Report Cards for October

On SOUTH AMERICA, July ’05. . .

• We took a 14-day tour, July 3-16, ’05, with Overseas Adventure Travel (Cambridge, MA; 800/955-1925 or www.oattravel.com). The “Route of the Maya” started from Miami and covered San Salvador in El Salvador; Copan in Honduras; the colonial city of Antigua as well as Lake Atitlán and Tikal in Guatamela, and Caracol in Belize. Many of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Excellent hotels (only fair in Belize). Most meals included (some even with wine/beer). Complimentary bottled water provided daily. Great local guides. Many extras provided. Great predeparture kit with lots of info. The price, including airfare from Miami, was approximately $1,850 per person.

Our excellent trip leader, Bronson Torres, escorted our small group of 15 with great attention.

— Charles Schueddig, Naples, FL

On RUSSIA, July ’05. . .

• Palladium Tours in St. Petersburg, Russia, handled arrangements impeccably for two of my clients, July 20-25, 2005 (I am a travel agent). I contacted them based on recommendations in ITN (Oct. ’04, pg. 85) and requested a specific guide, Serguei Fedorov.

Palladium Tours (61 Nab.Chernoy rechki, 197342, St. Petersburg, Russia; phone 7-812 279 6644, 7-812 911 81 65 or 7-812 058 40 57, fax 7-812 279 6584, e-mail palladium@online.ru or mail@palladium.spb.ru or visit www.palladium.spb.ru) booked the hotel and the transfers as well as three days with the guide.

Everything was absolutely superb, and the details were worked out promptly with complete and gracious replies from Palladium. My clients commented that Serguei was probably the most knowledgeable guide they had ever had. They reported that the Grand Hotel Europe was also outstanding, with warm, inviting service.

Pricing was $12 per hour for the guide, $14 per hour for car and driver and $30 for the airport-hotel transfer. Payment was made to Palladium while in St. Petersburg. They do accept credit cards.

— Susan Philbin, Topeka, KS

On FRANCE, June-July, ’05. . .

• A cruise from Nice to Paris on the ship Chardonnay with Grand Circle Travel (Boston, MA; 800/221-2610 or www.gct.com).

This wonderful tour began in Nice. We cruised the Rhône River. The staff and ship were excellent. The crew was most accommodating. Our tour director was very helpful and friendly.

$3,792 included air from Los Angeles plus fees and taxes, the cruise and a 3-day pre-trip in Nice. Post-cruise, we stayed in Paris five extra days on our own, which was especially worthwhile. Total trip, June 12-July 1, ’05.

— Pat Lem, Los Angeles, CA