Magnificient Countries to Visit

The countries we visited were wonderful and very pretty. We loved visiting all the small cities but the bigger cities of Zurich and Munich were to hectic. They were just too big. We toured with a very small group of 10(instead of the projected 18) and the time of year and snow at higher elevations which made some of the excursions unavailable.(Mount Titlis) We did not encounter snow in the cities we visited and the weather was mostly 60's, a little rain but pretty good and even in the 70's some of the time. We all had to agree to the excursions since it was not economical for the excursion for just a few people. For this reason we were not able to visit Neuschwanstein Castle. This was frustrating but our tour director compensated for this in other ways. Various things (planned meal in Annecy, walking tour in the rain and cold of Annecy, walking tour of Zurich after flying 20+ hours) were the negatives but in the end the tour was very enjoyable. We were so lucky that all of the tour group got along so well. All hotels were nice but we were not happy with the hotels in Innsbruck or Annecy as a result of the street and train noise. We would liked to have been provided a list of additional things to do in each place we stopped since we spent too much time shopping, places to get snacks, food and additional money. Meals planned by the tour company were very good although some breakfast buffets were lacking. We extended our stay and the excursions to Dachau and Salzburg made the entire trip. Our guide, Frederich was very accommodating and his personal family experience with the Dachau camp was so very moving. We would recommend our tour guide

Marvelous Trip!

Between the amazingly designed excursions, and the quite knowledgeable tour director, this trip couldn't have been better. The timing was properly planned, giving us just enough time to see a bit of each destination. The group instantly bonded and seemed to be very cohesive after just a short few days of knowing each other, which definitely was beneficial to have on a two week trip such as this one. Our tour director went well beyond his natural duties, taking us on walking tours after included dinners in new cities and towns, and always giving us recommendations and help if needed when we were on our own ( he was especially good at pointing out the best gelato shops). My favorite part of the trip was the river cruise on Lake Como and our excursion to Bellagio. Absolutely breathtaking! The tour pace was moderate, not too challenging, although I would advise you to be able to walk outside for two hours at a time, including some small hills and stairs at times. Again, I had the most amazing time on this tour, and this was not my first tour nor my first visit to Europe. I had been on a Trafalgar tour of northern Italy some 10 years ago, which was also nice, however we were less on the bus this time around and had more opportunities to see monumental sites. I would recommend this tour with no reservations, and I will definitely be taking another Go Ahead tour in the future!

Jewels of Alpine Europe

This was one of our best Go Ahead vacations. The scenery was beautiful. We had a group of 20 people that got along great. Our tour director Jurgen was one of the best. Everything ran like clockwork. Based on Jugen's experience with this tour he was able to give us insider tips and keep our agenda running smoothly and seamlessly.

Fantastic

It has been 4 years since we took this trip but it is the one that always stays in my mind. Absolutely the most beautiful and breath taking trip would could experience. I even remember our wonderful bus driver, "Charlie" that manuerved through the Alps and little towns with such skill. Some of our hotels were not the greatest but most were centrally located and being as this is a fast paced tour, we never in one place long enough to care. The train ride on the the Bernina Express was the greatest, which was arranged last minute by our tour guide. The Mt. Palitis side trip was beautful, even though I was nervous to begin with as I am afraid of heights. Never bothered me once. I was advise anyone who loves Mts. and small town Europe to take this trip. Lots of walking.

Jewels of Alpine Europe!

This was an awesome trip with awesome scenery! The fresh air in the mountains was invigorating & views of the landscape surreal! We thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip! Thank you "Go Ahead Tours" for another "Once in a lifetime experience"

Jewels of the Alpine

Overall the tour was excellent. Both the tour director and driver were also excelent. The tour director went out of his way to accomodate peoples individual needs. He worked very hard. My primary suggestion would be regarding the castle in Germany. Your discription didn't exactly identify the difficulty of getting to the castle and the number of steps to be walked. (There wrere over 400 counting up and down). Though we rode up the mountain, we had to walk down a somewhat steep grade about a mile to get to the castle. That was unexpected. Otherwise, all was excellent.

Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour

It was a good choice to vacation in areas blessed by the beautiful Alpine Mountain scenery. The valleys, lakes, and city views were spectacular throughout the trip in each of the countries. The excursion options allowed us to get up close and personal with these natural wonders. Each of the cities offered their own extraordinary architectural displays with rich historic roots. All the peoples we encountered were personable and welcoming. The tour program keeps you moving, especially if you choose to go on several excursions. Yet, we did have the freedom to make our own personal choices to match our pace and, there are scheduled independent times. The tour director was awesome!! He was both knowledgeable and informative in all presentations. His personality was very pleasant, warm, and genuinely caring. In my opinion, he went the "extra mile" to add unique and memorable experiences to our trip.

Absolutely beautiful

We just returned from the Jewels of the Alpine trip and I cannot even to begin to describe how beatiful it was. Spectacular scenery, gorgeous lakes, breathtaking views from mountaintops. Our guide was wonderful -- knowledgeable, informative, organized, patient, attentive, and adorable. I have to admit, this was my favorite trip of 6 go aheads I have travelled on over the last several year.s

Alpine Europe

In this trip you get breathtaking scenery of the Alps from Switzerland and the cities of different countries on its border-France, Italy, Leichtenstein, Austria and Germany. Likewise, you savor different cuisine, culture, art , history, architecture and scenery of these countries, One of the highlights of the tour is going to Leichtenstein, a country in itself, but just like any self governing city. One thing I would have liked to see and did not see are those musicians with the long pipes which are always shown in brochures for Switzerland. There is so much to do and see in Lake Como so I suggest leaving early to get there so one can do as much like going up the funicular, seeing what's up there and taking a walking tour of Como also, before the scheduled cruise and visits.

We loved the Jewels of the Alpine trip!

This tour showed some of the little known secrets of these cities, such as the "dying lion" in Lucerne. We found that the city guides are great to listen to as they know a lot about their local culture and they are friendly and willing to answer questions. Our tour guide was great, as was our bus driver! Everyone made the experience enjoyable!