My Profile
Sep302012
Tour/Activity
Private Citroen 2CV Tour: Secret Paris
Paris, France
My Rating

I could rave about this tour! Alex was an amazing tour guide! He was able to go where tour buses don't, and he told so many interesting stories about Paris that I would never have known otherwise. He obviously loves his city, and enjoys taking people around to show it off. He was happy to stop from time to time and let me get out to take photos, and he took some of me on my camera as well in front of some interesting spots. When the time was up, he was in no hurry to drop me off, but was happy to take me to Montmartre where I was interested in exploring.
Sep292012
Tour/Activity
Paris by Night Illuminations Tour and Paris Moulin Rouge Show
Paris, France
My Rating

Even for a lone traveller, this tour was awesome! I just kicked myself repeatedly for leaving my camera inmy hotel room! Going to Moulin Rouge capped off a really enjoyable night out.
Sep292012
Tour/Activity
Paris City Hop-on Hop-off Tour
Paris, France
My Rating

This tour was quite enjoyable, except for the fact that the second bus I took had no audio! This took away some of the enjoyment, as I didn't know what was special about the places I saw. But the stops were conveniently placed, and the frequency of the bus arrivals also good.
Sep272012
Tour/Activity
French Riviera Small Group Day Trip from Nice
Nice, France
My Rating

I loved this tour! It was not rushed, yet we got to see so many beautiful and faascinating places, including the changing of the guard at Monaco, the perfume factory, and the sights of Cannes. The guide was very knowledgable, and spoke in excellent English. Great value tour!
Sep252012
Tour/Activity
Amsterdam Canal Bus Hop-On Hop-Off
Amsterdam, Netherlands
My Rating

My main criticism of this tour from my experience is that the canal boats come past too infrequently, and the stops are too far apart. When I arrived at the Centraal Station pier I had to wait 25 minutes for the first boat. With nothing much to do in the immediate vicinity this was a waste of time. I had been given free entry into the Heineken Experience to compensate for not being able to see the whole of the Van Gogh exhibition as it was being moved to a new location. However, I decided to see the Anne Frank House first. By the time I cleared the line and finished my tour and had a quick lunch, it was getting late, but I then had to wait another 25 minutes for the next boat. I then discovered that the Van Gogh exhibition was closed, so I went on and did the Heineken Experience, which was interesting and fun, but long. By the time I got out just before 5 p.m. I had just missed the last departure from the nearest pick-up pier, 10 minutes' walk away. So I completely missed the rest of the canal boat trip! I ended up getting a tram whch took me on a long boring trip before I finally got to Central Station 90 minutes later! Meanwhile I had missed out on several other places I had wanted to get off and see. So I don't feel that I got value for money on this tour.
Sep232012
Tour/Activity
Berlin Supersaver: Hop-on Hop-off City Tour and Skip the Line Entry to TV Tower
Berlin, Germany
My Rating

Except for a bit of trouble finding the pick-up point, as the location was very vague, in every other way this tour was very good. It went round all the major sites, and there was time to get off, see what you wanted in more detail, and not have long to wait for another bus to arrive. I was on the upper deck, and as a photographer I did wish the windows were set lower, or not there at all, as they are on the buses for some of the other similar tours. We were required to use seat belts and stay seated, which meant trying to take photographs through rain-spotted glass that also reflected the bus interior. Also, you really need to plan for more than one day on this type of tour. By the time I had got off at all the places I wanted to see and went through the Jewish Museum and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, I missed the last bus and had to get a taxi back to my hotel. There was plenty of daylight left by then, so perhaps they should consider running the tours until sunset.
Sep212012
Tour/Activity
Prague in One Day Sightseeing Tour
Prague, Czech Republic
My Rating

What a fantastic tour! The Czech guide was a wealth of knowledge, and had an obvious passion for her city. She was aware of all her group members, and as the group was not too large (a minibus full), she was able to answer questions and provide more of the personal touch. I felt as though I had learned so much about Prague, its history, lifestyle and people by the time the day was over it has inspired me to want to go back. The only thing I regretted about this tour was it did not provide us an opportunity to visit Charles Bridge. For those who had time, it would have been an easy matter to walk there later, however,
Sep182012
Tour/Activity
The Original Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg
Salzburg, Austria
My Rating

I enjoyed every single minute of this tour. I highly recommend it to anyone, even if you aren't a huge fan of the movie, you'll get to see some awesome Austrian scenery and have a lot of fun.
Sep162012
Tour/Activity
Skip the Line: Venice in One Day
Venice, Italy
My Rating

