Central Europe Tour Companies

We saw a lot in this 13 country trip over 26 days, however, the trip would have been more enjoyable and less stressful if Expat would have chosen better quality hotels, modified the itinerary so that the group would have arrived at the hotel by 6 or 7 pm instead of 9 - 9:30 pm followed by a 6:30 am breakfast and 7:15 am back on the bus schedule. Expat should identify that participants have to be quite fit, able to walk at a speed of 5 km/3 miles per hour for 1-3 hours on the city orientation tours and have to carry/drag their heavy suitcase up 2 or more flights of stairs because some of the hotels have no elevator or inadequate elevators. The tour leader should also slow down his/her walking speed to avoid falls and loosing tour members during the walk!

Tonia was an excellent tour group leader. She made it fun and was well organized for all of our excursions, dinners, or activities. Overall it was a very good itinerary and a wonderful experience visiting all the countries and being able to enjoy the culture of them

Our experience on the tour in general was good. There were some points that left us with a bad perception of the organizing agency; one of them is the selection of the hotels. We know beforehand that they are not 5 stars, and that they mention certain limitations; however, one feature that should be an indispensable requirement is CLEANLINESS. When we entered the hotel in Vienna "RAINERS HOTEL VIENNA", the dust in the room was breathable, the carpet was noticeable that it was not vacuumed and since there is no air conditioning to circulate the air, it generates a bomb for people with asthma or who have allergies to dust, as in the case of my wife who had an allergy crisis. The people at the front desk were not supportive at all, totally indifferent to the emergency we had. However, we have to thank the support of Mario Alvarez (our guide) in mobilizing to contact TourRadar and get us a room in another hotel nearby. Thank you very much for your support and empathizing with our situation. Another point in our trip that caused us discomfort, is that they gather different groups that are staying in hotels far from each other; in those transfers to go to pick up the other groups we lost more than an hour that could have been better used in the day. When sharing with other groups that had the same tour but in Spanish, we noticed that the price for their tour was the same as ours (in English), however it included dinners and ours did not. We do not understand the reason for this difference. As for the service of the guides, we could see that not all of them have the same quality of service. They have guides that have less commitment and knowledge. But we love the one who was our guide for half of our tour: Mario Alvarez, for his professionalism, knowledge of the places to visit, commitment to the client and the company, his kindness and service. In a certain period of the tour, we were sharing with two other groups and their guides. And having three guides on the same bus, it was clear that Mario did the work of all three! We reiterate our thanks to Mario, as he made our evaluation of this experience not a poor one.

Excellent guide and very good excursions.

Tour was very well organized. Drivers and guides were reliable and on time. I would have liked a higher grade hotels in some cities. Transportation between cities by private car was excellent.

All our guides were experienced and enthusiastic. The trip was smooth and fulfilling with their dedication and efforts. Very satisfied with the arrangements. The agent helped us quickly when the weather changed our plan. Highly recommend!

The tour was amazing

I did a review for G Adventures a few hours ago.The trip could not have been bettered. Just the right number of other passengers, no-one smoked,.our captain was very professional, the boat was very clean, kitchen utensils were of good quality, the toilet/shower facilities at the marinas were first rate and it was traven experience I had not had before.

Elton was a very knowledgeable and caring driver and tour guide. He endeavoured to allow all participants the best experience for them. The only negative remark is that there was a delay in repairing a tyre that was obviously faulty and we had a blow out on the road. A new car was organised quickly as there was an issue with another tyre.

Whenever you think about hiking the Accursed Mountains in Albania, Kosovo or Montenegro, go for Choose Balkans. It is a terrific organisation and their self guided tours are perfect. Due to circumstances we had to change our hike, Brikena arranged everything for us. I love Choose Balkans and Brikena, they made our hike perfect!

This was a great tour, but a bit too much when your old (like 77). We saw a lot of highlights, and realized we travelled a lot of milage, but it was tiring. All in all, we got our money worth out of the tourn. The tour director was excellent and was able to keep nearly 50 old people on schedule and motivated. He always answered questions about the tour agenda and anything else you could think of. Hotels, for the most part were very good, with the last couple of hotels excellent.

