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Customer Reviews for Go Ahead Tours Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Go Ahead Tours Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Immerse yourself in history, culture and cuisine in three of France's most stunning regions.
Average Customer Rating:
(50 Reviews) 50
20 out of 23 87% of customers would recommend this tour.
Customer Reviews for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Review 1 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by JLITTLE198 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:04/29/2010
Location:VA
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by JLITTLE198 |
August 20, 2010
"April in Paris, Chestnuts in Blossom, Holiday
Tables Under the Trees"---you know the song. It's all true! The pink and white chestnuts were in full bloom and lined the streets of Paris. The tall, leafless, white-blossomed chestnuts, trimmed in the shape of a box, were all along the Champs-Elysees. Lilacs, tulips, pansies, wisterias and other flowers too numerous to mention were all perfect and in full bloom. We arrived in Paris two days before our actual Go-Ahead Tour (April 29-May 8, 2010) began. Our first afternoon was a pleasantly warm, sunny day with a soft breeze that was perfect for the Eiffel Tower. A taxi driver taught me how to pronouce Champs-Elysees correctly as he drove us to Notre-Dame. The next days were spent enjoying Mona and Venus, pastries, a trip to Claude Monet's Giverny, Versailles, dinners and wine, an evening boat trip down the River Seine, a ride on the high speed TVG train to Provence, Avignon and ice cream at the top of a tower at the Palace of the Popes. After visiting Van Gogh's and Cezanne's villages, we went on to Nice, the French Rivera, saw the Promenade des Anglais along the beautiful azure Mediterranean Sea and a view of the Southern Alps, and lastly, we visited Monaco and Monte Carlo in preparation for the Grand Prix. Much, much too soon, as our plane gained altitude and I looked down on the fabulously wonderful country that I was leaving, I knew that we shared the same sun and the same moon, but I also knew that what I was seeing through the window of my plane was an entirely different world.....that I didn't want to leave.
April in Paris, what have you done to my heart?
April in Paris, what have you done to my heart?
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Experienced Travelers
+24points
26out of 28found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by ESCHAEFER7 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:05/04/2009
Location:FL
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by ESCHAEFER7 |
August 9, 2010
Fantastic Trip
From the first steps in Paris, the trip was wonderful. The guide was terrific and never ran out of information and interesting stories about artists, history and places we visited. Every day was an adventure and filled with the beautiful areas of Paris and southern France. The gardens were magnificent and every village was unique. Loved every minute of every day.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Experienced Travelers
+13points
14out of 15found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by Anonymous |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:04/30/2012
Location:CT
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by Anonymous |
May 12, 2012
April in Paris
Well, not exactly "April" in Paris, but close enough. We departed from NYC on April 30, 2012, for our Riviera, Provence, and Paris tour (we did the trip in that order). We found the value to be excellent in terms of what was included for the price. Our tour director was well organized, well prepared, well spoken in three languages,and well informed on all aspects of history and culture which she shared in an interesting way through out our eight days in France. Above all, she was compassionate, kind, fun, and always there to help. As an added bonus, Pauline Frommer was an additional tour guide on this trip. She too was just wonderful.
We LOVED our hotel in Nice, found the hotel in Provence to be a step down from that, and the hotel in Paris to be adequate as well. All were clean, full service, and conveniently located to area points of interest.
We hesitated to go on a tour for my husband's first European vacation for fear of getting tired of traveling with the group all the time. This tour allowed plenty of free time for us to go off on our own which we did on several days. We enjoyed a very nice mix of tour time and alone time.
Nice things about the trip: our tour director (Linda, you ROCK!), clean, comfortable transportation thoughout France, portage of our heavy luggage (we never touched it once we landed in France until we landed again in NYC), ease of getting around safely in a foreign country.
What could have been better: we felt one extra excursion to Monaco was not worth the extra charge as we spent most of the time eating an inferior meal and not at the Monte Carlo casino we wanted to experience; on one occasion we felt rushed to leave a place we LOVED (Caissis) so the tour could proceed to another place we didn't really care to see where we wasted time which could have been better spent. That only happened once, so overall, we rate the tour experience with high marks.
This tour is especially good for folks who might be timid about going to a foreign country on their own. It is also good for those traveling alone as many on this tour were doing so and friendships developed quickly.
