Albatross Tour Reviews

Loved the pace and itinerary of this tour with Albatross. Our guide Tom, was wonderful with his knowledge and kindness. Albatross allows you plenty of time to do your own thing as well as include all excursions, most meals and gratuities.

This proved to be a great way to have someone else sort the logistics of attending the 2022 Oberammergau Passion Play and enjoying some of the area between Innsbruck and Munich. Best days were day 3 with the visit to the Neuschwanstein castle and ‘Church in the Meadows’ and of course the 2022 Passion Play on day 4. That day was amazing, staying close ...read more to Oberammergau and arriving early to avoid the main rush, attend the pre-performance briefing (really helpful to understand the history and impact of the Passion Play on Oberammergau) and explore the town. The performance itself was stunning - in scale, performance quality and so much more.

Our group was relatively small (about 18) and made up of travellers from Australia and New Zealand. The tour guide was great - knew his stuff and was able to make those little adjustments (based on his knowledge and experience) to make the tour even more special. I found the half day own time on the first full day of the tour a bit strange given that the tour itself was only 3 full days. Overall, a really good tour and a great way to see the Oberammergau Passion Play without committing to a much longer tour.

We have just recently come back from "The Italian Grande Tour" with Albatross. We booked it through Global Journeys back in 2019 for 2020, but due to Covid we had to wait until 2022 before we could finally set off. All through the three years of postponements Georgie Walpole handled our booking with such ease, she was wonderful so thank you Georgie. ...read more I highly recommend Georgie and her team at Global Journeys.

I have to say it was a fantastic tour from beginning to end. Our tour guide Antonia was the best you could ever wish for. She treated us like family and did a fabulous job throughout, throwing in the odd witty remarks every day, we all adored her. Our driver Ermano was great too and an excellent driver, we all felt really safe with him. The reason we chose this tour was because of the 3,4 and 5 night stays. It beats one night stays hands down. The hotels we stayed in were mostly excellent especially the La Palma in Stresa which was my favourite. The Italian scenery was outstanding especially around the Amalfi Coast. So much was packed into the 18 days, we got to see and do so many things. We went in early September and the weather was perfect. There were 28 in our tour and we all got on really well, so much so we have set up WhatsApp and communicate often. I definitely would recommend Albatross and this tour to anyone wishing to see Italy and have everything done for you.

Holiday was exciting, we enjoyed the husky ride and the snowmobiles the most. The tour could have offered more options regarding activities and meals. Global Journeys did a great job.

The Xmas markets were very pretty and worth doing as a new experience. The standard of accommodation was pretty good, (only one hotel in Innsbruck was not clean and up to standard) but internal heating was too warm everywhere. For future travellers, layers is the way to go, T-shirts under jumpers and then overcoats, allows for stripping off the layers ...read more as things get warmer inside. Lake Bled was the highlight of the tour and a great place to spend 4 days over Xmas. Although the itinerary was good, more free time for meals and less included meals with fellow travellers would be an improvement and could make the tour cost more economical and enjoyable.

Since we first booked this trip we were excited about it, as it ticked so many boxes of what we wanted in a pre-Christmas tour in Europe and it didn't disappoint. We travel to Europe every December and select different regions. Having toured extensively through Germany, Austria, Hungary etc. we decided on a tour through France with Albatross Tours for ...read more this years trip. We have previously booked through Yvonne at Global Journeys and were very happy doing so again. Great price, good communication and everything made simple for us too.

This was the first time we had toured with Albatross and would recommend them as they lived up to what they promised. We started in Paris then travelled via the French Alps to Milan. It was a relaxed trip with more than one night stays at each stop. Inclusions were wonderful, especially the trip to the palace at Versailles, snow shoeing and horse drawn carriage in the beautiful alpine town of Megeve. Of course seeing Paris for the first time was a bucket list dream come true.

Our tour leader, Yasmina was the loveliest and most interesting person we have ever had on any tour. She was very knowledgeable and we learnt so much about every place we visited. Our bus driver was very capable, even though some of the roads were snow covered and very narrow and winding. All accommodation was great and of a high quality. Our fellow travellers were very friendly which made the trip even better. We will definitely consider Albatross Tours next year and of course will book with Global Journeys.

