Our reviews are 100% genuine - unedited, un-curated, and independently managed by Feefo, a global ratings and reviews provider. Feefo Award's are decided based on the ratings they receive from their customers.
Winners of the Platinum Service Award have received a Gold Badge for three years running (our Team has won a Platinum Service Award for 6 years in a row!)
In 2024, we were the first ever winners of the Trusted Service Award, 10 Years of Excellence. This exclusive award recognizes our consistent service performance, customer interaction and engagement for an entire decade
Alice Bergman
Excellent experience! Great group of people. Jorge was an excellent tour guide. Jason kept the bus really clean and was an excellent driver.
It was a great experience! Jorge was a great tour guide. Great group and the bus was very nice and clean. Jason was an excellent bus driver.
Review date:
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Response from Grand European Travel:
We are so happy to see how much you enjoyed Costa Rica and the expertise of our team there. Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Lisa Guerrero
Had no issues with booking, payments, etc. Barb as well as other staff were very helpful.
I enjoyed everything about my trip! The driver and the tour guide were amazing and made her experience that much better. All of the locations that we visited were lovely. I enjoyed all of the food. Early morning wake up calls were tough but totally worth it because we saw/experience so much!
Review date:
Sunday, February 2, 2025
Response from Grand European Travel:
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback. We are so happy to hear about your trip and how much you enjoyed Italy. We appreciate you mentioning our team and the excellent service you received. We look forward to helping you plan that next trip in the near future.
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Trusted Customer
see prior comments. They refuse to take ownership of the entire trip and all its subcontractors.
Overall the trip was amazing, Trip management and logistics by GET however was 1 star. As GET was our primary point of contact, and the company we paid, I expected them to manage and take ownership of the entire trip, including the subcontractors they used. They refuse to do so. Here are details:
My wife and I just completed a 10 day Splendor’s of Egypt tour, booked through GET. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience. We felt safe. Our guide, Essam, took excellent care of us, though at times could be a bit overbearing. There are also some areas we feel could be improved.
Highlights
•Seeing all the major historical sights, which were breathtaking.
•Our guide, Essam, impressed us with his deep knowledge and passion for Egyptian history. There was never a question he couldn’t answer.
•Cruising the Nile was a delightful experience, offering beautiful views and a relaxing atmosphere.
•The food on the cruise boat was excellent, and the servers were attentive and friendly.
Improvement Areas
Tipping Culture
One of the most frustrating aspects of the trip was the constant expectation for tipping. Despite paying a premium upfront for the tour, we were frequently prompted by our guide, Essam, to tip various individuals, including bus drivers, the trip administrator (Rafaat), bathroom attendants, and the boat crew.
Tipping seemed to be expected for every small interaction, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere. This led us to disengage from local people, as we assumed everyone was motivated by money. In our country, tipping is discretionary and reserved for exceptional service, not a forced obligation for people simply doing their jobs. If workers require tips to make a fair wage, this cost should be included in the upfront price of the tour.
Flexible Itinerary
The itinerary was constantly changing, likely due to the complexity of coordinating cruise ships, buses, and venue schedules. While understandable, this made it difficult to plan our downtime—such as scheduling massages on the boat—and caused unnecessary stress. Many excursions began very early, such as the 2:30 a.m. flight from Cairo to Luxor. Later starts would have been more manageable. For example, why not fly directly to Luxor the night before the cruise?
Cruise Suite Mix-Up
Our experience on the cruise boat started on a rocky note. Despite having a "guaranteed suite," as confirmed in an email from Daniel Pelletier of GET on September 6, 2024, we were initially placed in a standard room. Only after discussions with ship personnel and Essam, we were moved to our suite, which fortunately had not been booked. We received no compensation for the stress and inconvenience caused by this error. In my follow up with GET, they refuse to take ownership of the "miss", simply telling me it was confirmed on their end, and communicated to the cruise line, Spring Tours. I find this completely unacceptable.
