Madrid, Andalusia with Cordoba, Costa del Sol & Toledo 9-Day Tour

Good tour

It was well organized tour. Carlos who directed the tour was friendly and very helpful. The best part of tour was Cordoba, Seville, Alhambra and Toledo. The city tour of Madrid was cancelled by Julia travel and we had to it on our own. Vouchers were given for hop on and off buses but we could not avail as they were all coming full to our stop which was 1 mile walk from our hotel. Local hotels selected by Julia in Madrid and Granada were not good. Temp of rooms were controlled centrally in all hotels in Spain and had difficulty sleeping because it was hot in room. No complimentary water and coffee/tea in rooms. Crowne Plaza airport in Madrid where we stayed on our own provided complimentary water, tea/coffee in room and we were able to set our room temp.

via Viator

Do not give these people one penny

On this trip, we paid for the upgraded hotel. The tour operator had us staying at Courtyard Marriott Madrid Princesa for three nights of the trip. This hotel was disgusting. Carpets and linen were stained in every room. We checked in, and looked at two different rooms before we were very disappointed and accepted the first room. We had to have maintenance come to replace lights not working in the bathroom, as well as the remote control that was not functioning When we arrived at the hotel, we had no idea what we're supposed to do next. It wasn't until later on that evening that somebody slid an agenda under our front door telling us where we would be going the next day. The tour operator bus Wi-Fi was not working the entire trip. During some of the stops that we made for meals, the tour operator appeared to have some type of incentive to get us to eat at prearranged prices/establishments. All of us were wondering if the tour guide was getting a kickback for these arrangements. Our tour provided us with optional excursions. There was nothing official with prices. The tour guide was just collecting cash from us. This did not seem professional, and I wondered if it was an acceptable practice? On one of our city stops-Toledo. Our bus was brought to what was apparently a factory to see craftsmen working and give us the opportunity to buy goods at a discount. This was a 30 minute stop that appeared nothing more than a set up to get us to spend money. Once again, I felt like I was being used for the tour guide to receive compensation for this stop. At the end of our tour, we were once again housed at the same Marriott Hotel. This time we went through three different rooms before we felt stuck with a dirty hotel. The clerks at the hotel informed us that we were put in a standard room. We were expecting a four-star hotel. This is what we paid for. This tour was purchased with Viator. Viator has gave me a complaint number IDB-36329076 weeks ago, but never contacted me. Marriott has offered us 2000 points (equal to 1/3 of a night for our complaints. I would not recommend these companies. Mr. Gelber USA

Response from the operator: Dear Curtis G, Thank you for sharing your opinion on our 8-day escorted tour, we will certainly use it to improve our services. I would like to personally apologize for the inconveniences you experienced at the hotel. We have already spoken with the hotel director so that such a situation is not repeated. However, regarding your comments on the missing information I would like to point out that we do send the relevant details to our customers (or their travel agencies) so they have all the necessary information with them. We also leave a copy on the customer’s hotel just in case they cannot bring it for some reason. I am afraid we cannot provide arrival assistance on our regular tours since all our clients arrive on different times and flights. The stops on the tour are organized as such because of operational reasons, so the timings are met in order to complete the scheduled itinerary as best as possible. More particularly, the stop at the craftsman shop is held because it is where the customers get to see and learn about the typical crafts made only in Toledo. It is completely on the customers to choose if they want to make any purchases at the same, since the visit it is actually focused on the importance of the products as a part of Toledo’s culture. I do hope to see you again in our of our tours. Best regards, Edgar W

via Tripadvisor

This tour was amazing - esp. because...

<p>This tour was amazing - esp. because of our guide Ismael who was extremely knowledgeable about all the sights and went out of his way to make us comfortable.This was the perfect tour to get to see the special sights of Madrid and Andalucia. We definitely recommend this tour to new visitors to Spain.</p>

via Viator

Overall the tour is good value. But...

<p>Overall the tour is good value. But the day tour of Madrid started chaotic, rushed but informative. The local guides for Cordoba, Seville and Granada are good. The tour in Toledo was again quite rushed. The only problem is the dual language in Spanish and English. We enjoyed the sights and the people.</p>

via Viator

Fantastic and very enjoyable trip...

<p>Fantastic and very enjoyable trip I've ever joined highly recommended to anyone who wants a great time in Madrid</p>

via Viator