Albatross Tours Avis 

We did a back to back tour, the first was the alpine adventure tour and the second was new year in an Italian castle.
We were blessed with a very good guide on the first tour, Reinhardt, even though he became quite ill towards the end. The first tour was a bit of a nickel and dime tour as many things we thought should have been included (such as gondola tickets for example) were not. The single biggest disappointment of the first tour was no included Christmas lunch. When we arrived at the hotel in Klosters, the owner made a big deal out of the Christmas lunch they had planned for us, only to later tell us sorry, that was all a mistake, Christmas lunches are only for English Albatross customers, not Australians! So Christmas lunch was restricted to some cake and coffee in the only cafe open on Christmas Day. Very poor. For the second tour, the Brando Castle was just wonderful. However the tour leader was simply hopeless. The included tours on this second leg involved long bus rides to see not much. We could not believe that given we were in the middle of the famous Prosecco Hills region of Italy and surrounded by vineyards, that there were no winery tours offered. So all in all, some pluses and a lot of minuses for us.

The Sardinia/Corsica tour was one of our favourite tours. It was a fabulous itinerary full of variety, we had excellent hotels & meals included. We’re very lucky to have Gilberto as our tour director again& everything ran smoothly. Well done Albatross for putting such a wonderful holiday together.

We have just completed the Italy Deep South tour, which was a wonderful experience. Our Tour Manager, Helen, was excellent. Her in depth knowledge of the places we visited was exceptional and her thoughtful organisation meant that we avoided crowds and really enjoyed learning about the places we visited. Our driver, Fabio was excellent too, ensuring we were safe and comfortable throughout the tour. The cave hotel was a highlight, along with our trip to the top of Mt Etna.

Amazing history and customs of Spai n and Portugal
Knowledgeable and helpful tour guide, Maria. She had a good sense of humour.
"Bathroom "stops were often too short, particularly when we were surposed to be able to get coffee at the same time.As is often the case there was a limited number of toilets.

Scenery was lovely, driver capable and efficient, tour leader friendly and informative.

Most disappointing was the lack of a Christmas lunch, we were advised that there would be a lunch however this was withdrawn saying they only provide it for English customers. Left to have a coffee and cake in one of the few cafes open on Christmas Day.

Great tour ,Italian Grande. Excellent locations and longer stays make this an ideal tour.

It was great having extended stays to enable us to move around easily without luggage and to get to know the places visited better. Accommodation was clean and comfortable with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Meals and drinks provided were of good quality and the restaurants chosen were very good except for the group meal at the Tavern in Stresa.
Excursions were well paced and interesting except for Florence and Cinque Terre which were totally overcrowded.
Our Tour Leader was very good and our coach driver was exceptional, always with an immaculate coach.. The group bonded well and were always on/ahead of time.
We would recommend this trip to anyone wanting to experience the best of Italy.

Fantastic itinerary. Great tour guide and bus driver. A good mix of group activities/sightseeing and free time to explore according to personal interest. A good-sized tour group of mature, amiable, well-travelled and punctual people. A large, roomy bus. A good mix of group meals and freedom to sample local cuisine. Hotels were well chosen and well located. The only negative was the boat trip at the end of the tour. The sea was rough and the open boats were not fit for purpose. Passengers were drenched to the skin and the very bumpy ride caused anxious moments for those with back problems, but the scenery was great and the meal at Girolata was delicious.

Great Guide - lovely locations, very good itinerary and some very good company!

Albatross tours are professional have great itineraries and stay at the best hotels. We did the Swiss Alpine Xmas tour and was not disappointed. This is the 2nd time I’ve toured with them and highly recommend any tour they are involved in.

It was an amazing experience and our guide (Deborah) was fantastic. BUT calling the tour “Christmas Markets Tour” was a bit deceptive. We weren’t taken around the markets in Munich, and apart from Montreaux and Hall we weren’t taken to any others. Instead when we arrived at a town we were told that the markets are “down that way”.

If the tour was just a tour of Switzerland and the Alps then that would be fine, but we were expecting to learn about the markets and their history and what each was known for. This was the only disappointing thing about the trip but it was quite significant to us.

Great trip, thanks

Your guide (Debra) was on a power trip and whilst efficient in some areas she was a pain in others.

The way the tour was run, places visited, knowledge and enthusiasm of the guide, hotels and overall efficiency.

We liked the competent guide and driver, the quality and presentation of the coach, not having to handle luggage, traditional Flamenco, Fado, winery experiences.
We did not like the accommodation - good properties but poor rooms, provided meals and one glass policy of drink with meals. The number of tedious visits to churches and cathedrals.

From the start in Rome with accommodation adjacent the train station (bus ride from airport to Central Station) it made the short walk with luggage to the hotel easy. The service from all venues along the way was excellent & the comprehensive info from our tour guide Prisca really was exceptional. Our driver Enver did a great job working some long hours and the local guides at points along the way really demonstrated their depth of knowledge - stand outs were Valley of The Temples & Villa Romana del Casale in Agrigento.

Maria was exceptional as our tour leader. She ensured our holiday was stress-free, even when the massive power outage hit Spain.
She kept us well informed about our itinerary each day and has a wealth of knowledge about Spanish and Portuguese history.
We were impressed with how well she looked after all of us.
Pedro was an excellent driver, cordial and patient under tricky driving situations
and pleasant to all the passengers in our group.
The hotels were very good, destinations, tours and food were wonderful too.
We are currently on another Albatross tour and would highly recommend Maria, Pedro and Albatross as a whole.

My sister and I were treated to a grand Christmas Market tour of our Homeland. This brought us closer together as Sisters and reintroduced us to our German heritage in a very meaningful way. Our tour has been a lifetime highlight and endeared us to a greater love of our Homeland.

Spent an amazing Christmas in the Swiss Alps at Grindelwald, all the hotels on tour were great, sightseeing experiences amongst the snow was magical. Karen our guide was great, all included sightseeing, activities and meals were good. Highly recommend.

Very good itinerary. Good hotels, enough free time and plenty of group dinners to meet other guests.