Highlights of Spain (Small Groups, Winter, 9 Days)

Customer Reviews

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  Mary

  · June 9th, 2023
  We were extremely disappointed with our recent tour of Spain. In 2019 we toured with Trafalgar to Peru and thought it was excellent. Our AAA travel agent indicated that an Insight tour would be a step above Trafalgar. It was certainly more expensive, but otherwise missed the mark entirely. We spent a lot of time on the bus traveling from one site to the next. This was all highway travel, so any views of the countryside were limited. Once we arrived at our destinations, there was very little free time for exploring the areas. Most of the time was taken up with a tour of a church via a local guide. The sites selected for the guided tours were over crowded because they were the standard tourist attractions. No thought was given to exploring out of the way authentic Spanish sites. While traveling by bus, we stopped for four days of the eight-day tour at what we would call “truck stops” for lunch. These were highway rest stops with cafeteria style restaurants. The food was consistently poor. How much time would have been lost to drive into a local city and dine there? Also, why was all the travel confined to a bus? Spain has high speed rail lines. A lot of time could have been saved if trains were used for the longer distances. Our travel Director kept reminding us that the tour was called “Highlights” of Spain – meaning that it was meant to be a quick trip in order to get them all in. This is not how we envisioned it. When we finally got to our last destination (Madrid) by 5 pm after riding all day on the bus, we had about an hour before returning to the bus to ride to dinner. The trip description shows 2 days in Madrid…we only had one. Our tour director, Kristy Power, told us not to expect the same quality of meat in Spain that we would get in our home countries. We have traveled to many other European countries and have not found this to be the case. She also pointed out the toilet on the bus, but asked that we not use it as a convenience – only if we really needed it because it could not accommodate use by everyone on board. On the last day of the tour, while on the bus, our tour director spent quite a bit of time explaining the trip review request that we would receive. She indicated that rating her with a score of 7 or 8 did not really mean it was good – that nothing but a 9 or 10 would reflect that. She then announced that she and the driver had received a raise this year and that this meant that the tips that we pre-paid would not cover the new tip rate. She told us she would be happy to help us calculate the additional tips owed. In addition, for those who did not pre-pay tips, she gave an amount per hour for tips that would be sufficient to incorporate the recent raise.
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  Insight Vacations commented on this review

  Thank you for sharing your review of the Highlights of Spain trip. We genuinely regret to read that there were a few different aspects that had ultimately fallen beneath your expectations, especially as our teams always strive to provide our valued... Show more
  Trip date: May 2023
• CM

  Christine

  · September 27th, 2022
  Wonderful trip! Tour guide was fabulous!
  

  Insight Vacations commented on this review

  Thank you for choosing Insight Vacations for your travels, and we hope to have the opportunity to provide you with an even more enjoyable experience in the future.
  Trip date: September 2022
• M

  MadanLamichhane

  · November 22nd, 2019
  Our Travel Director Dominic Nemer(DOM) was a Rockstar, a person with the wealth of knowledge and great organizational skills. Coach Driver Rui was another great expert, was very professional and ensured the safety of the guests during the trip. Great Itinerary, nice accommodations and great Meals.
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  Insight Vacations commented on this review

  Thank you so much for sharing this with us. We are very happy to learn that you enjoyed every bit of your Insight Vacations experience in Spain; from our very knowledgeable staff to our wide-ranging itinerary. Most of all, we truly look forward to our... Show more
  
  Trip date: November 2019
• BM

  Barbara

  · July 24th, 2019
  Came home with wonderful memories of Spain. Looking forward to our next insight vacation!
  

  Insight Vacations commented on this review

  Thank you for sharing this with us, it is brilliant to read about your time in Spain with Insight Vacations. We are very pleased to know that you were able to see and experience all the magnificent sights on your trip. That being said, we truly look... Show more
  Trip date: June 2019
• P

  PaulaRizos

  · July 3rd, 2019
  From the first day of our trip, we were welcomed by our Travel Director, Maria who made the entire experience amazing. Her knowledge of the destination and of course the local experts who shared with us, the ins and outs of the beautiful sites and cultural attractions, is something we will always remember The itinerary was beautiful and the everyone had a great time. Meals and accommodation were excellent.
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  Trip date: June 2019
• J

  JuliaWong

  · March 6th, 2019
  My Highlights of Spain trip was amazing! I booked, showed up, and everything was taken care of! I have always wanted to visit the Southern part of Spain and this trip ticked off so many cities on my bucket list. The food quality was great (iberico ham and sangria, yum!) and the hotels were really nice! Lola was the BEST and really made the trip special. After 9 days of travelling together, she treated us to her beautiful singing at our Farewell dinner. Not a dry eye in the house!
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  Insight Vacations commented on this review

  Thank you for informing us about the wonderful time you had in Spain with Insight Vacations. We are delighted to hear that your Travel Director went above and beyond to make your time on the road a memorable one. Furthermore, we are without a doubt... Show more
  Trip date: June 2018
• K

  Kalli

  · February 28th, 2019
  This trip through Spain was perfectly planned. We visited all the main cities and sights but also included many unique experiences like learning about the process of cooking traditional Paella at a family owned restaurant. Our Tour Director was exceptional and always surprised us with local treats such as “horchata de chufa”, a drink made from tiger nut milk which is actually a root vegetable, delicious!
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  Insight Vacations commented on this review

  We are very pleased to hear that you enjoyed every moment of the Highlights of Spain trip with Insight Vacations. Furthermore, we are elated to know that our carefully crafted itinerary alongside our dedicated staff set the perfect tone for a memorable... Show more
  Trip date: March 2018