Hello,

I just booked the La France tour with Globus. Has anyone taken this tour? Also I am traveling alone any precautions I should take? Any suggestions for globus travel? any and all replies are appreciated. thank you.

I would have booked an Insight tour but this suggestion is too late.

Max
I thought you usually traveled with Globus?
Where are you going next year?. .

PSBB, Globus is wonderful and you will have a great time. Don't worry about traveling alone. No one feels alone for long on the Globus tours. Everyone is very friendly and always includes everyone.You will make friends quickly.Globus will handle everything for you,don't worry. Actually most of what you do is with the group.You don't get alot of free time.
You are far safer in Europe than you are in the US.They have no where near the violent crime that we have here in the US. The only thing you have to be a little careful of is pickpockets just like you would in any big city in the US.I have traveled all over Europe and Great Britian and never felt the least bit threatened,even late at night,I have heard the Subway in Paris can be a little iffy but I traveled on it and never felt there was a problem.I'm a 65 year old woman and travel with my girlfriend who is the same age on the Globus tours. Sounds like we would be targets but have never had a problem. Dh and I went back to London without a tour this summer and took public transportation late at night in London and never had a problem.
Obviously just take the same precautions you would take in any big city. Buy eith a money belt or neck wallett and carry your money and credit cards,ATM card under your clothing.The ATM is the best way to get money in Europe. They are everywhere.

I was pickpocketed in Rome and just recently my 6ft plus grandson was mugged by two burly Romans outside the railway station on his way in from the airport.

His suitcase was recovered by two Americans to whom we will always be grateful.. ..he turned straight around and flew to Belgium and later with a couple of mates drove thousands of kms across Holland, Belgium, Germany and France with no problems at all.

My wife and I have booked with APT on the MS Sound Of Music from Budapest to Amsterdam in mid-July and would appreciate any comments as this is our very first organised tour anywhere.

Mike.

Yes, by all means. Watch out for the pickpockets. Also thefts of purses and carry on bags from the hotel breakfast areas in the mornings.

Mikemcbain,

We are booked on Avalon for a river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam next July. Suggest you check out cruisecritic.com and go to the river cruise message boards.There is a lot of info there.It sure will be nice to only unpack 1 time!!!!

Thanks Letsgo I have found the Cruise Critic forum and lots of info but very little on our ship the MS Sound of Music or our tour Co. ATP.

We will keep a look out for the Avalon ship and give you a wave.

Mike.

One of the things river cruises don't have are casinos.

I don't like casinos and I don't gamble so that's OK with me.

I guess that is why I don't like riverboats. They also do not have shows in the evening.

Cheers

General Max

Rivercruises do have shows everynight although I am sure not of the caliber that are on big ship cruises. The shows all are done by local talent from the area that you are touring.They get on the ship,do their thing and get off at the next port. The ports are so close together that this is possible.If you go to the cruisecritic.com web site there are reviews of the river cruises done by people who have actually BEEN on the cruise.Its real similar to coach touring except you bring your hotel with you. It is also quite a bit more expensive.I don't feel I can make a comparism between coach touring and river cruising until after I take my river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam next July.I will than write a review comparing the two types of touring.I have visited on coach tours several of the places that we will be cruising to so I will be able to compare the different tour types.Monogram tours offered by Globus sound interesting as you spend most of your time on your own and travel by train.
I have taken an ocean cruise and did not enjoy it at all.I know many people love them so to each there own. I like to involve myself much more in the local culture than is possible on an ocean cruise.I also enjoy traveling to Europe on my own with DH.

Max;

How can you say you don't like something if you have never done it?

Letsgo, we have conversed with several couples who have gone on them. One of the things they all complained about was the size of their cabin. The cabins are smaller than the cabins on larger cruise ships. There also is no place to store your luggage so you have to live with that.

We have not talked to anyone that has taken more than one river cruise. We also have talked to people who have taken numerous cruises on larger cruise ships.

Cheers

General Max

Max.

The cabins on the Avalon river cruise ships are 172 sq feet which is bigger than the cabins on many of the deep water cruise ships. Also the comments about Amadeaus and Avalon stated that there was lots of storage space in the cabins. Perhaps your friends cruised on the older ships which did have much smaller cabins. Maybe they were talking about the river cruises in Russia? I have heard those cabins are very small..If you look at the river cruise thread on cruisecritic.com you will read the comments of many people who have taken several river cruises. I believe that river cruising is just coming into its own which is why Globus has gotten involved with it and the reason they have built 4 new river cruise ships in the last 2 years. The suites on Avalons new ships are 258 sq ft,which is hugh.
It is true that if you are interested in the casinos and elaborate entertainment you should probably stick to ocean cruising. However if you enjoy the coach touring and like to consider traveling an educational and cultural experience than you would probably like river cruising. I did enjoy coach touring but did not enjoy the packing and unpacking and the early morning departures,thus I am trying river cruises.It is basically the same as coach touring except your hotel goes with you. I will be returning to Austria,Germany and Holland where I have traveled in the past by coach with Globus.I feel this will give me a real opportunity to compare the two types of touring.I am really looking forward to visiting the towns along the rivers and touring each one of them.I will reserve judgement on which I like best for when I have experienced both modes of travel.

Letsgo, I believe you have convinced me to do more research on river cruises. One positive thing I would assume is that it attracts singles and couples rather than families with children.

Cheers

General Max

I was hoping to find more info on this tour as well as it interests me for 2008.

Of all the tour itineraries/companies I looked through, none of them focused this expressly on France and the various regions. I would expect that not a lot of time is spent on the bus each day as the destinations are fairly close to each other.

Not sure about the experiences in each specific locale though.

any opinions out there?