Still Searching for the Northern Lights!
Although the primary focus of our recent trip to Norway was to experience seeing the aurora borealis, it rained every day while we were in Narvik and Tromso the best places to see the lights. As explained many times in all the tour literature that seeing the lights is not guaranteed, one could only hope that Mother Nature would allow us to see the show but this time she decided to not participate. The good news though is that we had a fantastic time. Our guide, Atto, was excellent, always providing in depth insights to the areas we visited, always going above and often beyond what was expected and was always extremely kind and caring to a diverse group of people who all enjoyed one another’s company. We had a number of bus drivers during the 12 days of the trip and they were all excellent especially our last driver during the tour extension, Espen. All the included and optional tours were comprehensive. The local guides gave us very interesting information and a history of their local areas. The hotels were all great and often perfectly situated even if the room sizes were small in comparison to US hotel rooms but they were all exceedingly clean and comfortable with very tasty included breakfast buffets.
So even though we did not see the Northern Lights we did see and experience a lot of Norway, a truly delightful country with warm, welcoming people. I highly recommend this trip and our tour guide, Atto.
So even though we did not see the Northern Lights we did see and experience a lot of Norway, a truly delightful country with warm, welcoming people. I highly recommend this trip and our tour guide, Atto.
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Porto, Evora & Lisbon
The HF Fenix Porto was a gorgeous hotel with beautiful rooms; however, the location was remote to tourist activity during free time except for the hotel selected in Evora, Muralhas. The Lisbon, Turin Iberia Hotel, was also remote for free time touring with limited local restaurants.
The Porto Douro River Cruise was not worth the $$, it was on a pirate type boat, very short tour, uncomfortable seating, challenging for some older seniors to get into the boat and you couldn’t hear the recorded tour information in your Whisper. The independent tour guides hired for each city, Porto, Evora and Lisbon were excellent. Our main tour guide provided restaurant recommendations with minimal advance notice and there were occasions the restaurants were small and/or booked. If you are a foodie do your restaurant research as soon as the hotel locations are provided. Beware of the restaurant menu hawkers in downtown Porto and Lisbon and walk out of the tourist areas for dining in order to find true local cuisine and when found they are gems and dining is very reasonable for fresh seafood and alcoholic beverages. The tour bus was very comfortable and clean however the driver did not assist some of the older seniors who needed assistance on and off the bus. This should definitely be addressed. Enjoy your travels!
The Porto Douro River Cruise was not worth the $$, it was on a pirate type boat, very short tour, uncomfortable seating, challenging for some older seniors to get into the boat and you couldn’t hear the recorded tour information in your Whisper. The independent tour guides hired for each city, Porto, Evora and Lisbon were excellent. Our main tour guide provided restaurant recommendations with minimal advance notice and there were occasions the restaurants were small and/or booked. If you are a foodie do your restaurant research as soon as the hotel locations are provided. Beware of the restaurant menu hawkers in downtown Porto and Lisbon and walk out of the tourist areas for dining in order to find true local cuisine and when found they are gems and dining is very reasonable for fresh seafood and alcoholic beverages. The tour bus was very comfortable and clean however the driver did not assist some of the older seniors who needed assistance on and off the bus. This should definitely be addressed. Enjoy your travels!
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Andrea
I wasn’t able to do my whole evaluation of this trip but I needed to give a bow and shout out to Andrea our Tour Guide. Not only did he have a well planned itinerary and kept us all informed of any changes; he gave us options to add another walking tour to fill a gap. His vast knowledge of Italy was impressive. He went out of his way to accommodate my sister Millie and myself with Vegan and Vegetarian meals plans at the meals that were included with the itinerary. He also pointed us all in good direction with outlined maps for when we all went out on our own in the afternoon or evenings. His patience and tolerance was much appreciated.
Other tour guides:
I can’t remember all their names but they were all amazing. I was in absolute awe of the knowledge of the history that was being told to us during the tour by each guide. They all had beautiful accents to the culture and great senses of humor…. And yes this includes the BIG CHEESE ANDREA….
Our group and the weather
I can’t say enough of our group. Everyone was so nice and friendly and we got along great. We had a lot of laughs. The weather was the best it could be. It held up to the end.
This tour of Italy was jam packed go go go it was just what I needed.
