Portugal, Andalusia and Morocco (Multi country)

Customer Reviews

• LS

  Louise

  · April 18th, 2024
  Tour Radar and Destination Spain did not advise at any time that neither of them were actually the tour operators. As a result of this we were very close to not being picked up at all as there was a mix up with paperwork and we had no idea it was a different company. We will not go through a third party again. In saying that the actual tour itself was good. Guides were great, accommodation was excellent. Well done Julia Tours.
  Show more
  Trip date: February 2024
• CC

  Christine

  · October 31st, 2023
  Destination Services (DS) Spain, Portugal and Morocco-18 day tour It wasn’t until we had paid our full fee that we received some paperwork which let us know that the tour was actually to be run by Julia Travel. I queried this as I had not wanted to book our tour with this company, and was informed that they get Julia Travel (JT) to organise accommodation and travel (which to me is the entire tour). The tour was ok is some parts but extremely disappointing in others. The group changes, numbers get up to 62, the bus is hot and crowded, but the biggest disappointment is for English speaking passengers. At times, especially on the Morocco section, we were left confused and not being given directions at all. For example, the bus pulled up and directions were only given in Spanish, so we didn’t know why people were getting off or what we had to do. We certainly did not get the amount of information that Spanish speakers got., and what we did get was difficult to understand. Many of the local guided tours were very basic – a lot of time spent getting off and on the bus to see one monument then move on. Information given was really not very interesting. The information given once we got to our hotel was poor – nothing written, only brief explanations of where you could eat or what is good to see, and this was given quickly and very hard to understand. Most of the older passengers just stayed in the hotel because they didn’t know where else to go. This was the same when we arrived somewhere and had free time to explore – most (especially English speakers) were left confused and not really knowing where they should go. Our itinerary for Morocco was changed last minute – which meant we had 2 nights in Casablanca instead of 1xCasablanca 1xMarrakesh. This meant that we spent over 7 hours in the bus to visit Marrakesh for just a couple of hours. It was really rushed, and we really only saw the market and a bite to eat. When I queried the change with Destination Services (DS) they told me I had to contact Julia Travel (JT) for further information. I spent a lot of my holiday time calling and texting JT to give them all the information, only to be told I had to contact my Travel agent (DS). It was very frustrating and DS were dismissive and at times rude when dealing with them. They had a real ‘don’t care’ attitude. Having spent 2 nights in Casablanca the only places we got to set foot on were a Mosque and the hotel. Very disappointing. It seemed like a market and mosques were all that we got to see in Morocco. We felt it was such a waste of time and money for us, being so rushed and so much time spent on the bus/ferry to get there. The guide for this section gave repetitive, boring information that really did not add value to the trip. The accommodation might be at 4 star hotels but we were often given rooms that were not up to scratch, needing work, overlooking a carpark or brick wall or in a basement section of the hotel. I don’t recommend this trip, especially for English speakers, and I am very disappointed with Destination Services – I’m really not sure what service they provide except to take your money, outsource and then wipe their hands.
  Show more
  

  Destination Services Spain commented on this review

  Hello Christine, We are very sorry to read that your trip did not meet your expectations and we offer you our most sincere apologies. Regarding the operational part, related to the size of the group, the lack of language of the guides or the lack of... Show more
  Trip date: August 2023
• AC

  Andrea

  · April 20th, 2023
  Group was too big (sometimes over 60 people in the bus). English speakers only got about 80% of explanations (lucky I speak Spanish too). Would’ve been helpful to know that part of the tour was during Ramadan. We would’ve rescheduled. Lastly, did not appreciate the hard sell in selected stores only with no other options to look around and shop.
  Show more
  Trip date: April 2023