very impressed. He covered everything from Napolean and earlier, to the present, including how Berlin and Germany were divided up during the war. All this on a map he scratched in the dirt with his umbrella!
The tours start at 9:15 am at the Circus Hostel near Rosa Luxembourg square (right across from the subway station), or the New Synagogue at Oranienburgerstr. at 10:30 pm.
After spending most of our vacation in beautiful southern Germany, Berlin was way too big and nasty. We weren't in town more than a few hours and we were both ready to leave. But after taking Terry's tour we changed our mind about Berlin and would have liked to have stayed longer.
The Circus Hostel's phone number is 28391433, the Odyssee Hostel is 29000081, and the Clubhouse Hostel is 28097979. If you are really interested in history, Brewer's Best is probably the best tour in the city.
Craig <email>
Sumner, WA USA 04/24/01
I Bike Italy, based out of Florence, is wonderful! It's a semi-challenging ride, but not impossible, and completely worth it. You get to see the beautiful Tuscan countryside, a few small towns, have a great lunch; all before you coast back down the hill to Florence. I learned about it on their web site at www.ibikeitaly.com.
Emily Nielsen <email>
Minneapolis, MN USA 03/27/01
We took Rick's advice and did a very interesting Madrid tour w/Stephen Jones who gave us the name of a witty American guide, Dan O'Beirne and his partner Rosa Ferrer, in Andalucia. On our third visit to Seville they brought this charming city to life for us and our teenagers w/Jewish, Muslim and Roman history, sights, legends & a wine tasting in the city and an AVE day trip to Cordoba. You can reach them at www.MagicalSpain.com. Muchas Gracias Dan & Rosa!
Susan Katzberg <email>
Miami, USA 03/26/01
In Rome, the tours with Scale Reale (recommended by Rick) are absolutely fabulous. There are never more than 6 people, and two out of three tours we did with them were just the two of us. The company specializes in architectural history tours of Rome, and I can't recommend them enough. They made a very quick swing through Rome VERY worthwhile.
Joan Holland <email>
Arlington, VA USA 03/25/01
I'm not usually a believer in tours, but I took one of the free tours at the Colosseum in Rome and it was just great...then I hooked up with this American guide named Scott who runs a small company. He gave a great tour of the Forum with a nice small group. I really liked it! I found him on the net at http://romannigts.homestead.com.
Maria Fulgenson <email>
Jersey city, NJ USA 03/19/01
I took a Trafalgar Tour of Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Cologne this past summer. It was a bit of a joke since the ratio of hours spent on the bus versus hours spent touring was something like 3:1. The guide kept trying to sell us additional "packages" such as visiting a cabaret in Paris costing roughly a hundred dollars per person (what waste of time). I don't think I'd visit Europe again with a tour group.
David V.
Washington, DC USA 03/13/01
We did a fun first-class 1-day walking tour of charming Seville, Spain last November and had a blast: colorful history (Romans, the Arabs-Moors, the Jews & even Don Juan), wine tasting, and tapas w/a witty American ex-pat guide Dan O'Beirn (sp?) & his Spanish partner Rosa Ferrer.
Also from Sevilla we did a day trip one hour north with Dan to a charming white hilltop village w/a Templar Knights castle, Aracena, where we had a picnic lunch of gourmet cheeses, fresh breads, a bottle of '95 Rioja Reserva, and stawberries, and hiked to 2 other small villages where locals still use donkeys! We found this tour at:www.MagicalSpain.com. Ask for Dan!
Jeff Steinberg <email>
New York, NY USA 02/13/01
I went on a one-day Chianti countryside tour from Florence with the Accidental Tourist company (www.accidentaltourist.com). I am a young backpacker traveling alone and was able to afford it and feel very comfortable. The guide, Amy, was so much fun. The country and the villa we visited were gorgeous. We tasted wine and had a full, traditional Italian meal in an Italian home — not a restaurant! I totally recommend this to anyone going there.
Erin <email>
Sugar Land, TX USA 02/08/01
Don't waste money by using Nawas, a Christian tour company. Although I took my third trip with them this past summer, they have infuriated me enough to never use them again. Other than the tagline of "quality Christian tours," the tour has nothing to do with religion, except for visiting a few more religious monuments/attractions.
The big problem with Nawas was their handling of various things on this last trip of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic — from less than four-star accommodations, to a bus driver leaving a group in the middle of busy Munich late in the evening. Probably most frustrating was an extremely rude tour guide, who had a bad attitude toward the younger members of the tour (even though that was only a small part of the group). Nawas has also been rude in dealing with my complaints. Hope this saves you some trouble!
Holly <email>
St. Louis, MO USA 02/06/01
In Rome, hook up with Walks of Rome. They offer many short historical walks through the city, definitely worth the money (about $13 US each), as well as a number of FREE on-site tours of the Colosseum and the Vatican. All the guides are young and very entertaining, usually students or ex-pats living in Rome. They also offer a very entertaining "Pub Crawl" every night of the week, at 8pm meeting at the Colosseum Metro stop. The best way to see nightlife in a confusing city.
They will definitely make your trip to Rome entirely enjoyable. Check out their web site at www.walksofeurope.com, or call them at 06-484-853 when you arrive.
John <email>
Miami, FL USA 02/05/01
My girlfriend and I read about a small company, Roman Adventures, which gives personal tours of the Vatican, the Colosseum, the Forum, etc. We lucked out and found one of them giving a night tour of the city and it was fantastic! We saw everything from those '60's movies: the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain... Our guide told us great stories that made everything come to life. We were only in Rome 2 days so it made all the difference to us — make sure to check them out if you're in Rome! E-mail address: romanadventures@yahoo.com.
Leo Thomas <email>
los angeles, ca USA 01/22/01
We took the British Shrinkers 1-day tour of Paris via the Eurostar. We really enjoyed it. It is a good but brief intro to Paris. When the group took a tour of The Louvre, we split and walked down to Notre Dame and then took a cab to an artist colony.
Don <email>
Lowell, In USA 01/13/01
Try Lowlands Travel in Holland. See Holland the way Rick recommends — "low to the ground" and through many back doors. Theo is great and very knowledgable. f you go — tell him Rink sent you! Check out their website at www.lowlandstravel.nl
Rink
CO USA 01/03/01
After going on the Big Bus Tours of London, I recommend it to anyone traveling there. Not only do they have live English commentary and you can hop on and off all day long, but their walking tours are great! They have a walking tour for the Changing of the Guard that you MUST DO! Rather than sitting in the crowds for over an hour and seeing just a tiny glimpse of the pageantry behind the fence, they gather the group together outside of the barracks where the new guard comes out to replace the old guard. We walked down the parade route towards Buckingham Palace with the band playing and were so close to the guards, I could have literally touched them (though better not to risk it!). Take my word for it and do the tour with the Big Bus Company. It's a great way to spend a day and see everything!
Tina D.
AZ USA 01/02/01