Overall, it was an ok trip. Our driver was awesome and friendly. Our tour director was knowledgeable and also friendly. My past bus trip excursions (different companies) picked up our bags and delivered to and from our room and bus. Here were were responsible for our bags from the bus to our room and back to the bus. We weren't allowed to eat anything on the bus except hard candy. Only bottled water was allowed (no sodas). Every day we had to move seats 2 rows so that everyone had a chance to meet other people and have a different view which I liked. Our group had 47 people in it (every seat was full). Would have like a smaller group.

It is a shame that this was the last Sound of Music tour offered by Trafalgar (as announced on the tour). The tour took travelers to very interesting places, the tour director (Tony Emmerson) is second to none, and the optional excursions were unique and highly enjoyable.

Tony and Tonasket are the best Director and drivers. Very helpful and informative and a truly great personalities!! It made my trip memorable!!

I can't say enough wonderful things about our Contiki trip manager, Rianna, who truly deserves the title of Tour Guide of the Year! Her empathy, kindness, and dedication to our group were evident every single day. She has this unique ability to connect with each person and make everyone feel comfortable, no matter the situation. Her patience is unmatched, and her enthusiasm is contagious – I’ve genuinely never seen someone so happy to push through every challenge just to make our experience unforgettable. What truly sets her apart is how she approaches each day with a smile, even if she may be facing her challenges or adversities. She brings a warm aura and an uplifting presence to the group, making everyone feel at home, no matter how far from home we actually are. Regardless of the personality or demands of any traveler – even the most challenging among us – she greets and helps everyone with grace, kindness, and an unparalleled level of support. She constantly goes above and beyond, always anticipating our needs and creating special moments that made this trip feel both personal and one-of-a-kind. Her unwavering commitment, compassion, and resilience transformed every day into something extraordinary. She is truly an inspiration as both a guide and as a person in general. I am so grateful to have met her and experienced her talent as a guide. When i mentioned my next travel plan she went above and beyond to recommend two great places & showed me photos and videos of them. Thank you for an unforgettable experience Ri. You made my first big solo adventure one I’m not sure I can ever beat!

Dem was absolutely amazing. Her knowledge of every place we went really helped to solidify the experience and I learnt a lot through her fun stories and ways of explaining things. She became more than our trip manager she became our friend and our person if we needed anything she was always willing to help

We were on a boat - Omega Kiss which had mosquitos on board which had access to our compartments. Interior paneling that allowed us to see in our neighbors compartment. Trash in bathroom not being picked up , need for pans and utensils in kitchen - our door knob kept falling off. The Captain could care less about providing a trip that we were comfortable with -He was In a hurry to get to the next port- only sailed for several hours even though we had fantastic opportunities to sail our last days. Would motor to our final ports without stopping to swim and have lunch just so he could get off the boat. Tour Radar attempted to add charges after our final contract and would not let us cancel what we knew was bound to be an awkward affair . Our departure price was reduced and Intrepid should honor their lowest price guarantee . Not a good experience at all - Intrepid promised the moon and didn't at all deliver. really regret having anything to do with trip - felt cheated and overcharged.

Our trip was exceptional. Our guide Mario was great. Really enthusiastic, as was our driver Zuran. The itinerary was excellent, the riding challenging enough. Accommodation and food met or exceeded expectations. A wonderful way to see and get to know Croatia.

Overall experience is average. Hotels not worth paying additional $1K each for upgrade as most hotels are very old and basic. Tour Guides are ok, friendly, caring and helpful. I cannot comment on their knowledge on the places that we visited and history as I was not paying attention to any of them as I do not have much interest. Vans are good, new and comfortable for us. Djan is good with planning and proactive and communicate well.

This was a comprehensive tour of Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria arranged very efficiently by Balkan&more, especially Ivona. All the arrangements went through smoothly, and our guide Igor and driver Zika were very professional and competent, and very friendly and nice too! They all took good care of us and we are very happy with the services received. We definitely recommend Balkan&more for any travel arrangements in the Balkans. We enjoyed every moment!

