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The information on this page is based solely on product reviews written by customers of EF Educational Tours via Trustpilot.
Our tour guide was very rude her comments then and there were unnecessary I wish she would've been more considerate of our time and let us do things the way we wanted to. It was a stressful trip to say the least it didn't feel like a vacation at all.
The experiences were well planned. Our tour guides were knowledgeable and fun! Our first 2 hotels were great. For those I give 5 stars! Our last hotel in Madrid was terrible- DIRTY, rude, unable to supply an extra towel, and breakfast was not good. For this hotel, it gets a 1 star.
Delays that cut into their time for excursions & accomodations were no very good
Reply from EF Educational Tours
Thank you for sharing your feedback on the France to Spain tour. We're sorry to hear that delays impacted your time for excursions and that the accommodations did not meet your expectations. We strive to provide the best possible experience and will use your feedback to improve our future tours.
Jam-packed schedule full of amazing experiences!
The location and excursions were great. Flights had very long layovers ad they do not give you flight information until 30 days prior to departure and at that point no option for upgrade. Too much time spent traveling on the bus as the hotels are an hour plus outside of cities. Due to location expect up to 2-hour travel both ways if traffic is bad. Hotels are ok. Food not so great. Lunch rarely a sit down and due to extended travel times often limited time to find lunch and were told to eat while walking. Dinner was to be included most nights, but only a few of the evening meals were even good. Bought the Flamingo dinner dance in Barcelona as an extra cost. It was not dinner only the show with one drink (miss represented on itinerary). Most site seeing is from the bus window. Be aware of long rides. Often in the morning they pick you up very early then drive around showing you the sites from the window. Moring into Madrid was 3 hours of driving around and very little to see. Travel days between Paris to Barcelona was a day of no sightseeing. Took 1.5 hour to get to the train. Followed by 1.5 hours wait in train stain, then 6 plus hour ride on the train only to have to then take the bus for one hour to get into the city to just have dinner then have hour ride to the hotel. Be aware of a lot of wasted time traveling! You could easily do a much better vacation on your own for less money and stay in closer proximity to locations that you want to visit.
Reply from EF Educational Tours
We're glad you enjoyed France and Spain and the excursions that were planned. We are sorry to hear the flight experience took away from the overall enjoyment of the tour. Our team works to book flights that have enough of a layover time that will allow large groups to get through customs and security to reduce missed flights, which at times leaves limited options. Your feedback about the Flamenco dinner dance and the extensive travel times will be reviewed for improvement. If you have further suggestions or would like to discuss your experience, please reach out to our customer support team. Thank you for sharing your review.
Actual experience fell short of what was listed in itinerary. Canceled tours with no prior notice. EF Tours offered no apologies, no refunds. 1/3 of the trip did not happen! This was a trip scheduled for high school boys. I doubt this would have happened if it was a trip full of adults.
Reply from EF Educational Tours
We're sorry to hear about your disappointing experience with the France to Spain tour. Providing accurate and fulfilling experiences is paramount to us, and it's disheartening to learn that we didn't meet your expectations.
We regret any inconvenience or dissatisfaction caused and appreciate you bringing this to our attention. If there are any further details or concerns you'd like to share, or if you have any specific requests for resolution, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly. Your feedback is invaluable, and we hope to have the opportunity to regain your trust in the future.
All the logistics—from the first invite presentation to calling travelers, to-do's, and reminders—are included: reasonable payment installments, 100% year-around monitoring with consultant and specialist, domestic and overseas support, the tour package, the excursions, and the post-tour meeting. The GHS travelers covered the expectations; it should be interesting to include activities where they can learn and interact by doing. For example, they could participate in something culinary and prepare the famous tortilla española, not only tasting but sharing the making in situ, or learn steps or claps for flamenco.
Wonderful lifetime experience
Key stops that were on the itinerary did not happen, which was dissapointing. Easter Mass at a cathedral, Mona Lisa at the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower. These were key stops that somehow were not secured prior to the trip planned months prior, though they were on the itinerary. They did manage to get this group of high school boys to a perfume factory where they could buy 5 bottles for $400. Why?
They really had fun
It was an amazing experience. The students expanded their worldviews and curiosity and engaged with the French and Spanish cultures. The trip also increased their confidence, independence, and self-awareness.