I enjoyed this tour immensely. Unfortunately, being a Sunday, we were not able to enjoy the tour as fully as on other days, and we were unlucky enouogh to have our tour day coincide with a special ceremony at St Mark's, preventing access to the church, but our ttour guide was fantastic, we saw a great deal of the parts of Venice not everyone gets to see unless they are with an experienced guide, and the canal boat ride at the end of the tour was just the icing on the cake! I would highly recommend this tour, but perhaps choose to do it on a different day than Sunday if you can.
Sep142012
Tour/Activity
Tuscany in One Day Sightseeing Tour
Florence, Italy
My Rating

Loved it, loved it, loved it! If you want to get out of Florence and explore the whole region, there is no better way to do it than this! But be prepared for some hill climbing! But also be prepared for some breathtaking views, awesome wine, the best ice-cream you will ever taste, and a whole lot of fun, adding up to an experience you will never forget.
Sep132012
Tour/Activity
Florence Half-Day or Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
Florence, Italy
My Rating

Florence is an incredibly beautiful city, and you will find photo opportunities everywhere! My problem with this tour was that the tour guides were not careful enough to make sure they had everyone with them at all times. At the hilltop where the bronze statue of David overlooks the city, I had returned to the bus in plenty of time, and was actually chatting to the guide. I turned to take a photo and when I turned back she had disappeared. Nine tourist buses were lined up two abreast, and I could not locate ours. It left without me! There were two guides on the bus, one who spoke French, and an English speaking guide. The French guide counted the passengers on the bus, but miscounted, so they didn't realize I, a lone traveller, was missing! I raang the tour company, and the man who answered was less than sympathetic, and didn't even apologize or express any concern. He simply told me to catch a public bus and meet the tour at the Accademie. Well, the public bus was not there for 20 minutes, and went nowhere near the Accademie, so I got off as close as possible and walked about three kilometres the rest of the way. I missed some of the walking tour as a result, but rejoined the group to see the statue of David. I felt the guide talked a bit too much, so we didn't actually see as much as many would have liked. After that I also got left behind by the guide who escorted us to lunch, because my 61 year old legs could not keep up with his walking pace, and he did not check behind him. So I lost him and missed the free lunch as well!
Sep112012
Tour/Activity
Skip the Line: Vatican Museums Walking Tour including Sistine Chapel, Raphael's Rooms and St Peter's
Rome, Italy
My Rating

I was thrilled with this tour. Obviously there is a lot of walking, but I was enthralled by the amazing art and architecture we saw, and our American-born guide was a wealth of knowledge on the subject, relating it to us with respect touched with a sense of humour. She was at all times mindful of the older or slower members of our group, and the red and white spotted "flag" she held aloft constantly made her much easier to spot among the crowds.
Sep102012
Tour/Activity
Rome Hop-on Hop-off Double Decker Bus Tour
Rome, Italy
My Rating

A recorded commentary via a plug-in earpiece is never as interesting as a live guide, but nevertheless this tour is a great introduction to Rome, giving you the opportunity to either stay on the bus and view the attractions from there, or get off at points that interest you, stay as long as you like, and catch the next bus for the next leg of the tour. The wait time for the next bus is never very long.
Sep022012
Tour/Activity
Oban and the West Highlands Day Trip from Edinburgh
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
My Rating

From breathtaking scenery to fascinating history, you've got it all on this tour! It is a wonderful way to see the Scottish highlands if you don't have much time. The guide was extremely knowledgable, but also kept us thoroughly entertained for the whole trip with his stories, re-telling of the history of the region, intermingled with his "Dad jokes" and unique sense of humour. Even when the start of the Glasgow marathon saw the closing of half the streets in Glasgow, so the driver/guide had to re-orient himself to find his way out of the city, he never appeared flustered or angry. This was a thoroughly enjoyable tour which I would highly recommend.
Sep012012
Tour/Activity
Edinburgh City Hop-on Hop-off Tour
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
My Rating

This tour was fantastic! The commentary was interesting and relevant, the stops provided were convenient, and the bus retturned often enough that there was hardly any waiting time. One day is not long enough to see Edinburgh adequately, but if that is all the time you have, this is the best way to maximise your visit.
Aug312012
Tour/Activity
York City Hop-on Hop-off Tour
York, United Kingdom
My Rating

I was very happy with this tour. I only had half a day before I needed to travel elsewhere by train, but I was still able to see many of the great sites I wanted to see, there was a live guide on board, rather than an audio commentary, which allowed for questions we might have had. This is a fantastic way to get a valuable introduction to the city, even if you have limited time.
Aug292012
Tour/Activity
Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath Day Trip from London
London, United Kingdom
My Rating

Even though the weather on this tour was a mixed bag, between sunshine and showers, I felt it was definitely worth doing. We had a great guide, enough time allocated to see what we wanted to see, and a lot of fun as well.



