I had a fabulous time on the Mont Blanc Rambler. The group was great and included a wide age range (25-72yrs). Our guide was excellent at pacing our hike to ensure everyone had a great time and preparing a feast for our lunchtime picnics each day. We were lucky to have great weather and beautiful meadow flowers everywhere too. It exceeded expectations - can't recommend enough.
I recently completed the europe taster trip for 7 days. It was a great experience. We were a large group of 51 people and I am lucky to have such lovely co travellers. As promised, the tour was very hectic and fast paced. Time was of essence and every member in our group were always bang on time whih made the trip quite convinient. Our tour leader Perci was informative and quite good at keeping the team together. I had a wonderful time and made new friends. Pros: Affordable Fast paced : A definite NO for people looking for relaxing on a vacation Maximum utilisation of tour time to explore places Cons : B&B Hotel at Paris was a complete let down. Rooms were okay but hotel staff were obnoxious. On asking for a hair dryer, I was asked to submit my Passport. Come on! Your passport for a £10 hairdryer. I think the Expat team should seriously reconsider booking again with them. Swiss dinner was another disaster .It costed us 25 swiss francs and was not at all worth it. Please include the optionals in the tour itinerary as it gives a false sense of affordability excluding them. Perci, our team leader was great but I think he should have introduced people in the group. I easily gel up with people so never had an issue but its always better to know the group from day one. Overall, a good experience and would definitely consider booking again with the expat team.
Best intro to group trekking hols This was an amazing trip from the breath taking scenery to the wonderful group dynamics to the scrumptious camp food and even the fact that we all had 3 man comfortable tents. The itinery was excellent and we were blessed with glorious sunshine and no storms for our 2 weeks. The leader paced our group very well and gave detailed instructions as to how much water we should pack each day. Our day packs always included our extra clothing and even though we hardly used It, we were fully aware of the likelihood that the weather conditions could change dramatically while in the mountains. The camp sites were in some of the most amazing places on the trips with glacier views or stunning lakes nearby. The showers and facilities were great and the 2 wild camp sites were fun where we enjoyed the basics but still got to go to a local hotel to eat. The food on the trip at camp was extraordinary and we got to make our own sandwiches from a wonderful selection of local produce. Be prepared to eat your own body weight in grub....you will need the energy. Not sure we all lost weight though;) Walking poles are a must and I have continued to use them since my return.
Do take note of the packing lists and bring everything. I used it all. There were challenging days on this trek and training on real hills not just steps/stairs in my opinion is vital. We trekked in snow, over some difficult river crossings and were travelling up steep gradients for many hours at times, but every step was worth it when we experienced the best views or took advantage of a cool drink or coffee at the many refuge stops. Budget for these stops the prices vary from country to country, you only need Euros. We were always given ample time to relax and Paul told us great spots for photos. It was best to keep up with the group as much as possible and although I took loads of photos I would suggest you do not stop and lag behind, you really do get time to take everything and have a wonderful record of your trip on your return.
Overall this was the adventure I hoped for and went way beyond my expectations - thank you one and all.