Eastern Europe Travel, Central Europe Tours

01/29/2019

Very well organized Great fun.

Service

Great tour guides. Robert (group leader) did a great job smoothing out any minor problems. (I would advise getting to tour start location a couple days early. To make sure---- You're luggage makes it off the airlines and gives a you a day or two rest/acclimation before you start the tour. We did and it took to two days for our luggage to arrive. This wasn't a Collette problem but Lufthansa.) The guided tours were long enough to be interesting and give you an idea of where you are, then you could go explore on your own. Collette and Robert provided great group meals. We have great memories of our trip.
Tour

Berlin was a great city. With many sights to see. Budapest was incredibly beautiful, and a very nice walking city.

01/22/2019

Fantastic Would use them again.

Service

Never have used them before, but i would do it in a heart beat again. Had the best time. Service was very good. Everyone should try them ,won't be disappointed.
Tour

Didn't have to do anything they took care of it all

01/21/2019

Service

The logistics, lodgings and events were extremely well planned. Our driver and main tour guide were both fantastic. They did an amazing job. I would have preferred one fewer days in Berlin with a night in Dresden instead but i get it :-)
Tour

Loved, loved, loved walking around Budapest and Budapest/the Danube river, bridges and lit buildings by night is a magical land.

01/18/2019

Loved the tour.

Service

Love Collette. As an Agency owner I love working with them, particularly Lisa in the Group Department and Tracy O'Neil is the BEST DSM, Our clients always return very happy. As a consumer on the Magnificent Cities trip I loved the Itinerary and Darius our guide was very knowledgeable and fun to be with. His insight from the perspective of someone who grew up under communism really brought the history to life!
Tour

Loved the tour and our tour guide Darius. His perspective growing up under communism brought history to life.

01/18/2019

Great trip except for tour director...

Service

Your local tour guides were excellent. The bus driver was excellent. The tour director was so-so. I liked the hotels. I liked the cities. I think I am better suited to longer stays at hotels because I am not well organized. Towards the end of the trip I couldn't find stuff in my suitcase because my packing between hotels became rather haphazard. I would prefer fewer cities and a longer stay each city.
Tour

A friendlier tour manager would have made it a 5 star trip.

Thank you for traveling with Collette to Europe. Your feedback will be reviewed by your tour manager's supervisor in the Tour Management department so that necessary improvements can be made.

Collette Support

12/07/2018

Excellent Tour

Service

The tour manager was absolutely the best. He made the trip a wonderful experience.
Tour

The tour manager was perfect, he made the trip a wonderful experience.

11/12/2018

Service

The organisation from start to finish is very good. The tour manager was very knowledgeable. The driver was brilliant. The local guides that Collette used were very good.
Tour

There are too many memorable experiences to single one out. All the hotels we stayed in were wonderful especially the ones in Budapest and Vienna. The organised tours were very good.The evening meals that were provided were very good apart from the one on Prague. It took them ages to bring our food - other tables were served a lot quicker than ours. I would strongly suggest finding another place to eat in Prague - I don't think that anybody in our party was very happy there

11/12/2018

Excellent and informative trip!

Service

I thought Collette was very helpful in our phone conversations, but they gave us some misinformation which caused unnecessary stress. Several conversations with different Collette people confirmed this misinformation. Other than that and the fact that our final packet of information was delayed in getting to us, I was well pleased with Collette.
Tour

We saw so much and learned so much on this tour. Our tour director could not have been better. The tour of Auschwitz and Birkenau was memorable, confirming much I had read about it.

11/07/2018

their are issues with having a special diet@ language.

Service

Good service
Tour

Historically buildings and sights.

11/05/2018

Wonderful trip thanks to Patryk

Service

As always the itinerary was exactly what I was looking for. This is my third trip with Collette and the personal service from our guide and choice of very fun restaurants was exceptional.
Tour

Patryk Priess was our wonderful guide so took very much care of all 40 of us without a bump in the road. He was everything anyone could want in a tour guide and more. We had a personal request in Krakow and he made some phone calls and arranged for a car so my husband could see where his parents grew up and were married. The choice of restaurants was very good as I know Collette does a lot of research on them and the folk entertainment was beautiful and a bit hilarious too.

