The tour’s itinerary, from Lisbon to Barcelona, was the influencing factor in our choice for a European tour. The locations to be visited were interesting to us and the history of Iberia was also appealing. We were excited to tour locally and absorb the essence of the Iberian culture.
Our tour guide, Paulo, was courteous, knowledgeable, energetic, and focused on providing the best possible tour for us. He gave excellent guidance and gave us detailed information on the natural, human, and political histories of the locations we visited. He gave recommendations on eating and site seeing in each location we visited and made sure we knew about meeting points and areas to avoid in each location. He made sure that our whispers worked properly and either repaired or replaced defective ones. He was helpful in recovering misplaced items (like my hearing aid) and in pointing out the best shopping values. He took extra time to arrange a birthday meal and celebration for one member of our tour that included everyone on the tour. This was “over and above” his duties, but he gladly took the time to make sure the birthday was not slighted. He was a delight for the travelers.
Our drivers, Joao and Manuel, were exceptional! They were on time, courteous, picked us up and let us off the bus in well protected areas, and drove patiently and with great care during our tour. There was a traffic incident involving our bus and another vehicle. Our guide and drivers were most professional in resolving the incident, ensuring that it was completely concluded and that our tour was interrupted for only a minimum of time.
One of the most important aspects of the tour was that all of the travelers were respectful of each other. It was a great combination of personalities who enjoyed each other’s company.
Our itinerary was a full one, giving us a well rounded sample of Iberian life. We were glad to experience it. However, we did seem to be rushed a bit from time to time, and we did miss seeing Park Guell, which was advertised on the printed itinerary. Also, in some locations, there seemed to be a long commute time from our lodging to local sites. So, we would recommend that Great Value Vacations consider the following:
(1) Extend the tour from 10 to 12 or perhaps 14 days. This would give ample time to see all the advertised sights;
(2) Explore lodging closer to the advertised sites. That would give more visiting time;, and
(3). Replace the lodging site at the train station in Zaragoza because of the difficulty in negotiating the expanse of the hotel.
We think these might provide a more enjoyable experience for your travelers. We know there is a delicate balance between expense and experience, but part of the value of a vacation tour such as yours is to have the time to absorb the culture that is being visited.
We rated the tour a 4 because it seemed rushed at times. We rate Paulo a 5. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Respectfully submitted,
Joe and Sandy Beaver
