Home > Compare Tour & Adventure Operators > Collette vs Insight Vacations
Collette vs Insight Vacations
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Collette and Insight Vacations.The Low Down
While new to the Australian market in 2017, Collette have actually been operating since 1918. Offering coach touring and small group explorations around the world, you won't find too many Aussies and Kiwis on their trips yet, but clients of ours that haven taken the plunge over the last season have come back with very positive reviews. Collette is very popular in the US and now has offices and support in Australia, Canada and the UK too. Collette market their trips as 4 star accommodation with 5 star service and inclusions - so if that sounds like your cup of tea, then how about this - Collette also includes a roundtrip home to airport chauffeur service for those within a 40km radius of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Darwin, Cairns and Hobart airports.
Upmarket coach touring, with 4.5+ star accommodation, maximum group sizes of 40 on a full size coach and more leisurely paced touring itineraries. The pricing of Insight's trips tends to attract travellers in their 60's and 70's. If you're tall, then you should seriously consider Insight, as their coaches been reconfigured to allow up to twice as much legroom as on a standard coach. Insight have recently launched trips through South America, and expanded their range of Gold Luxury Vacations, where you can expect the ultimate in luxury and refinement.We find that the feedback we get back from past clients is sometimes a little critical, and we feel this is because of the very high standard some of our clients are expecting due to Insight's positioning in the market. On every multi-day journey, there will always be little annoyances, but as a whole package the team here definitely recommend Insight worthy of your consideration. If you've travelled with any of its sister brands like AAT Kings, Trafalgar or Uniworld further savings are available.
Stats
No. of Trips
188
No. of Departures
5,130
Avg. Trip Length
11 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$383
Accommodation
4 Star
Budget
Premium
No. of Trips
419
No. of Departures
4,981
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$452
Accommodation
4 - 4.5 Star
Budget
Premium
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
At Collette, we consider everyone who travels with us to be our personal guest. Every moment matters to us because we know it matters to you. This may be because at heart we are a family owned company that has been in business for 100 years. It may be because our team are passionate about sharing their own love of travel and uncovering mysteries.
Choosing Collette comes with benefits that take your guided travel experience to another level. Our inclusive tours provide you more value for your money and more of what makes travel special. Let us show you the world!
At Insight Vacations we have been creating magical travel experiences for over 40 years, showcasing the most outstanding destinations and curated experiences in Europe and North America.
Why are we different to any other operator? It’s our unique Insight experiences. It’s our authentic and varied dining options, it’s travelling in smaller groups on customised coaches with twice the legroom, it’s staying in the right hotels in the right location, all brought together seamlessly by our exceptional travel directors. In essence: All the sights, and the insights….up close and personal…in comfort and style.
Travel is such a joy and a personal passion for myself and every member of our team. We’re so proud of the quality, service and value we provide and invite you to try it for yourself. Talk to Global Journeys to find out more about travelling in style and booking your next holiday with Insight Vacations.
Recent Reviews
4.5
From the moment we booked with Collette and Global Journeys, it was a seamless experience. We were regularly updated on every aspect of our trip, from flight details, check in information, tour group numbers, hotel information at each stop etc. We knew every day the full itinerary on where we were going and staying. Our tour manager George was amazing. ...read more He was extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. He actually made the trip as fantastic as it was. We were very lucky to only have 6 people on our tour so we all became friends very quickly. One of the highlights were the monasteries in Meteora and the stay in a small town in Nafplia which was just stunning. We managed to fit so much into our 10 day tour it was just brilliant. I can’t recommend this tour highly enough. It was so good, I’d do it all over again. The main highlight of our tour was becoming engaged in Athens. A very magical place and will forever be special to us. We can’t wait to come back to Greece to see some more of this beautiful country.
The trip was absolutely amazing. Most of the accommodation was fantastic & the hospitality staff were so friendly, they bent over backwards to give us the best service we've ever had. Our guide was absolutely wonderful & my fellow travellers were a great bunch, made up of Australians, Americans & Canadians. I would definitely travel with Collette again ...read more & I would have no hesitation in booking through Global Journeys again.
Hi. If I’m going to be completely honest here, I was somewhat disappointed in this tour, don't get me wrong there were some fab times we had as well. Day One- the "included" breakfast was utterly terrible to the point where we didn’t eat it, and to the fact that we were sharing the breakfast buffet with another tour. The badlands was great we had a ...read more wonderful time here. The wall drug slop stop, for the money we eat in cafeteria? Couldn't understand this.