Great but they need to choose higher quality hotels, hotels are far outside major cities
Reply from EF Educational Tours
Thank you for your review of your France to Spain trip. We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience overall. We understand the importance of hotel quality and location, and we'll take your feedback into account as we continue to improve our tours. Please know each hotel meets our standards for safety and availability. We appreciate your insights and hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!
Great organization! Very knowledgeable and respectful!
ON my previous review i highlighter the schedule issues, the hotel issues. The train from Paris to Barcelona was pretty smooth, but we were there at 5am and we couldn't have arrived later, also, taken a flight for 80 Euros not leave us in the train for 8 hours and then go, go , go. Hotel in Barcelona was the worse ever. Loud, dirty, uncontrolled, we couldn't rest and very far. We had to commute about 3 hours back and forth.
Reply from EF Educational Tours
We're sorry to hear about the challenges you faced during your France to Spain tour. It's clear that these issues greatly impacted your experience, and I sincerely apologize for any discomfort they caused. Your feedback is incredibly important to us, and we will share you review with our team.
Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention, and we hope to provide you with an excellent tour experience in the future.
EF’s handling of the initial flight delay (from our first day and horrible hotel arrangements while delayed) as well as delaying the trip for 1 1/2 days could have been better coordinated by EF. Also, all hotels on the trip should be in/near the city and near sightseeing instead of 45 mins to 1 hour away in unsafe neighborhoods and conditions. One of our travelers experienced a robbery as a result of being in put in an unsafe neighborhood. Hotels should have adequate breakfast (Courtyard in France was only hotel that provided a full breakfast) and should not have students on the first floor of a hotel as this was very unsafe and windows on the were open in rooms of students on the first floor. Hotel near Madrid, Spain had no secure windows in rooms, no security deposit boxes & beds were too small (twin size) and did not accommodate students that were assigned 3-4 to a room. Additionally, the food on EF sponsored dinners on the trip (with the exception of Madrid) were not good. EF should allow participants to choose dinner entree OR give a stipend to everyone so they choose dinner entree in advance. Too much travel time to hotel on buses. Students should not have to walk with luggage 15-20 mins in hot weather to change bus due to bus deadlines. Better bus coordination is needed. Buses should have microphone that work for EF tour guides and have plugs to use to charge as well as a restroom on the bus, given participants are on the bus for a long time. Guide for Toledo was great. Train rides were good. The EF bookbag that was provided and required to use on trip was cheaply made and too small to carry necessary items. The zipper broke on Day 1. There was only one zipper on the bookbag & a number of people experienced the same issue and had to buy a new bookbag during the trip. Please provide sturdy, well made extra large bookbags with two zippers in case of malfunction.
Reply from EF Educational Tours
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We truly appreciate your input, as it helps us improve our services. We apologize for any inconveniences you experienced during your trip. Your suggestions regarding hotel locations, food options, transportation, and other aspects have been duly noted. We'll work on addressing these concerns to ensure a better experience for our future travelers. Your insights are appreciated, and we're committed to making necessary improvements based on your feedback. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts.
Same review as before
Overall, very good
Reply from EF Educational Tours
We're glad to hear you enjoyed your tour, Dana. Thanks for sharing and for being part of the EF Tours family.
Europe was Great! Lisbon and Barcelona was my favorite's. People and food was Great!
Reply from EF Educational Tours
Yes! We love to hear it. Thanks for sharing and for being part of the EF Tours family.
The tour was very organized and well executed. The Tour Director, Stefi, was excellent! The coordination for transportation was flawless. We were never waiting for buses. We had a bus broke down after drop off and the bus was replaced, and all our belongings moved to the new bus prior to our return. We visited four cities across three countries. Accommodations were not perfect but more than livable. My boys are going solo to Japan next year with EF and I am completely comfortable with their well-being and safety after experiencing this trip. I can't say anything negative about this trip. It was outstanding!
Reply from EF Educational Tours
It's fantastic to hear that you found your tour was exceptionally organized and well-executed, and that Stefi, your Tour Director, did an excellent job. Smooth transportation coordination and quick problem-solving are essential on any trip, and it's wonderful to know that your experience was so positive. Your trust in us for your boys' upcoming solo trip to Japan speaks volumes about the quality of service we aim to provide. We're truly grateful for your kind words and look forward to creating another outstanding experience for them next year!
A lovely trip that was busy with visiting many sights.