Because the age group of people on our tour was mostly folks in the late 50s to late 60s (very few were in their 40s), I would not recommend the tour to young people who are looking to socialize on the trip with others in their peer group.
Overall, the experience was positive and glitch free which is always a plus when traveling.
We LOVED our hotel in Nice, found the hotel in Provence to be a step down from that, and the hotel in Paris to be adequate as well. All were clean, full service, and conveniently located to area points of interest.
We hesitated to go on a tour for my husband's first European vacation for fear of getting tired of traveling with the group all the time. This tour allowed plenty of free time for us to go off on our own which we did on several days. We enjoyed a very nice mix of tour time and alone time.
Nice things about the trip: our tour director (Linda, you ROCK!), clean, comfortable transportation thoughout France, portage of our heavy luggage (we never touched it once we landed in France until we landed again in NYC), ease of getting around safely in a foreign country.
What could have been better: we felt one extra excursion to Monaco was not worth the extra charge as we spent most of the time eating an inferior meal and not at the Monte Carlo casino we wanted to experience; on one occasion we felt rushed to leave a place we LOVED (Caissis) so the tour could proceed to another place we didn't really care to see where we wasted time which could have been better spent. That only happened once, so overall, we rate the tour experience with high marks.
This tour is especially good for folks who might be timid about going to a foreign country on their own. It is also good for those traveling alone as many on this tour were doing so and friendships developed quickly.
Because the age group of people on our tour was mostly folks in the late 50s to late 60s (very few were in their 40s), I would not recommend the tour to young people who are looking to socialize on the trip with others in their peer group.
Overall, the experience was positive and glitch free which is always a plus when traveling.
Recommended for: Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers
0points
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Review 4 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by SLEEDS |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:04/19/2012
Location:TX
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by SLEEDS |
May 10, 2012
Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Wonderful tour! Educational and fun. Loved the destinations, accommodations and tour guide. Especially appreciate the personal attention and extra time Lisa spent with us.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Honeymoons, Family Vacations, Trip Of A Lifetime, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
4
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by AFIARITO |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:04/19/2012
Location:IL
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by AFIARITO |
May 9, 2012
Pretty nice, but...
All in all, I enjoyed my trip, but I'm sorry I paid for the excursion to Monte Carlo. It was a complete waste of time and money. Very disappointing.
I would also opt to forego the "included group dinners". The meals were very disappointing. I did love the beauty of the destinations and, of course, Paris.
I would also opt to forego the "included group dinners". The meals were very disappointing. I did love the beauty of the destinations and, of course, Paris.
Recommended for: Art, History, & Culture
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by EKEDDY1 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:04/19/2012
Location:MA
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by EKEDDY1 |
May 9, 2012
We fell in love with France!
My husband John and I took this tour to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. I had never been to France before although he had. The tour provided a wonderful look at an amazing country.
We started in Nice on the Cote d-Azur, took a cruise on the Mediterranean out of Cassis and saw the beautiful calanques. Aix en Provence had many wonderful experiences--a tour of Cezanne's studio, a trip to St. Remy en Provence to see the hospital where Van Gogh painted in the last years of his life, a trip to the ruins of a castle en les Baux en Provence to visit the old village and do some shopping. The wine tasting at a vineyard located at the base of Mt. St. Victoire was very special as was the delicious dinner that evening. The ride to Paris on the high speed GTV train made us wish the US had such a wonderful way to travel by train.
In Paris, we toured the city and visited the Musee d'Orsay. The amazing collection of paintings on the 5th floor were overwhelmingly beautiful--Renoir, Monet, Manet, Degas, Cezanne, Pisarro, Sisely, and more. Our last night in Paris started with a wonderful festive dinner where I had escargot and sang along to the accordian player's music. The cruise on the Seine is a wonderful way to see the City of Lights. My husband took over 300 photos and we are enjoying reliving our trip.
We were especially happy with our tour guide, Lisa, who was so kind, knowledgeable, and helpful. She really made the trip special for us. We also liked Brian, the special guide for the tour of the Palace of Versailles. He brought the former French royality to life for us and was also very funny.
This was a wonderful way to be introduced to France. I had heard that the French were aloof and snobby, but I found them to be extremely friendly and helpful everywhere we went--and patient with our poor command of the Franch language.
