Some of the hotel accommodations were outdated and not centrally located. We also had problems with air conditioning in 2 hotels.

We booked Essential Europe with London. Overall the tour was nice. Although, there were a few times the experiences fell short of what you’d expect from Globus and for the price you’ve paid. For a couple of our optional dinners (Tuscan Dinner and Swiss Folklore) we had to leave early before the entertainment/show was complete. In Tuscany we were told it was due to the coach restrictions in the city. Although after being dropped-off at the hotel and taking a walk by the river, I returned to the hotel seeing other coaches dropping off people at the hotel well after we were dropped off. For the Swiss Folklore Dinner, we walked to and from the venue, so I’m not sure why we had to leave early. It’s disappointing and I feel a bit rude to leave a show early, especially when we paid extra to attend. With the London part of the trip, there was nothing in the Globus itinerary or trip description that explained that we would not have a tour director nor explained that the tour director would not be traveling with us to London. Additionally, there was NOTHING, in the documentation that mentioned that we, travelers, would be responsible for transporting our own baggage from the hotel on to the train to London. When booking this trip, we signed-up for portage and baggage transport. None of us traveling to London knew that we wouldn’t have a tour director with us and had to manage our own baggage through the train station and on the train. Our tour director for the prior portion of the trip provided guidance, but it was not the VIP experience you’d expect from Globus and at this price range. We were left on our own and it was nerve-wracking to rush to ensure you got a luggage space on the train with all of the other travelers along with their baggage. When we got to London, we didn’t get an assigned tour director either. We just received times to join our excursions and were merged with other groups. No audio guides/Whispers were used, which made it difficult to follow the group lead in all of the crowds. You meet the group lead for 2 seconds while you get on the coach and are in a group of 40-40 people, who you don’t recognize but need to stay together when at a tourist site with so many other groups.