It was a very eventful itinerary that allowed us to see 8 countries in two weeks. The tour was very fast paced in order to accomplish the advertised program and it felt rushed. In order to travel to 8 different European countries, you have to expect that there will be a lot of coach seat/drive time. Our tour guide Jemma and coach driver Gabriel were very professional and focused on meeting Expat Explore's tour destination requirements. Jemma always provided interesting information and tips about the cities and sites that we were visiting. Our driver Gabriel always got us to our destinations on time and safely. The included and optional excursions were conducted at a moderate to swift walking speed, at some places there was no time to take pictures. Some of us found it difficult to keep up with the group, and once caught up to the group, who were at a stopping/rest point, it was time to resume the walking tour which did not allow some of us to catch our breath. You have to keep in mind that this tour is a ""budget"" tour. With that in mind, some hotels were sub-standard. The Paris hotel had mold in the shower. As expected, some hotels did not have air-conditioning, and other hotels which did have air conditioning were not adequately able to cool the room. The included tour dinners and lunches were very average. We had better dining experiences when we were left on our own when we used our free time. Overall, we were pleased to see all European countries/cities/sites included in the tour.
A huge thanks for the amazing ‘Mont Blanc Encompassed’ trek experience - it was excellently arranged with a tremendous guide (Sebastian). The scenery was absolutely magnificent and on the same level as the EBC in Nepal I thought. And the mountain lodges were in spectacular locations.
Accommodation was excellent, there was never an issue with the booking and luggage transfer between hotels was seamless. On the whole food was very good. Daily mileage suited me although there were some very challenging days. I don’t believe I could have improved on the trip. Will definitely use Utracks for future walking trips.