EF Tours |
| United States, Massachusetts |
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Consumer reviews about EF Tours |
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fsubob
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Dec 30, 2011
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Fraud
We just returned from our ten day “European Quartet” trip. We really wish we had read some reviews of EF before we committed to this trip. Most of our complaints have already been mentioned repeatedly; awful flight itineraries, cheap dinners, shady, out-of-the-way hotels, inordinate amounts of wasted time. I don’t want to belabor these points so I’ll just go over the “highlights.”
Taking 24 hours getting to Amsterdam on the most illogical flight itinerary imaginable.
Cramming 45 people with an average age of 60 on an absolutely packed rush hour subway to go to a crappy dinner 25 minutes away, only to ride it right back to where we were afterwards.
Being deposited at 430 PM at your hotel in London, a 40 minute train ride from anything. This is your “free time.”
Spending hours on a bus to go to Bath, England only to arrive and be told we didn’t have enough time to go into the Roman baths. After all, the only thing not flexible on these trips is the time of the cheap, early bird special dinners they provide for you. This after being rushed through Stonehenge, including being told the audio guides weren’t working. Funnily enough, everyone else there had them.
This was certainly not the only time we were lied to, which brings me to our tour director, Tim Goddard. In some ways, he’s probably not the worst tour guide EF employs, as at least he didn’t abandon our group mid-trip like other EF directors have done. However, he makes a lot of excuses and was frequently very short with tour members. Other times he was extremely rude while throwing little temper tantrums. There’s something sad, annoying, and a little pathetic about a 45 year old man acting like a petulant six year old.
Unfortunately these were not aberrations but instead recurring themes on our trip.
If you plan on traveling with EF, you should know what you’re going to get: illogical travel itineraries, Motel 6esque accommodations, extremely cheap dinners you’ll waste a lot of valuable time getting to, and useless free time. You’ll be rushed through amazing destinations as they parrot the “fast paced trip” line, and yet spend hours wandering to dinner, and waiting for their buses to show up. You may even entirely miss certain must see sites. Our tour was not scheduled to see Westminster Abbey in London until there was a near mutiny.
Ultimately, if you’re 17, your parents are paying, and all you want to do is hang out with friends and see a few European highlights than by all means go. You’ll probably love it. If you expect a little bit more than you should probably check out the alternatives.
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Stefan22
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Mar 15, 2012
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Fraud
Hello to all of you! I was an EF-TD in the late 90ies. But after two summers I stopped. Why? I couldn't stand anymore how US-groups were seen as money-machines. In every shop you are lead Busdrivers, EF-TDs and EF get a certain percentage of what you buy. The most important question for the day was, where to take the groups in order to get as much money as possible. You dont trust me? Well do you know Bucherer in Lucerne? There is a small entrance in the sidestreet that takes TDs directly to the Bucherer-Office in the second floor. Therefore you have to tell Bucherer, which Tour you are. By the way this is policy of all large travel-companyies. I always hated it, but there was no way to refuse it. Therefore I gave up this job after two years although I liked it to be on tour with you guys.
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J Lh
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Apr 2, 2012
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Fraud
I have taken 2 groups to Germany/Austria/Switzerland with EF. The first trip was a book tour, so we were put with another high school group. They were weird kids, but that was the only complaint. The hotels were awesome, all if them for 10 days! The food was good, and the kids told me each day how it was such a good time. That was a group if 25. My second trip was with only my group, it was customized, so I planned it, for a group of 60. It was just as good, even better because I planned everything.I didn't plan the hotels or food, but they were great, just like on my first tour. I have no complaints against EF- both times they have given me the dates I wanted, and we flew together, not a single problem. I would say my only complaint is the fuel increase. I do a lot of fundraising with my students. My free trip is given to a needy student, and I give my stipend bonus to a student also. I pay for my trip, and have to pay for my spending $ and food too. So I end up paying for my trip, that's my choice, and I still have no complaints. The kids have fun, learn and see a lot and are always safe and taken care of. I am extremely cautious and plan well. Like I said- I've had nothing but great trips and will continue to use them!
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morgan
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Jun 16, 2014
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who is answering the phones?
while trying to get in touch with EF tours by their 1-877-205-9909 # I was on hold for 17 minutes. I was trying to get a refund as I took out the insurance and had an appendicitis attack 2 days before the trip. I was given a wrong phone # for the insurance co. I had to call back to EF and again another long wait for someone to answer. they sent me to customer assistance and after waiting 14 minutes I started this review about their "customer service". can they afford more than one person to man the phone?
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