Disappointing Experience with Wingbuddy and CroisiEurope’s "Jewels of the Danube" River Cruise (Sept 25 - Oct 4, 2024) Unfortunately, this was one of the worst cruises we have ever taken. I strongly recommend thoroughly reading reviews before booking any trip with Wingbuddy, a travel agency based in Montreal, Canada. While their official website shows only 4-5 star ratings, our experience was far from that. We booked our trip well in advance in February 2024, which included flights, transportation, and hotel stays before and after the cruise. We paid 50% upfront. The day after booking, Wingbuddy sent our Air Canada flight tickets—without baggage included. This meant that each checked bag would cost us $85 per person for both the outbound and return flights. When I asked to cancel the package and receive a refund, I was informed it was impossible because the tickets had already been issued, despite Air Canada allowing refunds up to 24 hours before the flight. Their trip description says not including any baggage for a transatlantic flight ?! There was no intention to fight. A few weeks before the trip, Eastern Europe experienced flooding. Wingbuddy sent us the embarkation voucher and hotel/transportation information, but there was no mention of any disruptions. Only two hours before leaving for the airport in Toronto did we receive an "urgent" email informing us that the itinerary had changed. Instead of embarking in Vienna as planned, we would have to take a bus to Budapest, with the ship being replaced the following day. This meant we spent the second day of our trip on a four-hour bus ride to a hotel in Budapest, and then another bus trip the next day to a Hungarian village, only boarding the ship late in the evening. Two days of our cruise were lost. We were fortunate the cruise happened at all—previous groups on the same itinerary had spent 9 days traveling by bus with just one day on the ship. Wingbuddy clearly knew about the situation well in advance and failed to notify customers, depriving us of the opportunity to cancel or reschedule. Their lack of transparency and communication is deeply concerning. As for CroisiEurope, the cruise company, we were equally disappointed. Overall very poor customer service. Very non-caring, rigid. Food overall was unhealthy , especially the breakfast. The ship itself was in bad condition, with dirty carpets throughout and outdated furniture. I cannot recommend CroisiEurope; you're better off spending a little more for a higher-quality cruise experience. The only positive aspect of the trip was the transportation, as the drivers were punctual and provided good service. In conclusion, Wingbuddy's lack of transparency and communication, combined with CroisiEurope's non-quality service, made for a highly disappointing trip. Their primary focus seems to be on securing payments, with little regard for customer satisfaction or the quality of the experience. I would advise potential travelers to be cautious and consider other options.

Prague and Vienna are beautiful cities but I would not recommend visiting them in the summer. They were both very crowded and hot during July when we visited. The hotel we were booked at in Prague did not have air conditioning and sleeping at night was very uncomfortable. Also, the hotels in Europe do not furnish washcloths, so you have to bring your own means of washing in the showers. Our flight to Prague was late arriving due to errors by our airline carrier from the U.S., so the driver that was included in our tour package to take us to our hotel did not wait for our late arrival and we had to pay for an Uber driver to take us from the airport to our hotel.

Felt little rush. As for Prague, I felt we did not see much. In Rome we were given like 45mins to explore Colosseum area. From there we headed to Vatican n there we were given free time, good 7 hours. They could have given little more time in Rome instead of wasting 7 hours in Vatican. Most time we had to walk good 30mins to our.bus. Pitied the elderly who were struggling. Nevertheless, the other places in Italy, Austria & Swtizerland was nice n good coverage. Special Shout out to our guides - Ryde, Eva & Mario. They were very nice and very knowledgable.

To begin, it was very hard to get the exact hotel that we were to start this trip from. I think that is poor planning on the part of the company to only get the name of the hotel just a few days before leaving. As a result of this, the company Assumed that we were not going and took our names off the list. Told the tour guide Martin that we will not be showing up and as a result, he nearly lost us. We did not mind being at another hotel, but we did not like was being told. We were not part of the tour. That is a deadly mistake that almost cost us not being able to go on the tour. I must say, that Martin is an excellent tour, guide and manager of such situations as this. We can’t say enough about Martin and his helping people to make sure they get what is fair. Again, whoever was my point of contact for this trip should know taking our names off. The list was wrong.