France Tour Companies

There are many things that we loved about this tour, many things people complained about on our tour that weren’t necessarily problems and many things that were sorely lacking in the program that we'd love to see improved for future tours: Things we loved: 1. They had some of the most incredible gems to stop at in between the larger cities. Caceres and Zaragoza are amazing and every stop provided a new experience with so many beautiful sights 2. Balance between "group" and "individual" - I loved that we were supported by the guides or group members for part of the day and then parts of the day were left to us individually so it still felt like our own trip and I wasn't dragged around to restaurants I didn't want to eat in or sights I wasn't interested in 3. Ignacio- I had to add this as a specific love because the guide in the Barcelona- Zurich leg was amazing. He was so confidant and calm in his leadership, was always warm and went the extra mile to help travelers. Things we heard travelers complain about but weren't a "problem" per se 1. Changing guides/tour divided into legs - if you are looking for the standard actor guide who entertains you with a dramatic flair, a tour group that sticks together all day for everything and a "family" that you grow close to over the two weeks, this isn't for you. The guides are not actors and they vary in quality. They are all native Spanish speakers, and their English fluency varies (tour group from Spain- you should expect this). Some were only okay in English and because I know Spanish, I could tell they were giving information in Spanish that they weren’t giving in English. 2.The pacing- is described in the itinerary including how long you spend in the cities (never more, can be less) and how many kms you travel each day. It isn't a leisurely pace and if you go into it expecting that, you are only deceiving yourself. 3. Free time - you are paying for the bus, guides and hotels. That's mostly it and the price reflects this. The itinerary clearly indicates what you pay for and when your free time is. You don't get a ton of tickets to things or personal tours of certain tourist areas. You get a very general, two hour bus tour of the bigger cities. Excursions and entrance into tourist attractions are extra in the optional excursions or for you to arrange on your own. I'll explain how this gets complicated in my next list. 4. Hotels- if you’re a budget traveler, these are the hotels you know well and you should expect this. They’re the Super 8 or sometimes even the Holiday Inn level. Most of them are fine - clean, have everything you need. Not fancy. Things we didn’t like about the tour 1. The crowds/group tours- Europamundo puts 100s of travelers on most legs of this trip. They get away with this because the tour you’re specifically travelling on says they only have a max of 75, but there are several different tours going on at the same time, in the same city from Europamundo. You get mixed with them on buses, in the hotels and at the tourist areas. We “fought for our resources” the whole way through this trip- fighting crowds for breakfast, spots on the elevator for luggage, seats on buses, spots in queues to get to the bathrooms or food. 100s of people let off in the same rest areas, same central squares, staying in the same hotels or going on the same tour was what made this tour much less enjoyable for us. It is this reason alone that we would probably never do a bus tour again. This has nothing to do with the high tourist season either. This wasn’t the busy season and guides said that. The problem is that too many tour groups stuff way too many people into the same small spaces at the exact same time and expect them to just deal with it. 2. Chaotic daily schedule – I said earlier that they did a good job of demonstrating the overall pacing in the itinerary and that is true. It was the minor details that they tended not include and wouldn’t even reveal until the last possible moment that can cause stress. If I don’t know when or where we’re being dropped off or picked up, I can’t book tickets or plan anything for myself for the 8 hours I have free in Lisbon, for example. If I do book my own excursion somewhere, I risk my booking being far out of the way, missing the transfer to my hotel or missing my booked activity because we didn’t get dropped off in time. We wanted to book restaurants but we couldn’t in the last two legs because they were much more chaotic than the first. We had a hard time trying to work around them and spent more time just sticking near a meeting spot to kill time because it was to busy and crowded to try to get in anywhere last minute. If we could’ve booked things ahead or known more information, we could’ve planned better

Excellent and ,Exceptional

Tour guide, Steve and driver Eduardo were fantastic. Would 200% recommend them

The hotels could have been better and the meals were okay could be better

Our guide was amazing. The foods was very good. The views were spectacular The hike was more challenging than I expected but I was able to adjust. It would be nice if there were daily elevation gain and loss on the itinerary. Sleeping with a group of six or more strangers was a challenge. There were people in my room that were very ill. I started feeling ill my last day. I came home and was very sick for days after the trip.