I was looking for something different and found this 2 week tour to Sardinia & Corsica with Albatross, an Australian company. I was travelling as a solo, which was new to me, but approximately a third of the tour was doing the same, and I had a ready made set of Australian friends which was fabulous. Albatross really look after their passengers and ...read more provide additional things that weren't in the itinerary like a walk down to the best gelateria including a free one of your choice, more wine at dinner than was expected. Gilberto our tour guide was the best, and I intend to do many more of Albatross's offerings!

I have recently returned from the Albatross Sardinia & Corsica Tour, and I had a truly wonderful time! For travellers like myself who have been to most European countries, this tour itinerary offered something new and very exciting to visit. Even though Sardinia is technically part of Italy, and Corsica part of France, they even still maintain their ...read more original languages in both regions. Both places are large islands with very mountainous landscapes, beautiful azure blue harbours and seas, history and sites reaching back at least to the Bronze Age and wonderful cities and towns to visit. Corsica was actually where Napoleon Bonaparte was born, and one of the inclusions was to visit where he lived.

Our Tour Guide Gilberto was excellent and he looked after us very well. All places were at least a 2 night (if not 3) stay and the tour was at a relaxed pace with plenty of free time. Gliberto was always happy to give suggestions and to organise outings during that time for who wanted to go. There was quite a few single travellers on the tour and everyone got on well and had a wonderful time. Thank you so much to my Global Journeys Travel Advisor, Tracey, who very professionally organised this tour for me, and really made me feel at ease as I was travelling by myself, which I haven't done in a long time.

Firstly, dealing with Global Journeys was excellent. A big thank you to Juliet & Jodie for organising our group of 8. This was our first Albatross tour after studying their brochures for years. I had liked the sound of the smaller group size, relaxed starts, longer stays at each destination, no optional tours and tips included. Also the fact that many ...read more meals were included helped with budgeting. Normally they offer a drink with dinner, but that doesn’t apply on the Scandinavian tour. After seeing the price of drinks we could understand why. Expect to pay anywhere from $14 - $20 for a beer & $20 - $25 for a glass of wine!

This was a new tour for Albatross and I think with a bit of tweaking it would be fantastic. Not that we didn’t have a great time, because we did. Our fellow travellers were the best I’ve ever had on any group tour. So much fun & laughter. 24 Aussies & 3 Kiwis! We weren’t blessed with the best weather which was a bit disappointing. Scenic cruises & train rides aren’t quite the same in pouring rain! However, we did get to see some amazing waterfalls so it wasn’t all bad. The sun did come out in the Lofoten Islands which were breathtakingly beautiful. The scenery was amazing and some of the group even managed to glimpse the northern lights. The accommodation was generally good as was the food, although most meals were a set menu. It would be nice to be given a choice and it’s hard to understand why there’s not. For example, one dinner we were given roast beef & sauce so the gluten free lady in our group was given a beautiful piece of grilled salmon & veges. You would think they should be able to offer everyone the choice of beef or salmon. But that’s just a minor quibble. A couple of hotels had buffet dinners though which was nice. One thing we did miss was tea and coffee in our rooms. Some hotels provided it, others didn’t. Also some bathrooms had the shower over really high baths which some of the group found difficult to get into.

Our Spanish tour director was lovely and though she seemed a little unsure of the Aussie sense of humour at the start, by tour end she was joining in the banter as well! She went out of her way to ensure we all had a great time. It wasn’t made easy with the changeable weather or the fact many things were closed for the season. I would advise going earlier in the season if possible as some things on our itinerary were changed due to that fact. There was probably a few too many museums for my liking, but that’s just my opinion. Tips for Norway - bring a good quality raincoat and waterproof shoes and be prepared to pay a lot for food and drinks! All in all we had a wonderful, relaxing holiday and would be happy to travel with Albatross again.