11/05/2018

I'm very glad I did it and recommend it to others.

Service

Nice hotels, knowledgeable local guides, a good mix of group tours and alone time.
Tour

The history and wonderful old world architecture and culture

10/21/2018

Service

This was our fifth trip with Collette. The first four were excellent, but due to several misadventures this one was lack luster in comparison. It started with having to wait at the airport in Berlin to be picked up because We did not appear on the list . We purchased the transportation package separately. We were scheduled to go on the Jewish Quarter excursion in Prague, but at the last minute we were told it was a Jewish holiday and we were not allowed to enter the Jewish Cemetary or Synagogues....but we went on a walking tour through the Jewish Quarter which we had seen via a city tour. Then we spent five hours on the bus caught in traffic. I realize this was just an unfortunate incident and could not be avoided. Several of the local guides were not up to Collette standards. They had very thick accents which made it difficult to understand, and the guide in Vienna was so monatoned Several people went to sleep on the bus tour. On the walking tour I Turned off the Whisper. Our Tour Manager Mike Jenkins, had been in Europe on tours for six weeks and it was evident he was tired and not as enthusiastic as our tour managers in the past. He did his job, but in top form. There were times we were rushed and times we had too much free time. This trip just not as well managed as it could have been.
Tour

Auschwitz by far. It was a very "gut wrenching" experience, but at the same time something we should Never Forget!

Thank you for traveling with Collette to the Magnificent Cities of Central and Eastern Europe. A member of the Guest Relations Team will follow up with you.

Collette Support

10/03/2018

Tours Tempt With A Glimpse of Grandeur

Service

This was an extremely enjoyable & historically educational tour but a lot of ground to cover in just 12 days. Bus tours are exhausting! Taking the side tours really cuts into the time to explore any of these key European cities. Likewise, there were many other sites that were not offered as additional tours if interested. The Vienna dinner and music event was disappointing as it was an instrument and lip sync version of Vienna in days of old rather than a true Viennese classical concert. We felt that some side tours were lacking in precise information re: content (i.e. the Vienna music night, the Mozart House tour, the Dresden tour, etc.). My next tour will be on a river cruise so I can at least sleep while traveling from city to city.
Tour

Very good...read my previous comments. What happened to VERY GOOD as a choice? Android phone users had difficulty connecting (and often NO connection) to internet in Prague, Budapest, Krakow and even Warsaw. Hotels or Colette did not pay attention to request for 2 beds for 2 friends traveling together. We were given one queen bed at Berlin's Intercontinental and Prague's Grandium Hotels. Unacceptable! A single female traveler was given TWO beds in her room. Tour Mgr. did not insist on bus seat rotation (at least for those who were willing to rotate). 2 female passengers were seated with 2 male travelers we didn't initially know due to a lack of referring to the travel manifest re: who was traveling with whom. Uncomfortable for days!

09/03/2018

Service

Great communication before trip. Liked the plan of a day traveling, city tours then time on our own with options of additional tours that worked with the history /culture of each town. Very nice hotels.
Tour

Most memorable day was Prague walking down from the Cathedral, nice lunch in main square then the Jewish tour.

08/16/2018

Interesting trip

Service

It was a nice tour but it wasn’t an exceptional tour
Tour

It was a good tour but it wasn’t an exceptional tour.

08/14/2018

Service

The tour was well planned, tour guide was knowledgeable, local tour guides shared personal stories, hotels were centrally located and the breakfast had many offerings daily.
Tour

The tour was well paced and we enjoyed the excursions. Our tour guide was flexible and knowledgeable, and accommodated our requests.

08/14/2018

very good tour

Service

very good tour manager
Tour

very good hotels and guided tours

08/06/2018

Fantastic experience!

Service

Excellent tour with Jan as a guide. Good hotels, sites, enjoyed this tour as most participants were experienced travelers.
Tour

Many memorable moments, Prague, Budapest, old town Warsaw

07/25/2018

Expected more...

