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Customer Reviews for Go Ahead Tours Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Go Ahead Tours Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Way of St. James is one of the oldest and most traveled pilgrimage routes in the world.
Average Customer Rating:
(15 Reviews) 15
12 out of 14 86% of customers would recommend this tour.
Customer Reviews for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Review 1 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
4
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by LLYNCH4 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:11/10/2011
Location:CA
Age:40-49
Gender:Female
I traveled:solo
by LLYNCH4 |
December 6, 2011
Suggestions for the Future
Should have advised prior to the trip that all excursions were cancelled due to lack of interest. Very disappointing. Should be sure arrivals are met at the airport - even though flights are delayed. Need to allow much more time between flights when going through Customs - my flight was delayed in SFO so came in late. Cutoms in Frankfurt took a very long time and had no time to reach the flight to Paris.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Experienced Travelers
+5points
5out of 5found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
3
/
5
Tour Director
4
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by VITOMACDOC |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:11/10/2011
Location:MA
Age:40-49
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by VITOMACDOC |
December 2, 2011
Nice to have a Pilgrimage Tour run by a Secular Co
We had always wanted to go to Lourdes and Fatima, but all of the other tours we found were very religious (led by priests, daily masses, etc.). This tour enabled us to visit these sites but customize to our individual level of spirituality (which in our group ranged from people who had no interest in religious services whatsoever to people who took the baths at Lourdes, and in between).
Some of the days on the bus are very long (as is the nature of a multicountry tour), but overall the pace was good. For those of us who are still working people, it was nice to actually have a vacation and get a chance for a decent night's sleep, with our daily tours beginning at 8:30 or 9 a.m.
We have requested that GoAhead alter the itinerary to include a couple of hours stopping in Porto (since you drive right past it) - thereby eliminating the option excursion there (which no one in our group did because it's too many hours on the bus). We hope they will one day substitute an option excursion to the monasteries/convents surrounding Fatima, which are UNESCO World Heritage sites (Tomar, Batalha and Albacoca). We were able to do Tomar independently on a city bus (takes about 50 minutes), and it was the highlight of our trip.
The hotels were all very good quality and well-situation. The bus used in Spain wasn't very comfortable (we were a small group and each were able to have our own seat, otherwise this would have been grueling).
We (a couple in our early 40s) traveled with my parents (in their early 80s) and found that the pace worked for everyone. They had time to rest when they needed to, and we had plenty of free time to explore more actively on our own.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Experienced Travelers
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by MCOLLINS61 |
Number of past tours:6
Traveled on:10/06/2011
Location:CA
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:solo
by MCOLLINS61 |
October 27, 2011
Pilgrimage
The Way of St. James tour was memorable, particular made so by our Tour
Director Fernando and the various tour guides in all the cities we stopped.
In particular I loved all the stops we made along the way, however, could have done without Paris. I have been there several times before and even though the city is gorgeous, Parisians are stand-offish and tolerate us because we continue to help their tourism. Americans and Germans are not their favorites!!~!~ I do not recommend this tour to anyone that has physical limitations. There is a lot of walking and stair climbing involved.
My recommendation would be to start this tour somewhere besides Paris.
Director Fernando and the various tour guides in all the cities we stopped.
In particular I loved all the stops we made along the way, however, could have done without Paris. I have been there several times before and even though the city is gorgeous, Parisians are stand-offish and tolerate us because we continue to help their tourism. Americans and Germans are not their favorites!!~!~ I do not recommend this tour to anyone that has physical limitations. There is a lot of walking and stair climbing involved.
My recommendation would be to start this tour somewhere besides Paris.
Recommended for: Active Travelers
+4points
5out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by PBUENVENIDA1 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:09/29/2011
Location:WA
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by PBUENVENIDA1 |
October 20, 2011
good & bad trip
Tour director was superb, hotel accommodations were excellent (although some dinners included were just fair), but the bad part was the arrival at airport - we had to wait for the one picking us up & when she finally got there, asked us to wait for a few more minutes to look for another passenger. When we started to complain, that was the only time she took us down & out of the airport & left us there waiting again, not knowing what we should wait for or do. Then after minutes of waiting, finally a driver approached us but instead of being able to take all 16 of us, 6 of us were left behind since we all wouldn't fit in the van provided for. We waited for another long time, & it was only when one of our group members approached a driver of a van (who made calls to Go Ahead Tours) that we were finally able to leave to go to our hotel. This is not our first travel & so this kind of service is unheard of.
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by APAVES1 |
Number of past tours:3
Traveled on:09/29/2011
Location:WA
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with friend(s)
by APAVES1 |
October 17, 2011
Lourdes, Fatima and the Path of St. James
This tour is geared for those who want to do pilgrimage. Be prepared to be moved and affected spiritually by the pilgrimage sites and the sea of faithfuls from around the world venerating the Blessed Mother and thanking St. James, I know I was. It will also make one think of ones philosophy when it comes to religion as we saw and heard the histories of battles and conquests for the sake of one's belief. It still goes on today. The tours of the main sites are very educational. I wish one of the local tour guides could give us more information regarding the tour site instead of us going to the internet and telling her the facts. The side trips were fantastic, in fact, a longer stay could have been arranged for Porto or Obidos.
I cannot say enough for the leadership of our benevolent tour director. She knows the areas we were visiting and wonderfully arranged the stop at Obidos, Portugal instead of the regular pit stop on the way to Lisbon.
