Noemi E.
1/5
We were highly disappointed with our travel agency. Our group of travelers highly regretted using European Tours and Vacations.We spent a significant amount of time via emails and phone calls determining the itinerary.
We settled on hotel in Rome and Sorrento that were to our liking. We then paid our initial deposit. However, immediately after paying our deposit we were notified that the hotel we selected had made an error and would NOT honor our pricing. I requested a refund. However, Nicole our sales agent suggested a modified itinerary to match our initial budget and found a hotel that would be 5-star and within our initial agreed package cost. We agreed to this hotel because it was listed as 5-star.
In the following weeks we paid our total package cost based on the travel agencies policy. However, the customer service we received prior to our trip was very frustrating and in many cases very curt and rude.
We just booked a $$$ vacation with this company, it shouldn't matter if I had had the same question multiple times, this is a major expense and extensive travel to a country I had never been. I expected a high level of service and courteousness.
Once we arrived to Hotel Belair in Sorrento we were highly disappointed and couldn't believe our hotel was considered a 5-star. It had bare minimum furnishings, uncomfortable mattress and bedding, and lower quality of staff.
On our very first tour was suppose to be a 3-hour VIP food tour in Sorrento. Our tour guide literally told us that the agency that booked us had given her a very small food budget that wouldn't be enough for 3 hours. So she started by giving us a history tour of the city! We spent about an hour walking around before we tasted anything. It was so awkward because we didn't want to be rude but also we did NOT ask for a history tour! She was a very sweet girl but had no real plan for our tour. We stopped at 2 different restaurants and she would speak to the staff and then say “sorry, they don't have room for us". It was terribly disorganized.
The next day was by far the worst tour! It was suppose to be a Private Tour of the Amalfi Coast in a Luxury Vehicle with an english speaking driver. HA! The vehicle that he arrived in was far less quality than the our previous drivers. It was visually damaged, older model, and didn't even have a automatic transmission (this was suppose to be a LUXURY vehicle). The driving was terrible because the driver made such rough gear changes. To add insult to injury our driver english was not proficient and he couldn't understand us. We asked him multiple times to turn on the A/C in the back of the van but he indicated that it was already on. His driving was very erratic and rough.
When we returned to our hotel in Sorrento I called and spoke with Azzurra from Helpdesk and explained all of our grievances. She mostly made excuses and no attempt to rectify the missteps. For example, when I explained that for our VIP Luxury Tour vehicle was not luxury and that it was a manual transmission she simply stated that most drivers in the region drive manuals.
Finally, on our departure day I developed a medical illness and I needed urgent medical treatment. My husband called to speak with the Helpdesk for assistance. We had no idea where to go for help as we were in the Rome Airport. My husband had a very difficult time understanding Helpdesk due to the heavy accent. She did finally send a text message with a local hospital address. But, we found the best help by calling our hotel Concierge at Anatara who arranged for a private physician to meet me at the hotel. Our travel agency never attempted to check on my status or if our issues was resolved.