We are very glad we took this tour. It made our anniversary very special.
Merci, Go Ahead Tours!
Betty
Betty
Recommended for: Anniversary Trips, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers
0points
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Review 7 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by Anonymous |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:10/13/2011
Location:NY
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by Anonymous |
November 5, 2011
My first time
AS a first time visitor to France, I thought the tour was planned out very well. Our tour guide Vanessa was exceptional. She was extremely helpful and very informative about all the places we saw. The hotels were adequate and locations were near transportation or in walking distance to sights and towns. My 1st criticism was that the dinners included in the tour were really bad. .There were no choices and all the meals looked the same. My other criticism was that there was a last minute change because of the weather. A boat ride was cancelled and so was a scenic mountain tour. It seemed that we drove around all day to waste time until we were to arrive at the hotel in Nice at 5PM> All of the people on the tour would have preferrd to go directly to Nice and have the entire day to see the city.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Solo Travelers
+5points
5out of 5found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by CLEVENDUSKY |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:09/29/2011
Location:WI
Age:40-49
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by CLEVENDUSKY |
October 19, 2011
great trip
I truly enjoyed our trip. Need an additional day in Paris. By the time we arrived at our hotel, it was late in the afternoon. It felt like my first 2 days were wasted. I would much rather arrive late the first day and pay an additional night for the hotel. Our plane left Milwaukee late on the first day. Only had 1 hour sleep on the plane. Our hotel room was small as expected, a little far from city center but was otherwise a very nice hotel. Had excellent breakfasts there.
Franck was an excellent tour guide. I felt he knew the area very well. Loved Aix en Provence and Nice. Took 2 excursions: Versailles and Nimes. Both worthwhile. Tour guide in Nimes a little lengthly in explanations but otherwise okay. Versailles was excellent. Franck seemed to understand our group need to do shopping which lead us to touring the cities a little longer.
Our tour group was a little large at 45 people.
It was a nice mix of free time and tour time. The food offered with the dinners in Paris and Aix en Provence were excellent. The food at the hotel in Nice was aweful. I could have made that same meal at home. My sister is a vegetarian and was given an omelet for her meal.
We saw many sites and were able to use several types of transportation which was really nice. Loved the boat ride.
Recommended for: Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by BCICCARIELLO1 |
Number of past tours:3
Traveled on:5/2/2011 12:00:00 AM
Location:MA
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by BCICCARIELLO1 |
July 26, 2011
Paris, Provence & the Riviera
This tour was a #10 in all areas. The sites, food and the tour director were first class!
Recommended for: Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
-1point
0out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
3
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by HHEALZER |
Number of past tours:4
Traveled on:06/23/2011
Location:CA
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by HHEALZER |
July 16, 2011
3 days in Paris 6 days in south of France(Provence
We enjoyed our Paris stay: this was out 7th visit. We saw several things new in the south of France and Provence, but we felt there were things we missed out on in Provence. We would have liked to have gone to Avigonon and Arles. In the south of France, the excursion to Cap Ferrat was concelled as was the trip extension, which was a dissapointment. We also wished we has a more centrally located hotel in Aix, that kept us from having the freedom to wonder around at our leasure. Lisa, our tour director is very knowledgable, which enhanced our enjoyment of the trip.
Recommended for: First Time Travelers
+1point
2out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
3
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by JHEALZER |
Number of past tours:4
Traveled on:06/23/2011
Location:CA
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by JHEALZER |
July 16, 2011
3 days in Paris 6 days in south of France(Provence
We enjoyed our Paris stay: this was out 7th visit. We saw several things new in the south of France and Provence, but we felt there were things we missed out on in Provence. We would have liked to have gone to Avigonon and Arles. In the south of France, the excursion to Cap Ferrat was concelled as was the trip extension, which was a dissapointment. We also wished we has a more centrally located hotel in Aix, that kept us from having the freedom to wonder around at our leasure. Lisa, our tour director is very knowledgable, which enhanced our enjoyment of the trip.