Thank you to everyone for this amazing vacation
Nancie
Other tour guides:
I can’t remember all their names but they were all amazing. I was in absolute awe of the knowledge of the history that was being told to us during the tour by each guide. They all had beautiful accents to the culture and great senses of humor…. And yes this includes the BIG CHEESE ANDREA….
Our group and the weather
I can’t say enough of our group. Everyone was so nice and friendly and we got along great. We had a lot of laughs. The weather was the best it could be. It held up to the end.
This tour of Italy was jam packed go go go it was just what I needed.
Thank you to everyone for this amazing vacation
Nancie
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Paris Rome Madrid. London
The tour was great
Our tour director Pascal was amazing
I did not care
For the St John Hotel in Rome
The rooms were very small
And not updated
The the room exterior doors at the frame looked like someone had tried to break in
The frames were damaged and you could not really tell if your door was securely closed
Travelers with room mates were not given two keys upon arrival
We were promised additional keys the next day
We did not receive keys
Until our last day there
The staff at the hotel was not friendly
At all
There was no air conditioning
And limited fans available
The tour bus could not meet us in front of hotel
We had to travel up a slight
Hill
To the corner
To meet the bus
The street was very dangerous as
There were several
Pot holes
And the sidewalk was a joke with uneven and broken concrete
The St. John hotel
Is rated a zero for me
A definite no
Breakfast was horrible as well
Madrid and
Paris
Hotels were very nice
London hotel was nice as well
Customer service and food for breakfast and welcome dinner was tasty
And the hotel staff were very nice and super helpful
The Madrid hotel
Was very nice
And modern
Big rooms
And luxurious bathrooms
The breakfast was amazing
A buffet with everything you can imagine
Complete with a champagne mimosa bar
Our tour director Pascal was amazing
I did not care
For the St John Hotel in Rome
The rooms were very small
And not updated
The the room exterior doors at the frame looked like someone had tried to break in
The frames were damaged and you could not really tell if your door was securely closed
Travelers with room mates were not given two keys upon arrival
We were promised additional keys the next day
We did not receive keys
Until our last day there
The staff at the hotel was not friendly
At all
There was no air conditioning
And limited fans available
The tour bus could not meet us in front of hotel
We had to travel up a slight
Hill
To the corner
To meet the bus
The street was very dangerous as
There were several
Pot holes
And the sidewalk was a joke with uneven and broken concrete
The St. John hotel
Is rated a zero for me
A definite no
Breakfast was horrible as well
Madrid and
Paris
Hotels were very nice
London hotel was nice as well
Customer service and food for breakfast and welcome dinner was tasty
And the hotel staff were very nice and super helpful
The Madrid hotel
Was very nice
And modern
Big rooms
And luxurious bathrooms
The breakfast was amazing
A buffet with everything you can imagine
Complete with a champagne mimosa bar
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Grand tour of Italy 2024
My partner Joe and myself just got home from the Grand Tour of Italy. I have been to Italy before but it was Joe’s first time. We enjoyed the Go Ahead tour very much. The thing that made the trip so special were the people we met along the way. Our tour guide Stefania, couldn’t have been more perfect for our trip. Her everyday spirit and guidance was felt all day, everyday. She always had a smile to greet us with and always
in a professional way. As for our driver Luciano, he too was very professional and we always felt safe in his hands. He was kind, friendly and was always ready to lend a hand. And thanks to Luciano we were well hydrated. Thank you EF Tours and Stefania and Luciano for wonderful memories. Stay safe all, Denise 🌹
in a professional way. As for our driver Luciano, he too was very professional and we always felt safe in his hands. He was kind, friendly and was always ready to lend a hand. And thanks to Luciano we were well hydrated. Thank you EF Tours and Stefania and Luciano for wonderful memories. Stay safe all, Denise 🌹
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Switzerland,Alsace & the Black Forest
This 14 day trip met all my expectations. Great tour guide; but, soft spoken with British accent sometime hard for this 82 year old to hear but I just snuggled up closer!! The hotels were all very comfortable. I especially liked the quaint, downtown hotel in Zermatt. Love, loved the buffet breakfasts!! I came from Florida so I really appreciated the cooler temps and even enjoyed being in the snow on our trip up the mountain to view the Matterhorn….which we did not see until we returned to Zermatt AND I could view if from my hotel window!! What a treat! The bus trip from Andermatt to Interlaken was a highlight of the trip. Oh my, the beautiful scenery. Photographs can not capture the beauty! BTW, Bravo to our bus driver for keeping us on the road through all the hairline turns coming down from the mountains.👏👏👏. Heading North I really like the French town of Colmar, “Little Venice”. Another highlight for me was the Black Forest Open Air Museum. So interesting to learn about the history and culture of that region. And of course learning about the red ball hat was news to me. Wonderful day going back in time. Oh, the slice of Black Forest Cake with coffee was a nice finish to the adventure. All in all I rate this trip with two thumbs up👍🏼👍🏼!!