Service

Overall, the itinerary was good and the tour manager (Boriana) did her best to keep the tour moving smoothly. We also liked interacting with several other passengers. However, given the cost of the tour, we expected more. Here are some areas that need improvement. 1) The bus did not have WiFi, to us this was important as we wanted to stay in touch with family and friends on a long travel like this. Added to this, some of the hotels we stayed had very poor connectivity. 2) The left side of the bus had very little leg space. Though we rotated seats, one ends up on this side half the time. On long drives, this was very inconvenient especially if you are a slightly tall person. 3) The hotels in Berlin and Warsaw were excellent. But the rooms in most of the other hotels were small, with windows overlooking tiny courtyards or walls. The room in Holiday Inn, Krakow, had a bad smell in the bathroom but they refused to move us to another room. The same hotel did not provide coffee creamer, but wanted to charge us 5 Euros to bring it to the room. 4) We joined the evening concert at Vienna. The concert itself was good, but the restaurant where we had dinner before the concert was very poor in terms of quality of food, service and cleanliness. The toilets were overflowing and stinking. We were very surprised by the choice of this restaurant. 5) The tour guides in Dresden, Warsaw and Vienna were just about average. You could perhaps find better guides. Hope this feedback helps.
Tour

Overall, the itinerary was good and the tour manager (Boriana) did her best to keep the tour moving smoothly. We also liked interacting with several other fellow passengers. However, given the cost of the tour, we expected more on this tour. Here are some areas that need improvement. 1) The bus did not have WiFi, to us this was important as we wanted to stay in touch with family and friends on a long travel like this. Added to this, some of the hotels we stayed had very poor connectivity. 2) The left side of the bus had very little leg space. Though we rotated seats, one ends up on this side half the time. On long drives, this was very inconvenient especially if you are a slightly tall person. 3) The hotels in Berlin and Warsaw were excellent. But the rooms in most of the other hotels were small, with windows overlooking tiny courtyards or walls. The room in Holiday Inn, Krakow, had a bad smell in the bathroom but they refused to move us to another room. The same hotel did not provide coffee creamer, but wanted to charge us 5 Euros to bring it to the room. 4) We joined the evening concert at Vienna. The concert itself was good, but the restaurant where we had dinner before the concert was very poor in terms of quality of food, service and cleanliness. The toilets were overflowing and stinking. We were very surprised by the choice of this restaurant. 5) The tour guides in Dresden and Warsaw were just about average. Perhaps you could get better guides. Hope this feedback helps.

Thank you for traveling with Collette to Central and Eastern Europe. A member of the Guest Relations Team will be reaching out to discuss your feedback.

Collette Support

07/24/2018

Good Tour

Service

Well organized. Good hotels. Great tour manager. I would use Collette again and recommend them to others.
Tour

Good hotels. Great tour manager. Excellent cities and tours.

07/19/2018

Service

Excellent tour. Needed more free time for museums and places such as Auswich. Michael was an excellent guide as were the local guides. Restaurants pretty good. I could have used one more day in each city.
Tour

Excellent local guides. Great cities to visit. Excellent tour manager.

07/18/2018

Service

Excellent guide , hotels and provided meals.
Tour

Tour was excellent. Provided meals were very good. Loved Krakow. Hotel was in very convenient location one block from central square. Lovely town and very knowledgeable local guide.

06/18/2018

Great tour of Magnificent Cities!

Service

I would definitely go again! But, thinking back I’d prefer a tour that includes the tips, and has better food offered for the group dinners. The 2best dinners on the tour were the welcome and the farewell dinners. The others served so much food and so much went to waste. The tour manager and bus driver were superb as were the local guides (except the one in Potsdam). And the hotels were lovely.
Tour

Two ... the concert in Vienna at the palace and the Polish evening in Krakow...and many more!

06/13/2018

Service

Our Tour Director Patrick made our tour extra-special . He was very caring, knowledgeable, efficient, humorous, paid attention to detail and offered his own time to take us on non-scheduled walking tours and he returned to guide us back to our hotel when we were on "free time". He is truly an asset for Collette. I have been traveling for 50 years and Patrick was the best Tour Director ever.
Tour

We loved Budapest and really enjoyed the Illumination River Cruise @ night. The concert in Vienna at Schoenbrunn Palace was unforgettable

06/05/2018

Service

Definitely recommend and would buy from them again.
Tour

Visit to Auschwitz was most impactful.