We had a wonderful tour. The well-designed program allowed us to experience such a lot with our amazing tour director- Gilberto. Every care was given to our well being and comfort. Not only did we travel by coach, but also train and ferry. What an interesting variety of countryside and history these two countries present. Some quite stunning scenery ...read more particularly along the coast. For example, sailing into the bay of Bonifacio, on the south coast of Corsica, between vast cliffs with the upper village buildings on top. What a great tour.

We booked this tour through Jemma at Global Journeys and she did a great job. After the initial booking I wanted to make changes and she handled these with patience and efficiency. I would certainly book my next holiday through her and Global Journeys again.

This was our second Albatross tour and definitely the best. There were 16 participants from ...read more Australia and NZ and we all got on very well. The Albatross hotels at the start and end of the tour were located near major railway stations which made it easy to get to and from the airports. The other hotels during the tour were also located in or near the city or town centres. The Berlin public transport system is easy to use and very efficient.

We used the S-Bahn on several occasions to get around. There is so much to see in Berlin that we were glad we had booked an extra day at the start. We could easily have spent another 2 days there. Dresden was another highlight with its Gothic architecture and position on the Elbe. The tour included plenty of excellent activities including a river cruises, beautiful scenic walks in Saxony Switzerland, visits to Potsdam palaces, Konigstein Fortress and Colditz Castle. The latter was particularly interesting with the part it played in WW2 as a POW camp. Prague was also great but far too crowded with tourists. I liked that we were taken out of Prague to visit other interesting places like Kutna Hora and Trebon which are not yet on the tourist radar.

Staying 2 nights in Cesky Krumlov was also good as it meant you could walk around the town after all the day tourists had gone. The tour director Ernst was very knowledgeable especially in respect of German history and all the local tour guides were excellent. Overall we thought that this tour was excellent value for money. I would certainly consider booking an Albatross Tour in the future.

We enjoyed every moment of our holiday from the excellent accommodation and places we visited to our tour guide Vanessa who was the very best guide ever as nothing was too much trouble for her, she was never fazed by our questions, always patient, knowledgeable and caring in every situation. Sicily is a hidden gem of delightful surprises and is the ...read more Disneyland of the ancient world... not to be missed. Albatross don't have optional excursions as everything on the tour is included except for "free time".

Having travelled twice before with Albatross, we were confident of the quality of the tour and the accommodation, which is always a great mix of styles while always being top class. We were not disappointed and would travel with them again.

It was our first time booking online with Global Journeys and might we say we could not have been happier and ...read more it was an easy and trouble free process. Our assigned Agent, Jemma, was always contactable and so helpful. As we live in remote country, it made the whole process so easy and stress free knowing we could contact Jemma about any aspect of our trip and she could help us. Once again, we have no hesitation in recommending Global Journeys.

This tour turned out to be a very enlightening and educational experience, with our tour leader delving deeply into the history of Ireland and the journey that the people of Ireland have been on. Relating this to many places we visited, this was well balanced, with scenery and entertainment particularly 'Trad on The Prom' being a wonderful night, of Irish dance ,music and song.

Our tour commenced mid August and the weather was cool and mild, so comfortable travelling, any misty rain always seemed to clear when we arrived at a location. The age group on our tour was mixed, probably an older group than we have been on before, but everyone got on and we all had a great time.
One thing that was obvious was that quite a few people were tired right from the start. They had basically come straight from Australia and that extra length of time to get to Dublin took its toll, even only a one night stop didn’t seem to help.We had a week in London prior and we were fine.

The tour pace was fairly well balanced, we didn’t have early starts, and no really late finishes or rushing onto something in the evening. but there were times where it was a rush to get something to eat at the very busy, popular locations we found ourselves in sightseeing.

Antonia was an exceptional guide - very knowledgeable, enjoyable to be with, supported all the group, and spent a lot of My Time guiding us around. Outstanding accommodation and excursions. We knew we were experiencing Italy at its best. Would recommend to others.

While we were unlucky with the changeable weather, we were certainly not let down by the breathtaking scenery in Norway, and towns like Stavanger and Bergen were a delight. Among the highlights of Norway were the Lofoten Islands. The hotels were all very good, although the views from several allocated rooms were not.