This trip is a once in a lifetime trip, and I wanted to do it for a long time. It was above and beyond my expectations! Thank you again.

Tour was very good. Initial Hotel accommodations could have been closer to the initial points for the meeting points. Taxi rides were pretty expensive.

We loved the hotel and the area that we stayed, however we needed more guidance on how to get to meeting points of the tours. For the cost of the tour package, there was a lot of money that we still had to spend on meals and travel costs. Rather than waste time getting lost, we often opted for taxis. For what we got on the tour, it seems that my friend and I could have planned the trip ourselves.

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

Really enjoyed myself it was an interesting tour the cities in the towns we went to enjoy them Normandy the most

Not what I expected. To much rush and walking was unbearable

As a solo traveller this tour gave me security. The process was seamless and the stays all exceeded my expectations. One note to travellers, make sure that stays don't charge you for dinner that is included in the package. But overall, very worth the upfront costs.

Very good experience. Did not get lost. All three hotels met our expectations.

Great coverage of sites and opportunities like eating in Eiffel Tower and cooking class. Sometimes the walking pace was a little quick, which caused separation from guide in crowded spaces. Guides were outstanding and went the extra mile when I was pickpocketed. A wonderful experience. Lead guide Jonathan was informative, humorous and a joy to be around.

We had a wonderful time on this trip! So much to see in 3 weeks. Our tour guide Bernie McCarthy was EXCELLANT! As well as our bus driver Donalto. Bernie was so informative with history facts about the areas we were travelling through. I couldn’t write fast enough in my book! The hotels, meals, local tour guides were way beyond than what we expected. So organized, efficient and overall perfect. We are already planning our next Trafalgar trip!

As a single person I paid a premium to go on this trip but I also got terrible rooms because I was single.‘I did not find the apps user friendly.

Fantastic itinerary, hassle free booking with easy alterations. Expectations exceeded.

ship was excellent, food and drinks were great, adventures perfectly organized,all crew members were extremely friendly and helpful. One person was outstanding and needs to be mentioned: our cruise director GAYLE. She was just outstanding and the best we ever experienced.

Great service, good guides, excellent food

First the positive. Olbia, Maddalena, and Bonifacio are beautiful. The waters are crystal clear. The sailing is amazing. The approach to Corsica is particularly stunning. The captain was extremely competent and we always felt safe. We only had 3 people plus the captain on the boat, which made the accommodations comfortable enough (8 people would have been way too many for me). On the not so positive side, the beaches were just ok and the snorkeling was unimpressive. We did not experience any walking trails nor much wild life. Breakfasts and lunches were all on the boat, as were 4 dinners. It was not our understanding that, literally, the captain’s only responsibility was to sail the boat. He didn’t help with paying for, preparing, or cleaning up after meals. With only the 3 passengers, this meant that on our vacation, we took care of him. We called him when lunch/dinner was ready and cleaned his dishes when we were all done. He didn’t seem particularly appreciative nor did he reciprocate in any way. He didn’t offer tips on walking trails or comment on wild life opportunities. He took the zodiac out once, on request. Basically, he dropped anchor and we were on our own. Overall, it was a beautiful trip but it didn’t totally live up to the expectations set by the itinerary.

Friggin awesome. Great group. Great guide. Great scenery. What more do you need?

Awesome tour of the south of France

Very enjoyable tour!

Route good. Excursions OK. MS Douce France very well maintained for its age. Unfortunately, many windows in the lounge and cabins are frosted and prevent a good view. Great cuisine, varied and very tasty and beautifully presented! 1++!!! Table drinks also excellent. Staff super friendly and competent!

The trip was fantastic weather was good crew was nice and I enjoyed it till the last minute. Thanks George