Hi Mariese,

Have read your experience on Trafalgar's Breakaway tour. You did a 22 day tour, is that right?? I am looking into doing the 32 day "Ultimate" tour, which after reading your experience makes me feel nervous. I have never travelled O/S and do feel some sort of organisation for me is a must, especially as I only have 11 weeks to do it all and I want to also see Scotland, London, Wales and possibly Ireland then on the way home (to Aussie) drop in to Thailand and hook up with a friend for a 9 day tour there.

I am not someone that needs to be directed, but would feel (initally anyway) safer if I was with a Tour group. I would say though, that I could - after my confidence grew a little, do something on my own. Do you think it would be wise to consider a shorter, more relaxed tour and then maybe do a little on my own. I do know some people in Spain. Or would the costs out wiegh it? Just looking for some feedback from someone that has "been there and done that". .

Cheers - Lisa

Hi Lisa,

I'm from Australia aswell and looking for a tour I can do through Germany, Switzerland and Austria. I've been to Vienna before where I'm staying for a few weeks I'll be picking up local tours and using the Eye Witness Travel Guide which by the way is the best book in existance. I was looking at the Breakaway Tour as I don't have the confidence either to travel alone to places I've never been and wanted a tour I could do with people around my age.

I've been overseas 3 times my first overseas holiday was to England with a friend and her parents which was great I was able to stay with her relatives for free for 3 months and saw heaps. Just 2 years ago I did a 2 week Insight Eastern European holiday which was much like Mariese described having to pay extra for excursions not included in the holiday, eating in old restaurants away from the city and being babied. But if you can forget all of that you still see all the major sights and the free time is fantastic. My sister and I used the guides and walked to places not included in the tour and loved the time on our own doing what we wanted.

I would suggest if you can find somone to travel with like your friends in Spain that'd be a good idea you can pickup a local tour or use a guide book. I wouldn't rule out a tour as long as it gives you plenty of flexibility you can use the expensive excursion time to take your own walking tour or pickup a local tour, or local cruise. When I was in Prague my sister and I, and a girl on the tour didn't want to pay for an expensive excursion into the city centre so we all decided to get a cab (Audi) together from our hotel. We asked the driver to come back in 3 hours it cost us next to nothing and the people on the excursion had to ride some stupid small train through the city centre they hated it, we were bragging constantly about our trip in the Audi. This girl we met always missed the excursions to pick up local cheaper ones, the tour director hated it cause he wasn't making any money plus she'd tell others but when it comes down to it it's your holiday and your money.

I would suggest investing in a guide, I don't know what I would've done without the Eyewitness Travel Guide. They have full colour illustrations so you can see where you're going if you're a visual person. They also have info on local tours, restaurants, cafes including local foods, costs of calls, transport and emergencies.

Hope this helps, if you have any questions please don't hesitate.

Cheers - Michelle

Hi Michelle,

We are also from Australia and currently lookin for European tour. We have not been to Europe so not sure if we should go for budget tour like COSMOS or first class Traflagar tour.

We are currently tossing between this COSMOS tour- Cosmopolitan Europe 15 days and TRAFALGAR 'European experience - 12 days'. . Both of these tours offering almost the itienary & same number of countries except COSMOS has extra three nights and goes to Prague-Czech rather than Armsterdam.

I've read your great experience with local tours and concerned if we are paying too much for little time spent on each country. What is like to be on this sort of tour ? are you on the go everyday ?


Cheers

Hi Mariese.

You probably have no clue who i am now but i was on the same european breakaway tour with you. Everything your wrote was spot on. The cost for the optionals is insane. Travellers dont realise they could be doing the same excursion for half the cost, but choose to go with the group for safety & also transportation. I keep remembering the Gondola Ride in venice, trafalgar charged like 50 euro's and if you went and arranged it by yourself you could get it for 15 euro's or something like that.
Hotels are far from the city so unless you feel like getting transportation into the city to do your own thing you will just have to stick with the group itinerary. I dont like having to choose my options within the first few days, i like to make my mind up along the way and take it as it comes. The tour can become quite costly without even realising how much you will be spending. I didnt actauly realise how many things were not included in the tour.
I think groups can easily be formed on all tours.
It hard leaving a place at 8.30am and then not arriving till later at night. Alot of time is spent on the bus, some days the time does go very fast other times it just drags on & on. Doing this tour is good because it gives you a slight glimpse of what europe has to offer and i know next time if i choose to do a tour i will be more adventerous and do my own research before leaving.

Jennifer