European Carousel Reviews

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While it was a great itinerary, many things were missed such as touring the Heidleberg castle, seeing the Manmarta Square in Germany where the glockenspiel is, and we did not get to see Tower Bridge when we visited London. We walked approximately 70 miles over the 15 days on tour. Because our hotels were up to an hour away from the city centers, we spent a lot of time traveling into the cities, most things were rather rushed, and we had very little free time. The walking pace was generally quick and we spent time waiting once we arrived at most destinations.

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I couldn’t have asked for anything more. The stress of planning was gone thanks to our AMAZING tour guide, Elenie. She is utterly amazing. She made sure our group of 36 was taken care of at all times. It was a buffet of Europe. We got to get a taste of several countries and now we have some idea of where we want to explore further.

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Simply amazing!

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It was the trip of a lifetime!

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Life-Changing

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I sent my daughter on the EF Trip as a graduation present. She went on the European Carousel Trip. Trip of a life time!!! She had the time of her life. Got to see soo many countries, eat different types of food, see sooo many beautiful cultures. I am soooo jealous I didn't go!! I would recommend this trip to anyone and everyone!! Lynette, Concord, CA

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Everything and everyone were perfect. Only rated 4 stars because most of the hotels had no A/C and it was especially uncomfortable in Paris and Venice. After a long, hot day, it's nice to go to a hotel with AC, so we could get a good night's sleep.

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This trip was both exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. What an amazing experience for everyone. If you want the opportunity to see as much of Europe as you can in under three weeks, I highly recommend this trip.

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This trip has very big ambitions and packs too much in. There is so much time sitting on buses because of the overpacked itinerary. Never enough time to enjoy/experience any country. It was rushed and unorganized with many missed opportunities due to the poor organization. A visit to Heidelberg Castle was scheduled and paid for..bus arrived late and this was canceled without a refund. Group leader offered no recommendations for kids during their extremely limited free time…they were given very brief periods of time to find a place to eat, shop and sightsee on their own. Most of this free time was only 30 mins to 1hr. The London Hotel was a nightmare and should be closed for unhealthy conditions. Rooms without opening windows, despite the summer heat and no air conditioning..blood on carpet, dirty sheets, musty/moldy smell, pool area closed and covered in black mold to mention a few problems. Hotel staff dismissed kids concerns and seemed to think they could just give the teenagers the disgusting rooms and they wouldn’t speak up. Kids had to really push to get clean rooms. Some kids did not get an acceptable room until 2 am. This trip is expensive and expectations were high… a chance to see many countries with some independence and guidance. Due to poor planning and decision making during the trip it ended up being quite a disappointment.

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Traveling with EF has been one of the best decisions I made. This was my 4th tour with students and every year the number of students increases. They always have the best time. Safety continues to be a top priority with EF which is evident in all they do. I look forward to many more trips with EF.

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I have been with EF for over 10 years and they have always been amazing! However on our last few trips we have been staying further and further away from the city centers which cuts into our city time because of drivers limited hours per day that they can drive and completely cuts off any chance of public transit to get back into the cities at night or ride back to the hotels later. This gives students to much time in the Hotels where most discipline problems occur! Dont get me wrong I love EF but moving away from city centers and public transit is a bad idea!!!

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We had an absolutely amazing time of this tour! To be sure, there are a lot of transitions, but that down time was needed. We took our 8-year old with us and she had a blast! I've never seen my students so interested in locations we've discussed. I would absolutely recommend this tour if you're wanting a quick trip into different countries to see where you want to spend more time.

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The trip was very rushed. Too many places were packed into one trip and we barely got to spend time in each other places as we had to go on a 4-hour bus ride to the next place. We barely got to relax and explore the town, however, it was still an enjoyable experience

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Fantastic experience

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This was a great tour, but very exhausting. Lots of time driving on the bus. We saw so many amazing things, but didn't have enough time anywhere. It was like a sampler platter, it gives you a taste, but leaves you wanting to go back for more. I wish we had more time in Venice (Burano and Murano), Heidelberg, and London. The guided tours were nice but felt rushed. I wish we had more time to get out and really see things rather than trying to catch a glimpse from the bus window. It would be nice if there was some sort of guide book with suggestions of places to eat, shop and visit during our free time. Also, it would be great if the app had these types of things as well as a way for the entire group to communicate. There were a couple of things that changed in our itinerary, and it would have been nice to know those things ahead of time.

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Unforgettable, memorable, fun

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EF should improve driver hire policy to find someone who can speak English. Also, someone who has a core value to serve people in a customer service role. Our driver was exact opposite. He did not like his job. He was never ready. He never helped anyone with anything. He did not turn on the AC in the unless someone yelled at him. If we are going to spend nearly 55 hours in a bus in the span of 12 days, you need to find a COMFORTABLE BUS with a positive caring driver. These are kids who needed apathy on their first European experience. I would also suggest no more than 2 people per room and at least 3 star accommodations. Most places were sub par. Less than Motel 6 quality if compared to US. It could have been just a half notch better and it would make a 100% better experience.

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This European carousel tour was 100% worth it. You get to have different local tour guides experience. Local food go to most of the fun cities and do different fun activities such as see windmills see big tall mountains and go on boat rides. You have fun time with your friends and you will have a fun day each and every day.

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While the schedule was rather busy, it was a great experience for my travelers. It provided a wide breadth of experiences through the countries visited. It also helped cement future plans of where to travel in the future.

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The tour is great, but be ready to see sooo much stuff is a short time period.