This was our first Albatross. We felt qualified to make a fair judgement as we have done 10 tours with a variety of tour companies before. Please do not recommend this tour until at least 2021- this might give the company time to review and change many aspects to make this a good tour.

Our guide Annette had a stutter which made her difficult to ...read more listen to and obviously shortened her explanations. The tour offered one glass of wine on arrival and nothing after - not even on the last night. A glass of wine here and there and some aperitifs helps to develop the social side of the touring group. This group struggled to gel as there were few opportunities and no encouragement. There was also too much 'My Time' without any support or guidance.

The Hurtigurten day was up at 5 am for a flight, 2 hours in a shopping mall of no interest to anyone, followed by 2 hours waiting for the cruise to start, followed by 4 hours of cruising which was pleasant, followed by 1.5 hours to get to the accommodation. A really long day which wasn’t seen as worthwhile by our group. Lofoten islands were good but cabins varied in quality and views.

There were several in our group who had done other Albatross tours and we all felt this tour was not up to the standard it should have been. Very disappointing. Norway is a beautiful country but tour operator did not offer value in that market. I will advise against using Albatross for Scandinavia.

In contrast, our second Albatross trip - Italian Grande, taken straight after this trip was excellent. Our guide Antonia was outstanding. The trip could be seen to value the group and offered value for money. Alcohol appropriately offered and 'My Time' was well guided and supported. A fabulous trip and agreed by all in the group.

My first tour with Albatross and will travel with them again. The itinerary was well thought out, and the hotels were in good, central locations, with character, though some of them had limited, or no, air conditioning, which is sometimes an issue with increasing temperatures in Europe. The group size of 17 was perfect, allowing for plenty of space ...read more on the coach, which was comfortable, clean and modern.

We have recently toured with Albatross Tours on their Italian Grande trip; an 18 day coach tour from Milan to Rome. It took in most important sites from the northern lakes, Maggiore and Como etc to the Amalfi Coast. Some of the major advantages of Albatross' tours are the multi-night stays and the provision of many night meals at our accommodation ...read more or a local restaurant.

We had 4 nights in Stresa and 5 nights in Montecatini Terme where we stayed in lovely four star hotels. From Montecatini Terme, we enjoyed day trips to Firenze, Pisa, Lucca and the Cinque Terre. Albatross Tours allow for "My time" which allows patrons to explore on their own and have a break from the group.

Our tour manager was professional, knowledgeable and personable. The coach driver was an ever smiling Italian who made us all feel safe and confident in his driving skills. There were only 18 Australians and New Zealanders on our large coach so there was ample room to spread out. All our travelling companions got on well and were a happy group.

We booked our tour through Global Journeys. Our consultant, Madeline, helped us with our holiday planning and offered us suggestions that assisted our holiday planning. Albatross Tours provide well resourced holidays, for small groups and many extras. We enjoyed our holiday immensely.

This small group tour of Croatia and the Adriatic was well organised. With accommodation at quality hotels in convenient locations and the individual stays from 2-4 nights enabled a more relaxed holiday with opportunities for free time. Despite it being a small group Albatross uses a large comfortable coach ensuring all have plenty of room.

The ...read more countryside through which we travelled with its diverse history, varied from limestone hills and valleys to delta plains. The quality of our tour director, and knowledge of local guides at various locations was excellent and very interesting making for an enjoyable tour filled with variety, excellent direction and comes highly recommended. Thank you and well done Albatross!

Our recent tour of the Italian Lakes and Tuscany was fabulous! I really can't recommend it highly enough! From the beautiful Lake Maggiorre, where we visited the exquisite Borromeo Palace and lovely manicured gardens alongside it on Isola Bella, to the magnificence of Michelangelo's 'David' in Florence, this tour has it all. The Albatross difference ...read more is that you stay in lovely hotels (and I'm the fussy type!) and most meals and all touring is included (some companies like to charge you extra for 'optional' add-ons). Albatross also have much smaller groups and really delicious meals, served with quality wines. Another big difference is that they allow you more time to see everything (mostly 2 or 3 night stays.. even 4!) and allow you an afternoon and evening off to do your own thing, or just relax in your wonderful hotel. We won't be travelling with anyone else!