05/21/2018

Magnificent Time in Eastern Europe!

Service

Very friendly, easy to use, and always available.
Tour

The cities were beautiful and Darius our guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining.

05/11/2018

Service

The tour was great, I don't have any complaints at all. The arrangements were easy to make and the staff was very helpful. Our tour guide, Robert was very helpful and pleasant, the individual city guides were very knowledgable. One of the best things was that we had a small group, and everyone was very positive and friendly.
Tour

I love learning about the history of Europe and this tour was great for that. Each city had unique things of interest, so I can't really say what I liked best. I enjoyed our meal at the Landtmann Cafe in Vienna, which our tour guide,Robert suggested,and going to one of the hot spring pools in Budapest, Robert also suggested. It was pretty easy to get around, even in our free time.

12/12/2017

If only I could have teleported to each of my destinations

Service

excellent.....best tour guide I ever had....my only negative is that I personally do not like long rides in cars...therefore a bus tour is not a good match for me.
Tour

our tour guide, darius, made the trip incredible

10/30/2017

Service

Tour Manager excellent; most hotels very good; tour visited key spots;
Tour

Overall tour very good with most hotels nice 4 star. Budapest was favorite Limo service was terrible...in fact Chris Limo is so bad that if we do Collette again we will not take this Limo. Since we will not take it and cannot get a credit, the actual tour price will probably increase by at least $300 and that will be taken into account in comparing Collette vs other tours.

10/30/2017

Service

They helped me book my, all inclusive trip, from the beginning to the end. I would rebook and recommend Collette to others who want to experience a worry-free vacation full of adventure and an experience of a lifetime.
Tour

The tours were well planned and deversified. The tour guides were knowledgeable in the history of the cities we visited. The information was presented in a lively, fun & exciting format which made it enjoyable and educational. My favorite experience, was Budapest and the evening dinner, followed by a cruise down the Danube River.

10/16/2017

Service

Our Tour Guide went all out to provide us with a complete experience, covering the history of the area, giving us a fun time shopping and filling our time with extra tours and information. Hotels had beds like clouds and good breakfast buffets. Our driver got us there in spite of the conditions and we had a nice group of interesting individuals!!!
Tour

Budapest was my favorite city. Great food, interesting history and beautiful areas

10/08/2017

Service

Great city tour through Europe and tour manager.
Tour

Best memory was visiting Krakow, Budapest and Vienna.

09/19/2017

Wonderful company to travel with!!

Service

The people who work at the main office are awesome, polite and very knowledgeable. They are there to answer any questions that we have. Everything is planned to perfection. The hotels are fantastic! The tour guides are also very polite and knowledgeable. We have had 4 wonderful trips with Collette!
Tour

Great tour! There were several different cities to see and the days were packed with activity. We saw so much history. All of the local guides were wonderful as well.

09/18/2017

Fantastic Trip

Service

They are very precise in getting to each location and city on time. Everything works like clockwork.
Tour

Very precise and punctual tour.

09/04/2017

Service

Trip was well-planned for transportation, hotels, food, tours
Tour

Excellent tour manager & memorable daily tours

07/10/2017

Service

Customer service was excellent!
Tour

All of the optional tours were awesome and well worth the price.

07/10/2017

Wonderful trip of the magnificent cities

Service

We loved our trip of the magnificent cities. The history, sites and excursions were wonderful. The tour guides were so knowledgeable and informative. Restaurants and hotels were very nice. The coach was very comfortable and clean and our coach driver was the best! This was our 3rd tour with Collette and we are planning on taking another one in April 2018. Thank you for making it easy to travel and not have to worry about anything. Love the door to door ground transportation to and from the airport. I am so looking forward to our next trip in April and we just got back from this trip a few short weeks ago. See you in 9 months and counting.
Tour

I loved it all but if I had to pick my favorite place it would be Poland. I really enjoyed Krakow and Warsaw. I love the old cities and churches.

