Pete & Sylvie were a fantastic team on the 18 day EX trip. Pete was knowledgeable & energetic, keeping the excitement & anticipation levels high, while.prioritising personal safety & bathroom breaks all the way. Individual attention was paid to people's specific needs & viewing wishlists, & Sylvie was meticulous about driving in the crowded cities despite local eccentricities. All in all, as a solo traveller I felt I was in capable hands.
We had a great time and spectacular excursions! Steve, our leader/guide was fantastic. And Szabi, our driver, is obviously a professional. Couldn't ask for a better team. The tour operator will be our go for our future tours, perhaps Japan after that one gets ready.
The rolling hills and valleys of the Dordogne make for lovely walking. Over-all the accommodations were good, except I did not care for the second night’s hotel especially as we were given the wrong address! (The woman was quite surprised when we tried to open the door to her private home!) We learned to use the GPS AND the instructions, as some of the trail blazes were faded, or perhaps overgrown, as we really had to hunt for them several times. We did get off-track a few times, and ended up forging our own way as a car rally had taken over the route we were to use. If you go, pay close attention to the weather as often our instructions simply seemed to be “if it is up and muddy/small stream, that’s the route”. Wear waterproof shoes and bring blister bandages! Also, be aware of holidays in the area as that can really impact your travel. Make sure you know how to get into and out of small, rural villages as these can be difficult or expensive to access.