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Wonderful experience (Food and Wine Tour of N.Italy Oct 21-Nov 1, 2023)
My arrival was remarkable. After a long trip, I was met by a driver who drove me 2 hours (in a nice car) from Milan to Turin. I slept most of the way. When we arrived at the hotel, I was greeted by Simone who expedited my room check-in.
Simone was an outstanding group leader. I found him to be genuine, personable, supportive, and informative. I enjoyed his sense of humour.
I appreciated the pace of the tour and Simone’s collaborative adaptation to same. Personally, I think I’d prefer less moving from hotel to hotel. Having said that, I most enjoyed the Truffle tour and the final lunch held at the Valpolicella winery.
The hotels each had their own challenges — the Turin hotel was hot and noisy (the a/c had been shut down for the season) and my room opened onto a 4 lane thoroughfare so I had to make a choice throughout the night about what was more conducive to sleep — decreasing heat or noise; the Italian Riviera hotel had a very small bathroom & construction happening just outside it; the hotel outside Verona was lovely but quite a distance into Verona (think approximately $40 cab fare one-way) so suppers were on site and I did not find the restaurant staff to be very friendly.
While at the Francone Winery, we were told the bus would be secure and I left my backpack on board. Guess I should know better! When I returned from the luncheon, the zippers on my backpack were open. I’m quite fastidious so that surprised me. I checked the contents and breathed a huge sigh of relief that my passport and some money was still in my Fanny pack. I was uncertain how much money I’d left in the pack and thought perhaps there were 2 100 Euro bills as I’d visited an ATM a day or so earlier and had removed $300 Euros. I rarely spent cash, preferring to use my M/C. Because I was uncertain, I didn’t report my unrest to Simone until group members encouraged me to do so. I was pleased to hear that there’s a camera on the bus and footage from that time frame could be reviewed. As of this point, I have not heard the results.
EF tour staff were good until just prior to my departure when I stopped receiving responses from Jason (Canada). My package from EF did not arrive before I left so will be in touch to receive the cookbook this apparently came in the package if I’ve not received it when I check my mail.
I retuned from the tour feeling run down and tested positive for Covid (as did another group member who, as far as I know, is still in a hotel in Italy). I’ve felt quite sick but am still grateful to have embraced Europe once again following a travel hiatus since Covid first became an issue.
Sincerely,
Jan Carew
Simone was an outstanding group leader. I found him to be genuine, personable, supportive, and informative. I enjoyed his sense of humour.
I appreciated the pace of the tour and Simone’s collaborative adaptation to same. Personally, I think I’d prefer less moving from hotel to hotel. Having said that, I most enjoyed the Truffle tour and the final lunch held at the Valpolicella winery.
The hotels each had their own challenges — the Turin hotel was hot and noisy (the a/c had been shut down for the season) and my room opened onto a 4 lane thoroughfare so I had to make a choice throughout the night about what was more conducive to sleep — decreasing heat or noise; the Italian Riviera hotel had a very small bathroom & construction happening just outside it; the hotel outside Verona was lovely but quite a distance into Verona (think approximately $40 cab fare one-way) so suppers were on site and I did not find the restaurant staff to be very friendly.
While at the Francone Winery, we were told the bus would be secure and I left my backpack on board. Guess I should know better! When I returned from the luncheon, the zippers on my backpack were open. I’m quite fastidious so that surprised me. I checked the contents and breathed a huge sigh of relief that my passport and some money was still in my Fanny pack. I was uncertain how much money I’d left in the pack and thought perhaps there were 2 100 Euro bills as I’d visited an ATM a day or so earlier and had removed $300 Euros. I rarely spent cash, preferring to use my M/C. Because I was uncertain, I didn’t report my unrest to Simone until group members encouraged me to do so. I was pleased to hear that there’s a camera on the bus and footage from that time frame could be reviewed. As of this point, I have not heard the results.
