Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy Travel Review: 28-Day Trip

I feel we paid a premium price for substandard service. A few times the airport and train pick-ups were not there to greet us or help with the luggage and we had to wait 1/2 an hour to 40 minutes for a ride. Also, there were several times in which we were dropped off way too early for a flight or a train. For example, leaving Portugal we were instructed to be ready for pick up at 3 am (however the driver who had been instructed to pick us up at 2:30 am was very upset thinking we had made him wait for 1/2 an hour and he had almost left to pick up another ride). To make matters worse, we had to wait at the airport for 2 hours before the Air Portugal Counter opened. A good travel agent would have known: how long the ride from the hotel to the airport was and what time the counter opens to check baggage. These events make a trip stressful and a better travel agent without so many middlemen can make a difference.

I feel there were too many middlemen involved which led to miscommunication. Sort of like a game of telephone.

For example, there was confusion with one of the guides in Portugal who was 8 kilometers away from the hotel where he was supposed to meet us. He had been subcontracted out by yet another middleman (a Spanish Company) who had given him different instructions than what was listed on our itinerary. This resulted in the tour starting an hour late. He was a wonderful, personable, and experienced guide so it worked out. But he thought it was odd that the company hiring him had no questions or instructions of what he was going to show us as all his other referrals (even from the States) had actually gone on his tours before they booked him for clients.

The help desk at the travel company was helpful and they did their best to intervene when there was miscommunication.

For example, the help desk did instruct us to stop waiting for a late ride and they reimbursed us the cost of the taxi to the hotel. I felt there were several people at the travel agency who gave their best efforts and were attentive when things went wrong. They were always reachable and responsive.