Each one, believer or unbeliever, should take this trip at least once.
I cannot say enough for the leadership of our benevolent tour director. She knows the areas we were visiting and wonderfully arranged the stop at Obidos, Portugal instead of the regular pit stop on the way to Lisbon.
Each one, believer or unbeliever, should take this trip at least once.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Relaxing Retreat
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
3
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by LQUINTERO19 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:09/29/2011
Location:WA
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by LQUINTERO19 |
October 13, 2011
way of St. James
Too exhausting bus rides are long and packing/unpacking within 1-2days is exhausting.Though the Lourdes procession was a bone chilling experience.
-1point
0out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by LOPAKA1976 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:06/23/2011
Location:CA
Age:30-39
Gender:Male
I traveled:solo
by LOPAKA1976 |
July 17, 2011
Best trip!
Excellent value, fantastic hotel selection, and very well-organized. It made things so very convenient! Our tour guide Vanessa was fantastic!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by OCASTRO5312 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:06/23/2011
Location:TX
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by OCASTRO5312 |
July 15, 2011
Very Informative
Trip was very spiritual and emotional.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
4
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by LKUHR1 |
Number of past tours:11
Traveled on:06/23/2011
Location:VA
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by LKUHR1 |
July 12, 2011
Great trip!
I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. The only recommendation I have is for the Optional
tour to Porto be shortened. We had too much free time in the afternoon and it could have been spent better had we been dropped off in a better area to shop and look around.
Also, I think the hotel in Lisbon was a great hotel, however, it would have been better had it been closer to other restaurants and shopping areas.
Otherwise, I think the trip was great!
tour to Porto be shortened. We had too much free time in the afternoon and it could have been spent better had we been dropped off in a better area to shop and look around.
Also, I think the hotel in Lisbon was a great hotel, however, it would have been better had it been closer to other restaurants and shopping areas.
Otherwise, I think the trip was great!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Relaxing Retreat
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by GHAVASY2 |
Number of past tours:9
Traveled on:11/04/2010
Location:NY
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by GHAVASY2 |
January 12, 2011
Way of St James -- Havasy comments
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Great tour. Spiritually uplifting. Surprising to see how well a secular company handled this pilgrimage. Need a raincoat!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, First Time Travelers, Relaxing Retreat, Experienced Travelers
+10points
10out of 10found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by GHAVASY1 |
Number of past tours:9
Traveled on:11/04/2010
Location:NY
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by GHAVASY1 |
January 1, 2011
Awesome Pilgrimage
This Tour exceeded our expectations! Lourdes, The Way of St James, and Fatima were wonderful: so spirit filled. Our hotels were located near the sights so it was easy to go back when we wanted to further sight see.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, First Time Travelers, Relaxing Retreat, Experienced Travelers
+14points
14out of 14found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by DSPAHN19 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:11/04/2010
Location:AZ
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by DSPAHN19 |
December 31, 2010
One of the best trips to date
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My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this trip despite the rainy weather. Our tour guide Rafael Lugo could not have been nicer and more knowledgeable. He truly made our trip a lot of fun! The cities we visited on this itinerary were most inspiring and interesting. The local guides were quite knowledgeable and most helpful. We did everything that we planned on doing and then some. We would highly recommend this trip to anyone but it is also most inspiring for Catholics with trips to Lourdes, Santiago de Compostela, Fatima, and Santarem Tasting the increditble Port wine and visiting Porto was a wonderful side trip. Portugal is a fabulous country ... the people, the landscape, the food and the historic spots. We are definitely coming back to Go Ahead! Muchas gracias! Karen and Don Spahn
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+9points
9out of 9found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by CATZBERGER1 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:09/16/2010
Location:OH
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by CATZBERGER1 |
November 7, 2010
Wonderful, varied experience
What we like best about Go Ahead is that our tours have offered a lot, and have consistently delivered exactly what was outlined in brochure information--and more.
Nearly all local tour guides were well-prepared and interesting.
I suggest that this tour be modified to included Porto, eliminating San Sebastian. the latter, while pleasant, didn't offer the history or interesting experience of Porto (which is currently an optional tour).
Burgos was an excellent experience==we would have liked to spend even more time there.
Roberta Gonzalez was an excellent tour guide--informed, organized, and able to deal with a difficult situation with some of our travel mates.
Nearly all local tour guides were well-prepared and interesting.
I suggest that this tour be modified to included Porto, eliminating San Sebastian. the latter, while pleasant, didn't offer the history or interesting experience of Porto (which is currently an optional tour).
Burgos was an excellent experience==we would have liked to spend even more time there.
Roberta Gonzalez was an excellent tour guide--informed, organized, and able to deal with a difficult situation with some of our travel mates.
Recommended for: Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, Experienced Travelers
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by CHAMVAS |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:09/16/2010
Location:SD
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by CHAMVAS |
November 6, 2010
Seeing New Sites
I had not been to Spain or Potugal. Our guide,Roberta,had done her homework so could tell us about the areas we traveled. She had a sick person on the tour that she handled very well.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, First Time Travelers
+1point
6out of 11found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Lourdes, Fátima & the Way of St. James
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by JEDWARDS134 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:05/06/2010
Location:CA
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by JEDWARDS134 |
July 22, 2010
The Way of St. James
This customer did not provide a text review.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, First Time Travelers, Solo Travelers, Experienced Travelers
-6points
2out of 10found this review helpful.
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