First time Globus Traveller

[Distantplaces]

Hi all,

Considering a couple of Globus trips and wonder what the service is like with the guides. Are they helpful or do they just leave you to fend for yourselves? Do you learn more from them than you do if you did the sightseeing on your own?

Would like to know as I have heard varying things about escorted tour guides.

Thanks.

[Lynda Farnell]

Hi there
I have been on 3 Globus tours, the tour guides are fantastic story tellers with a phenomenal knowledge of their itinerary. You experience much more than you would solo unless you do huge amounts of research. You can be one street over from a wonderful landmark and miss it just because you did not know it was there, or waste hours trying to find something or standing in line waiting to get in, Globus travellers go to the head of the line immediately . .. .. .. .. . It is not like travelling with robots but they do have to maintain an itinerary (example when in Florence I wanted to do some extra shopping and the tour guide made sure I had the name of the hotel and I stayed beh0ind with another lady and met up with the group later using a taxi to get back - he also made sure we had his cell #, just in case. I've spoken with other travellers on bus tours and I think compared to some other stories I've heard that Globus are well organized and anticipate the needs of the majority when putting the trips together. I highly recommend them, I did the Alpine Tour of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, The Scandinavian and the Best of Italy and Sicily with Sorrento Extension. If you do an Italian trip try to include the Sorrento extension - it's fabulous. I plan to go back to Italy in 2010 on ond of the Monogram Tours of Sorrento, Rome, Venice and Florence. Book away and enjoy!!!!

Lynda

[maximagxe]

We have been on 2 Globus tours and 5 Insight tours. All had good tour directors with the exception of the Globus "Best of Italy" tour in 2005. On the second last day of the tour, our tour director, Anick had the audacity to stand in the front of the coach and announce that anything less than a $4.00 per day per person tip would be considered a personal insult to her. Needless to say, she did not get her requested tip and Globus was contacted in Denver by our travel agent. Globus responded with a significant voucher to use on another trip with them.