Shopping Pressure
While Essam was an outstanding guide, we felt pressured to shop at his selected outlets. He became visibly agitated when we chose to shop independently or visit other stores. This made us feel uncomfortable and less supported in exploring local markets freely. It also gave the impression that Essam was receiving commissions from these shops.
Conclusion
Overall, the trip was an amazing experience. We felt safe and appreciated Essam’s expertise and care. However, the foul up on our cruise ship suite, frequent tipping expectations, flexible itinerary, and shopping pressure detracted from the enjoyment. Despite these issues, we would consider traveling with GET again, but with the hope that they address these concerns for a more seamless and stress-free experience.
Review date:
Sunday, January 19, 2025
Response from Grand European Travel:
We appreciate your detailed feedback from your Splendors of Egypt trip. We are sorry to hear about the incidents you mentioned that kept you from having a 5 star experience. We will be sure to pass along your list of concerns to both Insight Vacations and Spring Tours who operate and manage the tour. Thank you.
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Sabrina Williams
The travel specialist was very helpful and did a good job sending the information and itineraries for the trip. I felt informed every step of the way from the initial booking to the final payment and review information. I would like better flying options for future trips with comfortable seating especially for the longer flights.
I had a fabulous time on my vacation and would definitely recommend the agency that I went through. The tour guide Steve Fowler was engaging, informative, friendly and an awesome tour guide. He gave many history lessons during the trip that were interesting. The bus driver was awesome and did a great job getting our group from city to city. We were able to see "once in a lifetime" landmarks and learn about different cultures. The only part of my experience that was a disappointment was the flight with British Airways. The seating was cramped and very uncomfortable. There was no leg room or even elbow room for this long six hour flight. I paid for an upgrade coming back and was disappointed to find out that those seats were just as cramped as the ones I had going to my destination. There were three people in the row on the return flight instead of four that was on my initial flight. The rest of the trip was a blast and I have been giving recommendations to friends and family about my trip. I am also browsing around looking for my next experience.
Sabrina Williams
Review date:
Sunday, January 19, 2025
Response from Grand European Travel:
We are happy to see your enjoyed European Highlights. We understand that international flights can be challenging these days. We do offer options on most airlines departing the USA but always look for the most direct schedule available at time of your booking.
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Vicki Crawford
Loved this tour, we experienced so many adventures and both my son and I have a wonderful time!!
Review date:
Friday, January 17, 2025
Roxanne Perez
Our travel specialist was Barb. She was great. If she wasn’t available all other agents were knowledgeable.
All the places we went to were awesome. Fabio our guide and Ciro our bus driver were excellent. Restaurant in Rome Day 1 and Day 10 farewell dinner was lacking in great food. Hotels were good. The added excursions were worth it. They had the best dinners.
Review date:
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Monica Rosales
Barb was excellent help on the phone. She answered the questions I had, especially regarding the travel insurance.
Great trip. Learned a lot. Fabio, our tour guide, was extremely knowledgable. The individual local tour guides were outstanding! Food was good and the wine flowed freely.
Review date:
Monday, January 13, 2025
Trusted Customer
Barb Gardner is always helpful and responsive to my requests.
The Rhine Christmas Markets Tour was as advertised and as expected.
ALL staff were professional, helpful, and courteous beyond expectations.
Excursions were normally 1-1.5 hours and left plenty of free time to explore in depth or shop.
Food and beverage choices were excellent.
There were always an evening gathering and postings(hard copy and electronic) describing the events and weather for the next day.
The 1970's party was a big hit with most guests.
The only drawback was that at the ship was docked a few times directly adjacent to another ship making the cabin dark - since the drapes needed to be closed for privacy.
Review date:
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Response from Grand European Travel:
It sounds like a good time was had by all. Thank you for your business and for your feedback.
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Free Brochure
Order Your Free Brochure
Sign up to order your FREE travel brochure subscription and get exclusive offers only available to our subscribers
Download Brochure
View Brochure Online
Shop Deals