Collette has the audacity to cancel our trip to France,Portugal&Spain without even an explanation nor an apology. It is FINE when things come up and Collette has to cancel (that's life)--- but AT THE VERY LEAST we were expecting options for future departures.

Collette pulled the plug on us, and is taking FOREVER to return our downpayment!

Stay away from Collette. I should've taken the message board more seriously. I read a lot of deleterious comments, but took the risk. NOW I pay the price!

So are you saying that Trafalger never cancels a trip? What a silly post. Collette has a great following with group travel. I'm sure there is more to your story. I had friends who's trip was cancelled by Collette and they substituted another date. Collette paid their re ticketing costs even though the couple had booked their own air, not thru Collette. I thought that was pretty good service.

I agree with you. I looked at some itinieraries of Trafalgar vs Collette in various cities I know well. The difference alone in hotels is amaing. Trafalgars were no way equal. Some people rule out entire companies for the simplest of reasons. Tauck and Collette are still one of the only remaining companies that are family owned and hires their own employees as guides.

I have traveled all over the world, and used many tour companies. I will NOT use Trafalgar again even if it was free. I won't even look at what they offer.

Much too lengthy to go into in this posting, but even my travel agent now advises customers to stay away.

I have been on more than 6 tours with Collette Vacations and think they are absolutely wonderful. Their tour guides are knowledgeable and have happy dispositions and great 'people skills'. . I used to travel with Tauck and Trafalgar, but I am now happily converted to Collette! They are the best! Tauck is VERY overpriced and Trafalgar has too many optional meals. I travel a lot (hence my pen name!) and as far as value for money and good service goes - Collette is the way to go! In October 2006 we went to China with an incredible guide called Helen Van Den Berg, an Australian gal who knew all there was to know about China. Caring personality (my wife got very sick while we were there!), charming and competent, highly organised with fact sheets at every location and highly intelligent (even if she is blonde!). . She couldn't do enough for us and all 40 people on the tour just loved her! What more can I say!!