EF tour staff were good until just prior to my departure when I stopped receiving responses from Jason (Canada). My package from EF did not arrive before I left so will be in touch to receive the cookbook this apparently came in the package if I’ve not received it when I check my mail.
I retuned from the tour feeling run down and tested positive for Covid (as did another group member who, as far as I know, is still in a hotel in Italy). I’ve felt quite sick but am still grateful to have embraced Europe once again following a travel hiatus since Covid first became an issue.
Sincerely,
Jan Carew
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Review
I never leave a review don’t believe in social
media. However I had to take a moment to say what an exceptional job Eleftheria did on our tour. My moms 82 years old and in excellent health and able to complete the Athens Mykonos Santorini tour with the Rome extension. This is not a simple walking tour. However she did her very best to ensure we all were taken care of. I am writing this review to ensure that you know whar efforts and care Eledheria went through to make us happy and everyone in our group . I do believe a few bad apples can ruin a barrel. I do think that she had some hard characters she was dealing with. Her poise and grace during this tour was exceptional. She is an Amazing representation for your company.
media. However I had to take a moment to say what an exceptional job Eleftheria did on our tour. My moms 82 years old and in excellent health and able to complete the Athens Mykonos Santorini tour with the Rome extension. This is not a simple walking tour. However she did her very best to ensure we all were taken care of. I am writing this review to ensure that you know whar efforts and care Eledheria went through to make us happy and everyone in our group . I do believe a few bad apples can ruin a barrel. I do think that she had some hard characters she was dealing with. Her poise and grace during this tour was exceptional. She is an Amazing representation for your company.
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Upgrades aren’t possible
First let me say that the guides and tour director were very knowledgeable. Some guides may be a bit too controlling. I’m sure when I was younger this type of travel treatment may have worked. I was very disappointed in how the flights are handled. I like knowing about my flights way in advance especially for a flight that is over 8 hours. GAT would not tell me anything until the last few weeks prior which was too late to change airline, seating etc. They booked me on Lufthansa which I have never used before and it was a nightmare flight because it was packed with people including this poor woman positioned behind my row at galley so flight attendants could monitor her due to her constant coughing episodes for some reason. I also didn’t like having to get up early mornings and pack all my things and move to different hotels. Instead of this trip feeling like a vacation it felt like work. Bottom line- this type of travel doesn’t fit my needs and I will not be using GAT again.
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Review: Naples, Florence and Rome
Here’s a positive review of my experience with EF Travel:
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**Review of EF Travel Tour to Naples, Florence, and Rome**
I recently completed an incredible tour with EF Travel that took us through the stunning cities of Naples, Florence, and Rome. From start to finish, the experience was nothing short of amazing!
Our tour guide, Francesco, truly made the journey unforgettable. His youthful energy and extensive knowledge about each destination added so much depth to our experience. He was not only efficient in managing our itinerary but also passionate about sharing the history and culture of Italy. Every stop felt exciting and engaging, thanks to Fernando’s enthusiasm and insights.
The organization of the tour was excellent, allowing us to explore each city while also providing ample time to soak in the local atmosphere. I appreciated the balance between guided activities and free time, which let us experience Italy at our own pace.
Overall, I highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the beauty and culture of Italy. Thank you, EF Travel, and a special shoutout to Francesco for making this trip so special!
Phyllis St John
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**Review of EF Travel Tour to Naples, Florence, and Rome**
I recently completed an incredible tour with EF Travel that took us through the stunning cities of Naples, Florence, and Rome. From start to finish, the experience was nothing short of amazing!
Our tour guide, Francesco, truly made the journey unforgettable. His youthful energy and extensive knowledge about each destination added so much depth to our experience. He was not only efficient in managing our itinerary but also passionate about sharing the history and culture of Italy. Every stop felt exciting and engaging, thanks to Fernando’s enthusiasm and insights.
The organization of the tour was excellent, allowing us to explore each city while also providing ample time to soak in the local atmosphere. I appreciated the balance between guided activities and free time, which let us experience Italy at our own pace.
Overall, I highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the beauty and culture of Italy. Thank you, EF Travel, and a special shoutout to Francesco for making this trip so special!
Phyllis St John
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