The night we were taken to another sub average hotel to eat yet another average meal, again I stress the point for the money spent, a) we are given a limited choice of food, b) told there are no modifications. c) the meal that was served wouldn't have fed a two year old, it was cold and average, a sharing plate of processed meats as a start.
Day Two & Three - Someone made the executive decision to take us elsewhere for breakfast which was very nice. The sight seeing was great, however I soon realized that we are not allowed to really stop in the bus in a National Park (I could be wrong here) or were we allowed off the bus, again my point to the money spent and all photos being taken from the window.
Day Four & Five - Tour was great, a lot more driving than I anticipated, Cody was great, would have been even better along the way if we were told that there are other things going on in the town i.e. Rodeo, but no, our meal was in a bistro of a hotel. Given there are so many places to eat along the way yet, the included meal is in the hotel.
Day 6 - This is the day that I calculated we were driving in a bus for approx. 8 hours. I’ll say no more the accommodation here was great the hotel staff and food were lovely.
Day 7 - Was great until we went to heart mountain (this could have been day 6). I would strongly suggest that this is an optional stop, I did not see this on the itinerary nor did I want any part of this, I actually can not describe how mortified I was at what I sat through, If you wanted to top off a good week, this just knocked it all over. I feel this was the most inappropriate tour stop I have ever encountered. At this point to be honest I was pretty much over the whole tour, I avoided the chuck wagon dinner (thank god) I was told I would have not been impressed, people were having to be driven back down. So overall I was very disappointed
Food- 1/10. Tour Leader - 10/10. Coach Driver- 10/10. Overall tour experience 3/10. If I’m going to be honest, I would probably never book with Collette again. Other tour members were saying that had been on many Collette tours and never had anything so sub par. Sorry to be so negative, but I’m being honest.
Reply From Collette:Thank you for choosing Global Journeys and Collette for your recent America’s Cowboy Country tour. We are grateful you took the time to provide valuable feedback concerning your tour experience. Your comments about the tour are being reviewed by Collette’s Product Development and Product Design Teams for this region. All feedback is encouraged as it allows us the opportunity to identify areas of concern and strive to make the necessary enhancements. A member of our Traveller Relations Team will be contacting you to review your concerns.
The night we were taken to another sub average hotel to eat yet another average meal, again I stress the point for the money spent, a) we are given a limited choice of food, b) told there are no modifications. c) the meal that was served wouldn't have fed a two year old, it was cold and average, a sharing plate of processed meats as a start.
Day Two & Three - Someone made the executive decision to take us elsewhere for breakfast which was very nice. The sight seeing was great, however I soon realized that we are not allowed to really stop in the bus in a National Park (I could be wrong here) or were we allowed off the bus, again my point to the money spent and all photos being taken from the window.
Day Four & Five - Tour was great, a lot more driving than I anticipated, Cody was great, would have been even better along the way if we were told that there are other things going on in the town i.e. Rodeo, but no, our meal was in a bistro of a hotel. Given there are so many places to eat along the way yet, the included meal is in the hotel.
Day 6 - This is the day that I calculated we were driving in a bus for approx. 8 hours. I’ll say no more the accommodation here was great the hotel staff and food were lovely.
Day 7 - Was great until we went to heart mountain (this could have been day 6). I would strongly suggest that this is an optional stop, I did not see this on the itinerary nor did I want any part of this, I actually can not describe how mortified I was at what I sat through, If you wanted to top off a good week, this just knocked it all over. I feel this was the most inappropriate tour stop I have ever encountered. At this point to be honest I was pretty much over the whole tour, I avoided the chuck wagon dinner (thank god) I was told I would have not been impressed, people were having to be driven back down. So overall I was very disappointed
Food- 1/10. Tour Leader - 10/10. Coach Driver- 10/10. Overall tour experience 3/10. If I’m going to be honest, I would probably never book with Collette again. Other tour members were saying that had been on many Collette tours and never had anything so sub par. Sorry to be so negative, but I’m being honest.
Reply From Collette:Thank you for choosing Global Journeys and Collette for your recent America’s Cowboy Country tour. We are grateful you took the time to provide valuable feedback concerning your tour experience. Your comments about the tour are being reviewed by Collette’s Product Development and Product Design Teams for this region. All feedback is encouraged as it allows us the opportunity to identify areas of concern and strive to make the necessary enhancements. A member of our Traveller Relations Team will be contacting you to review your concerns.