06/06/2017

Service

All the guides were very knowledgeable and were able to describe their cities to us so we got a good "feel" for them. However the tour to me was like a sampler of the cities. I could have used a little more free time than was possible on thus tour.
Tour

We saw highlight cities. Seeing Aushwitz was a sobering experience.

05/22/2017

Fine

Service

Fine
Tour

too much free time and having to change currency meals should have been included with the initial price

05/01/2017

Excellent guide, city guides, and motor coach driver.

Service

The tour guide (personal details removed by Feefo) was very knowledgeable about the cities we visited. He knows much of the history and made the trip very interesting. He made sure the people on the tour were familiar before he let us loose. Our motor coach driver (personal details removed by Feefo) was excellent. I would trust him to drive me any where.
Tour

Prague. I choose this city because it fulfilled a long time dream.

05/01/2017

A very enjoyable and informative trip

Service

Well organised, good accommodation, excellent tour leader, very interesting
Tour

Budapest by night Auschwitz

12/05/2016

Cities well worth a visit.

Service

Wonderful tour of 6 magnificent cities. Local guides were knowledgeable and the tour was well organized.....very full on, but organized.

11/19/2016

Five cities of eastern Europe

Service

The "loss" of the fifth star is not necessarily a reflection of Collette but rather annoying events that occurred along the way: Hotel in Berlin did not advise me of the "meet and greet" meeting. Some of the entertainment during the organised meals was so loud it made it very difficult to talk with our new travel companions. The city guides often gave "information overload" in describing historical detail. The Positives: Our tour guide (Robert) demonstrated : 1) First class client care. 2) Full awareness of the cities / countries visited. 3) Sociable with a good sense of humour. All the hotels were of a good standard All the included meals faultless The coach and driver provided a safe and comfortable experience Private transfer from the airport to the hotel very efficient utilising a good quality vehicle.
Tour

As described in previous review notes

11/07/2016

Good service by Collette US

Service

Very helpful
Tour

I loved the trip in many ways but was not happy with the hotel location in two places and because I am a foodie, I would have liked better cuisine. - too many 'folklore' restaurants where food is mediocre.

11/07/2016

Memorial and very enjoyable trip/tour!!

Service

Wonderful tours, with our tour manager for the entire trip, being outstanding!! Lovely accomedations except for the Yasmin hotel in Prague.

10/24/2016

Great Way to Experience Central Europe for the First Time

Service

Everything about the trip met our expectations: overall quality of hotels and group dinners, tours of each city by local guides, skill and professionalism of tour guide and bus driver, amount of free time.
Tour

Please see previous comments.

10/10/2016

The local guides, with only 2 exceptions, were not very good. Our return f...

Service

The local guides, with only 2 exceptions, were not very good. Our return flight should have never been booked. We missed our connection in Paris, and had to be rerouted through New York, arriving home 14 hours after we were schedule to.
Tour

Most memorable, but not enjoyable, was Auschwitz and Birkenau. I had learned about the history of the people of eastern Europe, but being there helped me realize how bad the conditions were during most of the 20th century.

10/09/2016

Great way to see multiple cities and sites within a short 2 weeks....

Service

Both driver and tour guide were excellent...all hotels were pretty nice except the Jasmin Hotel who were unprepared and should not be used again...tours were great!
Tour

Budapest was the highlight and nicest surprise of the tour....

10/09/2016

Fantabulous Tour

Service

This tour of Central & Eastern Europe had plenty of sights, and was done at just the right pace. Loved all the cities included, and the Tour Manager and Bus Driver were a terrific team. This was our third Collette tour; and we're already looking forward to my next one...
Tour

Tour in lauded plenty of time and opportunities to shop!

09/12/2016

Excellent tour, Will do more with Collette.

Service

An excellent trip because of the manner in which the tour was handled. Very Professional. Well thought out from the moment the tour started till the finish.
Tour

Entire experience was memorable. Excellent tour guide.

08/23/2016

More precise tour information in a timely manner.

Service

This tour was OK, I would have appreciated more information from the tour director on other sights to see in each city. It seemed like our mornings were filled and then we were left to shop in the Old Town Centers until the bus would pick us up.
Tour

This tour was just OK, the tour manager was sometimes disorganized. I don't want to give him a "poor" but he was just OK.

