Poland Tours

My wife and I and another couple asked this European travel company to plan a trip for us to Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest, with a stop in Cesky Krumlov and a separate visit by our friends to the High Tatras and Krakow. With the exception of a coupe of glitches in Berlin (the hotel, while very nice, was not near the central city, as portrayed, and a day trip for me and my wife to Potsdam was not what we expected and extremely disappointing, for which our agency reimbursed us), the trip was wonderful. We had requested well-located 3-4 star boutique hotels and Maggie and Lindsey of at our agency really delivered. The Abba in Berlin, in the main shopping area, was sleek and hip; the Am Stephanplatz in Vienna was quite nice and in an absolutely great location, directly across from the magnificent St. Stephan's Cathedral and within walking distance of everything to see in Vienna; the Century Old Town in Prague and the K&K Opera in Budapest were also great hotels located near many or most of the main attractions the Ruze (Rose) hotel in Cesky Krumlov was old, but the best in town. All of them included good service and excellent breakfasts. But it was in the tours that our agency really sparkled (Potsdam aside). We asked for individual tours rather than group tours, and our guides were either very good or outstanding, as were the drivers who took us from city to city (the difference in price between private cars and four Eurorail passes was not as much as we thought, and the drivers were anxious to act as guides as well, making the additional cost well worth it). Joe, our guide in Prague for two tours spoke fluent English, was trained as a lawyer, and had been part of the crowd that was fired on when the Russians moved into Prague in 1968. Not only was he full of stories and opinions, he was a cheerful and affable companion as well. Our guide of the Jewish Quarter in Budapest, Kata, was tenured professor who gave us tremendous insight into Jewish-Hungarian history and current European politics. We followed that tour up with an ourstanding traditional Jewish dinner at the home the widow of a rabbi of a congregation in Budapest. In addition to these tours, our agency arranged for fascinating tours of a food market (Budapest) and vineyard (also Budapest), and walking tours in Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Dresdan and Bratislava, the latter two as part of the drives between cities. We would not have changed a single one of these. As for our friends' extension to the High Tratas and Krakow, they said it was just as great as the part of the trip they shared with us.

Our travel agency did a great job from the beginning to help us plan a trip to Prague, Budapest, and Krakow. We planned the trip within 1 month of departure after my husband find out he has a work meeting in Prague and we decided to tag on 8 days for vacation since we love traveling but haven't been to Central Europe.  Our agent who was based in NY reached out once received my request to ensure he understood what we were looking for.  He was patient and understood what we were looking for to adjust the proposal a few times.  Since we haven't been to this part of the world, we added quick stops in transit in between the 3 cities to also stop in Vienna, Slovakia, and Auschwitz.  Our Prague-based contact met us at the hotel upon arrival to review the itinerary was very helpful throughout the trip. Via a local cell-phone provided, he helped us make reservations for dinner, arranged additional excursions...etc.  We did a private walking tour in each city and the local guides were excellent. The drivers for transportations were also great - particularly in Prague and in Budapest.  Hotels were nice.  We particularly liked the hotel in Budapest.  The restaurant recommendations were helpful - we ate mostly local cuisine and really enjoyed, from casual street food to Michelin-star restaurant.  The arrangements overall were very smooth.  Our travel agency helped make the trip easy and comfortable - all the logistics were taken care of, allowing us to just relax and enjoy.  Would recommend and use again if we travel to countries this agency covers. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Central Europe.  Our travel agency put an outstanding package together that met all of our needs.  The accommodations they selected were fantastic and the guides and tours were exactly what we were looking for.  Our travel concierge was always available to answer our questions and make recommendations and reservations. 

Our pre-travel consultant recommended we take the tour of Auschwitz as part of our travel between Prague and Krakow.  Not only was this beneficial from a timing perspective (it prevented us from using an entire day of our Krakow visit), but it also allows you the time to contemplate such an emotional visit while in the car rather than while you are trying to experience the beauty of Krakow. 

The beauty of Poland and its' people was best revealed through the careful planning of our travel company. From the time we landed in Krakow, until we departed from Gdansk, every transfer, every tour was perfect. We never had to wait for transportation, we never waited in a ticket line, we only enjoyed private tours, geared to our interests in each city. Each person we encountered only wanted us to see the country he/she loves, and to help us learn about and enjoy Poland. Our hotels were convenient and unique. We were able to learn about the city through private tours, then return to points of interest on our own.  The food tour and the cooking class allowed us to sample a variety of foods and restaurants.  From start to finish, our travel company exceeded our expectations.