Collett tour itinerary was excellent Hotel stays were not bad, some bedding was poor quality. Tour bus was horrible, small bus with little comfort, shocking suspension, very rough. Meals were very good. The island of Salina was the best.
Cruising the islands was the true highlight of this trip. We loved going ashore in the evenings and exploring local fare in a great variety of restaurants. The boat was excellent with friendly staff, good food and a relaxed pace down the coast. We enjoyed swimming off the back on several occasions. Ports were getting busy and early June is as late as ...read more you would want to take this trip. Or wait till October. Have a decent budget for onshore meals. Our only gripe was a bit of penny pinching by Colette, with only one glass of wine with included dinners and rather expensive options. Would still do it again in a heartbeat.
My friend and I had a great time on this tour. We loved our tour manager Rosario, he was excellent and showed us elements of Sicily & Malta that we could never have done on our own. We also loved our bus driver Antonio, he also was excellent and had the added bonus of being a great musician, entertaining us when he finished driving for the day, much ...read more appreciated! We met new friends in our lovely group of 22, they were fun and interesting, mostly from USA with a couple of other Aussies. We were very sorry to leave them all & plan another tour for hopefully next year. Our hotels, guides & pre planned meals were all top notch. Thank you.
4.5
Winter Wonderland tour through Germany, Austria and Switzerland 0 Elizabeth and Daniel, NSW, Australia, Dec 2024
Booked through Global journeys for our Insight Vacation Tour and did not disappoint. GJ were so helpful with answering questions and helping get us organised. The tour with Insight was a winter wonderland snapshot. It snowed and the scenery and experiences were magical. The accommodation was excellent. We made friends with other people on the tour. ...read more Lots of experiences to cherish.
This tour is a great way to see the wonders of ancient Egypt. The Valley of the Kings excursion was a highlight for us, plus the (optional but worth the $$$) trip to Abu SImbel. Cairo and its traffic are chaotic but the Marriott was an excellent respite. Internal flights were OK, but the security setup at airports can be challenging so make sure you ...read more allow lots of time before departure. Georgie and GJ were very helpful prior to our journey.
As per our last trips with Insight Vacations the East Coast USA was another winner. From the beautiful vistas of Bar Harbour and Arcadia National Park, the charm of Boston, the eye-opening hustle bustle of New York, to the historical places encompassing the majestic Washington DC the trip filled all our expectations. The tour director and coach driver ...read more met all our expectations built from previous Insight trips, the chosen sites for touring and the included dinner meals locations were both 1st class and iconic. We only had 16 travellers on our trip which made it a delightful personal experience.
This tour of Germany was absolutely delightful. The tour included a great variety of interesting historical sites and quaint, picturesque fairy tale towns. Thought Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Heidelberg were particularly special. The schedule was full as there were so many wonderful places to visit but did not feel rushed. Carl our Travel Director ...read more was outstanding! Highly professional, responsive, organised, knowledgeable and attentive to our every need. He ensured everything ran smoothly and was clearly explained ahead of time. Johann our driver also did a great job.
On most mornings, we departed the hotel at 8am which was perfect - not too early to wake up and also meant we arrived at the sites before the crowds. Regular and well-timed rest stops were also beneficial. Most hotels were located right in the centre of town so we were able to explore and have dinner in the town without having to worry about catching public transport or a taxi into town. All hotels included a full buffet breakfast. Coach was spacious and had free wifi and sockets to charge our mobile phones. Recommend doing this tour if you want to explore a variety of Germany towns and regions.
On most mornings, we departed the hotel at 8am which was perfect - not too early to wake up and also meant we arrived at the sites before the crowds. Regular and well-timed rest stops were also beneficial. Most hotels were located right in the centre of town so we were able to explore and have dinner in the town without having to worry about catching public transport or a taxi into town. All hotels included a full buffet breakfast. Coach was spacious and had free wifi and sockets to charge our mobile phones. Recommend doing this tour if you want to explore a variety of Germany towns and regions.
Touring the National Parks was brilliant. The tour guide was great as was the driver of our coach. Insight did not disappoint, To see the abundance of wild life so often was an added bonus that we did not anticipate. And of course booking our tour with Global Journeys was brilliant, just like all our previous dealing with them.
Everything about this tour was excellent. Coach was very comfortable, only 1 hotel in Rome was very tiny the rest were good. Tour guide very knowledgeable and caring. The itinerary was just right and not rushed. Global Journeys "Georgie" did an excellent job of our selection process, we'll be going with her next time we book. Insight vacations of course. ...read more They're the best.
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