08/22/2016

Best vacation I have ever had!

Service

I had the most wonderful experience with Collette! I traveled solo through Eastern Europe. Our tour guide was a well-organized, very entertaining guide. He provided the best experience possible! All the hotels were top notch and I great appreciated the luggage pick-up/delivery service. I was truly immersed in each countries culture via local guides. This was the highlight of the trip! I also appreciated when visiting major tourist spots (Auschwitz) we had a designated tour time and were able to skip the 5 hour + wait to get in. The transportation from country to country was lovely. Beautiful Mercedes bus with powerful air con! I cannot wait to book with Collette again. Hands down worth every penny! Thank you!
Tour

This tour packed a ton of experiences into 14 days! I felt like I saw so much in such a short period of time. I loved Budapest, Krakow, and Auschwitz was incredibly moving.

08/22/2016

Amazing, informative and moving tour of the cities of Central and Eastern Europe.

Service

Everything ran so smoothly which allows you to relax and enjoy.
Tour

Beautiful views of Budapest from hotel balcony. Unforgettable !

07/25/2016

Excellent service

Service

Excellent service. All of my needs, no matter how small and/or seemingly insignificant, we're met promptly.
Tour

Our tour manager, was key in making this a truly amazing experience. He was very knowledgeable and he was also very funny. Because of his witty anecdotes, and his great knowledge of history, I will most certainly be using College for my next vacation!

07/25/2016

We'll use them again!

Service

A great selection of interesting programs, and very professional overall in their customer service. There were some cross wires/mixed messages about program inclusions (things that were cancelled, then "uncancelled" on the trip), and a little on the "old fashioned" side when it came to info sharing. But, they are responsive and helpful.
Tour

This was an AMAZING trip - our tour manager was aces, a complete professional, and the whole thing was run like clockwork. Our driver was fantastic; the hotels were delightful; the food was incredible. The city orientation tours were the right tone and length and allowed us to explore more broadly on our own. The added on sites and experiences were really worth it. An excellent experience.

07/18/2016

Collette is a quality travel agency.

Service

I would recommend Collette. Its a good package, but the price may deter younger people. But I am not saying that I would change anything. You are shown the best of the best without any stress.
Tour

My favorite part of the trip was Poland, I was surprise to see how wonderful it was. The tour manager always had great recommendation and even scheduled multiple pick ups in the city to meet people's needs. But if you wanted to stay longer, the hotels were easy to get to, you can spend your free time doing what ever you want and get back easy to your room. The tour manager made sure you knew what to do, if even provided metro tickets and maps for some people to get back to the hotel.

07/18/2016

Service

Excellent service and tour manager

07/07/2016

Service

I think there should be an option for folks to share their name and location prior to each trip or any info about themselves. We had a large tour group. Also, I injured myself on the last day. We had an ER doctor on the trip, as well as a nurse who stated not much could be done for a broken toe. I elevated and iced and did not feel the need to be checked out by a doctor. I was never sent a copy of the report but a representative told my friend who I traveled with that I 'refused' medical attention. Not feeling it necessary at the time is different than refusing it! I should have to sign off on the report and/or be able to provide the details since the tour manager did not witness the event of the injury!
Tour

I loved being able to see a lot of the cities and look forward to someday going back to a few of them! I like that there is downtime in each city but it would be great to know ahead of time when there is a guided tour, where we actually get out to take pics at and what is viewable from the bus only so that a person can better plan their downtime.

06/20/2016

A full and great experience.

Service

Very well organised tour, excellent service throughout. The tour guide was very experienced and attentive to personal requests.
Tour

This tour was extensive, but gave a great overview of the countries and cities of Eastern Europe. My favourite city was Budapest.

06/20/2016

Service

Very well organized.

06/09/2016

Service

The service staff when we purchased the tickets was very helpful. I would certainly use them again.
Tour

I would have preferred to have some museums included, especially in Berlin. I think 3 days in each city would be better, given the travel time between cities there really is only one full day and not enough time to explore everything. Some of the highlights of each city I missed because there wasn't enough time.