Recommended for: First Time Travelers
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by Anonymous |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:06/23/2011
Location:FL
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by Anonymous |
July 15, 2011
Great Trip
Excellent Tour Guide
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture
-1point
1out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
2
/
5
Tour Director
4
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by NOTVIPS |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:06/23/2011
Location:TX
Age:30-39
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by NOTVIPS |
July 12, 2011
France is lovely, but tour was disappointing
While we had a lovely time on this tour, it had more to do with the beauty of France and less to do with Go Ahead Tours. The hotel locations were relatively far from tourist destinations, for example, hotel in Aix was an hour walk from city square. Moreover, the included dinners were often safe dishes that did not reflect French cuisine. The most common (tour included) dinner entree was overcooked steak and potatoes. We were hoping that the tour would pick restaurants and menus that would encourage travelers to taste local cuisine, but we were disappointed. After saying all this, the tour director was friendly, helpful and very clearly loved France. That was refreshing. Also, we had no transportation issues. Overall, we had a lovely time, but I would not use Go Ahead Tours again. Also, we were disappointed with the additional tours that we purchased (Seine Cruise and Wine Tasting). The same issue of restaurant and menu selection existed in these tours, but we were also disappointed in the winery selection.
+8points
8out of 8found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by HOPO924 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:04/21/2011
Location:MA
Age:Under 30
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by HOPO924 |
May 23, 2011
Paris, Provence and the Riviera
My husband and I had a great time on the Paris, Provence and the Riviera tour. Our tour guide, Lisa, was amazing- she knew the ins and outs of each city and told us secrets about the easiest ways to get into museums and other attractions. There were several optional excursions, but my husband and I stuck with the original tour package and thought that was the perfect balance of having time own our own to explore while also spending time with the tour group. My only complaint is that I wish the hotels were more centrally located in the cities. They were clean and comfortable 3 star hotels but we did need to take a bus or the metro to get to the center of the city. Overall, we really enjoyed this tour. The included trips to San Remy and Cassis were absolutely wonderful!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Art, History, & Culture, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by MGLUCK1 |
Number of past tours:5
Traveled on:04/21/2011
Location:MD
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by MGLUCK1 |
May 21, 2011
Paris, Provence and the Riviera
Enjoyed most of it, other than optional excursion to Monaco. Nothing much to see there, especially in the evening.
Would have like another day in Paris too.
Would have like another day in Paris too.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by SMASON24 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:04/21/2011
Location:RI
Age:50-59
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by SMASON24 |
May 21, 2011
Lisa Markuson was the BEST tour director
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
She really made our trip. She was funny, knowledgeable and worked her butt off to make sure everyone had a good time. I know she lives in Paris and speaks fluent French, but I'd go anywhere with her.
The itinerary was excellent. We saw a LOT in 8.5 days, and still had time to do some exploring on our own.
We went on a Go Ahead tour to Italy in 2001 (Venice, Florence, Rome) and were disappointed by the director and the accommodations. Consequently, we almost chose another company for this trip. We're very happy we went with Go Ahead.
Recommended for: Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by rslater30 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:09/22/2010
Location:CT
Age:50-59
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by rslater30 |
November 10, 2010
very nice, informative trip
great side trips, great tour director.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Art, History, & Culture, First Time Travelers
-3points
0out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by NNOVELLI1 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:10/07/2010
Location:PA
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by NNOVELLI1 |
November 9, 2010
Great Trip!
We really enjoyed this trip. There were many optional tours to choose from. Some were a better value than others. If you chose not to take the tours , then you had plenty of free time in each place to see the sights on your own. The tour director was great. She had plenty of information about local sights, museums, and restaurants. The whole area in the south of France was just gorgeous!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by MTEISCH1 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:09/22/2010
Location:NJ
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by MTEISCH1 |
November 7, 2010
A Great Trip
Our trip was made so much more valuable because of the extraordinary caring of Adaman, our tour guide. He always did his best to incorporate extra things and impart valuable information that enhanced the experience.
Recommended for: Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for Paris, Provence & the Riviera
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by HTEISCH1 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:09/22/2010
Location:NJ
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by HTEISCH1 |
November 7, 2010
A Most Enjoyable Trip
We had a really great time and want to mention, in particular, the extraordinary tour guide we were so lucky to have Adaram, who did his utmost to enrich the tour as much as was possible, always being sensitive to specific physical needs of some of the tour members.
Recommended for: Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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